India issues strong warning to Pakistan Speaking at the Kargil War Memorial on the occasion of the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday warned Pakistan against any misadeventure, saying India will respond a severity far “beyond their imagination.” He added that there will be no talks with Pakistan. “If there will be talks, it will be on PoK...” Chennai l monday l july 27, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late CITY EDITION 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 third gold for mirabai Pralhad Joshi assumes charge as Union education minister Rahul writes to Amit Shah on use of pellet guns on students Shortly after taking charge of education ministry on Sunday, Union minister Pralhad Joshi held a review meeting. School education secretary TK Anil Kumar and outgoing higher education secretary Vineet Joshi briefed him. MoS Jayant Chaudhary attended the meet Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to Home Minister Amit Shah demanding accountability for the “barbaric assault” on students and whether he approved the use of “lethal force”, including pellet guns, against the youth protesting at Jantar Mantar | P7 Task force to reform exam system Nilekani-led panel to push technology-driven reforms to overhaul existing processes An emotional Mirabai Chanu at the medal ceremony on Sunday | PTI India opens gold bank in Glasgow her total lift was 22kg more than the nearest rival — FOR more than a decade, Mi- Ruth Asuquo Nyong from rabai Chanu has been the Nigeria. En route to her top country’s biggest medal hope of the podium finish, she in weightlifting. And it was also set the CWG record four no different at the 2026 Glas- times (twice in snatch, once gow Commonin clean and jerk Silver for TN wealth Games and once in total weightlifter (CWG). Living up lift) in the 48kg to her billing, the weight category. Muthupandi Raja, diminutive 31-yearWhile lifting 85kg who hails from old lifter from Ma- Kovilpatti town in in the snatch secnipur completed a tion in her third atTamil Nadu, won hat-trick of the silver medal in the tempt, she also set CWG gold at the a Commonwealth 65kg weight SEC Armadillo au- category. He lifted record. ditorium on Sun- an overall weight of Mirabai won a 286kg (126+160). day beating her op, gold each in the ponents by miles. 2018 and 2022 ediThe gold was also the coun- tions with the previous one try’s first at this edition. coming in the 49kg weight The 2017 world champion division. In 2014, she won a and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medal (48kg). The next silver medallist’s superiori- stop for Mirabai is the Asian ty among her opponents can Games where she will face a be gauged by the fact that stiffer challenge. P11 f i r o z m i r z a @ Chennai RA J E S H K U MAR T HA K U R @ New Delhi A day after Dhar mendra Pradhan resigned as Union education minister and the protesting students called off their 36-day agitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced a highpowered task force headed by former UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani to carry out examination reforms. Making the announcement through a video message posted on his Instagram handle, Modi said the task force would explore technology-driven reforms aimed at creating a transparent examination system, adding that the governm e n t wo u l d a c t o n i t s recommendations. Apart from Nilekani, a multidisciplinary group of domain experts will be part of the task force. The other members are IIT Chennai director V Kamakoti, for mer Isro chairman S Somanath, former IB director Tapan Deka, former education secretary Anita Karwal, and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena. Explaining the objective of the task force, Modi said it would focus on examination reforms. “And based on its report, steps will be taken to ensure the credibility of upcoming examinations at the earliest.” The task force will recommend immediate steps to secure upcoming tests and suggest ways to overhaul national examination and testing systems to make them leakproof. In his latest outreach to students through Instagram, the PM noted that the government had established fasttrack courts to ensure justice for students and was taking all necessary steps to make the examination system more transparent. Modi said examination reforms would be undertaken based on the report submitted by the high-powered task force. “The government is continuously taking measures for the students. Those who tampered with students’ future are languishing in jail. We have already established fasttrack courts,” the prime minister said, adding that the government was moving fast to bring stringent legal provisions to check paper-leak racketeers. Oppn to step up pressure in LS p r e e t h a n a i r @ New Delhi We must look to the future. To make sure our examination system is trustworthy, transparent and the technology is used optimally, we have decided to constitute a high-powered panel Narendra Modi, PM Domain experts Apart from Nilekani, a group of domain experts are part of the task force: IIT Chennai director V Kamakoti, ex-Isro chairman S Somanath, ex-IB director Tapan Deka, ex-edu secretary Anita Karwal, and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena AS Parliament reconvenes on Monday after a washout of the first week of the Monsoon Session, the deadlock may ease slightly, with Opposition sources saying INDIA bloc parties may be inclined to participate in the debate on the Bill seeking to strengthen the two-year-old anti-paper leak law. The government has listed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill 2026 for the Lok Sabha on Monday. A final decision on the Opposition’s floor strategy will, however, be taken at a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders in Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber in Parliament on Monday morning, sources said. Speaking to this paper, an Opposition leader said parties did not want to be seen as blocking reforms given that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has quit. A heated debate on the paper leak issue is expected if the government and the opposition break the ongoing deadlock in both Houses of Parliament. The Congress-led Opposition plans to keep up the pressure over the alleged police crackdown on protesting students. TMC’s Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sagarika Ghose submitted a notice seeking discussion on “use of excessive force on protesters” . E x p r e s s Re a d Blast at Sivakasi illegal cracker unit kills two Virudhunagar: Two persons were killed and two more were feared dead following an explosion at an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit in Sengamalapatti near Sivakasi on Sunday. One more person, who sustained severe burns in the accident, has been hospitalised | P4 Bars can be set up within 100m of Tasmac outlets Chennai: The state government has amended liquor retail vending rules to allow bars to come up anywhere within the 100-metre radius of a Tasmac outlet, not just on its premises as before, in order to draw more bidders into online tender process and make bar licences harder to monopolise | P4 Aavin Federation, seven unions post `143 cr loss Chennai: Aavin Federation and seven district milk producers’ unions together posted a loss of around `143 crore in 2025-26, their worst performance since the Covid-19 pandemic. In contrast, the remaining 20 district milk producers’ unions recorded a total profit of `53.2 crore | P2 SIDDU Not to contest 2028 Karnataka polls Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Sunday said he will not contest 2028 Assembly polls, citing age and politics becoming “deeply polluted” | P5