KOCHI l thursday l november 20, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE city EDITION Ready to launch first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission any time: Isro Isro chairman V Narayanan said on Wednesday the space agency is fully prepared to launch the first of the three uncrewed missions any time Over 80,000 tests completed: V narayanan Narayanan said that with 80,000 tests completed, about 85% of the work on the Gaganyaan mission is now done. The first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission is scheduled for December 2025 and will carry the humanoid robot Vyommitra. It will be the first of three uncrewed tests designed to validate the mission’s systems before the crewed launch ■ 2027 Launch in December, PM to finalise date ■ The launch date for the first uncrewed mission will be finalised by the Prime Minister, Narayanan said at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 The Isro chairman said India’s share in the global space economy is expected to rise to 11% by 2047, from the current 2%. He added Isro will launch around 50 satellites per year over the next five years when India aims to launch the first crewed ganganyaan mission 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 Modi sees ‘Bihar winds’ at TN meeting Another form of E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Coimbatore Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the country is on the path to becoming a global hub for natural farming. Addressing a meeting after inaugurating the threeday South India Natural Farming Summit 2025 at Codissia Hall in Coimbatore, the PM said, “The country’s biodiversity is evolving, and the youth are now viewing agriculture as a modern, scalable opportunity . This shift will greatly strengthen the rural economy .” Alluding to the NDA’s stunning victory in Bihar poll and the bright prospects for the alliance in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in 2026, the PM referred to the waving of towels by farmers at the event as arrival of “Bihar winds” in Tamil Nadu. “I think the spirit of Bihar had arrived even before I did,” he quipped. The PM PM Modi being felicitated at the farmers’ summit in Coimbatore | S Senbagapandiyan ‘Committed to taking superfood to global mkts’ Modi stressed that the government is committed to taking the superfood (millets) to global markets and emphasised that natural and chemical-free farming will play a major role in expanding their international reach also said that he should have learnt Tamil in his childhood. “A year ago, the central government had launched the national mission on natural farm- ing. T he impact of this initiative is especially visible across south India, with approximately 35,000 hectares of land in Tamil Nadu alone now under organic and natural farming. Natural farming is an indigenous Indian concept not imported from elsewhere but born out of our tradition and aligned to our environment,” Modi said. The prime minister also said that integrating the cultivation of millets with natural farming plays a vital role in protecting Mother Earth. He noted that in Tamil Nadu, Lord Murugan is offered ‘thenum and thinai maavum’, a preparation made from honey and Shree Anna (foxtail millet flour). Modi stressed that the government is committed to taking the superfood (millets) to global markets and emphasised that natural and chemical-free farming will play a major role in expanding their international reach. The prime minister also urged the state government to promote multicropping on the lines of Kerala and Karnataka. Wanted gangster Anmol among 200 Indian nationals deported from US HARPR E E T B A J WA @ Chandigarh Nitish to take oath today for record 10th time JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar will take oath as Bihar chief minister for a record 10th time at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan at 11 am on Thursday Page 8 T’Puram IS case catches NIA interest S h a n A S @T’Puram The partner of the United Kingdom-based woman, accused of indoctrinating her teenage son to join the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organisation, is the brother of a convict in the Kanakamala IS module case, police said. This has evoked NIA’s interest and the national agency is now closely monitoring developments, they said. Sideeq, brother of the woman’s partner Ansar, had served three years in prison and was released early this year, police said. It was Sideeq, who got the boy admitted in an orphanage near Attingal upon his arrival from the UK. Though the boy did not mention Sideeq’s role in the alleged offence which took place in the UK, police said the involvement of the man has aroused their interest in the case, and has caught the attention of the NIA. The Venjaramoodu police had registered a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) on the basis of the boy’s complaint. As per the FIR, the boy gave a statement that Ansar showed him IS propaganda videos, including violent killings, and tried to groom him to join the terror group. The woman, who hailed from Nedumangad, had married the boy’s biological father, who hailed from a Muslim family in Pandalam. She was a Christian who converted to Islam after the marriage. They later moved to the UK. A special US deportation flight carrying 200 Indians, including Anmol Bishnoi, the younger brother