tadepalligudem l thursday l june 26, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Qatar, U.S. CLAIM momentum in Gaza deal after Israel-Iran ceasefire Qatar’s PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said informal talks between Israel and Hamas could begin in the next two days Very close to reaching a deal: Trump US President Donald Trump claimed there has been “great progress” in efforts to end the Gaza conflict, adding that his special envoy Steve Witkoff has told him “Gaza is very close”. He linked his optimism about imminent “very good news” for the Gaza Strip to a ceasefire agreed on Tuesday between Israel and Hamas’s sponsor Iran to end their 12-day war | P9 Bibi may soften stand, call snap polls ■ However, neither Israel nor Hamas has confirmed any truce deal yet ■ Israel’s official position is it will eliminate Hamas and its leaders, while the outfit demands complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza ■ Reports said Netanyahu is ready to cut a deal with Hamas, call snap polls, and seek to retain power on the back of the victory over Iran Seven Israeli troops killed in one of the deadliest attacks against IDF in Gaza 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 CBSE to conduct Class 10 board exams twice a year from 2026 IFRAH MUFTI @ New Delhi STARTING next year, Class 10 students will be allowed to take CBSE board exams twice year – in February and again in May. The first attempt in February will be mandatory . Taking the second chance in May is optional and is mainly for those wishing to improve their scores. The move, recommended in the new National Education Policy (NEP), is expected to reduce stress among students over annual exams and give them an opportunity to score better marks. “The first phase will be conducted in February and second in May. The results for the two phases will be announced in April and June, respectivel y, ” s a i d S a n ya m Bhardwaj, Examination Controller, Censecond shot tral Board of Secondary Education. In the second In the second phase attempt in May, of examination in students can May, students will be improve their scores allowed to improve in any three subjects their performance in out of science, any three subjects out mathematics, social of science, mathematscience and ics, social science and languages languages, he added. Class 10 students from winter-bound schools will be allowed to appear for exams in any of the phases. Internal assessments will be conducted only once during the academic session. Exams under the first phase will begin on February 17, 2026 and the results will be declared in April. The second exam is scheduled to commence on May 5, 2026 and the results will be out in June. The Ministry of Education said the new system will reduce pressure on students, offer flexibility and promote stress-free learn, ing. “It is a landmark shift towards competency-based assessments that value understanding over rote learning. This reform empowers students with choice, confidence, and second chances,” it stated. express read Unemployment allowance for state youth from this yr, Lokesh Vijayawada: Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh announced that the unemployment allowance to youth will be extended this year itself. Addressing the party rank and file in Machilipatnam on Wednesday, Lokesh said recruitment of more than 16,000 teacher posts through Mega DSC is going on | P4 State’s first Smart Bazaar to come up in Nellore City in 2-3 months Nellore: In a major urban development initiative, State government is constructing the first-ever ‘Smart Bazaar’ in Nellore city, with a special focus on women’s empowerment. The marketplace, being built along the banks of the Jaffer Saheb Canal, is likely to be completed within the next two to three months | P3 What a ride! India re-enters Democracy placed space odyssey after 41 years under arrest by Cong govt 50 yrs ago: Modi Emergency anniversary Narendra Modi, prime minister Today marks 50 years since one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history, the imposition of the Emergency... No Indian will ever forget the manner in which the spirit of our Constitution was violated Union home minister Amit Shah addresses an event on Emergency in Delhi | PTI Shah went ballistic against the Congress on the Emergency, saying it was imposed to Prime Minister Narendra preserve dynastic politics. As Modi on Wednesday set the for Bihar Chief Minister Nittone for the commemoration ish Kumar, he said Emergenthe 50th anniversary of Emer- cy symbolised Indira’s dictagency describing it as one of , torial streak, adding its the darkest chapters in India’s imposition marked a “black democratic history . day in history”. Attacking the then Con“The anti-Emergency movegress government led by In- ment was a learning experidira Gandhi, he said it was as ence for me. It reaffirmed the if it had placed devitality of preservmocracy under aring our democratic rest. All values enframework. At the shrined in the same time, I got to Constitution were learn so much from set aside, fundamenpeople across the potal rights were suslitical spectrum,” pended, press freeModi said in his post dom extinguished on X. In his foreword and several political to the book, former leaders, social workPM H D Gowda said ers, students and orpeople like