04122025-TTC-01.qxd 12/4/2025 12:42 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 334 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 ARAVALLIS FACING ‘DEATH WARRANT’ DUE TO GOVT POLICIES: SONIA NATION /thetribunechd REVISED RESERVATION FRAMEWORK GETS CABINET APPROVAL J&K SMARTPHONE EXPORTS TO US TRIPLED IN OCT TO $1.47 BN BUSINESS TRUMP DESERVES CREDIT FOR ‘VERY DANGEROUS’ PEACE DEALS: RUBIO WORLD thursday | 4 december 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com to roll out red Amid snooping row, govt revokes order Delhitoday as worldcarpet for Putin watches to pre-install Sanchar Saathi on phones Ajay Banerjee DoT defends move, cites surge in voluntary downloads | Cong calls it damage control Shekhar Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 3 The Centre on Wednesday reversed its controversial order mandating smartphone makers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app on every smartphone sold in the country. The move follows a fierce political backlash and sharp privacy warnings from citizens. However, the government justified the app with data showing a sudden surge in voluntary app downloads. What began as a cybersecurity initiative spiralled into a national debate on digital freedom, triggering questions over transparency, intent and the boundaries of state power in the digital age. In its withdrawal notice, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said it no longer needed to enforce the mandate as the app witnessed an “unprecedented spike” in organic adoption. Officials said more than six lakh people downloaded the app and registered on it in the last 24 hours, indicating a 10-fold jump. This, continued on page 8 edit: app of discord Opposition leaders protest against labour laws on Parliament premises during the winter session in New Delhi on Wednesday. ANI Scindiadispels fears, says notspy app Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 3 Amid concerns that installing the Sanchar Saathi app on mobile phones could lead to possible snooping, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday reiterated in Parliament that it “is neither possible nor will it happen.” His statement came in response to a question by Congress Lok Sabha MP Deepender Hooda. Scindia said the app was meant for the protection of people. “Sanchar Saathi app se na snooping sambhav hai, na snooping hoga (Snooping is neither possible nor will hap- Smog session pen with the Sanchar Saathi app),” he said. Hooda had asked about the possibility of the app having access to personal data even after its removal from the phone. Scindia said if a consumer had not been registered on the app, then the app would not be operational and one could also delete the app. 1.5 CR DOWNLOADS, 6 LAKH IN 24 HOURS ■ The Communications Ministry said in the last 24 hours, 6 lakh citizens had downloaded the app, which is a 10-fold rise ■ The number of users of the Sanchar Saathi app had been increasing rapidly with 1.5 crore app downloads already, it said ■ With the help of the portal and app, 26 lakh stolen handsets have been traced, of which 7 lakh have been returned to owners Sehgal,chairmanof Prasar Bharti, quits NEW DELHI: Navneet Kumar Sehgal, a retired 1988 UPcadre IAS officer, has resigned as the Prasar Bharti chairman. Appointed in March 2024, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting accepted his resignation under Section 7(6) of the Prasar Bharti Act. — TNS OTP must for tatkal tickets at counters In the wake of deteriorating air quality, Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda (C) and other leaders wear respirator masks during Parliament’s winter session in New Delhi on Wednesday. PTI CBI chargesheets Punjab DIG Bhullar, lists 25 witnesses Rupee hits all-time low, ends below 90 against $ CHANDIGARH: The CBI has filed a chargesheet against suspended Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar and his aide Kirshanu Sharda who were arrested recently in a corruption case. The chargesheet spans over 100 pages, containing audio recordings and other digital proofs collected during the probe. It names over 25 witnesses in the case. INSIDE Mumbai, December 3 The rupee breached the 90-adollar level for the first time to settle at a fresh all-time low of 90.21 (provisional) on Wednesday, down 25 paise from its previous close, amid sustained foreign fund outflows and higher crude oil prices. Uncertainty over the IndiaUS trade deal, along with the lack of RBI effort to stop the Situation to improve next year, says CEA slide, put further pressure on the rupee, according to forex traders. The rupee opened at 89.96 against the US dollar and fell to a record intraday low of 90.30 