kalaburagi l tuesday l november 04, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION Centre launches ` 1 lakh crore Research & Development fund Want to foster culture of R&D: Modi Modi launched the Research, Development and Innovation Fund at the first-ever Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave in Delhi. He said the government would support high-risk, high-impact projects to help India emerge as a science and technology powerhouse. “Our goal is to foster a culture of research and development,” Modi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a `1 lakh crore fund to spur private sector investment in research and development Govt’s focus on ease of doing research ■ ■ He said the government was focusing on the ‘Ease of Doing Research’ to foster a modern ecosystem of innovation in India | p9 “Government has introduced significant reforms. We have streamlined incentives and supply chain frameworks to accelerate the transition of prototypes from the lab to the market,” PM said 0.6% of GDP is how much India spends annually on R&D 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 Russia, China testing “Russia’s testing, China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it...We have to talk about it, otherwise you people are going to report. They don’t have reporters that are going to be writing about it,” Trump said Don: Pak on list of nations doing N-weapons test If validated, it could raise serious concerns about Pak’s compliance with global norms J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi In a provocative new claim that has stirred debate, US President Donald Trump listed Pakistan among several nations that are currently conducting nuclear weapons tests, a statement that could have farreaching global implications. In an interview aired on CBS News’ 60 Minutes, Trump defended his administration’s controversial decision to resume nuclear testing after more than three decades. He said countries like Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan were already conducting such tests, while the US had “held back”. He claimed the US does not “necessarily know” where these “powerful” nations are testing nuclear weapons, but asserted the testing is being done. “They they test way un, der, underground where people don’t know exactly what’s happening with the test. You feel a little bit of a vibration. They test and we don’t test. We have to test,” he said. The remarks mark the first time a sitting US president has publicly talked about Pakistan continuing nuclear testing, a claim if substantiated, could raise serious concerns about Islamabad’s compliance with international norms. Pakistan last conducted public nuclear detonations in May 1998, following India’s Pokhran-II tests. Islamabad has not yet issued any official response, though its long-standing position maintains that its nuclear programme is purely defensive and governed by strict command-and-control mechanisms. The comments have drawn scrutiny from both strategic analysts and international diplomats, who warn that such allegations could strain Washington’s already complex relations with Islamabad and heighten tensions across South Asia. Amid growing questions about the scope of the planned US testing, Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified in a Fox News interview that the administration’s proposal does not involve live nuclear detonations. “These are system tests — non-critical explosions,” Wright explained. “They involve all other parts of the nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the right geometry and safety functions.” Darshan to face murder, criminal conspiracy charges E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Bengaluru The City Civil and Sessions Court on Monday framed charges of murder, criminal conspiracy kidnapping, destruction of evidence, , and others against Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, his close aide Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others in the Renukaswamy murder case. All the accused pleaded not guilty and the trial is , scheduled to begin on November 10. As news of Darshan’s court appearance spread, fans gathered outside the court to catch a glimpse of the actor. The courtroom was packed with advocates and members of the public. Darshan was seen with vermilion on his forehead. He and Pavithra were spotted speaking to each other — the first time since their arrest two months ago. All accused in the case were present before the court.  