Global Nuclear Weapons Inventory Nine nuclear-armed countries together possess 12,187 warheads, as per SIPRI Yearbook 2026. India has 190 warheads, up from 180 last year UK 225 US 5,042 J a v a r i a R a n a @ New Delhi India may have deployed 12 nuclear warheads with operational forces, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in its latest report released on Monday . It is unusual for India to deploy nuclear warheads during peacetime. Last year’s report counted none. “It has long been assumed that India stores its nuclear warheads separate from deployed launchers during peacetime,” SPIRI noted in its 2026 Yearbook. The report noted that India may have started deploying a small number of nuclear warheads aboard a ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) conducting deterrence patrols, suggesting the posture is gradually shifting towards a more operational sea-based deterrent. India’s growing use of canisterised missiles and sea-based deterrence patrols suggests it “could be shifting in the direction of mating some of its warheads with their launchers in peacetime”, the report noted. SIPRI cautioned that the finding comes with “considerable uncertainty”. India’s total nuclear stockpile is estimated at 190 war- North Korea 60 Pakistan India 170 190 belagavi l tuesday l june 09, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l late city EDITION India may be mating N-warheads & launchers, says SIPRI Russia 5,420 France 370 Israel 90 heads as of January 2026, up from 180 a year earlier. With 1,796 warheads mated to launchers, Russia leads the deployment chart. China has de- China 620 ployed 24 of its 620 warheads, while Pakistan has deployed none of its 170 warheads. The report also noted that India is expected to field its fourth nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine next year. The new submarine and the recently commissioned INS Aridhaman are significantly larger than their predecessors and can carry twice as many missile tubes, it noted. India’s planned S5-class programme could eventually see the country operating between six and eight SSBNs simultaneously, SIPRI noted in the report. 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 Now, Trinamool Oppn to write to CJI on SIR, disintegrates in ‘poll theft’, makes unity pitch LS with new bloc JUNE 18 POLLS BJP names candidates, Gowda misses RS bus p r ee t h a n a i r @ New Delhi 20 of its 28 MPs, led by Kakoli Ghosh, seek separate group, pledge support to NDA p r ee t h a n a i r @ New Delhi THE rebellion in Trinamool Congress (TMC) reached Parliament on Monday with a dissident camp led by Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claiming that at least 20 of its 28 Lok Sabha members have decided to form a separate bloc and support the BJP-led NDA. Incidentally, the latest blow to the TMC came on a day when its chief Mamata Banerjee and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee were attending the INDIA bloc meet in Delhi. The twin revolts in the assembly and Parliament plunged the party into its gravest crisis since its inception in 1998, with 58 of the TMC’s 80 MLAs already defying the party high command and backed expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition. Dastidar told reporters they had decided to write to Speaker Om Birla to declare their support for NDA. The decision came after a string of meetings at Union minister Bhupender Yadav’s home, along with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Sources said at least 13 of the rebel MPs attended the meetings at Yadav’s residence and one at another rebel MP Satabdi Roy’s home. The , rebels also claimed the support of six more MPs. Speculation is rife that Yusuf Pathan will also shift to the rebel camp. A photograph from the meeting circulating online showed Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray along with MPs Abu , Taher, Asit Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Kalipada Soren, Jagadish Basunia, Prasun Banerjee, Sharmila Sarkar, and Satabdi Roy. Ray resigned from the Rajya Sabha and from the party’s primary membership on Monday and issued a statement accusing the TMC of a “15-year anarchical rule”. A TMC leader said the party had communicated its decision to remove Dastidar as chief whip and appoint Kalyan Banerjee to the Lok Sabha Secretariat through an official letter dated May 20, signed by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.  P10 Nearly 20 TMC MPs, including me, have decided to support the NDA. We have decided to write to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and formally support the NDA Kakoli Ghosh, rebel MP New group has numbers TMC currently has 28 Lok Sabha MPs, with one vacancy. The support of 20 MPs will comfortably cross the twothirds threshold (19) needed for protection under the anti-defection law, making it difficult for the leadership to seek disqualification of the dissidents Moitra lashes out at rebels Party MP Mahua Moitra launched a blistering attack on the rebels, accusing them of betraying the mandate on which they were elected. “MPs won in 2024 on TMC ticket. Mandate was NOT for NDA,” she said in her post on X E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e CALLING for greater unity against the BJP the Opposition , INDIA bloc members on Monday unanimously decided to demand Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s immediate resignation over the NEET-CBSE paper leak row and write to the Chief Justice