kozhikode l monday l july 21, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION UIDAI to start biometric update of kids via schools The UIDAI said it is working on a project to start biometric updates of children through schools in a phased manner Project depends on consent of parents will help students avail many benefits According to UIDAI, over 7 crore children have not updated their biometrics for Aadhaar, which is mandatory after attaining the age of 5 years. “The project will be done only after parental consent. We are at present testing the technology and it should be ready in 45-60 days,” PTI quoted UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar as saying ■ ■ Updating biometrics will ensure seamless usage of Aadhaar in availing services such as school admissions, registering for examinations, availing benefits of scholarships, DBT schemes, etc Under the project, the UIDAI will send biometric machines to each district which will be rotated from school to school AADHAAR Can be deactivated if biometrics UPDATE IS NOT DONE BY AGE 7 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 Bihar poll roll revision, Op Sindoor top House agenda In all-party meet, govt agrees to discuss all issues raised by Oppn 100 MPs sign petition calling for Varma’s impeachment R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi From left: Minister of state Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and J P Nadda and MoS L Murugan chair the all-party meet in New Delhi on Sunday | PTI R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi AMID persistent demand by the Opposition for debates on multiple pressing issues in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament, the BJP-led government on Sunday signalled its willingness to engage in discussions—particularly on the success of Operation Sindoor— provided all opposition party leaders adhere to Parliamentary traditions. The government dropped the hint during an all-party meeting, chaired by Union Minister J P Nadda, a day before the start of the Monsoon session. As many as 54 leaders of different parties and independent MPs attended the meet on Sunday . The Opposition demanded a statement from the PM on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway in poll-bound Bihar. There was also a strong call from the Opposition for a clarification from the government on the alleged US mediation during Operation Sindoor resulting in a ceasefire. According to sources, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju affirmed that the govern- ment would respond appropriately when discussions take place on US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire assertions concerning the India-Pakistan conflict. Rijiju told reporters after the meeting: “There should be government-opposition coordination in running Parliament smoothly; not confrontation. The government is open to discussions within rules, conventions.” Many Opposition leaders also demanded a debate on the intelligence failure behind the Pahalgam attack. On these demands, Rijiju said the matters raised at the meeting would be taken up at the Business Advisory Committee of both houses, where a final decision would be taken. After the meeting, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi told reporters that his party sought Prime Minister Modi’s statement on Trump’s claims, “lapses” which led to the Pahalgam attack and SIR in Bihar. “We hope that the PM will fulfil his moral duty he said. ,” CPI(M)’s John Brittas and Supriya Sule of NCP-Sharad Pawar demanded that the PM respond on Pahalgam attack P10 and Bihar’s SIR. taking appears to be no further doubt regarding the move to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma. The Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday said over 100 MPs have already signed a notice to bring a motion in Parliament for the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma, crossing the threshold of support required for tabling the impeachment exercise in the Lok Sabha. “The signature (exercise) is underway and it has crossed 100 already Rijiju told report,” ers after the all-party meeting, while adding that it is for the Business Advisory Committee, a group of parties which finalises the agenda in their respective House, to decide when the motion will be moved. A motion for the removal of a judge has to be signed by not less than 100 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 50 in the Rajya Sabha. The motion is likely to be brought in the Lower House. With Parliament’s Monsoon Session beginning from Monday, the government has made it clear that it will bring the motion during this sitting of Parliament and has been receiving support from all parties. Varma, who has been kept off judicial work, has protested his innocence and has moved the Supreme Court against the in-house committee’s findings. SIT to probe Dharmasthala mass grave allegations V I N C E N T D ’ S O U Z A @ Mangaluru THE Karnakata government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a comprehensive and impartial probe into a series of alleged crimes, including murders, sexual assaults, and disappearances of women and girls spanning over two decades in the Dharmasthala region of Dakshina Kannada district. The state government’s decision comes on the heels of a chilling testimony by a former sanitation worker employed by the Dharmasthala temple administration, who told the police he was forced to burn and bury the bodies of hundreds of women, including schoolgirls, between 1998 and 2014. He Decision after women’s panel push In a post on X, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the decision to set up an SIT follows a request from the Karnataka State Commission for Women, which has taken a serious note of the allegations and demanded an unbiased investigation. The Commission cited both the media reports and the court statement of the sanitation worker as deeply concerning and indicative of possible systemic criminal activity claimed the victims were raped and murdered before being disposed of in secret. The SIT will be led by Pranav Mohanty, DGP, Internal Security Division. The team includes IPS officers M N Anucheth, Soumya Latha, and Jitendra Kumar Dayama. The SIT will operate out of the Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police’s office and will have access to all district resources. It has also been granted authority to bring in additional personnel and officers as needed. The team is tasked with investigating the FIR registered at Dharmasthala Police Station, but also any related cases of unnatural deaths, sexual assault, murders and disappearances reported or discovered during the course of the inves- Vellappally draws ire from all corners, but remains unfazed E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Kochi Vellappally Natesan drew flak from all corners on Sunday for his remarks suggesting that the Muslim community was leveraging its growing population t o d o m i n a t e t h e s t a t e ’s administration. However, an unrelenting SNDP Yogam general secretary asserted that he would continue to speak for social justice, “even if Kanthapuram (A P Aboobacker Musliyar) throws a sword at me.” Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan came down heavily on Vellappally calling his , remarks divisive and contrary to the ideals o f S re e N a r aya n a Guru. “Kerala is home to people who respect the teachings of the Guru. What the SNDP general secretary is propagating is diametrically opposite to the Guru’s Vellappally is creating history: Vasavan Kochi: Ports Minister V N Vasavan said on Sunday that Vellappally Natesan, as the general secretary of the SNDP Yogam for the past thirty years, was creating history. “Vellappally entered public life after 56, at the age when others start their retirement lives.  However, he energetically worked creating history,” said Vasavan, at a function to felicitate Vellappally for completing 30 years as the SNDP Yogam general secretary. P4 teachings. These are not his (Vellappally’s) words, they are being planted by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other CPM leaders,” Satheesan told reporters. The Opposition will firmly resist any campaign that spreads hatred or division, Satheesan said, adding it was no coincidence that such statements emerged just as the government faced public criticism over issues in the health and higher education sectors. Vellappally’s conten- tious statement came on Saturday at a meeting of SNDP union leaders in Kottayam. He claimed that Muslims would soon become the majority in Kerala and that the government would then have no choice but to “listen to Kanthapuram and govern accordingly .” The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) also lashed out, likening Vellappally to hardline Hindutva leaders. In a scathing editorial, its official organ Chandrika called Vellappally the ‘Kerala Toga● More on P4 dia’.  An app for wheelchair Expert panel to assess recurring natural disasters users on cards, courtesy Tvm railway division M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi J ose K J oseph @ T’Puram The Thiruvananthapuram division of Southern Railway is planning to launch a dedicated mobile application to assist wheelchair users, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Indian Railways. The division, which has made significant strides in making railway stations more accessible for passengers with mobility challenges, is now exploring digital solutions to further ease their travel experience. According to senior officials, the division was the first in the country to introduce ramps —in 2017— that could be connected directly to train coaches. Now, the division is in talks with technical experts to develop a mobile app that will allow passengers using wheelchairs to notify station authorities about their travel plans in advance. The app will alert both the departure and arrival stations to ensure the necessary assistance is arranged. “At present, wheelchairbound passengers have to contact the Railway’s 139 helpline or approach station officials directly for assistance. With this app, the entire process will be streamlined. We are working with experts to include multiple A passenger on wheelchair entering the coach with the help of a new lightweight ramp at T’Puram Central Railway Station features and options in the application,” said an official involved in the development of the app. Officials confirmed that discussions are ongoing and the proposal is still in its early stages, but they hope to roll out the mobile app this year itself. The initiative has drawn praise from users and disability rights advocates. Stephan William, a wheelchair user and frequent train traveller from Palayam, welcomed the move. “This is a great step forward. I hope the rest of Indian Railways will follow this model. It promotes accessibility and equality for people like me,” ● More on P4 he said. TAKING note of the frequent, high-intensity natural disasters in Himachal Pradesh, the Centre will form a team of experts from various disciplines to assess the situation in the hill state and suggest measures to deal with cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides, and