SAMBALPUR  WEDNESDAY  JULY 23, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  CITY EDITION BOEING DELIVERS THREE APACHE HELICOPTERS TO INDIAN ARMY American aerospace major Boeing on Tuesday delivered the attack choppers to the Army as part of a contract to supply six helicopters BIG PUSH TO STRENGTHEN DEFENCE MIGHT AH-64E CAN SURVIVE COMBAT DAMAGE Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called it a significant step towards strengthening India’s defence capabilities. “The arrival of the first batch of Apache helicopters is a significant step towards strengthening India’s defence capabilities. These helicopters will enhance the Army Aviation wing’s operational effectiveness in challenging terrains,” Singh said on X ■ ■ In 2020, Boeing had completed delivery of 22 E-model Apache helicopters to the Indian Air Force and had signed a contract to supply six AH-64Es for the Indian Army, a statement said The AH-64Es can survice combat damage, carries a 30 mm M230 chain gun, and has nose-mounted sensors that provide night vision `4,168cr IS WHAT THE DEAL WITH BOEING FOR 6 APACHE HELICOPTERS IS WORTH 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 Karpoori Thakur son Oppn stalls Parliament on SIR; double standards, says govt leads new V-P race P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi NDA plans to play the backward classes card on Dhankhar’s successor RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi FULL TERM FOR NEW V-P His successor shall serve a full term in office. Article 67 says, “The Vice-President shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office.” A day after Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar suddenly resigned citing health reasons, the NDA weighed options to field a candidate from the backward or extremely backward POLL ASAP: ARTICLE 68 classes as his successor. Several NDA MPs, speaking According to Article 68, an on condition of anonymity, election to the post of V-P confirmed that the ruling alli- because of his death, resignation, ance is leaning toward a nomi- removal or otherwise shall be nee from the backward commu- held as soon as possible after the nities. Among the names doing occurrence of the vacancy the rounds, Ram Nath Thakur — currently Minister of State 32-DAY PROCESS for Agriculture and son of former Bihar chief minister The process starts after the EC and Bharat Ratna awardee Kar- notifies the vacancy and ends in poori Thakur — is being seen 32 days. Its electoral college as a frontrunner. Belonging to comprises Lok Sabha & Rajya the Nai (barber) community, Sabha MPs which falls under the ati-pichhara category Thakur’s candi- tion seeking the removal of , dacy is seen as a nod to caste Justice Yashwant Varma, curdynamics ahead of upcoming rently under scrutiny followelections. ing a major cash seizure at his Also reportedly in the residence. mix is BJP president J Some believe his deciP Nadda. Senior party sion to admit the motion leaders suggest that a may have conflicted with cabinet reshuffle may the government’s own precede any formal anstrategy, which was renouncement, should portedly focused on a Nadda emerge as the separate course of acchosen one. Other contion. The Rajya Sabha tenders include former Outgoing V-P Jagdeep notice, signed by 63 OpDhankhar Rajasthan CM Vasundposition MPs and admithara Raje, Bihar Goverted by Dhankhar, innor Md. Arif Khan, former Un- structed the Secretary General ion minister Mukhtar Abbas to initiate procedural steps — a Naqvi and Rajya Sabha Deputy move seen by some as independChairman Harivansh. ent and possibly at odds with the While speculation briefly ruling party’s preference of hovered over Bihar CM Nitish joint motion as it was in the Lok Kumar, JD(U) insiders were Sabha. quick to dismiss it. “This Adding fuel to the fire was doesn’t seem to be happening,” the absence of ministers Nadda a senior party leader said. and Kiren Rijiju from the BusiWith the NDA commanding ness Advisory Committee meet422 MPs across both Houses, it ing chaired by Dhankhar on has a comfortable cushion over Monday. “The V-P was visibly the 394 votes required to elect upset,” said a senior Opposition the next V-P Government sourc- figure, also pointing to a tense . es indicated a preference for a moment during a debate when consensus candidate, with a de- Nadda reportedly remarked, cision expected after July 26. “Only what I say will go on Dhankhar’s abrupt resigna- record” — a statement seen by tion came hours after he admit- some as undermining the Chair. ted an Opposition-backed mo- Nadda later refuted any rift. EXPRESS READ HC satisfied with CB probe; notices to Oppn 18-year-old gang-raped in J’singhpur, 2 arrested Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday expressed satisfaction over the progress of investigation into the tragic death by selfimmolation of a girl student of FM College in Balasore and said a SIT probe order is not required at this stage. The court also issued notices to president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee and president of BJD taking note of allegations that the two parties were staging agitations | P3 Jagatsinghpur/Kendrapara: An 18-year-old dalit girl out to celebrate the birthday of her uncle’s daughter was reportedly gang-raped by two miscreants at Chandgarh Majurai village within Jagatsinghpur police limits on Monday evening. Police have arrested the two accused Pritiranjan Behera (23) and Kartik Majhi (22). The incident took place when she was on her way to a birthday party | P4 LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav, RJD MP Misa Bharti, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and others during a protest | PTI S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine a Presidential reference that seeks the court’s opinion on questions concerning the roles, powers, and timelines for governors and the President in according assent to bills passed by state legislatures. A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai and comprising Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha and AS Chandurkar, issued notice to the Centre and all states and sought their responses by July 29 on the question whether timelines could be imposed for dealing with bills passed by