TIRUPATI  THURSDAY  JULY 10, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  ANANTAPUR EDITION INDIA BUOYED BY BUMRAH’S INCLUSION IN THIRD TEST India, after a pulsating win in the second Test, are high on confidence and are buoyed by the inclusion of pacer Jasprit Bumrah at Lord’s ARCHER RECALLED, GILL FORM KEY FOR VISITORS LORD’S PITCH COULD HAVE MORE LIFE IN IT The hosts, as is customary these days, named the XI for the Lord’s game. They opted to recall Jofra Archer, whose last Test was in 2021. For India, Shubman Gill is the star performer so far. With three 100s in four outings to the crease, he has compiled over 570 runs. If he continues the dream run, India will have a good chance to make further inroads into a fragile England bowling unit ■ ■ The first two Tests have not had a lot in it for the seamers but the strip at Lord’s may assist seamers. The wicket did sport some live grass on it a day before the game An unusually dry start to the summer is set to continue this week as well with temperatures set to hit 30°C | MORE ON P11 Three MATCHES INDIA HAVE WON AT LORD’S SO FAR OUT OF THE 19 PLAYED 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 MOVING CARS, TRUCKS PLUNGE INTO RIVER ON DAY OF ACCIDENTS 11 DEAD AS 40-YR-OLD GUJ BRIDGE COLLAPSES KEY LINK BETWEEN CENTRAL GUJ, SAURASHTRA CUT OFF BANGARUPALYAM Jaguar on training mission crashes in Raj, two IAF pilots killed Jagan holds roadshow without nod, tensions flare R A J E S H A S N A N I @ Jaipur NETHAJI KUMARAMANGALAM D I L I P S I N G H K S H AT R I YA Vedika Padhiyar and Naitaik Padhiyar—hailing from Dariyapura village. The others inAT least 11 people were killed clude Vakhatsinh Jadav from and five others injured when Kahanva, Hasmukh Parmar their vehicles plunged into the from Harshadpura, Rajesh Mahisagar River after a dilapi- Chavda, Kanji Machi, Jashu dated-but-operational 40-year- Bhai from Anklav, and Pravin old Gambhira Bridge collapsed Jadav from Undel. in Gujarat’s Vadodara district “I was in the pickup van on Wednesday morning. when the bridge suddenly colVisuals from the site showed lapsed. The driver shouted ‘get that a big chunk of the slab be- down’ and we jumped just in tween two piers gave way caus- time,” said Razakbhai from , ing a number of cars, vans, and Borsad, who survived. trucks that were passAshok Chavda, who ing through the bridge lives near the bridge, to plunge into the river. said: “We rescued four Gujarat Chief Minispersons. We also helped ter Bhupendra Patel di- Loss of lives due retrieve five bodies.” rected an immediate in- to the collapse Eyewitness Rajubvestigation into the of the bridge is hai Athiya from Dwardeeply bridge collapse. ka said, “Two or three saddening The Gambhira Bridge trucks were on the at Mujpur in Padra talubridge when it colNarendra Modi ka was a critical lifeline lapsed. I somehow linking central Gujarat swam to safety but my , to Saurashtra and connecting colleague is still missing.” key regions including VadoPrime Minister Narendra dara, Anand, Bharuch, and Modi and Union Home MinisAnkleshwar. ter Amit Shah expressed deep The tragedy reignited con- sorrow over the incident. cerns over administrative negMeanwhile, the Congress ligence with the Opposition termed it a failure of governslamming the state govern- ance. “Gujarat has several old, ment for ignoring repeated damaged bridges. But the state warnings about the bridge’s government is not taking any poor condition. Built in 1985, concrete steps to repair them,” the bridge had long shown said Congress MLA Amit Chavsigns of deterioration. da. He said the tragedy reflects Among those killed are three the corruption behind the Guof a family—Ramesh Padhiyar, jarat Model. @ Ahmedabad @ Tirupati Rescue operation underway after a portion of the Gambhira Bridge in Vadodara district collapsed on Wednesday. Inset: A truck stranded on a dislocated slab | PTI BRIDGE WON’T LAST: OFFICIAL SAID IN 2022 A video clip of August 22, 2022, between Vadodara-based social activist Lakhan Darbar and a Roads & Buildings Dept officer has now gone viral. In the clip, the officer is heard saying the Gambhira Bridge was structurally weak and “would not last long” | P8 A Jaguar trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed during a routine sortie near Bhanuda village in Rajasthan’s Churu district on Wednesday, marking the third Jaguar crash in the last five months and raising fresh concerns over the ageing fleet and recurring technical failures. According to preliminary information, the Jaguar had taken off from the Suratgarh Airbase in Sri Ganganagar and was on a training mission. Sources said a technical malfunction appeared to have prevented the pilot and co-pilot from ejecting out of the jet. While the exact reason is yet to be officially determined, initial reports indicate a likely technical fault as the cause of the crash. Officials said more details will be shared after thorough investigation. The IAF said a court of inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident. “An IAF Jaguar trainer aircraft met with an accident during a routine training mission and crashed near Churu in Rajasthan today Both pilots . sustained fatal injuries in the accident. No damage to any civil property has been reported,” its statement read. Churu SP Jay Yadav said the aircraft went down in Bhanuda Smoke billows out after IAF’s Jaguar crashed near Churu in Rajasthan | PTI village under the jurisdiction of Rajaldesar police station. “Two bodies, badly mutilated, have been recovered from the wreckage,” he said. The loud crash triggered panic in Bhanuda and nearby villages. Local authorities rushed to the spot, cordoned off the area, and asked residents not to approach the crash site to ensure smooth rescue and investigation operations. The Jaguar is a BritishFrench supersonic jet designed for low-altitude ground attack and maritime strike missions and was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 1979. Cabinet approves `524-cr for Amaravati residential complex S V I S W A N AT H @ Vijayawada THE State Cabinet meeting, held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the State Secretariat on Wednesday decided to , expedite the construction of the residential complex being built for MLAs, MLCs, and All India Services officers at Nelapadu in Amaravati. The Cabinet approved an allocation of `524.70 crore for completing the remaining works of this multi-storied complex, comprising 432 residences across 18 buildings (each with S+12 floors). These works will be undertaken on a lump-sum contract basis, with a two-year Defect Liability Period (DLP). The Cabinet also ratified the action taken by the APCRDA Commissioner in inviting tenders for these works. The Cabinet also approved a proposal to review Day before SC hearing, Rahul sees ECI’s bid for ‘Maha rerun’ in Bihar R A M A S H A N K A R @ Patna A day before the Supreme Court is slated to hear a batch of petitions challenging the special poll roll revision in Bihar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was trying to replicate the Maharashtra model in Bihar by tampering with the electoral rolls ahead of the assembly polls due in October-November. Addressing workers of the opposition INDIA bloc near the Vidhan Sabha gate here on Wednesday, Rahul warned the ECI that it would face legal consequences if it attempted to repeat the ‘Maharashtra episode’ in Bihar. He said though the ECI had wide powers, it was not above the law. Accompanied by INDIA bloc leaders, including RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, CPI (ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI’s D Raja, CPI (M)’s M A Baby and VIP’s Mukesh Sahani, Rahul participated in a chakka jam agitation against Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. Attacked the ruling alliance, Rahul said, “In Maharashtra, the mandate was stolen, now in Bihar, the target is the right to vote — a new method to deprive the poor of their right to franchise. We will expose these antiConstitutional forces.” He blamed the alleged manipulation of the voter list for the landslide victory of the BJP-led coalition in Maharashtra. “INDIA bloc got the majority in the Lok Sabha election in Maharashtra, but after a few months in the assembly election, the bloc suffered a defeat. When we analysed the outcome, we found that one crore additional voters were added to the rolls in the assembly election,” he alleged. Tejashwi echoed Rahul, saying, “The Election Commission of India has become a puppet of the BJP. With the Election Commission’s support, the BJP government will first cut the votes of the poor and then end their ration, pension and quota.” land allocations to various institutions in the CRDA region. The Cabinet gave its nod for the formation of a government company, namely the Amaravati Quantum Computing Centre (AQCC). This marks a key milestone in realizing the vi- sion proposed at the Amaravati Quantum Valley Workshop held on June 30, 2025. A declaration was made at the conference-attended by representatives from domestic and international quantum technology giants, scientists, and Amaravati Quantum Centre to invite global tenders Amaravati Quantum Computing Centre (AQCC) will soon invite global firms to install quantum hardware and operate it in collaboration with universities, startups, and research institutions intellectuals-to transform AP into a Quantum Valley hub. The government has already announced an action plan for the proposed Quantum Valley during the same conference. AQCC will soon invite global firms to install quantum hardware and operate it in collaboration with universities, startups, and research institutions. This initiative is expected to create numerous employment opportunities for the youth. P4 BJP NEW CHIEF STIRS ROW, SEEKS RENAMING OF LENIN CENTRE K K A LYA N K R I S H N A K U M A R @ Vijayawada UPROAR OVER ASSAULT BY SHINDE SENA’S MLA The Maharashtra legislative council witnessed