CENTRE OPEN TO TALKS, SAYS SONAM WANGCHUK 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, 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 TIRUPATI  WEDNESDAY  MARCH 18, 2026  `9.00  PAGES 12  LATE CITY EDITION 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 Apex Court nixes criteria for maternity leave EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @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 comprising 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 sub-section (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 court observed. De facto Iran leader dead: Israel Israel claims it eliminated Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani; Tehran yet to confirm or deny A G E N C I E S @ Jersusalem/Tehran/Dubai 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”. IDF claims Larijani was de facto leader of after supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed Hormuz: Modi, UAE prez discuss safe navigation Larijani led the political-security coordination of the regime, says Israel military 22 other Indian-flagged vessels carrying 611 seafarers remain in the western Gulf 1 Second LPG tanker arrives from the Strait of Hormuz 2 3 Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani His death, if confirmed, would wou 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 EXPRESS READ One-time 50% waiver on property tax interest Naidu to launch Divyang Shakti scheme today Vijayawada: The AP government announced a one-time 50% waiver on interest for property tax arrears for 2025-26. Taxpayers must clear full principal and remaining interest in one payment by March 31, 2026. The scheme aims to boost ULB revenues and improve urban services. No extension will be given, officials said | P3 Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will launch ‘Divyang Shakti’ on Wednesday, offering free RTC bus travel to persons with disabilities. Timed for Ugadi, the scheme will benefit over 12.76 lakh people. Leaders will join beneficiaries in bus travel. The programme expands welfare focus to disability inclusion with statewide rollout | P4 Oil tanker Jag Laadki with about 80,800 tonnes of Murban crude from UAE, set to arrive He was involved in directing the regime’s international activity after Khamenie’s death Modi, UAE President stress secure Strait of Hormuz 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 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. 20L JOBS, TOP AGENDA OF AP: LOKESH IT & HRD Minister Nara Lokesh says creating 20 lakh jobs must be AP’s top priority, stressing focus on grounding investments and boosting industrial growth | P4 40% of young grads 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 unem- ployment among young graduates remains persistently high, with 40% of those between 1525 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. 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,” the report 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. The report estimates the share of workingage population will begin to decline after 2030.