vijayawada l sunday l august 09, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 26 l late city EDITION India plans high-risk mission to bring ‘Green Boots’ home India is seeking a specialist recovery team to retrieve the remains of Dorje Morup, a 48-yearold lance naik of ITBP, from Mt Everest’s summit Part of historic everest expedition tricky recovery has september deadline For nearly 30 years, a body known as “Green Boots” has been frozen under a rock near Mount Everest’s summit. Morup was part of a historic 1996 ITBP expedition aiming to become the first Indian team to summit Everest from the Chinese side. Three climbers reached the top; but a blizzard claimed all three. Two bodies remain missing. The third was Morup’s ■ ■ Authorities hope to return Morup’s remains to his family in Ladakh for DNA confirmation and final closure, the BBC reported Recovery from the death zone at 8,500 metres is hazardous. Temperatures can fall to -40°C, and the Chinese side lacks helicopter evacuation. ITBP aims to complete the operation by September. 300 at least 300 people have died in the region since records began 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 PM addresses IIT-D convocation; in UP, Rahul says no jobs available Disruption of public life won’t be tolerated: CM Anti-Snake Venom in 108 Ambulances E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada In a major step aimed at saving the lives of snakebite victims, the Medical and Health Department has decided to make Anti-Snake Venom (ASV) injections available in 108 Ambulances in the State on a pilot basis. The initiative has been introduced against the backdrop of a rising number of snakebite emergency calls. Medical and Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav said 3,104 snakebite-related emergency calls had been received since June 2025. The new system is designed to enable early intervention during the ambulance journey, reducing the risk of the victim’s condition deteriorating before reaching hospital. However, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in 108 Ambulances will not administer ASV independently . If a victim displays symptoms indicating that venom is spreading through the body the EMT should imme, diately contact the doctor at Emergency Response Centre (ERC) in Mangalagiri.  P4 Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi interacts with students in Prayagraj on Saturday | PTI Question Dard, data, ideas, Modi daulat pitch tells Gen Z by Rahul I f r a h M u f t i @New Delhi N a m i ta b a j pa i @ Lucknow ADDRESSING the 57th convocation of IIT Delhi on Saturday Prime Minister Narendra Modi ex, horted graduating students to question ideas accepted without a thought while stressing that they should not stop at questioning but summon the courage to find solutions too. Challenges, he said, become opportunities for only those who innovate boldly . Returning in person to IIT-D after a virtual address during the pandemic, the prime minister told the Class of 2026 that an IIT education’s true value lies beyond degrees, CGPA or placements. “Your degree tells the entire world that you know exactly how to solve highly difAmidst all this ficult problems,” he said. rapid change, The PM recalled IIT-D’s remember hostel rivalries among Kumy words: the maon, Aravali, Karakoram, Vindhyachal, Nilgiri, Kaione who lash and Himadri, and locontinuously cal favourites like Jia learns is the one Sarai’s poha and Satpura who will win mess parathas, saying campus memories would enerNarendra Modi, gise them amid future Prime Minister responsibilities. He advised students to keep their curiosity alive in life.”The fundamental reason for the success of many alumni was that they boldly identified those crucial questions which the world had stopped considering as questions.” The university conferred degrees on over 3,000 graduating students, including 587 PhD scholars, during the ceremony which also saw , the first graduating batches of Bachelor of Design, Executive MBA, MSc in Biological Sciences and MA in Culture, Society Thought. , Of the 587 PhD graduates, 245 were women, on which PM Modi said it would have been “a little nicer” to see one or two more daughters on that list, before correcting himself: “not one or two, but far more.” Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday described India’s youth as the country’s “greatest strength,” asserting their power was unmatched and unparalleled. Addressing the ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ programme in Prayagraj, he told a large gathering of students and competitive exam aspirants: “You are the power and pride of India. When I say this, I am talking about every Indian citizen.” The Congress leader said nations like China, America and Russia were often called major global powers, yet their strength paled in comparision to the potential of Indian youth. In a nearly 20-minute adToday, education dress, he took a jibe at the certificates have education system, noting that families spent hardno meaning in earned money on BA and India because MA degrees that failed to they cannot give generate employment. Only a dozen out of every 1,000 you jobs. All youngsters, he claimed, sedoors of cured permanent jobs. employment “This evening, I want to are closed speak to you about dard (pain), data, and daulat Rahul Gandhi, LoP (wealth),” Rahul said. He argued that all doors of employment were “closed”, blaming a decline in manufacturing, difficulties in securing loans, exam paper leaks and artificial intelligence replacing jobs for hurting