HYDERABAD l friday l july 31, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 38 l LATE CITY EDITION European nations to boycott FIFA competitions in protest UEFA and its member nations have agreed to boycott FIFA events if the global body goes ahead with its privatisation plans. A look... FIFA President Gianni Infantino Infantino plan faces major backlash ‘Some things are too important to sell’ FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the WC to private equity investors was hit hard on Thursday by his former colleagues at UEFA, who agreed to boycott all the FIFA competitions in protest. “UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the European body said after an online meeting of its 55 member nations ■ ■ “Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA said in a statement. “The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.” The meeting was called to counter Infantino’s offer of $20M to each of FIFA’s 211 members that has to be accepted by mid-September Sept 5 is when Women’s U20 World Cup, the next fifa event, will begin 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 No legal action against protesters HC penalty on false complaints The Delhi government said it will not pursue any further legal action against people involved in the Jantar Mantar protests, while making it clear that the relief will not apply to those with criminal antecedents In the first penal action against NEET-UG retest students who filed false complaints alleging tampered OMR (answer) sheets, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has imposed a fine of `5,000 each Pellet guns can be used in exceptional cases, says SC Directs govt to preserve ammunition log of the Rapid Action Force s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a n t y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Thursday said pellet guns cannot be banned as long as the existing advisory permits their use for crowd control in exceptional circumstances by security agencies, while making it clear that allegations of specific misuse can be examined on a caseby-case basis. The court was hearing a plea on the use of metallic pellet guns during the recent students’ protests against NEETUG paper leak in Delhi. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also asked the Centre to preserve the ammunition log of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployed at the Jantar Mantar. Observing that police, as per the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) advisory are empowered to use pel, let guns in exceptional situations, the bench termed the demand in the plea for a complete ban on such usage as vague. “Prayers are not to use pellet guns. In exceptional cases, police regulations permit the use of pellet guns. If you are interested in phasing out pellet guns, you will have to challenge that very provision as ultra vires to Article 21 (right to life),” Justice Bagchi observed. The bench also took note of submissions of senior advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the petitioners, and asked the Delhi government to provide the best treatment to Prashant Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge during a debate on the bill | PTI paper leak bill clears rs The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 by a voice vote amid an Opposition walkout. The legislation had been approved by the Lok Sabha a day earlier. Reiterating the government’s “zero tolerance” policy towards paper leaks, Dr Jitendra Singh said no one would be allowed to jeopardise the future of the country’s youth. Leading the Opposition side of the debate on the bill, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge linked the Bill to recent nationwide student protests, stating that the amendment had been introduced only after sustained pressure from the Congress and Opposition parties | P9 Kumar, Sheikh Irshad Mansoori and others who suffered pellet gun injuries during the July 20 protest. Former Central Information Commissioner and retired IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad and the two victims had moved the court seeking a complete ban on the use of metallic pellet guns to deal with law and order situations. The petition also sought compensation, medical treatment and rehabilitation for those injured in the Delhi protests. Grover said, “There can be rubber, plastic and metallic pel- Household indebtedness Big credit demand shift from asset ownership B E NN KOCHUV E E DAN @ Mumbai Indicating the rising indebtedness of households, credit demand in India has been moving away from asset ownership to consumption-driven loans, data released by credit bureau Transunion CIBIL on Thursday showed. As of March 2026, consumption is the largest sector for loans at 51%, up from 34% in March 2017. India’s overall retail loan size is estimated at over `170 lakh crore. According to RBI data, formal loan systems saw a significant surge in FY26, marking a revival in borrowing demand. Net incremental credit expanded by `44.6 lakh crore to `311 lakh crore. Of this, bank credit constituted `212 lakh crore and non-bank credit `99 lakh crore. According to the latest report, vehicle loans among credit-active borrowers make up the second largest category of credit at 18%. The share of new-to-credit borrowers has gone down to 13% in FY26 from 32% in FY17. This indicates that the credit universe is maturing, with lenders concentrating on existing customers rather than first-time borrowers. The report shows that credit behaviour among borrowers has changed dramatically especially since the Covid