on alleged anomalies in the SIR exercise and allegations of ‘vote theft’. Leaders of 22 Opposition parties and Independent MP Kapil Sibal were part of the deliberations that lasted for more than 150 minutes at the Constitution Club in New Delhi. The DMK, a key INDIA bloc constituent, was conspicuous by its absence, while the AAP had distanced itself from the grouping. The deliberations began with a call to forge unity and rework the Opposition strategy to take on the BJP, while ironing out the differences within after the drubbing of the Trinamool Congress and DMK in the recent Assembly polls in West The BJP announced its candidates for the June 18 Rajya Sabha and Karnataka Legislative Council elections. The party named academician Prof M Nagaraja, a prominent leader from the Kuruba community, for the Rajya Sabha seat, disappointing the JDS, which was hoping for another Rajya Sabha term for for mer Prime Minister and party supremo HD Deve Gowda. JDS MLC TA Saravana told TNIE that the party was hoping Deve Gowda would be given another term as Rajya Sabha member. “When I heard his name was not on the list, I was shocked. Deve Gowda has guided Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He was the voice of Kannadigas in the Upper House. We are disappointed,’’ he said. Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and others during the INDIA bloc meet | Sayantan Ghosh Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, “A letter will be sent to the CJI soon on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, ‘vote loot’, and ‘stealing of elections’.” It was also agreed to demand the immediate resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan,” he said. According to sources, Rahul Gandhi stressed unity and said one must bring everyone together with love and affection. E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru Home Minister Priyank Kharge has directed senior police officials to issue notices to all pubs, breweries, bars, clubs, lounges, restaurants and other establishments serving liquor, instructing them to strictly prevent entry and service of alcohol to underage persons. The minister has instructed the police to treat underage drinking not merely as a licensing violation, but as a youthsafety and public-health concern. “Children and young people must be protected from alcohol and substance abuse. Commercial establishments cannot place profit above the safety and future of our youth. The rule is simple: No ID, no entry Any . establishment abetting underage drinking will face severe action,” Kharge said. “No person shall be allowed entry into pubs, breweries, 9 killed as molten steel spills at Vizag plant Army Chief Gen Dwivedi lists the challenges before India in an interview with Javaria Rana, adding: “The future warrior will be a human amplified by tech, not replaced by it” | P9 Iran says halting offensive against Israel Tehran: The Iranian military said on Monday it was halting its offensive operations against Israel. It said if Israel or its allies carry out any further “aggression and hostile acts,” including in southern Lebanon, then “much more severe and crushing measures than before will follow.” L o n g p a s t d e a d l i ne Govt weighs penalty on HAL over Tejas delays J a v a r i a R a n a @ New Delhi The defence ministry is considering imposing penalties on state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) over the continued delay in delivering the Tejas Mk1A fighter jet to the Indian Air Force (IAF), sources said. The programme is already more than two years behind its original deadline. The programme review, itself delayed by a month owing to HAL’s lack of progress, was finally held on Monday Defence . Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting, which was also attended by Chief of Defence Staff General N S Raja Subramani, Air Chief Marshal A P Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chairs Tejas Mk1A programme review meeting | PTI Singh, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi Kota and other senior officials. Sources in the defence estab- lishment told this newspaper that the financial penalty being considered against HAL is not punitive in the extraordinary sense, but stems from a standard contractual clause that can bars, clubs or liquorserving establishments without valid age proof. Establishments must verify government-issued identification before permitting entry or serving alcohol. Any establishment found serving liquor to underage persons or abetting underage drinking will be dealt with severely under applicable law. Owners, managers, licence- Recent research conducted among 4,093 students from PU courses, UG colleges and higher secondary classes in Bengaluru has found that one in three adolescents are at risk of developing health issues due to alcohol or tobacco use — Priyank Kharge, Home Minister Visakhapatnam: Nine workers were killed and five injured when an explosion triggered a massive fire and caused 150 tonnes of molten metal, which was being transported through a ladle, to spill at the Visakhapatnam steel plant on Monday | P7 Gearing up for ‘two-anda-half front challenge’ Gowda, the 93-year-old veteran active in politics since 1962, was first elected as an Independent MLA from Holenarasipura in Hassan district. He remained largely in state politics until 1996, serving as chief minister from 1994 to 1996. In 1996, Deve Gowda became Prime Minister and subsequently entered the Rajya Sabha for the first time. He served multiple terms in the Lok Sabha. In 2019, he contested from Tumakuru as the JDS-Congress candidate, and lost. He returned to Parliament through the Rajya Sabha in June 2020, winning with Congress support. This was his second term as RS member, and the JDS was hoping to get the third term. On Congress leaders criticising the BJP Saravana said the , party has no moral right. “We are disappointed. But the BJPJDS alliance will remain intact and strong,’’ he added.  