tirupati l wednesday l july 02, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l anantapur EDITION stealth frigate INS Tamal latest induction into the navy An improved version of Shtil missile is the primary weapon for anti-air defence of the Russian-manufactured frigate INS Tamal shipborne surface to air missile key usp Russian tech helps make in india plan Describing the latest version of the missile, sources from Russia said the Russian Shtil-1 is a shipborne, medium-range, multi-channel, verticallaunch Surface to Air Missile (SAM) system. It provides omnidirectional collective defence of ship squadrons as well as omnidirectional individual defence of ships against attacks by enemy anti-ship missiles and aircraft ■ ■ Trials of Shtil-1 with 9M317ME SAMs fitted aboard the frigate Tamal were completed at a Baltic Sea range before its delivery to India Sources term the transfer of as being “in line with Russian-Indian military-technical cooperation, which is evolving, on the basis of longterm contracts and the Centre’s ‘Make in India’ initiative | P7 8th INS Tamal is the eighth ship that Russia transferred to the Navy 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 TN ATS raids Two arrested in Rayachoti over suspected terrorist links Hard talk on terror at Quad meet Jaishankar says India will exercise right to defend against terror, expects partners to understand J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Kadapa Panic gripped Rayachoti town in the Annamayya district on Tuesday after two persons with alleged links to extremist activities were arrested by the Tamil Nadu Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). The duo, reportedly brothers, had been living under aliases in the town for the past several years while running small retail businesses. According to sources, the arrested individuals have been identified as Sheikh Abubakar Siddiq (originally from Nagore) and Mohammed Ali alias Yunus (from Melapalayam), both hailing from Tamil Nadu. Siddiq was running a petty shop in Kothapalli area of Rayachoti, by introducing himself as Amanullah from Kerala, and was locally referred to as “Kerala Kutta.” Ali was involved in saree trading and also owned a s m a l l s h o p. Both had allegedly been residing in Rayachoti for years under false identities while continuing their business operations. Acting on credible intelligence about their links to terrorist organisations, the Tamil Nadu ATS apprehended the duo on Tuesday and produced them before a court in TN. During searches of their residences, officials recovered extremist literature and other materials linked to suspected terrorist activities. Following the arrest of the duo, Rayachoti police launched a deep investigation into the their network and local connections. They suspect that the duo might have provided training P4 to some local youths.  Act of economic warfare: minister External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday described the Pahalgam terror attack as an act of economic warfare, adding India no longer separates terror groups from the states that support them In the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday asserted that India will not hesitate to defend its citizens against terrorism and expects its strategic partners to stand in solidarity, at a meeting of Quad foreign ministers in Washington. “A word about terrorism in the light of our recent experience — the world must display zero tolerance. Victims and perpetrators must never be equated. And India has every right to defend its people against terrorism, and we will exercise that right. We expect our Quad partners to understand and appreciate that,” Jaishankar said, addressing his counterparts from the US, Japan and Australia. The strong statement came as in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, which left 26 civilians dead — mostly tourists in a cross-bor- Want to have similar meets every 5-6 mths: U.S. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed the strategic importance of the grouping. “We would like to do this every five-six months. These are important strategic partners and allies of the US. We have shared priorities — we talk about ideas and concepts,” he said der terror attack, underscoring India’s growing assertiveness on counterterrorism in multilateral groupings such as the Quad. Set against the backdrop of growing concerns over China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, the Quad meeting also reaffirmed the group’s commitment to a free, open, and rulesbased regional order. “We are all committed to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Jaishankar said. “It is essential that nations of the Indo-Pacific have the freedom of choice, so essential to make right decisions on development and security,” Jaishankar said. He added that the bloc was becoming “more cohesive, nimble and focused”. State govt’s net GST collections register a 3.40% growth in Q1 S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada The Andhra Pradesh government has achieved a significant fiscal milestone in the first quarter (Q1) of the 2025-26 financial year. An analysis of month-onmonth GST revenue trends highlights consistent upward momentum. During the first quarter (Q1) of the financial year 2025-26, Andhra Pradesh recorded net GST collections amounting to `8,860 crore, reflecting a growth of 3.40%. Total tax collections in Q1 (including all sectors) stood at `13,361 crore, compared to `13,096 crore in FY 2024-25, showing a growth of 2.02%, Key measures taken to increase tax collections  Enforcement of return filing deadlines led to timely tax payments  Increased filing rates directly contributed to improved revenue  24/7 vehicle checks were implemented to curb tax evasion  Automation in tax scrutiny enabled better tracking of discrepancies  IGST credit reversals on exempted turnovers helped prevent revenue leakage which indicates a sustained and healthy growth trajectory over the same period. For three consecutive months from April to June 2025, the State has recorded the highest-ever net GST collections for each respective month when compared to any previous financial year. According to Chief Commissioner (State Taxes) Babu A, this remarkable performance highlights the State’s strong economic recovery, effective enforcement actions, and the success of policy initiatives aimed at expanding tax base. and enhancing compliance. The steady upward trend in GST collections not only demonstrates the resilience of the State’s revenue systems but also the increasing vitality of its commercial and industrial P4 sectors, he observed. Parliamentary panel meeting cut short over Medha Patkar party MPs stormed out of the meeting, with some calling A parliamentary panel meetPatkar ‘anti-national’. ing on Rural Development and According to sources, a BJP Panchayati Raj was MP told the meeting postponed abruptly on that “Pakistan Prime Tuesday as BJP MPs Minister could have boycotted it in protest been invited for the against the presence of meeting”. activist Medha Patkar A BJP MP told this and actor-turned-activpaper they were not inist Prakash Raj, who formed about the depoMedha Patkar were invited to appear sition of Medha Patkar before the committee. and Prakash Raj while The meeting saw stormy