KOCHI l friday l may 01, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l LATE city EDITION China-Pak military axis deepens as Pak navy gets Hangor-class sub Equipped with air-independent propulsion Pak President Asif Ali Zardari, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and senior officials from the Pakistan Navy and China’s People’s Liberation Army were present on the occasion. Built on China’s Type 039A design, the vessel is the lead unit of an eight-submarine programme. It is equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP) and advanced sensors The Pakistan Navy on Thursday commissioned its first Chinese-built submarine with state-of-the-art weapons and advanced sensors, in Sanya, China ■ 80% AIP on Indian subs to be ready by year-end ■ AIP allows subs to remain underwater for extended periods without surfacing for atmospheric oxygen, enhancing the stealth feature The AIP feature gives Pakistan an edge as currently, India doesn’t have AIP in any of its submarines. DRDO’s indigenous fuel-cell based AIP system is expected to be ready for integration later this year | P9 of Pakistan’s arms imports are from China, according to sipri 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 express read Govt wants to delay caste census: Cong New Delhi: The Congress has alleged that the government wants to delay conducting the caste census and has, therefore, not announced any details of how enumeration will take place. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that exactly a year ago, the Narendra Modi government had announced that caste enumeration of the entire population would be included in the upcoming census. P9 77 booths on TMC turf under poll panel lens Kolkata: A day after the final phase of the Bengal polls, an Election Commission team on Thursday visited Diamond Harbour in South Parganas district to review demands for repolling in around 77 polling booths spread across four constituencies. TMC general secretary Abishek Banerjee is the MP from Diamond Harbour constituency. P10 18 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express HOLIDAY: Our offices will remain closed today on account of May Day. There will be no issue of the paper tomorrow. Priority to manufacturing in critical sectors like rare earths, polysilicon and ingot wafer DIPA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi THE government has identified seven critical sectors/manufacturing activities for faster approval of investments from China, a senior official told this newspaper. These are capital goods, electronic capital goods, electronic components, polysilicon and ingot wafer, advanced battery components, rare earth permanent magnets, and rare earth processing. Capital goods include plant machinery, heavy equipment or accessories required for manufacturing. Electronic capital goods mean equipment and machinery used for manufacturing lithium-ion battery, mobile phones etc. Electronic components include display module, camera module, printed circuit board, enclosures for mobile phones, etc. Polysilicon is the primary raw material used to produce silicon wafers. This is melted in a crucible to produce an ingot, which is a solid cylindrical or block-shaped mass of crystalline silicon. More sectors could be added to this list, a document reviewed by this daily showed. Under the amended Press Note 3 (PN3) framework, the Cabinet has introduced an expedited approval mechanism to clear investment proposals from countries sharing a land border with India (land-bordering countries or LBCs) in specified manufacturing sectors within 60 days. These are referred to as LBC investments. In March this year, the government eased restrictions on investments from neighbouring countries, including China, to encourage inflows into critical sectors. The restrictions were originally introduced in 2020, at the peak of tensions between India and China. 600 proposals await govt approval After India put FDI curbs through Press Note 3 in April 2020, investments from China dropped. According to DPIIT, nearly 600 investment proposals from China are awaiting approval. The amended PN3 is expected to clear the backlog and open up the investment flow into India Investments to be cleared with caution Officials said while India is open to investments from all countries, including China, it will proceed with caution. “We are keeping our eyes wide open. Safety and security are paramount. The government is willing to facilitate investments, but only with due diligence,” said an official A G E N CI E S @ Tehran / Washington FRESH provocative statements from Iran and fears of renewed attack by the US caused oil prices to fluctuate on Thursday and surge toward their highest levels since the war with Iran began on February 28. Oil prices struck a four-year high on Thursday, with international benchmark Brent crude soaring more than 7% to $126 a barrel, before easing in afternoon trading. In a show of defiance against the US threats, Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday said Tehran will now call the shots, claiming it has an upper hand in the crisis. In a written message broadcast through the state television, Khamenei said Iran would respond with “long and painful strikes” on US positions if Washington renewed attacks. “We have already seen the fate of your bases in the region; we will also see your warships face the same,” he added. He also reasserted Iran’s cont r o l ove r t h e Strait of Hormuz, complicating US plans for a coalition to reop e n t h e waterway . According to news site Axios, Trump is expected to receive a briefing on new plans for potential military action in Iran from Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command. Dropping hints that resumption of attacks against Iran was likely Israeli , Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that it was “possible that we may soon have to act again” against Iran to achieve P11 the objectives.  