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 ■ ■ HYDERABAD l Saturday l April 18, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE CITY EDITION Bills FAIL LS TEST Red-letter day, says Revanth e n s @ Hyderabad ‘Wrath of women’ looms as LOSS BY 298:230 draws battle lines Shah directly named the Congress, DMK, TMC, and other Opposition parThe battle over the women’s reserva- ties, linking their resistance to the uption Bill in the Lok Sabha on Friday coming electoral battles. The subtext: went far beyond the arithmetic of 298 resistance would be framed as opposivotes in favour and 230 against. It un- tion to women’s empowerment, with folded as a tightly calibrated political the BJP seeking to consolidate women contest over narrative, constituency- as a cross-cutting constituency cutting building, and the future architecture across caste and region. of representation, with the The government’s argument gover nment invoking the rested on two assertions — “wrath of women” in the 2029 that women’s quota is insepaLok Sabha elections and berable from delimitation for its yond, and the Opposition early rollout, and that conwarning that the measure cerns about regional imbalmasked a larger attempt to reance, particularly fears of the draw India’s electoral map. South losing representation, For the BJP-led government, Conscience are misplaced. Shah sought to vote call the Constitution (131st Amendneutralise that anxiety insist, “Please reflect ing that representation would ment) Bill, 2026 was not mereupon your ly a legislative proposal but an not decline and that “no state conscience, electoral statement. Hours bewill face a loss of seats,” posiremembering fore the vote, Prime Minister tioning delimitation as a much Narendra Modi appealed di- the women in needed structural correction. your own rectly to MPs, urging them to The Opposition, however, families... Let us rejected the premise entirely rise above partisan divides. . Home minister Amit Shah ensure that the Leader of Opposition Rahul women, who amplified the political framGandhi described the bill as a ing, explicitly positioning are half of the structural redesign masked as nation’s women as a decisive electoral reform. The Opposition posipopulation, constituency that could shape tioned itself not against womreceive their outcomes across multiple elecen’s reservation, but against rightful due,” tion cycles. Warning of suswhat it described as its “setained political consequences, Modi appealed. quencing design”. By the time he said Opposition parties the bill failed to secure a twowould face the “wrath of women” not thirds majority, it had already taken only in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, on a dual life. For the government, it but “at every level, in every election, was a forward-looking attempt to build and at every place,” signalling an at- a long-term narrative centred on womtempt to convert women’s reservation en. For the Opposition, it became a into a durable political theme an- rare point of convergence, an issue chored in the BJP’s governance narra- framed not as rejection of women’s tive and Modi’s personal popularity reservation, but as resistance to the among women voters. design of delimitation itself. J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi quote hanger Received no complaints of harassment at Nashik: TCS PA D M INI D HR U V A R A J @ Bengaluru TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) on Friday said that it received no complaints related to allegations of sexual harassment or religious conversion at its Nashik unit. “While detailed reviews are still underway, a preliminary review of the systems and records pertaining to the Nashik unit indicates that we have not received any complaints of the nature that are being alleged on either our ethics or POSH channels,” said K Krithivasan, chief executive officer and managing director. The company has engaged external experts from Deloitte and law firm Trilegal to act as independent counsel to its internal probe led by Aarthi Subramanian, president and chief operating officer of TCS. Alongside this, TCS has formed an oversight committee chaired by independent director Keki Mistry The company . said the findings of the investigation will be presented to this committee for review and implementation of any recommendations. Providing further clarification on the matter, Krithivasan addressed media reports regarding a female employee named in connection with the case. “She was employed as a process associate without any leadership responsibilities,” he said, adding that she was neither an HR manager nor involved in recruitment. The company also denied claims that its Nashik unit had been shut down, stating that operations are continuing as usual and that client services remain unaffected. Hectic parleys and discreet messages R A J ESH K U M A R TH A K U R @ New Delhi HECTIC parleys and discreet back channel negotiations preceded the crucial vote. With the odds stacked against it, the NDA tasked BJP leaders who enjoy personal rapport with Opposition leaders with mustering support for the bill. As for the Opposition, senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi worked the phones to ensure Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress aligns with the Opposition’s stand on the bill. Sources said Rahul spoke to TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, while Kharge called up Mamata. According to BJP sources, senior leaders were roped in to beat the numbers game in the Lok Sabha. Ministers and senior BJP leaders, along with leaders of other NDA allies, were in touch with Opposition parties, albeit in a discreet manner. Within NDA, several rounds of strategic meetings were held to see if the voting could yield the desired results. Sources