hyderabad l sunday l january 25, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l LATE City EDITION 400 and counting: Djokovic creates another history On dramatic Saturday, Jannik Sinner survives heat to advance while Serb former World No 1 becomes first man to win 400 Grand Slam matches heat is on at Oz Open as Sinner struggles Jannik Sinner, the two-time and defending champion, visibly wilted before heat protocols were enforced. With the summer in full flow, the Italian, who has suffered previously, had already lost a set and was down a break when the roof was forced because of soaring mercury. Post the break, he came back to beat Elliot Spizzirri 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 Djokovic, chasing a record 25th Major, saw off Netherlands’ Botic van Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) in the evening. The 10-time winner at Melbourne Park hasn’t won a Slam since 2023 but he’s feeling fresh and injury free. Having revamped his coaching staff, he believes he has the chance to break the Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz duopoly in men’s game 81 38-year-old advances to fourth round The Australian Open is the 81st Major of his career 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 Goes after collegium SC judge criticises executive influence in judge’s transfer s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a n t y @ New Delhi It’s official Bangladesh out, Scotland in for T20 WC e n s @ Chennai AND just like that, the Asian bloc, the most powerful bloc in inter national cricket seems to be in tatters, at least for the time being. But there was no way out once Bangladesh stood their ground of not travelling to India so close to the T20 World Cup beginning from February 7. Though there have been withdrawals in the past, because of the passion involved in the sub-continent, this seems more high profile and talked-about. On Saturday, Bangladesh carried through its threat of not travelling for the T20 World Cup in India. The end result? The Inter national Cricket Council (ICC) gave their spot to Scotland. The European outfit, who fell during the qualifiers, will now be in Group C with Italy, England, Nepal and West Indies. Bangladesh may have the option of going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but the events of the last three and a bit weeks will take years to repair, if at all. In the 90s, when Bangladesh, regarded as one of the game’s lesser nations, were fighting for Test status, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) believed in them. When Jagmohan Dalmiya was in charge of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Bangladesh finally became a full-member. A few months later, a full-strength India team travelled to Dhaka for Bangladesh’s first ever Test. A sitting judge of the Supreme Court publicly criticising its collegium that appoints and transfers judges to the higher judiciary is decidedly rare. However, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on Saturday stuck his neck out by questioning a decision of the collegium to transfer a high court judge at the request of the Central government. Observing that the executive has absolutely no say in the matter of transfer and postings of judges, Justice Bhuyan made the larger point that judges should not be seen as bending over backwards to justify denial of liberty or human rights. He warned that “if we lose our credibility, nothing will be left of the judiciary .” Justice Bhuyan made the point while delivering the G V Pandit memorial lecture on “Constitutional Morality and Democratic Governance” at ILS Law College, Pune. “When the collegium records that the transfer of a high court judge was being made at the request of the Central government, it reveals a striking intrusion of executive influence into what is constitutionally supposed to be an independent process,” he asserted. In October last year, the collegium headed by the then Chief Justice of India B R Gavai had revised its initial proposal to transfer Justice Atul Sreedharan from the Madhya Pradesh High Court to the Chhattisgarh High Court, recommending instead his transfer to the Allahabad High Court. The collegium said the change was made following a government request. In Chhattisgarh, Justice Sreedharan would have joined the High Court collegium, whereas in Allahabad his seniority would be much lower. The decision drew criticism due to his reputation as an independent judge. Earlier, Justice Sreedharan had taken suo motu action against a Madhya Pradesh minister for remarks against a serving female Colonel. Justice Bhuyan, without naming Justice Sreedharan, questioned the reason for his transfer from one HC to another, just because he had passed certain inconvenient orders against the government. “Does it not affect the independence of the judiciary?” he asked. The Central government can have no say in the matter of transfer and posting of High Court Judges... It is within the exclusive domain of the judiciary