pandemic, with , credit moving from asset ownership such as homes towards consumption (consumer durables) and entrepreneurship. “Consumer durable loans are the biggest growth drivers for the Gen Z universe. Now purchasing a mobile phone on credit is the most important factor for them. Prior to Covid, it was the two-wheeler,” said Bhavesh Jain, managing director of Transunion CIBIL. E x p r e ss R e a d ‘Govt agencies, not pvt entities, misleading court’ Hyderabad: Rebuking HYDRAA, the Telangana High Court on Thursday observed that it was government agencies, not private litigants, that were misleading constitutional courts. Justice NV Shravan Kumar said courts cannot be faulted for intervening when authorities act in violation of the law and judicial directions | p3 lets. These were metallic and recovered from the bodies...” She added that she is confining her reliefs to metallic pellets. Justice Bagchi said the court is “not averse to examining the use of pellets in individual use”. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the forces may have to take an on-the-spot decision based on the event. The bench said a bona fide protest may turn violent at any point, perhaps due to the infiltration of anti-social elements, and “graded responses” by law enforcement might sometimes be necessary . W Asia back on boil, Modi takes stock MUK E SH RAN J AN @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired the fourth special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review the evolving situation arising from the ongoing conflict in West Asia and assess the preparedness of various ministries to mitigate its impact. Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan briefed the committee on the geopolitical situation and outlined measures taken to safeguard the country’s energy security and ensure uninterrupted supplies of petroleum products, including LNG, LPG and fertilisers. Somanathan said the government has diversified sources for LPG procurement, while overall stocks and supplies of Two tankers with Saudi crude headed for India Two tankers carrying Saudi crude for India exited the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait by sailing “dark” after Houthis in Yemen announced a blockade on Saudi shipments, a Reuters report said. Tankers Amazon and Rodos loaded with 17 lakh barrels of crude switched off their transponders, the report said major petroleum products remain adequate. “Sufficient availability of crude oil has enabled state-owned refineries to operate at 100% capacity, ensuring continued production of petrol, diesel and other essential fuels,” he said. The CCS was briefed on steps to reduce dependence on LPG through the expansion of the piped natural gas network. “The government is accelerating the rollout of the National Gas Grid, augmenting LNG import and regasification capacity, expanding City Gas Distribution networks and fast-tracking pipeline and last-mile connectivity approvals,” a statement said. The committee also reviewed fertiliser availability ahead of the upcoming Rabi season, with discussions focusing on meeting projected demand and identifying alternative sourcing options. Revanth stresses ON Mission Education, blasts opposition pic: SRI LOGANATHAN VELMURUGAN E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday sought to turn the tables on the Opposition for criticising his handling of the Education portfolio with a volley of questions, even as he accused the Modi government of saddling the country with an unprecedented debt burden. “Is it because breakfast is being provided from Nursery to Class 12, teacher recruitment and promotions are being managed, and ITIs are being transformed into ATCs? Is it because a Skills University was established to equip students with skills, and the heads of globally successful corporate organisations were appointed to its board?” Revanth questioned. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of plac- ing a massive debt burden on the country. “The total debt incurred by Prime Ministers from Independence until 2014 was `50 lakh crore. The debt incurred by Modi between 2014 and 2026 was `151 lakh crore. The country’s total outstanding debt now stands at `201 lakh crore,” he said. During an interaction with teachers who had visited Finland and Germany to study their education systems at the MCRHRD Institute, Revanth announced annual foreign study tours for government teachers. The initiative, he said, would be modelled on overseas visits undertaken by IAS and IPS officers to upgrade their knowledge and skills. “From now on, we will provide teachers with opportunities to go abroad for further studies. Plans must be formulated to ensure the government bears the cost of quality education,” Revanth said. Stressing that these initiatives were aimed at improving education rather than winning votes, he added, “Let us all pledge to carry the education mission forward.” The chief minister also directed officials to submit, by December, an action plan for the next academic year, with every mandal treated as a cluster while preparing the roadmap.  