DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2025, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 U.S. PRESIDENT POSTS PHOTO OF MODI, PUTIN, XI TOGETHER DAY AFTER 5 POWER PLANT WORKERS WERE SWEPT AWAY, BODY OF ONE FOUND SURAT: RECORD NO. OF GANESH IDOLS DRIVES DEMAND FOR PRIESTS FROM OTHER CITIES PAGE 4 SIT in Vantara to conduct inquiry in line with Supreme Court order EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 5 AFTER THE Supreme Court ordered a Special investigation Team (SIT) headed by its former judge Justice J Chelameswar to lookintotheaffairsof theVantara wildliferescueandrehabilitation centreinGujarat’sJamnagar,the fact-findingpanelvisitedthesite Thursdaytoprobetheallegations made by two Public Interest Litigations (PILs), The Indian Express has learnt. The PILs were filed in the wake of a controversy over the shifting of an elephant, Mahadevi, from a temple in Kolhapur to Vantara in July. A source privy to the development confirmed that the Supreme Court-appointed factfinding team visited the site Thursday to begin its three-day inquiry at Vantara — the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre of Reliance Foundation. The survey will be completed by Saturday, the source said. On August 28, the SC’s DivisionBenchof JusticesPankaj Mithal and P B Varale had ordered a SIT to be instituted on the back of the two PILs. Besides JusticeChelameswar,theSITalso has former Chief Justice of Uttarakhand and Telangana High Court Justice Raghavendra Chauhan,formerMumbaiPolice Commissioner Hemant Nagrale and Additional Commissioner Customs Anish Gupta. The apex court had directed the SIT to examine and submit a reportonanumberofissues—includingtheacquisitionofanimals from India and abroad, particularly elephants, and compliance with the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and rules for zoos. The courthaddirectedtheSITtosubmit its report by September 12. US dials it up: Trump says lost India to China, Lutnick claims Delhi will give in No comment, says MEA on remark by US President, rejects Navarro’s charge NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 5 SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 5 THE CHILL between Delhi and Washington, precipitated by President Donald Trump’s 25% extra tariff framed as a “Russian penalty,” deepened Friday with both Trump and his Commerce Secretary making remarks that further seemed to roughen the road towards a quick resolution. Inhisfirstremarksonthehuddle between Prime Minister NarendraModi,RussianPresident Vladimir Putin and Chinese PresidentXiJinpingatthesummit of the Shanghai Cooperation OrganisationleadersinTianjinlast weekend,Trumpsaidit“lookslike we have lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China”. This comes days after Trump’s efforts to persuade Putin to end the war in Ukraine — in the wake of their Alaska summit — have begun to stall. Posting a photograph of Modi, Putin and Xi walking together, Trump took to Truth Social and said: “Looks like we have lost India and Russia to deepest,darkestChina.Maythey have a long and prosperous future together!” Almost as if on cue, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick,whoseteamhasbeenin negotiations with Delhi on the bilateral trade deal, dialled up the rhetoric, too. Two days after Commerce MinisterPiyushGoyalexpressed hope that the US deal would be sealed by November, Lutnick, asked about Trump’s post and thesouringof India-USrelations, said: “They’re the vowel between Russia and China (in BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY May they have a long and prosperous future together!: Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform ECONOMY AHEAD OF EU BAN ON FUELS FROM RUSSIAN OIL, DIESEL EXPORTS FROM INDIA SHOOT UP PAGE 18 BRICS). If that’s who you want to be, go be it. But either support the dollar, support the United States of America, support your biggest client, who is the American consumer, or I guess you’re going to pay a 50% tariff. Andlet’sseehowlongthislasts.” “So, I think yes, in a month or two months, I think India is going to be at the table, and they’re going to say they’re sorry, and they’re going to try to make a deal with Donald Trump,” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump with Bill Gates, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg and other tech elite during a dinner at White House. AP PAGE17 Pushback: We will buy Russian oil, says FM; Jaishankar to attend BRICS E SUKALP SHARMA & SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 5 AMIDTHEstrainintiesbetween DelhiandWashingtonfollowing US punitive tariffs on India over itspurchaseof Russianoil,Union Finance Minister Nirmala SitharamansaidFridaythatDelhi will continue to buy oil from Moscow because India’s oil purchases are driven by economic and commercial considerations. She said the impact of 50 per cent tariffs imposed on Indian goods by the Trump administration will be offset to a certain ex- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tentbytheGoodsandServicesTax (GST) reforms, which included simplificationandreductionofindirect tax rates on numerous