Justice Ujjal Bhuyan Autonomy must for Collegium Justice Bhuyan emphasised that the collegium system must remain completely independent. If collegium members are getting swayed by executive influence, they are drifting away from the original purpose of the collegium system, Justice Bhuyan said Path open to lift 25% tariff: US Russian oil import down, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sees possibility of easing levy P u s h p i ta D e y @ New Delhi A couple of booster shots have arrived just before the Union Budget, which could possibly lift the sentiments of the Indian economy further. Even as the country is all set to sign a free trade deal with the European Union, which both sides see as the ‘mother of all deals’, the US hinted at a diplomatic path to lift the 25% additional import duty it levied on Indian goods after a “marked decline in India’s imports of Russian oil in recent months”. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted during a media interaction that the US administration could consider reducing the 50% tariff imposed on several sectors of Indian exports, as there has been a significant fall in imports of Russian oil in recent months. The indication is being seen as a hint of a potential easing of We put 25% tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. And Indian purchases of Russian oil have collapsed. I would imagine there is a path to take them off Scott Bessent Relief for exporters Cuts to US tariffs and the FTA with EU will bring much respite to Indian exporters trade headwinds at a crucial juncture. Coming just a week ahead of the Union Budget 2026, the development has raised hopes of improved export prospects, stronger bilateral trade sentiment, and a more supportive global backdrop for India’s growth narrative. During his interaction with an American news outlet Politico at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Bessent said: “We put 25% tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. And the Indian purchases, by their refineries, of Russian oil have collapsed. That is a success.” Bessent assured that the administration will be open to discussions to ease them. “The tariffs are still on. I would imagine there is a path to take them off.” US President Donald Trump announced a total of 50% tariff (including a 25% tariff due to imports of crude oil from Rus- India votes against UN resolution condemning crackdown in Iran j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi INDIA voted against a resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) condemning Iran’s violent crackdown on recent protests and extending international investigative mandates. The resolution was adopted at the Council’s 39th special session with 25 votes in favour, seven against and 14 abstentions. Besides India, China, Pakistan, Indonesia and Iraq voted against the measure. European Union members led the sup- port, joined by the UK and Iceland, along with several Latin American countries. The resolution expressed concern over what it said were “widespread and systematic” violations following protests that began on December 28, 2025, citing reports of thousands of deaths, including children, mass arrests and injuries to civilians. India’s vote comes amid sensitive diplomatic and strategic considerations. New Delhi is currently in talks with the United States over an extended sanctions waiver for the Chaba- Major fire in building at Nampally traps five inside  LATE CITY EDITION HYDERABAD  SATURDAY JANUARY 24, 2026  `9.00  PAGES 16  A fire broke out at the Bacha’s furniture shop, a G+4 building, in Nampally on Saturday afternoon, leaving five persons, including two children, suspected to be trapped inside. The fire is believed to have started around 1 pm in the cellar and spread to the upper floors. Those trapped were identified as Bebi (44), Syed Habib (40), Mohammed Imtiaz (26), Praneeth Kumar (11) and his brother Akhil (7). Bebi worked as a watchwoman and lived in the cellar with her children. Praneeth and Akhil also stayed in the same building, where their father Thokala Yadaiah has been working as a salesman for 23 years. Habib and Imtiaz were employees of the furniture shop and rushed into the building to FLORIDA MAY FREEZE NEW H-1B VISA HIRES AT UNIVERSITIES FOR A YEAR VISA Florida’s university system is proposing one-year bar on new hires using H-1B visas, following a directive from Governor Ron DeSantis FLORIDA GOVERNOR BEHIND THE MOVE The Florida Board of Governors is scheduled to review and potentially introduce the policy change on January 29, Politico reported. If approved by the full board, it would enter a 14-day public comment period before final implementation. This stems from an October 2025 directive by Governor Ron DeSantis, who wanted a halt on “H-1B abuse” Firefighters use a crowbar to break the glass 600 and douse the fire that broke out at Left point on Sonia in Steel sector a furniture shop cartelisation rowNampally inlens Sabarimala gold at under CCI upsets