visakhapatnam l thursday l june 19, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 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 `3,000 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 ■ The annual pass can be activated on existing FASTag `15 Less congestion, disputes at toll plazas ■ Gadkari said the annual pass will reduce wait time, ease congestion, and minimise disputes at toll plazas ■ Using annual passes will not be mandatory; users can continue to pass toll plazas using their existing electronic toll collection tags 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 Condolence visit turns tragic: Two die during Jagan’s Palnadu tour Prime minister says India has always been against third-party mediation on Kashmir issue J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Guntur What began as a condolence visit by former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to Palnadu turned tragic, with two lives lost during a YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) rally held as part of his tour. Ironically, Jagan was en route to Rentapalla to console the family of party leader K Naga Malleswar Rao, who died by suicide last year, a death that has come to symbolise the YSRCP’s post-election turbulence. In the first incident, Chilli Singayya (53), a resident of Vengalayapalem, sustained fatal injuries after being run over by a Tata Safari near Etukuru on the Lalpuram highway . According to police, he slipped while stepping forward to shower flowers near an Anjaneya Swamy statue and fell under a vehicle believed to be part of the unofficial convoy ahead of Jagan’s entourage. Eyewitnesses claimed the vehicle did not stop, and YSRCP supporters ignored the injured man, leaving him by the roadside. He was later rushed to Guntur Government Hospital by local residents but succumbed to his injuries. In a separate incident, 30year-old Papasani Jayavardhan Reddy of Autonagar collapsed during a scuffle near the Sattenapalli clock tower and was declared dead at a local P4 hospital. Air India announces 15% cut in int’l services The airline said international services using widebody aircraft will be reduced to ensure operational stability and minimise inconvenience to passengers, following the plane crash in Ahmedabad last week | P8 Kashmiri students wait to board a flight to India under an evacuation operation facilitated by Govt of India, 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. AP Cong chief alleges phone tapping during BRS regime Three youths killed in bike accident in Vizianagaram Probe intensifies in AI crash, 100 mobile phones recovered Visakhapatnam: In a startling claim, Andhra Pradesh Congress President Y S Sharmila alleged that her phone, along with those of her husband and close associates, was tapped by the previous Telangana regime. Speaking to the media at Visakhapatnam Airport on Wednesday, Sharmila added that she is willing to appear before any investigation on the issue | P4 Vizianagaram: In a tragic incident, three youths died after their bike crashed into a tree on the outskirts of Chamalavalasa village under Bondapalli mandal in Vizianagaram on Wednesday. The deceased, P Satish (20), N Ramana (20) and B Dinesh (23) were returning from a village festival and were heading for a swim when the accident occurred, police said Ahmedabad; Authorities investigating the Air India AI-171 crash have recovered over 100 mobile phones and 20 laptops from the crash site. The devices have been sent for forensic analysis to look for recorded evidence of what happened in those fateful seconds on June 12. Authorities have released a list of nationalities of the deceased whose bodies have been identified so far | P8 Gajarla Ravi among 3 Maoists killed in encounter @ Rajamahendravaram/Visakhapatnam In a major setback to the Maoist movement in Andhra Pradesh, three senior leaders of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) were killed in an exchange of fire with the elite Greyhounds force in the dense forest region near Kintukuru village in Devipatnam mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Wednesday . The deceased have been identified as Gajarla Ravi, also known as Uday or Ganesh, a Central Committee member; Ravi Venkata Chaitanya, alias Aruna, East Division Secretary and member of the Andhra- Odisha Borhad assemder Special bled in the Zonal Comarea, the mittee (AOBGreyhounds SZC); and launched a Anji, alias combing opNarmadakka, eration in the a Maoist leadearly hours. Gajarla Ravi alias Uday and Aruna er from ChhatThe location tisgarh. Aruna is approxiwas the wife of senior Maoist mately 30 km from the Polavarleader Chalapati, alias Ram- am Project site. achandra Reddy who was killed , Following the incident, addiin an encounter in the Dan- tional police forces were