hyderabad l tuesday l november 10, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Milestone unlocked: Shrivatri becomes India’s 100th GM The 22-year-old earned his third and final GM norm by winning the 7th ASEAN Plus Individual Open, becoming the 100th GM from the country first gm to come from Madhya Pradesh From Anand to Anuj: India’s journey Anuj Shrivatri, who had earned the title of an International Master just before the Covid pandemic, has taken a circuitous route to becoming GM. A self-taught player, he had opportunities to go abroad for work but had eschewed that in favour of completing his GM norms. On Sunday, he achieved that while also becoming the first from Madhya Pradesh to do so ■ ■ When Viswanathan Anand became the country’s first GM in 1988, it was held as a dream for many chess players India’s GM growth curve was turbocharged around the time of the pandemic. The country has produced an average of five grandmasters per year in the last six years | P11 15 grandmasters India have produced since 2025 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 UCC should be pan-India, no reason to restrict its rollout: Law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal says it has a constitutional basis; cites SC observations on the matter Shah: NDA-ruled states to implement it by 2029 Rajesh Kumar Thakur @ New Delhi Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal has said the government is committed to implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the country and asserted that its “constitutional basis” makes it difficult to justify restricting the legislation to a few states. Asked whether the Uniform Civil Code would remain confined to BJP-ruled states or eventually be implemented across the country, Meghwal said: “The Uniform Civil Code was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, and the makers of the Constitution incorporat- Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier described a common civil law for every citizen as a commitment of the BJP “since its inception”. He has also expressed confidence that the UCC would be implemented in all 21 BJP- and NDA-ruled states before 2029 ed a provision for it under Article 44. The Supreme Court has also made observations on the subject on several occasions. It is encouraging that some states have come forward to implement the UCC. Goa has had a common civil code for a long time, even when the BJP was not in power there,” he said in an exclusive interview with The New Indian Express. He added: “We believe that the UCC should be implemented across the country, and our government is committed to this objective. It has a constitutional basis, and there is no reason why its implementation should remain restricted to a few states. The issue is also increasingly finding a place in the election manifestos of political parties.” Uttarakhand became the first state to enact a UCC law in February 2024 and remains the only state to have fully implemented the legislation. Gujarat subsequently passed it while Assam became the first northeastern state to pass such legislation in May 2026. Madhya Pradesh has also moved towards adopting the code, approving it unanimously at a special Cabinet meeting in Bhopal in August. The UCC remains one of the BJP’s longstanding ideological objectives, alongside the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the abrogation of Article 370, both of which have been achieved.  Q&A: P7 Amid UP seat wrangling, Samajwadi Party surveys Gandhi family fiefdom N a m i ta B a j pa i @ Lucknow Census 2027: TG population count from January 25 Express News Service @ Hyderabad The second phase of Census 2027, covering population enumeration, will be conducted in Telangana from January 25 to February 28, 2027, with the Union government providing a separate window for residents to submit their details through self-enumeration ahead of the house-to-house exercise. According to a notification issued on Monday the self-enu, meration facility will be available from January 10 to 24, 2027. The door-to-door exercise will be followed by a revisional round from March 1 to 5, during which enumeration records will be reviewed and updated. The reference date for Census 2027 will be 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027. This will serve as the cut-off point for determining population figures and other demographic details collected during the exercise. The self-enumeration facility will allow residents to submit household and individual details in advance, while the subsequent revisional round will provide an opportunity to verify and update the information collected during the door-todoor enumeration. AMID seat-sharing talks between INDIA bloc partners, Samajwadi Party and Congress, Akhilesh Yadav’s party has commissioned surveys in constitutiencies traditionally associated with the Nehru-Gandhi family. Informed sources said the SP is trying to gauge voter sentiment and assess Congress strength in these seats, including in Amethi and Rae Bareli, before finalising seat-sharing for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Despite assertions by both parties that they are committed to fighting the ruling BJP together, there has been little progress in talks. SP insiders indicated the party is seeking micro feedback from voters in Congress bastions, particular- File pic ly, in the Rae Bareli-Amethi belt and adjoining