uproar over Shinde Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad assaulting canteen staffers for serving stale food | P8 MOMENTS before officially taking charge as the BJP Andhra Pradesh State President, PVN Madhav sparked a political row with his remarks on the historic Lenin Centre in Vijayawada, suggesting it be renamed after renowned Telugu poet Viswanatha Satyanarayana. Madhav made the controversial comments while garlanding statues during a rally to the party office, questioning the relevance of Lenin to Indian PRASANT MADUGULA soil. His remarks drew sharp criticism from Left leaders urging Madhav to focus on developmental issues instead of stirring unnecessary controversies. During his rally to the BJP state office, Madhav stopped at Lenin Centre and garlanded the statue of Viswanatha Satyanarayana. Speaking at the spot, he said, “Lenin had nothing to do with India. It is only fitting that this centre be renamed after a great literary figure like Viswanatha Satyanarayana, who contributed to Telugu culture and language.” He further reminded public that Viswanatha Satyanarayana had prepared a legislative dictionary advocating for Telu, gu as the language of lawmaking in the state. “This Centre should honour someone who belongs to our soil and represents our values,” he said. P4 TENSIONS prevailed in Bangarupalyam, Chittoor district, after YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy allegedly conducted a roadshow without official permission, prompting the police to consider legal action against local YSRCP leaders, particularly Dr Sunil Kumar, the in-charge for Puthalapattu constituency . Jagan’s convoy reportedly deviated from the approved route, which required him to travel directly from the helicopter landing site to the market yard. Instead, the convoy turned into a full-fledged procession, drawing large crowds and effectively becoming a roadshow. The unexpected development led to chaos as party supporters surged forward to reach Jagan, resulting in a minor scuffle. During Jagan’s visit on Wednesday a staged act was , allegedly carried out to depict angry farmers dumping mangoes in protest. However, after the event, those involved confessed to local media and police that they were not farmers, but tractor owners who had transported and dumped the mangoes from P4 elsewhere. EXPRESS READ AP Monsoon session likely to be held in Aug Vijayawada: The Monsoon Session of the AP Legislative Assembly is likely to be held in August. In an informal interaction with mediapersons in his chambers in the State Assembly on Wednesday, Speaker Ch Ayyanna Patrudu said the Monsoon Session may be held for 10 days | P4 Four ZPTC members join Jana Sena Party Vijayawada: Four ZPTC members from the erstwhile West Godavari district formally joined the Jana Sena Party on Wednesday. Deputy CM and Jana Sena Party Chief Pawan Kalyan welcomed the new entrants by donning party shroff at the party’s office Suppl. chargesheet filed against Rana New Delhi: The NIA on Wednesday filed a supplementary chargesheet against terror accused Tahawwur Rana in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case. The the court has also extended his judicial custody till August 13, officials said | P7 PEGGED TO INFLATION Ugly side of big, beautiful Act: US visa fee to take 2.5X hike J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi THE United States has introduced a new $250 “Visa Integrity Fee” for non-immigrant visa applicants under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, effective from fiscal year 2026. It applies to nearly all nonimmigrant visa categories, including B-1/B-2 (tourist/business), F and M (students), H-1B (workers), and J (exchange visi- subsequent fiscal year, the tors). Only diplomatic appli- amount… shall be equal to the cants in categories A and G sum of… the most recently are exempt. concluded fiscal year Described in the leg[amount] and… the perislation as a recurring centage… by which the surcharge, the amount Consumer Price Index… VISA is indexed to inflation exceeds [that of] the preand will adjust annualceding calendar year.” ly based on the ConsumWhile the fee may be reer Price Index. “During fisfunded, reimbursement is cal year 2026, and during each conditional. Applicants must demonstrate lawful compliance with visa conditions and provide sufficient documentation such as timely departure. In addition, the bill introduces a suite of non-waivable travelrelated surcharges. These include a $24 I-94 fee, a $13 Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) fee for Visa Waiver Program travelers, and a $30 Electronic Visa Update System fee for Chinese nationals with 10-year B-1/B-2 visas. This will make the visa fees go up. For example, a US tourist or business visa (B-1/B-2) for Indian nationals costs around $185. With the new surcharges—$250 Visa Integrity Fee, $24 I-94 fee, and $13 ESTA fee, the total cost is projected to rise to $472, nearly 2.5 times the current amount.