dedakaranya region earlier. ployed along key routes, includPolice sources said the en- ing Bhadrachalam Road, counter occurred in Kintuku- Chinturu–Kunta Road, Deviru, about 100 km from Rajama- patnam to Rampachodavaram, hendravaram. Acting on and the Polavaram project area, credible intelligence that a to prevent any possible movegroup of around 16–20 Maoists ment of Maoists. Police believe 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 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e 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. that some leaders from AP and Telangana who were present at the meeting may have escaped during the gunfire. According to ASR police, the bodies are being transported to the Rampachodavaram Hospital for postmortem. Officials noted that the terrain is inaccessible by vehicles, and the bodies had to be carried on foot for nearly 15–20 km before being moved by road. Senior police officials, including Rampachodavaram OSD Jagadeesh Adahalli and Maredumilli CI Gopalakrishna, are overseeing the operations and confirmed that combing efforts will continue in the surroundP4 ing forest areas.  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”. Coming, rules to mandate IST for time sovereignty lites for precise and synchronised time. The downside is it Did you know that the Indian can be vulnerable to manipulaStandard Time (IST) we all are tion in critical sectors such as familiar with is derived from finance, telecommunications, the Coordinated Universal and defence. Time (UTC) with an offset of For context, the time stand+5.30 hours? It is a ard used for the resuccessor to the cent four-day OperaGreenwich Mean tion Sindoor against Time (GMT). Pakistan was not The upcoming Years after Prime linked to the GPS to notification of the Minister Narendra keep it away from the Legal Metrology Modi made a ‘One Naprying eyes of the (IST) Rules, 2025. tion, One Time’ pitch, enemy . marks India’s the Department of The gover nment strategic shift Consumer Affairs, in has now directed that towards time sovereignty, collaboration with all legal, commercial, technological CSIR-NPL and ISRO, and administrative independence and is set to notify a bunch activities be synchrodigital resilience of rules for synchronised with IST. under the guiding nisation of all activi- vision of ‘One Nation, The use of alternaties with IST. tive time references One Time’ It may not appear will be prohibited unGovt official to be a big deal for the less it is specifically aam aadmi, but synauthorised. chronisation would make their Establishing a domestic digital transactions more se- source of time standard is criticure, add accuracy to utility cal for various sectors like telbilling and reduce risks of ecom, railways, finance, SEBI, cybercrime. power, electronics, and stock Currently, Indian industries exchanges, where even nanodepend on the Global Position- seconds can make a significant ing System (GPS) of US satel- difference. J i t en d r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi 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…” meets Dhankhar Lokesh seeks Central govt’s support for AP edu reforms E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada HRD, IT, and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi on Wednesday and presented a comprehensive outline of the far-reaching reforms being implemented in Andhra Pradesh’s education sector. He also met Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and reiterated the long-pending demand for a High Court bench in Kurnool. During his meeting with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Lokesh stated that the new coalition government is committed to structural reforms aimed at establishing the AP Model of Education. “Under the flagship Learning Excellence in Andhra Pradesh (LEAP) initiative, the state is setting up 9,600 model primary schools, one in each Assembly constituency. The government is implementing a ‘One Class – One Teacher’ policy and has already upgraded 700 upper primary schools to high schools. A star rating system has been introduced to evaluate schools based on academic and infrastructural parameters,” he said. Lokesh also highlighted the successful and apolitical implementation of the Teacher Transfer Act based on seniority the establishment of 80 new , PM SHRI schools and 79 hostels under the PM Janman scheme, and the sanctioning of `186 crore for STEM and computer labs. Efforts are also underway to open 125 autism schools with central support. A state-wide mega Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM) is scheduled for July 5, and Lokesh invited Union MinP4 ister Pradhan to attend.  IT Minister Nara Lokesh with India’s Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar in New Delhi on Wednesday | Express