and close aide of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, two other fugitives wanted in Punjab, and 197 undocumented migrants landed in New Delhi on Wednesday . Anmol is wanted in multiple criminal cases in India, including the murders of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in May 2022 and Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique in October 2024, and firing at actor Shah Rukh Khan’s residence in April 2024. As soon as the special US flight landed at the Indira Gan- Anmol Bishnoi being brought to the Patiala House Court | Parveen Negi dhi International Airport in Delhi, Bishnoi was detained by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He was later produced at Delhi’s Patiala House court, which sent him to 11 days NIA custody . “We are trying to find how he fled India,” Special Public Prosecutor Rahul Tyagi said, L415 crore scam Ed gets 13-day custody of al Falah chief erated without valid accreditation is `415.10 crore. @ New Delhi/ Srinagar/ Lucknow Meanwhile, sources said around 10 people associated The Enforcement Directo- with the Al-Falah University , rate (ED), which is investi- including three from Kashgating the Al Falah group mir, are missing. Their mothat is at the centre of the bile phones are switched off. Delhi blast case for alleged Their disappearances came money laundering, has un- to light after a joint operacovered ‘tainted’ funds tion by the J&K and Haryaamounting to `415 na police. crore, sources said In J&K, the police on Wednesday . inspected lockers beThe agency has selonging to doctors in cured 13-day custody the Valley . of Jawad Ahmed Sid“All lockers were diqui, the chairman checked. Lockers and founder of the found unclaimed, imJawad Ahmed properly labelled or group, who was arSiddiqui rested on Tuesday . without ownership An official said the were documented,” Al Falah group generated an official said. “proceeds of crime” by deIn Uttar Pradesh, the state ceiving students through A n t i - Te r r o r i s t S q u a d false claims about the ac- launched a informationcreditation and recognition gathering exercise across of its institutions. eight districts, seeking deAccording to the ED, the tailed records of all students, total educational income ac- teachers and management cumulated during the years personnel associated with in which the institutions op- all operational madrasas. S u m i t K u m a r , F aya z W a n i & N a m i ta B a j pa i MPin encounter withkilled officer maoists Inspector Ashish Sharma of the MP police’s elite Hawk Force anti-Naxal unit died on Wednesday after being injured in a gunfight near the Chhattisgarh-MP border | P8 adding that Anmol will be produced before the court again on November 29 after completion of his NIA custody . Hailing from Punjab’s Fazilka, Anmol was Lawrence Bishnoi’s overseas handler and was directing extortion rackets, issuing threats, and coordinating assignments through encrypted channels. He reportedly slipped out of the country in April 2022 using a forged passport, accompanied by another wanted gangster Sachin Thapan. Sources said Anmol managed to get a fake passport in the name of Bhanu Pratap, a resident of Faridabad, and his father’s name was mentioned as Rakesh. talaq now under top court’s glare SC raps sending talaq-e-hasan notice via counsel; matter may go to 5-member bench S UCHI T RA KALYAN MOHAN T Y @ New Delhi Eight years after it deemed instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddah) unconstitutional, the Supreme Court on Wednesday indicated it could go after talaq staggered over three months (talaq-e-hasan) — a form of divorce — by sending the matter to a five-member bench. Under talaq-e-hasan, a Muslim man can divorce his wife by uttering the word talaq once each for three months. A three-judge bench led by Justice Surya Kant was hearing a petition by journalist Benazeer Heena, who said her husband Ghulam Akhtar had sent unsigned talaq-e-hasan notices through his lawyer by Speed Post. “In the 11-page talaq notice, the sign of the husband is missing. Talaq was pronounced by the husband’s advocate,” her counsel said. In the absence of Akhtar’s signature, Heena has been unable to prove she is divorced, though he remarried. But if she is to wed again, Akhtar could accuse her of polyandry . Heena also had problems with her child’s school admission. Akhtar’s advocate said the practice of conveying talaq through legal notice was quite common in Islam. “How is this allowed in moder n society?” the bench that included justices Ujjal Bhuyan, and N K Singh wondered. “We are in 2025. How are you promoting this? Regulation as per constitutional ethos The bench said it is not the question of striking down a prevalent religious practice but an issue which needs to be regulated as per the constitutional ethos. Heena’s PIL was directed to be listed on Nov 26, Constitution Day Is this how the dignity of a woman is upheld? Should a civilised society allow this kind of practice?” justice Surya Kant asked. The bench went on to observe, “Society at large is involved. Some remedial measures have to be taken. If there are gross discriminatory practices, this court will have to interfere.” The court indicated that if required it could refer the matter to a five-member bench for consideration. “Give us broadly the legal questions that may arise. Then we will see how to resolve them,” the bench