Modi dinary citizens were built a strong netThe cover of The jailed, he pointed work of communicaEmergency Diaries out in a post on X. tion and resistance. Later in the day, Modi urged others The Emergency Diaries — who still remember the tyrYears that Forged a Leader, a anny of Emergency, to share book that chronicles Modi’s their experiences on social journey during that time, media so as to enhance awarewhen he was a RSS prachar- ness of those dark days. ak, was released by Union In his reposte, Congress home minister Amit Shah. chief Mallikarjun Kharge Shah said Modi, then 25, used charged that there was an unto work underground at that declared emergency in India time against Emergency, since the last 11 years. He acsometimes as a saint, some- cused the BJP of staging a times as a Sardarji, sometimes ‘drama’ of observing Samvidas a hippie, sometimes as an han Hatya Diwas to mark the incense stick seller or some- proclamation of Emergency times as a newspaper seller. to hide governance failure. RA J E SH K UMAR THA K UR @ New Delhi @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Wednesday said probe agencies cannot directly summon lawyers over matters involving their clients, calling such actions a direct threat to the administration of justice. A bench comprising justices K V Viswanathan and N Kotiswar Singh took suo motu cognizance of the matter while hearing a plea by a lawyer who had been summoned by the Gujarat police in connection with a case involving his client. “Permitting the investigation agencies/police to directly summon defence counsel or lawyers who advised parties in mallikarjun kharge, Cong president a given case would seriously undermine the autonomy of the legal profession and would even constitute a direct threat to the independence of the administration of justice,” the court said. The court framed two questions: When an individual is involved in a case solely as a lawyer advising a client, can the investigating agency, prosecution, or police directly summon the lawyer? And even if the agency believes the individual’s role goes beyond that of legal counsel, should such instances still require judicial oversight before any summons is issued? It sent the matter to the CJI for appropriate directions. Namaskar to all my countrymen. What a ride! After 41 years, we are back in space and what a ride it has been.” These were the first words of Axiom-4 mission pilot and the first Indian to travel to space in 41 years, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (nicknamed Shux), when the mission was launched at 12.01 pm Wednesday from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, after six postponements since May 29. The commercial space mission by Axiom Space was launched in collaboration with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and the European Space Agency (ESA). The spacecraft is now scheduled to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday 4.30 pm, 28-and-half, hours after launch. After acclimatising with the environment in space, the mission’s four-member crew comprising Shukla, mission commander Peggy Whitson from the US, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu will carry Shukla is the second Indian in space after Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma, who was a crew member of the Soyuz T-11 in April 1984, and will be the first Indian to pilot a spacecraft. Shukla is carrying a ‘surprise’ for Sharma to the ISS, which will be known only later SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule lifts off | pti out 60 experiments; seven of them will be done by Shukla. As part of their 14-day mission, the astronauts will hold live classes and interactive sessions with students, experts and VIPs from the ISS, using Amaetur Radio on the ISS. Before heading to his designated seat inside the spacecraft attached at the top of the twostage Falcon 9 launcher, Shukla listened to his favourite song Vande Mataram from the movie Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. Before heading to the spacecraft for takeoff, the astronauts 2-minute silence, resolution The Union Cabinet on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning the proclamation of Emergency 50 years ago and observed a twominute silence to pay tributes to those whose constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights were taken away and were then subjected to “unimaginable horrors” | P7 Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla (second from left) and the three others aboard the SpaceX Dragon bound for the ISS | pti Geo-tagging all Citizens by November: CM Naidu E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu stated that every person in Andhra Pradesh will be geo-tagged and Aadhaar-authenticated by November. “Every family will be tagged as a unit, and every house will also be geo-tagged. In case of any disaster like cyclone, we’ll be able to target support down to household level,” Naidu said. Addressing the FICCI National Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said “We’re cre- ating a ‘data lake repository’ combining all state and central welfare schemes with personal data like assets, liabilities, and profession. Over 40-50 parameters-like humidity, temperature, water levels, air quality, and cyclone alerts- will be monitored in real-time