P4 Karnataka to crack down on underage drinking E x p r e s s Re a d Indian army Akhilesh Yadav, who spoke about “vote chori” and said the Bengal polls were “robbed”, appealed to the Congress to show a big heart and back strong regional parties. The meeting was attended by Shiv Sena-UBT’s Uddhav Thackeray and JMM’s Hemant Soren , joined virtually Others include . Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav from the SP Te, jashwi Yadav from the RJD, Omar Abdullah from NC, and Mehbooba Mufti from the PDP , along with Left leaders.  P9 @ Bengaluru be invoked in cases of delayed delivery Incidentally HAL has . , itself used the same provision against American engine maker GE Aerospace for delays in supplying F404 engines, a critical bottleneck in the programme. GE has delivered far fewer engines than scheduled, with only six currently available with HAL. Moreover, the IAF has already granted certain relaxations and is reportedly considering further concessions to facilitate early induction. As reported earlier, a key reason for the delay has been the integration of the AESA radar with the aircraft’s electronic warfare suite and onboard mission systems. holders and event organisers will be held responsible for violations within their premises. Ensure entrance CCTV is functional and preserved for a minimum defined period to verify compliance during investigation. Police will also coordinate with educational institutions, parents, resident welfare associations and citizen groups to prevent minors from being exposed to alcohol, tobacco and narcotics,” the minister said. He has made it clear that Karnataka will adopt a zerotolerance approach towards establishments that enable or encourage underage drinking. Amid NDA govt anniv events, buzz on delimitation bill R a je s h K u m a r T h a k u r @ New Delhi Celebrations marking the completion of 12 years of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA commenced on Monday with the BJP highlighting the government’s achieve, ments and its key initiatives over the past decade. The events began with a series of media interactions involving senior BJP leaders and prominent Union ministers, including Amit Shah, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Piyush Goyal and Nitin Nabin. The party has planned a range of activities across the country in the run-up to the Monsoon session of , Parliament, tentatively scheduled for July Speculation is rife that the NDA Other plans . may use the strengthened political environment to revive the delimitation Other ambitious legislative proposals bill during the session. The legislative proposal — inter- on the NDA’s to-do twined with an amendment bill on list include the One women’s reservation — seeks to redraw Nation, One Election parliamentary and assembly constitu- (ONOE) and further encies and potentially increase the electoral reforms number of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures. It was defeated on the floor of the Lok Sabha on April 17. However, the NDA appears increasingly confident about its prospects, as its position in Parliament continues to strengthen. The latest implosion within the parliamentary party of the Trinamool Congress with 20 of its 28 Lok Sabha MPs led by senior leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar seeking to form a separate bloc and aligning themselves with the NDA, takes the ruling coalition closer to the 352 votes required in April for a supermajority to get the delimitation bill passed. The NDA fell short in April, as it just had 298. It is also improving its position in the Rajya Sabha. ` fall adds to BMRCL burden on $500-million loan repayment In d r a S @Bengaluru Even as Bengaluru Metro’s Phase 2A (ORR line) and 2B (Airport line) corridors remain under construction and generate no revenue, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has started repaying a $500-million loan from June 1. The repayment comes at a time when the rupee has severely depreciated against the US dollar since the loan was contracted in 2021, adding to the repayment burden. According to data available in the latest annual report 2024-25, the repayment schedule commenced on June 1, under the loan agreement signed on August 19, 2021 with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Rs 3,750 crore (approx) loan carries a 25-year term, including a five-year moratorium, and will be repaid through instalments until December 1, 2045. When the loan agreement was signed in 2021, the exchange rate was around Rs 75 per US dollar, but now the rupee is trading around Rs 95 against the dollar. This means BMRCL is effectively paying nearly Rs 20 more for every dollar it repays compared to the time when the amount was borrowed. Both the principal and interest payments are linked to the dollardenominated loan. According to official data, BMRCL had drawn $335.12 million of the sanctioned $500-million loan by the end of the 202425 financial year, equivalent to about Rs 2,748.67 crore. P7