visakhapatnam l friday l october 16, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION PM modi meets Asian Games medal winners in new delhi India’s hosting power on the rise, says PM At a function at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, PM Narendra Modi lauds athletes & also reiterates country’s bid to host 2036 Olympics ‘country’s resolve will host the 2036 oly’ The PM was presented with memorabilia ranging from signed jerseys to a bow from 17-year-old archery sensation Kumkum Mohod, who won two gold medals and a silver at the recently-concluded Games. The PM said the country is not just becoming a stronger force in terms of performance but also evolving into a “credible host” for major international events ■ ■ The PM also reiterated country’s resolve to host 2036 Olympics. “We are bidding for the 2036 Olympics and it is our resolve that we will host the games,” he said Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, ICC chairman Jay Shah & IOA president P T Usha were also present during the interaction 85 India won 85 medals at the Asian Games, including 21 gold 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 SC notice to ECI, CEC on Rahul’s Convert can’t get quota plea against SIR irregularities based on prior caste: SC Mulls all-women panel to probe alleged sexual violence against journalists S U C HI T RA K A LYA N M O HA N T Y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on a batch of pleas filed by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders over alleged large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of poll rolls. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also tagged the pleas with petitions already pending before the court challenging the validity of SIR. With this, all SIR-related matters will be heard together at a later date, likely on October 28. The SC also took note of submissions that attempts were made by Rahul and others to browbeat the judiciary by undertaking a march on October 12. “Nobody can browbeat the judiciary the CJI said, adding “We know ,” what statements they are making outside and what they are saying in court.” The bench, while hearing Govt clarifies on another plea filed by Network home secy’s apology of Women in Media, India On reports that Home over the alleged sexual vioSecretary Govind Mohan lence against female journalapologIsed to SC in a ists covering the protests, contempt case, the said it would consider setting up an all-women panel to MHA clarified it’s a usual practice. “...It look into such complaints. “It may comprise a former is required that the party responding woman judge, a former womto the notice must an IPS officer, a former wombegin their affidavit an social worker or a social with an unconditional activist with a known track apology. Only thereafter all record,” said the CJI. other facts and arguments The bench also agreed with are presented,” it said senior advocate Indira Jaising’s submission that there should be clear guidelines on law-enforcement authorities’ interaction with journalists during protests. “We would like to lay down guidelines,” the bench said while issuing notice on the plea seeking responses from the Centre and the Delhi Police. Jaising said women reporters are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse while covering protests when they are pushed around by male police officers. The bench also directed that no coercive action be taken against a woman journalist against whom a case has been filed by a Delhi Police officer under the stringent SC/ST Act alleging casteist remarks and public humiliation against him during a protest. Prez: Empower ‘Lakhpati Didis’ further to be ‘Crorepati Didis’ Y B r a h m a j i @ Vijayawada President Droupadi Murmu has emphasised that to achieve Viksit Bharat by 2047, it is essential to extend the benefits of development to every village and every household. She called for moving beyond the goal of creating ‘Lakhpati Didis’ to developing ‘Crorepati Didis’ by helping women expand their businesses, and increase their earnings. Self-Help Groups and SARAS Melas can play a leading role in this endeavour, she said. The President inaugurated the National SARAS Mela 2026 at Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada on Thursday mark, ing the first time the nationallevel rural livelihoods fair is being organised outside the National Capital Re gion (NCR). Jointly organised by the Union Ministry of Rural Development and the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the 14-day mega event features more than 650 stalls showcasing products made by around 1,500 women entrepreneurs, and Lakhpati Didis from 34 States and Union Territop4 ries.  No Delhi HC bar on CJP’s protest today at Connaught Place U D AYA N K I S H O R E & Ad i t i R ay C h o w d h u r y @ New Delhi THE Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to bar a protest called by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on October 16 at Central Park in Connaught Place, while taking on record Delhi Police’s assurance that all possible steps would be taken to regulate and control the protesters. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma Summary revision of was hearing a plea by a Connaught Place vendor seeking a poll rolls from Jan 1 fiat to police to regulate the The Election Commission protest. Called “Lehra do Tion Thursday announced ranga”, the protest kicks off at that Special Summary 5 pm on Friday Heavy securi. Revision (SSR) of ty is likely in and around CP electoral rolls will and Jantar Mantar ahead of be conducted in 17 the agitation. Late on Thursstates and Union day the New Delhi Municipal , territories, Council issued a notice barincluding those ring general public from visitwhere assembly polls ing Central Park in Connaught are due next year. The ECI Place on October 16 and 17. said January 1, 2027, will be The petition claimed that the qualifying date for the traders and vendors would be summary revision “on the streets” if they lost another weekend to closures due to protest in central Delhi during the festive season. “This is the Dussehra weekend. This protest has to be stopped,” the petitioner’s counsel submitted. The bench refused to pass a “specific” direction restraining CJP protesters as urged by the petitioner. “Don’t insist. We have passed the order,” the bench said. Addressing a press conference on Thursday along with All India Students’ Association (AISA) leader Neha Bora, Students’ Federation of India (SFI) leader Aishe Ghosh and actor Prakash Raj, Dipke criticised the police action against demonstrators and alleged that the government was using state machinery to shield Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. gory and a private religious body cannot conclusively determine statutory IN a significant order, the Supreme entitlement. Court on Thursday held that a person Therefore, the SC held that a person who converts to Islam cannot automati- who converted to Islam, Christianity or cally claim reservation under a noti- any other non-Hindu social order canfied Muslim Backward Class (BC) cat- not claim, merely on basis of their preegory based on their pre-conversion conversion status, any statutory benecaste status as a Hindu. fit, protection, quota or entitlement Upholding a Madras High under Article 16(4), which is Court verdict, the judgment dependent on them belonging from the two-judge bench of to a particular social order. justices Prashant Kumar The SC ruling came on a Former caste or Mishra and Shree ChanTamil Nadu government apcommunity drashekhar said, “Such a conpeal against a HC verdict patterns can’t version severs the legal founquashing the state’s order that automatically be dation of an entitlement allowed converts to Islam transposed into which is specifically condi- Muslim BC category from Backward Class, Most tioned upon membership of Backward Class, Denotified Supreme Court that Hindu social order.” Community and Scheduled The bench said a person Caste backgrounds to get cerwho converts from the Hindu social or- tificates as belonging to one of seven der to a non-Hindu social order cannot notified BC Muslim classifications. claim affirmative action under Article The HC declared the GO unconstitu16(4) of the Constitution merely on the tional while deciding a writ petition of basis of social backwardness associat- Sameer Ahmed (earlier Paramasivam), ed with their pre-conversion status. It who converted to Islam in 2015 and said the former caste or community sought a certificate as Muslim Lebbai, status as a Hindu cannot automatically one of seven Muslim communities recbe transposed into a Muslim BC cate- ognised as BC Muslims in TN. S U C HI T RA K A LYA N M O HA N T Y @ New Delhi pakistan school roof collapse results in 35 deaths At least 34 children and a teacher were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed on Thursday in Peshawar, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province E x p r e s s Re a d DME issues norms for med college hostels Vijayawada: In a major administrative initiative aimed at ensuring strict discipline across government medical institutions, the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) has issued comprehensive model guidelines for the operation and management of hostels attached to medical colleges and teaching hospitals | p3 Northeast monsoon sets in over State Visakhapatnam: The northeast monsoon set in over Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, bringing in spells of rain across a few parts of the State. The IMD has forecast normal rainfall over south peninsular India during October-December, with seasonal rainfall likely to be between 88% and 112% of the long-period average (LPA) | p5