THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l friday l september 18, 2026 l `10.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE city EDITION Centre tells SC it is ready to cut NEET-SS qualifying percentile The Centre’s plan to lower qualifying percentile for Super Speciality seats from 50% to 30% is due to 1,857 vacant seats after counselling 6,000 candidates will become eligible In a note filed before the Supreme Court on Thursday, the Centre said many seats remain vacant in highly specialised medical and surgical disciplines. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, told the court that the lower percentile would make roughly 6,000 additional candidates eligible — nearly thrice the vacant seats ■ 2 weeks plea against diversion of tN’s seats ■ Centre also cited the Supreme Court’s earlier orders on Tamil Nadu, saying 40 vacant in-service seats in the state would be reverted to the state government to let it conduct its stray vacancy round The govt’s submission was in response to a plea against “diversion” of 152 vacant SS seats — reserved for TN doctors — to all-India quota in which medical counselling committee has to fill vacant seats 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 Russia curbs bill could impact ties, India warns US in strong pushback Energy security of 1.4 bn citizens top priority while protecting trade, economic interests: MEA J aya n t h J a c o b a n d P u s h p i ta D e y @ New Delhi E x p ress R e a d Anto arrested in liquor possession case Kochi: Reporter TV managing director Anto Augustine was on Thursday arrested in connection with the seizure of 67 litres of liquor from his residence in Wayanad. He was later remanded in judicial custody for 14 days after being produced before a court in Sultan Bathery. The court will consider his bail petition on Friday | P4 EC bar on TMC name, symbol for factions New Delhi: The Election Commission on Thursday temporarily barred both TMC factions from using the party’s symbol and name in the West Bengal Assembly bypolls | P7 16 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express India on Thursday pushed back against the latest US sanctions legislation targeting buyers of Russian energy, warning that the measures could have implications for both bilateral ties and global energy markets. New Delhi said the immediate priority was to ensure energy security for its 1.4 billion citizens while protecting trade and economic interests. It further said that India would continue to pursue this objective through “diversified sourcing and on the basis of evolving market dynamics”. Responding to the passage of the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act in the US Congress, the External Affairs Ministry said India was monitoring the developments and had already raised its concerns with Washington at senior levels. The statement indicated that the issue has been discussed extensively between Indian and US officials in recent months. “Its potential implications for not just the bilateral relationship but Events begin amid chaos With just one day to go for the Games, excitement is ramping up. A few issues have dominated the buildup even as events have already started. A look... Accommodation issues continue Cricket takes centrestage For the first time, a senior Indian team will play Japan in an international cricket match on Friday. The Harmanpreet Kaurled team will take on Japan in the quarterfinal match. On Thursday, Bangladesh women advanced based on ranking after tie against China was abandoned while Pakistan beat Thailand As this daily reported, accommodation has been chaotic for athletes. It continued on Thursday with rooms meant for two being shared by three at the Costa Serena cruise ship. With no Games Village for this event, around 17,000 athletes and officials are being accommodated at various locations, including the cruise ship, shipping-container style wooden huts at the dock area & hotels across Aichi prefecture Doubles pair loses in Teqball Declan Gonsalves and Anas Baig were out of medal contention in the men’s doubles Teqball event on Thursday. The Indians first lost 10-12, 8-12 against Vietnam’s Truong Giang Ba and Anh Khoa Le before going down 4-12, 7-12 against South Korea’s Junsuk Lee and Taebeen Lee | P11 Unnatural deaths report in Manipur relief camps shocking, says SC bench SUCHITRA K A LYAN M OHANTY @ New Delhi EXPRESSING shock and displeasure over the 25 alleged unnatural deaths in relief camps — set up for the victims and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the 2023 Manipur violence cases — the Supreme Court on Thursday directed Manipur Chief Secretary to file a status report. “We direct the Chief Secretary to submit report about all the 25 unnatural deaths reported in the newspapers...along with post-mortem report identifying the cause and what preventive steps have been taken in (camps for IDPs),” said a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. The court took note of a re- Two JeM terrorists killed in Udhampur encounter Special report The order came after the bench perused reports of the Justice Mittal committee and an IAS officer about unnatural deaths in the relief camps in Manipur housing internally displaced persons from the 2023 Manipur riots port by an IAS officer from Manipur