young people’s prospects. Despite waterlogging and muddy patches at the venue, the event drew a sizeable crowd. On the recent student protests across the country, Rahul said the youth had “lit a light in the darkness” by confronting their fears and, in doing so, helped change the nation. “We will never resort to hatred or violence. We will change the system with love and affection,” he said, urging the audience to follow the same path. Students present at the venue raised concerns about hostel problems and competitive examinations. P r a b h a k a r Ta m i l a r a s u a n d H a r p r ee t B a j w a @ Chennai/Chandigarh S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 57th Convocation of IIT Delhi, flanked by Education Minister Pralhad Joshi | PTI Different strokes on delimitation in TN, Punjab Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu asserted that the NDA government would not tolerate any activity that violates the law or causes inconvenience to the public. During an informal interaction with mediapersons at the TDP central office in Mangalagiri on Saturday, Naidu said the government would not remain a silent spectator if protests were organised at bus stands or on busy roads, disrupting normal public movement. He slammed the opposition, alleging that protests organised by the YSRCP against ‘irregularities’ in Mega DSC were being attended by rowdies and ‘ganja gangs’ rather than genuine aspirants. Referring to the protest in Kurnool, he said those who participated in it were teachers selected through the Mega DSC recruitment process. Naidu said the orchestrated protest by the YSRCP had prompted teachers to unite and assert their self-respect. He said the white paper released on the State finances CM Chandrababu Naidu receives representations from the public at the TDP central office I Express had received a good response from the public, and helped create awareness about its financial position. He emphasised that people would understand the financial condition of the State only when the facts were explained to them clearly . Naidu said the government would launch two major projects by the end of August. “The Veligonda project and the Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi project up to Anakapalli will be realised this month. The Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi project will be extended up to Visakhapatnam next year,” he said. P4 On a day the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) opened its cards on the controversial delimitation exercise, supporting it, as many as 37 Opposition MPs boycotted an all-party meeting in Chennai on delimitation chaired by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Saturday . While SAD has just one MP in the Lok Sabha, the DMK with 30 MPs, AIADMK 4, DMDK 1, MNM 1 and PMK 1 boycotted the all-party meeting. The DMK and AIADMK said their stand on the issue is unchanged. In his pushback, TN education minister Rajmohan said those who chose not to participate had displayed “selfish politics” and could be acting in the interests of their new friends, implying that the DMK is moving closer to the BJP In the end, . 19 other MPs from six parties resolved to oppose the delimitation bill and urged the Centre to retain the existing number of 543 Lok Sabha seats. In Punjab, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal demanded a fair delimitation exercise. He said his party supports the Centre’s proposal for a uniform increase of 50% seats across all states. Govt to extend targeted support for mobile towers in remote areas E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada In a major push to achieve 100% mobile connectivity across Andhra Pradesh, the State government has decided to extend targeted support for the establishment of mobile towers in rural, remote and commercially unviable areas. The State Cabinet has decided to provide suitable government land without rental charges and subsidised power supply for new mobile towers in uncovered villages and habitations, with the objective of bridging the viability gap that has constrained telecom expansion in such areas. The decision has now been operationalised through orders issued by the Information Technology, Electronics & Comm u n i c a t i o n s Department. The government has identified universal mobile connectivity as a key component of its broader vision for inclusive digital development and seamless access to citizen services. Despite the substantial tele- com network already established in the State, some rural and remote habitations continue to remain outside reliable mobile coverage because of the limited commercial viability of setting up infrastructure in low-density areas. Telecom Service Providers had represented to the government that expansion into these uncovered locations would require support, particularly in the initial years, to offset the cost of land and power as part of the initiative. P4 India opts for France-led FCAS to enter sixth-generation fighter race No UPI user fee for consumers: Govt US V-P dials J a v a r i a R a n a @ New Delhi THE government on Saturday reiterated that consumers will not have to pay any fee for making UPI payments and that a vast majority of merchant transactions will continue to remain free, even if merchant discount rate (MDR) is introduced in the future. The clarification came after Parliament passed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend Section 10A of the Pay- India has begun efforts to join France’s sixthgeneration fighter programme, choosing its Future Combat Air