tirupati l monday l november 24, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION British Indian spy honoured with new stamp in France leading light of figures de resistance The French postal service, La Poste, honoured Noor with a stamp issued to honour the ‘Figures of the Resistance’ who fought against Nazi Germany. She is among a dozen war heroes and heroines chosen on the set of stamps issued this month to mark 80 years since the end of World War II. Britain honoured Noor in 2014 to mark the centenary of her birth Noor Inayat Khan, Tipu Sultan’s descendant, has become the only Indian-origin woman honoured with a French postage stamp for her WWII role moved to london after fall of france ■ Born Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan in Moscow in 1914 to an Indian Sufi saint father and American mother, Noor moved to London before settling in Paris for her school years ■ Following the fall of France during WWII, her family escaped to England and Noor joined the British Women’s Auxiliary Air Force 30 years noor’s age when she was executed by nazi forces in 1944 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 first Mahe class anti-submarine vessel joins navy M AYA N K SI N G H @ New Delhi AMID Pakistan’s reported plans to boost its underwater combat strength, the Indian Navy will commission INS Mahe, the first of the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, on Monday. The ceremony will be presided over by Ar my Chief General Upendra Dwivedi. Announcing the induction, the Navy said the commissioning of Mahe marks the arrival of a new generation of indigenous shallowwater combatants—sleek, swift, and resolutely Indian. “She will serve as a silent hunter on the Western Seaboard, powered by self-reliance and dedicated to safeguarding India’s maritime frontiers,” the Navy said. Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, Mahe has more than 80 percent indigenous design, and highlights the country’s growing expertise in warship technology and qualities critical for coastal French Navy calls out Pak media misinformation and littoral operations. Equipped with advanced sensors and weapon systems, the vessel can conduct anti-submarine missions, coastal patrols, and minelaying operations. The Mahe-class ships, 78 metres long with a displacement of about 900 tonnes, can reach speeds up to 25 knots and have an endurance of 1,800 nautical miles. A total of 16 ASW-SWC vessels are being bu i l t — e i g h t e a ch at Cochin Shipyard and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata—under contracts signed in 2019. Named after the historic coastal town of Mahe, the ship’s crest features the Urumi, the flexible sword of Kalaripayattu, symbolising agility and lethal grace. These ships will strengthen coastal defence along India’s 7,516-km coastline and enhance Navy’s shallow-water anti-submarine capabilities. The induction is keeping in mind China’s Hangorclass submarine project for the Pakistan Navy . Claims made by Geo TV, attributed to a French commander, contained “misinformation and disinformation, it said | P7 PM moots global AI compact to check misuse Says critical technologies must be human-centric, not finance-centric; announces AI summit in India next year UN reforms a necessity, no longer optional: Modi J AYA N T H J AC O B @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged world leaders at the G20 summit in Johannesburg to forge a global AI compact, and stressed the need to prevent misuse while harnessing artificial intelligence for inclusive and responsible global development. “We all have to ensure that AI is used for the global good and its misuse is avoided. For this, we need to create a global compact on AI that is based on some core principles,” Modi said, putting emphasis on oversight, safety-by-design, transparency , and strict restrictions on AI in dee pfakes, crime, and terrorism. “AI systems that affect human life, security, or public trust must be responsible and accountable. Most importantly , AI should enhance human capabilities, but the ultimate responsibility for decision-making will always remain with humans,” he said. The PM also announced that the AI Impact Summit to be hosted by India in February next year will be themed Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay (Welfare for all, Happiness for all) and invited all G20 countries to take part in the mission. He stressed the need to shift from “jobs of today” to “capabilities of tomorrow,” underlining the importance of constant innovation. Outlining India’s approach @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends a session at the G20 Summit, in Johannesburg | AP to AI, Modi said it rests on three pillars of equitable access, population-scale skilling, and responsible deployment. “Under the India-AI Mission, we are creating accessible high-performance computing so that the benefits of AI reach every district and every language,” he told the G 20 leaders. The PM emphasised that technology must be human-centric, global, and open-source rather than Modi meets key leaders Modi held a series of meetings on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. He separately met the prime ministers of Japan, Netherlands and Jamaica, and IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva Replace discord with harmony: cPr E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Puttaparthi Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s 100th birth anniversary was celebrated with grandeur and devotion at the Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium in Puttaparthi on Sunday Thousands of devotees and . dignitaries from across India