stating that 25 deaths had occurred in relief camps, but post-mortems were conducted in only 20 cases. “The state is also obliged to explain as to why only `20,000`30,000 as compensation was paid to internally displaced persons who met with unnatural deaths while sheltered in relief camps,” the bench said. It also directed Manipur State Legal Services Authority to file a separate status report on the issue of unnatural deaths. The security forces also apprehended an over-ground worker during the ongoing antiterror operation in Udhampur district of Jammu & Kashmir | P8 Monitoring the situation, says commerce ministry Officials from the Ministry of Commerce said that they are currently monitoring the situation, adding necessary steps will be taken accordingly. Currently, both the countries are involved in negotiations to conclude a Bilateral Trade Agreement also the international energy market have been very clearly articulated by the Indian side,” the MEA said. The ministry also made clear that New Delhi was prepared to respond to any economic consequences arising from the new US measures. “The Indian side has also made clear its determina- tion to take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests,” it said, adding that the government would work with Indian trade and industry bodies to address the implications. Earlier in the day, the US House of Representatives passed a sweeping sanctions package aimed at increasing economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine. The legislation, which was approved by the House by a 262-159 vote after clearing the Senate 86-11, has been sent to President Donald Trump, who has said he will sign it. Among other provisions, the legislation gives the US president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that continue significant purchases of Russian oil and gas. China and India, two major buyers of Russian energy could , potentially face such measures. India is the world’s third-largest oil importer and has significantly increased its purchases of Russian crude in recent years, making the issue particularly important for its energy policy a n d t r a d e re l at i o n s w i t h Washington. However, opposition within the US Congress also remains. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, described the bill as “deeply flawed”, arguing that its tariff provisions could give the White House broad authority over US import taxes. Thachankary sentenced to four-year jail in assets case A feud that set off a 36-year battle E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @Kottayam A vigilance court in Kottayam on Thursday sentenced former Director General of Police (DGP) Tomin J Thachankary to four years’ rigorous imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case registered nearly two decades ago. The Court of the Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance), Kottayam, also imposed a fine of `30.84 lakh on the retired IPS officer. Judge K V Rejanish found Thachankary guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act, for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income during his tenure as an Inspector General of Police between January 2003 and July 2007. After completing procedural formalities and health check-up, he was sent to the Central Prison, Thiruvananthapuram, later in the day Since the sentence ex. ceeds three years, Thachankary will have to approach the High Court for bail. In default of payment of the fine, he will have to undergo an additional two months’ imprisonment. This is the first case in Keralam in which an officer of DGP Tomin J Thachankary being brought out of Vigilance Court in Kottayam | Express Kottayam: The chain of events that ended in the conviction and imprisonment of a retired IPS officer of DGP rank could be traced back to a seemingly insignificant brawl between two families in Kuttanad, Alappuzha, 36 years ago. The case against Tomin J Thachankary triggered a prolonged legal battle waged against him by pisciculturist Bobby Kuruvila. The dispute began in 1990, when Thachankary was serving as ASP in Alappuzha. P4 rank has been sentenced for amassing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income. During the hearing, Thachankary cited health issues before the court, stating that he had experienced chest pain two days ago and was not physically well. However, the court proceeded to impose the maximum punishment sought by the prosecution. In the judgment, the court observed that the convict was a senior IPS officer and had held several responsible positions, including the rank of DGP. “The higher the public office held, the greater is the obligation to maintain the highest standards of integrity and probity. Having regard to the magnitude of the disproportion, the value of the amount at the relevant time, the status and responsibility of the convict, and the breach of the public trust attached to his office, a deterrent sentence is warranted,” it said. The 2007 case stemmed from a complaint filed by Bobby Kuruvila, an activist, alleging that Thachankary amassed wealth illegally between January 2003 and ● More on P4 July 2007.  