said. In her petition, Heena sought a declaration that talaq-e-hasan is irrational, arbitrary and violative of Articles 14, 15, 21 and 25 of the Constitution. GOVT cENSUREd SC quashes Tribunal law provisions S UCHI T RA KALYAN MOHAN T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Cour t on Wednesday struck down key provisions of the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 related to the appointment and tenure of tribunal members, noting that these were in violation of its earlier judgments, and directed the Centre to set up a National Tribunals Commission within four months. In a strongly worded verdict, a bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran said the Centre brought back the provisions earlier read down by the apex court with minor tweaks. “The impugned provisions violated the principles of separation of powers and judicial independence, and should not have been brought back,” the bench said. It said until a new legislation is put in place to give effect to the court’s order, the directions and principles laid down in its earlier judgments will govern all matters related to appointment, tenure and qualifications concerning tribunal members. The CJI, who authored the 137-page judgment, specifically invalidated Section 3 of the law, which mandated a minimum age of 50 years for appointment as a chairperson or member. The SC held the section excluded young and competent advocates and experts. It also set aside Section 5 which fixed the tenure of chairpersons and members of tribunals at four years. It reinstated the five-year tenure rule to ensure security of service and institutional independence. 16 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express Spot slots cut to 5k to manage pilgrims’ rush Measures taken for Crowd Management E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @Pathanamthitta/Kochi A drastic reduction in spot bookings and tighter restrictions on forest routes were among the measures taken by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on Wednesday to manage the unprecedented rush of devotees that caught authorities unawares and led to complete system collapse in Sabarimala on Tuesday the sec, ond day of the Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season. The decision follows strong remarks by the Kerala High Court earlier in the day. Cautioning there was a “real chance a catastrophe could occur” at the hill shrine, the HC ordered assessment of Sabarimala’s carrying capacity . The TDB capped spot booking to 5,000 pilgrims per day, from the earlier 20,000, until Spot booking capped at 5,000 pilgrims per day until Monday. Considering rush at Sannidhanam, this can be raised to 10,000 Max 5,000 pilgrims allowed on forest routes Virtual queue cap continues at 70,000 devotees a day. Devotees gather in huge numbers in front of the nadumuttam at Sabarimala temple for darshan on Wednesday Monday and said only 5,000 pil, grims would be allowed via forest routes, including Pullumedu. The first unit of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also took charge at Sannidhanam. The 30-member team from the 4th Battalion of NDRF’s Thrissur Regional Response Centre has been sta- tioned along critical stretches — near the Sopanam and along the Nadapanthal. Seven more booking counters were started at Nilakkal, with the base camp also serving as the first point of ● More on P5 restriction.  NDRF unit deployed at Sannidhanam 7 new booking counters opened at Nilakkal 200 staff deployed at queue complexes; 200 more to be engaged for cleaning toilets and sanitation-related works We can’t put children and other people through this. Anyone will lose their mind after standing in a queue for over eight hours continuously. At some point, a catastrophe will happen — Kerala HC steady drop Malayalam losing appeal among SSLC students As w i n As o k K u m a r @T’Puram Are school students in Kerala steadily losing interest in Malayalam as a medium of instruction? As per the data from the Pareeksha Bhawan, the number of students who wrote SSLC exams in Malayalam has seen a significant fall from 55.93% in the 201819 academic year to 36.56% in 2024-25. Of the 4,27,017 students who appeared this March, only 1,56,161 wrote the exam in Malayalam medium, which is 87,000 less than the 2,43,409 students who appeared in 2019. Education experts attributed the fall to the public perception that studying in English medium will help students in future. Pareeksha Bhavan officials said the drop was due to the reduction in students studying in the Malayalam medium. A senior education department official said the ratio of English to Malayalam admission had nearly reached 70:30 in primary classes. “The key reason is the public perception that English is somehow a better medium of instruction,” said K Anvar Sadath, CEO of Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE). However, choosing English as the medium may not always translate into results, he ● More on P5 said.  Students appearing in SSLC exams Year Malayalam English Total 2019 2,43,409 (55.93%) 1,87,668 (43.12%) 4,35,142 2020 2,16,764 (51.45%) 2,00,594 (47.61%) 4,21,262 2021 2,00,077 (47.58%) 2,16,827 (51.56%) 4,20,474 2022 1,91,092 (44.91%) 2,30,791 (54.24%) 4,25,491 2023 1,76,165 (42.06%) 2,39,326 (57.14%) 4,18,815 2024 1,67,802 (39.33%) 2,55,613 (59.91%) 4,26,613 2025 1,56,151 (36.56%) 2,67,816 (62.71%) 4,27,017