kannur l thursday l may 15, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION India rejects China renaming places in Arunachal pradesh India has firmly rejected China’s latest attempt to rename locations in Arunachal Pradesh, calling it a “vain and preposterous” effort arunachal an integral part of india: mea china’s move amid regional unstability New Delhi’s reaction came after China renamed 27 places in Arunachal Pradesh. In a strongly worded statement, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed India’s stance and said, “Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India | P7 ■ ■ Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian argued that the move is within China’s “sovereign rights”. “The Chinese government has standardised the names of some parts of Zangnan (Arunachal) India’s sharp response comes at a time when regional dynamics remain tense, particularly due to the recent response to Pakistan 2017 was when china had renamed parts of arunachal for 1st time 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 Includes 3 new hydro projects Converting run-of-river projects into storage structures Plans for more Indus basin projects readied for Cabinet doned due to Pakistani roadblocks. They include the Bursar After putting the Indus Wa- project (800 MW) on the Maruters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, sudar river within the Indus the government is considering basin. Also, the Uri Stage II (260 three new hydropower projects MW) on the Jhelum commison the Indus River Basin be- sioned in 2013-14 is yet to realsides fast-tracking two other ise its full potential. projects. Additionally, discus“As many of our projects sions are underway among top have not moved forward in the officials to convert the existing past four decades, the governrun-of-river hydro projects into ment is aiming to scale up opstorage projects. erations as soon as possible. The treaty signed in 1960 re- Since the treaty is on hold, the stricts India’s usage of the government will not entertain we s t e r n r iv a ny o b j e c t i o n s ers—Indus, from Pakistan,” Additional Jhelum, and said a senior officpower points Chenab — to er in the Ministry benefit Pakiof Jal Shakti. stan. Ever since, The Permanent Pakistan has Indus Commisbeen stalling Ins i o n , wh i ch i s 4 5 dian proposals mandated to meet 1 3 2 to construct hyannually, has aldropower plants ready been on the on the three rivback burner since 1 Sawalkot Stage II ers under varitwo years. ous pretexts. Many of India’s 2 Kirthai Stage II India put the large and medium 3 Dulhasti Stage II treaty in abeyscale projects on 4 Uri Stage II* ance following the Indus basin a horrific terhave been stalled 5 Bursar project rorist attack on since 1984. The Sa* Uri Stage II commissioned but April 22 in Pawalkot hydropowfull work yet to be completed halgam, killing er project (1,856 26 people. MW) had to be The Ministry of Jal Shakti shelved despite its conceptualihas prepared detailed project sation in 1984 following Pakireports for submission to the stani opposition. While the Cabinet. The proposed projects Kirthai-II (930 MW) was conare Sawalkot Stage II (1,856 ceptualised way back in 1984, MW), Kirthai Stage II (930 MW) work on Kirthai I is in its preand Dulhasti Stage II (260 MW) construction stage. on the Chenab. Dulhasti Stage-II (260 MW) Besides, the ministry has re- over the Chenab was conceived quested Cabinet approval to in 1997-98 and the Bursar fast-track projects that had ei- project (800 MW) on the Maruther slowed down or been aban- sudar river in 2008. J i t e n d r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi New CJI sworn in Justice B R Gavai after taking oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India, at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday, as President Droupadi Murmu looks on | PTI Seed-ball ‘rain’ to give afforestation a leg-up in Kerala A n i l S @T’Puram Imagine lakhs of seed balls being air-dropped from the sky , or thousands joining hands to sow crores of seeds across the length and breadth of Kerala. In a first, the forest department is set to launch a massive initiative across the state to restore Kerala’s natural ecosystem and mitigate human-wildlife conflict. To be christened Vithoott, the initiative is to be implemented with people’s participation. The department, which is on the defensive over increasing incidents of wildlife conflicts and human deaths, also plans to win back the masses’ trust with the move. To be executed somewhat on the lines of a literary campaign, Vithoot has been visualized as a mass movement, where people from different walks of life including school and college students, would come together to identify, prepare and sow seeds. Once the monsoon season sets in, sowing would begin. The identification and coll e c t i o n o f s e e d s wo u l d begin soon. The plan is to distribute seeds from June to August. Site-specific seeds will be dropped to restore the ecosystem, with special focus on places hit by landslides and wildf i re, b e s i d e s ab a n d o n e d plantations, open canopies, E X P R ESS R E A D Jumbo death: MLA frees man, min seeks report Pathanamthitta: Forests Minister A K Saseendran has sought a report into the incident in which Konni MLA K U Jeneesh Kumar allegedly forced the release of a man who was