BHUBANESWAR l sunday l september 27, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l JEYPORE EDITION U.s., China decide on $30 billion reciprocal tariff cut; ai talks China said on Saturday that it had agreed with the US on a $30 billion reciprocal tariff-cut arrangement and on launching a dialogue on AI discussing investment opportunities next round of dialogue in november The two countries reached consensus on recommendations for a more favourable tariff treatment for $30 billion of non-sensitive goods in each direction, the White House said. The two countries established the Board of Investment to discuss investment opportunities and impediments, and to provide a channel to address investment-related issues ■ ■ On artificial intelligence, the leaders agreed to establish a China-US AI dialogue to exchange views on AI-related risks and benefits, with the next round to be held in November, the White House said The two leaders agreed to use the term “super intelligence” rather than “artificial intelligence” to describe emerging technologies $495 bn is the bilateral trade between U.S. and China annually, as per ustr 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 EC announces doorstep verification for voters facing notice, greater use of online hearings SIR eased, experts to review ECINET system Sept 30 INDIA bloc meeting to intensify stir against CEC Pa r v e z S u lta n & S u b h e n d u M a i t i @ New Delhi/ Kolkata m u k e s h r a n j a n @ New Delhi WITH THIS ISSUE The New OTT Stars Binge Brigade PLUS 12 P AGES WHILE seeking to address issues at the centre of a row over decision-making in the Election Commission and concerns of voters who have been issued notices or are left out from the poll rolls, the EC on Saturday asserted that all SIR orders received unanimous consent from all three Commissioners and that the updates to Form 6 for voter enrolment were upheld by the Supreme Court. After a meeting attended by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Dr S S Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi, the EC announced a number of measures including additional time for filing claims, home visit by election officials and help desks for those facing notices for removal from the rolls. Announcing a complete review of its ECINET system, the poll panel said a committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT will review the system. On the legal framework governing SIR, the Commission said the declaration attached to Form 6 for the exercise has Vedanta renews pitch for Niyamgiri bauxite mining, Agarwal meets CM Majhi CEC Gyanesh Kumar with Election Commissioners Dr S S Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi at a meeting on Saturday | PTI The order for SIR starting with Bihar, followed by West Bengal and 30 States/UTs was issued with unanimous approval of EC Election Commission of India Extends deadline The EC extended deadlines for filing claims in two states. In Delhi, claims and objections can be filed till Oct 30, while all claims have to be disposed by Nov 30. In Maharashtra, Oct 12 and Nov10 are the 2 deadlines, respectively @ Bhubaneswar CM Mohan Charan Majhi in discussion with Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal at Lok Seva Bhawan on Saturday efforts to take up the mining project at the site was scrapped in 2013 after all 12 local Dongria Kondh village councils (gram sabhas) of the region unanimously voted against the mining proposal. The Supreme Court had also banned mining in the Niyamgiri hills in its order stating that only gram sabhas could decide if the mining could take place. Agarwal also announced Vedanta’s plans to invest around `1 lakh crore in the state in the near future in projects spanning mining, aluminium, refining and downstream manufacturing. The proposed projects include a cutting-edge 3 million tonnes per annum aluminium smelter in Dhenkanal district and a 6 million tonnes per annum alumina refinery in Rayagada district. The Dhenkanal plant will also supply highquality hot metal to Vedanta’s downstream aluminium parks Continued on P5 in Odisha.  J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Bangladesh is seeking a new agreement on sharing the Ganga’s waters rather than merely renewing the 1996 treaty as Dhaka presses India for what it describes as its “dues” as a lower-riparian state and seeks assurances against political activities by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from Indian soil. These two issues are emerging as important elements as both sides look at a possible November visit to India by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. A high-level meeting in Dhaka on September 17 discussed various aspects of the ties, diplomatic sources said. India and Bangladesh have since “remained engaged” at senior levels as they work towards finalising the visit, which is being looked at for the latter half of November. Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam who Dhaka is sending as its next High Commissioner to India is expected to arrive in the first week of November, sources said. Dhaka’s new water demand comes in the wake of the expiry of the 30-year Ganga Water Sharing Treaty on December 12. It now wants a fresh treaty rather than a “straightforward extension” of the existing arrangement, arguing that a new framework should better reflect its requirements as the Indraneel Das Express @ asian games Nagoya ADA Pav! No, that’s not Aslam Inamdar’s favourite food. At 14, that was literally the only item on the menu he could afford, the food that kept him alive. When developing athletes his age were building their physique with protein shakes and health food, all Inamdar had — could have — was vada pav, rotis or anything he could lay his hands on. This was a time when he slept without a roof over his head; his full-time job was washing utensils in a tea shop or in a nearby juice shop. But Aslam Inamdar (third from bottom left) & the rest of men’s kabaddi team celebrate their victory on Saturday | pti now, after India’s kabaddi team defended their gold medal against Iran on Saturday, he’s a two-time Asian gold medallist. There is nothing quite like sport when it comes to throwing up gripping, inspirational stories. “Kya kya nehi kiya maine (What all did I not do),” he says, while sitting on a bench, after his team’s gold winning performance. He lost Tarique Rahman Joint Rivers Commission dealing with the matter The water issues are now being handled within the broader framework of the IndiaBangladesh Joint Rivers Commission, which deals with the two countries’ shared rivers. India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers downstream country . Bangladesh minister Forhad Hossain Azad had said Dhaka will seek a higher share of the Ganga, including a stronger guarantee for flows during the dry season. For India, however, the question is not merely a bilateral renewal. Consultations have been held with Indian stakeholders, including West Bengal, on water requirements. Alongside water, Dhaka is seeking assurances regarding Hasina, who remains in India. Bangladesh has objected to what it describes as political activities and public statements by Hasina and the Awami League from Indian territory, which is being flagged as a potential irritant in ties. MATAselfless service is the epitome of Mata Amritanandamayi transformed selfless service into a global movement, home minister Amit Shah said | P5 golden ticket out of poverty v E x p re s s Ne w s Ser v i c e Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal on Saturday renewed his push for opening of Niyamgiri bauxite project, which was shelved around 13 years back following fierce opposition from the primitive tribal communities residing in the region. After his meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan here, Agarwal said their discussions included reviving the Niyamgiri project and creating employment opportunity for the tribals. The state government has assured necessary support in this regard, he said. “When we were pledged the Niyamgiri bauxite mines, there was a commitment to open it. Now, the government has told us that steps will be taken for grant of necessary permissions to facilitate its operation and create employment for thousands,” Agarwal said. The Vedanta chairman said Odisha possesses world’s largest bauxite reserves that could generate immense employment, providing jobs to hundreds of thousands of people. The bauxite-rich Niyamgiri hills is estimated to hold around 80 million tonnes of reserves. However, Vedanta’s been upheld by the Supreme Court. “For periods outside SIR, applications will continue to be processed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960,” it said. The EC also sought to clarify concerns surrounding a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary, saying it was not related to any policy matter concerning either the Commission or its IT division. According to the EC, the communication “concerned the functioning of an officer on deputation to the Commission”. “The work-reallocation orders issued by the officer were not implemented after directions from two Commissioners and that oversight of the IT division by the Deputy Election Commissioner was never withdrawn,” EC said. “The order for the SIR issued on 24.6.2025 for all States/UTs, starting with Bihar, and 30 other States/UTs was issued with the unanimous approval of the Commission,” EC said. It added Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit homes to upload documents for unmapped persons or those with logical discrepancies. Authorised family members can also attend on the elector’s behalf, the EC said. THE INDIA bloc is expected to go into a huddle on September 30 at the Constitution Club in Delhi to deliberate and strategise a joint programme aimed at cornering the Centre on the issue of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, amid concerns over special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The decision to hold the meeting was taken after the top leadership of INDIA bloc parties touched base on Saturday Leader of . the disputed Trinamool Mamata Banerjee spoke at length over the phone to Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and