mangaluru l friday l august 07, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon conducts spacewalk NASA astronauts Anil Menon and Jessica Meir began a spacewalk on Thursday to carry out modifications for a future power upgrade at ISS Duo performs ISS power system upgrades The spacewalkers spent hours in the vacuum of space, carrying out necessary modifications for future installation of Roll-Out Solar Arrays on the International Space Station. The arrays are expected to provide additional power to support critical station operations, NASA said. This was the 281st spacewalk in support of ISS maintenance and upgrades ■ 6 pm IST menon’s first spacewalk, Meir’s sixth ■ Menon was born in Minnesota in 1976 to Indian and Ukrainian immigrants. This will be Menon’s first and Meir’s sixth spacewalk Menon was SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping to launch its first humans to space during the Demo-2 mission. He joined NASA in 2014 as a space surgeon and began a two-year astronaut training in 2022 When the two astronauts stepped outside THE iss to carry out tasks 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 HC hands 10-yr RI to Tejpal in 2013 rape case Gives ex-editor 4 weeks to surrender, terms trial court’s decision to acquit him ‘perverse’ The case dates back to 2013, when Tejpal was accused of five years after a trial court sexually assaulting a junior acquitted journalist Tarun Te- colleague in an elevator of a jpal in a 2013 sexual assault high-end hotel in Goa during case, the Bombay High Court an event organised by the magon Thursday set aside the deci- azine. The Goa Police regission and sentenced the former tered an FIR against Tejpal for editor to 10 years of rigorous various offences, including imprisonment. The HC also im- rape. He was arrested in Noposed a fine of `10.21 lakh on vember 2013 and released on the former editor of Tehelka bail in July 2014. magazine and said the money The trial commenced in 2017. would go the survivor. The judgment was pronounced A division bench of in May 2021 by Addijustices Neela Gokhational Sessions Judge le and Amit JamsandKshama Joshi, who ekar pronounced the acquitted Tejpal. verdict on the appeal During the hearing filed by state of Goa in HC, Solicitor Genin 2022 against the eral Tushar Mehta, trial court verdict. appearing for the “We have set aside the state of Goa, argued judgment and order that the trial court Tejpal to and convicted Tejpal. wrongly focused on move SC We have convicted the complainant’s Tarun Tejpal him under Sections character instead of called himself a 376(2)(f) and (k), 354A, the conduct of the ac“political victim” 354B of Indian Penal cused. He said the and pleaded for Code (IPC),” it said. trial court incorrectly leniency, saying While handing relied on the comhe was 62 years down the minimum plainant’s lifestyle, old and the sentence of 10 years’ WhatsApp chats, and father of two rigorous imprison‘nor mative’ behavgirls. He said he ment, the bench noted iour to infer consent. would approach that the incident took Senior advocate AaSC to challenge place 13 years ago and bad Ponda, representhis conviction Tejpal had not coming Tejpal, argued mitted any other that the acquittal was criminal offence. The maxi- correct because the complainmum punishment for rape is ant’s account was inconsistent life imprisonment. with objective evidence includThe court gave Tejpal four ing the lift mechanics and weeks to surrender. CCTV footage. He further arDuring the hearing, the gued that the victim’s behavbench termed the trial court’s iour and conversation on text judgment “perverse” and col- messages did not suggest deliboured by prejudice against the e r a t e c o n c e a l m e n t o r survivor. coaching. S U D H I R S U RYAWAN S H I @ Mumbai FCRA Bill to have prospective effect, debate on Aug 12 M U K E S H RAN J AN @ New Delhi The controversial Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, will be taken up for discussion and passage in Parliament on August 12, but its provisions will not apply retrospectively, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said on Thursday after meeting Union home minister Amit Shah. Lalduhoma, accompanied by a delegation of church leaders from Mizoram, met Shah in Parliament to press for changes to several contentious provisions of the bill, which seeks to tighten oversight of foreignfunded organisations. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Lalduhoma said: “We raised six issues. He assured us that this bill will not have retrospective effect. On the remaining concerns, he said he would respond in writing.” At a separate meeting with Shah, a delegation of church functionaries led by DMK MP P Wilson submitted a memorandum seeking withdrawal of the FCRA Amendment Bill 2026 in entirety . Alternatively, the memorandum demanded “the reference of the FCRA Amendment Bill 2026, together with a comprehensive review of the working of the Principal Act, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee and the repeal of the existing Section 15 of the Foreign Contribu- Accused No. 14 in Renukaswamy murder case seeks approver status E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @Bengaluru In a fresh development to the high-profile Renukaswamy murder case involving actor Darshan, accused No. 14, Pradosh Rao, has filed an application before the 59th City Civil and Sessions Court seeking to turn approver in the