Rahul Gandhi Hyderabad (far left); and relatives, left, of those trapped burst out in tears even as rescue operations continue on Saturday | PROPOSAL WON’T AFFECT EXISTING H-1BS ■ ■ The freeze applies across the entire State University System of Florida, covering major institutions such as the University of Florida, Florida State University, University of South Florida, and others The policy would not affect existing H-1B visa holders already employed at these universities, it only blocks new recruitment EMPLOYEES OF FLORIDA’S PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES ARE ON H-1B VISA ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM COIMBATORE EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi RIGHT ON TRACK and the flagging off of new train services, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, centre, during the launch of various developmental projects Pinarayi Vijayan, third right, are also seen | PTI State Governor Rajendra Arlekar, third left, and state Chief Minister Tapgate SIT examines KTR for 7 hrs Investigators primarily focused on money trail during session C H I T H A L U R I R E V A N T H @ Hyderabad rescue the others trapped. Teams from the Hyderabad Disaster Response Force, Telangana police, HYDRAA and the National Disaster Response Force rushed to the spot. Fire tenders, cranes, robots and other equipment were pressed into service. Vehicular traffic on the road was completely stopped to allow movement of emergency vehicles. Power supply in the area was cut. A l t h o u g h t h e f i re w a s brought under control, thick smoke continued to billow from BRS working president and former minister KT Rama Rao was examined by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for around seven hours on Friday in connection with the phonetapping case, sources said. Rama Rao was the second senior BRS leader to appear before the SIT, after former minister T Harish Rao, who was . examined on Tuesday Former Task Force DCP Radha Kishan Rao, one of the accused in the case, was also summoned to the Jubilee Hills police station. However, he was not confronted with Rama Rao. Rama Rao told reporters after the examination that the SIT asked him the same set of questions repeatedly and sought to know whether he was acquainted with certain individuals. He rejected media reports claiming that he was questioned along with Radha Kishan Rao. “There was no other Rao during the questioning except me,” Rama Rao said. He added that SIT officials told him he could be summoned again if required. Though what transpired during the seven-hour examination remained unclear, sources said that the former minister was questioned about donations received by the BRS during the 2023 elections, funds obtained through Electoral Bonds, and whether phones were tapped to “facilitate” fund-raising. The SIT reportedly asked whether a war room with ex-minister, sources say was set up in Sircilla, which Rama Rao represents in the As, sembly for phone-tapping. Sources said the SIT questioned him on whether funds were transferred from the BRS account to procure software required for phone-tapping from Israel. He was also asked about his acquaintance with A Sravan Rao, owner of a ver nacular news channel and an accused in the case, sources said. They said that the SIT also questioned Rama Rao about the alleged tapping of phones of A Revanth Reddy, the then Opposition leader. Queries were raised about WhatsApp and Telegram calls made by Rama Rao to Praneeth Rao, Prabhakar Rao, Radha Kishan Rao and other accused persons in the case. Officials reportedly referred to Electoral Bonds worth `13 crore purchased by S. Sridhar Rao of Sandhya Convention in favour of the BRS, allegedly to settle a property issue. Speaking to reporters after emerging from the police station, Rama Rao said he had asked the SIT officials whether they could say that no phone-tapping was taking place now. He claimed that the officials “minced words” in CONTINUED ON P4 response. WITH the controversy over the alleged ‘Sabarimala gold theft’ intensifying, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is learnt to be ‘deeply upset’ with the party’s Kerala leaders over the manner in which the issue was handled, particularly after Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson and his mother Sonia Gandhi’s name figured in the political sparring. According to sources, Rahul felt that sections of the state Congress leadership adopted a short-sighted approach in pursuing the controversy, allowing the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF to drag his mother’s name and sharpen its counter-offensive. Prakash The political slugfest intensified after admits he photographs surfaced purportedly showmet Potty ing Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, UDF convenor Congress and Congress MP along with Sonia Gandhi and MPs Adoor Prakash and Anto Antony. Adoor Prakash The CPI(M) and the Kerala government admitted that seized on the images to allege links