tirupati l saturday l october 10, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l anantapur EDITION house panel recommends NTA’s accountability to Parliament A Parliamentary Standing Committee has called for a legislative mechanism to ensure NTA’s accountability to both Houses of Parliament wants robust exam security apparatus The committee, examing the National Testing Agency (NTA) in the wake of NEET-UG paper leak and re-test, said the cancellation of the exam this year implies need for further improvement. “The NTA needs adequate staff, robust security, clear accountability mechanisms, and digitalization of operations and examinations” to prevent paper leak, it said ■ 16 ‘seek help from renowned institutions’ ■ The panel recommended that NTA must only rely on bona fide experts from renowned educational institutions like IITs, AIIMS, IIMs to develop its question banks and for translation purposes It also suggested that students who arrive late at exam centres be allowed to sit for the test after recording an undertaking of 39 sanctioned posts at nta are vacant, per the house panel 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 India calls US V-P Prez sought vote theft proof, says INDIA bloc Total shutdown in Delhi for CJP march Vance remark on foreign workers deeply offensive P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi India on Friday termed US Vice-President J D Vance’s remarks on foreign workers “unwarranted” and “deeply offensive”, asserting that Indian professionals make significant contributions to the American economy innovation and job crea, tion. New Delhi also said the US decision to suspend Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) applications for certain companies does not advance the shared ambitions of the two nations. “Talent mobility is of tremendous mutual benefit for the two countries and our expectation is that all stakeholders in this process can appreciate this fact,” the external affairs ministry (MEA) said. “The steps announced by the US do not advance the shared ambitions of both countries,” said the MEA. The response came after the US suspended new PERM applications and halted the processing of pending applications for eight companies, including Microsoft, Adobe and Capgemini, as well as Indian IT firms Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro and HCL. The move is part of the Trump administration’s wider push to tighten employment-based immigration, with officials arguing that companies should prioritise American workers. Vance accused Microsoft of using the programme to replace American employees with foreign workers. Rejecting the characterisation of foreign professionals as “foreign indentured servants”, the MEA said such descriptions ignored the contribution of Indian workers to the US economy and innovation ecosystem. “Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive,” the MEA said and highlighted the role generations of immigrants have played in America’s economic growth and prosperity . The suspension affects the PERM programme, a labour-certification process that US employers generally need to complete before sponsoring eligible foreign employees for employment-based Green Cards. Introduced in 2005, the programme requires employers to establish that there are not enough qualified and available US workers for a position and that hiring a foreign worker will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed Americans. Rice prices soar much to chagrin of consumers Y B r a h m a j i @ Vijayawada Rice, the staple food for people of the State, has become costlier, putting an additional financial burden on households, who are already struggling with the rising prices of essential commodities. The price of a 26 kg rice bag, which stood at `1,700 to `1,800 between March and August, has now increased to `2,200, registering a rise of nearly 25 to 30 per cent in just two months. The sharp rise in rice prices has exposed the failure of the Civil Supplies authorities to effectively regulate the market, and check millers’ pricing practices, leaving middle income families under severe financial stress. The price rise has gathered pace almost by the day, with fine rice currently selling at `80 to `85 a kg. If the trend continues unchecked, the rice price may touch `100 a kg, putting the staple food beyond the comfortable reach of a large section of households. The shar p increase has brought the role of rice millers under scrutiny. Allegations have emerged that rice millers are forming a syndicate, holding stocks, and exploiting the prevailing supply situation to maximise profits at the expense P4 of consumers.  