case. After hearing the matter on Thursday, the court reserved its order till August 10. Two days ago, Pradosh’s counsel filed the application stating that he was willing to disclose the truth. Earlier, Accused No. 10 Vinay and Accused No. 8 Ravishankar The prosecution submitted that Pradosh had written an Pradosh is accused of conspiring in 11-page confession, admitting the murder, helping destroy that he had participated in evidence, and receiving Rs 30 lakh the crime along with the othas part of the alleged cover-up, er accused and expressing his which was seized by the police willingness to cooperate with during a search of his residence. the trial and request to bePradosh allegedly helped dispose of come an approver, subject to the body and also provided financial certain conditions. assistance for transporting it. The SPP requested the court to permit Pradosh to had also filed similar ap- record his statement detailing plications seeking ap- his own role as well as the prover status. Pradosh’s roles of the other accused becounsel requested the fore the court. court to hear his applicaHe further argued that some tion separately from the key witnesses have turned others. hostile at a crucial stage of the Special Public Prosecu- trial and urged the court to tor Prasanna Kumar ap- take these developments seripeared for the prosecution, ously and allow the approver while advocate Hasmath Pasha application in the interest of represented Darshan. justice. Pradosh’s role E x p r e s s Re a d Cabinet rejig unrest: Surjewala steps in Bibi dials Modi, discusses West Asia Bengaluru: AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala is likely to come out with a formula to pacify Congress MLAs upset over not being inducted into the Shivakumar cabinet after holding consultations with the party top brass. Meanwhile, some disgruntled MLAs have planned to meet over dinner on August 13 | P4 New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday received a telephone call from his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during which they exchanged views on the recent developments in West Asia. The two leaders also reviewed sustained progress in India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership, a statement from the PMO said. Experts call for scientific study on Hosur Metro LINK I n d r a S @Bengaluru Amid Tamil Nadu’s push for a proposed Metro link connecting Hosur with Bommasandra, transport experts have welc o m e d t h e fo c u s o n strengthening public transport but cautioned against prematurely deciding on a Metro, arguing that travel demand – not political announcements – should determine the mode of transit. The proposed 23-km corridor, for which a detailed feasibility report is in the advanced stages of completion, is intended to connect Hosur with Bengaluru’s Metro network. Prof Ashish Verma, convenor, Indian Institute of Science’s Sustainable Transportation Lab, said the feasibility study should establish demand in terms of passengers per hour per direction and identify peakload sections before recommending a transit system. “Public transport connectivity between important commercial centres is welcome, but deciding the system first and then conducting a feasibility study is an unscientific approach. The demand assessment should determine whether the corridor requires Metro, Metro Lite, suburban rail or an RRTS,” he said. Verma pointed out that several Indian cities introduced Metro systems despite inadequate demand, resulting in poor ridership and underutilised infrastructure. He also dismissed reports suggesting that system compatibility could prevent integration with Bengaluru Metro. “Compatibility is not a real issue. Different systems only need physical integration at a common terminal where passengers can seamlessly transfer. We already have examples such as Kochi’s Metro and Water Metro, and internationally there are interchanges between suburban rail, Metro, trams and ferries,” he said. P5 Watering hole A man crosses a waterlogged manhole in Sangam Vihar following heavy rainfall that led to severe water logging in New Delhi on Thursday | Sayantan Ghosh Passage by Aug 13 Lalduhoma said Shah informed the delegation that the bill would be debated in Parliament on August 12. The government is expected to seek its passage before the Monsoon session concludes on August 13 tion (Regulation) Act, 2010, so that no provision for the vesting of foreign contribution or of assets survives in any form”. Introduced in the Lok Sabha in March 25, the bill proposes sweeping changes to the FCRA, which governs the receipt and utilisation of foreign donations by individuals, associations and companies. The most contentious provision of the bill empowers a government-designated authority to take custody of foreign funds and assets created through such contributions if the FCRA registration and organisation is cancelled, surrendered or ceases to exist.  