detained by the forest department during an investigation into the death of a wild elephant by electrocution. A video of the incident shows the MLA berating officials | P4 Stale food seized from Vande Bharat caterer Kochi: The health wing of the Kochi corporation on Wednesday seized stale food from a catering unit in Kadavanthra that supplies food to Vande Bharat Express and other trains. The unit had been functioning without a licence and other documents, said officials. The Southern Railway has constituted a highlevel inquiry committee | P5 What are seed balls? Globally proven method of greening and afforestation, seed balls are a combination of soil, green compost and seeds. The earthen cover ensures protection, longevity and better preservation of seeds, in addition to resisting climatic changes. reservoir catchment areas, those under power lines and portions abandoned by tribals after farming. The department plans to bring together people to create a micro-climatic region, and extend their contributions to addressing human-wildlife conflict. It is expected to have multiple spin-off benefits towards tackling climate change, contributing to water security , while ensuring the health of forests and availability of food not just for animals, but also humans. There are guidelines for selecting seeds. Fruit-bearing trees, certain grass species, including bamboos, and seeds with potential for speedy growth, are to be accorded pri● More on P4 ority  . 21 pak crew barred from disembarking BSF jawan Purnam Shaw after being handed over to India | PTI Paradip: Security agencies have barred 21 Pakistani crew members from disembarking a crude oil tanker that arrived at Paradip Port on Wednesday. Sources said the decision was taken keeping in mind the tense situation with Pakistan How India bypassed Chinese air defence systems to hit Pak m aya n k s i n g h @ New Delhi IN a show of strength of the technological might of India’s armed forces, the government on Wednesday said Chinese air defence systems supplied to Pakistan were hoodwinked during Operation Sindoor, with the mission wrapped up in 23 minutes. “Air Force bypassed and jammed Pakistan’s Chinese-supplied air defence systems ... demonstrating India’s technological edge,” the government said. All three services of Pakistan have a major presence of Chinese weapons and systems including the Air Defence systems, J-10, JF-17 fighters, submarines and warships to include a few. On the night of 7-8 May, Pakistan tried to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India, but those were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Grid and Air Defence systems. On May 8, India targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan, apart from taking down an Air Defence system in Lahore. India’s multi-tier defence prevented Pakistan Air Force attacks on Indian airfields and logistic installations on the night of May 9-10. All strikes were executed without loss of Indian assets. The use of long-range drones to guided munitions made the task easier, the Centre said, adding the strikes were highly effective. MP minister gets it from HC for gutter language A n u r aa g S i n g h @ Bhopal An FIR was filed against state minister Vijay Shah after an appalled Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday lit into him for his scurrilous remarks, saying he used the “language of the gutters” against Col Sofia Qureshi, who was part of the national briefing on Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. The court took suo motu cognisance of media reports and digital evidence, after which it ordered the police to file an FIR against him on charges of promoting enmity and hatred. Shah had obliquely referred to Col Qureshi as the “sister of terrorists”. Col Qureshi, along with Wi n g C o m mander Vyomika Singh, was the face of the ar med forces Vijay Shah media briefing. Castig ating Shah, the bench said the armed forces were perhaps the last institution in this country that reflect integrity, industry, discipline, sacrifice, selflessness, character, honour and indomitable courage. It directed that the matter to be listed on top priority for Thursday “At the func. tion in Raikunda village in Mhow (Indore), the minister made nauseating remark against Col Sofia Quraishi by way of an innuendo,” the court observed. Sources said the BJP top brass in New Delhi is extremely angry Shah may be asked to . step down as cabinet minister soon, they added. Nod for HCL-Foxconn semiconductor joint venture in UP r a k e s h k u m a r @ New Delhi THE Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a `3,706 crore semiconductor plant at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, to be set up by the HCL-Foxconn joint venture to manufacture display driver chips for mobile phones, laptops and automobiles. Union minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said with this approval, India now has six semiconductor units in advanced stages of construction. “With this sixth unit, Bharat moves forward in its journey to Multiplier effect Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the new plant will attract investments. Once this unit is there, the display panel plant will also come to India. This will meet 40% of India’s capacity Ashwini Vaishnaw | PTI develop the strategically vital semiconductor industry,” said