behe met Potty on tween the Congress leadership and the multiple accused, a charge the Congress dismissed occasions, but as a smear campaign. dismissed Sources said Rahul believed that allegations the Congress’s aggressive campaign linking him to strategy forced the Left to intensify the the gold case issue and turn it into a larger political confrontation. Was UDF’s The Sabarimala gold loss cases relate major poll to the alleged misappropriation of the plank precious metal from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and sanctum sancThe alleged gold torum door frames at the Lord Ayyappa heist was the temple. A Special Investigation Team UDF’s principal probing the cases has arrested 12 people, campaign plank presiduring the recent including Potty and two former dents of the Travancore Devaswom panchayat Board in connection with the matter. elections, a The issue dominated proceedings in strategy that the Kerala assembly this week, triggering appeared to heated exchanges with ministers, includfavour the ing V Sivankutty and M B Rajesh. While Cong-led front referring to the photograph appearing to show the accused with Sonia Gandhi, Satheesan Rajesh said that the photo showed “the raised it thief and the person who pocketed the The issue was loot” together. While Leader of Opposiinitially raised in tion V D Satheesan wrote to Speaker A N the assembly by Shamseer demanding that the remarks V D Satheesan, be expunged, Congress insiders say it has . questioned who done huge damage to the party the loss of gold Sources said the Congress leadership from the has so far failed to offer a convincing exSabarimala planation regarding the photograph, allowing the CPI(M) to weaponise it. The Congress’s use of the song Pottiye Kettiyatharappa during protests and campaign events linked to the alleged gold theft case also drew criticism that it was ill-advised and led to deepening animosity between the UDF and the LDF. Sources in the Left said it felt compelled to launch a counter-offensive after sustained attacks by the Congress, both at the national level and outside Parliament. INDIA’S largest steel companies — Tata Steel, JSW Steel and state-run SAIL and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) — disclosed their pricing plans to rivals and coordinated production cuts to reduce supplies, according to a confidential antitrust investigation report seen by Reuters. It was earlier reported that CCI found 28 firms colluded on steel prices, meaning they could face hefty fines. The investigation report by the Competition Commission of India into the four major companies that has not been made public, shows the commission reviewed dozens of WhatsApp chats, including from groups named “Friends of Steel”, “Tycoons” and “Steel Live Market” that were seized during 2022 industry raids. It analysed pricing changes, sales and production patterns. Tata Steel, JSW Steel and state-run Steel Authority of India Limited ( SAIL), and RINL colluded during 20182023, the report says. “There is enough circumstantial evidence ... of concerted efforts by SAIL, RINL, JSW and Tata Steel,” the commission report, drafted in April 2025, said, as per Reuters. The four companies “were influencing the market with the sensitive price information in advance,” it said. Consultancy BigMint estimates the companies account for 44.4% of India’s steel market. Tata Steel said it “denies any wrongdoing”, and that it determines its prices independently based on market conditions and other factors. JSW, SAIL and RINL did not respond to queries from Reuters. SRI LOGANATHAN VELMURUGAN the building, hampering rescue the cellar and basements, meant operations for several hours. for parking, had been used to Firefighters said visibility in- store furniture. “It is too early to side was almost nil due to comment on the cause. It could smoke and heat. be a short circuit or some other Medaram: QR codes to that kids Telangana Disaster Response reason,” he said, addingkeep tabs onthe and Fire Services Director Gen- stored furniture made access diferal Vikram Singh Mann said ficult.  continued on P3 ACB finds crores in assets linked to suspended sub-registrar HARISH WRITES TO KISHAN ON ‘MAJOR SCAMS’ BRS working president KT Rama Rao arrives for examination by the SIT probing the alleged phone-tapping case, on Friday | VINAY MADAPU Hyderabad: Continuing to target the state government on the coal block tenders of the SCCL, BRS leader T Harish Rao on Friday alleged that several “major scams” took place in the 107 MW solar power project of Singareni. In a 11-point letter he wrote to Union Coal & Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy, the former minister demanded immediate action on the issue. Alleging that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s brother-in-law has a role in Singareni irregularities, he said: “If the chief minister is honest, he should order an SIT probe against his brother-in-law Srujan Reddy.” | P4 against Madhusudhan Reddy, who is under suspension, for