THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l FRIday l February 13, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE city EDITION seattle to pay $29 million to kin of indian student who died in ‘23 The family of Jaahnavi Kandula, killed in January 2023 when she was struck by a police car in Seattle, will receive $29 million in settlement had gone to u.s. on student exchange callous remarks drove lawsuit Jaahnavi, 23, was struck by a police car driven by officer Kevin Dave as she was crossing a street in Seattle on January 23, 2023.  Dave was driving at more than 119 kmh when he fatally hit Jaahnavi. The student hailed from Adoni in Andhra Pradesh, and was studying in a Bengaluru college from where she was sent to the US on a student exchange programme ■ ■ The lawsuit by Jaahnavi’s parents was in “reference to callous remarks” made by Seattle police officer Daniel Auderer, who said Kandula’s life had “limited value” and they should just write a cheque Dave was fired subsequently, while Seattle’s civilian watchdog found Auderer’s comments damaged the department’s reputation | P9 100 feet jaahnavi was thrown 100 feet away after being hit by the car 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 Inflation cools to 2.75% Govt green light to procure 114 Rafales as govt overhauls index J ava r i a Ra n a @ New Delhi Veg prices tumble under new CPI series with 2023-24 as base year P U SH P ITA DEY @ New Delhi RETAIL inflation eased to 2.75% year-on-year in January , helped largely by a sharp fall in prices of key vegetables and pulses, even as jewellery and select food items registered price rise, government data released on Wednesday showed. The latest inflation print also marks the first release of the Consumer Price Index with a revised base year of 2023-2024, replacing the 2011-12 series. The revision, based on the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023–24, expands the basket to reflect current consumption patterns, especially the growing role of services and digital spending. The data, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Prog ramme Implementation, showed that inflation in rural areas stood at 2.7% while urban inflation was marginally higher at 2.77%. Food inflation, measured by the Consumer Food Price Index, was 2.13%. A steep fall in prices of essential kitchen staples played a major role in keeping headline inflation contained. Garlic Food sheds weight; housing gains Categories Food and beverages Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels Transport Clothing and footwear Health Personal care, social protection & miscellaneous goods and services Furnishings, household equipment & routine household maintenance Information and communication Education services Restaurants and accommodation services Paan, tobacco and intoxicants Recreation, sport and culture prices fell 53.05%, onion 29.27%, potato 28.98%, arhar (tur) dal 24.90% and peas slipped 15.56% on an annual basis. At the same time, some items witnessed extraordinary inflation. Silver jewellery soared 159.67%, tomato prices 64.80%, copra 47%, gold, diamond and platinum jewellery 46.77%, and coconut oil shot up 40.44%. The revised series expands the basket from 299 items to 358. Rural house rent has been CPI 2012 Weight (%) 42.617 16.888 6.394 6.527 5.9 CPI 2024 Weight (%) 36.753 17.665 8.796 6.383 6.1 4.006 5.038 3.656 4.469 3.323 3.513 3.246 2.38 1.547 3.609 3.333 3.348 2.989 1.516 included, as have modern consumption elements such as OTT subscriptions, online services, and CNG/PNG. Outdated items like VCRs and cassette players have been removed. The updated series also incorporates e-commerce prices in 12 major cities. “New items have been added to capture changes in the economy and consumer behaviour,” MoSPI secretary Saurabh Garg recently told this newspaper. World leaders gather in Delhi for AI summit jaya n t h ja c o b @ New Delhi INDIA is set to host one of the most consequential technology gatherings of the decade as the AI Impact Summit kicks off at Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam on February 16. The first global AI summit to be held in the Global South, the five-day event brings together world leaders, policymakers, and the biggest names in artificial intelligence under one roof. Seven Presidents, two Vice Presidents, and nine Prime Ministers have confirmed their presence, signalling that AI governance is at the centre of global diplomacy . Among the Presidents are Brazil’s Lula da Silva, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Estonia’s Alar Karis, Slovakia’s Peter Pellegrini, Sri Lanka’s Anura D i s s a n aya ke, S e r b i a ’s A l e ksandar Vucic, a n d S w i t z e rl a n d ’s G u y Parmelin. The summit, which will conclude on February 20, will see PMs from nine countries— Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan, Bhutan’s Tshering Tobgay Croatia’s , Andrej Plenkovic, Finland’s Petteri Orpo, Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, Greece’s Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Netherlands’ Dick Schoof, Kazakhstan’s Oljas Bektenov, and Mauritius’ Navinchandra Ramgoolam. Industry leaders include Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. The summit will serve as a platform for discussions on the impact and future of AI. Today’s Matches 11am: Australia vs Zimbabwe (Colombo), 3pm: Canada vs UAE (New Delhi), 7pm: USA vs Netherlands (Chennai) AHEAD of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India next week, the defence ministry on Thursday accorded acceptance of necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals worth around `3.6 lakh crore, including the much awaited gover nment-to-gover nment deal for 114 Rafale multi-role fighter aircraft estimated at about `3.25 lakh crore. The final contract for the jets is unlikely to be signed before early 2027, sources said. The AoN marks the first formal step in the procurement process, after which commercial negotiations and contract finalisation follow. The time- line for conclusion varies depending on the negotiations. Under the proposal, the Indian Air Force is expected to receive 88 single-seat and 26 twin-seat Rafale fighters. Around 18 aircraft are likely to be delivered in fly-away condition, while the remaining 96 will be manufactured in India with up to 60 per cent indigenous content. Sources said the overall Rafale package includes an estimated `2.5 lakh crore for the aircraft and associated systems, with weapons and support elements taking the total value to around `3.25 lakh crore. This includes procurement of 100-120 SCALP airlaunched cruise missiles, for More anti-submarine P-8is for Navy cleared New Delhi: The DAC also approved the acquisition of six more P-8I long-range reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft for the Indian Navy, for J28,000 crore, to strengthen surveillance `2,700 crore. The missile was used during Operation Sindoor to strike targets in Bahawalpur and Muridke in the early hours of May 7. The contract will incorporate provisions for upgrading 1,306 clinics, 444 small hospitals shut down in state in past 5 years A n n a J o s e @ Kochi Kerala’s healthcare sector is witnessing a sharp and unsettling shift, with as many as 1,306 OP clinics and 444 small hospitals shutting down over the past five years, even as large corporate hospitals expand aggressively across the state. The closures have come despite the total number of private hospitals rising from 3,677 in 2021 to 5,402 in 2026, according to data from the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The trend, unfolding alongside the entry of private equity firms and consolidation by corporate hospital chains, is raising concerns about rising treatment costs and shrinking access to affordable neighbourhood care. Experts warn that the disappearance of small hospitals is forcing patients to rely on expensive tertiary care hospitals. “These small hospitals are health infra 2019 Hospital beds 2025 3,677 Total hospitals 5,402 80,267 82,557 1,204 hospitals provide IP services spread across Kerala, especially in rural areas, and provide treatment to the common people at a low cost. It is essential to retain them. Run by doctors, these clinics have better treatment facilities,” said IMA state president Dr M N Menon. He added that seeking treatment at tertiary-level corporate hospitals would lead to unnecessary hospitalisations, causing financial struggles for middleclass families. The pace of closures has ac- celerated dramatically. Between 2016 and 2021, only 148 clinics and 262 small hospitals shut down, far fewer than in the past five years. Health economist Dr D Narayana said the trend reflects bigger structural changes in healthcare delivery and society. “We cannot claim the rules and guidelines alone have caused the closure of clinics and small hospitals. People now prefer to consult specialist doctors. Also, with migration, the population in rural areas and small towns has decreased. Small hospitals used to benefit largely from delivery cases and the culture of family doctors. Now, even young doctors are not interested in running a small hospital for several reasons,” he said. Rising cases of violence against healthcare workers are also discouraging young doctors from opening independent ● More on P4 clinics.  Polling officials begin the counting of votes cast in Bangladesh’s national parliamentary election, in Dhaka, on Thursday | AP Counting begins after peaceful B’desh polls Yunus call to uphold democratic decency “I call upon political parties and candidates to uphold democratic decency, tolerance and mutual respect even after the final results are announced. Differences of opinion will exist, but in the national interest, we must remain united,” Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said The first significant results may be available overnight... Voting was peaceful though there were a few minor disruptions in some districts -Bangladesh Election Commission C ounting of votes began in Bangladesh on Thursday evening after peaceful polling earlier in the day for the crucial general elections to elect Parliament members and decide on a referendum on constitutional reforms. While the interim gover nment and the election commission hailed the process, deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina called the polls “a well-planned farce” and demanded a “free, fair and inclusive elections Bayezid Milky under a neutral careSenior journalist based taker government”. in Dhaka At the time of going to the press, there was no official word on the polling percentage, though the poll rolls had nearly 13 crore voters. What was visible though was a good turnout in the morning, but no subsequent voter rush at polling booths for the rest of the day. People just came in ones and twos to cast their ballots. Without going into the numbers, the election commission claimed the turnout was satisfactory . This is a straight fight between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman, 60, and an 11-party alliance led by the Bangladesh Jamaat e Islami and the nascent National Citizen Party (NCP). As per initial trends, BNP candidates appeared to be leading the race with Jamaat struggling to put up a decent show. In the early rounds of counting for the referendum, negative votes were more than the ‘yes’ votes. Top BNP and Jamaat and NCP leaders said they would accept the verdict if the process is not rigged.  