bengaluru l saturday l july 04, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 22 l late city EDITION Top defence panel approves Acquisition Worth `52,000 crore The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting on Friday cleared major capital acquisition proposals worth around `52,000 crore | P11 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 Admiral 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 RA K E SH K U M AR @ 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.” scare on street Seven held in old B’luru-Mys road firing case E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Mysuru The Mandya police arrested seven persons in connection with the firing on a goods vehicle moving on the old Bengaluru-Mysuru highway in the early hours of Thursday. The incident sparked concerns over public safety and the use of firearms on a busy highway . One of the arrested, Rohan Gowda (23) -- a resident of HV Colony in Mandya, is the son of a well-known advocate from the region. The police seized a car belonging to him that was allegedly used in the offence, along with an air pistol and ammunition. Authorities said the weapon has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to determine whether it is an air gun or a firearm. The other ar rested are Shashank (25) of Marigowda Layout, Afan (25) of Dwarakanagar, Mohammed Umar (25) of Kuvempunagar, Nithin (27) of Vidyanagar, Mohammed Abubakar (25) of Gandhinagar and Sachin (26) of Vidyanagar, all from Mandya. Mandya Superintendent of Police VJ Shobharani told the media that the accused had attended Afan’s birthday party at a resort and were returning in the car when they allegedly committed the offence under the influence of alcohol. The police said the incident occurred around 4.50 am near a petrol bunk close to Amaravathi Hotel on the outskirts of Mandya. The accused allegedly opened fire at the goods vehicle transporting medicines from Bengaluru to Mysuru after its driver, Shankar of Gokulam in Mysuru, did not give way to their car.  CONTINUED ON: P7 meta summoned over child sex abuse videos 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 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 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 | P17 Today’s matches: Canada vs Morocco 10.30 PM, France vs Paraguay 2.30 AM* (IST Sunday) 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 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 RA K E SH K U M AR @ 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. Confusion over SIR intensifies, citizens fear losing voting, guarantee benefits B o s k y K h a nn a @ Bengaluru Confusion has only intensified as the house-to-house visit by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) completed five days with both citizens and BLOs being flummoxed. The common problem citizens cited is that the forms are in Kannada and they are unable to decipher it. People said they are unaware of what to fill in the columns where details from the previous special summary revision of the electoral roll conducted in 2002 are sought. The last SIR was done in 2002 and Assembly and parliamentary elections were conducted in 2004. What is worrying is that BLOs and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) have not been able to Booth level officers distribute SIR enumeration forms to a resident in Bengaluru | Vinod kumar T assist citizens as they too lack clarity “I asked the BLO what . needed to be filled. He told me to leave the column blank as he could not clarify. Submitting incomplete forms makes the entire exercise futile,” said Sumalatha, a resident of Tavarekere. A BLO said, “Citizens should refer to online videos GBA poll dates may be announced in 10 days E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru The Karnataka State Election Commission is likely to announce the dates for elections to all the five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) in the next ten days. According to the Supreme Court deadline, the polls have to be conducted before August 31. The elections to the earlier Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike were held in 2015 and since September 2020, Bengaluru does not have a local government. State Election Commission sources said preparations for the polls have started. “We can fix the poll dates only after consulting a representative from the GBA and it will be done soon. Once we hold the discussion, we will get clarity and dates will be announced,’’ the official said. After the final GBA electoral rolls were published in April this year, Congress had raised objection to the process in a few wards in three corporations. Now, a separate door-to-door survey is being done by State Election Commission at these wards. “This may take time, but we have to abide the court’s direction and conduct polls before August,’’ sources said. P2 posted by the Election Commission to understand how to fill forms. Collect the forms and submit them later as there is a month’s time.” Another BLO said, “We too are helpless. The supervising Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials are not picking up phones to clarify people’s doubts.” When Bhuvanna, a resident of RR Nagar, questioned the BLOs and BLAs what would happen if columns are left blank, they told him, “Fill details as per the last last Assembly elections, as BLOs have that data. I do not want to make mistakes in the form. There is no additional copy available in case of mistakes. If there are too many cancellations, there are chances forms might get rejected.”’ CONTINUED ON: P4 E x p r e s s Re a d Daycare horror: NHRC seeks report; one held Bengaluru: The National Human Rights Commission has sought a report from the Karnataka chief secretary and DGP on the abuse of toddlers at the Capgemini daycare centre in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, Police have arrested a caregiver, Vijayalakshmi (50), of Bangarapet in Kolar district | P5 Infra projects: Cong govt notifies BMLTA rules Bengaluru: Despite strong opposition from mobility experts and citizen groups, the Congressled state government has notified the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Rules 2026. Now, major infra projects will be exempt from BMLTA scrutiny | P2 Iran in Mourning The coffin of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei being carried into the Mosalla Grand Mosque ahead of his funeral ceremonies in Tehran on Friday | AP | P14 Ram temple donation theft: RSS seeks action against guilty RA J E SH K U M AR THA K U R a n d N a m i ta B a j pa i @ New Delhi/Lucknow 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 temple management and the UP governmentappointed 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 anti-national 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. After a decade, three men still fight for govt jobs that they won in court post under the Urban Development Department. But the govFor nearly a decade, three per- ernment declined to issue apsons have been caught in an ex- pointment letters to them even hausting legal and administra- after publishing the final list, tive battle, despite successfully citing administrative reasons clearing a government recruit- linked to the cadre. ment process. Their lives have Now, the legal battle has become a story of endless vis- stretched for almost 10 years. its to government ofThe three candidates press fices, courtrooms clusive first challenged the and lawyers, all in government’s decision pursuit of what they before the Karnataka say should have been theirs High Court. Even after favouryears ago, a government job. able observations at different Harish Kumar HP of Ram- stages, the appointments never anagara district, Vishwanath materialised, forcing them to of Koppal district and Ham- continue knocking on court’s panna Kolakar of Vijayapura doors. district were among those seTheir struggle culminated in lected for the work inspector a significant judgment by a DiK a r t h i k K K @ Mysuru vision Bench of the Karnataka High Court on March 23, 2026. Hearing the Writ Appeal No 814 of 2025, the Bench directed the state government to appoint the petitioners as work inspectors within two months. The court also took note of the government’s earlier assurance regarding the abolition of the work inspector cadre. It observed that even if the cadre is abolished through amendments, the petitioners should not be deprived of employment and must instead be accommodated in an equivalent cadre. The bench held that the government should complete the appointment process rather than prolong the dispute. P7