DHARMAPURI l friday l august 07, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 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 Agri budget focuses on farmers’ income, soil fertility RI to Tejpal in `58.37 K cr 2013 rape case `1.77 K cr T M u r u g anan d h am @ Chennai 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. SUDH I R SU R YA W A N SH I @ Mumbai The TVK government’s maiden `58,374-crore agriculture budget presented by Minister R Vinoth on Thursday has largely chosen continuity over disruption, retaining most of the flagship schemes of the previous regime. The government also introduced a clutch of long-term missions aimed at promoting sustainable farming, improving farm income, restoring soil health, building climate resilience, and using AI to modernise extension services. The “Tamil Nadu Soil Fertility Mission” and “Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Income Enhancement Commission” were among the headline announcements in the 2026-27 revised agriculture budget. Sectoral outlay (2026-27) Horticulture and plantation crops Agriculture Minister R Vinoth with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday | Express Agri budget has been prepared in a way to ensure the livelihood and welfare of farmers. Let our victory march towards a prosperous TN continue— C Joseph Vijay, CM `23 crore, with `5.2 crore allocated in 2026-27, the minister said. To encourage crop diversifi- Dairy development `850 cr Fisheries: `1.53 K cr Farmers are suffering, but the agriculture minister has spent more time praising the CM than presenting policy measures  — Udhayanidhi Stalin, LoP cation, the government has announced a five-year Mission for Self-Sufficiency in Pulses and Oilseeds (`203.64 crore), the Tamil Nadu Millet Mission (`63.81 crore), which was introduced by DMK government in 2023, the Minor Millet Mission (`7.61 crore), the Cotton Renaissance Mission (`27.21 crore) and the Maize Production Enhancement Scheme (`36 crore). With the centre discontinuing support for paddy seed production and distribution, the state has decided to continue the scheme on its own, allocating `34.72 crore. The budget also launches a pilot Coastal Horticulture Scheme to promote horticulture in coastal districts by tapping freshwater lenses above saline groundwater. In horticulture, `785 crore has been earmarked for microirrigation, benefiting around 95,000 farmers.  Full coverage: P4, P5 FCRA bill to have prospective effect, Protests lawful form debate on Aug 12: Shah to Mizo CM Gen Z outreach M UKESH R A N J A N @ 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 Mizo, ram 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.” 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 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, to g ether with a comprehensive review of the work- ing of the Principal Act, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee and the repeal of the existing Section 15 of the Foreign Contribution (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, surre n d e re d o r ceases to exist. State scraps agri NOC to speed up nod for projects E x p ress R e a d Vijay to chair TN MPs’ meet on delimitation Chennai: CM C Joseph Vijay will chair a meeting of TN’s Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs on Saturday at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai to discuss the centre’s delimitation exercise and its implications for TN. Invitations have been sent to all MPs through the TN House in New Delhi | P4 C S h iva k u mar @ Chennai Sub-registrar arrested in temple land case Dindigul: Sub-registrar Justin Manikandan, who was earlier suspended in the Palani temple land case, was arrested by a CB-CID team in Kodaikanal on Thursday. HR&CE department had filed a complaint regarding the sale of `100-crore worth of mutt land | P4 The minister said the soil fer tility mission will be launched as a five-year plan at an outlay of `600 crore to ensure that future generations inherit fertile Tamil soils. This will be done by resorting to activities like increasing the population of soil microorganisms, reclaiming alkaline and saline soils, reducing the use of chemical fertilisers, and encouraging natural and organic far ming practices. During 2026-27, it will be implemented with 10 components at an outlay of `122.51 crore. The income commission, which aims to improve farm incomes and strengthen farmers’ economic self-reliance, will be established at a cost of Agriculture and allied sectors Watering hole A man crosses a manhole in Sangam Vihar following heavy rainfall that led to severe water logging in Delhi on Thursday | Sayantan Ghosh As part of the move to shorten the approval timeline for industrial projects, the state government has removed the need for the agriculture department’s approval in the use of dry land for industrial projects. The change, notified in a GO dated July 31 and published in the g azette last Monday, amends the Tamil Nadu Change of Land Use (From Agriculture to Non-agriculture Purposes in Non-planning Areas) Rules, 2017 ---- the framework governing conversion of farmland for industri- al and other non-agricultural use. Director of Town and Country Planning Kiran Guralla told TNIE that the amendment was designed around ease of doing business. Earlier, files for industrial land not under cultivation had to be routed to the joint director of agriculture for a no-objection certificate, adding time to the approval process. Under the previous system, land eligible for conversion had to show at least three years of non-cultivation, a status the joint director of agriculture must verify before giving his approval.  P5 of dialogue to build consensus: RSS head S u d h ir S u r ya w an s h i @ 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 Ponmudy faces arrest warrant for hate speech Indian Air Force gets its first woman fighter combat leader Top gun e x p r e s s n e w s s e rvi c e @ Chennai The metropolitan magistrate court at George Town in Chennai on Thursday issued a nonbailable arrest warrant against former minister K Ponmudy after he failed to appear in the court in connection with the private complaint filed by BJP councillor Uma Manandan for his alleged derogatory comments a g ainst Shaivites, Vaishnavites and women. The court dismissed a petition filed on behalf of the DMK leader for condoning his nonappearance due to illness. It noted that no reason was adduced or any medical record was produced to show his immobilisation and stated his continued absence hinders the proceedings of the case. Ordering issuance of NBW, the court adjourned the hearing to September 2, 2026. It also noted that the HC, while dismissing his petition for quashing the case, had directed the completion of the trial within six months.  P5 J A V A R I A R A N A @ 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.