chennai l friday l october 16, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 40 l late city EDITION PM modi meets Asian Games medal winners in new delhi India’s hosting power on the rise, says PM At a function at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, PM Narendra Modi lauds athletes & also reiterates country’s bid to host 2036 Olympics ‘country’s resolve will host the 2036 oly’ The PM was presented with memorabilia ranging from signed jerseys to a bow from 17-year-old archery sensation Kumkum Mohod, who won two gold medals and a silver at the recently-concluded Games. The PM said the country is not just becoming a stronger force in terms of performance but also evolving into a “credible host” for major international events ■ ■ The PM also reiterated country’s resolve to host 2036 Olympics. “We are bidding for the 2036 Olympics and it is our resolve that we will host the games,” he said Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, ICC chairman Jay Shah & IOA president P T Usha were also present during the interaction 85 India won 85 medals at the Asian Games, including 21 gold 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 notice to ECI, CEC on Rahul’s Convert can’t get quota plea against SIR irregularities based on prior caste: SC Mulls all-women panel to probe alleged sexual violence against journalists S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on a batch of pleas filed by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders over alleged large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of poll rolls. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also tagged the pleas with petitions already pending before the court challenging the validity of SIR. With this, all SIR-related matters will be heard together at a later date, likely on October 28. The SC also took note of submissions that attempts were made by Rahul and others to browbeat the judiciary by undertaking a march on October 12. “Nobody can browbeat the judiciary the CJI said, adding “We know ,” what statements they are making outside and what they are saying in court.” The bench, while hearing Govt clarifies on another plea filed by Network home secy’s apology of Women in Media, India On reports that Home over the alleged sexual vioSecretary Govind Mohan lence against female journalapologIsed to SC in a ists covering the protests, contempt case, the said it would consider setting up an all-women panel to MHA clarified it’s a usual practice. “...It look into such complaints. “It may comprise a former is required that the party responding woman judge, a former womto the notice must an IPS officer, a former wombegin their affidavit an social worker or a social with an unconditional activist with a known track apology. Only thereafter all record,” said the CJI. other facts and arguments The bench also agreed with are presented,” it said senior advocate Indira Jaising’s submission that there should be clear guidelines on law-enforcement authorities’ interaction with journalists during protests. “We would like to lay down guidelines,” the bench said while issuing notice on the plea seeking responses from the Centre and the Delhi Police. Jaising said women reporters are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse while covering protests when they are pushed around by male police officers. The bench also directed that no coercive action be taken against a woman journalist against whom a case has been filed by a Delhi Police officer under the SC/ST Act alleging casteist remarks, over 10 days after her complaint accusing him of sexual harassment at a protest. CM Vijay launches TN Semiconductor Ecosystem Scheme in Chennai | Express State launches semiconductor scheme, will top central aid e x press ne ws ser v ice @ Chennai Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday launched the Tamil Nadu Semiconductor Ecosystem Scheme, aimed at attracting investments in chip manufacturing and positioning Tamil Nadu as one of India’s leading hubs for advanced electronics manufacturing. The scheme launched at the secretariat seeks to strengthen the state’s semiconductor ecosystem by offering additional financial incentives over and above the assistance offered by the centre and is tailored to support companies investing in the sector. The scheme is designed to promote investments across semiconductor manufacturing value chain, including wafer fabrication, raw materials, assembly, testing, packaging and supply . The scheme will be implemented under two categories. Under the first category, TN will provide additional incentives to projects approved under the centre’s Semicon India Programme 2.0 and the India Semiconductor Mission.  