and abroad gathered to pay homage to the revered spiritual leader, whose teachings of love, service, and the oneness of humanity continue to inspire millions worldwide. The day began with the majestic Swarna Rathotsavam procession, accompanied by Vedic chanting, Nadaswaram, and percussion led by renowned drummer Sivamani. The golden chariot carrying Baba’s divine form became the focal point of the celebrations, with singer Manu rendering the devotional song “Kadilinidi Kadilini Swarna Ratham”. Contingents from Vedam, Nagara Sankeerthana, Bhajan groups, Bal Vikas children, Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy take part in Sai Baba’s birth centenary fete on Sunday I EXPRESS service volunteers, disaster response teams, and students from Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions participated, symbolising unity in diversity . Vice President of India CP Radhakrishnan, chief guest for the occasion, described Baba as “a great emissary of god, of peace, love, and selfless service.” He emphasised that Baba’s guiding principles — “Love All, Serve All” and “Help Ever, Hurt Never” — shaped every initiative he undertook and every life he touched. Quoting saint-poet Thiruvalluvar’s Kural, he said Baba epitomised the timeless truth of devoting one’s life to loving and serving humanity. Highlighting Baba’s teachings rooted in Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanthi T20 World Cup for Blind AP girl helps India clinch victory with a solid knock of 42 runs U s h a Pe r i @ Visakhapatnam India clinched the inaugural SBI Women’s T20 World Cup for the Blind, defeating Nepal by seven wickets in the final played at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday The win marked . a dominant campaign for the Indian team, which remained unbeaten throughout the tournament. Electing to field after winning the toss, India restricted Nepal to 114 for 5 in 20 overs. The bowlers kept the scoring rate under control, and ensured regular breakthroughs. Chasing the target, the Indian side displayed confidence and composure, reaching 117 for 3 in 12.1 overs, and sealing the championship in convincing fashion. The six-nation tournament featured India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia and the United States. It began on November 11 with matches in New Delhi and Bengaluru, before moving to Colombo for the knockout stages. Blind cricket is played using a white plastic ball fitted with ball bearings to help players track movement through sound. India’s campaign included wins over Sri Lanka (10 wickets), Australia (209 runs), Nepal (85 runs), the USA (10 wickets) and Pakistan (8 wickets), before defeating Australia again in the semifinal by nine wickets. The win carried special significance for Andhra Pradesh, with 15-year-old Pangi Karuna Kumari making a notable conP4 tribution in the final.  “At a time when the world appears fragmented and divided, IBSA can provide a message of Prime Minister Narendra unity cooperation, and human, Modi on Sunday made a strong ity,” Modi added, addressing appeal for reforms in the UN South African President Cyril Security Council and urged Ramaphosa and Brazil’s Presithat the India-Brazil-South Af- dent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. rica (IBSA) grouping should He called for institutionalissend a clear message that ing NSA-level meetings within changes to global governance IBSA to strengthen security coinstitutions are no ordination among the longer optional but a three countries in the pressing necessity . fight against terrorS p e a k i n g at t h e ism. “There is no place Global institutions IBSA leaders’ summit for any double standno longer on the sidelines on the represent today’s ards on such a serious G20 summit in Johan- world. Therefore, issue,” he added. nesburg, Modi under- IBSA must send a Modi also highlightscored the role of the unified message ed the potential of to the world: grouping in projecting technology in fosterinstitutional unity and cooperation ing human-centric dereform is not an at a time when the velopment. He prooption but a world appears increasposed an IBSA Digital prerogative ingly fragmented. Innovation Alliance to “First, we all agree facilitate the exchange Narendra Modi, PM that global institutions of digital public infrado not reflect the realities of structure, including India’s the 21st century None of us is a Unified Payments Interface, . permanent member of the UN health platfor ms such as Security Council. This clearly CoWIN, cybersecurity framedemonstrates that global insti- works, and women-led technoltutions no longer represent to- ogy initiatives. The alliance day’s world. Therefore, IBSA aims to help member countries must send a unified message to leverage digital innovation to the world: institutional reform drive inclusive growth while is not an option but a preroga- strengthening collaboration on tive,” Modi said. emerging technologies. E x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e (Peace), Prema (Love), and Ahimsa (Non-violence), the Vice President urged citizens to replace discord with harmony and selfishness with sacrifice. He praised the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust’s transformative work in healthcare, education, and social welfare, describing its Mobile Rural Health Services as a “vital lifeline” for remote communities. He also recalled Baba’s pivotal role in rejuvenating the Telugu Ganga canal, which ensured drinking water supply to Chennai. Concluding with the universal prayer “Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu,” he reminded the gathering that “the greatest worship is service, and the greatest offering is love.” Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu recalled Baba’s journey from his birth in 1926 as Satyanarayana Raju to his declaration as Sathya Sai at the age of 14, and his lifelong mission of spreading knowledge, righteousness, and P4 service.  finance-centric, national, or exclusive. “We have to promote technology applications that are ‘human centric’ instead of ‘finance centric’, which are ‘global’ instead of ‘national’ and ‘open source’ instead of ‘exclusive models’. We have tried to integrate this vision in all technology projects of India.” He cited India’s leadership in digital payments and its effective response during the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering vaccines and medicines to more than 150 countries, to underline the potential of inclusive technological and economic growth. “Development should be sustainable, business should be trusted, finance should be fair, and progress should bring allinclusive prosperity the prime ,” minister said. This is the first G20 summit held in Africa. AU team discovers mechanism that could impact Covid vaccine efficacy U s h a Pe r i @ Visakhapatnam A research team from Andhra University has identified a molecular process that may help the Coronavirus escape the antibodies produced by Covid-19 vaccines, raising concerns about long-term vaccine effectiveness. The discovery was made by researchers working under the guidance of Dr Ravikiran S Yedidi, founder of TCABS-E Laboratories, incubating at Andhra University . The findings were published in an Elsevier journal on November 19, 2025. The team comprising Manikanta Sodasani, Abhinav VKS Grandhi, Niharikha Mukala, Jahnavi Chintalapati, Madhuri Vissapragada and Madhumita Aggunna, studied the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARSCoV-2 spike protein, which allows the virus to enter human cells by attaching to the ACE2 receptor. Because Covid-19 vac- cines work by generating antibodies that target the RBD, understanding how this region behaves is important for improving protection. According to the study the RBD undergoes , liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a transition between solid-like and liquid-like states, forming droplet-like clusters in laboratory tests. This creates molecular crowdedness, making it harder for antibodies to recognise, and bind to the virus. The team suggests that this behaviour may help the virus hide from immune system even in vaccinated people. To support this observation, the researchers carried out 500nanosecond molecular dynamics simulations, showing that the RBD acts as an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP). These flexible and unstable regions overlap with both antibodybinding sites, and the ACE2 re- ceptor binding surface, indicating that structural flexibility and LLPS together may block the antibodies, and favour viral entry into cells. The authors point out that current vaccines are developed based on the stable form of the spike protein. If the immune system is not trained to recognise the RBD in its phase-separated form, it may not produce antibodies that work well during real infection, which may explain why some variants continue to infect vaccinated individuals. Dr Yedidi noted that developing improved vaccines may require the combined support of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and biotechnology On this occasion, Andhra . University Vice-Chancellor Prof GP Raja Sekhar congratulated the research team for their contribution to ongoing Covid-19 research. Anti-drone systems at all civilian airports, shortly muke s h r a nj a n @ New Delhi THE Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) at a joint meeting, held recently have decided to deploy , anti-drone systems at all major and minor civil airports in view of “a possible war-like situation emerging in future,” officials said on Sunday . According to them, initially, it has been decided to install the system at major airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar and also Jammu and Srinagar. The decision has been taken in view of the experience gathered during ‘Operation Sindoor’ and also due to global military escalations that have featured an increased use of drones. It is reliably learnt from of- ficials that the anti-drone equipment will thwart any possible attack using ro gue drones. The system will be installed for the first time at civilian airports only a senior official told , this paper on Sunday . The decision was arrived at after multiple high-level meetings. Though the MHA has been overseeing the project, a committee has been constituted by the BCAS, with members drawn from aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and other stakeholders. Officials said the modalities and specifications of the equipment are cur rently being looked into and once everything is finalised, the MHA will coordinate with the Ministry of Civil Aviation in implementing and commissioning the project. However, officials said the entire project would be commissioned only in a phased manner, with sensitive airports express illustration like Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Srinagar and Jammu covered in the first phase followed by the scheme being rolled out in the remaing airports. A senior official in the know said, “The authorities will fix deadlines for commissioning the equipment at different airports only after finalization of specifications ... then airport operators will be directed to install the technology that fits our criteria. Models successfully existing at other airports outside India are also being examined for ef fective implementation.”