before closing at an all-time low of 90.21 (provisional). — PTI NEW DELHI: Passengers booking tatkal tickets at railway reservation counters will now need to complete a mobile OTP verification before tickets are confirmed, as the Railways introduces a new authentication step to tighten control over the high-demand, last-minute booking window. — TNS DelhiMCbypoll:BJP wins7wards,AAP3 NEW DELHI: The BJP won seven of the 12 wards, while the AAP won three and the Congress secured one ward in the MCD bypolls, the results of which were announced on Wednesday. The Congress snatched the Sangam ViharA ward from the BJP — TNS . Govt lets pregnant woman, child to return from B’desh Satya Prakash ‘ENTRY ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS’ Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 3 Following a nudge from the Supreme Court, the Centre on Wednesday allowed a pregnant woman and her eight-year-old child to reenter India on “humanitarian grounds”, months after they were sent to Bangladesh. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that the competent authority had agreed to allow the woman and her child to enter India purely on humanitari- ■ Solicitor General Tushar Mehta says the Central govt has agreed to allow the two to enter India on humanitarian grounds ■ Mehta says he will be contesting the claim of the woman and her child of being Indian citizens an grounds without prejudice to rights and contentions, and they would be kept under surveillance. Following Mehta’s submission, the Bench directed the West Bengal Government to take care of the minor and instructed the chief medical ■ The SC directed the WB Govt to take care of the minor and extend all medical support to the woman ■ The Bench said the two would be brought back to Delhi from where they were picked up and deported to Bangladesh officer, Birbhum district, to extend all necessary medical support, including ‘free-ofcost delivery’, to the pregnant woman, Sunali Khatun. It said the mother-child duo would eventually be taken back to Delhi, from where they were initially picked up and deported. The top court issued the order while hearing the Centre’s petition challenging the Calcutta High Court’s September 26 order setting aside deportation of Khatun and others to Bangladesh, declaring it “illegal”. The top court will take up the matter on December 10. The Bench had on December 1 asked the Centre to consider allowing the woman and her child to re-enter India while keeping her under “surveillance”. It had also asked Mehta to seek instructions on facilitating her continued on page 8 c m y b New Delhi, December 3 Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in New Delhi on Thursday for a tightly packed two-day state visit, marked by ceremony and pageantry but focused on core business between the two countries. A traditional guard of honour will be presented by the armed forces in the forecourt of the iconic Rashtrapati Bhavan. A presidential banquet will be hosted, followed by substantive talks on trade, aviation, defence and business. The visit and its outcome are being closely watched across Western capitals and come at a time when India faces pressure from the US and its NATO allies over its ties with Russia. For New Delhi, it is a show of strategic autonomy rather than alignment with either the US-led bloc or Russia. The Russian President will be in India (December 4-5) for the 23rd leaders’ summit and will hold talks with PM Narendra Modi. The Modi-Putin summit is taking place amid strained India-US relations over trade and tariffs, against the backdrop of the US imposing punitive 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports — including a VISHAL KUMAR Tribune News Service Amritsar’s Jagjot Singh Roubal makes a portrait of President Putin. TRADE, DEFENCE TIES ON TABLE DECEMBER 4 ■ Arrival at Delhi airport; check- in at a South Delhi hotel ■ Private dinner hosted by Modi at Lok Kalyan Marg residence DECEMBER 5 ■ Ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan; Guard of Honour by all three armed services; meeting with Union ministers ■ Wreath-laying at Mahatma 25 per cent penalty specifically targeting India’s Russian oil purchase. Putin will be received at the airport by top Indian officials Gandhi’s samadhi at Raj Ghat ■ Official talks at Hyderabad House; focus on trade, defence & aviation ■ Working lunch hosted by PM Modi, followed by joint statement and press briefing ■ Meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan ■ State banquet in Putin’s honour ■ Departure late Friday night before heading to a hotel in South Delhi. PM Modi will host a private dinner for the Russian President on Thursday night continued on page 8