MADURAI l Thursday l October 08, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l LATE CITY EDITION duo wins chemistry Nobel for solving ‘mirror image mystery’ France’s Henri Kagan and Japan’s Kenso Soai on Wednesday won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for untangling the mirror images in molecules Henri B Kagan Kenso Soai Making the preferred variant of a molecule Their Discovery shaped modern medicine Molecules exist as two mirrored variants. But in living organisms, only one variant is found. While nature produces only the variant it requires, scientists have failed to create a specific version and have always ended up with an equal mix of both. Kagan and Soai discovered a solution to this puzzle, which has transformed modern medicine ■ ■ A drug must only contain the variant of the molecule as its target to have the desired effect. The mirror version could even cause harm In 1986, Kagan discovered how to create a “greater excess” of one of the mirror images. Soai then succeeded in designing a chemical reaction that created only the chosen version of a molecule Literature Nobel prize to be announced today 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 Borrowing costs to go up as RBI raises repo rate In first hike since Feb 2023, key rate raised to 5.5%; RBI signals rate-hike season is on look,” RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra told reporters. THE Reserve Bank of India The hike was Malhotra’s on Wednesday joined other first since he assumed office central banks in biting the in December 2024. During his rate-hike bullet, delivering its tenure, RBI has delivered six first repo rate hike since Feb- rate cuts totalling 125 bps. ruary 2023. RBI’s Monetary The MPC, however, sent a Policy Committee (MPC) mixed signal by raising its raised the key policy rate by growth forecast by 40 basis 25 basis points (bps) to 5.5%, points to 7.1% for the current immediately raising the inter- financial year while increasest burden on borrowers. ing its inflation projection by At its policy meeting held 20 bps to 5.2%. between October 5 and OctoThe rate hike comes amid ber 7, the MPC signalled that rising inflation risks and glohigher interest rates bal macroeconomic are here to stay for pressures, including some time, changing the threat of a its policy stance from drought and elevated ‘neutral’ to ‘calibratbond yields. Typicaled tightening’. This, ly central banks raise , according to anainterest rates to conlysts, is a signal that tain inflation by modtwo or three more erating demand, Sanjay Malhotra hikes could be in the which in turn slows offing, depending on economic activity. how inflation and other mac- RBI’s higher growth forecast, roeconomic conditions evolve alongside the increase in its in the near term. inflation projection presents a RBI’s action sent stocks complex policy outlook. lower by 0.6-0.76%, while the “The duration and the exrupee breached the 97-per-dol- tent of the rate hike cycle lar mark for the first time would be contingent on the acsince June and closed at a tual growth-inflation developfive-month low of 96.78. Bond ments and outlook, especially yields hardened by 5-7 basis that of underlying inflation, points to 7.25%. the extent of broadening of “Rate cuts are off the table price pressures and secondfor the time being, and any round effects of the supply further action will be a hike shock, as well as the impact of or a pause, depending on the demand impulses,” the RBI evolving macroeconomic out- governor said.  P10 B E N N K O C H U V E E D A N @ Mumbai 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.25 6.25 6.00 6.25 6.00 Repo rate history 5.75 5.50 5.25 5.50 Figures in % 5.00 7 Dec 2022 8 Feb 8 June 9 Oct 2023 2023 2024 6 Dec 2024 5.50 5.50 5.25 5.25 5.25 5.25 7 Feb 9 April 6 June 6 Aug 5 Dec 6 Feb 5 June 5 Aug 7 Oct 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 2026 2026 2026 2026 express read No bar on police action against E V Velu: HC Chennai: The Madras HC has denied protection from police action to former PWD minister E V Velu and his son E V Kumaran in a case alleging illegal extraction of lake-bed clay soil for levelling the grounds of a DMK Youth Wing conference, which led to a loss of `8 crore for the Tamil Nadu exchequer | P4 1.77 cr smart meters to be installed across TN Chennai: Tenders have been floated to install 1.77 crore smart meters for low-tension consumers, excluding govt buildings, agricultural and hut services, across municipal corporations in TN. As per centre’s norms, the work must be completed by March 2028 | P2 TNPDCL floats tender to procure 4,500 MW Chennai: With peak-hour power demand rising, the TNPDCL has floated an e-tender for emergency procurement of 4,500 MW between October 12 and 31. The utility plans to procure 1,500 MW between midnight and 2 am and 3,000 MW from 6 pm to midnight | P4 Aged 20 or under & unemployed? No US visas to nine wrestlers f i r o z m i r z a @ Chennai In a big setback to the Indian wrestling contingent scheduled to compete at the U23 World Championships, the US Embassy in New Delhi on Wednesday refused visas to nine out of 16 athletes. The wrestlers appeared for the visa interviews but were declined visas as their age was 20 or below and all of them, except one, were unemployed. The one woman wrestler, who recently got a job with the Indian Railways, was also denied visas as she could not furnish her salary and bank account details. The championship is scheduled to be held in Las Vegas from October 12 to 18. A total of 24 members from the Indian contingent including 16 wrestlers appeared in the first round of interviews at the US Embassy on Wednesday The second lot . comprising 14 wrestlers will visit the Embassy on Thursday . Concerned with the development, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) mailed the US Embassy and copied it to the USA Wrestling and United press clusive pic: uww UWW assured us I will speak to the that wrestlers will WFI & then speak get the visas on the issue Sanjay Kumar Singh, WFI president Nenad Lalovic, UWW president World Wrestling (UWW), the world governing body When ap. prised of the issue by this daily , UWW chief Nenad Lalovic said he would speak to the WFI in this regard. Later in the day La, lovic made a call to the WFI president Sanjay Kumar Singh. “We got a call from the UWW president. We have written to him, seeking intervention from the UWW and USA Wrestling in this matter. He assured us that our wrestlers will participate in the event,” Sanjay Kumar told this daily Meanwhile, a WFI of. ficial also confirmed that USA Wrestling also got in touch with the federation. A total of 30 wrestlers (10 each in men’s Greco-Roman, freestyle and women’s wrestling) were selected to compete in the competition. If things go as planned, they will be accompanied by coaches, medical staff and referees for the event. The wrestlers, who were denied visas, are Samarth Gajanan Mhakave, Dheeraj Kumar Malik, Sachin Kumar, Nikhil, Hard e e p, P a r ve e n , A h i l ya Shatrughn Shinde, Neha Sharma and Neha.  P11 HC: No FCRA registration for outfits engaged in conversion J E G A D E E S WA RI PA N D I A N @ Madurai Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other INDIA bloc members lie on the road with a copy of the Constitution in New Delhi on Wednesday | Parveen Negi Flash stir adds to pressure on CEC P r eetha N a i r & U dayan K i sho r e @ New Delhi THE face-off between the INDIA bloc and the Chief Election Commissioner spilled onto New Delhi’s streets for the second consecutive day on Wednesday as police forcibly detained , Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition MPs for the third time in two days. This came after a flash protest demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. After an hour-long standoff, police carried Rahul Gandhi into a bus and forcibly removed Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who lay on the road holding a copy of the Constitution. The siblings and other detained leaders were released later. Rahul said the Opposition’s protest would continue until Kumar resigned, calling it a fight to protect the “most sacred thing” in the country. Later asked about the FIR against him for Tuesday’s eight-hour sitin, he said, “I have 45 FIRs against me. My target is that there should be 100 FIRs against me. Every FIR against me is a medal for me.” The protest followed a luncheon for INDIA bloc leaders hosted by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge at a restaurant on Janpath in central Delhi. The leaders then boarded buses to head to Jantar Mantar, where heavy security had been deployed. When police stopped their buses on Ashoka Road, Rahul and other leaders got out and staged a sit-in, triggering a confrontation with security personnel. As police bodily removed Rahul and put him in the police bus, some Congress leaders climbed atop the bus and bonnet. A large posse of women personnel removed Priyanka and others and took them away in buses. The show of Opposition unity was marked by the absence of the Samajwadi Party How. ever, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “In the future, you might hear about a meeting over tea. We could all sit down and eat samosas too... Diplomacy will continue.” As for the Cockroach Janta Party it will launch its protest at , Jantar Mantar on October 10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling on veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani at the latter’s residence, in New Delhi on Wednesday | PTI ‘We will do it’ Says PM on Viksit Bharat, adds criticism a motivator RAJESH KUMAR THAKUr @ New Delhi Split verdict recall: SC to examine plea The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to examine a plea seeking recall of its split verdict on whether challenges to the 2023 law governing the appointment of the CEC and Election Commissioners should go to a larger Constitution bench | P7 As I said yesterday, those who have done this work are traitors and we will take action against them. I am telling you Gyanesh Kumar will have to resign. We will not stop till he resigns Rahul Gandhi Leader of Opposition Injecting fresh momentum into the Viksit Bharat vision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday coined a new slogan, ‘We will do it’, and called on citizens to work hard to help achieve the goal of becoming a developed country by 2047. The prime minister was addressing the ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha’ held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi to mark his 25 years as the head of a government. “The dream we are seeing today in 2026 of a developed India will surely come true. There is no reason for India to stop now. A hundred years ago, we were even less than 40 crore; today, we are more than 140 crore. The 140 crore citizens together will build a developed India by 2047, and we certainly will. We Will Do It,” Modi said. He repeated the new phrase 19 times during his 50-minute address. “Viksit Bharat by 2047: we will do it. Top 3 economy: We will do it. Self-reliant India: we will do it. Global manufacturing hub: we will do