P6 Remnant of the TGSRTC bus after a truck hit it in Ranga Reddy district | PTI One of the vehicles damaged in the accident near Jaipur on Monday | PTI Reckless driving two days, 29 deaths 19 killed as truck rams into bus in Telangana 14 dead near Jaipur as truck hits parked cars S i d d h a r d h a G at t i m i @ Hyderabad r a j e s h a s n a n i @ Jaipur IN one of the worst road tragedies in Telangana in recent memory at least 19 people, including 14 , women and a 10-month-old baby were killed and , 25 injured when a gravel-laden tipper lorry rammed a TGSRTC bus near Mirzaguda village in Chevella mandal of Rangareddy on Monday The collision occurred around 6.15 am . on the Hyderabad–Bijapur highway Police . said the tipper, carrying gravel from Patancheru to Manneguda, was overloaded and speeding when its driver tried to overtake another vehicle. To avoid a pothole, the driver swerved abruptly, veered into the wrong side and crashed into the oncoming bus carrying 72 passengers. The impact was catastrophic. The front of the bus was crushed beyond recognition, killing both drivers — truck driver Akash Kamle (24) of Maharashtra, and RTC driver Dastagiri Baba. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered. A day after 15 people were killed and two injured in Phalodi district of Rajasthan when a mini bus collided with a trailer along the Bharatmala Highway a , tragic road accident in Jaipur’s Harmada area on Monday afternoon left 14 people dead and over 18 injured. A speeding dumper truck lost control and rammed into 17 vehicles, creating devastation that eyewitnesses termed “unbearable to watch.” The accident occurred around 1 pm near the Loha Mandi area of Harmada. According to Jaipur District Collector Jitendra Soni, the dumper truck was heading towards the Loha Mandi petrol pump when its brakes gave up. The impact was so severe that the truck crushed vehicles for over 300 metres before coming to a halt. Eye-witnesses said the driver appeared to be drunk. An ex-gratia of `2 lakh has been announced for the next of kin of each deceased. Forensic lab to SC: Biren tapes tampered with S U C HITRA K A LYAN MOHANT Y @ New Delhi Audio recordings allegedly implicating former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in the 2023 ethnic violence in the state were tampered with and are not scientifically fit for voice comparison, the National Forensic Science Laboratory (NFSL), Gandhinagar, has informed the Supreme Court. “As the said audio is tampered with, no opinion on the similarity or dissimilarity of the speakers could be offered,” the NFSL told the court. The submission of the NFSL were made during the hearing of a plea filed by the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (Kohur), seeking a court-monitored probe into certain leaked audio clips that alBiren Singh legedly implicate Singh in instigating the ethnic violence. A two-judge bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Alok Aradhe directed that a copy of the NFSL’s report be shared with all parties and listed the case for further hearing on 8 December. Kohur alleged that the tapes, shared by an anonymous whistleblower, contained phone conversations held by Singh, “establishing the complicity of the highest functionary and others” in the ethnic violence. night after Recognition, fame and riches, India women wake up to new reality g o m e s h S @ Navi Mumbai As the embers of the beautiful night melted in the dawn, Indiawomen woke up to a new reality – the World Champions. Harmanpreet Kaur and her team must have realized life will no longer be the same again. With last night’s extraordinary viewership numbers (running above 30 crore) and the win turning into the most-discussed topic over the last 24 hours, the fortunes have changed. The team bagged $4.48 million (`40 crore) as prize money . Add to that the `51 crore the Indian cricket board (BCCI) announced. Close to `100 crore for the team, an amount that eclipses any figure the team received since they started playing in World Cups 50 years ago. The World Cup prize-money had seen a nine-fold increase from the runner-up $500,000 they got in 2020 at the MCG. The brand of women’s cricket has been steadily growing and from Sunday night, leading sports apparel companies to food delivery apps started using stars’ faces to promote their brands. Smriti Mandhana has been the most recognised face and the top earner. Harmanpreet is close behind. The likes of Pratika Rawal, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma could be the new faces soon. In terms of cricket, the BCCI is planning to usher in changes. “Whateverchanges we have seen after 1983 in men’s cricket, we hope and expect the samething to happen now,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told this daily  . P13 Harmanpreet Kaur with the WC trophy at the Gateway of India on Monday | pti express read Cabinet reshuffle after Bihar polls: CM Mysuru: CM Siddaramaiah on Monday said a cabinet reshuffle will take place after the Bihar Assembly polls. He told reporters at the Mysuru airport that he is likely to hold discussions with the Congress high command on the reshuffle once the Bihar polls conclude. Asked about a possible change in leadership, he maintained that the final decision rests with the party high command. P4 DMK moves Supreme Court on ‘unconstitutional’ SIR | P7 20-year-old girl abducted, gangraped in Tamil Nadu | P7