Continued on p4 Panel recommends `803 cr El Nino mitigation plan E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad The El Nino Preparedness and Mitigation committee, headed by Telangana Planning Board vice-chairman G Chinna Reddy , on Thursday submitted a report to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy recommending an `802.92-crore contingency plan to mitigate the impact of the weather phenomenon. As of July 27, Telangana had recorded a 30% rainfall deficit, with 26 of its 33 districts receiving below-normal rainfall. The Croppage area has declined to 74.56 lakh acres from 79.49 lakh acres last year, while paddy has been sown on 14.92 lakh acres, or 22.60% of the normal area. Water Management Enforce ‘No Additional Paddy’ policy in 399 water-stressed mandals n  new paddy nurseries under Ban borewells and in rainfed areas n  Prioritise drinking water over canal releases Financial outlay `802.92 crore proposed for contingency measures contingency `329.18 crore for the 32.2 seeds in lakh-acre deficit area for micro-irrigation `452.8 croremulching and n  `402 crore for drip irrigation n  crore for sprinkler irrigation `50 n  crore for vegetable pandals `15 The way forward Farmer Support n  insurance with govt bearing 75% of the premium Crop n  Reschedule crop loans in drought-hit areas n  loans for farmers adopting contingency crops Fresh n  Temporary moratorium on new agricultural borewells in critical groundwater zones n  Procurement policy for contingency crops Crop Diversification n  Promote horticulture over paddy n  Encourage vegetable cultivation n  Subsidise vegetable pandals Employment CM’s directions n  Continue VB GRAM-G works n  Rainwater harvesting and borewell recharge n  uninterrupted Seek employment for agricultural labourers during El Nino n  Promote vegetable cultivation with subsidised seeds n  Develop vegetable clusters around centralised school kitchens n  Ensure direct procurement from farmers n  Appoint Agriculture extension officers Education Defer tuition fee payments for children of drought-affected farmers The welfare of Indian seafarers serving on both domestic and foreign-flagged vessels operating in conflict zones also figured in the deliberations. Modi directed officials to establish a dedicated mechanism for providing timely information, emergency assistance and counselling to affected seafarers and their families. Emphasising the need to safeguard Indian citizens and the diaspora from the fallout of the conflict, the PM called for sustained coordination across ministries and agencies. He further directed that a unified and coordinated monitoring mechanism should be put in place to track developments in West Asia on a regular basis and ensure swift implementation of measures to protect national interest. Meta India head booked for PM’s morphed posts C h i t h a l u r i Re v a n t h @ Hyderabad Hyderabad Cybercrime police have registered two cases against the India head of Meta as well as several Facebook and Instagram accounts for allegedly allowing the circulation of morphed and objectionable videos and images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the social media platforms. In the first case, S Aravind Reddy, a 29-year-old businessman, alleged that while browsing Instagram, he came across multiple morphed and digitally manipulated videos and images portraying the prime minister in an obscene, derogatory and misleading manner. According to his complaint, the content included manipulated visuals obscenely depicting Modi alongside Union Minister Dhar mendra Pradhan and an edited image of US President Donald Trump. The complaint further stated that the content appeared to have been digitally altered or generated using artificial intelligence and circulated on social media. It alleged that such posts could mislead the public, spread misinformation, incite hatred or public unrest, outrage public decency, defame public figures, disturb public order and promote hostility among different sections of society . In the second case, T Saikiran Goud, a Telangana BJP activist and social media CC member, alleged that he found objectionable reels and morphed images on Facebook and Instagram while using social media on Wednesday  Continued on p4 . Hockey jersey blues Criticism from all quarters as India change colour to orange s w a r o o p s w a m i n at h a n @ Bengaluru WHAT’S in a colour? For a sports team, it’s everything; a lifeblood. It gives them a sense of pride, belonging and an identity It is this identity that . Hockey India (HI) has changed with less than three weeks to go for the next edition of the World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands. At the quadrennial event, both senior teams will swap their iconic blue jerseys to wear one bathed in saffron. On Thursday, a few days after Hockey India (HI) quietly made it known via a press release, the issue made a huge noise right from Parliament to X, where a former India captain, Viren Rasquinha, termed the change ‘embarrassing’. V Baskaran, who led India to gold at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, can only laugh. “Blue isn’t just a colour for Indian hockey and our fans,” he tells this daily. “It’s an emotion.” The comments that Rasquinha had received on his X feed were also clearly political. “I’m see- ing many unnecessary political comments on this,” he said while sharing an earlier comment he had made on the issue. “I don’t want to get into any of that. My simple & humble point is on pride, identity & legacy. India is to hockey what Argentina is to Football. Will we ever see Argentina wearing Orange and White stripes as their 1st jersey?” The federation, via another press release on Thursday said the change was ‘based , on support staff and players’ recommendations and detailed consultations with them’. And was necessitated because of the blue astro-turf. “But this saffron colour and new design is not the final one. This is for the upcoming World Cup and Asian Games but we will keep taking feedback from the players and coaches,” HI president Dilip Tirkey told this daily  . P13