hyderabad l sunday l november 02, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION city of Nawabs goes global as unesco high-fives its cuisine Lucknow has been inducted into UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network under the ‘Gastronomy’ category, a testimony of its culinary heritage lucknow is a haven for food, says u.n. Make a trip for its uniqueness: pm modi UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay designated 58 cities as new members of the CCN “for their commitment to championing creativity as a driver of sustainable urban development”. The UN in India in a post on X said, “From mouth-watering Galouti Kabab to Awadhi Biryani, desserts like Makhan Malai and so much more — Lucknow is a haven for food...” ■ ■ Lucknow isn’t just about its kebabs. If the ever-inviting, rather demure, creamy “Malai Gilori” is an all-time favourite, the mouth-watering “paani puri” or “paani ke batashe”, are favourites too “I am glad UNESCO recognised this aspect of Lucknow. I call upon people to visit it to discover its uniqueness,” PM Modi said on X 408 cities in the world are part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network 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 Women among 9 people killed in AP temple crush No police permission sought for the event U s h a Pe r i @ Srikakulam Nine devotees, eight of them women and a 13-year-old boy died , in a stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, on Saturday. The crush occurred when a large number of people thronged the temple for darshan on the first Ekadasi of Karthika Masam, considered auspicious. Two persons are reportedly in a critical condition, while about 15 others suffered minor injuries. All the victims hailed from nearby villages and mandals. Srikakulam district Superintendent of Police KV Maheswara Reddy said the temple was built recently on a private land without proper permissions. “The structure, including the gate and stairway was com, pleted only 3-4 months ago. The crowd tried to enter through an exit gate with a seven-foot drop. The grill at the spot was weak, and collapsed due to the pressure, leading to the fall of sevRescue efforts on after the stampede at eral devotees,” he explained. No permission was sought the temple in Kasibugga | Express from local police for crowd management. “A case has been Probe committee registered against the temple owner, Hari Mukunda Panda, A three-member probe panel under various Sections for culhad been constituted. It pable homicide,” the SP said. comprises Tekkali RDO M Prime Minister Narendra Krishnamurthy, ASP KV Modi expressed grief over the Ramana, and Endowments tragedy, and announced an exAssistant Commissioner gratia of `2 lakh to each of the Prasad Patnaik families of the deceased, and `50,000 to those injured in the incident. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to ensure immediate medical aid and relief. The state government said the temple was not under the control of the endowments department. Harimukund Panda acknowledged that they were unprepared for the surge in devotees. “We rarely get more than a 1,000 even on special days. Today several , thousands arrived for darshan. We did not anticipate the crowd, and did not alert the police,” he admitted. GHMC worker sexually assaulted on Erragadda FOB E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad A 45-year-old man was arrested on Saturday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 51-year-old GHMC sanitation worker on a foot-over-bridge (FOB) in Erragadda in the early hours. Police identified the accused as Namburi Raju, a watchman at an apartment complex. He was reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. According to the Borabanda police, the victim was on her way to work and used the FOB to cross the usually busy road when the accused allegedly intercepted and assaulted her. Following the complaint, police arrested Raju and sent the victim to the Bharosa centre for counselling and medical examination. An investigation is underway . W IT H T H IS ISS U E As spaces shrink and eco-awareness rises, urban Indians are embracing minimalist design More or Less PLUS 12 P AGES A view of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s house in Kalyan Bigha in Nalanda district | Rajesh Kumar thakur 2005 fallout on Lalu, Nitish villages RA J E SH KUMAR THAKUR @ Nalanda/Gopalganj IN Bihar’s political heartland, two villages—Kalyan Bigha in Nalanda and Fulwaria in Gopalganj — stand as contrasting portraits of their most illustrious sons, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. Kalyan Bigha, Nitish Kumar’s ancestral village, mirrors the CM’s focus on development and order. T he once-slee py hamlet now gleams with smooth roads, solar-lit lanes, and uninterrupted electricity. On the spectrum’s far-end, former CM Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Fulwaria reflects the fading imprint of a political era long past. Once popularly referred to as a “mini-secretariat” during the RJD’s rule from 1990 to 2005, Fulwaria is now lost in the tedious warp of time, with whatever once built now slowly withering away . In Kalyan Bigha, where Nitish Kumar is affectionately called as “Munna”, villagers speak with pride and gratitude. “Our Munna has made this village immortal with development works,” said 70-year-old Girendra Singh, sitting under a tree near the market that’s buzzing with evening chatter. The village has round-the-clock electricity, high speed internet, a referral hospital, a high Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy leads Congress charge with a blistering attack on BRS. KTR leads pink party campaign with a roadshow of his own, while Kishan Reddy connects with voters in the constituency in person | P4 When a rescue became a crime What began as a moment of teenage impulse ended in a year of anguish for two young lives — one who ran from home and another who was branded an offender. A 20-year-old social media influencer, Kuruva Raju, who spent over a year facing charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, was acquitted by the Rangareddy court after it surfaced that he had not abducted the girl but had brought her home. It began on September 4, 2024, when a 16-year-old girl left her house in anger after a quarrel with her parents. The reason for the quarrel? She was suspected of talking to strangers. She was reprimanded and her phone confiscated. One day she called Raju from , school upgraded to the 10+2 level, an ITI, a shooting range and a spacious guest house. Nitish’s ancestral doublestorey home remains locked for most of the year, except during his visits to the Smriti-sthal, a memorial built in memory of his parents and wife. Nearby, the restored Devi-sthal — where he reportedly prays before major political moves — serves as the village’s spiritual heart. Every corner echoes the villagers’ affection for both Nitish and his son, Nishant Kumar. Their only worry— why the NDA hasn’t formally projected Nitish again as chief ministerial face. About 200 km away, in Ful- waria, the once-busy helipad is in ruin, the railway station silent, and battered link roads carry the scars of neglect. “Samay ka chakra hai. Jo kal chamakta tha aaj murjha raha hai (It’s the wheel of time. What once used to shine has now lost its glitter),” says Parmeshwari Singh, watching cattle graze where choppers once landed. Fulwaria’s old hospital still functions but in a ramshackle state. Lalu Yadav’s two-storey ancestral home, with a statue of his mother inside, serves as a reminder of his past glory . Villagers hope for a revival under Tejashwi Yadav. “When he comes to power, Fulwaria will bloom again,” says Nityanand, a starry-eyed youth. Campaigning innear Locals to get 85% of PG JH intensifies as voting day draws Med mgmt quota seats A year of stigma C h i t h a l u r i Re v a n t h @ Hyderabad Former CM Lalu Prasad Yadav’s ancestral home in Fulwaria in Gopalganj | Special arrangement SC had pushed for law for wrongful incarceration In July 2025, the Supreme Court highlighted the critical need for specific legislation to compensate victims of wrongful incarceration. Addressing cases of prolonged, unlawful detention, which it deems a violation of fundamental rights under Article 21, the apex court observed that existing laws are insufficient for adequate redress. Earlier, in a February 2025 ruling (Union of India v. Man Singh Verma), the court clarified jurisdictional limits, stating high courts cannot award compensation for wrongful confinement via routine bail applications. Such claims, judges noted, must be pursued through formal writ petitions. her grandmother’s phone, crying, saying she could not stay at home any longer. Raju tried to reason with her, telling her “not to do anything foolish.” She didn’t listen, and the arguments with her parents became increasingly heated. Finally, she decided that enough was enough and left home. She reached Charminar, borrowed a stranger’s phone, and pleaded with Raju to meet her. The girl’s mother panicked. She called Raju and asked if the girl was with him. Raju told her that he knew where she was and assured her that he would bring her back. However, the mother suspected that it was Raju who had abducted her daughter. She told the police her daughter had gone missing. Asked if she suspected someone, she promptly named Raju — the same youth her daughter was infatuated with.  continued on P5 E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad The state government on Saturday approved 85% local reservation in Postgraduate (PG) Medical Management Quota (MQ–1) seats in private medical c o l l e g e s f o r Te l a n g a n a students. The decision was taken by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy after Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha made a representation, addressing a long-pending demand from medical students. In a statement, the Health department said, “Until now, these MQ–1 seats were filled under the All India category, open to candidates from across the country With this new pol. icy, Telangana students will now have access to 85% of these seats, while the remaining 15% will continue to be open to All India candidates.” The new policy is expected to extend to about 318 PG medical seats and 70 PG dental seats every year, which will now be available exclusively to Telangana students. Until now, nearly 60% of these seats were being filled by non-local candidates. Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha described the PG medical seat distribution in TG (2025–26) Total PG medical colleges: 31  Government: 12 colleges (1,472 seats)  Private: 19 colleges (1,511 seats) Government colleges  50% All India Quota (AIQ)  50% Competent Authority Quota (CAQ) Private Colleges  50% CAQ  50% Management Quota (MQ) Total MQ–1 seats: 374  318 seats (85%) reserved for Telangana local candidates  56 seats (15%) open to All India candidates move as “a long-awaited decision that fulfils the aspirations of thousands of Telangana medicos”, adding that students had long faced disadvantages in PG admissions due to limited local seats and national-level competition. The GO formalising the 85% local quota is expected to be issued soon by the Health Secretary . Rajnath: Collective security is the key to sovereignty m aya n k s i n g h @ New Delhi DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday reaffirmed India’s stance in the Indo-Pacific, stressing that its emphasis on the “rule of law” does not target any country but seeks to protect regional interests collectively . Speaking at the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting — Plus (12th ADMM-Plus) meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Singh underscored that India’s advocacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and freedom of navigation reflects a commitment to inclusivity, openness, and stability in the region. “India’s emphasis on the rule of law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and its advocacy for freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific, are not directed against any country but are meant to safeguard the collective interests of all regional stakeholders,” said Singh on Saturday . Singh asserted that India’s strategic engagement with ASEAN is not transactional but long-term & principle-driven, and it rests on a shared belief that the Indo-Pacific should remain open, inclusive, and free from coercion. ICC W o m e n ’ s w o r l d c up Final destination: Harmanpreet & Co set to take a shot at immortality G o m e s h S @ Navi Mumbai IT doesn’t get any bigger than this — India team is set for the final of the home ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup here on Sunday. Their final obstacle before getting their hands on their first-ever ICC Trophy are South Africa — a team and country chasing a history of their own. One just needed to stroll along the roads around the DY Patil Stadium to understand what the final meant to the teams. With more than 24 hours to go, thousands of fans had flocked the gates and lanes of the venue, trying their luck to get tickets for the game. The official ticketing partner had gone from ‘coming soon’ to ‘event closed’ overnight, leaving the fans disappointed. Excitement was palpable as myriad emotions gripped the fans. T h e p re s s u re o f ‘availability of tickets’ did not spare the India captain either. Though it was an avoidable nuisance for players, Harmanpreet Kaur under- stood the gravity of it. She rather cheekily welcomed it. “I think it’s good that not only for cricket on the field but there is pressure for tickets also,” she said during the press conference on Saturday This daily has . reported how ticket prices on resaling websites have shot the roof. As much as Kaur had an off-the-cuff reply, the enormity of the occasion had not gone past her. Leading the country in a home World Cup for first time, she knew how crucial the final will be for women’s cricket. Despite the high points of the 2005, 2017 and 2020 World Cup finals (two ODIs and one T20), the silverware has remained elusive. With Sunday offering the chance to reshape history it , is understandable why Kaur called the home WC final the biggest thing in their lives. “We know how it feels to lose, but we are really looking forward to seeing how it feels after we win. Hopefully, this day tomorrow (Sunday) will be special for us,” said Kaur. If they manage to win, they will change the course of women’s cricket in India forever.  P11 Captains Harmanpreet Kaur and Laura Wolvaardt with World Cup trophy | PTI LIVE 3 pm on Jio/Hotstar; Star Sports Networks