visakhapatnam l saturday l january 03, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Indian Army places emergency order for long-range rockets Indian Army has contracted Pune-based defence manufacturer Nibe Ltd to procure equipment and ammunition for its universal rocket launchers Rockets to have striking range of 300 km Order to bring Israeli firm’s ‘Puls’ to India “The Company has entered into Supply Contract with the Indian Army for Manufacturing and Supply of Ground Equipment, Accessories, ESP and Ammunition for Universal Rocket Launcher System capable of integrating multiple rocket types including rockets striking at ranges of 150 km and 300 km for a consideration of `292.69 cr,” Nibe said in an exchange filing ■ ■ In July 2025, NIBE had entered into an agreement with Israel’s Elbit Systems to manufacture the Israeli firm’s PULS multiple rocket launcher systems in India. Sources said the latest order is for PULS (Precise & Universal Launching System), manufactured by Elbit Once inducted, PULS will be Army’s 1st universal rocket launcher | P8 12 months The order has to be executed and delivered within that timeframe 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 EC rejects TMC’s bid to push BLAs at SIR hearing sessions MUK E SH RA N J A N @ New Delhi THE Election Commission of India (ECI) has rejected the Trinamool Congress’ request to allow the party’s booth level agents (BLAs) at the hearing sessions regarding the draft voters’ list. The ongoing second stage of the three-phase Special Intensive Revision exercise focuses on hearing sessions on claims and objections. Sources said if the TMC’s request is accepted, the poll panel will have to accept similar demands from other political parties — six national and two state parties. This would mean at least 11 individuals at each hearing ta- Vice President of India C P Radhakrishnan and The New Indian Express group Chairman Manoj Kumar Sonthalia, his wife Kalpana Sonthalia, TNIE CEO Lakshmi Menon, Editor Santwana Bhattacharya, Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla, Dinamani Editor K Vaidiyanathan, TN ministers Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and Ma Subramanian with the Ramnath Goenka Sahithya Samman recipients Chandrashekhara Kambara, Neha Dixit, Subi Taba and Sudeep Chakravarthi, at an event in Chennai on Friday | Ashwin Prasath V-P: Fearless Dinamani boxed item led me to media, Lit vital V-P’s office: CPR for democracy Subi Taba, RNGSS winner for Best Fiction History, politics, biographies... people, all come alive as narrative non-fiction. There is no better time to be a writer Sudeep Chakravarti, RNGSS awardee for Best Non-Fiction When news is determined by the buying mood of the target audience and political masters, I hope this award will help in putting the lives of workers at the forefront Neha Dixit, RNGSS awardee for Best Debut on page 7 Reservoir of human experience Where varied voices converge Chandrashekhara Kambara conferred the RNGSS Lifetime Achievement Award E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Chennai Stressing that no nation can emerge without fearless journalism and deep literature, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Friday said freedom of expression remains the cornerstone of Indian democracy. He was speaking at the third edition of the Ramnath Goenka Sahithya Samman (RNGSS), The New Indian Express (TNIE) group’s annual literary award honouring excellence in Indian writing, which was held in the city . At the event, legendary playwright Chandrashekhara Kambara was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decades-long contribution to literature, particularly Kannada poetry thea, tre and folklore-based writing. Kambara is among India’s most revered literary figures — a Kannada writer, thinker, playwright, folklorist and theatre activist whose life’s work has profoundly shaped the nation’s cultural imagination. Subi Taba won the RNGSS for Best Fiction for Tales from the Dawn-Lit Mountains, Sudeep Chakravarti received the award for Best Non-Fiction for Fallen City: A Double Murder Political , Insanity, and Delhi’s Descent from Grace, while Neha Dixit won the Best Debut award for The Many Lives of Syeda X: The Story of an Unknown Indian. Speaking at the event, Vice President Radhakrishnan paid rich tributes to Ramnath Goenka, doyen of Indian print journalism and the visionary founder of The New Indian Express group, saying he stood firm for journalistic integrity, intellectual courage and democratic values during some of the most challenging periods in the nation’s history . “Goenka remains the conscience keeper of Indian democracy. His commitment to fearless expression continues to inspire generations,” he said. Recalling Goenka’s resistance during Emergency, the Vice President said he demonstrated the power of silence by publishing a blank editorial as a mark of protest a g ainst press censorship. Addressing the gathering, TNIE CMD Manoj Kumar Sonthalia said the award was a tribute to writers who wield the pen with courage, imagination and integrity . He recalled the legacy of Ramnath Goenka, describing him as a steadfast believer in the power of the printed word, not merely as a vehicle for news, but as an engine of ideas and an instrument of change. TN ministers Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and Ma Subramanian, TNIE Editor Santwana