said senior leaders J P Nadda and Rajnath Singh were also involved in talks with Opposition parties. Hours before the voting on Friday, it became evident that the NDA’s collective efforts to overcome the Opposition’s numerical strength would not succeed. However, NDA continued to work behind the scenes to win support through other means, including cross-voting. Soon after the voting, NDA leaders met to deliberate on the post-vote strategy The meeting, . also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to target the Opposition parties for their “anti-women” stance, sources said. Another NDA meeting is scheduled on Saturday followed by a , Cabinet meeting at 11.30 am, sources said. pic: pti An attempt to change electoral map: Rahul p r e e t h a n a i r @ New Delhi THE Constitution amendment bill has nothing to do with women’s reservation but is an attempt to change India’s electoral map so that the BJP can retain p o w e r f o r e v e r, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday said. Participating in the debate in Lok Sabha, he said the proposal does not address women’s empowerment and called it a “shameful act”. He said the opposition supports women’s reservation, but not in this manner. “We will help pass it for implementation from this very moment. What is being presented now as the women’s bill is something else, and the truth about it needs to be told.” He also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi using an anecdote about a magic show he watched as a child, drawing strong protests from BJP MPs. Defence minister Rajnath Singh said Rahul must apologise.  P7 After the Lok Sabha could not pass the Women’s Reservation Bill, as the ruling NDA fell short of a two-thirds majority required for the purpose on Friday, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said, “Today will be remembered forever as a red-letter day in Indian history, when under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, and Mallikarjun Kharge, all democratic forces and Opposition leaders united in averting a national disaster.” “I thank leaders of various allied parties who united and stood steadfast under fire to defeat these ‘black bills’, including MK S ta li n, Mamata B a n e r j e e, Akhilesh Yadav, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Hemant Soren, Farooq Abdullah, Naveen Patnaik, Arvind Kejriwal, and the leaders of the Communist parties, among others,” he posted on X. BRS working president KT Rama Rao said the ruling party was entirely responsible for the setback. Former MLC K Kavitha said the BJP had cheated women yet again. State BJP president N Ramchander Rao said the defeat of the bill was a testament to INDIA bloc’s opposition to women’s empowerment in the country  .  CONTINUED ON P4 This historic moment was an opportunity which you (Opposition) have lost. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, we will continue our campaign to give women their rights The Congress, which has lost the capacity to think independently, lost its ability to develop its own arguments and is now being led by the DMK’s narrative. Rahul is still looking for some love from MK Stalin You have proposed delimitation with such haste that you showed on demonetisation. Unfortunately, we all know what damage that did to the country. Delimitation will turn out to be political demonetisation I am surprised people here, who are there to protect Hindutva, were reminded of Kali, the goddess, the dark goddess who wears black. The feminine power. The woman who drives away ego, arrogance, ignorance Kiren Rijiju, Parliamentary Affairs Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Union minister Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP Kanimozhi, DMK MP Category / Community Kolam (ST) Bedas (SC) Malis (BC-D) Odde (BC-A) Brahmins Rajus Jains Komatis Kammas Iyengars/Iyers SC Christians (BC-C) Goldsmiths (BC-B) % Not Studying Beyond SSC 83% High (above state average) High High 36.2% Below state average Below state average Below state average Below state average Below state average Relatively better Relatively better State average 65.5% Over 65% women drop out after Class 10 in TG: Survey M e g h n a Nat h @ Hyderabad Poor access to education among women across caste groups in Telangana is raising pressing questions about equity and social mobility as revealed , by the SEEEPC (Socio-Economic, Educational, Employment, Political and Caste) Survey . According to the report, nearly 65.5% of women in the state did not pursue education beyond Class 10, indicating that a majority discontinued their studies at the secondary level. The findings point to deeprooted structural inequalities that continue to shape access to education, particularly for marginalised communities. The survey highlights that women from tribal and disadvantaged caste groups remain the most affected. Among them, Kolam (ST) women recorded the highest dropout rate, with 83% not studying beyond Class 10. Other communities, including Bedas (SC), Malis (BC-D), Oddes (BC-A), and Gonds, also reported significantly high dropout levels. In contrast, women from upper caste groups show relatively better educational outcomes. Brahmins recorded the lowest proportion at 36.2%, followed by communities such as Rajus, Jains, Komatis, Kammas, and Iyengars/Iyers — all of whom remain well below the state average. Interestingly some intermedi, ate communities such as SC Christians (BC-C) and Goldsmiths (BC-B) demonstrate comparatively improved educational attainment, suggesting gradual progress in certain sections. “When over 80% of women in a community are unable to cross the 10th standard, it is not just an education issue, it reflects structural exclusion across generations,” said K Anuradha, an educator. “The gap between 36% and 83% is not