items.Thegovernment,shesaid,is CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ● Echo from Tianjin BRAZIL PRESIDENT Lula’s call for talks on multilateralism at the BRICS meeting is an echo from the Tianjin summit of SCO where China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Modi discussed multilateralism and a multipolar world in the backdrop of the Trump tariffs. ANIL SASI NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 5 AS THE government attempts to cobble together a consensus for pushing through two key legal amendments that aim to liberalise the nuclear energy sector, foreignequipmentvendorshave flagged the need for putting in place quality standards to up- gradethemid-andlowertiernuclear supplier base in India. Global companies that have commenced exploratory talks for partnerships have suggested rolling out a national programme to train equipment suppliers, especially for newer technological formats such as light water reactors assembly and fabricating small modular reactors. Theneedforqualityhasbeen specificallyflaggedinthesecond and third rung of equipment suppliers that, in turn, provide inputstoTier-1supplierssuchas L&T, Bharat Forge, Godrej & Boyce and Walchandnagar Industries. These suppliers fabricate core equipment such as calandrias, end shields, moderator heat exchangers, dump tanks,fuelmagazinesetc,butde- pend on hundreds of smaller inputproviders.Alongsidethis,the global players have also flagged the need for a robust cybersecurityprotocol.Theyhavecitedpotential risks including loss of control over vital information that can possibly impact nuclear plant operations and hold plant operatorshostageintheeventof a cyber attack. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE UNION Health Ministry has issued a notice to the former headof thebiochemistrydepartment at GB Pant Hospital in Delhi to explain her unauthorised absence from duty for around three years while drawing salary during this period — the doctor’s social media profile describes her as a “filmmaker” based in Canada. Records reviewed by The PAGE 1 ANCHOR Indian Express show the notice was issued to Dr Manju Subberwal on July 28, asking why action should not be initiated for non-compliance with rules and regulations related to government officials availing leave. It also asked why the unauthorised absence should not be treated as a break in service, and why allowance and pay disbursed during this period not be recovered. Sources said the Union Health Ministry has also sought C P Radhakrishnan is the NDA choice for V-P. Elections will be held on September 9 According to protocol, the V-P gets Z-plus cover from the security division of Delhi Police, including three officers holding the rank of Assistant Police Commissioner as Personal SecurityOfficers.Itisthesecondhighest security category in the country after the Special Protection Group cover for the Prime Minister and immediate family members. In the Z-plus category, around 50 personnel work in shifts with enhanced arrangements for the residence and cavalcade. The security protocol for the President, Vice-President and Prime Minister is based on CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 6 killings & counting: Heavy price of being a temporary teacher in Chhattisgarh Shikshadoots beingtargetedbyMaoists onsuspicionof beingpoliceinformers The shikshadoots have been hired to help reopen schools shut due to Maoist violence in remote villages. Jayprakash S Naidu JAYPRAKASH S NAIDU RAIPUR, SEPTEMBER 5 Doctor drawing salary in Delhi is For Japanese team, hockey tour at filmmaker in Canada, gets notice Asia Cup is also a spiritual quest NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 5 AFTER RECEIVING fresh threat inputsandconductingasecurity assessment, the Centre is planning to hand over the Z-plus security cover for the VicePresident to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) instead of Delhi Police, The Indian Express has learnt. Sources said the plan was conveyed to Delhi Police officers byCRPFofficersduringajointsecurity review meeting ahead of theVice-Presidentialelectionon September 9. Representatives of Intelligence agencies and paramilitary forces were also part of the meeting. “It was conveyed that CRPF will deploy commandos inside the premises of V-P Enclave while Delhi Police will conduct car passage clearance duty,” sources said, adding that no official communication has been received yet. Theelectionwasnecessitated by the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar from the post in July due to health reasons. As Govt plans legal tweaks to open up n-sector, foreign vendors flag quality gaps in supplier base CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ANKITA UPADHYAY On Centre’s table: Transferring V-P’s Z-plus cover from Delhi Police to CRPF MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL EXPLAINED GUJARAT details from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office for information on Subberwal’s visits to India during the period under scrutiny. Besides, sources said, the hospital has prepared a chargesheet in the case, which will be submitted to the