allegedly acquiring assets disproportionate to his known sources of income through corrupt practices during his service. During the searches, officials found documents relating to an independent G+2 house on 300 sq yd at Kapra in Medchal-Malkajgiri, an open plot at Chintapallyguda village in Ibrahimpatnam, 27 acres of agricultural land at Naskal village in Parigi mandal, one acre of commer- cial land at Mangalpally village in Ibrahimpatnam, and a farmhouse with a swimming pool worth `1.24 crore at Naskal. Net cash of about `9 lakh and gold or naments weighing around 1.2 kg were also seized. Three cars—an Innova Fortuner, a Volvo XC60 B5 and a Volkswagen Taigun GT Plus—were found. The document value of movable and immovable assets was estimated at `7.83 crore. Russia US Dec 2024 Jan 2025 Feb 2025 March 2025 Apr 2025 May 2025 June 2025 July 2025 Aug 2025 Sept 2025 Oct 2025 Nov 2025 Dec 2025 1,482 1,674 1,476 1,868 1,924 1,851 2,089 1,591 1,689 1,614 1,619 1,836 1,146 67 293 145 289 337 298 303 364 230 207 568 451 330 India’s Crude imports KBD: 1,000 barrel per day sia) on several Indian exports, including textile, apparel, carpets, gems and jewellery from August-end. This additional tariff came as a penalty for buying Russian oil. According to Bessent, the tactic of pressuring India has worked as the import of crude oil from Russia has come down considerably in the last few months. India had abstained on similar resolutions har port project in Iran, which expires in April 2026. Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, welcomed New Delhi’s stance. “I extend my sincere gratitude to India for its principled and firm support of Iran at the UNHRC, including opposing an unjust and politically motivated resolution,” he said in a social media post and added that the vote reflected “India’s commitment to justice, multilateralism, and national sovereignty.” Sources said India’s position was guided by longstanding opposition to country-specific resolutions. C h i t h a l u r i R e v a n t h @ Hyderabad Month ACB officials said the market value could be many times higher. The ACB also stated that Madhusudhan Reddy invested around `80 lakh in a liquor business under the name ARK Spirits and floated two shell companies in the names of his wife and children. “Further verification of . additional assets is under way The case is under investigation,” the release said. EXPRESS READ Mulugu: For the first time at Asia’s largest tribal festival, the Medaram jatara, Mulugu police will be using QR code-based ‘Child Tracking Monitoring System’ to trace missing children and elderly persons with their loved ones | P2 New Delhi sees this special UNHRC session as “unwarranted”. India has previously abstained on similar resolutions. In November 2022, it abstained on the resolution establishing the FactFinding Mission on Iran, and again in April 2024 on extending its mandate. Officials said those decisions were shaped by broader Council dynamics at that time WITH THIS ISSUE Our Republic of Rare Rituals PLUS 12 P AGES express read Ganja smugglers ram car into Excise cop Nizamabad: An Excise constable, Gajula Soumya, sustained critical injuries when a car allegedly belonging to a ganja smuggling gang rammed into her at Madhavnagar outskirts on Friday evening. Doctors said that they had to remove one of her kidneys | P3 Scamsters syphoned off `4 cr from Dharani Hyderabad: A probe into irregularities in the Dharani land records portal has found that 1,109 of 4,858 transactions were suspect, resulting in a revenue loss of about `3.95 crore to the state exchequer in Siddipet and Sircilla districts alone | P4 Rising silver prices hit waraq makers Site visit norm predates Cong rule: Bhatti TNIE report on pregnant woman prompts CMO action EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE ` @ 91.99 HITS CURRENCY LIFETIME LOW weighed down by the steep selloff in the equities markets, which fell on four of the five trading days this week, coupled with dollar demand | P10 B K a r t h e e k @ Hyderabad Asserting that there was nothing irregular in the nowcancelled Naini Coal Block tender process, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Saturday said the requirement of site visits in tender notifications across several state and Union government departments has been in existence since before the Congress came to power in Telangana. Explaining the decision to cancel the tenders, Vikramarka said it was taken to avoid any “benefit of doubt” arising from reports published in sections of the vernacular media. Addressing a press conference at Praja Bhavan, he asked BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao to write to him instead of approaching the Union gover nment for an inquiry . Vikramarka said the state government was prepared to order an inquiry into tenders of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) from 2014 onwards, provided the BRS formally sought it after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy returns from