incidental; it mirrors historical access to resources, schooling networks, and social capital.” Meanwhile, a few educators and women activists pointed out that multiple factors contribute to these disparities, including poverty, lack of access to secondary schools in remote areas, early marriage, and limited institutional support for girls’ education. The transition from Class 10 to higher secondary emerges as a critical breaking point, especially for girls in rural and tribal regions. Without targeted support, they warned, dropout rates are likely to remain high. Hormuz fully open, demining begins A g e n c i e s @ Washington/Tehran In a major relief for the global energy markets, Iran on Friday declared that the Strait of Hormuz, closed since the start of the current conflict in West Asia, is “completely open” for all commercial vessels for the remainder of its ceasefire with the US. It comes a day after Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire deal. “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire,” Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X. Minutes later, US President Donald Trump shared Iran’s announcement in a post on Truth Social. “Iran has just announced that the Strait of Iran is fully open and ready for full passage. Thank you!” Trump said, referring to the Strait of Hor- day muz. Trump said Iran, with help from the US, is working to remove all sea mines from the strait. The US naval blockade against Iran, however, will remain in “full force” until Tehran reaches an agreement 49 with the US to end the war, Trump said. It comes a day after Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir held talks with the Iranian leadership in Tehran. Araghchi’s declaration bolstered hopes for further peace talks and a renewal of the current ceasefire set to expire next week. In response to the announcement, oil prices fell by more than 10%. Both the benchmark US weighs $20 billion cash-for-uranium deal: Report As per two US officials quoted by Axios, Washington is considering the release of $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in return for Tehran giving up its 2,000 kg of enriched uranium buried in its underground nuclear facilities, in particular the 450 kg enriched to 60% purity State govt constitutes committee to expedite repairs to KLIS barrages Express News Service @ Hyderabad The state government on Friday appointed a coordination committee to oversee the expeditious investigation and design works for the rehabilitation of three barrages — Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla — of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS). The committee will take all necessary steps, with the approval of the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), for the expeditious execution of investigation and rehabilitation works. It will coordinate between field officials, agencies and design consultants on a priority basis and expedite the conduct of geophysical and geotechnical investigations proposed by the CM to visit Medigadda on April 20: Uttam Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will visit Medigadda on April 20. Speaking to reporters in Delhi on Friday, he said the soil tests at the KLIS barrages would be completed by the end of April. NDSA to assess the health of the three barrages. It will prepare a day-wise action plan for completing the investigations by May 30. The committee will also ensure that machinery and manpower are provided as per the plan and that the investigations are completed by the deadline, according to the orders issued on Friday . The committee will submit daily progress reports by 5 pm to the irrigation secretary and the irrigation minister. It will also submit detailed reports every Monday and Thursday to the government until the completion of the geophysical and geotechnical investigations. Colonel Parikshit Mehra, secretary (Tunnels and Safety), Irrigation department, will be the chairman of the coordination committee. Members include K Srinivas, joint secretary (Technical); MSN Reddy, chief engineer (CDO); Selva Balan, additional director (CWPRS); Sai Krishna, managing director, M/s AFRY India Ltd; S Suresh Kumar, general manager, L&T; Mallikarjun Rao, vice-president, Afcons; and Madhav, project manager, Navayuga. T Srinivasa Rao Gupta, chief engineer, Ramagundam, will be the memberconvener.  CONTINUED ON P5 international contract Brent and its US equivalent WTI fell below $90 per barrel. However, many shipping companies are preferring to wait and watch. “We don’t feel like we need to be taking unnecessary risks, and our company approach is that we won’t be the first to go through the strait,” a major tanker operator told the BBC. The 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect on Friday UN peacekeep. ers said airstrikes have halted, and displaced families began moving back to southern Lebanon and Beirut. Trump said he has “prohibited” Israel from further strikes on Lebanon, saying “enough is enough” in the Israel-Hezbollah war. Panel to draft Rohith Vemula bill Express News Service @ Hyderabad The state government on Friday constituted a Cabinet subcommittee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to make recommendations for suitable legislation on the Rohith Vemula Telang ana (Prevention of Identity-Based Discrimination in Higher Education) Bill, 2026. Ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Damodar Rajanarsimha, D Sridhar Babu and Ponnam Prabhakar will be members of the committee. The state Cabinet had earlier decided to appoint a panel to draft the bill to address castebased discrimination in educational institutions. Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad, died by suicide on January 17, 2016, sparking protests across university campuses in the country .