TIRUNELVELI l saturday l july 04, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l CITY EDITION Top Defence panel clears buys worth about `52,000 crore The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting on Friday cleared major capital acquisition proposals worth around `52,000 crore | P7 Op Sindoor’s influence on priorities First meet after big shake-up at the top The approvals by the DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, pointed to how Operation Sindoor influenced acquisition priorities, as counter-drone systems, layered air defence, anti-tank weapons and persistent surveillance platforms were on the shopping list. The Army’s request for the indigenous Akash-Tarang, an anti-UAV system, was cleared ■ ■ This was the first DAC meet since a shake-up at the top, with Gen Raja Subramani taking over as Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Dhiraj Seth as Army chief and Adm Krishna Swaminathan as Navy chief DAC’s “acceptance of necessity” is the first of the procurement steps, which includes tendering, technical evaluation and cost negotiations 2,300 indigenous anti-tank guided missiles, 100 launchers, 5 simulators okayed 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 Govt plans separate law to address AI challenges Existing legal framework inadequate to regulate evolving tech: IT secy R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi With policymakers across the globe grappling with the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI), from disinformation to cyber security threats, the government is considering the option of bringing in a separate legislation to regulate AI, IT secretary S Krishnan said on Friday . India’s existing legal framework has managed to address the initial concerns around AI, such as deepfakes and labourrelated issues. However, as the AI technology evolves and new threats emerge, a dedicated regulation or law may be required to deal with them, Krishnan added. “In AI and cybersecurity the , regulations regarding the legal process in India have been adequate in addressing our initial concerns... We addressed these by making new rules under the existing laws. But now we feel that we may need to think more deeply and make additional regulations. We may need to make a new law,” Krishnan said. Without giving a timeframe for the proposed law, he said: “It is a conversation which has commenced... My minister (IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw) and I have both been on record earlier that we will look at AI regulation when the time is right, and it appears that the time is getting right, and we will start looking at it.” Guv’s ‘review meet’ sparks row, min calls it interference Vaishnaw directs meta officials be summoned IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed his ministry to summon Meta officials over Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse material. According to sources in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the govt has sought an explanation from Meta. The move follows a BBC report on paid Insta ads with the key words “rape video” and “child video”. These advertisements allegedly redirected users to Telegram channels that sell child sexual abuse material. Meanwhile, Meta representatives met MeitY officials on Friday in connection with the government’s earlier notice on the proposed “usernames” feature on WhatsApp The IT secretary, who was speaking on the sidelines of a CII cybersecurity event in Delhi on Friday also acknowledged , the knotty issue of VPN (virtual private network) service providers refusing to register in India and offering services from other countries. “There is a system for VPNs to register, but many do not register in India and offer services from elsewhere. We have to look at both technology solutions and legal solutions to address this issue,” he said. VPN encrypts internet connection and routes it through a remote server to enhance privacy security and access to re, , stricted content. It provides anonymity to users who can bypass government censorship @ Madurai/Chennai A day after Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s review meeting with top government officials in Madurai and his statement on restoration of Vaigai river drew strong criticism from political parties, Minister for Energy and Law CTR Nirmal Kumar on Friday said the governor has no authority to review state government departments or interfere in the functioning of an elected government. Addressing a press meet at the Madurai c o l l e c t o r a t e, Nirmal Kumar made it clear that only the elected government and its representaGovernor Rajendra Arlekar tives have the power to review schemes. “The current government, which is elected by the people, will not permit such actions. Any unnecessary intervention by the governor in state administration or inspections will be met with strong condemnation,” he warned. The minister also directed officials not to cooperate or assist the governor in such inspections without prior approval from the state government. If anyone calls officials to participate in a review meeting (by the governor), the officials must inform the government, he said, and added that the state government would not bow down to pressure from any quarter, including the governor.  P5 Ramos’ late decider Goncalo Ramos headed Portugal into the lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time before Croatia saw a last-gasp equaliser ruled out for offside in Toronto. Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo had helped haul his team back into the contest, burying a 68th-minute penalty to cancel out Croatia’s opener 3 cheers for Spain Earlier, Spain had advanced to last 16 stage with a scintillating 3-0 win over Austria in Los Angeles. Two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header sealed victory for the Spaniards. Switzerland also advanced with a 2-0 win over Algeria Today’s matches: Canada vs Morocco 10.30 PM, France vs Paraguay 2.30 AM* (IST Sunday) At the point of contact, the tech shows a small spike as seen in the image | FIFA Media Tech denies Croatia Portugal were stunned when Josko Gvardiol prodded home an apparent equaliser. Yet VAR chalked off the goal after a chip embedded in the ball detected that it had brushed Croatia striker Igor Matanovic while Mario Pasalic was in an offside position in the build-up Pre-quarters from today The last-16 stage begins today with Canada facing Morocco before France’s tie vs Paraguay 4 China firms get waiver for bids in power infra projects R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi Exemption sought in Jan THE Centre has granted a twoyear exemption to four Chinalinked electrical equipment makers with manufacturing facilities in India, allowing them to participate in government tenders for critical power infrastructure projects. The four companies are TBEA Energy India, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chinese company TBEA Group; Nanjing Electric India, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chinese power equipment manufacturer Nanjing Electric; New Northeast Electric India, which has technology transfer ties with Chinese power sector companies; and Taikai Electric (India), a subsidiary of China-headquar- The Ministry of Power had sought the exemption in January to prevent delays in key transmission and power projects. The move is expected to increase competition in procurement across the power, transmission and distribution, renewable energy, industrial automation, and infrastructure sectors over the next two years tered Taikai Group. The exemption has been granted by the finance ministry under the Public Procurement Order (Rule 144(xi) of the General Financial Rules, 2017), which restricts companies from countries sharing a land border with India, including China, from participating in government procurement without prior approval. TNIE has reviewed the copy of the order. Following the 2020 border clashes, Chinese bidders were required to obtain political and security clearances before bidding for public contracts. In May 2026, the finance ministry notified new rules allowing overseas companies with Chinese shareholding of up to 10% to invest in India under the automatic route. With the exemption, these companies will be eligible to bid for public sector contracts involving critical power equipment, particularly high-voltage transformers and gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), where domestic manufacturing capacity remains limited. RSS raps Ram temple donation theft, seeks action against guilty RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR a n d Nam i ta B aj pa i @ New Delhi/Lucknow EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE and access sites that are banned in their country . Krishnan said the government has asked Google Play Store and Apple App Store to remove three Chinese apps— BAT-BMS, Lossigy and Epochi-ion—after they were found to have been misused to disable battery-operated vehicles remotely The decision was taken . after viral videos showed erickshaws being rendered inoperable through a remote shutdown feature in the BATBMS app, triggering concerns over cybersecurity risks associated with internet-connected vehicle management systems. “A couple of apps came to our notice. Both have been taken down,” Krishnan said, adding that any other app found to be similarly misused would also be blocked. Ronaldo & Co advance after VAR drama The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday broke its silence over the sensational donation theft at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, with general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale observing that the condemnable act had deeply hurt the sentiments of the entire society and demanding stringent punishment for the guilty . Emphasising the need to restore public confidence, Hosabale said the prevailing confusion and uncertainty must come to an end. “In this regard, we expect the tem- Reverberations in UP The pilferage of donations has already snowballed into a political controversy, particularly in UP, one of the seven states due to hold assembly elections in 2027 ple management and the UP government-appointed special investigation team (SIT) to take all necessary initiatives.” He appealed to the Hindu community to exercise patience and restraint, urging them not to allow antinational forces to exploit the incident. Hosabale said the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust should treat the theft as an exceptionally serious matter and take steps to rectify all shortcomings in the temple management. This is crucial to ensure that the faith and reverence of crores of Ram devotees remains unbroken, he said. “We all are extremely pained and angered,” Hosabale said in a video message, recalling that the temple was a symbol of reverence and devotion owing to the sacrifices of generations of Ram devotees. The controversy has already claimed its biggest casualty with Trust general secretary Champat Rai putting in his papers. Hosabale’s statement came days before the RSS’ annual Akhil Bharatiya Prant Pracharak