vijayawada l friday l july 31, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 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 NEET -UG 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 Wasia back on boil, Modi takes stock MUK E SH RA N J A N @ 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. Household indebtedness 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 | P7 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- 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 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 . Big credit demand shift from asset ownership to consumption: Report B E N N KOCHUV E E D A N @ Mumbai Indicating the rising indebtedness of households, credit demand in India has been moving away from asset ownership to consumptiondriven 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 WORTHY India’s overall retail loan size is estimated at over `170 lakh crore Among credit-active borrowers, consumption loans make up for 51% of retail credit; vehicle loans come in second, at 18% Unsecured biz loans rose to 21% in Mar 2026 from 4% in Mar 2017 Share of new borrowers in overall credit dropped to 13% in FY26 from 32% in FY17. This shows lenders focus on existing borrowers credit `99 lakh crore. According to the latest report, vehicle loans among credit-active borrowers make up for the second largest category of credit at 18%. The share of new-to-credit Godavari records first major inflows of season 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 twowheeler,” said Bhavesh Jain, managing director of Transunion CIBIL. VIJAYAWADA JULY-2026 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Rajamahendravaram/Eluru The Godavari river witnessed a sharp increase in water levels on Thursday, recording its first major inflows of the current monsoon season. Driven by continuous heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas over the past two days, tributaries swollen with floodwaters surged into the main river channel, prompting water resources authorities to initiate large-scale discharge operations across major irrigation structures. At the Polavaram project site, upstream water levels rose rapidly as floodwaters poured into the reservoir. Water Resources Department Superintending Engineer Ramachandra Rao confirmed that all 48 gates of the spillway were operated to release 1,96,766 cusecs of floodwater downstream. Key water levels recorded at the site reached 28.850 metres upstream of the spillway 28.900 metres at the upper cofferdam, , and 15.05 metres along the main Godavari riverbed. Further downstream at Dowleswaram, the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage received an inflow of 79,000 cusecs during the day Bar. rage Superintending Engineer G Srinivasa Rao stated that 67,000 cusecs was discharged directly into the Bay of Bengal, while 15,000 cusecs was diverted into the Central, Eastern, and Western Delta canals to meet pressing agricultural and drinkP4 ing water needs. E x p r e s s Re a d AP poised to be ‘Saudi Arabia of Clean Energy’ Kurnool: Declaring that Andhra Pradesh is uniquely positioned to emerge as ‘Saudi Arabia of Clean Energy’, Minister for HRD, IT and Electronics Nara Lokesh laid the foundation stone for Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited’s (TPREL) `5,750-crore hybrid renewable energy project at Hosur near Pattikonda on Thursday | P4 Nellore better equipped to face El Niño impact Nellore: Even as Andhra Pradesh grapples with one of its weakest southwest monsoon seasons in recent years under the influence of strengthening El Niño conditions, SPSR Nellore district is expected to face only a moderate impact compared to many other districts due to its unique rainfall pattern and extensive irrigation network | P3 eyes on target, neeraj marches on Dilip Gavit (L) poses with his gold medal a day after winning men’s T47 100m final. (R) Neeraj Chopra booked his spot in the men’s javelin final with a throw of 79.61m on Thursday. R Yadav (78.37m) and YV Singh (78.36m), also qualified | pti/AFP Today’s issue includes a 20-page booklet Hello Doctor 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. Make farmers aware of water crisis: Dy CM to officials S G u r u S r i k a n t h @ Vijayawada Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu met Deputy Chief Minister (Panchayat Raj and Rural Development) Pawan Kalyan at the latter’s Mangalagiri camp office on Thursday to review the emerging irrigation water crisis caused by the Super El Niño phenomenon. During the high-level meeting, Pawan Kalyan instructed officials, irrigation engineers, and public representatives to conduct direct field-level interaction meetings with farmers to explain the prevailing drought-like conditions, and promote alternative crop management strategies. Highlighting the acute anxiety among the farming community due to dwindling reservoir levels, the Deputy Chief Minister emphasised that every drop of available water must be conserved. He directed the Water Resources Department to immediately initiate canal desilting operations, and repair embankment leaks across the distribution channel network to prevent conveyance losses. Additionally, Pawan Kalyan asked the department to launch a wide campaign encouraging all farmers to enrol under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to shield themselves from financial losses caused by severe weather anomalies and erratic monsoon patterns. Ramanaidu briefed the Deputy Chief Minister on his upcoming field visits to inspect the Yeleru ayacut, focusing on water stress across Pithapuram, Peddapuram and Jaggampeta constituencies in KakP4 inada district.  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 P13 daily  .