HYDERABAD l wednesday l april 15, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE CITY EDITION U.K. University gets UGC nod to open global campus in Bengaluru Birkbeck, University of London on Tuesday received a Letter of Intent from 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. 33% women’s quota: 307 LS seats to be added Pro-rata delimitation Big deals soon, fraught with dangers, indicates Gor Three bills in special session of Parl; Oppn meet today to strategise P r e e t h a N a 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 keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure. The call came amid rising 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 Hundred 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 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 End of Nitish era as Samrat set to take oath as BJP’s 1st CM in Bihar RA M ASHA N K AR @ Patna 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 Fresh protests in Noida, workers-police clash 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, 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. Delimitation as per latest census 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 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 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 deter mine,” 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. Delimitation Commission will readjust Lok Sabha and Assembly seats and redraw constituencies on the basis of the latest Census figures United we Must fight: Revanth to CMs Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday called for a united front among southern states, warning that the proposed delimitation exercise could structurally weaken their collective voice and deepen regional imbalances in Parliament. Writing to his counterparts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry — MK Stalin, N Chandrababu Naidu, Siddaramaiah, Pinarayi Vijayan and N Rangaswamy — he said “a fragmented response will not suffice”, urging coordinated engagement to ensure southern concerns are effectively represented at the national level. Framing the issue as one that goes beyond routine seat redistribution, Revanth cautioned that the current approach risks institutionalising disparities in political representation | Report on P4 In the matter of financial devolutions, we are facing severe financial injustice, bias and discrimination… This is just an example of the South-North divide that we have been facing for decades Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in his letter to his counterparts in the South says CM in letter to PM M a n da Rav i n d e r R e d dy @ Hyderabad Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider the proposed pro-rata expansion of Lok Sabha seats, warning that it is “fraught with dangers” and could lead to a structural shift in political power with implications for national unity . In a detailed letter on Tuesday, he called for an all-party meeting with representation from all states to deliberate on the issue “in a transparent and inclusive manner”, and proposed a hybrid model as an alternative framework. “The proposal to increase Lok Sabha seats on either population or pro-rata model is not acceptable to many states… I wish to bring to your notice our serious concerns… which, if done on a pro-rata basis, is fraught with dangers for the country he stated. ,” Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy takes part in the Dr BR Ambedkar birth anniversary celebrations along with Ministers Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) and Ponnam Prabhakar at Lower Tank Bund in Hyderabad on Tuesday | SRI LOGANATHAN VELMURUGAN Draft DGCA rules tighten norms for co-pilots S L a l i t h a @ 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 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 co-pilot 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, co-pilot 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. Fire ravages hundreds of hectares in Eturnagaram sanctuary U M a h e s h @ Mulugu The protests saw garment workers clashing with police and throwing stones at vehicles. Although the UP govt announced a 21% wage hike, the workers rejected it saying they would not settle for anything less than `20,000 per month Flames ravage a section of the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary in Mulugu on Tuesday A massive forest fire has engulfed hundreds of hectares in Mulugu district, destroying greenery and posing a threat to wildlife. The blaze was reported in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, within the Tadvai and Eturnagaram ranges. Forest officials said the district has around 2.9 lakh hectares of forest, the highest in the state. They added that a sat- ellite-based Fire Alert System is being used to identify fire locations within forest areas. Mulugu DFO Rahul Jadhav told TNIE that the fires were set deliberately He said miscreants . were burning forest patches to aid the collection of tendu leaves and Madhuca longifolia, used in arrack preparation. “We have information that tendu leaf contractors wanted fires to be set after collecting leaves, as it encourages fresh Revanth argued that the issue was not merely technical but central to the federal balance, cautioning that an exclusive reliance on population would lead to a “severe and irreversible distortion” in representation. He proposed that the planned increase from 543 to 850 seats be split evenly: half allocated on a pro-rata basis and the remaining half based on economic contribution and perfor mance indicators such as GSDP and human development outcomes. “Since you are proposing to increase existing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 seats, half of this can be done on a pro-rata basis. The remaining half must be done based on economic contribution (GSDP), and other performance criteria,” he wrote. Positioning the hybrid model as a balancing mechanism, he said it would align representation with contribution while preserving fairness across regions.  continued on P4 growth,” Jadhav said. He added that forest officials had held meetings with contractors, tribals and non-tribals, warning them against lighting fires and prohibiting the carrying of fire-producing items. He said 10 quick response teams, each comprising 10 fire watchers, have been deployed and are on alert. Staff have been instructed to use drones and other technology to detect fires in deep forest. Collegium okays four permanent judges for TG HC Justice Nandikonda B R Madhusudhan Narsing Rao Rao Justice E Tirumala Devi Justice Renuka Yara Express News Service @ Hyderabad The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, on Tuesday approved the proposal for appointment of four additional judges as permanent judges of the Telangana High Court. The judges approved for elevation are Justice Yara Renuka, Justice Nandikonda Narsing Rao, Justice E Tirumala Devi and Justice BR Madhusudhan Rao. IMD: TG may get better monsoon than rest of India | P2