INS Tamal inducted into the Indian Navy An improved version of the Shtil missile (Shtil-1) will be the primary weapon for anti-air defence of the Russianmanufactured frigate INS Tamal that was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Tuesday. INS Tamal is the eighth ship that Russia has transferred to the Navy | PTI | P7 VILLUPURAM l wednesday l july 02, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION 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 Key Cabinet decisions `1 L CRore SCHEME TO CREATE 3.5 cr jobs Policy for a better sporting culture R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi E x p ress N e w s S er v i c e 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. Of these, 1.92 crore are expected to be freshers. The scheme applies to jobs created between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2027. The scheme comprises two components— Part A, which targets first-time employees, and Part B, which incentivises employers to create additional jobs. Under Part A, first-time employees registered with EPFO will receive up to `15,000, in two instalments. The first instalment will be given after six months, and the second after 12 months. Under Part B, employers will receive incentives of up to `3,000 per month per new employee for two years, provided the employee remains in 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 bidding process. According to the ministry statement, “It lays out a visionary and strategic roadmap to establish India as a global sporting powerhouse and a strong contender for excellence at international sporting events, including the 2036 Olympic Games.” The policy like in the past, , also speaks about making sports part of the school curriculum. It is also aiming for establishing comprehensive programmes for all groups from grassroots to elite level. Jaishankar’s hard talk on terrorism at Quad meeting Says India will exercise its right to defend, expects partners to understand J ayan t h J a c o b @ New Delhi @ Chennai 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-border 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 rules-based 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”. 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.” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong reinforced the group’s shared vision for “peace and prosperity”. express read Parl panel meeting cut short over Medha Patkar Toll in pharma plant tragedy rises to 36 Stalin apologises, transfers custodial death probe to CBI New Delhi: A meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Rural Development & Panchayati Raj meet on Tuesday ended abruptly as BJP MPs protested against the panel’s decision to hear activist Medha Patkar Hyderabad: The toll in the blast at a pharma plant in Sangareddy of Telangana rose to 36 on Tuesday. The state government said it will talk with the firm to ensure that `1 crore is paid to the kin of those who died | P5 Chennai: CM Stalin ordered transfer of the probe into the custodial death of B Ajithkumar (27), a temple security guard, to the CBI on Tuesday. Stalin spoke to Ajithkumar’s kin over the phone. “I am very sorry. Stay strong,” he told the victim’s mom | P4 8 killed, 5 injured in blast at cracker unit H ar i n i M @ Virudhunagar Eight workers died and five others were injured on Tuesday morning after alleged mishandling of pellets by workers led to an explosion at Gokulesh Fireworks at Chinnakamanpatti near Sattur in Virudhunagar district. At least 20 workers were at the unit at the time of the blast. The death toll may go up as two of the injured have suffered 100% burns. Seven escaped without injuries, sources said. CM MK Stalin extended his condolence to the families of the victims and has ordered a solatium of `4 lakh to be paid to the families of the deceased, `1 lakh to those severely injured, and `50,000 to those with minor injuries. The deceased were identified as K Lakshmi (25) of Mathiyasenai, K Vairamani of Soolakarai, C Chellapandi of Anupankulam, R Mahalingam (55) of Meenampatti, K Ramajeyan (27) of Servaikaranpatti, R Ramamoorthi (39) of O Kovilpatti, Nagapandi of Servaikaranpatti and Punniyamoorthi of Virudhunagar. Revenue officials said the unit has a Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation(PESO) licence.  P5