his foreign tour. “If Harish Rao writes a letter, I am ready for an inquiry into Naveen Kumar Tallam @ Karimnagar K Madhusudhan Reddy Hyderabad: The impact of rising prices of silver in the international market is being acutely felt in an unlikely corner of the economy — the wafer-thin silver waraq used to garnish and decorate kaju katli and other traditional sweets | P2 BEYOND REACH A report published by TNIE on Saturday about a pregnant woman from a nomadic community being denied admission at a government hospital The report published by TNIE that prompted CMO to order immediate action prompted immediate action from the Chief Minister’s Health and ICDS offi- out, as earlier tests had been Office (CMO). cials shifted Rekha to d o n e w i t h o u t p r o p e r The CMO directed the Primary Health identification. Express Centre at Nustlapur in district collector Pame“I am very happy For the last . Impact la Satpathy to ensure a 108 ambulance. Doc- four months, the hospital staff immediate and approtors conducted the re- did not care but after TNIE priate medical care for quired medical tests and highlighted my plight, the atnine-months pregnant Ubidi confirmed that her condi- tention given by officials has Rekha, a resident of Ram- tion was normal. Officials said surprised me. The officials also akrishna Colony in Thimmapur. a maintenance register was told me to contact them any Rekha belongs to the Budaga opened in her name and a fresh time I needed help,” Rekha Jangala nomadic community . health check-up was carried said. @ Karimnagar AT 23, and in the final weeks of her pregnancy, Ubidi Rekha has been moving from one hospital to another in Karimnagar, seeking a place to give birth. Each visit has ended the same way: she is asked for an Aadhaar card she does not have, . and sent away Rekha belongs to the Beda Budaga Jangam nomadic community. Her life, like that of many from Ramakrishna Colo- all tenders and contracts awarded in Singareni from 2014 till date,” he said. continued on P4 ACB sleuths on Friday conducted searches at eight locations linked to Rangareddy joint sub-registrar Kandadi Madhusudhan Reddy, including his residence and premises belonging to relatives, friends, benamis and associates across Telangana. In a press release, the ACB said a disproportionate assets (DA) case was re gistered Pregnant, undocumented & turned away: A nomadic woman’s search for care N A V E E N K U M A R TA L L A M Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka speaks at Praja Bhavan in Hyderabad on Saturday @ Hyderabad ny village in Thimmapur mandal, has been shaped by migration. From childhood, her family travelled across states in search of daily-wage work. She was born while they were away from their native village. Her birth was never registered. That single omission has followed her into adulthood. Without a birth record, she could not obtain Aadhaar. Without Aadhaar, she has struggled to access welfare schemes, routine healthcare and, now, a safe . delivery In recent weeks, as her pregnancy advanced, Rekha approached government hospitals, including the Karimnagar Mother and Child Hospital. According to her, she was told that admission for delivery would require Aadhaar identification. Private hospitals were not an option; her family cannot afford them. Officials deny that treatment is refused on medical grounds. District General Hospital su- perintendent Dr G Veera Reddy said Aadhaar was sought for identification, and that patients without it are treated as “unknown persons” and reported to the police outpost, but not denied care. He added that if any issues arise, they should be brought to his notice. On the ground, however, the gap between policy and practice remains. For Rekha, each referral and refusal has meant another anxious day closer to delivery, without clarity on where she will give birth. “If I don’t have an Aadhaar card, can I not become a mother?” she asks. Local BJP leader Sugurthi Jagadeeshwara Chary attempted to intervene. He helped obtain a residence certificate from the gram panchayat, but technical issues meant the Aadhaar portal did not accept Rekha’s details. The application stalled. Chary said Rekha’s case reflects a wider problem. Many women and children from nomadic communities, he said, remain outside formal records because of home births, migration and lack of documentation. As a result, children face obstacles in education, and families are excluded from welfare schemes meant for them. Meanwhile, for the nomadic , community the question is not about a missing document, but about a system that is beyond the reach of those who live outside fixed addresses and official registers. Ubidi Rekha Ubidi Rekha ICDS officials hand over milk and eggs to Ubidi Rekha at her residence before she was shifted to a hospital on Saturday Meanwhile, GGH Superintendent Dr G Veera Reddy clarified that treatment or admission was not denied due to lack of Aadhaar at the Mother and Child Health Care Centre in Karimnagar.  continued on P3