It’s Tata vs Tata over Chandra’s reappointment BENN K OCHU V EEDAN @ Mumbai THE boardroom war at Tata Sons deepened on Thursday with four directors of the group holding company voting to re-appoint N Chandrasekaran as executive chairman for five more years and clearing the proposal to list the company as mandated by the Reserve Bank of India. Both proposals were opposed by Noel N Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, the largest shareholder of Tata sons with 66% stake. Noel termed the two decisions illegal. Four Tata Sons board members—Venu Srinivasan, Harish Manwani, Saurabh Agrawal, and Anita George—approved the reappointment, while Noel Tata voted against it. Noel Tata said Chandrasekaran’s recent decision to not seek a third term as Tata Sons chairman had already been accepted and that the reappointment was a “legal nullity”. On listing of Tata Sons, he said the trusts and the board had unanimously decided against it. He alleged he was kept in the dark about Tata Sons’ communication with RBI on this, adding that Tata Trusts would file an RTI ap- SP group’s plication to obtain the full details. liquidity plan Earlier, the Tata Sons board said a majority of its members voted to give Noel Tata tabled a another term to Chandrasekaran, who proposal to provide had on August 12 said he was not seek- C25,000 crore of ing a third term beyond February 2027, liquidity to the debtwhen his current term ends. The board laden Shapoorji said Chandrasekaran accepted the re- Pallonji Group by appointment proposal after the board buying out a portion of its holding in the requested him to continue. Soon after the board meeting on Tata Group’s holding Thursday Noel issued a detailed state- company, Tata Sons , ment to clarify his position. “Tata Trusts maintains that Chandra’s decision not to offer himself for reappointment at the end of his current tenure had already been accepted and had attained finality as his decision was freely taken, clearly expressed and not the outcome of any process of review,” he said, adding Chandrasekaran had decided not to seek another term without prior intimation to or deliberations with Tata Trusts. “Once such a decision has been publicly communicated, it has consequences which cannot be afterwards undone, since the group’s employees, its lenders and counterparties, the market and the majority shareholder have all proceeded on it,” Noel Tata said, and asked the board to finalise the search panel to find Chandrasekaran’s successor at the earliest. Land constraints flagged No place for motorists to rest on NH 66 corridor S h a i n u M o h a n @T’Puram Motorists travelling along the 642-km stretch of NH 66 in Keralam currently have no designated rest areas, prompting the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to seek state government intervention to develop wayside amenities. The death of eight engineering students after their car rammed into a lorry parked on the highway in Thrissur earlier this month brought to the fore the gap in basic safety on Keralam’s new high-speed corridor. The absence of dedicated spaces for motorists to stop, rest and park is becoming a major challenge as more sections of the widened NH 66 are Wayside amenities Recognising Keralam’s severe land constraints, the NHAI proposed identifying at least 10 wayside amenity sites at intervals of around 100 km along NH 66 being opened to traffic. With vehicles travelling at higher speeds, roadside parking or stopping at unsafe locations can turn into a serious accident risk, particularly at night and on stretches with limited space, NHAI officials pointed out. The national agency had formally flagged the issue with the state government last year, in January seeking vacant gov, ernment land adjoining NH 66 for the development of rest areas, truck lay-byes, and other wayside amenities. As per the norms cited by NHAI, wayside amenities are to be provided every 60 km along national highways to facilitate rest and refreshment for commuters. However, recognising Keralam’s severe land constraints, NHAI proposed identifying at least 10 wayside amenity sites at intervals of around 100 km along NH 66. In April, the Supreme Court had issued a strict directive prohibiting the parking of heavy and commercial vehicles on national highways and had directed the NHAI and the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) to build truck rest bays every 75 km with safe parking, food services, clean washrooms, and first aid provision. “NHAI is constructing amenities across the country along the national highways and in Keralam, too, wayside amenities are part of the project. But land constraint is a major challenge. Hence, we have asked the government to help us find land for the purpose,” an offi● More on P4 cial said.  Govt: UPI fleecing won’t be allowed P USH P ITA DEY @ New Delhi AMID concerns that consumers will end up bearing the cost of the newly introduced Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions, finance ministry officials said a monitoring mechanism will be put in place to ensure that merchants do not pass on the MDR burden to customers. MDR on UPI payments will be effective from October 15. Officials from the Department of Financial Services clarified on Thursday that monitoring will be done on a regular basis to ensure the MDR is not passed on to the end-consumers. They clarified that if any challenges arise regarding GST on the MDR, it will be eventually taken up by the GST Council.