Continued on: P9 mEET & GREET Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosts elected BJP civic body representatives from Kerala at his official residence in New Delhi. The team, on a three-day visit to the national capital, also met senior party leaders | PTI | P4 Indian Rafales to the future F5 standard once available, while the existing fleet would be brought up to the F4 configuration, which includes enhanced sensor fusion, improved connectivity and expanded weapons capability . The DAC also approved procurement of additional longrange surface-to-air missiles for Project Sudarshan Chakra. The proposal pertains to replenishment of missile stocks for the S-400 air defence system, with around 280 missiles estimated to be worth approximately `3,000 crore. Among other approvals, the DAC cleared buy of Air-Ship Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellites for Air Force. Cutting through red tape, airstrip project study given go-ahead U n n i k r i s h n a n S @ T’Puram The transport department has stepped in amid the delay to the ambitious project to build airstrips in Idukki, Wayanad, and Kasaragod, officially sanctioning the feasibility study more than two years after the process was first set in motion. Cutting through bureaucratic hurdles, the department has issued the work order to Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board Consultancy-Rail India Technical and Economic Service (KIIFCON-RITES), a joint venture, authorising it to commence the feasibility study . Although the JV had won the bid last June, the awarding of the work order was dragged out by procedural confusion, with Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL), the project management consultancy insisting it had no , powers to grant the order. The department later found that a clause had been incorporated into the tender conditions without consulting the government. In an order, it criticised KRDCL for “improperly” inserting a restrictive clause that shifted the legal authority of issuing work orders back to the state. “The delay gave the impression that the government was dragging its feet on the project, which was not true,” said an official. Earlier, the department asked the JV to expand its scope to include DPRs for five waterdromes across Kerala, but the partners termed the proposal financially unfeasible. 16 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express Elsa 3 wreckage, hazardous cargo left abandoned M a n o j V i s w a n at h a n @ Kochi MSC Elsa 3 sank on May 25 Nine months after the Liberian-flagged cargo vessel MSC Elsa 3 sank into the depths of the Arabian Sea, around 14.6 nautical miles off Thottappally harbour in Alappuzha, the concerns raised by environmentalists in Kerala seem to be playing out. The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which operated Elsa 3, has washed its hands of the environmental impact, and Smit Salvage, the team engaged by operator, has quietly abandoned the salvage operations and returned. The ship capsized on May 25, 2025. “The extraction of oil using hot tapping technology was completed on October 10. How-  640 containers in vessel 367.1 tonnes of furnace oil and 84.44 13 containers had hazardous tonnes of cargo, including calcium carbide, marine diesel rubber chemical antioxidants & extracted from plastic nurdles the sunken vessel in 66 empty containers washed October ashore IN DEEP WATER ever, the salvage team informed that they do not have the expertise to salvage wrecked ships beyond a depth of 50m. They had arrived with all the support system to retrieve the wreck, but after conducting the inspec- In July, state filed admiralty suit demanding K9,531 cr in environmental compensation MSC Akiteta 2, a sister vessel of Elsa 3, detained In January 2026, MSC produced bank guarantee of K1,227.62 cr Kerala later released detained vessel tion, they expressed helplessness. They submitted a compliance report to the DG Shipping after completing the oil extraction. But the team has not since returned,” said Mercantile Marine Department principal of- ficer J Senthil Kumar. As per the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007, adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the ship owner has the liability to identify report, and remove hazard, ous wrecks and other debris from the sea. The convention covers sunken or stranded ships and any object lost at sea that poses a hazard to navigation, marine environment, coastal interests, or the safety of life and property . The fishermen in Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts had complained that they suffered huge losses as their nets were torn after getting entangled in the sunken vessel and con● More on P4 tainers.