it. Hosting the Olympics: we will do it. Forging ahead in space exploration: we will do it,” he said with the crowd echoing him. Modi said criticism has always motivated him to per- form better. Taking a swipe at the Opposition, Modi said, “Those who tried to defeat me showed me humility. Those who tried to pull me down showed me resilience. Those who challenged me showed me the power of determination.” He said India is now advancing across multiple sectors. “The Indian Tricolour flies high in technology, sports and industry Indian pilots are be. ing talked about across the globe today. A day will come when the world discusses “Made in India” aircraft. These goals will be realised only if we formulate visionary policies and strive with the utmost dedication. This is not the time for rest; it is a time to move forward with purpose and to dedicate ourselves entirely to the nation,” he declared. Modi cautioned that political fragmentation for votebank gains remains one of the nation’s steepest hurdles, reminding citizens that when adversity strikes, it impacts every community and caste without discrimination. “When a farmer’s field lacks water, does the problem affect only one caste? When there is no electricity, does darkness fall only on one community? If the problem belongs to everyone, the solution must be for everyone,” he said. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has held that Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration status is a privilege and not a right, and religious organisations engaged in conversion must be denied that registration. Only those organisations whose activities would not affect the nation’s secular fabric and social amity are entitled for FCRA registration, a bench of Justices GR Swaminathan and MD Sumathi said. The HC made the observation while dismissing an appeal filed by Kanzeon Public Charitable Trust against denial of FCRA registration to it last year for not correctly identifying its nature as a religious organisation. The court, however, clarified that it was not accusing the trust of having any conversion agenda. The judges explained how foreign contribution may destabilise the social order if one religious group gains dominance. They referred to the recent friction between Christians and Muslims in Kerala and said, “If foreign funds are allowed inside to facilitate conversion activities, the nation’s sovereignty would be imperilled. We specifically highlight the issue of conversion because radical Christian institutions are notorious for indulging in such activities.” The judges cited Section 12(4)(a) (ii) of FCRA, 2010, which prevents organisations prosecuted or convicted for indulging in religious conversion from availing of FCRA registration.  P5 $70Kstudents fees for Intl to get work in U.S. The US Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday proposed a USD 70,000 fee for international students seeking to work in the US | P9 Does omission of property info amount to Boulder crashes onto car in Nilgiris, ex-IAF officer killed undue influence of voters: HC in CM case E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Nilgiris R S I V A K U M A R @ Chennai The Madras High Court has questioned whether non-disclosure of `30 crore in the affidavit accompanying the nomination papers of Chief Minister and TVK president C Joseph Vijay vitiates his victory in the April polls and if that’s good enough reason to set aside his victory . “How does suppression of properties amount to undue in- fluence on the voters? Will nondisclosure of `30 crore in the affidavit amount to undue influence and so that the victory has to be set aside,” asked Justice V Lakshminarayanan, and added that Vijay has declared `600 crore in the affidavit. T h e q u e r i e s we r e raised on Wednesday during the arguments on the petition filed by Vijay praying for rejecting the election petition filed against his victory in Perambur constituency in the April 2026 polls. When the counsel for the election petitioners, NC Ashok Kumar, stated that one bungalow was left out in the affidavit, the judge wondered if Vijay being a superstar, , could know about all his properties.  P5 A 64-year-old retired Indian Air Force officer was killed and two women, including his wife, were injured after a huge boulder rolled down from the hill and crashed onto their car near Burliyar on the CoonoorMettupalayam hill road on Wednesday morning. T h e i n c i d e n t o c c u r re d around 9.15 am, about 500 metres from Burliyar, when B Krishnamurthy, a resident of Jagathala near Ooty, was trav- elling to Mettupalayam with his family members and relatives in a car. They were on their way to a relative’s house to attend a function, a police official said. With several parts of the Nilgiris, including Burliyar, receiving incessant rain over the past few days, the boulder is believed to have slipped from the rain-soaked hillside and crashed onto the vehicle. Krishnamurthy, who was seated on the left side of the rear seat, suffered severe inju- The boulder that crashed onto the car near Burliyar; (inset) B Krishnamurthy, who died in the accident | Express ries in the impact. He was rushed to the Mettupalayam Government Hospital but died on the way. Doctors declared him brought dead. His wife K Devagi (60) suffered a fracture, while their relative Chinthamani (68) of Manjoor sustained a head injury Both are undergoing treat. ment at a private hospital near Saibaba Colony in Coimbatore. Krishnamurthy’s son Karthik (30), who was driving the car, and another relative, Indira (61), escaped unhurt.  P5