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  FRIDAY  NOVEMBER 13, 2026  `9.00  PAGES 38  LATE CITY EDITION Retail inflation at 2-year high P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi RETAIL inflation soared to a two-year high of 6.09% in October primarily driven by high food prices, breaching the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s upper tolerance limit of 6%. The reading is the highest since October 2024, when the Consumer Price Index-based inflation stood at 6.21%. The impact of elevated food prices was visible more in rural areas where inflation hit 6.63% against 5.41% in urban. According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Thursday, food inflation climbed to 8.94% in October from 7.74% in the previous month. Higher prices of food and beverage including cereals, sugar, milk and other essential food items have jacked up household expenses. “October’s inflation print was less a surprise than a culmination of pressures that had been building for months,” said Dipti Deshpande, principal economist at Crisil. Higher inflation was not restricted to food; the hospitality sector also witnessed a spike. Inflation in restaurants and accommodation services rose by 10.06% in October. Among states, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest inflation rate at 7.29% followed by Telangana (7.26%), Andhra Pradesh (7.25%), Madhya Pradesh (7.19%), and Odisha (7.17%). RBI raised repo rate by 25 bps earlier this month. With the headline inflation breaching RBI’s tolerance band, economists expect another hike. Buzz on special session by December first week 361 votes needed to pass Constitution amend bill on women quota RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi THE BJP-led NDA government is considering convening a special session of Parliament after November 20 or by the first week of December to secure the passage of a Constitution amendment bill aimed at implementing a 33% quota for women in Parliament and state Houses. BJP sources on Thursday said the government is confident it will get the numbers. The government proposes to raise the number of Lok Sabha seats to a maximum of 850 by increasing seats allocated to each state by 50%, to address southern states’ concerns over population-based delimitation, while operationalising the women’s reservation law before the 2029 Lok Sabha polls. BJP expects victory margin of 15-18 votes The government appears confident of mustering the numbers to pass the bill with a margin of 15-18 votes possibly through deals with parties outside the NDA and/or abstentions An effort to pass the legislation on April 17 came a cropper. The proposed special sitting is likely to last two days and may be convened as an extension of the Monsoon Session, which has not been prorogued. Asked if any Opposition party had agreed, in principle, to support the bill, a senior BJP leader said: “Supporting someone doesn’t just mean being physically by their side; even if some people are in Opposition, they can offer support.” The government needs 361 votes for a two-thirds majority to pass the bill in the 543member Lok Sabha, which has three vacancies. Its efforts come ahead of Assembly polls in seven states in 2027 as success could give the NDA an edge, particularly in UP Punjab and Gujarat. , “If they continue obstructing... we will take this double standard on women’s rights to the court of the people in the Assembly polls,” said a BJP leader. In his pushback, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said home minister Amit Shah’s “bulldozer” will not work. Referring to the ‘15-18 margin’, he said on X: “He said the same thing seven months earlier but on April 17th faced a humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha by a decisive margin.” ‘Focus on success stories’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his annual ‘Diwali Milan’ address at the BJP HQ in Delhi on Thursday, urged the media to highlight India’s achievements, asserting that positive coverage of progress would help accelerate the country’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047. He also expressed confidence that India would achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation with the collective support of the media and the people. Here are some of the salient points: 2047 DEADLINE SERVICE TO NATION “I’ve a request for media. Communication is the strongest tool in 21st century and we need to tell ‘India story’ to the world. Deadline is very important in the world of news. We also have a deadline for making India ‘developed nation’ by 2047,” the prime minister said “I would also urge the country’s media to work on stories about India’s successes and help them reach more people. This would be a tremendous service to the nation on your part... There were earlier slogans of Garibi Hatao. But poverty has been removed by this government” CALL TO HELP FIGHT DRUG ADDICTION “I have interacted with the media and seen it evolve from the days of press releases to Instagram reels. Nothing is considered impossible in the world of news... Now we must also raise awareness about drug addiction in the same way. We must get our youth out of all this” 10+2 plan: Junior colleges may have to expand, adapt M E G H N A N AT H @ Hyderabad PUTTING to rest concerns over the future of the Intermediate Board under the proposed 10+2 education system, BIE Secretary Abhilasha Abhinav told TNIE that the Board was unlikely to be abolished, while private and corporate junior colleges might have to restruc- INSIDE ture their operations. Abhilasha Abhinav said the examination-related units would continue to function, even if their nomenclature changed. “There will definitely be an examination-conducting body. Someone has to conduct the Class 10 examination and someone has to conduct the Class 12 examination. The existing examination-related units will continue to function, though their nomenclature may change,” she said, adding that the 10+2 model is already followed in 17 other states. However, the proposed chang- BHAGWAT REPLACES SAJJANAR AS CITY’S TOP COP I P2 es could mean a major shift in the way standalone junior colleges function. The government is considering allowing them to obtain affiliation to offer Classes 9 and 10, bringing them under the proposed structure. While some corporate institutions already run schools alongside junior colleges, standalone institutions may need to expand their infrastructure. The exact affiliation and recognition requirements are yet to be finalised, the BIE secretary said. Under the proposed arrangement, students would continue their education on the same school premises or an affiliated campus after Class 10, rather than move to a separate junior CONTINUED ON P2 college. NVIDIA’S HUANG STEPS DOWN AMID ‘SPY’ CONTROVERSY I P12 ASI set to OK deep dive for exploration at Dwarka PA R V E Z S U LTA N @ New Delhi THE last time archaeologists properly searched for the submerged ruins of Lord Krishna’s kingdom, Dwarka, was in 2007. Nineteen years on, the Archaeological Survey of India is preparing to send divers back into the Arabian Sea. Fresh explorations at major pilgrimage sites Dwarka and Bet Dwarka in Devbhoomi Dwarka district of Gujarat, aiming to uncover submerged historical and cultural remnants, could begin by December, subject to ASI’s approval. A team of underwater archaeology experts is expected to work with Professor Alok Tripathi, ASI’s former additional Director-General, who led last year’s onshore and offshore expeditions. “Exploration may start in December. The extent will depend on sanctions and the availability of people. The final analysis of the site will be completed this time,” said a source. The 2007 work at Dwarka yielded terracotta objects, beads, fragmented bangles, copper rings, iron ingots and pottery. Prof Tripathi’s team resumed limited excavation work last November near the ‘56 Seedhi’ steps by Gomti Ghat. The excavation was confined to a small area. This time, it could be bigger. WITH THIS ISSUE HYDERABAD’S BEST WEEKEND GUIDE 38 PAGES, INCLUDING 24 OF INDULGE (TABLOID)