P7  CM OPENS DATA CENTRE: P2 No Delhi HC bar on CJP’s protest today at Connaught Place U D AYA N K I S H O R E & A diti R ay C ho w dhury @ New Delhi THE Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to bar a protest called by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on October 16 at Central Park in Connaught Place, while taking on record Delhi Police’s assurance that all possible steps would be taken to regulate and control the protesters. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma Summary revision of was hearing a plea by a Conrolls in TN from Jan 1 naught Place vendor seeking a fiat to police to regulate the The ECI on Thursday said a protest. Called “Lehra do TiSpecial Summary Revision ranga”, the protest kicks off at (SSR) of electoral rolls 5 pm on Friday Heavy securi. will be conducted in ty is likely in and around CP TN and 16 other and Jantar Mantar ahead of states and Union the agitation. Late on ThursTerritories, day the New Delhi Municipal , including those Council issued a notice barwhere assembly ring general public from visitpolls are due next ing Central Park in Connaught year. The commission Place on October 16 and 17. said January 1, 2027, will be The petition claimed that the qualifying date for the traders and vendors would be summary revision “on the streets” if they lost another weekend to closures due to protest in central Delhi during the festive season. “This is the Dussehra weekend. This protest has to be stopped,” the petitioner’s counsel submitted. The bench refused to pass a “specific” direction restraining CJP protesters as urged by the petitioner. “Don’t insist. We have passed the order,” the bench said. Addressing a press conference on Thursday along with All India Students’ Association (AISA) leader Neha Bora, Students’ Federation of India (SFI) leader Aishe Ghosh and actor Prakash Raj, Dipke criticised the police action against demonstrators and alleged that the government was using state machinery to shield Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. gory and a private religious body cannot conclusively determine statutory IN a significant order, the Supreme entitlement. Court on Thursday held that a person Therefore, the SC held that a person who converts to Islam cannot automati- who converted to Islam, Christianity or cally claim reservation under a noti- any other non-Hindu social order canfied Muslim Backward Class (BC) cat- not claim, merely on basis of their preegory based on their pre-conversion conversion status, any statutory benecaste status as a Hindu. fit, protection, quota or entitlement Upholding a Madras High under Article 16(4), which is Court verdict, the judgment dependent on them belonging from the two-judge bench of to a particular social order. justices Prashant Kumar The SC ruling came on a Former caste or Mishra and Shree ChanTamil Nadu government apcommunity drashekhar said, “Such a conpeal against a HC verdict patterns can’t version severs the legal founquashing the state’s order that automatically be dation of an entitlement allowed converts to Islam transposed into which is specifically condi- Muslim BC category from Backward Class, Most tioned upon membership of Backward Class, Denotified Supreme Court that Hindu social order.” Community and Scheduled The bench said a person Caste backgrounds to get cerwho converts from the Hindu social or- tificates as belonging to one of seven der to a non-Hindu social order cannot notified BC Muslim classifications. claim affirmative action under Article The HC declared the GO unconstitu16(4) of the Constitution merely on the tional while deciding a writ petition of basis of social backwardness associat- Sameer Ahmed (earlier Paramasivam), ed with their pre-conversion status. It who converted to Islam in 2015 and said the former caste or community sought a certificate as Muslim Lebbai, status as a Hindu cannot automatically one of seven Muslim communities recbe transposed into a Muslim BC cate- ognised as BC Muslims in TN. S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi pakistan school roof collapse results in 35 deaths At least 34 children and a teacher were killed when the roof of a private school collapsed on Thursday in Peshawar, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province | P13 E x p ress R e a d Had warned Stalin of defeat plot: Thiruma Chennai: Speaking at a INDIA bloc protest held against CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan alleged that SIR contributed to Stalin’s defeat in Kolathur. “I had warned the DMK chief about a possible conspiracy to defeat him,” he added | P4 Fine rice to be sold at `30/kg in TN co-ops Chennai: To control retail prices of fine rice varieties currently being sold between `75 and `90 per kg, TN has decided to sell a fine rice variety at `30 per kg in 250 co-operative stores. Around one lakh tonnes of the rice variety will be made available shortly, says food minister | P4 WI T H T HI S I S S UE CHENNAI’S BEST WEEKEND GUIDE 40 PAGES, INCLUDING 24 OF INDULGE (TABLOID)