DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2025, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY ON DECEMBER 12, 2024, FLIGHT BY SAME PLANE WAS CANCELLED DUE TO ELECTRIC FAILURE Under scanner: Tech snag hours before crash, if switch can cut off without pilot command Flight data analysis to focus on ‘trail of errors’ as noted in technical logs ADITI RAJA VADODARA, JULY 16 INSIDE PROTESTS IN ODISHA AFTER STUDENT’S DEATH; BANDH TODAY NO DAMAGE TO INFRA FROM PAK DRONES, SAYS CDS PAGES 6, 7 `7.00 (RAIPUR, `15 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 INVESTIGATORS PROBING the June 12 Air India plane crash are closely studying snags that cropped up in the electrical and software components of the aircraft which could possibly have triggered “un-commanded” actions. “The probe will ascertain the possibility of an ‘un-commanded transition’ of the fuel control switches to the cut-off mode seconds after the lift-off,” an official aware of the investigation told The Indian Express, requesting anonymity. On June 12, the aircraft crashed less than a minute after take-off, killing 260 people, including 241 on board. In fact, just hours before take-off from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, a pilot flying the same aircraft fromDelhito Ahmedabad noted in the technical log a ‘Stabilizer Position Transducer Defect’, the official said. AI 171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 241 on board, 19 on ground The Stabilizer Position Transducerisessentiallyasensor that controls aircraft pitch — the up and down movement of the nose — and transmits the data in electricalsignalstotheflightcon- trol system to ensure that responses to pilot input are accurate. The official said the malfunction was checked and the engineer did the trouble shooting as per Boeing procedure. “The malfunction is a critical issue as it can trigger incorrect responses in flight control, including unintended fuel cut-off signal,” the official said. But he added, “The Stabilizer Position Transducer malfunction did not cause this crash, but the question is whether it led to multiple sensor failure.” A few weeks before, there wereatleasttwomoreincidents, one of electrical snags in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 AMID INDIA-U.S. TRADE PACT NEGOTIATIONS India,China,Brazilcan behitbysanctionsover Russiatrade:NATOchief Rutte says countries should call Putin, tell him to get serious about truce talks NEW DELHI, JULY 16 NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP NEW DELHI, JULY 16 AT A time when Delhi and Washington are working on a tradedealbeforethepauseonreciprocal tariff ends August 1, NATO Secretary General Mark RuttesaidWednesdaythatcountries like India, China and Brazil couldbehitveryhardbysecondarysanctionsif theycontinuedto do business with Russia. Speaking in Washington, Rutte, according to the Reuters news agency, said countries in CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E E X P L A I NE D SUKALP SHARMA In India, wait and ● watch INDIAN REFINERS are adopting a wait-andwatch approach while keeping Russian oil flows robust. In fact, imports of Russian crude may rise further amid the tariff threats as Indian refiners would ideally want to stock up before any tariff action takes effect. AS INDIAN negotiators engage with the US in extended talksfor an interim deal this week, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the US has signed a trade deal with Indonesia, opening the country to trade with the US, and that an agreement “on the same lines” is being worked on with India. After what Hasan Nasbi, spokespersonfortheIndonesian President, called an “extraordinary struggle” by their negotiators, the US and Indonesia announced that the reciprocal tariffs faced by the Southeast Asiancountrywouldbereduced from 32 per cent to 19 per cent. Trump said American firms, in exchange, would have “full access” to the Indonesian market. “We have full access into Indonesia, everything. As you know, Indonesia is very strong CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Scheme to develop 100 agri districts across country gets Cabinet go-ahead 36 existing schemes with an annual outlay of Rs 24,000 cr to be converged HARIKISHAN SHARMA Indonesia pact gives us full access, India deal on same lines: Trump RAVI DUTTA MISHRA PM DHAN-DHAANYA KRISHI YOJANA NEW DELHI, JULY 16 ‘FEELS LIKE HOME’ Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla posted this photograph with wife Kamna following his return from the mission to the International Space Station. “Coming back to Earth and holding my family back in my arms felt like home,” he wrote on Instagram. REPORT,PAGE8 SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ON OP SINDOOR SIT misdirecting itself, submit report in 4 weeks: SC on Ashoka prof probe Bench questions seizure of devices, tells SIT to stick to posts ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, JULY 16 ASKING WHY the Haryana Special Investigation Team (SIT) was “misdirecting itself” in the caserelatedtoAshokaUniversity ProfessorAliKhanMahmudabad — who was arrested in May over his social media posts on Prof Ali Khan Mahmudabad faces two FIRs OperationSindoor—theSupreme Court on Wednesday said the SIT was only supposed to “examine THE UNION Cabinet on Wednesdayapprovedthe‘Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana’(PMDDKY),whichenvisages development of 100 agricultural districts through the convergenceof existingschemes with an annual outlay of Rs 24,000 crore per year. “The scheme will be implemented through convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 departments, other State schemes and local partnerships with the private sector,” said an official statement issued after the Cabinet meeting. At a briefing on the Cabinet's decisions, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnawsaidtheschemewould beimplementedforsixyearsbeginning from 2025-26. “A masterplanwillbepreparedforeach district.Itwillincludeagriculture and other allied activities,” Vaishnaw said. He said the scheme would benefit about 1.7 the contents of the posts”. The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi also questioned the seizure of Mahmudabad’s cellphone and other electronic devices, and asked the SIT to confine itself to the two FIRs filed against him, see if there was an offence, and submit its report in four weeks. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw briefs media on the Cabinet decisions. ANI INSIDE RENEWABLES BOOST: NTPC CAN INVEST `20,000 CR, NCL INDIA `7,000 CR RESOLUTION PASSED ON SHUKLA’S SPACE MISSION PAGES 8, 15 crore farmers. The scheme was first announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech earlier this year. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD U.S. FIRES 17 JUDGES, SENDS DEPORTEES TO TINY AFRICAN COUNTRY SYRIAN GOVT, DRUZE DECLARE TRUCE P 14 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Let citizenship to daughter of OCI cardholders Booked for assault after scuffle at meeting of be one-off, don’t open floodgates: Govt to HC corporation, son of Patna Mayor is on the run MHAappeals2024ruling’sviewson‘illegalimmigrant’,‘personof Indian-origin’ SOHINI GHOSH NEW DELHI, JULY 16 AFTER A single-judge bench of theDelhiHighCourtdirectedthe CentretograntIndiancitizenship to a “stateless” 17-year-old girl borninIndiatoacoupleofIndianoriginholdingUScitizenship,the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has challenged the HC’s “views” on “illegal immigrant” and “per- son of Indian-origin”. TheMHA,representedbygovernment pleader Abhigyan Siddhant, urged the division bench of Chief Justice D K UpadhyayaandJusticeTusharRao Gedela on Monday to clarify that the single-judge’s judgment of May 15, 2024 should be consideredasanindividualcaseandnot a precedent, meaning it may not be used for relief in other cases. TheMHAapprehendsthatthe single judge’s observation on the twoaspects“mayopenfloodgates formanyotherillegalmigrantsin seeking Indian citizenship” and “would have a cascading effect and would dilute the spirit of the Citizenship Act, 1955.” The 2024 ruling was in the case of Rachita Francis Xavier, born in 2006 in Nidamanuru, Andhra Pradesh, to parents who were earlier Indian citizens and obtained US citizenship in 2001 and2005. In2019, whenRachita applied for a passport to study abroad, her request was denied onthegroundthatshecannotbe recognised as a citizen of India, effectively leaving her with no recognitionof citizenship,either in India or the US. She then challenged the action before the Delhi HC. Relying on the citizenship laws and provisions, the MHA CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 HIMANSHU HARSH PATNA, JULY 16 THE PATNA Municipal Corporation (PMC) turned into a “battlefield”lastweekafteraroutinemeeting spiralled into a fistfightbetweenShishirKumar,the sonof PatnaMayorSitaSahu,and Opposition councillors. Police havechargedShishirwithassault and “interference with government business”, on a complaint lodged by councillor Jeet Kumar. Patna Mayor Sita Sahu (centre) holds a protest against the raid at her residence earlier this week by police who were searching for her son Shishir Kumar (left) A hunt is on for Shishir who is said to be absconding. TheJuly11meetinghadbeen convened by Sahu to fast track “contentious” proposals. This was objected to by Municipal Commissioner Animesh Kumar Parashar, who claimed these projects had been put on hold as they“intendedtobenefitprivate interests”. After Sahu insisted that the proposals be passed, Parashar staged a walkout. A verbal duel between the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Second thoughts on ‘tapping’ complaint, Ramadoss and son look to patch up PAGE 1 ANCHOR ARUN JANARDHANAN CHENNAI, JULY 16 THE SIMMERING public rift between Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss and his son, party president Anbumani Ramadoss, may be headed for a cooling down — promptednotbyasuddenmeeting of the minds, but the alleged discoveryofatappingdevice,and apprehension of a police probe. According to two senior PMK sources and a family confidant, a complaint filed on behalf of Ramadoss about the discoveryof asophisticatedaudio-tappingdeviceathishouse,andthehintthat the son’s side may be implicated in it, had prompted a flurry of damage-control efforts by the family.GViswanathan,whoruns the VIT Group of Institutions and isalong-timefriendofthefamily, is reportedly the chief mediator. Acomplaintfiledwithpolice’s Cyber Crime Wing by PMK Headquarters secretary M Anbalagan says that “an apparatus(bug)”wasfoundattheofficial residenceofRamadossbyhisstaff on the evening of July 9, “in the usual sitting chair (sofa)”, while they were cleaning the furniture. The complaint added that the device was planted while Ramadoss was not present, and sought a thorough search of the house“tofindoutif thereareany otherdevicesalsofixedinanysecret place by the mischief mongers, who all appear to be antisocial elements”. The complaint also urged the authorities “to take appropriate legal action at This December 2024 photo from Anbumani Ramadoss’s Facebook account shows him with his father S Ramadoss the earliest, apart from providing adequate police force for the safety of our Founder President and his family”. However, the PMK and Ramadossfamilylatergotapprehensive that the complaint provided a reason to the DMK government to send in state police intoRamadoss’shouse,aswellas goafterAnbumani.ThePMKisan allyoftheBJP-ledNDAinthestate. Incidentally, Ramadoss’s complaint regarding the “tapping” device followed earlier questions raised by him about digital security within the party, claiming that his social media accounts were stillcontrolled by those loyal to Anbumani, whom he had dismissed. “With the Villupuram police reportedly preparing to act on the complaint (over the ‘bugging’device),andseekingdetails, the possibility of law enforcement entering the family properties and potentially questioning Anbumani became too risky forbothsides,”saidaseniorPMK leader. “Letting them enter the house itself would be detrimentaltotheparty,”saidatopsource in the party. This added an urgency to the mediation efforts between the father and son, and as per sources, a breakthrough is near. A top source in the family said it was Anbumani’s father-in-law Krishnaswamy, who is also a friend of Viswanathan, who had urgedtheVITGroupownertointervene. Senior Ramadoss and Viswanathan are believed to have met last week on Saturday. The top PMK source said: “The conversation between Viswanathan and Ayya (Ramadoss) was candid. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2