Vaishnaw. The new plant near Jewar Airport in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) region will manufacture display driver chips for a wide range of devices including mobile phones, laptops, automobiles, and PCs. It is designed for a capacity of 20,000 wafers per month, with an output of up to 36 million chips monthly . Foxconn is the biggest manu- facturer of electronic products, including Apple’s iPhone. The unit is expected to attract an investment of `3,700 crore. Vaishnaw emphasised HCL’s legacy in hardware development and manufacturing, and Foxconn’s global leadership in electronics production. Together, the companies aim to strengthen India’s semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. The minister also highlighted the growing presence of global semiconductor partners in India. He said leading equipment manufacturers have established operations in the country Additionally, gas and . chemical suppliers like Merck, Linde, Air Liquide, and Inox are preparing to support the industry’s expansion. India launched a `76,000 crore incentive scheme in December 2021 to build a robust semiconductor ecosystem. As part of this mission, Tata Electronics, in collaboration with PSMC, is setting up a `91,000 crore-semiconductor fabrication facility in Dholera, Gujarat, which will focus on producing power management chips. Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test is also investing in Morigaon, Assam, for packaging technologies. Bus seizure, norm change In a first, state police to get Army ‘horse power’ dent forest dept’s image two weeks to go S h a n A S @T’Puram It seemed ‘neigh’ impossible at one point. However, after two years of paperwork and overcoming challenges such as obtaining the President’s approval, the Kerala Police’s wait to get horses from the Indian Army’s stable for its mounted police wing is about to end. Kerala’s lone mounted police wing – deployed under the Thiruvananthapuram city police – will receive three thoroughbred horses from the Army’s Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) within two weeks. This is the first time the mounted police is getting horses directly from the Army. Each horse is priced between `6 and `8 lakh. What makes the thoroughbreds special is their sturdiness, speed, adaptability and The more you know Thoroughbred horses are known for their agility, speed and spirit. The sale of Indian Army’s horses require the approval of the President, the supreme commander of the armed forces Indigenous breeds Kathiawari and Marwari and two thoroughbreds are among the horses in state’s mounted police unit 11 horses in Kerala’s mounted police unit 25 sanctioned strength of horses in the unit The mounted police unit of the Kerala Police | FILE PICTURE agility Considered a hot-blood. ed breed, the horses are bold and strong. And since their breeding and training were handled by the Army, they are miles apart from other species in terms of performance, said police sources. The police had initially sanctioned `54 lakh to purchase eight horses from the Army. However, high demand forced the Army to sanction the sale of only three, all aged between three and four years, the sources said. The current set of horses was trained at Remount Depot and Training School, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. They will be brought here via train, with trained men from the mounted police unit accompanying them. Sources said the horses will be brought to Thiruvananthapuram and given a few days to acclimatise, then trained for a few more days before being officially drafted. “The Army horses are already well-trained. We just need to assess their behaviour after which they will be trained to adapt to our working style,” a source said. The mounted horse unit is a colonial legacy and the horses are primarily used for night patrols, parades, and ceremo● More on P4 nies.  Ma n o j V i s w a n at h a n @Kochi The people are unhappy with the forest department. Its decision to impound a KSRTC luxury bus for 24 days for causing the death of a deer in Wayanad and the revision of guidelines for sanctioning compensation to dependents of wild animal attack victims have not gone down well with the public. On April 19, the forest department impounded a KSRTC Scania bus plying between Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru after it hit a deer at Muthanga in Wayanad. A case was registered under Section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act and the bus was kept in custody for 24 days, leading to huge loss to the KSRTC. The bus was released on May 13 after the KSRTC ex- ecuted a bond worth `13 lakh before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Sultan Bathery . “It (the April 19 incident) was an accident. The deer suddenly crossed the road (and got hit by the bus). However, the forest department registered a case for hunting, entirely ignoring the fact that it was an accident. If this is its approach towards a public sector firm you can imagine what will happen if the accused is a person,” said Paul Mathews, a farmer in Sultan Bathery A forest official said . that the case was registered as per the law and that the department cannot bypass rules. Forest Minister A K Saseendran, too, said the department did not do anything to deliberately cause difficulty to the ● More on P4 KSRTC.