THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l sunday l april 19, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION ‘90-plus per cent tracks in India substandard’: AFI spokesperson Representational image ‘World Athletics not happy with quality’ According to Sumariwalla, the AFI met World Athletics in Tokyo last year where World Athletics Championships took place. WA said that tracks in India did not meet set standards. “WA has called us and said ‘you need to get involved.’ They showed us some data, which was quite shocking,” Sumariwalla said in a press conference on Saturday | P11 Athletics Federation of India spokesperson and World Athletics VP Adille Sumariwalla said running tracks in India are substandard. A look... ■ 8 ‘Genuine vendors’ to be listed soon ■ Former Indian sprinter claimed that at places, tire rubber is used instead of polyurethane and it is painted on top. He went on to add that they will get ‘destroyed’ thanks to wear and tear Vendors responsible for bringing material are ‘fly-by-night.’ AFI to prepare list of genuine names who can provide good material number of ‘class-1’ World Athletics - certified tracks in india 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 PM seeks forgiveness from all women of the country as bill to expedite quota fell in LS Oppn will pay INDIA bloc for for its women’s quick rollout of bill ‘sin’: Modi the 2023 Act R A J ESH KUMA R THAKU R @ New Delhi inconsolable... Asnath, the lone remaining teacher of Kuruva GLPS, breaks down as the bodies of her colleagues who lost their lives in the Valparai accident on Friday are kept for public homage at Ambalaparambu Government High School on Saturday. Asnath had chosen not to join the vacation trip to prepare for her family’s Haj pilgrimage | Vincent Pulickal | P2 Kerala’s aviation ventures struggle against headwinds, fail to find lift R o nn i e K u r i a k o s e @ Kochi A volatile global aviation environment, tightening capital flows and a deepening aircraft supply crunch are emerging as formidable barriers for Kerala-based airline ventures. Nearly two years after securing a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the civil aviation ministry Kochi-headquartered , startup Air Kerala is yet to take off, caught in a web of financial constraints and industry-wide disruptions. The times are so dire that a change in ownership is also likely at the ultra-low-cost carrier. “We are in talks with several interested parties. But nothing has been finalised as yet… discussions are on, and we will arrive at a decision in the coming weeks,” Air Kerala chairman Afi Ahmed told e x p r e s s r e ad Power consumption hits new high in state Kochi: With Kerala experiencing an exceptionally intense summer, power consumption has been surging at an alarming rate, giving sleepless nights to the KSEB. The state’s daily power consumption set a new record on Friday as the demand climbed to 116.11 million units. P5 Student suicide: Loan app operators arrested Kannur: In a breakthrough in the harassment case involving a faculty member of Kannur’s Anjarakandy Dental College, the Kannur City Cyber Crime Police have arrested the key operators of a loan app allegedly linked to the suicide of first-year BDS student Nithin Raj R L. P2 2% DA hike for Central government employees New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved raising Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) by 2%, benefiting about 50.46 lakh Central government employees and 68.27 lakh pensioners. Its impact on the exchequer would be H6,791.24 cr per annum. P7 with this issue It’s Raining IPOs PLUS 12 P AGES Ministry nod The Kochi-headquartered AirKerala had secured an NOC from the civil aviation ministry in July 2024. Alhind Air, backed by the Kozhikodebased Alhind Group, had secured the ministry’s nod in December 2025. TNIE. “We have also not ruled out continuing with the carrier,” he added. Another Kerala-based venture, Alhind Air, backed by the Ko zhikode-based Alhind Group, is also navigating similar challenges. The airline, which secured the ministry nod last December, had initially planned to purchase pre-owned aircraft instead of leasing them, aiming to tap into niche segments such as Hajj travel. However, rising upfront costs and shifting market dynamics have complicated the plans.“Lessors are asking for about `200 crore as deposit for each aircraft. This is not feasible for a startup,” said a top source at AlHind Air, adding that several deals have fallen through due to the West Asia conflict. Industry observers point to a confluence of global and domestic factors. Aircraft availability already strained in the , aftermath of the pandemic, has worsened due to supply chain disruptions and delayed deliveries from manufacturers. At the same time, leasing companies have turned increasingly cautious, reassessing risk exposure after highprofile failures in the Indian aviation market.  ● More on P5 Consultancies shut shop, trim ops amid overseas edu slowdown An u K u r u v i l l a @ Kochi A sharp slowdown in demand for overseas education is forcing many studyabroad consultancies in Kerala to shut offices, scale down operations, and diversify into sectors such as manpower recruitment and tourism, signalling a major shift in a sector that once t h r ive d o n m i g r a t i o n dreams. Industry insiders said the downturn, driven by tighter immigration policies, global uncertainties, rising costs, and weakening job prospects abroad, has significantly dented the once-booming business. What was until recently a fast-growing ecosystem of agencies facilitating admissions, visas, and travel is now witnessing closures, layoffs, and consolidation. “Even well-established consultancies that expanded during the boom are now closing branches. The dip is almost 80%, leaving the industry on the brink,” said Sajith Thomas, edu- cation expert and career coach. “Today only those de, termined to go abroad at any cost are approaching consultants, often opting for lesser-known destinations like Lithuania or Georgia. Many end up paying huge sums to institutions with little reputation,” Sajith said. According to him, the nature of demand itself has undergone a change. Students are no longer chasing top-ranked universities as much as they are looking for easier entry routes into foreign countries. “That is a worrying trend. Students compromise on quality and , the long-term outcome becomes uncertain,” he said. Consultancies, meanwhile, attribute the slowdown not just to policy changes but also to global instability . “ Wa r s h ave had a major impact. From Ukraine to the Gulf, geopolitical tensions are affecting student mobility,” said Denny Thomas Va t t a k u n n e l , chairman and MD of Santa Monica.  ● More on P5  P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday berated the Congress-led Opposition for what he called was their ‘big sin’ of rejecting the Constitutional amendments to operationalise the 33% women’s quota in the Lok Sabha the previous day He said the women of the country would not . forget how the Congress and its allies like the DMK, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party opposed the legislation aimed at advancing women’s representation in legislative bodies. His address to the nation came ahead of assembly elections in two Opposition-held states, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, where the ruling TMC and DMK were among those that voted against the amendments. Launching a broadside against the Congress, Modi accused the party of being anti-women and opposed to reforms in the nation-building process. “The Congress inherited the British legacy of divide and rule and spread the canard of North-South divide. They opposed Article 370, triple talaq, PM Jan Dhan Yojna, Aadhaar, digital payments, GST, reservation for the economically weaker section in the general classes and many other efforts made in the larger interest of the nation,” he alleged. The prime minister also criticised the Congress’ stance on delimitation, alleging it was fuelling divisions. He said the government had consistently clarified that no state’s proportional representation in Parliament would be affected, yet the Opposition refused to relent. Describing the Congress, TMC, DMK and SP as dynastic parties, he alleged they resisted the bill out of fear of losing control within their organisations and preventing women outside their families from rising to leadership. “Nari Shakti Vandan Amendment was the need of hour and we made an honest effort to ensure balanced empowerment across the North, South, East and West. But the Congress, which is a parasite on regional parties, spiked them,” the PM charged. He accused the Opposition of committing the political crime of opposing amendments aimed at expediting the implementation of the reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. Expressing confidence in the country’s women, he said, “A woman forgets everything, but not her insult; this insult by Congress and its allies will always remain in every woman’s heart.” A day after the historic defeat of amendments to the women’s quota bill in Parliament, the opposition INDIA bloc decided to push for the immediate rollout of the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, within the existing framework of the 543-member Lok Sabha, while also seeking to counter the BJP’s narrative to portray the Opposition in a negative light. At a meeting chaired by the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Saturday top leaders of the alliance agreed that , each constituent party would independently push for the implementation of the Act, while also continuing to raise the issue in public to hold the BJP accountable. The meeting was also attended by CPP leader Sonia Gandhi, NCP (SP)’s Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, CPI(M)’s John Brittas, and CPI’s P Sandosh Kumar, among others. It was decided that parties in the INDIA bloc will hold press conferences across the country and stress that they support women’s reservation, adding Parliament had already passed the bill in 2023. By introducing three new bills, they said the government was trying to change the political map of the country