SAMBALPUR l wednesday l september 23, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l CITY EDITION GST 2.0 boosts auto demand and affordability, spurs investment The tax cuts following rollout of GST 2.0 a year ago has driven a 20% surge in auto sales with passenger vehicle demand hitting new highs auto industry bosses remain bullish Maruti Suzuki (MSIL) MD and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said that PV sales for them grew about 36% year-on-year during Apr-Aug 2026. Anish Shah, Group CEO & MD, Mahindra Group said since the GST rationalisation, SUVs sale grew 17%, while LCVs and tractors grew 20%. Tarun Garg, MD & CEO at Hyundai India, said 4 lakh-unit monthly sale mark is the new normal | P16 ■ 3 crore tax rationalisation proves a boon ■ The executives said the reform has helped broaden the customer base, particularly by improving affordability in the entry-level market The GST Council had approved changes to the tax structure effective September 22, 2025, with petrol, LPG and CNG vehicles under 1,200 cc and and diesel vehicles up to 1,500 cc moved to the 18 per cent rate vehicles sold between October 2025 and August 2026 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 US Prez claims he has to decide whether to make a deal with Iran or annihilate it; berates it for stalling a deal to reopen Hormuz until after the midterm elections Don defends Iran war; says he’ll use Russia tariff tool if required A G ENCIE S @ United Nations express read Shah targets drug free India by Dec 2029 New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday set December 31, 2029, as the target to collectively dismantle the drug trade in India, calling narcotics one of the most serious threats facing the country | P7 On sanctions against Russia and AI 1 Donald Trump said he will use, if needed, sanctions to end the “disastrous war” between Russia and Ukraine 2 Trump repeated his claim that he settled the war between India and Pakistan last year special session of Parliament A special session of Parliament to push the delimitation bill and women’s reservation could be held during Navaratri | P7 3 Signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland aimed at strengthening Arctic and North Atlantic security 4 Told UNGA that artificial intelligence will be named “super intelligence” in all US govt documents PRESIDENT Donald Trump returned to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday defending his decision , to go to war with Iran even as the conflict weighs on his party’s midterm prospects. “The terrorist regime is behaving badly, not because they are strong and confident, but because they are weak and desperate,” Trump said. “If we stand united, we will soon see a world free of the last 51 year menace of Iranian terror.” Trump accused Iran of stalling to make a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate an endgame to the war until after the US midterm elections. He insisted the tactic would have no effect on how he approaches the conflict. “I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran,” Trump said. “It doesn’t even enter my mind.” Most of Iran’s delegation walked out of the chamber as Trump railed against the Islamic Republic. On Russia, he said he continues to seek an end to the disastrous war with Ukraine. “Last week, in honour of Senator Lindsey Graham, I signed a powerful new law passed by Congress providing me with enormous new tariff authorities - As president of the most extraordinary nation in history, I have no interest in leaving dangers to grow for another day. I do not believe in letting problems fester Donald Trump, US President at UNGA and if necessary, I will use them... “It is time to stop the killing,” Trump said. Referring to the proposal to slow down development of artificial intelligence (AI) and calls for their international supervision, Trump called them a “globalist scheme” to control the new technology He in. stead announced that the US gov- ernment would henceforth use the term “super intelligence” rather than AI in its communications. “It sounds much better” and “it’s much more accurate,” he added, wondering whether the rest of the world would adopt the term. He also dismissed warnings about climate change. “The very same people who said we’ll all be dead in 12 years because of global warming... are now saying that AI is going to kill us all, that robots are going to attack us, and that everything is going to be a total disaster.” The president renewed his attack on what he said were “globalist” bodies, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, which he urged other countries to boycott. He, however, hailed a deal with Greenland under which he said Washington would build a couple of bases in the Arctic. After his speech, Trump is expected to hold talks with new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a more infor, mal meeting with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez. He’s