Baithak in Belagavi, Karnataka. Iran in Mourning The coffin of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei carried into the Mosalla Grand Mosque ahead of his funeral ceremonies in Tehran on Friday | AP E x p r e s s Re a d DMK asks SC to implead it in Karur stampede case Pvt jet operators seek separate crew timings Chennai: The DMK on Friday moved the SC seeking to implead itself in the proceedings related to Karur stampede. Referring to reports that CM Vijay is set to visit Karur, it urged the court to restrain him and other accused from making statements on the CBI probe | P4 New Delhi: Private jet operators have requested the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to rationalise the Flight Duty Time Limitation system for the cockpit crew in line with global standards. The DGCA recently held a review meeting with them | P7 Former DMK min arrested for defamatory remarks on CM E x p ress News S erv i ce @ Thoothukudi/Chennai Just an hour after the Madras High Court denied anticipatory bail to former minister and DMK South District Secretary Anitha R Radhakrishnan in a defamation case over alleged derogatory remarks against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, the Thoothukudi police arrested him from Authoor on Friday . Later in the evening, as he was being taken by the police to the Thoothukudi government medical college hospital for health checkup, the Tiruchendur MLA claimed that he was being “pressured and threatened” to resign as MLA and join the ruling TVK. He claimed that he was offered a significant amount of money to quit the DMK and switch loyalty to TVK, but he remained firm on not yielding. “I will always remain in the DMK,” he told the reporters. Anitha R Sources said Radhakrishnan that Radhakrishnan was inspecting records at the Authoor town panchayat office when a police team apprehended him and took him to the office of the Superintendent of Police. Condemning the arrest, DMK cadre led by Thoothukudi Mayor Jegan Periyasamy staged a protest outside the SP’s office. As many as 50 DMK cadre were arrested in Tiruchendur following the agitation. Cases under BNS Sections 352 and 353(2) was registered against Radhakrishnan at Authoor police station on June 23 for allegedly making defamatory remarks against the CM during a public meeting at Authoor on June 20.  P5 TN plans global push for World Tamil Conference TNPL team owner has stake in Leeds United E P L C o n n ec t i o n Prabhakar Tam i l arasu @ Chennai The state government is preparing to host a multi-phase World Tamil Conference across international locations, including the United States and the United Kingdom, marking the state’s return to holding a global Tamil event after more than 15 years. Sources told TNIE that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has already given the green signal to begin preparatory works. Instead of limiting the event to a single venue, the government plans to hold sessions across countries to bring together Tamil scholars, researchers, and academicians from across the world, sources said. As part of the preparations, Minister for Tamil Development A Raj Mohan is visiting the US from July 1 to 7 to meet Tamil scholars and diaspora and seek their views on the proposed conference. Officials said the consultations are aimed at ensuring wider participation from the global Tamil community . “Apart from academic discussions, the conference will also feature parallel seminars on classical Tamil and sessions on cultural exchange and knowledge-sharing among the Tamil diaspora,” sources said.  P5 Other investment in sports G o mesh S @ Chennai IN a first, the upcoming edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) will see a USbased franchise owner who has stakes in English Premier League club Leeds United FC. Palani Gurusamy — founder of Circlebase, an IT consulting firm — will be taking over Madurai Panthers franchise from Siechem Technologies going forward as they assembled the team at the TNPL auction in Chennai on Friday . “My family is from Kovilpatti. We moved to the US in the early 90s, went into the IT business. We also started getting into sports investments around Leeds United FC (EPL) Glasgow Rangers FC (Scottish Premiership) Texas Rangers (Major League Baseball) FC Victoria Berlin (German women’s football) Palani Gurusamy Bos Nation FC (Women’s football team in Boston) the world. We are currently part owner of Leeds United in the UK,” Gurusamy told this daily from the US. Apart from Leeds, they also have investments in Texas Rangers (Major League Baseball), Glasgow Rangers FC (Scottish Premiership football) and women’s football teams in Germany and the United States. What made them invest in the TNPL? Gurusamy’s answer is simple. “We all grew up with cricket and we wanted to get involved in the sport. We tried to do something in Major League Cricket in the US, but couldn’t get in. When this opportunity came in TNPL, and we are close to Madurai, we wanted to take the chance,” he said, adding that Mahesh S will continue to remain CEO while former TN cricketer KB Arun Karthik has been named head coach. “Whenever I come home and I talk to my classmates or friends circle, everyone talks about TNPL. There is a lot of connection to local players whom we usually don’t hear about. I think TNPL is reaching out to the rural areas and youngsters are actually eyeing to get in,” Gurusamy explained. He went on to add that they will retain the Madurai Panthers name for the upcoming edition as the 2018 winners have a local connection. The next edition begins on August 4.