Bhattacharya, Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla, CEO Lakshmi Menon and Dinamani Editor K Vaidiyanathan participated. Recalling that reading a news item in Tamil daily Dinamani, a sister publication of the TNIE group, shaped his political journey and eventually led him to one of the country’s highest constitutional offices, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Friday said fearless journalism has the power to change lives, as he paid tribute to Ramnath Goenka at the third edition of the Ramnath Goenka Sahitya Samman (RNGSS) in Chennai. The Vice President said a boxed item carried next to Dinamani’s masthead, a format which has now changed, reported a protest by the Jana Sangh, the predecessor of the BJP against the , Turkish Consulate in Delh i . T h e p ro t e s t w a s against Turkey’s decision to ban books written by former President S Radhakrishnan, including The Hindu View of Life. “Nobody questioned it (book ban) at that time. Goenka believed Only Jana Sangh, under ideas must the leadership of Vijay circulate freely, Kumar Malhotra ji, staged questions must a dhar na outside the be asked — Turkish Consulate. That and more impressed me,” he said. importantly, Radhakrishnan added answered that he spent nearly a year searching for the party before eventually joining Jana Sangh, a decision, which he said, has now led him to the office of the Vice President. Equating fearless journalism with Goenka, Radhakrishnan described him as a towering figure in public life who stood firm for journalistic integrity intellectual courage , and democratic values during some of the most challenging periods in the nation’s history “He remains the conscience-keeper . of Indian democracy he said. ,” “He believed ideas must circulate freely , questions must be asked — and more importantly answered — and that centres of , power must always be held accountable,” Continued on: P7 the V-P added.  Another missive to South to rectify minimum age norm for Class 1 kids E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @ New Delhi THE Ministry of Education has again shot off a letter to six states asking them to adhere to the minimum age criterion of six years for admission to Class 1 as mandated by the National Education Policy 2020. On February 9, 2023, the ministry had directed all states and Union Territories that the date of admission to Class 1 must be set at six years. According to officials, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh are yet to adhere to the age criterion. “We have written to these states in the past as well, asking them to abide by this criterion. We will continue to do so. Chhattisgarh has informed us that they will adopt it shortly ,” said a senior official. The official added that these states continue to admit students in Class I even when they are five years old as had been done in the past. “Six years is what we consider as the right age for imparting school education,” he said. Three years of pre-primary education before Linked to nep The age requirement is linked to NEP 2020’s revamped 5+3+3+4 school structure, under which children aged 3-8 years fall within the foundational stage. This stage comprises three years of pre-school education followed by two years of primary schooling that is necessary . Fixing a common age criterion across the country is important in view of the high inter-state mobility by people, the official stressed. “The transportability of the student becomes smooth when the same pattern and rules on education are followed across the country .” Another official told this newspaper that the revised NCERT textbooks for Class 9th and 11th will be out in April 2026 (before the academic year begins). “The books for Class 10th and 12th will be ready by April 2027,” he said. Responding to a query on Tamil Nadu’s refusal to open Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Schools, the official said, “Tamil Nadu has been asked to come for discussions.” AAP BSP and NPP , . TMC claimed the ECI deliberately rejected the party’s plea because other registered political parties in the state, especially the BJP do not have , enough strength to field BLAs for all hearing tables. ECI sources said the poll panel cannot operate on such assumptions. “The Commission has to apply uniform rules for all political parties and the rules are framed on the basis of their practical applicability . Hence, the uniform rule for not allowing BLAs at the hearing sessions is applicable for all political parties,” an ECI source said. Govt gives approval for shipbuilding cluster at Dugarajapatnam E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Chennai I am really affirmed that stories from the farthest places in the map also belong to the centre of the literary world in India ble, comprising one electoral registration officer, one assistant electoral registration officer, one micro-observer, and eight BLAs from these eight political parties, besides the voter, who usually comes with one or two companions. If such a crowd is allowed to swarm a single table, it would be impossible for the electoral officers to conduct the hearing process, EC sources added. According to the ECI website, TMC and All India Forward Bloc are among the two state parties in West Bengal that are registered with the poll panel. The national parties are the BJP INC, CPI(M), , E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The State government