Colour photos on EVMs starting with Bihar polls File photo HYDERABAD l thursday l september 18, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION New Delhi: Photos of candidates will be printed in colour on the EVM ballot paper starting with the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. The candidates’ face will now occupy three-fourths of the photo space on the EVM ballot paper. Additionally, the names, serial numbers of all candidates, and the NOTA option will be printed in larger, bold fonts | PTI 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 CM again asks Centre to clear BC quOta bills E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday urged the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre to approve bills passed by the Telangana Legislative Assembly raising BC reservations to 42 percent. Addressing the gathering at the “Praja Palana Dinotsa- wam” celebrations at Public Garden, the chief minister said: “These bills provide 42% reservation to BCs in education and local bodies. Approval will ensure political representation for 23,973 BC leaders and mark a social r evo l u t i o n . Te l a n g a n a should receive credit for this.” Revanth also spoke of his government’s plans to open a night economy along the Musi catchment area. “Hyderabad functions during the day; Musi will operate from 7 pm to 6 am. Round-theclock business will boost Telangana’s economy. Musi will attract international tourists. Statues of Telangana legends will be installed. Implementation starts December 9, 2025,” he said, adding that Metro Rail expansion will also commence soon. Revanth also spoke of his plans for the rejuvenation of the Musi riverfront, inspired by similar exercises on the Sabarmati, Yamuna and Ganga rivers. “Recent rains affected residents along the Musi. Our aim is to improve their quality of life,” he said.  continued on P4 FTA with India by year-end: EU The European Union set a firm target to conclude its longpending Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India by the end of 2025 and unveiled a new sweeping strategic framework aimed at expanding the bloc’s ties with New Delhi. The New Strategic EU-India Agenda, adopted through a Joint Communication by the European Commission and the EU’s High Representative on Wednesday outlines a broad vision for enhanced cooperation spanning trade, security, climate, technology, and global governance. “Europe is already India’s biggest trading partner, and we are committed to finalising our Free Trade Agreement by the end of the year,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “Now is the time to focus on reliable partners In a first, pvt firm vets NIRF rankings S L A L ITHA @ New Delhi India Rankings 2025 released by the Union education ministry a fortnight ago was vetted by a private consultancy firm—the first such instance since the inception of the prestigious rankings in 2015. Global consulting firm EY, currently associated with various Central government projects, was entrusted with the task. Multiple sources told this newspaper that the decision to rope in EY for double verification of data was taken in the backdrop of an inexplicable surge in rankings by some institutions and the shocking slump logged by a few others. “It was heartening to note that the firm (EY) endorsed the rankings made by us and did not find even a single error,” claimed an official with the NIRF team. The rankings were delayed by six weeks this year due to the additional verification process, said sources. “Post-Covid, we were releasing the rankings by July and August. It was done in June since 2015 when we commenced the ranking process. Our original plan was to release them by mid-July this year. But due to the third-party verification process, we were able to release them only by the first week of September,” said an official. NIRF is a part of the National Board of Accreditation, an autonomous body which evaluates the quality of professional courses in the country . Europe is open for business. And we are ready to invest in our shared future with India — Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President and double down on partnerships rooted in shared interests and guided by common values. With our new EU-India strategy, we are taking our relationship to the next level — advancing trade, investment and talent mobility, strengthening joint economic security and deepen, ing industrial cooperation in defence.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the new agenda, calling it a forward-looking initiative to strengthen bilateral ties. “…Delighted to know about the ‘New Strategic EU-India Agenda’ adopted today he post,” ed on X. “India is ready to take the India-EU relationship to the next level. It is our shared commitment, shared goal, and shared responsibility .” The announcement marks a key policy priority for the EU, which comes amid a changing geopolitical landscape of growing push for resilient supply chains and diversified trade partnerships. The Joint Communication talks about untapped potential in trade and investment and sets out measures to reinforce supply chain resilience, enhance cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, and deepen engagement through the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC). @ Hyderabad Expanding security, def ties The strategy significantly advances security and defence ties, proposing a dedicated EU-India Security and Defence Partnership. Areas of focus include maritime security, cyber defence and counterterror. A Security of Information Agreement will be negotiated to facilitate the exchange of classified info Defence Minister Rajnath Singh salutes the War Memorial at Parade Ground in Secunderabad after laying a wreath E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e Strategic framework evolved for enhanced ties on trade, security, climate, tech J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Op Sindoor pause our own decision: Rajnath helping hands Bystanders help a passerby cross a flooded road at Warasiguda in Secunderabad on Wednesday following a cloudburst that brought intense rains across Hyderabad | Sri Loganathan Velmurugan | p3 Rejecting US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he had ensured a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday stated that action against terrorists was not suspended due to any third-party mediation. Speaking at the Hyderabad “Liberation Day” celebrations organised by the Union government, Rajnath warned that Operation Sindoor would resume in case of any further attacks. Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy Gajendra Singh Shekha, wat, Bandi Sanjay and others were present. “Operation Sindoor, the 2016 surgical strike and the 2019 Balakot air strike show that India’s patience is its strength, not weakness. We choose hard power when negotiations fail,” Singh said. He added that while terrorists targeted civilians in Pahalgam based on their faith, our Armed Forces targeted terrorists and their hideouts in Pakistan and PoK based on their “karma”. He credited the Armed Forces for the success of the operation. “There are some who ask whether ceasefire between India and Pakistan happened due to someone’s intervention. The operation against terrorists was not suspended because of anyone. It is a pause,” the Defence Minister said.  continued on p4