also set to meet with leaders and senior officials from Gulf Cooperation Council nations to discuss the way ahead with the war in Iran. Depression approaches coast, south Odisha bears the brunt Sudarsan Maharana @ Bhubaneswar Heavy rain lashed several southern and coastal districts of Odisha on Tuesday as the depression over the Bay of Bengal moved closer to the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast, prompting the state government to step up preparedness and mobilise 33 Odisha Disast e r R ap i d A c t i o n Fo rc e (ODRAF) teams in vulnerable districts. The depression-induced rain lashed Koraput, Ganjam, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Angul, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Khurda, Puri, Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur, among other districts. Several parts of the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack experienced waterlogging following intense spells of rain during the day . Koraput recorded over 82 mm of rain between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, while Paralakhemundi received 58 mm. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 49.7 mm and 26.8 mm, re s p e c t ive ly, d u r i n g t h e period. In view of the heavy rain, schools and anganwadi centres were closed in several vul- System is likely to intensify into a deep depression within next 12 hours and cross the coast between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur on Wednesday night Manorama Mohanty, dir met centre nerable districts, while government employees’ leave was cancelled till September 25 in some areas. Urban local bodies were directed to step up preparedness to deal with any exigencies arising from the weather system. Of the 33 ODRAF teams mobilised for rapid response to rain-related emergencies, six each were deployed in Ganjam and Koraput, while three each were sent to Gajapati, Rayagada and Malkangiri. Two teams were stationed in Kalahandi and one in Balangir. Nine additional teams have been ke pt in reserve at Chhatrapur. The IMD said the depression moved westwards at a speed of around 8 kmph during the day and lay about 150 km southsoutheast of Gopalpur and 210 km south-southwest of Puri. Director of the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Manorama Mohanty said the system is likely to intensify into a deep depression within the next 12 hours and cross the north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coast between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur on the night of September 23. The system is expected to move across Koraput and Rayagada districts after landfall before gradually weakening, she said. The IMD has forecast very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds of up to 60 kmph in parts of southern Odisha on September 23 and 24. Some areas are also likely to receive heavy rainfall on September 25 Continued on P5 and 26.  Vande mataram No criminal action on objectors: SC to Centre S UCHITRA K ALYAN M OHANTY @ New Delhi “WE expect no criminal consequences for conscientious objectors to Vande Mataram,” the Supreme Court on Tuesday told the Centre on Tuesday while hearing a plea filed by Carnatic musician and author, T M Krishna. Krishna’s writ petition challenges the constitutional validity of the 2026 amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act of 1971, which extends penal protection to Vande Mataram, read with the Ministry of Home Affairs’ directions mandating singing of all six stanzas of the song at official functions. The last four stanzas of the song, which refer to Hindu deities, violate the secular character of the nation, his petition contended. The Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices V Mohana and Joymalya Bagchi said it will examine whether the right not to sing the song, recognised in Bijoe Emmanuel, is protected under the amended law. The SC added it expects the 1986 precedent to apply, ensuring no penal action against those who do not sing the Vande Mataram on religious grounds. The court said it is for the state to decide the contours of the song, but religious freedom under Articles 25 and 26 must be safeguarded. The SC judgment in Bijoe Emmanuel versus State of Kerala protected the right of individuals to refuse to sing the National Anthem on grounds of religious conscience. Opposing the challenge, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, argued that the issue should not be viewed narrowly through the lens of secularism. Senior advocate S Muralidhar, who appeared for Krishna, questioned the legal framework extending statutory protection to Vande Mataram. Krishna’s plea argued that the directions and amendment effectively compel citizens to participate in singing the last four stanzas and are violative of fundamental rights. S-G’s ‘Naxalite’ remarks draw objections Shining star Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag receives the Dadasaheb Phalke Award from President Droupadi Murmu during the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony on Tuesday | Express During the hearing, the S-G’s remark that “law-making cannot be as per Naxalites’ idea,” drew objections from Muralidhar, who sought its withdrawal. Afterwards, Muralidhar again sought a retraction but Mehta said, “I said that is the constitutional way, not what the Naxalite wants. And I am not sorry about it.” T’gana HC bins CAT order quashing BrahMos boss pick J a v a r i a R a n a @ New Delhi The Telangana High Court on Tuesday set aside a Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order that had quashed the appointment of DRDO scientist Jaiteerth R Joshi as Director General of BrahMos Aerospace, ending the immediate legal challenge to the leadership of the Indo-Russian missile joint venture. The high court had in January suspended the operative portion of the CAT order, allow- the candidature of senior DRDO ing Joshi to remain in scientist Sivasubramathe post while the chalniam Nambi Naidu and lenge was heard. ordered an interim arA division bench on rangement to head BrahTuesday allowed petiMos that excluded Joshi. tions filed by the Union Joshi was appointed government and Joshi Director General of Dr Jaiteerth against the December orBrahMos Aerospace in R Joshi der of the CAT’s HyderaNovember 2024 and took bad bench, which had charge on December 1. found “manifest arbitrariness” Naidu, a Distinguished Scienin the selection process, struck tist with the Defence Research down his appointment, directed and Development Organisation the authorities to reconsider (DRDO), subsequently chal- lenged the appointment, arguing that he had been superseded despite being the senior-most eligible candidate. The dispute centred on the weight to be given to seniority and scientific grade in selecting the head of a strategic defence joint venture, and the extent of discretion available to the competent authority to select a candidate on the basis of overall suitability . This newspaper had reported the CAT order against Joshi issued on on December 29. Odisha DGP row: Conspiracy to disqualify Japanese announcer, pamphlets & baseball connect one senior officer, Chidambaram tells SC cricket in japan N isshin mayor Hiroki Kondo was watching the women’s cricket gold medal match between India and Sri Lanka from the sidelines with Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha for company. “We will continue playing cricket here after the Games”, he told this daily as India went on to secure their first gold at the ongoing Asian Games. “We will have 18 days of cricket here in year. This is Japan,” he smiled. Cricket is still an obscure sport in this country The venue . Indraneel Das Express @ asian games Nagoya itself was baseball practice ground, which also doubles up as a public park with tennis courts as well as a football ground close by The only per. manent structures here are the toilet and the baseball dugouts. To help the crowd, the organisers also distributed pamphlets about the game in Japanese. Japanese pamphlet at the venue explaining cricket Naofumi and Chisato are from the neighbourhood and have never watched cricket. This is their first experience. Mimi Hirayama, the official announcer at the venue, is Japanese who lives in England. Her biggest challenge is engaging the audience who can barely differentiate between bat and ball or pad and helmet. “I was mainly talking about rules, because the Japanese audience is not familiar with this sport,” she said. Apart from the pamphlets, they also had Hirayima for company throughout Tuesday . 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 Tuesday took up hearing on the PIL challenging the selection process for appointment of director general of police (DGP), Odisha, with senior advocate P Chidambaram alleging that there was a conspiracy to disqualify a senior officer before the UPSC nomination and appoint a junior officer of choice as the state’s police chief. The senior lawyer made the submissions before the bench headed by the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, which was hearing the petition filed by one Jayant Kumar Das, alleging violation of its ruling in DGP appointment process. “Had there been a shortage of DGP-level officers in the state, the Odisha government could have recommended names of junior officers for consideration,” Chidambaram contended. At the fag end of the hearing on the plea, the CJI observed that whether the two promoted DGP level officers or whether Susant Kumar Nath’s name can find place in the list is a matter for consideration and . adjudication.  The bench will continue hearing for the second consecutive day on Wednesday . It is to be noted that after the Odisha government requested to defer the UPSC Empanelment Committee meeting, the integrity certificate of senior IPS officer Nath was Continued on P5 withheld.