Ministry. Subberwal was removed from the position of HoD nearly a month ago, they said. GB Pant Hospital is a Delhi government-run institution and the head of its biochemistry CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MIHIR VASAVDA RAJGIR, SEPTEMBER 5 WHEN HE heard of the Hockey AsiaCuphostcity,RaikiFujishima typed “Rajgir” on his browser. Sport had taken him to exotic places, but Japan’s captain had “neverheardofthisplacebefore”. The search results surprised him. Fujishimafoundthatformore thanhalfacentury,pilgrimsfrom Japan had been undertaking the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 GAMBIR TELAM is caught in a dilemma. A leader of Chhattisgarh’s shikshadoot (temporary teachers) union, he believes he has a very difficult choice ahead: either continue with his job and riskbeingkilledbyMaoistsorquit and face poverty. “We are caught in Maoists’ crosshairs,” Telam, who has a BA degree, says. “Many have been threatened. Some have quit their jobs.” Many like Telam are in a similar predicament. Earlier this week, a 25-year-old shikshadoot, Kallu Tati, was murdered by MaoistsinBijapur’sLendravillage onallegationsofbeinga“mukbir” (policeinformer)—thesixthtemporary teacher to be killed in Chhattisgarh this year and the eighthsince2023.Forthesetemporary teachers, the killing reinforces what they had always known—therisksofholdinggovernment jobs like theirs. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 GOVT & POLITICS PRESIDENT: SMART TEACHERS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SMART CLASSROOMS Japan’s hockey team at Vishwa Shanti Stupa in Rajgir. They will play Bangladesh in a fifth-place playoff Sunday. Express PAGE 12 ‘Every civilisation has contributed to maths, we must own ours’ AMITABH SINHA NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 5 STRESSING THAT India's Viksit Bharat goal cannot be achieved if we continue to teach colonial history to our children, celebrated mathematician Manjul Bhargava said it is essential to teach them the “correct” history, which includes making them aware of India’s past achievements in science and mathematics, provide them with the right conditions for the development of scientific temperament and expose them to multidisciplinary education. Bhargava, a mathematics professor at Princeton University in the US, is one of the key brains behind the framing of the National Education Policy (NEP) and setting up of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), the two major policy interventions aimed at reforming and modernising education, besides promoting scientific research. The winner of the 2014 Fields Medal, the highest honour in mathematics, Bhargava has lectured extensively on Indian mathematical traditions since ancient times and its con- tributions to the development of the subject over centuries. On Thursday, he delivered the keynote address at the twoday conference on South Asia’s Manuscript Traditions and Mathematical Contributions at the India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi. The conference was organised jointly by IIC’s International Research Division and IIT-Bombay’s Centre for Traditional Indian Knowledge Systems and Skills. An exhibition on Indian contributions to mathematics was also inaugurated by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the occasion. Fields Medal winner Manjul Bhargava delivers an address at the conference on South Asia’s Manuscript Traditions and Mathematical Contributions in New Delhi. IIC Speaking to The Indian Express on the sidelines of the conference, Bhargava said it was extremely important for India to rediscover the achievements of ancient Indian mathematics, much of which remains underappreciated, and many of which got attributed to others. “It is not about trying to put down or belittle other cultures or civilisations and glorify your own. Every civilisation has made important contributions to mathematics that they can be proud of. We must own ours and be proud of them. It acts as an inspiration to the current generation,” he said. Maths and colonial history “Pride, though important, is not the only reason. It is important to learn the origins and evolution of mathematics. That helps not only in a better understanding, but also increases the chances of making new breakthroughs. Mathematics is less aboutformulasorsolutions,and more about the process, exploration and discovery. Currently, students in India mostly learn mathematicsinitscurrentform, thewayitisnow.Thereislittleor no reference to its evolution. But we know that a lot of Indian mathematics, as also in other civilisations, has emerged from local contexts — from local music, art, linguistics, poetry. If students are made aware of how mathematics emerged from these local contexts, it becomes much more relatable to them. Learning becomes easier. The fear of numbers, or mathematics, that we see in a large proportion of students can be significantlyreduced,”Bhargavaadded. “Also, it is extremely important to learn the correct history. Unfortunately, what is taught in India is largely colonial history. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad