THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l thursday l june 19, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE city EDITION Govt set to roll out annual FASTag passes for pvt vehicles from Aug 15 Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, Nitin Gadkari, on Wednesday said the move is aimed at making highway travel hassle-free 200 trips on national highways for L3,000 Less congestion, disputes at toll plazas The pass will be valid for one year from the date of activation, or 200 trips, whichever comes first. Users may re-purchase the pass once the 200-trip limit is exhausted, even if the one-year validity period has not yet ended. The pass—valid only at NHAI-operated toll plazas—is designed exclusively for non-commercial private vehicles such as cars, jeeps & vans ■ Gadkari said the annual pass will reduce wait time, ease congestion, and minimise disputes at toll plazas ■ The annual pass can be activated on existing FASTag ■ Using annual passes will not be mandatory; users can continue to pass toll plazas using their existing electronic toll collection tags A15 Will be the Average cost of crossing a toll plaza for annual pass holders CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Modi calls out Trump on mediation; Don reiterates role in defusing clash HC says no to opening toilets at pvt petrol pumps to all Prime minister says India has always been against third-party mediation on Kashmir issue E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Kochi The Kerala High Court has directed the state government and local self-government institutions not to require that toilets in private petroleum retail outlets in Kerala be opened for public use. The court issued the order on a petition filed by the Petroleum Traders Welfare and Legal Service Society, an association of 300 retail outlet dealers, against a government order to convert their private toilets into public facilities. The petitioners contended that they were being forced to open the private toilets maintained by them at the outlets for the emergency needs of customers to the public. They also alleged that the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, as well as certain other local bodies, had pasted posters in some of the retail outlets to give the impression that the toilets are public toilets. The petitioners said treating toilets in private petroleum retail outlets, which are classified as high-risk zone, as public facilities would lead to unauthorised access. Also, chances of fire breaking out and other catastrophe are very high when a large number of people access the retail outlets in an unauthorised manner. Suman Chakravarthy, the standing counsel for the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, submitted that it is the duty of the dealers at the petrol pumps to ensure neat and safe toilet facilities for the public, and it is the duty of the LSG department to ensure that the dealers complied with it. In 2013, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had issued a circular stating that drinking water and toilet facilities at such outlets shall be accessible to the public around the clock. Recently, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Pathanamthitta, had ordered a petrol pump owner to pay `1.65 lakh as compensation to a teacher for not letting her use the toilet on the premises. The complaint was lodged by C A Jayakumari, a resident of Ezhakulam in Pathanamthitta, against the owner of the filling station in Payyoli, Kozhikode. J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Kashmiri students wait to board a flight to India under an evacuation operation facilitated by New Delhi, at Yerevan Int’l Airport in Armenia on Wednesday | pti Operation Sindhu starts, first evacuation flight to land in New Delhi today in Sheraz University I am wor. ried about his safety especially , @ New Delhi / Srinagar / Lucknow after hearing news that a hostel came under Isreali strike,” said INDIA has launched Operation Srinag ar resident Shabir Sindhu to evacuate its nation- Ahmed. als from conflict-torn Iran, Nasir Khuehami, national which has come under heavy convenor of J&K Students AsIsraeli aerial bombardment. sociation, said 250 more stuThe first evacuation dents have been shiftflight is expected to ed to safer location of ‘Iran will not land in New Delhi on Qom. They will be surrender’ Thursday . evacuated to ArmeIran’s supreme A total of 110 Indinia and then airlifted leader Ayatollah an students boarded a to Delhi. Ali Khamenei on special flight from Meanwhile, the Wednesday Yerevan in Armenia families of those rejected US on Wednesday. The working in Israel are President Donald flight is scheduled to e q u a l l y wo r r i e d . land in New Delhi Trump’s ultimatum Workers from around around 2:00 am on to surrender. “Wise 70 families from Baraindividuals who Thursday Around 90 . banki, Lucknow and know Iran, its of these students are other districts are people, and its from Jammu and employed in various Kashmir. There are history never speak factories in Israel. around 1,300 J&K stu- to this nation with Ram Singh, a weldthe language of dents in Iran. er from Malihabad, threats,” he said The Iranian EmLucknow, shared his bassy in Delhi said experiences with his five Indian students were in- family through a video call, exjured during a strike on a medi- plaining that mobile alerts cal students’ dormitory on Ke- come 10 minutes before a misshavarz Street in Tehran on sile attack, followed by loud siSunday. Sources said the stu- rens five minutes ahead. dents were safely evacuated “The moment the siren and nobody sustained any seri- sounds, there’s panic all ous injury . around. Everyone runs for the “My ward is studying MBBS bunkers,” he told his family . J AYA N TH J ACOB , F aya z W a n i & N a m i ta B a j pa i Sending a clear and firm message to Washington, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US