under its guise. At a press conference after the meeting, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi underlined that the Opposition was not against reservation for women and would support the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, if the government sought to implement it on the current strength of the Lok Sabha. Speaking to this paper, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to clarify when the government will implement the Act. “For the PM, it was a face-palm moment after he failed in pushing through a Constitutional amendment,” said Tagore. While there were suggestions among the parties to hold a joint press conference of the INDIA bloc or write a joint letter to the PM demanding implementation of quota for women in the existing framework immediately leaders said the up, coming elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal may pose a hurdle for such joint action. “INDIA bloc parties will continue with the coordination on this issue, and we are confident that we will be able to do it adequately A joint letter to the . PM may be prepared soon,” said a leader. The opposition has committed a sin by opposing women’s reservation, and they will surely be punished for this. Opposition parties have insulted our Constitution by defeating the bill Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Pic: Shekhar yadav What happened yesterday was a very significant victory for democracy. The government’s conspiracy to alter the federal structure and weaken democracy was defeated and stopped Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra, Cong gen secy Desi maritime insurance pool to protect cargo amid conflict R a k e s h K u m a r @ New Delhi As the war in West Asia disrupts oil and gas supply—partly due to reduced vessel movement linked to insurance constraints—the government has approved the creation of the Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool (BMI Pool) with a sovereign guarantee of `12,980 crore. The government said the objective of the insurance pool is to ensure uninterrupted and affordable marine insurance for India’s shipping sector, while also reducing dependence on foreign insurers, particularly the International Group of P&I Clubs, which dominate the maritime insurance market. The war has led to many ship- India raises concerns after ships attacked The government on Saturday called Iran’s Ambassador Mohammad Fathali for a meeting with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to convey New Delhi’s “deep concerns” after two Indian-flagged vessels were fired at in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. owners halting operations. Some insurers have become unwilling to provide coverage due to heightened risks. According to the government, the BMI Pool will function as a collective of Indian insurance companies working together to provide marine insurance. Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said public sector reinsurer General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) will act as the administrator of the pool. GIC Re will contribute `400 crore, while public sector general insurance companies will chip in `280 crore, with the rest coming from private insurers and oil marketing firms. “The BMI Pool will cut down the cost of insurance premium by at least 25% as of now,” Vaishnaw said. The pool will provide coverage for Indian-flagged vessels, Indian-controlled ships, as well as ships arriving in or departing from Indian ports. US extends sanction waiver on Russia oil till May 16 R a k e s h K u m a r @ New Delhi With the war continuing in West Asia, the United States has extended its waiver on sanctions for countries importing Russian crude by a month until May 16. This is the second such relaxation since the escalation of the West Asia crisis, which has disrupted the global crude supply following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the US Department of the Treasury, Russian oil and petroleum products loaded onto tankers—including those under sanctions—on or before 12.01 a.m. Easte r n D ay l i g h t Time (9.31 a.m. IST) on April 17 can be purchased and received by most countries until May 16. The previous waiver, issued in March, had expired on April 11. US Treasury Secretary Scott day 50 Bessent had earlier indicated that the waiver would not be extended. However, the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which is now nearing two months, has significantly disrupted global crude and gas flows, prompting a reassessment. Russian crude is now expected to help offset supply shortages caused by reduced exports from Gulf producers. The US had also temporarily waived sanctions on Iranian crude imports for a month. This exemption set to expire on April 19. As the world’s third-largest crude oil consumer, India relies on imports to meet over 88% of its demand. Russia has emerged as India’s top oil supplier since the outbreak of the RussiaUkraine war. Despite criticism from the West that purchasing discounted Russian crude effectively funds the war, New Delhi has continued to purchase crude from Moscow.