using AI. The idea is to use this data to build a model of governance for the rest of the country and even the world,” he said. Naidu laid out a bold vision for the state’s future, emphasizing a transition from the “Ease of Doing Business” to the “Speed of Doing Business.” P4 AP’s Quantum Valley to be first-of-its-kind in India K K a lya n K r i s h n a K u m a r @ Vijayawada In a major leap towards making the state a global hub for deep-tech innovation, the state government is establishing the Quantum Valley in Amaravati - first-of-its-kind in India. Spearheaded by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and aligned with India’s `6,003 crore National Quantum Mission, the Amaravati Quantum Valley is expected to become a game-changer for both the state’s economy and India’s position in the global quantum ecosystem. The project is scheduled for inauguration on January 1, 2026. Spread over 50 acres, this futuristic tech park will house India’s most powerful quantum are allowed to listen to their favourite music and say farewells to their dear ones. After lift-off, Peggy revealed the name of the Dragon Spacecraft: Grace. She also released a baby swan soft toy named Joy , which was seen bobbing up and down in zero-gravity . Ten minutes after the launch, when the pilots were in the designated low earth orbit, they changed their space suits and had their first meal in space. Before reaching the ISS, the Dragon will orbit the earth and the astronauts will have at least three interactive checks with the base stations. The four astronauts had been in a four-week quarantine since May 25, the longest in any modern space missions. The longest ever before was three-weeks-long, ahead of the Apollo Moon Mission. These people failed in governance. People are concerned over inflation. The govt has no answer to unemployment, corruption and economic failure. To hide their lies and failure they have staged this drama Kuldip Nayar’s caution the day before emergency I edit page Police summons to lawyers a threat to justice, says SC E x p r e s s N e w Se r v i c e Second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma B OS K Y K HA N N A @ Bengaluru computer, the 156-qubit IBM Quantum System Two, and is being developed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T). The initiative promises to generate thousands of highend jobs, attract global investments, and support a vast ecosystem of startups, multinationals, defence, and spacetech companies. It will also drive innovation in key sectors such as healthcare, finance, cybersecurity aerospace, and logistics. , “This is not just about job creation, it’s about building a deep-tech economy where AP becomes the backbone of India’s future technologies,” Sec- retary (ITE & C) Katamaneni Bhaskar told TNIE. “Tech giants need operational ecosystems, and Quantum Valley will be that platform. We envision Andhra Pradesh as India’s own Silicon Valley, earning revenue even by offering services and infrastructure to major players.” Quantum computing is a revolutionary technology that processes information using qubits instead of classical bits. Unlike traditional bits (which exist in 0 or 1), qubits leverage superposition and entanglement, allowing them to exist in multiple states simultaneously . This is not just about job creation, it’s about building a deep-tech economy where Andhra Pradesh becomes the backbone of India’s future technologies —Katamaneni Bhaskar, Secretary (ITE &C) This makes quantum computers capable of solving complex problems far beyond the reach of even today’s fastest supercomputers. Potential applications are vast including in pharmaceuticals, quantum simulations can drastically speed up drug discovery in finance, quantum , algorithms can better model risk and optimize portfolios and in cybersecurity quantum , systems offer the promise of secure communications through post-quantum cryptography . The Valley will also facilitate breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, where quantum systems can train massive models with greater efficiency , and logistics, where complex routing can be optimized at P4 scale.  extramarital Wife, lover plot man’s murder in A’pur; held E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Anantapur In a shocking case of crime driven by an extramarital affair, a woman and her lover were arrested for murdering her husband near Rachanapalli in Anantapur rural mandal on Wednesday . The murder mystery was cracked within six hours by the Anantapur rural police. The victim was identified as Kummara Narasapuram Suresh Babu (43), a resident of Sadashiva Colony in Akkampalli village, and was brutally murdered near Rachanapalli while returning home on his two-wheeler after closing his hotel on Kalyanadurgam Road. T h e t wo a c cused have been identified as Baba Fakhruddin (34), a fruit vendor from Goradindla village in Atmakur mandal, presently residing in Sadashiva Colony and deceased , Suresh Babu’s wife, Kummara Narasapuram Anita (37). According to Anantapur Rural DSP Venkatesulu, Suresh Babu’s wife Anita earlier worked in a hotel and had developed an illicit relationship with Baba Fakhruddin over the past two months. When Suresh Babu found suspicious of his wife’s behaviour and reportedly warned and attacked her several times under the influence P4 of alcohol.