day 62 Brent crude price per barrel in US$, 2021-2026 Russia invades Ukraine $100 E x p r e s s ne w s Se r v i c e @ T’Puram Lashing out at the state government, suspended IAS officer B Ashok alleged that a caucus of civil service officers had been working for the past six months to ensure that LDF government gets a third tenure, and that public funds and KIIFB loan amounts were spent to run a publicity campaign towards the same. “IAS officers in Kerala have traditionally exercised their duties in a politically neutral manner. But unlike in the past, some serving officers led by Kerala Infrastructure Invest- ment Fund Board (KIIFB) chief K M Abraham have been working as a caucus to ensure that the current government gets a continued tenure,” Ashok told reporters in here on Thursday . Ashok’s remarks came a day after he was placed under suspension for interacting with the media without gover nment’s permission. He raised serious legal concerns about KIIFB’s role, pointing out that there is no provision for the body to spend on government publicity or anything beyond infrastructure and ancillary uses. ● More on P6 The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear a curative plea by AIIMS, Delhi regarding the medical termination of a 15-year-old rape survivor, as it asked the government to consider amending the law to permit rape survivors to terminate unwanted pregnancies even beyond 20 weeks. “Unwanted pregnancy cannot be thrust on a person. Imagine, she is a child. She should be studying now. But we want to make her a mother. This is a case of child rape. Victim will have lifelong scar and trauma. It is now a fight between foetus vs child. Minor child cannot be forced to bear a pregnancy,.. Law needs to be organic and in sync with evolving times,” said a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and 2021 Amid strong opposition to a hefty airfare hike for Haj pilgrims following the spike in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices, the Centre on Thursday said it had scaled the fare down to an additional `10,000 per individual. Union minister of minority affairs Kiren Rijiju said though airlines had sought $300-400 more per pilgrim, the government negotiated and settled it at $100. The decision was taken transparently, in good faith, to ensure no disruption in the Haj operations this year, he added. The proposed hike had drawn criticism from various quarters, including opposition leaders, who termed the increase as injustice to the community . But the ministry said that it remains committed to making Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The court asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for AIIMS, to speak to the parents of the victim and left it for them to decide whether or not to end the pregnancy . The AIIMS had argued that since it’s been 30-weeks of pregnancy , the foetus is now a viable life and termination would not be successful. “The child would be born with serious deformities, organ failures and even the minor victim would face lifelong issues, such as not even being able to go through another pregnancy Bhati said. ,” But the CJI contended that “In cases of child rape, the choice to bear or terminate pregnancy should always be with the victim.” He also urged the media to be extra sensitive while reporting this case. 2022 6,86,823 2023 6,33,258 Oil sardine: 1,68,478 Mackerel: 62,270 Anchovy: 43,920 2024 6,10,234 Threadfin bream: 43,180 2025 6,23,840 Penaeid shrimp: 40,440 the state last year, registering an increase of 13% compared with 2024, when the catch stood at 1,49,616 tonnes. Despite restrictions on fishing activities following the sinking of Liberian-flagged container vessel 3,99,786 2013 2,46,841 2014 1,55,087 2020 13,154 2021 3,297 2024 1,49,616 2025 1,68,478 Figures in tonnes (Kerala marine fish LANDING) 2021 5,54,976 Top five in 2025 Oil sardine catch in Kerala over years Giving fisher men reason to cheer, the Kerala coast has been seeing an upswing in oil sardine stocks, with 2025 recording the highest landing in more than a decade. According to annual estimates released by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), oil sardine landing in the state amounted to 1,68,478 tonnes in 2025, a significant recovery from 3,297 tonnes in 2021. “This was the highest since 2013,” CMFRI director Grinson George said on Thursday Also, Indian oil sardine topped . the list of most caught species in 2012 MSC Elsa 3 in May 2025, Kerala recorded a 2% increase in total marine fish landings and retained its third position at the national level. As per annual fish landing estimates, India’s annual marine fish production touched 35.7 lakh 2023 Pa r v e z Sultan @ New Delhi At 1.68L tonnes, decadal-high oil sardine landing in state Big catch 2022 2024 2025 tonnes in 2025, recording a 3% increase. Gujarat gave up its top spot to Tamil Nadu after recording a 15% decline in fish landing. The fishing ban imposed in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor and cyclonic disturbances which continued from May to August are cited as the reasons for Gujarat’s dismal performance. Indian mackerel remained the most landed marine resource in the country at 2.70 lakh tonnes, followed by cephalopods at 2.57 lakh tonnes and oil sardine at 2.53 lakh tonnes. Cephalopods and threadfin breams recorded 25% and 55% growth respectively—both reaching decadal-high levels.  ● More on P7 Students from Kerala shine in ICSE, ISC examinations E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e $126 2026 Haj fare up by $100 due to aviation fuel cost hike 2% rise in marine fish catch E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kochi US and Israel attack Iran $50 Bureaucratic caucus Amend abortion law on worked to get LDF govt rape, says apex court a 3rd term, says Ashok S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi After touching $126.31, the highest since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the price came down to around $114 Source: BBC Fast track nod for China FDI in seven sectors Brent crude hits $126 as Trump reviews war plan The decision was taken transparently, in good faith, to ensure no disruption in the Haj operations this year — Kiren Rijiju, Union minister Haj accessible and affordable. “This is not exploitation. This is the government absorbing pressure and protecting pilgrims from a far larger burden. The circular is transparent, the process was lawful, and the decision was made in good faith to ensure Haj 2026 operations are not disrupted for over a lakh pilgrims already registered. Notably private tour op, erators had already revised fares sharply and subsequently imposed a further increase of around $150,” the ministry stated. Demanding revocation of the circular, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, “Are pilgrims being punished for going through the Haj Committee?” @ T’Puram Students from Kerala outperformed the national average, recording a pass percentage of 99.96% in the ICSE (Class X) and 99.97% in the ISC (Class XII) examinations, the results of which were announced on Thursday. The national pass percentage stood at 99.18% for ICSE and 99.13% for ISC. In Kerala, a total of 7,861 students, including 3,795 boys and 4,066 girls, from 166 schools appeared for the ICSE examination. O n ly t h re e students, including two boys and one girl, did not clear the exam. A total of 3,058 students, including 1,551 boys and 1,507 girls, from 85 schools appeared for the ISC examination. Only one student did not pass the ISC exam. Girls outperformed boys in both examinations. In the ICSE section, girls registered a success rate of 99.98% while the pass percentage of boys was 99.95%. In the ISC exams, girls secured 100% pass and boys recorded 99.94% success rate. In the other backward classes (OBC) category, 3,893 students took the ICSE examination, securing a pass percentage of 99.97.  ● More on P5 top performance Category ICSE Pass % ISC Pass % Nat’l avg 99.18 99.13 Kerala 99.96 99.97