panel head Saptagiri Sankar scenes as former Union minisUlaka said it is a normal practer and BJP MP Parshottam tice to invite civil society memRupala along with other ruling bers on various issues. P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi Nature’s tandav The Panchvaktra Mahadev Temple at the confluence of the Beas and Suketi rivers flowing in spate after a cloudburst, in Himachal’s Mandi dist on Tuesday | PTI | P8 A whopping 767 Maha farmers commit suicide in just 3 months s u d h i r s u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai THE Maharashtra government on Tuesday revealed in the legislative assembly that between January and March this year, at least 767 farmers died by suicide across the state. A majority of them hail from the Vidarbha region. The disclosure was made by the state government after Congress MLAs sought data on the rising farm suicides in Maharashtra, particularly in Vidarbha. They also wanted to know how the state government was extending help to the deceased Steps to curb deaths The state government said it has undertaken measures to stop the suicides. “Govt is extending compensation for crops that get damaged due to rain or natural calamity” farmers’ families. Congress MLAs also demanded increasing the financial aid for the deceased from the current `1 lakh. In his written reply Makrand , Patil, relief and rehabilitation minister and NCP MLA, said the government will extended all possible help to the affected farmers. Patil said between January and March this year, 767 farmers in the state died by suicide. Of them, 376 farmers were eligible for the Maharashtra government’s compensation. Patil said as many as 257 farmers died by suicide in western Vidarbha’s Yawatmal, Amarawati, Akola, Buldhana and Wasim districts alone. Of them, the families of 76 farmers got financial help from the state government while 74 applications were or disqualified. The Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, has emerged as one of the cornerstones of India’s strategic engagements amid a volatile regional landscape. India is set to host the next Quad summit later this year. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised the need for secure and diversified supply chains, particularly around critical minerals — a veiled reference to overdependence on China. “Countries not part of the Quad will benefit from it,” he added. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong reinforced the group’s shared vision for “peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” while Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya highlighted the “strength and unity” the Quad. X factor Trump-Musk feud US president Donald Trump threatened to deport his former ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk as the two fought over the tax bill | P9 Key Cabinet decisions on job creation, Olympics preparation `1 l cr SCHEME Khelo Bharat TO CREATE Niti aims for 3.5 CRore JOBS a fitter india RA K E SH K U M AR @ New Delhi E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Chennai IN a bid to boost employment generation, especially in the manufacturing sector, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme with an outlay of `99,446 crore. The scheme is expected to create 3.5 crore jobs across the country over a two-year period, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said while announcing the scheme. Of these, 1.92 crore beneficiaries are expected to be first-time entrants into the workforce, the minister said. The benefits of the scheme will apply to jobs created between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2027. The scheme comprises two components— Part A, which targets firstHow to time employees, and Part B, qualify which incentivises employFirms with ers to create additional jobs. fewer than 50 Under Part A, first-time workers must employees registered with hire two more the Employees’ Provident workers. Fund Organisation (EPFO) Larger firms will receive support equivamust add 5 lent to one month’s EPF wage new staff and (up to `15,000), paid in two inkeep them for stalments. The first instalsix months ment will be provided after six months of continuous employment, and the second after 12 months of service. Under Part B, the scheme focuses on encouraging employers to create additional jobs across all sectors, with emphasis on manufacturing. Employers will receive incentives of up to `3,000 per month per new employee for two years, provided the employee remains in sustained employment for at least six months. For the manufacturing sector, the incentives will be extended to the third and fourth years as well. With the major objective of making India a sporting powerhouse and inculcating sports culture among the masses, the new Khelo Bharat Niti was approved by the Union cabinet. It will supersede the National Sports Policy of 2001. It also aims at engaging the youth of the country while trying to build a fitter India. The new Khelo Bharat Niti will aim to bring in more transparency and accountability in sports governance while driving necessary changes to usher in a robust mechanism to promote sports in our day to day lives. The policy also has 2036 Olympics in mind for which India has already entered the Promoting bidding process. According to the ministry statement, “It business lays out a visionary and straAnother key tegic roadmap to establish feature of the India as a global sporting policy is to powerhouse and a strong promote the contender for excellence at business side inter national sporting of things with events, including the 2036 Olthe sports ympic Games.” market The policy also speaks expanding about making sports part of exponentially. the school curriculum. “In alignment with the National Education Policy 2020, the NSP 2025 proposes to: Integrate sports into school curricula,” said the document. Interestingly both sports , and education are state subjects. The policy , which is a guiding document for a better sports ecosystem, is aiming for establishing comprehensive sports programmes for all groups from grassroots to elite level. The policy also speaks about introducing more leagues with the help of National Sports Federations (NSFs), something the ministry has been trying to bring in for some time. State targets tourism boom with new initiatives E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The state government is poised to transform the region into a year-round destination for travellers with the launch of its ambitious 2025-26 Digital Tourism Events Calendar - a dynamic, district-wise roadmap that promises to blend culture, spirituality nature, and adventure , into an immersive tourism experience. Spanning all 26 districts, the calendar curates over 100 events ranging from mega festivals and spiritual yatras to eco-tourism and heritage celebrations, giving a major fillip to the state’s tourism economy . Designed as both a promotional tool and a comprehensive travel companion, the digital calendar highlights signature events like the AP Travel Mart in Visakhapatnam (September 17-19), Amaravati Diaries: Literary & Music Fest in Vijayawada (November 1416), and the Araku Balloon and Chali Festival (January 31-FebP4 ruary 2).  Visitors at the Araku Balloon Festival and Belum caves | express