System (FCAS) over the rival British-Italian-Japanese Global Combat Air Prog ramme (GCAP), as it seeks a foothold in next-generation combat aviation. In its Action Taken submission to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, the defence ministry said it had “initiated efforts in a concerted manner to co-join” FCAS, a programme spearheaded by the French government. The disclosure, contained in the committee’s Twenty-Fifth Report for 2025-26 tabled in the Lok Sabha on Friday provides , clarity on a choice the ministry had left open in March. It had then told the committee that the Indian Air Force was looking to join one of the two competing sixth-generation fighter programmes. The move comes as major military powers race to develop combat aircraft designed around stealth, artificial intel- No clarity on nature of participation There is no clarity yet on the precise form of participation in FCAS, including whether it is seeking an observer role, a development partnership, production workshare or access to specific tech. The panel has sought a “status report, roadmap, timeline” on the sixth-gen programme in its next submission ligence (AI), advanced sensors, electronic warfare and mannedunmanned teaming. Unlike conventional fighter programmes, sixth-generation systems are being developed as a “system of systems”, with the crewed fighter expected to operate alongside unmanned aircraft, remote carriers and other networked assets while receiving and sharing data across the battlespace. The technology has growing relevance for India as China expands its air-combat capabilities. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force operates the J-20 and J-35 stealth fighter and is developing a wider ecosystem involving unmanned systems, long-range weapons, airborne sensors and electronic warfare capabilities. It has also flown two prototypes of its sixth-gen fighters. The choice of France also comes against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding bilateral defence ties. FCAS was originally conceived by France, Germany and Spain as a broader combat system comprising a new-generation fighter, unmanned remote carriers, advanced sensors and a combat cloud. The fighter was intended to eventually replace France’s Rafale and the Eurofighter. It was, however, was hit by disagreements between French company Dassault Aviation and Airbus over the division of work, development leadership and intellectual property . E x p r ess n e w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi ment and Settlement Systems Act (PSS Act), enabling introduction of MDR on UPI transactions. The government said the amendment does not impose any charges on UPI transactions. Any MDR, if introduced, would apply only to a limited set of merchant transactions above a specified threshold and at a nominal rate, significantly lower than MDRs applicable to debit and credit cards. “All person-to-person transactions will continue to be free of charge,” the govern- ment said in a statement, adding that the vast majority of merchant transactions would also remain free. Once the amendment comes into force, the UPI and Services Steering Committee, headed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), will decide on the MDR, if any . The amendment is an enabling provision to ensure longterm sustainability of UPI, rather than an immediate move to impose charges on users or merchants, the government said. A similar clarification was issued by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday, followed by the Payments Council of India on Friday . E x p r e s s Re a d Plan to triple Araku Coffee output by 2047 Visakhapatnam: From a modest beginning of 15 tonnes of coffee production five decades ago, Araku Valley has grown into one of India’s internationally recognised coffee-growing regions, now producing around 15,000 tonnes annually. Coffee Board has set an ambitious target of increasing production to 50,000 tonnes by 2047 | P5 Monsoon session of AP Assembly from Aug 17 Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer has issued a notification convening the monsoon session of the State legislature from August 17. The duration of the session will be decided by the Business Advisory Committees of the Legislative Assembly and the Council. According to sources, the monsoon session of the Assembly is likely to be held for four days. The State government is expected to introduce several important bills during the monsoon session. WITH THIS ISSUE The Brain Game Brigade PLUS 12 P AGES PM Modi J aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi US Vice President JD Vance rang up Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday as India and the United States seek to steady bilateral ties and maintain momentum in their strategic partnership. During the phone call, the two leaders “reviewed progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership” and “noted the sustained momentum in the high-level engagements,” according to an official release. They “reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in trade, defence, critical and emerging technologies, energy security and critical minerals,” the release said. Modi and Vance also exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest. Modi later said in a post on X: “Received a phone call from US Vice President JD Vance. We discussed ways to deepen IndiaUS Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.” The Prime Minister also congratulated Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, on the birth of their son.