assemblies.The court fixed the matter for further hearing to August 29. During the hearing, when senior advocate P Wilson, for Tamil Nadu, submitted that the matter would directly affect his client, who objected to the maintainability of the reference, the CJI said, “The issue concerns not only TN but the entire country.” Senior lawyer K K Venugopal, representing Kerala, raised objections regarding its maintain- Govt effects major IAS reshuffle, nearly 50 officers shifted E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Bhubaneswar AMID the buzz over a reshuffle in the state cabinet, the state government on Tuesday effected a massive rejig at the IAS-level, transferring as many as 49 officers. According to a notification issued by the General Administration and Public Grievance department, Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra, principal secretary in the Odia Language, Literature and Culture department has been appointed as the principal secretary in Finance department. He will also remain in additional charge as chairman of IDCO. He will replace Swaswata Mishra as Finance secretary . Hemant Sharma, additional chief secretary Industries department with additional charge as chairman IPICOL has been given charge of the Information and Public Relations department replacing Sanjay Kumar Singh. Roopa Roshan Sahoo, RDC (southern division) has been appointed as the secretary to Governor. She will replace NBS Rajput who was in additional charge of the post. Rajput will, however, continue as principal secretary in Public Enterprise department. Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma, principal secretary of Sports and Youth Services department with additional charge as the CMD, OPTCL has been appointed as the principal secretary in Excise department. He will continue to hold the additional charge of CMD, OPTCL. Sachin Ramchandra Yadav, RDC (northern division) with additional charge as CEO, Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) will replace Sarma as the Sports secretary. He will, t h o u g h , c o n t i nu e a s R D C ( N D ) a n d CONTINUED ON P5 CEO, WODC. Infy techie now Newcastle technical director SUDARSHAN Gopaladesikan, a one-time research assistant at Infosys in Bengaluru, has been appointed as technical director of English Premier League side Newcastle United. Newcastle, one of the richest clubs in world football thanks to their direct links with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced the news on their social media handle late on Monday . “... Sudarshan will lead the club’s football data operations, working closely with Eddie Howe (head coach of the men’s first team) and his coaching staff and the club’s performance, medical, analysis, methodolo g y and recruitment teams,” a club press release read. “His role will be dedicated to implementing data-informed practices across all sporting departments throughout men’s, women’s and Academy teams.” Gopaladesikan started off as a techie before joining Portuguese giants Benfica where he oversaw the data science pro- pre-lunch period, before it was finally adjourned within minutes of meeting at 2 pm. Soon after the House met for the day, Opposition members were on their feet demanding discussions on Operation Sindoor in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, besides on the Bihar SIR issue. Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was chairing the proceedings, informed the House regarding a notification by the Ministry of Home Affairs conveying resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar with immediate effect. SC notice to Centre, states on bill assent timeline TOP SEAT E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai PARLIAMENT logjam continued for the second day on Tuesday amid protests by the Opposition demanding a discussion on the poll roll revision in Bihar. However, the government accused the opposition of employing ‘double standards’ by asking for a debate but still disrupting the House. The Lok Sabha witnessed chaotic scenes as Opposition members refused to budge from their demand of discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar ahead of assembly polls later this year. As Congress, TMC and DMK MPs stood up raising placards, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House till noon. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said it was agreed on Monday that Pahalgam would be discussed. “Only the rule under which discussion will take place to be decided,” he added. Earlier, INDIA bloc members led by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi protested at the Makar Dwar of Parliament. The Upper House also saw two adjournments during the gramme. At Atalanta in 2024, he saw the Italian Serie A oufit lift the UEFA Europa League. The Indian men’s national team may not have many takers but several Indians as well as Indian origin people involved in football either work or have worked across top-tier clubs in Europe. Former Arsenal managing director Vinai Venkatesham holds a top management role at Tottenham. Krishnan A Seshadrinathan, currently a member at Rajasthan Royals, previously used to number crunch at Arsenal. Sudarshan will lead the club’s football data operations, working closely with Eddie Howe (head coach)... Murmu’s reference The reference sought, among others, answers on options before a Governor when a Bill is presented under Article 200; and if they are bound by aid and advice of the council of ministers ability too. On April 8, a two-judge bench comprising justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, while hearing TN’s case against its governor, ruled that a governor does not possess any discretion under Article 200 in respect to any bill presented to them and must mandatorily abide by the advice tendered by the council of ministers. President Murmu moved the court on May 13, with 14 questions challenging the SC’s April 8 verdict that fixed timelines for governors and President to act on bills passed by state assemblies. 4TH TEST SHUBMAN GILL HITS OUT AT ENGLAND India captain Shubman Gill accused England of not upholding the spirit of the game as the fallout of the time-wasting drama of the third Test continued. India are yet to finalise their XI for the Test | P11