CPM general secre- NDA allies tary MA Baby to discuss clear the air the course of action against the BJP and CEC, Hours after EC’s clarification on sources said. Besides Rahul, Con- SIR, NDA allies gress chief Mallikarjun TDP, LJP (RV) Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Shiv Sena Mamata, her nephew Ab- (Shinde) came hishek Banerjee, SP out in support of chief Akhilesh Yadav, the poll panel. Andhra Pradesh Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, and CM N ChandBaby are expected to at- rababu Naidu said EC’s tend the meeting. Sources said INDIA statement “puts bloc leaders are likely to to rest all chalk out a roadmap for misconceptions.” pan-India protests seeking removal of Kumar and an independent inquiry into the EC’s decisions. Discussion will focus on three core agenda items, including impeachment motion against Kumar, nationwide stir in poll-bound states including UP Punjab and Uttarakhand. , Speaking in Sreerampur in West Bengal’s Hooghly Mamata on Saturday said, “I sent , a message to Rahul Gandhi, and told him we must sit together.” CPI (Marxist-Lenin) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya termed the controversy as “major national crisis”, and called all Opposition parties to come together. For Rahman visit, Dhaka wants new water-share treaty his father when he was young and the focus quickly turned on survival. Washing utensils, cleaning toilets, working in juice bars, tea shops — name any menial job and he has done it. That was when he was a child. “I worked at tea stalls, juice bars, cleaned washrooms and utensils. I even used to work in farm fields too,” he says. “I even gathered scrap bottles to sell to dealers’ just to buy food.” Kabaddi found him around this time and gave him an extra source of food — leftovers from tournaments. “I survived on vada pav or free food, and food saved from tournaments. I used to take whatever I could in my bag to eat later, even if it was spoiled.” He was around 14 then and was playing in age | P11 group competitions. E x p r ess Re a d CM’s aerial survey of rain-hit dists today Bhubaneswar: With the state government accelerating relief operations in the South Odisha districts affected by heavy rain under the influence of a recent deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is set to undertake an aerial survey of the region on Sunday to review the prevailing situation | P3 Committed to protect students’ rights: CJI Patna: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday asserted that the judiciary was committed to protecting students’ fundamental right to peaceful protest and would not “look the other way” in cases involving alleged infringement of the right. He was responding to question on police action on peaceful protesters | P7 Srimandir mgmt plans new Suna Besha ornaments for deities R a j k u m a r M o h a n t y @ Puri The Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee has decided to prepare a new set of ornaments for the Suna Besha rituals of the holy Trinity tem, ple chief administrator Arabinda Padhee said on Saturday . The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) will make the ornaments from its own resources and also plans to seek donations from interested individuals and organisations, he said. The new ornaments will rep- licate the design, size and weight of those currently used for Suna Besha, based on the details available from the recent inventory, Padhee said after the managing committee meeting. “The temple administration has adequate knowledge of the weight and designs of the existing ornaments following the recent inventory. The new ornaments will be replicated in letter and spirit,” he said. The SJTA will shortly float a tender inviting agencies experienced in designing and mak- ing ornaments for deities. The managing committee, chaired by Puri Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb, also approved the temple administration’s budget for 2025-26. Padhee said the Gundicha Temple, which has remained closed to devotees for more than a decade for repairs, will reopen on September 30. The temple is generally opened to devotees during the Rath Yatra and closed after the festival. Entry will be free for the first three days after reopening. Thereafter, devotees will be charged a fee of `10, except those above 80 years of age and children, Padhee said. The meeting also discussed the construction of an Adarsha Gurukul School at Matitota in Puri. The Odisha Bridge Construction Corporation has been entrusted with the construction, while Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone in November, Padhee said. The committee also discussed construction of houses for homeless servitors. A uniform policy under the Shree Jagannath Temple Land Management Rules, 2026, will be operationalised soon. Servitors seeking benefits under the rules will have to report to the temple, with a dedicated cell to function at the temple office. The land registration office has been asked to fix a date for registration of temple endowments. Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb presided over the meeting.