villupuram l wednesday l april 15, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION U.K. Univ gets UGC nod to open its global campus in Bengaluru University of Birbek in London on Tuesday received a Letter of Intent from the UGC to establish its global campus in Bengaluru, according to officials Get u.k. degree at 60% lower cost flexible, research led education model With the establishment of its Bengaluru campus, Birkbeck will offer Indian students access to globally recognised University of London degrees at 60 per cent lower cost, while maintaining the same academic standards. This initiative directly supports India’s goal of increasing its Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to 50 per cent by 2030, an official said ■ ■ Founded in 1823, Birkbeck, University of London is globally recognised for its flexible, career-focused, research-led education model ”The handing over of the Letter of Intent marks a gateway to global learning for Indians. It reflects the confidence that international institutions have in India’s higher education,” said a top official 2030 is the target india has set to become a hub for global education 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 Don dials Modi. For 33% women’s quota, 307 LS Big deals soon, seats to be added, cap set at 850 indicates Gor Three bills to figure in special session of Parliament, Oppn meet today to chalk out strategy P r ee t ha Na i r @ New Delhi J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi EMPHASISING the strategic importance of energy security and global trade routes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation for 40 minutes on Tuesday focussing on the escalating situation in West Asia and the imperative of keep the Strait of Hormuz open and secure. The call came amid growing global concern over disruptions to maritime energy flows. This was the first call between the two leaders since the US-Iran ceasefire last week, and their third this year. “Received a call from my friend President Donald Trump. We reviewed ... progress achieved in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors. We are committed to further strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas. We also discussed ... West Asia and stressed the importance of keeping the Strait open and secure,” Modi said. The Strait remains a critical maritime chokepoint, carryday ing a significant share of global crude shipments. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor described the exchange as “a very positive and productive call”, signalling fresh momentum in bilateral ties. He also indicated that US sees India as a possible stakeholder in broader diplomatic efforts, adding “it is up to India to join the peace process.” The US “welcomes all parties,” he said. Gor also pointed to the possibility of upcoming announcements in economic and energy sectors, saying that “big-ticket deals” between India and the US could be finalised in the coming weeks. He said, “We do have some big-ticket items that will be announced over the next few days or the next few weeks… something very interesting and exciting.” According to him, energy cooperation is expected to be a major component of the emerging agreements. He also said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s upcoming visit to India next month is expected to further consolidate bilateral momentum. He stressed that reopening secure maritime passage as a priority for US. 46 Donald Trump US-iran talks soon US President Donald Trump says Iran talks could resume “over the next two days”, after the first round in Pakistan last weekend ended without a deal Crude slipped below $100 a barrel Israel briefed India on the West Asia situation in a phone call between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and S Jaishankar, EAM on Tuesday IMF reduced its 2026 growth forecast for West Asia, saying Iran, Iraq and Qatar will be hit hard At least four Iran-linked ships — including two that visited Iranian ports — crossed the Strait Tuesday following the start of a US blockade Setting the ball rolling for the implementation of onethird reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, the Centre on Tuesday proposed a significant increase in the Lok Sabha seats from the existing 543 to 850, after a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. According to three draft pieces of legislation circulated among Members of Parliament, 815 of the proposed seats in the delimitation exercise will represent states, while 35 will be allocated to Union Territories. It was also proposed that the one-third quota for women should be implemented after a delimitation following the “latest published census”. Another key provision of the bill says that the seats reserved for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies “shall be allotted by rotation” across constituencies. The three bills that will be taken up in the three-day sitting of Parliament on April 16 are the Constitution (One Hun- BIHAR Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary 57, is set to , take oath as chief minister on Wednesday marking the end of , the Nitish Kumar era and ushering in the first BJP chief minister in the state. Earlier in the day, Samrat was unanimously elected as the leader of BJP legislature party . Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired the meeting. Later, Samrat was elected leader of the NDA legislature party unopposed. Outgoing chief minister Nitish Kumar announced Samrat’s name as the leader. Nitish, who served as Bihar’s CM for over two decades, held his last state cabinet meeting in Nitish Kumar greets Samrat Choudhary during NDA legislature party meet | PTI the morning before submitting his resignation letter to the governor. Nitish became a Rajya Sabha MP last week. After being elected the leader of the NDA legislative party, Samrat met Governor Syed Ata Hasnain, who invited him to form the new government. According to official sources, Govt to move delimitation bill 2026, to replace Delimitation Act, 2002 Representational photo Proposes a Delimitation Commission chaired by a current or ex-SC judge Existing allocation of seats is based on 1971 Census; present division of territorial constituencies done on 2001 Census data dred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The draft bill seeks to amend Article 81, which governs the strength of the Lok Sabha. The proposed amendment says the Lok Sabha will have a maximum of 815 members to be chosen from the states. Also, not more than 35 members are to be chosen from the Union Territories in such manner as the Parliament may by law provide. The current strength of the Lok Sabha, 543, is based on the 1971 Census. After that, the delimitation exercise has not Delimitation Commission will readjust Lok Sabha and assembly seats and redraw constituencies on the basis of the latest Census figures been done as the 42nd amendment to the Constitution mandated a freeze in delimitation for 25 years until 2001, which was extended by another 25 years till 2026. The draft bill also seeks to amend Article 82, removing the constitutional requirement that delimitation must follow the 2026 Census. While it was widely speculated that the government may propose a 50 per cent increase in seats for all states, the bills does not have a mention of such proportional distribution. “The Constitution Amendment Bill seeks to revise the constitutional framework relating to Fresh protests in Noida, workers-police clash Fresh protests by garment workers erupted across Noida on Tuesday with workers clashing with police and throwing stones at vehicles. Although the UP government announced a 21% wage hike, the workers rejected it saying they would not settle for anything less than `20,000 as monthly emoluments End of Nitish era as Samrat set to take oath as BJP’s 1st CM in Bihar R A M A S H A N K A R @ Patna Delimitation as per latest census the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will be held at Lok Bhavan at 10.55 am on Wednesday . Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders are likely to participate in the swearing-in ceremony . Speaking to media, Samrat said he learnt a lot from Nitish and emphasised that his governance would align with PM Modi’s goal of a ‘developed India’ and Nitish Kumar’s vision of ‘prosperous Bihar’. “It is not merely a post for me, but a sacred opportunity to serve the people,” he said. In his last cabinet meeting, Nitish said that the new government would get his cooperation and guidance. E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Chennai The BJP on Tuesday released its Tamil Nadu Assembly election manifesto, promising measures to enhance women’s safety , curb drug abuse through a dedicated intelligence wing, improve food storage infrastructure for farmers, provide top-ups for central schemes, and expand high-speed rail connectivity . The party also said Thaipoosam would be declared E x p r e s s n e w s s e r v i c e @ Chennai DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday in , a strikingly belligerent tone, issued a “final warning” to the BJP government at the centre against “bulldozing” through Constitutional amendments on delimitation in the Parliamentary session convened “hastily” on Thursday amid Assembly elections. In a video message released on ‘X’, he warned of major agitations in Tamil Nadu if Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government proceeded with delimitation in a manner that will harm Tamil Nadu by reducing its representation in Parliament. “Tamil Nadu will come to a standstill and will register its protest with full force,” he said. The CM’s concerns stem from the possibility of delimitation being implemented as per population under the latest census. Stalin stated that delimitation would end up being a punishment to southern states that have done well in bringing down population growth. The draft bills for constitutional amendments and the formation of the delimitation commission that were out in the public domain on Tuesday lent credence to Stalin’s concerns, though Tamil Nadu BJP leaders continued to argue that the state’s representation will not be affected. Stalin, in his message, said that the people of the southern states are gripped with deep concern. Though campaign for polls is under way all DMK MPs will , attend the three-day parliamentary session to voice their strong opposition, the CM said.  