has accorded permission to the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board (APMB) to take steps for the establishment of Greenfield Port and Shipbuilding Cluster at Dugarajapatnam in Tirupati district under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS) of Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW). Orders to this effect were issued on Friday . Permission has been given for the establishment of greenfield port and National Mega Shipbuilding Cluster (1 anchor shipyard of capacity of 0.5 Million Gross Tonnage per annum), which is to be achieved within a maximum period of 10 years from the date of commissioning of the shipyard at Dugarajapatnam under the proposed scheme, based on the TEFR study done by RITES, duly coordinated by APMB and Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT). Permission has been given to APMB to form a 50:50 SPV with VPT as per the scheme guidelines, and nominate an equal number of members from the State government and VPT to the Board of Directors of SPV as warranted under the scheme. APMB has also been permitted to complete the land acquisition of 2,000 acres for the establishment of National Mega Shipbuilding Cluster, duly mobilising resources in this regard, and transfer the land into SPV as equity of the State government. APMB has been authorised to take necessary action under the ambit of SPV to get the sanction of greenfield port and National Mega Shipbuilding Cluster at Dugarajapatnam, and select the partner to develop the shipyard within the contour of the scheme guidelines. express read Pattadar Passbook distribution begins Vijayawada: The massive drive for issuance of the new Pattadar Passbooks commenced across Andhra Pradesh on Friday. A total of 21.80 lakh Pattadar Passbooks are set to be issued to farmers during the week-long drive from January 2 to 9 | P4 Leopard causes scare in Srisailam Kurnool: Panic gripped the pilgrimage centre of Srisailam once again after a leopard was spotted entering a residential premises close to the temple. The wild cat strayed into the house of a priest, which was captured on CCTV cameras | P3 Panel set up to resolve AP-TG water disputes E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The Ministry of Jal Shakti has constituted a 13-member high-level committee to address long-standing water management issues between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The move follows a meeting chaired by the Union Minister for Jal Shakti with the Chief Ministers of both States, and is seen as a major step toward resolving interstate disputes over river water sharing. The committee will be chaired by the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), New Delhi. Four senior officials, each from AP and Telangana, have been included as members, alongside the Chairpersons of the Krishna River Management Board and the Godavari River ManP4 agement Board.  With 25.3% investment share, AP ‘pulling ahead’ E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Andhra Pradesh has firmly established itself as India’s leading investment destination, accounting for 25.3% of the total investments proposed in the first nine months of current fiscal. According to a recent report of Bank of Baroda, Andhra Pradesh has stood well ahead of other States such as Odisha (13.1%) and Maharashtra (12.8%), signalling a decisive shift in India’s industrial and investment momentum toward the eastern and southern corridors. The report highlights that over half of India’s total proposed capital investment (51.2%) is now concentrated in just three States - Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra with AP emerging as the clear frontrunner. Overall, investment announcements across the country during the first nine months of the current fiscal touched `26.6 lakh crore, marking an 11.5% increase compared to the same period last year. Comment- ing on this mile- EXPRESS ILLUSTRATION stone on social media platform X, Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh said, “Andhra Pradesh isn’t catching up, it’s pulling ahead. This is the result of consistent reforms, speed in decision-making and an unambiguous commitment to investors. Our focus has been clear create a predictable policy environment, enable industry at scale and deliver on the ground.” The government has attributed this performance to its investor-friendly governance, emphasis on speed of approvals, sector- Key driver of India’s growth With the best performance, AP strengthens its position as a key driver of India’s next phase of industrial growth, and a benchmark for reform-oriented governance focused policies, and strong infrastructure push across ports, industrial corridors, logistics, energy and digital infra. Andhra Pradesh’s proactive engagement with global and domestic investors, coupled with stable policies and execution-oriented administration, has translated into large-scale investment commitments across manufacturing, renewable energy, electronics, data centres, mobility and core infrastructure. Industry observers note that the State’s increasing share of national investments reflects a broader realignment of India’s growth geography, with AP emerging as a preferred destination for firms looking for scale, connectivity and long term policy certainty. “Every investment announcement must translate into factories, jobs and economic opportunity for our people,” Lokesh said.