U.K. university global campus in Bengaluru University of Birbek in London on Tuesday received a Letter of Intent from the UGC to establish its global campus in Bengaluru, according to officials. With the establishment of its Bengaluru campus, Birkbeck will offer Indian students access to globally recognised University of London degrees at 60 per cent lower cost, while maintaining the same academic standards tirupati l wednesday l april 15, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION 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 Don dials Modi. For 33% women’s quota, 307 LS Big deals soon, seats to be added, cap set at 850 indicates Gor Three bills to figure in special session of Parliament, Oppn meet today to chalk out strategy P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi EMPHASISING the strategic importance of energy security and global trade routes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation for 40 minutes on Tuesday focussing on the escalating situation in West Asia and the imperative of keep the Strait of Hormuz open and secure. The call came amid growing global concern over disruptions to maritime energy flows. This was the first call between the two leaders since the US-Iran ceasefire last week, and their third this year. “Received a call from my friend President Donald Trump. We reviewed ... progress achieved in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors. We are committed to further strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas. We also discussed ... West Asia and stressed the importance of keeping the Strait open and secure,” Modi said. The Strait remains a critical maritime chokepoint, carryday ing a significant share of global crude shipments. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor described the exchange as “a very positive and productive call”, signalling fresh momentum in bilateral ties. He also indicated that US sees India as a possible stakeholder in broader diplomatic efforts, adding “it is up to India to join the peace process.” The US “welcomes all parties,” he said. Gor also pointed to the possibility of upcoming announcements in economic and energy sectors, saying that “big-ticket deals” between India and the US could be finalised in the coming weeks. He said, “We do have some big-ticket items that will be announced over the next few days or the next few weeks… something very interesting and exciting.” According to him, energy cooperation is expected to be a major component of the emerging agreements. He also said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s upcoming visit to India next month is expected to further consolidate bilateral momentum. He stressed that reopening secure maritime passage as a priority for US. 46 Donald Trump US-iran talks soon US President Donald Trump says Iran talks could resume “over the next two days”, after the first round in Pakistan last weekend ended without a deal Crude slipped below $100 a barrel Israel briefed India on the West Asia situation in a phone call between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and S Jaishankar, EAM on Tuesday IMF reduced its 2026 growth forecast for West Asia, saying Iran, Iraq and Qatar will be hit hard At least four Iran-linked ships — including two that visited Iranian ports — crossed the Strait Tuesday following the start of a US blockade Setting the ball rolling for the implementation of onethird reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, the Centre on Tuesday proposed a significant increase in the Lok Sabha seats from the existing 543 to 850, after a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. According to three draft pieces of legislation circulated among Members of Parliament, 815 of the proposed seats in the delimitation exercise will represent states, while 35 will be allocated to Union Territories. It was also proposed that the one-third quota for women should be implemented after a delimitation following the “latest published census”. Another key provision of the bill says that the seats reserved for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies “shall be allotted by rotation” across constituencies. The three bills that will be taken up in the three-day sitting of Parliament on April 16 are the Constitution (One Hun- BIHAR Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary 57, is set to , take oath as chief minister on Wednesday marking the end of , the Nitish Kumar era and ushering in the first BJP chief minister in the state. Earlier in the day, Samrat was unanimously elected as the leader of BJP legislature party . Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired the meeting. Later, Samrat was elected leader of the NDA legislature party unopposed. Outgoing chief minister Nitish Kumar announced Samrat’s name as the leader. Nitish, who served as Bihar’s CM for over two decades, held his last cabinet meeting in the morning before submitting his resignation letter to the governor. Nitish became a Rajya Sabha MP last week. After being elected the leader of the NDA legislative party, Samrat met Governor Syed Ata Hasnain, who invited him to Govt to move delimitation bill 2026, to replace Delimitation Act, 2002 Representational photo Proposes a Delimitation Commission chaired by a current or ex-SC judge Existing allocation of seats is based on 1971 Census; present division of territorial constituencies done on 2001 Census data dred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The draft bill seeks to amend Article 81, which governs the strength of the Lok Sabha. The proposed amendment says the Lok Sabha will have a maximum of 815 members to be chosen from the states. Also, not more than 35 members are to be chosen from the Union Territories in such manner as the Parliament may by law provide. The current strength of the Lok Sabha, 543, is based on the 1971 Census. After that, the delimitation exercise has not Delimitation Commission will readjust Lok Sabha and assembly seats and redraw constituencies on the basis of the latest Census figures been done as the 42nd amendment to the Constitution mandated a freeze in delimitation for 25 years until 2001, which was extended by another 25 years till 2026. The draft bill also seeks to amend Article 82, removing the constitutional requirement that delimitation must follow the 2026 Census. While it was widely speculated that the government may propose a 50 per cent increase in seats for all states, the bills does not have a mention of such proportional distribution. “The Constitution Amendment Bill seeks to revise the constitutional framework relating to delimitation, allocation of seats and the meaning of “population”, by providing that readjustment of constituencies and allocation of seats shall be undertaken by the Delimitation Commission based on such census as