constituencies, including those in Sultanpur. Notably Akhilesh launched , his ‘PDA Rath Yatra’ from Rahul Gandhi’s Rae Bareli seat in September. The objective of the surveys is two-fold — first, to estimate the Congress’s ability to independently garner votes, and second, to deter mine whether conceding a large number of seats to the grand old party would be beneficial for the alliance. “This exercise is intended to provide empirical backing to SP’s negotiating position,” said Prof A K Mishra, a political scientist. The Congress state leadership has also indicated it is seeking a much larger share of seats than in the past. In 2017, SP spared it just 105 seats when they contested the Assembly polls together. UP Congress incharge Rajendra Pal Gautam has said the party should contest 180 to 200 seats this time. “We have given an initial list of 175 seats to the SP he said. The ,” demand reflects the Congress’s renewed confidence following the recent Rahul-led protests and the party’s relatively improved performance in some segments in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when the party raised its tally from one MP to six. Dhaka junks request Hasina stirs the pot, seeks fresh B’desh passport J aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi In an apparent bid to corner the Bangladesh government amid its continued insistence on her extradition, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has sought a fresh passport and national identity card (NID) from the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. Hasina, 79, has been living in India since her government was ousted in a student-led uprising in August 2024. Her legal representatives at London-based Matrix Chambers have approached the Bangladeshi mission seeking fresh documents. “Our request is made on the basis of her Bangladeshi nationality in accordance with any obligations arising under the laws of Bangladesh as well as any applicable obligations arising under international human ‘Political stunt’ rights instruments,” her lawyers Sheikh Hasina’s wrote to Preeti Rahman, acting request for a passport High Commissioner at the Bangla- was a “political desh mission. posturing” and she has The request, confirmed by Hasi- no genuine intention of na’s Awami League party, was swift- returning to the ly rejected by Dhaka. Bangladesh country, Dhaka’s Chief Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Prosecutor Md Aminul Humayun Kobir said: “Bangladesh Islam said does not issue passports to terrorists. We have asked for them (terrorists) to be handed over,” Kobir told journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “She is a fugitive criminal. We have an active extradition treaty with India. We want her handed over,” he said. The Awami League said a fresh passport and national identity card are crucial towards fulfilling Hasina’s stated intention of returning to Bangladesh in December. Express Read Trial run of one-way traffic at Lakdikapul on Nov. 22 Hyderabad: Traffic police and GHMC will conduct a daylong trial of a one-way traffic system at Lakdikapul on Nov. 22 to ease congestion. Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar and GHMC Commissioner RV Karnan inspected the route on bikes on Monday to assess traffic conditions. State govt to host international Climate Conclave Hyderabad: The state government is planning an international Climate Conclave from December 7, bringing together global environmental leaders, climate experts, policymakers and investors to discuss climate resilience, green investments and preparedness for El Nino threat | P4 IOA chief Usha loses internal polls In d r a n e e l d a s @ Chennai Finally, amid allegations of interference and manipulation, the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOMs) election was over with current Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha losing. The result would have been shocking but after the last date of withdrawals, there were enough hints that pointed at change. This means that she will no longer be the president, at least, as of now. On Saturday, as reported by this daily four male candidates , were elected unopposed – Olympic medallists Gagan Narang, Yogeshwar Dutt and Vijender Singh along with former TT champion Kamlesh Mehta. However, in the female category, despite hectic parley, Usha finished fifth behind Saina Nehwal who polled 43 against Usha’s 40. Anju Bobby George managed to secure the highest number of 53 followed by Rani Rampal, Dola Banerjee and Nehwal. There were concerns about Saina and it is understood that a lot of negotiations were on to secure her victory . With the way things panned out since Saturday, there were enough indications of her not making it. Yet, as an IOA president, her team was expecting to finish in the top four. With this, the focus would be on Gagan, who shifted his base from Hyderabad to Ahmedabad recently Gagan is considered to be a . front-runner in the IOA election to be held on December 5. Usha is technically out but can be proposed by NSFs. Since she is not a member, it needs to be seen how. Black market to lock-up: PD Act against hoarders MLC picks wait as Cong Express News Service Perfect @ Hyderabad The Civil Supplies department has warned rice traders against hoarding stocks, diverting supplies to the black market and artificially inflating prices, saying the Preventive Detention (PD) Act would be invoked