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 ■ ■ BHUBANESWAR l wednesday l july 01, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 20 l late CITY EDITION Data-driven rollout of Gram-G scheme today P r e e t ha N a i r @ New Delhi The Centre has rolled out the new framework for the rural job scheme VB-GRAM G, marking a decisive shift from the demand-driven approach of the UPA-era MGNREGA to a data-driven planning system powered by technology Set to . be implemented from Wednesday the new framework seeks , to transform how rural jobs are identified, prioritised and implemented for 125 days a year. At the centre of the new framework is the Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan (VGPP), which will replace conventional village-level “wish list” planning with a technology-led, geospatially enabled, and resourceoptimised model of rural development. Gram panchayats will now use integrated digital platforms such as Yuktdhara, PM Gati Shakti, Bhuvan and India-WRIS to map existing public assets, identify infrastructure gaps, and design de- velopment works based on real-time geospatial data. The framework identifies five focus areas as water security rural infrastructure, live, lihoods, disaster mitigation and climate resilience. A key departure from MGNREGA is the move from activity-based planning to outcomebased governance. Instead of tracking only the number of works completed, the new system will measure improvements in water security liveli, hood generation, infrastructure quality and climate resilience. Water security has been accorded top priority, with the Centre linking expenditure norms directly to groundwater stress levels. At least 65% of spending is proposed for over-exploited and critical groundwater blocks, around 40% in semi-critical regions, and 30% in safe groundwater zones. Climate vulnerability assessments have also been integrated into gram panchayat planning. Villages will map exposure to droughts, floods, heatwaves, cyclones and other extreme weather events. From now, gram panchayat plans will be prepared through Gram Sabha consultations and approved by local-level resolutions. These plans will then be uploaded onto the Yuktdhara portal and consolidated at block, district, state and national levels. They will then be integrated into the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack (VBNRIS), a digital repository designed to align rural development works with broader national infrastructure priorities. In a blow to Donald Trump’s anti-immigration initiatives, the SC ruled 6-3 to maintain the right to citizenship for everyone born on US soil | P13 E20 at experimental stage, Centre tells SC s u c h i t ra ka lyan mohan t y @ New Delhi THE Union government informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the 20% ethanol blending programme in petrol is still an “ongoing experiment” and the impact of the policy would be clearer by next year. The SC was hearing a plea filed by BPCL challenging an order of the Karnataka High Court which directed OMCs to revisit the distribution and enhancement of ethanol allocation for 2025–26. In a relief to OMCs, the Supreme Court ordered a status quo with regard to the HC order. A two-judge bench of justices M M Sundresh and Sheel Nagu issued notice to dedicated ethanol plants which had earlier procured a favourable order from the HC for enforcement of an agreement giving them rights to supply ethanol to OMCs. “Till the next date of hearing, status quo,” SC said. Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for BPCL, told the bench that the order could destabilise the national policy for 20% ethanol MSC to invest $1.4 bn in Vizhinjam port VA RS H A SO M A RA J & A RS H A D K H A N @ T’Puram / New Delhi Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)—the world’s largest shipping transport company— will invest $1.397 billion (about `13,220 crore) to acquire a 49% stake in Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd (AVVPL), the concessionaire of the Vizhinjam port in Kerala, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) said on Tuesday . The deal will boost the port’s visibility on the global ship- ping map and bring in additional cargo volumes ahead of schedule, APSEZ said. The pact, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to capture a higher share of Bangladesh cargo, which currently relies on rival Southeast Asian hubs, it added. After the transaction, which values AVVPL at $2.85 billion, APSEZ will hold 51% in AVVPL and retain majority control. MSC’s investment, billed as the largest private foreign investment in an Indian port, will be made through its arm Terminal Investment Ltd (TiL). Ashwani Gupta, whole-time director and CEO of APSEZ, said: “Vizhinjam port has emerged as a premier transshipment hub and ramped up at an unprecedented pace, becoming the first Indian port to earn the unique distinction of crossing 2 million TEUs within 18 months of operations.” blending. The plea before the High Court was filed by VINP Distilleries and Sugars, a Dedicated Ethanol Plant (DEP), which was bound under a long-term offtake agreement to exclusively supply ethanol to BPCL, HPCL, and IOCL. In 2025, the OMCs allowed procurement from non-DEPs too, and fresh tenders left VINP with just 1.44 crore litres against its 9.26 crore-litre bid. VINP moved the High Court. express read Jharkhand YouTuber abducted, murdered Rourkela: In what initially appeared to be a fatal car accident turned out to be the aftermath of an abduction, robbery and brutal murder of a Jharkhand YouTuber, with one of the three accused getting killed after crashing the stolen four-wheeler in their bid to escape in Sundargarh district on Monday morning. Police on Tuesday said after murdering YouTuber Shivdhan Lohar, the accused were speeding away when the mishap took place | P4