TIRUPATI  SATURDAY  DECEMBER 06, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  LATE CITY EDITION NO EXTENSION OF DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION OF WAQF PROPERTY ASSISTANCE TO THOSE WHO DIDN’T REGISTER Rijiju said a way would be found for those who attempted registration but could not complete and that they will be exempted from penalties for the next three months. The minister stressed that those ‘mutawallis (Waqf property caretakers) who have not registered on the UMEED portal at all can approach their respective Waqf tribunal for further help Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday ruled out extending the deadline for registering Waqf properties on the UMEED portal ■ 1.51 lakh ALL ABOUT THE UMEED PORTAL REGULATIONS ■ The Centre launched The Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Act central portal on June 6 to create a digital inventory after geo-tagging all Waqf properties As per the portal, details of all registered Waqf properties must be uploaded within six months— a deadline that ended on Friday WAQF PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED TILL DATE 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 India-Russia Economic Roadmap 2030 launched; FTA talks to be fast-tracked Modi nudges Putin to end Ukraine war, says the conflict must end through dialogue, diplomacy INDIA, RUSSIA FAST FORWARD CM Chandrababu Naidu and HRD Minister Lokesh take part in the Mega PTM 3.0 on Friday | EXPRESS MEGA PTM 3.0 CM: Student Innovators Partnership Summit in Jan EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Parvathipuram-Manyam CHIEF Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced that a Student Innovators Par tnership Summit will be held in January 2026. Speaking at a Mega Parent Teacher Meeting 3.0 at the AP Model School in Bhamini village on Friday, he said industrialists will be invited to the summit, and awards will be presented to the best innovation projects. Aspiring students who wish to pursue higher studies abroad will be provided financial assistance under the Kalalaku Rekkalu scheme, and educational loans will provided at 25 paise interest rate, Naidu said. HRD Minister Nara Lokesh, Palakonda MLA N Jayakrishna, Principal Secretary of Education Kona Sasidhar, Commissioner of School Education V Vijayarama Raju, school headmaster G Babu Rao, and SMC chairman Vanapalli Ravikumar and others attended the meeting. Naidu formally launched Classroom Clickers and the Foundational Literacy and N u m e r a cy ( F L N ) p r o gramme on the occasion. He inspected the labs and observed the teaching methods by using clicker tools, along with Lokesh in the classroom. Later, he interacted with students, their parents, P4 and teachers. TRAIN COMING TO LOC AS J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi INDIA and Russia on Friday unveiled an extensive plan to turbocharge their partnership, doubling down amid Western sanctions, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated that peace in Ukraine must come through dialogue, adding India is on “the side of peace”. The new agreements and collaborations, spanning energy shipping, mobil, ity, minerals, pharmaceuticals, and health amount to one of the most ambitious upgrades to the India-Russia relationship in a decade. Both leaders used the summit to reaffirm the historical continuity of their partnership. “Over the past eight decades, the world has witnessed numerous ups and downs. Humanity has had to pass through many challenges and crises. And amidst all this, the India- Russia friendship has remained steadfast like a pole star. These relations, rooted in mutual respect and deep trust, have always stood the test of time,” Modi said. Central to the talks was the launch of the India-Russia Economic Roadmap 2030, a sweeping framework that aims to raise bilateral trade to $100 billion annually. The roadmap outlines plans to set up an Indian pharma manufacturing facility in Russia, initiate joint urea production in India, and create new training programmes for Indian seafarers. It also prioritises enhanced shipbuilding and shipping connectivity, including cooperation on the Northern Sea Route, deeper engagement on critical minerals and global supply-chain security e, visa access for Russian nationals, and the operationalisation of a full-fledged Indo-Russian Putin offers ‘uninterrupted shipments of fuel’ to India J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi AMID US pressure to curb Russian oil imports, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday assured India of an “uninterrupted supply” of fuel. “Russia is a reliable supplier of energy resources and everything necessary for the development of India’s energy sector. We are ready to continue ensuring the uninterrupted supply of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy,” Putin