against habitual offenders. GV Shyam Prasad Lal, Director of Civil Supplies and Chief Rationing Officer, said on Monday that the department was enforcing the prescribed maximum retail prices for major varieties of rice to protect consumers from arbitrary price increases. He pointed out that BPT and KNM varieties have recipe BPT and KNM `66 per kg RNR and Telangana Sona `74 per kg HMT and JSR `79 per kg Farmers protest as Millers slash paddy rates | P2 been capped at `66 per kg, while RNR and Telangana Sona cannot be sold for more than `74 per kg. The maximum price for HMT and JSR varieties is `79 per kg. Lal said the department was conducting field inspections to check attempts by traders to create artificial scarcity and push up prices through rumours of shortages. He advised retailers against panicking or increasing prices due to pressure from wholesalers and middlemen. Those facing difficulties in procuring stocks could approach their respective District Civil Supplies Officers (DCSOs), submit their indents and obtain rice directly from millers, bypassing wholesalers and traders, Lal said. He cautioned retailers against acting on unverified reports of shortages, alleging that middlemen were circulating such rumours to drive up prices. Lal said inspection teams had detected instances of weight manipulation, including the sale of 25-kg bags bearing 26-kg labels. Officials had also found violations of maximum retail price rules, with original price tags concealed under stickers carrying higher prices. He said inspections would continue and warned that habitual offenders involved in illegal hoarding and market manipulation would face action under the PD Act. Friends forever Pawan Kalyan, wife confirm separation Express News Service @ Vijayawada File picture of Pawan Kalyan and Anna Konidala Actor-politician and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan Konidala and his wife Anna Konidala have announced that they are ending their marriage, saying the decision was reached through mutual understanding and respect. In a joint statement, the couple said that while their marriage had come to an end, they would remain good friends and devoted parents to their chil- dren. Their happiness and wellbeing, they said, would continue to be their shared priority . The statement also appealed for understanding and respect for their privacy during this personal transition. The couple expressed gratitude to everyone who had supported them over the years. The statement offered no details about the reasons for the separation or whether divorce proceedings had begun. It also made no mention of arrangements concerning the custody of their children. Pawan Kalyan has been married twice before. His first marriage was to Nandini in 1997, and the couple formally divorced in 2008. The AP deputy chief minister subsequently married actress and filmmaker Renu Desai in 2009. They have two children, Akira Nandan and Aadhya, and divorced in 2012. He married Russian actress Anna Lezhneva, now known as Anna Konidala, in 2013. The couple have a daughter, Polena Anjana Pawanova, and a son, Mark Shankar Pawanovich. juggles political equations Ir e d d y Sr i n i v a s R e d d y @ Hyderabad The ruling Congress has decided to put off finalising the three nominations to the Telangana Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota until the second or third week of December, choosing instead to first settle appointments to government corporations, commissions and other nominated bodies. With the gover nment completing three years in office on December 7, the coming weeks are expected to see intense political activity within the party, with hundreds of leaders waiting for their turn in the appointments exercise. The decision to defer the MLC nominations is understood to have been taken by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president B Mahesh Kumar Goud. Party sources say the leadership wants to first bring some clarity to the pending nominated posts before finalising the three names for the Council. But there is more to the delay than the sequence of appointments. The Chief Minister is understood to be looking at the Governor-quota nominations in the context of the two Graduate MLC elections scheduled for March 2027, for which the Congress has already announced its candidates. T he Mahbubna g ar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad Graduate constituency presents a particular challenge for Revanth Reddy as it includes his native dis, trict. The Congress is keen to improve its prospects in the constituency and the proposed , social composition of the three Governor-quota MLCs is being viewed as one way of strengthening the party’s position ahead of the elections. The formula being discussed is to accommodate two Backward Class leaders and one Brahmin leader. The proposed combination is expected to serve two purposes: address representation within the party and send a political message about the Congress’s approach to social representation. The party is understood to be considering one Padmashali and another leader from either the Munnuru Kapu or Mudhiraj community for the two BC positions. Aspirants from all three communities have stepped up their lobbying, approaching the Chief Minister, ministers and senior party functionaries to press their claims. The proposed Brahmin representation also has a political dimension.  continued on P4