torrential rainfall. Confirming the development, officials said on Sunday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the formation of a multi-sectoral central team to visit Himachal Pradesh, which witnessed nearly 120 deaths and widespread damage to infrastructure, houses, and crops in the ongoing monsoon season. In the past month alone, the state has witnessed 33 flash tigation across other police stations in Karnataka. The SIT is required to provide regular updates to the Director General and Inspector General of Police, and submit a detailed investigation report to the government at the earliest. Calls for an SIT had been growing from multiple quarters, including the sanitation worker himself. Former Supreme Court Judge V Gopala Gowda also had urged the government to arrest those responsible without delay and ensure a transparent investigation through the SIT. Welcoming the SIT probe, Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala spokesperson K Parshwanath Jain said it bring facts to light and end speculations. Cloudburst aftermath at Thunag of Seraj valley, in Mandi on Wednesday | ANI floods, 22 cloudbursts, and 19 landslides. Estimates put the financial loss to the state at over `1,200 crore. According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, 146 roads are blocked, 28 power transformers out of service, and 58 water supply schemes affected. The central team will comprise experts from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) Roor- kee, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune, a Geologist, and the Indian Institute of Technolo g y (IIT) Indore. “The home minister’s direction came following a recent meeting in which he was apprised that Himachal Pradesh has witnessed an increase in the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides and torrential rainfall, causing widespread loss of life, damage to infrastructure, livelihoods and environmental degradation,” a senior official of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs said. The Centre has already deputed an inter-ministerial team for on-the-spot, first-hand assessment of the damages in the state. The team is currently visiting the affected areas. Jagan may be questioned by sit on liquor scam Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy is likely to be summoned for questioning in connection with the alleged multi-crore liquor scam during his regime, to trace the money trail EXPRESS READ Pinarayi meets governor Arlekar at Raj Bhavan T’Puram: Amid controversies surrounding the higher education sector, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan visited Governor Rajendra Arlekar at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. They reportedly discussed various issues related to universities in the state. Raj Bhavan sources said the friendly meeting lasted an hour. P4 Increase in patients visiting govt hosps Kochi: At a time when Kerala is witnessing a debate over the availability and effectiveness of healthcare facilities in the government sector, data with the directorate of health services shows that the number of people visiting government hospitals in the state has risen over the years. P5 IMD predicts heavy rainfall tillJuly 26 T’Puram: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast widespread rainfall across Kerala till July 26. Although the intensity may reduce from Monday, rainfall is expected to strengthen again with the likely formation of a lowpressure area in the Bay of Bengal by July 24. P4 m a n c hes t er t es t Injury dampener for India; Reddy, Akash Deep latest concerns TNIE in England Firoz Mirza @manchester It has been drizzling even on Sunday. Though sporadic, it rained too. The pitch in the middle of Old Trafford cricket ground is covered and is expected to be damp. The India team that reached here by train on Saturday evening had a closed door practice session but indoors. It was gloomy and overcast, ideal conditions for pacers. However, for India, inside the dressing room it is less than ideal even after a fun-time spent at Manchester United’s training centre at Carrington. If the suspense over Jasprit Bumrah’s appearance in the fourth Test was not enough, India suffered a huge blow as Nitich Reddy is likely to be ruled out of the remaining two Tests on Sunday This is after Akash . Deep’s availability came under scanner due to injury Though . the nature of Reddy’s ailment is not known, Akash Deep ap- Ravindra Jadeja, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah and Shubman Gill at the Man United training centre | BCCI X parently has groin issue. With the fast bowling all-rounder seems unlikely to take the field, India would be worried right now. He lent stability to the lower order and also chipped in with wickets. Reddy claimed three wickets (all at Lord’s) in the two Tests he has played. Arshdeep Singh, another pacer, has already sustained a cut in his bowling hand in Beckenham a few days ago and is unlikely to make his debut here. They do have Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna yet the team management has flown in Haryana speedster Anshul Kamboj as a cover. Calling up a back-up bowler in the middle of a series usually don’t paint a very rosy picture. What makes it more intriguing is Manchester weather. The Met Department issued yellow warning for Sunday and Monday for heavy and perhaps thundery spells. There is forecast of light rain throughout the match as well. With the surface expected to be damp, India would be in a huddle to find their best possible combination P11 before Wednesday  .