said while speaking to the media alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the 23rd annual summit between the two countries. In his comments, Modi did not mention oil directly but highlighted that “energy security has been a strong and important pillar of the India-Russia partnership.” In a joint statement, the two leaders said that in the current complex, tense, and uncertain geopolitical situation, RussianIndian ties remain resilient to external pressure. The Russian leader’s visit comes amid US efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, with Washington criticising India’s oil imports from Russia. US President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on most Indian goods, and alleged that purchases of Russian oil were funding the war—a claim India has consistently denied. Putin also outlined steps to deepen cooperation, including using national currencies for bilateral payments and expanding energy collaboration. “Russia and India pursue independent foreign policies and work together in BRICS and SCO for a more just and democratic multipolar world order,” he said. 2026 FIFA World Cup draw DATE: JUNE 11 TO JULY 19 | 48 TEAMS IN TOTAL THE atmosphere in the Kadapa Municipal Corporation (KMC) has become politically charged with the Election Commission ordering the election of a new Mayor on December 11. The post has remained vacant since September 23, 2025 when former Mayor K Suresh Babu was removed following a Vigilance inquiry into allegations that his family members had taken up civil contracts in the municipal corporation, violating rules. Deputy Mayor Mumtaz Beg- um has been handling Mayoral responsibilities since then. Although the YSRCP holds a clear majority in the KMC, internal squabbles among corporators have complicated the election process. The Mayoral post, reserved for the BC general category, will be filled through a special council meeting. The Election Commission has directed that notices be issued to all corporators and ex officio members, with voting scheduled at 11 am on December 11. In the 2021 municipal elections, the YSRCP won 48 of 50 divisions, while one independent and one TDP candidate were elected. Following the death of two corporators, the strength of elected members now stands at 48. Including ex officio members — TDP MLAs R Madhavi Reddy RBI cuts repo rate by 25 bps to 5.25 per cent B E N N K O C H U V E E D A N @ Mumbai RAFT OF PACTS TO BOLSTER INDIA-RUSSIA RELATIONS Agreement on labour mobility to help Indians work in Russia MoU on broader maritime cooperation Free e-tourist visa, group visa for Russians to visit India MoU between Indian fertilizer companies and JSC UralChem for joint production Food safety collaboration between Indian, Russian agencies MoU between Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune 2 and Tomsk State University Agreement on cooperation between University of Mumbai, Lomonosov Moscow State University, and Russian Direct Investment Fund $100 bn India and Russia are looking to increase the volume of annual bilateral trade to $100 billion from the present $64 billion, according to the joint statement THE Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday cut the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25%, aiming to lend a lease of life to the economy amid global headwinds including steep US tariffs. This is the fourth rate cut since Governor Sanjay Malhotra took charge last December, bringing cumulative reductions to 125 basis points from 6.5%. The six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously voted for the rate cut and retained a neutral stance, which keeps room open for further cuts. The RBI also announced an additional liquidity boost of `1 lakh crore through two tranches of government bond purchases scheduled for December 11 and 18, along with $5 billion in dollar-rupee buy-sell Economic data swaps later this month. These aim to has surprised on ease seasonal liquidity pressures. both growth A cut in repo will lead to lower borand inflation rowing costs for individuals as well as fronts corporate houses because it reduces RBI Governor the interest banks pay to borrow from the RBI. With cheaper funding, banks can lower lending rates making home, auto, business loans more affordable. Reiterating that the RBI has “no official level for the rupee”, Malhotra clarified that “the over 5% year-todate plunge of the currency is not a worry .” RBI’s inflation forecast for the fiscal year has been revised downwards to 2% from 2.6%, after it factored in imported inflation due to the depreciation of the rupee. Growth projections have been upgraded to 7.3% from 6.8%, reflecting confidence in the economy’s resilience. DGCA blinks, withdraws India’s 1st solar 8 32 weekly rest rule for pilots ingot and wafer unit in AP soon amid IndiGo flight chaos Spain, Argentina, France, England will not face each other if they top the group until semis Kadapa mayoral election generates political heat S N A G A R A J A R A O @ Kadapa -- Narendra Modi, Prime Minister - Vladimir Putin, Russian president TOP 4 TEAMS US Prez Donald Trump and FIFA chief Gianni Infantino at the Kennedy Center | AP I have always said that India is not neutral; India has a side and that side is peace If the US has the right to buy our (nuclear) fuel, why shouldn’t India have the same privilege? 