President Donald Trump that India has never accepted—and will never accept—third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Modi made it unequivocally clear during their 35-minute phone call on Tuesday . The call — their second direct engagement since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam — came against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor. Misri said “India’s response was measured, precise, and limited to terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir,” underscoring New Delhi’s commitment to strategic restraint without compromising on national security . J AYA N TH J ACOB @ New Delhi IN a big step towards mending strained ties, India and Canada have agreed to reinstate High Commissioners in each other’s capitals and restart stalled trade negotiations, following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit early on Wednesday . Modi and Carney agreed to take steps to restore stability to the relationship with the return of top diplomats marking the first formal gesture of renewed engagement. “Diplomatic steps will follow in due course,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. The meeting set in motion the resumption of dialogues on trade, connectivity, and public engagement. Trade talks, previously paused, will also be revived, with both leaders instructing their officials to restart negotiations soon. Nod for Kozhikode-Wayanad tunnel project; conditions apply Police strained as 1,500 officers deployed for court escorts daily Israel-Iran conflict hits Kerala-Gulf flight services Kozhikode: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has granted conditional clearance to the proposed fourlane tunnel road project between Kozhikode and Wayanad, while imposing 60 conditions to safeguard biodiversity and ensure geological stability | P4 Kochi: The Kerala Police force, already grappling with severe personnel shortage, is facing an unsustainable burden as nearly 1,500 officers are deployed every day solely to escort undertrial prisoners to courts and hospitals. The practice has raised concerns over resource wastage and missed opportunities for digital reform, according to senior police officials | P5 Kozhikode: The conflict between Israel and Iran has disrupted flight services from Kerala to West Asian countries. Following the closure of Iran’s airspace, six flights between Gulf countries and Kannur were cancelled on Wednesday. Similar disruptions were reported at Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Karipur airports. Services to Dubai and Sharjah were the most affected | P5 Secy’s goof-up leaves CPM red-faced on bypoll eve E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @T’Puram/Kozhikode An off-the-cuff remark by CPM state secretary M V Govindan on the eve of the Nilambur byelection has left the LDF camp embarrassed, forcing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself to launch a fire-fighting mission. The UDF, which was on the defensive over its tie-up with the Welfare Party - the political wing of the Jama’at-e-Islami was quick to sense the opportunity Govindan opened up by his remarks on the CPM’s association with the RSS in opposing the Emergency in the 1970s. The UDF is relieved that the Officials receive electoral material at Chungathara Mar Thoma HSS in Malappuram on Wednesday, the eve of the Nilambur assembly bypoll | PTI CPM-RSS ties took the spotlight on Wednesday, pushing its association with the Jama’at to the sidelines. After his remarks on the RSS, in a Malayalam channel, kicked up a controversy, Govindan convened a press conference to accuse the media of “twisting” his statements. “History should be viewed in historical perspective. There is a concerted effort to create controversy over the statement I made about the Emergency 50 years ago,” he said. Govindan asserted that the CPM has had no cooperation or understanding with the RSS till now. “This was the case in the past, as it will be in the future... The CPM and the Janata Party , which was formed by dissolving various socialist parties, had an electoral understanding to fight the Emergency The Ja. nata Party and the Jan Sangha were two separate entities,” he ● More on P4 said.  Narendra Modi Donald Trump Hours later, Trump reiterated that he intervened to prevent a military conflict between India and Pakistan in May after the Pahalgam terror attack. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he described Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “a fantastic man” and expressed optimism about a forthcoming trade deal between the US and India. “Well, I stopped the war… I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a India and Canada reset ties, agree to reinstate envoys express read 16 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express The conversation also sought to clarify India’s position on recent claims by President Trump, who had repeatedly talked about playing a role in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Modi directly addressed this, saying there were “no discussions on a trade deal between India and the US or about a mediation between India and Pakistan” at any point during the four days of military confrontation. The ceasefire talks, he said, were conducted exclusively between India and Pakistan, without external involvement. President Trump suggested a stopover meeting in the US during Modi’s return from Canada, but the prime minister declined due to prior commitments. Both agreed to find another opportunity for an in-person meeting soon. Go out & vote, Nilambur 263 2,32,384 Booths Total voters Polling: 7am to 6pm 10 candidates In fray Major contenders M Swaraj (LDF) Aryadan Shoukath (UDF) Mohan George (NDA) P V Anvar (IND) 2021 assembly election results Turnout: 83.24% P V Anvar (LDF-Ind): 81,227 (46.9%) V V Prakash (UDF): 78,527 (45.34%) T K Ashok Kumar (NDA): 8,595 (4.96%) Margin: 2,700 votes Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Canadian PM Mark Carney on the sidelines of G7 Summit at Kananaskis, Canada | PTI Collaboration on global challenges and emerging technologies formed a key part of the discussion, with both sides agreeing to deepen cooperation in clean energy, AI, digital infrastructure, food security and , critical minerals. After the meeting, PM Modi said, “Had an excellent meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney Complimented him and the . Canadian Government for successfully hosting the G7 Summit. India and Canada are connected by a strong belief in democracy freedom and rule of , law. PM Carney and I look forward to working closely to add momentum to the India-Canada friendship. Areas like trade, energy, space, clean energy, critical minerals, fertilisers and more offer immense potential in this regard.” This marks Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to Canada since the diplomatic fallout following allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The controversy triggered diplomatic expulsions and the suspension of key dialogues. A statement from Carney’s office reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties “based on mutual respect, the rule of law, and a commitment to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity”. Govt coaxing seniors to bow out of top cop fray by the government with the strange request. The intention, In an apparent bid to boost the sources said, is to facilitate the chances of Manoj Abraham as inclusion Manoj, S Suresh and well as M R Ajith Kumar, who Ajith Kumar – officers who are are among the six IPS officers next in line in terms of seniorwhose names it has proposed ity and whom it favours – in the for the state police chief post, UPSC list so that it can pick a the Kerala governfavourite. ment has resorted to Currently with the Feelers sent an unprecedented Intelligence Bureau Nitin Agarwal, act: Asking the conas a special director, Ravada A tenders to drop out of Ravada has been ofthe race to facilitate Chandrasekhar and fered the post of secYogesh Gupta are those next in line. retary (security) in expected to be T h e m ove, s ay the cabinet secretariincluded in the those in the know, at. Yogesh is currentalso aims at avoiding UPSC short-list for ly the director generthe DGP post. Of the possibility of the al of the fire and government having them, Ravada and r e s c u e s e r v i c e s to choose Kerala’s Yogesh have been department. sent feelers via next top cop from the As per sources, Raunofficial channels vada and Yogesh, the three senior-most IPS to pull out of the officers – Nitin Agarsecond and third senrace. wal, Ravada A Chanior-most IPS officers drasekhar and Yoin Kerala, were sent gesh Gupta – who are expected feelers by the gover nment to be included in the short-list through unofficial channels: prepared by the Union Public Serving and retired IAS Service Commission, and with officers as well as retired IPS whom the government has a officers. Offers were made to frayed equation. the officers sources said, withSources revealed that Ravada out divulging what was prom● More on P4 and Yogesh were approached ised.  E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram fantastic man. I spoke to him last night. We’re going to make a trade deal with Modi of India. But I stopped the war between Pakistan and India,” President Trump said. Addressing speculation around a potential White House meeting with Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, Trump credited Munir with playing a key role in de-escalating the crisis. “This man was extremely influential in stopping it from the Pakistan side,” Trump said, referring to Munir. “Modi, from the India side, and others — they were going at it, and they’re both nuclear countries. I got it stopped.” Trump also questioned media coverage of his claims, stating, “I don’t think I had one story. Did I have one story written…” benefits galore Coming, rules to mandate IST for time sovereignty J i t en d r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi Did you know that the Indian Standard Time (IST) we all are familiar with is derived from the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) with an offset of +5.30 hours? It is a successor to the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a ‘One Nation, One Time’ pitch, the Department of Consumer Affairs, in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO, is set notify a bunch of rules for synchronisation of all activities with IST. It may not appear to be a big deal for the aam aadmi, but synchronisation would make their digital transactions more secure, add accuracy to utility billing and reduce risks o f The upcoming notification of cybercrime. Currently, In- the Legal dian industries Metrology (IST) Rules, depend on the 2025. marks Global Position- India’s i n g S y s t e m strategic shift (GPS) of US sat- towards time ellites for pre- sovereignty, cise and syn- technological chronised time. independence The downside is and digital resilience it can be vulner- under the able to manipu- guiding vision lation in critical of ‘One Nation, sectors such as One Time’ finance, telecomm u n i c a t i o n s , Govt official and defence. For context, the time standard used for the recent four-day Operation Sindoor against Pakistan was not linked to the GPS to keep it away from the prying eyes of the enemy . The government has now directed that all legal, commerc i a l , a n d a d m i n i s t r at ive activities be synchronised with IST. The use of alternative time references will be prohibited u n l e s s i t i s s p e c i f i c a l ly authorised. Establishing a domestic source of time standard is critical for various sectors like telecom, railways, finance, SEBI, power, electronics, and stock exchanges, where even nanoseconds can make a significant difference.