‘LADAKH PROTESTS ONLY TO SEEK DIALOGUE’ HUBBALLI  WEDNESDAY  MARCH 18, 2026  `9.00  PAGES 14  CITY EDITION Wangchuk, who was arrested last year following violent protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and inclusion under Sixth Schedule of Constitution, said the protests were only to seek dialogue. He noted that any negotiation means both sides will have to make some adjustments. “We were sure of a victory in court, but a win was not enough. I wanted a win-win,” he said ‘WON’T RESUME STIR IF TALKS HAPPEN’ ■ In his first remarks after release from jail, activist Sonam Wangchuk said he is looking forward to a ‘meaningful dialogue’ with Centre on Ladakh ■ Wangchuk described govt’s move to release him as an “extending of hand to build trust and to facilitate meaningful, constructive dialogue” “They have offered a constructive, meaningful dialogue. This is what we have wanted, and we had to struggle so much, sit on fast” | P9 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 ON ADOPTION De facto Iran leader dead: Israel Maternity leave criteria nixed Israel claims it eliminated Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani; Tehran yet to confirm or deny EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE A G E N C I E S @ Jersusalem/Tehran/Dubai @ New Delhi OBSERVING that adoption is part of the right to reproductive autonomy, the Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a law which said a woman would be eligible for maternity leave only if she legally adopts a child below the age of three months, saying it is discriminatory . The court also urged the Centre to come up with a law recognising paternity leave as a social security benefit, noting that parenthood is not a solitary function, adding while the mother is central to a child’s development, it would be unjust to overlook the role of the father. Ruling that age-based classification under Section 60(4) of the Code on Social Security 2020 was violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, a bench of justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan held that an adoptive mother should be entitled to maternity leave of 12 weeks, irrespective of the age of the adopted child. “The distinction drawn by subsection (4) of Section 60 does not have a rational nexus with the object of the 2020 Code. The object of maternity benefit is not associated with the process of childbirth but with the process of motherhood...The purpose of maternity protection does not vary with the manner in which the child is brought into the life of the beneficiary mother... Women who adopt a child aged three months or above are similarly situated to women who adopt a child below three months.” ISRAEL said on Tuesday that it has killed Ali Larijani, Iran’s powerful national security chief and de facto leader overseeing the country’s decision making. Israel also claimed it has killed Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, in a strike in Tehran. Iran did not immediately confirm or reject Israel’s claims. Larijani, 68, was last seen in public on Friday at a Quds Day march in Tehran. “This morning we eliminated Ali Larijani, the boss of the Revolutionary Guards, which is the gang of gangsters that actually runs Iran,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement. According to an IDF statement, Larijani led the politicalsecurity coordination of the Iranian regime and “directed its international activity”. 1 Hormuz: Modi, UAE prez discuss safe navigation 2 22 other Indian-flagged vessels carrying 611 seafarers remain in the western Gulf IDF claims Larijani was de facto leader of after supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed Larijani led the political-security coordination of the regime, says Israel military Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani His death, if confirmed, would be a blow to Iran, which is facing the brunt of a war launched by the US and Israel seeking a regime DAY change in Tehran. Larijani was considered a key pillar in the ruling system, close to the late supreme leader Ali Khameini and central to the government’s nuclear policy and strategic diplomacy over decades. 18 3 He was involved in directing the regime’s international activity after Khamenie’s death After the war broke out, Larijani became more powerful. While the new supreme leader, Ali Khameini’s son Mojtaba, has not been seen in public since his appointment, Larijani was spotted among crowds at a progovernment rally last week. The US-Israeli war on Iran is now in its third week, killing at least 2,000 people and setting off Illicit liquor may come under NDPS Act: Min E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @Bengaluru THE Karnataka government is planning to bring illegal liquor sales under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Excise Minister RB Timmapur said on Tuesday . When concerns were raised in the Assembly over rampant sale of illicit liquor, he said a committee headed by retired IAS officer KP Krishnan has been formed to formulate recommendations for a new legal framework. The government has taken note of widespread illegal manufacture and sale of liquor across the state. To curb the menace, it is also considering amendments to the Karnataka Excise Act and introduction of a stricter law. Raising the issue, Raichur Rural MLA Banagouda Daddal said controlling illicit liquor sales remains a challenge, especially in border areas and his constituency is on the border of Karna- taka and Telangana. He suggested opening more MSIL outlets in villages along the border, alleging that illicit liquor is being sold through local kirana stores. He alleged that people get powder from Telangana, make liquor here and sell it. Such people need to be deported. Youth are getting addicted to illicit liquor and are committing murders and causing road accidents. There is a need for strict action, he said. CONTINUED ON: P4 Second LPG tanker arrives from the Strait of Hormuz Oil tanker Jag Laadki with about 80,800 tonnes of Murban crude from UAE, set to arrive Modi, UAE President stress secure Strait of Hormuz global repercussions. The Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows, remains closed for all ships except those that have Iran’s permission. Meanwhile, Iran launched a fresh wave of attacks on Tuesday, targeting US forces at Kuwait’s Ali al-Salem Air Base, UAE’s Fujairah, and in Iraq’s Erbil. Drone attacks sparked a fire at an oil tank farm in Fujairah. EXPRESS READ Hailstorm, rain across state bring relief Bengaluru: Karnataka received the season’s first mango showers, also called pre-monsoon showers, on Monday and Tuesday. Rain and hailstones were reported from most parts of the state. India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials have forecast that this weather will continue for the next couple of days. A yellow alert has also been sounded for the next two days in some regions. 40% of young graduates can’t find work: Report PA D M I N I D H R U V A R A J @ Bengaluru NEARLY 40% of young graduates in India are unemployed, a figure that has remained largely unchanged for four decades, according to the State of Working India 2026 report by Azim Premji University The report—which defines youth . as those between 15 and 29 years—shows that unemployment among young graduates remains persistently high, with 40% of those between 15-25 years and 20% of 25-29 years unable to find work. This is not a new trend. The report, which draws from nationally representative labour force surveys, administrative databases, and primary surveys, states that graduate unemployment has “remained more or less unchanged between 35% and 40%” from 1983 to 2023, even as the number of graduates has increased significantly over time. Even when work is found, stable employment is uncommon. Tracking young graduate men over a year, the report finds about half can find some form of work, but few secure permanent salaried employment. “Among graduates, only about 7% find permanent salaried employment within a year,” it states. This gap between education and employment comes at a critical time as India’s demographic advantage, driven by its large young population, is nearing its peak.