P7 Assembly elections Welcome warmth Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanges greetings with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge during a ceremony to mark Dr B R Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, at Prerna Sthal, Samvidhan Sadan, in New Delhi on Tuesday | PTI stalin against 33% women’s quota: EPS I P4 Vijay’s entry will have no impact on polls: PTR I P5 Draft DGCA rules tighten norms for co-pilots S L al i t ha @ New Delhi IN a bid to ensure passenger safety the Directorate General , of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has tightened the norms for crew training as well as qualification for planes operated by scheduled airlines. According to the revised draft norms, the pilot-in-command (PIC) or co-pilot cannot operate flight controls during take-off and landing unless he or she has done at least three take-offs and landings in the past 90 days on the same type of aircraft or flight simulator approved for the purpose. The proposed rule changes refer to all aircraft weighing over 5,700 kg. An official said, “This covers all regular passenger flights as well as the larger aircraft we see used for regular operations by all scheduled airlines. It leaves out the smaller aircraft which are lighter.” The new rules reiterate the need for intensive periodic training for all crew members. DGCA will accept responses Safety, saffron and subsidies among BJP’s promises to TN voters Union Minister J P Nadda, accompanied by TN BJP president Nainar Nagenthran, former party chief K Annamalai, and Mylapore candidate Tamilisai Soundararajan, releases the BJP manifesto for the upcoming polls in Chennai on Tuesday | P jawahar delimitation, allocation of seats and the meaning of “population”, by providing that readjustment of constituencies and allocation of seats shall be undertaken by the Delimitation Commission based on such census as Parliament may by law determine,” it said. Responding to the proposed bill, the Congress said that when the intent behind a bill is “mischievous” and its content “devious”, the extent of damage to parliamentary democracy is enormous. CPI (M) MP John Brittas said that when concerns were raised about the declining representation of the South, the PM and others claimed there would be “a proportional increase in seats for all states equally.” However, the draft bills offer no such guarantee. If delimitation is carried out based on the 2011 Census instead of 1971, seats in the North will surge dramatically, while the representation of South will shrink or stagnate,” he said. The Opposition will hold a meeting on Wednesday to chalk out strategies ahead of the session. Stalin issues ‘final warning’ to centre over delimitation a state festival to honour Murugan, and that the tradition of lighting the Karthigai Deepam at the Thiruparankundram hilltop would be resumed and protected, underscoring its Hindutva pitch. The manifesto reiterates key welfare promises aligned with its ally the AIADMK, which is , leading the alliance in Tamil Nadu. These include a one-time assistance of `10,000 to help families cope with inflation and a monthly support of `2,000 for women. With a focus on women’s safety law and order, drug , abuse, and rectifying delays in paddy procurement, the party outlined measures targeting the DMK-led government. On women’s safety, the BJP said it would streamline zeroFIR reporting, ensure victim and witness protection, and establish special fast-track courts for heinous crimes, including sexual offences.  P7 to the draft till May 3 and then notify the final rules. The draft also lays down stringent norms for cruise relief pilot (the one who takes over the flying duties in long-haul flights to ensure the captain or copilot gets some rest). “A pilot is not assigned to act in the capacity of cruise relief pilot in a type or variant of a type of aeroplane unless within the preceding 90 days that pilot has either operated as a PIC, copilot or cruise relief pilot on the same type of aeroplane or carried out flying skill refresher training,” it states. Additionally, a pilot taking on a Zero Flight Time Training (ZFTT) course needs to fulfil a specific number of landings and take-off before operating a plane. ZFTT is an approved training course done on a simulator without base training. The draft norms also stipulate that every airline shall ensure each flight crew member undergo ground recurrent training and aeroplane training every 12 months. e x p r e ss r e a d Vijay promises L30,000 per year for TN weavers Hundi fund not fiefdom of temple priests: HC Tiruppur: TVK chief Vijay on Tuesday promised `30,000 per year for weavers’ families and full waiver of crop loans for farmers owning less than 5 acres of land. The basic pay for police personnel will also be hiked from `18,200 to `25,000, he said. He also vowed to offer MSP of `3,500 per quintal of paddy and `4,500 per tonne of sugarcane. He promised a `15,000 crore state guarantee fund for weak MSMEs | P4 Madurai: Observing that hundi collection is not the fiefdom of priests, the Madras HC has suggested to the state to take control of the administration of the Pandi Muneeswarar Temple in Madurai. It was alleged that the hundi collection of at least `4 crore a year is being syphoned off by the temple priests. The bench said witnessing priests fighting for share in collection shocks the judicial conscience of court | P2