Parliament may by law determine,” it said. Responding to the proposed bill, the Congress said that when the intent behind a bill is “mischievous” and its content “devious”, the extent of damage to parliamentary democracy is enormous. CPI (M) MP John Brittas said that when concerns were raised about the declining representation of the South, the PM and others claimed there would be “a proportional increase in seats for all states equally.” However, the draft bills offer no such guarantee. If delimitation is carried out based on the 2011 Census instead of 1971, seats in the North will surge dramatically, while the representation of South will shrink or stagnate,” he said. The Opposition will hold a meeting on Wednesday to chalk out strategies ahead of the session. Inter exam results to be announced today The 1st and 2nd year results of the Intermediate Public Examinations (IPE) 2026 will be announced at 10:31 am on Wednesday. Students can check their results online at https:// resultsbie.ap.gov.in. Results can also be accessed by sending a “Hi” message to the Mana Mitra WhatsApp number 9552300009 End of Nitish era as Samrat set to take oath as BJP’s 1st CM in Bihar RA M A S HA N K AR @ Patna Delimitation as per latest census form the new government. According to official sources, the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will be held at Lok Bhavan at 10.55 am on Wednesday Prime Minister . Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah are likely to participate in the swearing-in ceremony Samrat . emphasised that his governance would align with PM Modi’s goal of a ‘developed India’ and Nitish Kumar’s vision of ‘prosperous Bihar’. Welcome warmth Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanges greetings with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge during a ceremony to mark Dr B R Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, at Prerna Sthal, Samvidhan Sadan, in New Delhi on Tuesday | PTI CM launches India’s first quantum test beds S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Marking World Quantum Day, Andhra Pradesh has ushered in a new chapter in quantum technology with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu inaugurating India’s first Quantum Reference Facility (QRF) at SRM University in Amaravati and vir tually launching Amaravati Quantum Reference Facility-2 at Medha Towers in Gannavaram. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the State government is committed to producing indigenous quantum computer from Amaravati soon and appealed to those who extended cooperation for the project to make it a reality stating that there is no dearth of funds for innovation. Naidu said with the launching of two quantum facility centres on the occasion of World Quantum Day and BR Ambedkar birth anniversary it , has been proved that India is capable of producing quantum computers. “Quantum gives India a once in a generation opportunity to develop hardware. Andhra Pradesh is proud to contribute to the National Quantum Mission. It is clear that we are capable of developing institutions, infrastructure and talent, besides ensuring the bright future of young generations,” he said. Amaravati Quantum 1S and 1Q are not merely computers. They are fully instrumental hardware test beds, which will enable validation, benchmarking and certification under real P4 operating conditions.  Draft DGCA rules tighten norms for co-pilots S L a l i t h a @ New Delhi IN a bid to ensure passenger safety the Directorate General , of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has tightened the norms for crew training as well as qualification for planes operated by scheduled airlines. According to the revised draft norms, the pilot-in-command (PIC) or co-pilot cannot operate flight controls during take-off and landing unless he or she has done at least three take-offs and landings in the past 90 days on the same type of aircraft or flight simu- lator approved for the purpose. The proposed rule changes refer to all aircraft weighing over 5,700 kg. An official said, “This covers all regular passenger flights as well as the larger aircraft we see used for regular operations by all scheduled airlines. It leaves out the smaller aircraft which are lighter.” The new rules reiterate the need for intensive periodic training for all crew members. DGCA will accept responses to the draft till May 3 and then notify the final rules. El Niño & global tensions may hit AP’s farm sector Boy chained to impart ‘discipline’ U s h a P e r i @ Visakhapatnam Farmers in Andhra Pradesh are likely to face increased stress in the coming months due to the possible onset of El Niño conditions coincides with rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia, creating a dual challenge for agriculture. Ch Praveen Kumar, Research Fellow at the Agro-Economic Research Centre, Andhra University noted that while the cli, mate phenomenon threatens crop output through irregular rainfall, global conflicts are pushing up input costs and disrupting supply chains, placing additional pressure on farm incomes. El Niño, which refers to the periodic warming of surface waters in the Pacific Ocean, is typically associated with below-normal and uneven monsoon rainfall in In- dia. He observed that current forecasts indicate the possibility of delayed onset of rains and extended dry spells, which could disrupt the Kharif season. Given that a significant portion of agriculture in the country remains dependent on rainfall, such deviations may lead to reduced sowing and lower productivity . Within Andhra Pradesh, the impact is expected to vary across regions. The drought-prone Rayalaseema region may experience pronounced moisture stress, while coastal districts dependent on canal irrigation could be affected by reduced reservoir inflows. These developments may influence cropping decisions and acreage during the ensuing Kharif season, Praveen indiP4 cated.  E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Kurnool An 11-year-old boy was allegedly subjected to inhuman punishment with his leg chained to a wooden block by staff of a madrasa at Banaganapalle in Nandyal district on Monday . The visuals of the boy with his chained leg went viral on social media, triggering widespread condemnation from locals. According to officials, a preliminary inquiry revealed that the boy had been living with his mother at Idgah Nagar after his parents got separated. As he was irregular to classes, the madrasa staff chained the boy, reportedly at the request of his mother to discipline him. Terming the act inhumane, Banaganapalle Sub-Inspector Duggi Reddy said a case was registered. Nandyal District Child Protection Officer Swapna Priya Darshini said the boy would be produced before the Child Welfare Committee under the Juvenile Justice Act to ensure his care and protection.