3rd teams in Top two place singlefinsishers finishers of eliminwill ation qualify to 12 groups KO round too will knockout advance round SURVEY GETS OVER The Railways has completed the survey for the 46-km Baramulla– Uri rail link, in a significant step towards extending Kashmir’s rail connectivity upto the border town of Uri, close Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir | P8 mobility pact. Modi said the roadmap reflected their “common priority” to take the economic partnership to “new heights,” noting ongoing efforts to conclude a free trade pact between India and the Eurasian Economic Union. The Ukraine conflict featured prominently in the discussions. “India has advocated for peace on the Ukraine issue from the very beginning. We welcome all efforts being made for a peaceful and lasting resolution of this matter. India has always been ready to contribute its part and will remain so in the future,” Modi said. Putin responded that Moscow is working toward a peaceful settlement and remains in communication with the US on possible mechanisms, thanking Modi for India’s “attention and action.” (Kadapa), P Chaitanya Reddy (Kamalapuram), and YSRCP MLC Ramachandra Reddy — the total voting strength is 51. The TDP commands 11 votes, while the YSRCP holds 40. Despite this numerical strength, the YSRCP faces factionalism, with three groups lobbying for the Mayoral post. Aspirants are pressing their claims before senior leaders, including former Deputy CM and YSRCP city president SB Amzath Basha, former mayor K Suresh Babu, district president P Ravindranath Reddy, and MP YS Avinash Reddy P4 . EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Visakhapatnam S L A L I T H A @ New Delhi WITH over 1,000 IndiGo flights cancelled on Thursday and all 235 domestic departures from Delhi grounded for 24 hours, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Friday announced immediate suspension of aviation regulator DGCA’s revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms to ease crew shortages that resulted in the crisis. Naidu assured that IndiGo services would be fully restored within three days, with schedules stabilising by Saturday. However, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers contradicted the timeline, stating in a video message that normalcy would return only by December 10–15. The airline had earlier informed DGCA that a complete recovery of flying schedules could take until February 1, 2026. After an emergency review meeting with ministry DGCA, , AAI and IndiGo officials, Naidu announced a high-level inquiry into the flight disruption. A four-member DGCA panel comprising Sanjay K Brahmane, Passengers question flight delays at Bengaluru airport on Friday | EXPRESS DGCA Joint Director General, Amit Gupta, Deputy Director General, Kapil Manglik, Senior Flight Operating Inspector (SFOI) and Lokesh Rampal, FOI, has been asked to submit its report within two weeks. The aviaition regulator accused IndiGo of “deficiencies in internal oversight, operational preparedness and compliance planning” despite repeated warnings to prepare for the new rostering rules. On Friday too, chaos gripped airports nationwide as irate passengers protested at Delhi’s IGIA terminals. Similar scenes unfolded in Bengaluru (100+ cancellations) and Hyderabad (90+). Chennai suspended IndiGo’s domestic operations on Friday . ANDHRA Pradesh is set to get India’s first integrated 6 GW solar ingot and wafer manufacturing facility following the ap, proval of the project by the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB). The proposal, submitted by ReNew Photovoltaics, a subsidiary of ReNew Energy Global PLC, will be placed before the Cabinet for final clearance next week. The greenfield plant will come up at Rambilli in Anakapalle district with an investment of `3,990 crore. Spread across 130-140 acres, the unit will manufacture ingots and wafers, which are key components used in producing solar cells and modules. The project is part of the Government of India’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) programme aimed at strengthening domestic solar components manufacturing, and reducing dependence on imports. ReNew had earlier signed four separate MoUs with the AP government during the CII Partnership Summit 2025. P4