The steps announced by the US (on Green Cards) do not advance the shared ambitions of both countries MEA statement Why it matters For Indians, the suspension could delay permanent residency. Many skilled workers enter the US on H-1B before seeking employersponsored Green Cards No H-iB impact MEA said since PERM is separate from H-1B visa, the suspension does not by itself affect the status of existing holders and dependants President Droupadi Murmu with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, LoP Rahul Gandhi, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and CPI’s D Raja on Friday | PTI Ahead of Saturday’s CJP march, Delhi Police and central agencies imposed a total clampdown on the capital with over 25,000 police and paramilitary personnel deployed. Additional CCTV cameras were installed at key locations and 57 Delhi Metro stations were closed. Northern Railway said 38 trains, scheduled to arrive at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations between 4 am and 2 pm on Saturday, had been cancelled. Commercial establishments at Connaught Place, near Jantar Mantar, have been advised closure on Saturday | P7 Other demands included immediate suspension of the SIR and restoration of all 13.30 crore voters “illegally” deleted from electoral rolls. The memorandum urged the repeal of all Assembly polls over the last two years, in which conclusive evidence of “vote chori” has been presented. “Assembly elections in Haryana, Mahar- and fair elections’. I was shocked and stunned that the President accepted what we said,” he said, adding the Opposition will provide the evidence when the President is ready to accept it. He said the INDIA bloc would approach the Supreme Court on Monday to meet the Chief Justice and hand over a memorandum. ashtra, MP, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Delhi and West Bengal have been stolen,” it read. Speaking to reporters after the hour-long meeting with Murmu, Rahul Gandhi termed it an “unbelievable meeting”. “I expected the President of India to deny that ‘vote chori’ is taking place. I expected the President to say ‘India has free a ge n c i es @ Oslo NAVI Pillay, a South Africanborn jurist and former UN human rights chief whose career has spanned from defending the rights of an imprisoned Nelson Mandela to leading a panel that found that Israel committed g enocide in Gaza, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for her efforts to promote international law as it comes under attack. Her win is a high-profile rebuke to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who have both rejected the findings of the UN commission she led on Gaza. The lead- ers also have been highly critical of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. Pillay, 85, has worked at both. Hours after the award was announced in Norway, the Trump administration imposed sweeping new sanctions on the ICC as part of a campaign to dismantle the tribunal that the US believes has become politicised and attempted to unfairly and illegally prosecute Americans and Israelis on charges of war crimes. On the 125th anniversary of the prize’s inception, the Norwegian Nobel Committee sought “to remind the world that the rule of law, national and international, underpins the system we have set up to ensure peace and resolve conflicts nonviolently. Peace requires justice,” committee Chair man Jørgen Watne Frydnes said. Pillay received the news while attending a forum in Nuremberg, Germany . She chaired the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, which was created by the UN-backed Human Rights Council. Following a hearing, the commission a year ago concluded Israel was responsible for genocide in Gaza. Gaza was among Pillay’s first comments after hearing she had won. “What’s happening there is genocide,” she said in Germany . Navi Pillay Tamil roots Born in Durban on September 23, 1941, to a family of Indian origin with Tamil roots, Navanethem “Navi” Pillay grew up under apartheid. She later pursued postgraduate studies at Harvard Law School. In 1995, she was elected to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she served as a judge until 2003. S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada @ New Delhi The Andhra Pradesh government failed to justify the breach of 50% reservation ceiling as the Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain its plea against the High Court order quashing 34% quota for Backward Classes in local body elections. Hearing the plea, a bench comprising, Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu, stated that the AP High Court had passed a reasonable order, and no interference is warranted at this stage. The bench observed that the High Court has rightly held that reservation cannot exceed the 50% ceiling limit laid down by the Supreme Court in its earlier judgments, and that the State government’s orders providing 34% reservation for BCs in local bodies were in violation of the said cap. The Andhra Pradesh government had issued two GOs providing 34% reservation for BCs in local body elections, taking the total beyond 50% ceiling. These GOs were challenged before the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which struck down the orders holding them to be unconstitutional, and contrary to the law laid down by the SuP4 preme Court.  The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet will meet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the Secretariat on Saturday The Cabinet is . expected to take a decision on reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections. The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the AP government’s petition seeking to provide 34% reservation for BCs in local body elections, upholding the High Court’s verdict in the matter. Against this backdrop, the Cabinet is likely to discuss the steps to be taken in accordance with the Supreme Court’s ruling while honouring the government’s commitment to people of the State. CM Chandrababu Naidu interacts with farmers of Kondepi on Friday | Express The meeting is also expected to deliberate on ways to ensure justice for all sections of society while keeping the total reservation within the 50% ceiling, sources said. Responding to the Supreme Court’s refusal to entertain the AP’s plea on 34% BC reserva- Kharge told reporters the President said she would probe the matter thoroughly and decide on the next steps. Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah, NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule, RJD’s Manoj Jha, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, IUML’s ET Mohammed Basheer and CPI’s D Raja were part of the delegation. IFRAH MUFTI @ New Delhi SC declines to entertain More tickets than quota for BCs: Naidu AP’s plea on BC quota S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y Police personnel on duty near Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Friday | Parveen Negi JNU sacks Cong MP as prof over sex harassment Peace Nobel for jurist who found Israel guilty of Gaza genocide tion, the Chief Minister said the TDP would continue to support BCs, and ensure their representation through the party . Terming BCs the backbone of the TDP, he said the party has consistently worked for their social, economic and political P4 advancement.  THE Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Friday dismissed Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, a Congress Lok Sabha MP from Inner Manipur, after an internal inquiry found him guilty of sexually harassing female students. Prof Akoijam was associated with the Centre for the Study of Social Systems in the School of Social Sciences. The dismissal order, issued on October 9 and signed by Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit, was based on the findings of the university’s Internal Committee, which recommended a ‘major punishment’. The order said the dismissal is with immediate effect. “Upon following the due process and considering all available facts and as per the Prof Angomcha report of the InBimol Akoijam ternal Committee, the punishment of dismissal from the services of the University is hereby imposed on Professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, Centre for the Study of Social Systems, School of Social Sciences of the University .” Akoijam was elected to the Lok Sabha from Inner Manipur in 2024 as a candidate of the Indian National Congress. The termination comes after the Delhi Commission for Women sought a report from JNU. DCW Chairperson Lata Gupta took suo motu cognisance of a video shared on social media in which students said they submitted a complaint against the professor in May 2026 but the university did not take appropriate action. Messi affair Kochi stadium revamp claim `70 crore, actual cost `8.44 crore G OPI K A V ARRI E R @ Kochi AN inter nal report of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) has found that the cost of renovating the city’s Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium for the failed Lionel Messi friendly was inflated by over `60 crore. The GCDA owns the stadium. The report, accessed by TNIE, put the preliminary cost of the renovation at `8.44 crore, against the `70 crore sponsor Reporter Broadcasting Corporation claimed to have spent. According to the internal report, a panel headed by the GCDA secretary conducted a preliminary assessment of the stadium renovation, calculating costs based on the market rates of materials and individual works. The report pegged the cost of boundary wall work at `1.19 crore, parking ground development at `1.66 crore and press clusive gallery chair installation at `2.22 crore. Painting, entrance lobby revamp, toilet renovation and electrical work cost `1.36 crore, while another `2 crore was spent under other heads. Even if a 10% margin is allowed, the actual cost wouldn’t have touched `10 crore, GCDA Lionel Messi heavy burden J D Vance After a meeting with President Droupadi Mur mu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, INDIA bloc leaders on Friday said the President neither denied the Opposition’s allegations nor questioned them, but asked the delegation to provide evidence of “vote theft”. A 10-member delegation, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and CPM general secretary M A Baby met the President in the , evening and submitted a memorandum. The demands in the memorandum included the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, a return to ballot papers for elections and the repeal of the 2023 law that provides lifelong immunity to the CEC and Election Commissioners. sources said. The report also said 15,000 fixed seats were left untouched during the renovation and needed replacement when the sponsor handed the stadium back to the GCDA. Contrary to former GCDA chairperson K Chandran Pillai’s claim that the renovation cost the authority nothing, the report said GCDA carried out electrical and fencing works and maintained the floodlights, spending `50 lakh. Pillai was unavailable for comment. The report said Sports Kerala Foundation (SKF) prescribed the specifications for the materials used to meet FIFA approval requirements. It noted that GCDA engineers did not supervise the work, with SKF officials overseeing it instead. The stadium was handed over to the RBC through the SKF on September 26, 2025. The sponsor claimed to have spent `70 crore on the renovation.