MORE: P7 Gen Z outreach Protests lawful form of dialogue to build consensus: RSS head S u d hi r S u r ya w a n shi @ Mumbai Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday described protests as a form of dialogue that should be used to evolve consensus rather than creating divisions in society Addressing a gather. ing of about 2,000 students here, he said Gen Z and Gen Alpha are the most honest of generations. He said people of his generation, when they were young, follow the directions of elders, but today’s generation has strong opinions and needs logical answers. Addressing a wide array of questions, Bhagwat said if people’s voice is not heard in a democracy they could use protest as a , medium to talk to power. “Protest is a way of dialogue. In a democracy there are many , ways to arrive at a consensus. It is true that there is a need to do a lot of reform in Indian education. If there is no dialogue, then protests happen. I will not say Gen Z should not protest, but there are ways to protest. If Gen Z is upset, then we need to pay attention. The recent agitation took place because of lack of attention. Their issues can be sorted out through dialogue,” Bhagwat said. He also emphasised that Gen Z is not antinational; instead they are the future of the country “I have not called anyone anti-na. tional. In fact, today’s generation is the most honest. We can trust them blindly Children . are the gift of God,” Bhagwat said. Why then were they caned and fired at with pellet guns at Jantar Mantar during a protest march? Bhagwat said he was not aware about cause of the violence. Responding to another question on the government’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ pitch though there was no proper infrastructure in schools and high teacher vacancies, Bhagwat said that the government needs to pay attention to these issues by increasing the education budget. He said that the education department’s allocation can go up to 6% of the GDP as recom, mended by various expert committees. “Education is everyone’s responsibility If . anyone is not discharging his duty, then there is a problem in the system. But at the same time, people have to also extend support. Besides, education should not be treated as a commercial venture,” he said. Bhagwat speak On protest: legitimate form of dialogue. Purpose is to build consensus, not create divisions Edu sector spending: support demand to raise it to 6% of GDP Gen Z: seeks logical answers to queries with warmth and respect Social media ban: not the solution to its harmful effects Tech misuse: Don’t trust social media content without verification Leadership: not about just delivering speeches or winning elections, but about working from behind, sharing success and fame LGBTQIA+: part of society but institution of marriage should not be tampered with Conflicts with Pak, China: should not permanently disrupt dialogue or people-topeople ties B’luru police The government is likely to make a major announcement on the proposed revamping of Bengaluru City Police, on the lines of Greater Bengaluru Authority, on August 15 Nettaru murder case: One Indian Air Force gets its first woman fighter combat leader more accused arrested Top gun E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Mangaluru The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested another absconding accused in the 2022 murder of BJP Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru, bringing the total number of arrests to 25. Ummar Farooq, accused no. 13 in the case, was arrested in Kochi, Kerala, on Wednesday where he was in , hiding. He is accused of help- ing the main culprits abscond after the murder and was on the most wanted registry of the NIA. The agency had earlier announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for any information about his whereabouts. Last month, the NIA arrested two key accused, Abdul Nasir P alias Nasir and Naushad, from from Kochi and Hosur, Tamil Nadu, respectively, based on information from the Pradesh police.  P4 J AVAR I A RANA @ New Delhi Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman to clear the Fighter Combat Leader (FCL), the toughest course for fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force. She successfully completed FCL at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior last week. FCL is among the most prestigious badges for fighter pilots. Only a small fraction of IAF’s aircrew, about 1%, TACDE: Training the best to become better TACDE is a crucial unit of the IAF that trains top-tier fighter pilots to push their limits. Beyond running the FCL, the unit develops the tactical procedures and standard operating manuals used across the force, and puts newly inducted aircraft, radars and weapons through rigorous evaluation get picked for the five-month rigorous programme, which trains the selected pilots in advanced air combat tactics and turns them into the specialists who set the template for how frontline squadrons fight. Graduates return to their units as in-house authorities on weapons employment and combat manoeuvring. Reaching that level closes a loop Sqn Ldr Kanth helped open a decade ago. In June 2016, Kanth, Avani Chaturvedi, and Mohana Singh, were commissioned as the IAF’s first women fighter pilots, after the government opened the combat stream to women on an experimental basis. In May 2019, Kanth became the first Indian woman cleared to fly fighter combat missions by day, then on the MiG-21 Bison, before converting to the Su-30 MKI. She has since featured in a Republic Day parade tableau and was conferred the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2020. Sqn Ldr Kanth, who hails from Darbhanga in Bihar and has trained as an engineer before joining IAF, is part of a cohort that keeps posting firsts. Sqn Ldr Mohana Singh, commissioned alongside her, went on to become the first woman to fly the indigenous Tejas in a frontline squadron.