visakhapatnam l friday l april 10, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Restricting temple entry by denomination harms Hinduism: SC Hinduism will be adversely impacted if temples and mutts restrict entry on grounds of separate denominations inside a religion, SC said Thursday ‘state can step in under article 25(2) (b)’ specificity of denomination not good: sc A nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant was responding to submissions of senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan that Article 26(b) supersedes Article 25(2)(b). The SC did not agree with supremacy of Art 26(b) over 25(2b). Justice Nagarathna said the State can step in under Article 25(2)(b) to ensure access to temples for all sections ■ ■ Vaidyanathan, for devotees of Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala temple, submitted that they constitute a separate religious denomination and hence have the right to manage the temple’s affairs To his submission, Justice Nagarathna said, “... if you say only my denomination will attend the temple, that is not good for Hinduism” 9 judge constitution bench is hearing the sabarimala entry case | P7 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 Race to secure 78.27% 85.51% 89.87% energy supplies Democracy wins with record voting amid ceasefire Massive K e r a l a A s s a m turnout Pondy The SIR, which reduced the total number of voters in Kerala by a little over seven lakh, appears to have had a bearing on the voting percentage S o v i V i d ya d h a r a n , P r a s a n ta M a z u m d a r & De b j a n i D u t ta @ T’Puram/ Guwahati & Puducherry India sends petroleum minister Puri to Qatar, external affairs minister Jaishankar to UAE day 41 batting for lebanon Turkey, Russia and Germany said the West Asia ceasefire should include Lebanon, which has been pummelled by ongoing Israeli attacks Pakistan praised the “restraint demonstrated by all sides” in the West Asia war, but condemned ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon IMF expects nearterm demand of up to $50 billion in financial aid from countries affected by the West Asian war Iran rules out any restrictions on its enrichment of uranium, saying the demand by the US and Israel “won’t come true” Lebanese PM declared Thursday a national day of mourning Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be ensured with no payment or toll whatsoever... International law provides for the freedom of navigation European Union Petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri with Ambassador Vipul and a QatarEnergy official in Doha on Thursday | X JAYA N TH JACOB @ New Delhi IN a diplomatic push amid shifting geopolitical currents in West Asia, India has dispatched two senior ministers to the Gulf, leveraging the narrow opening created by the US-Iran ceasefire. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri arrived in Qatar on Thursday for a two-day visit, while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to visit the United Arab Emirates from April 11 to 12. Puri’s visit to Qatar reflects India’s urgency to stabilise vital supply lines as regional tensions disrupt established trade flows. A key energy partner, Qatar’s role has come into sharper focus amid shipping uncertainties, with discussions expected to ‘prioritise reliability and continuity of supplies’ rather than routine engagement, officials pointed out. India’s energy security is tied to West Asia, as half of the natural gas demand is met by LNG imports—55 % of which transit through the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a chokepoint during the war. Qatar is the single largest supplier, contributing 40% of India’s LNG imports (11.2 million tonnes in 2024-25, met through long-term deals with QatarEnergy as well as spot purchases). Dependence is similarly high for LPG, with imports meeting 60% of the demand and 90% of which also pass through Hormuz and Qatar again is the leading supplier. QatarEnergy’s declaration of force majeure has disrupted supply commitments. Along with Indian envoy to Qatar, Vipul, Qatar Energy officials too was present to receive Puri on his arrival. India’s diplomatic outreach is also anchored in protecting its vast diaspora and reinforcing strategic ties in a region that has become volatile. Over 10 million Indians reside across the Gulf, making their welfare a central concern. Jaishankar’s upcoming visit to the United Arab Emirates will aim to review bilateral cooperation and deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. Extremely high voter enthusiasm became the main talking point across Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, which went to polls on Thursday, giving all major players bragging rights to anticipate a good outcome. Kerala recorded its fourthbest tally at 78.27%, with all three fronts — the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — claiming the surge reflected a mandate in their favour. The state had seen higher tur nouts in 1960 (85.70%), 1987 (80.53%) and 1977 (79.20%). The previous assembly election, which broke a four-decade-long trend of voting out incumbent governments, had recorded a turnout of 76%. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which reduced the total number of voters in the state by a little over seven lakh, appears to have had a bearing on the voting percentage. Constituencies that had recorded some of the lowest voter participation in 2021 — particularly in Thiruvananthapuram’s urban areas — wit- Voters at the Matha Nagar Public School near Kadavanthara in Kochi, during Kerala assembly polls; (R) people queue up in large numbers to cast their votes at a polling station in Guwahati for the Assam assembly elections | A Sanesh/pti nessed a marked rise in polling, with increases ranging between 7 and 11 percentage points. In Assam, the voter turnout at 8 pm stood at 85.51%, better than 82.42% in 2021 and 84.72% in 2016. The final tally is expected to creep up further. The ruling BJP and the Congress were Kozhikode dist tops polling percentage Data released by the election commission in Kerala after 8 pm showed Kozhikode district recorded the highest polling percentage at 81.02%, followed by Palakkad with 80.47%. Pathanamthitta at 70.75% was the laggard. The polling process was largely smooth and peaceful across the state booths had crossed 95%, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described it as historic. His bete noire and Assam Congress president, Gaurav Gogoi, was equally optimistic. He expressed gratitude to people for turning out in “unprecedented numbers to vote for a change”. Puducherry saw its highestever voter turnout of 89.87%; the previous highest of 85.57% was recorded in 2011, when N Rangasamy led the All India NR Congress (AINRC) to power. He was back in the saddle after the NDA wrested power in the 2021 polls. CM to launch testing facility on April 14 S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Marking World Quantum Day on April 14, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will formally launch the indigenously built India’s first quantum computer testing facility at SRM University in Amaravati, and virtually launch the quantum facility centre at Medha Towers in Gannavaram near Vijayawada. With this Andhra Pradesh will emerge as the first State in the country to commission indigenously built quantum computer testing facility and Amaravati Quantum Valley is set to emerge as the international quantum computing hub. The Chief Minister will witness a live quantum system initiation with the cooling process of the processor on the Amaravati 1Q system being triggered virtually as the system is housed in Medha Towers. At the same time Amaravati 1S system will function as an open access setup fully visible to all attendees during the demonstration. With the Amaravati Quantum Reference Facility (AQRF) in Andhra Pradesh, India has now set up sovereign quantum P4 infrastructure.  Police failed to curb obscene content TDP backs women’s and offensive messages on SM: HC bill, says South won’t lose out on delimitation E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The Andhra Pradesh High Court has strongly criticised the Police Department for failing to curb obscene content and objectionable messages on social media, as well as on flex banners. Hearing a petition filed by former YSRCP social media incharge Sajjala Bhargava Reddy , who sought cancellation of a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him by immigration authorities, on Thursday, Justice Battu Devanand expressed serious concern over the increasing trend of abusive and provocative posts, stating that such things reflect a lack of effective policing in the State. Referring to a controversial flex banner displayed in Vijayawada that read “We are waiting for the destruction you will carry out in 2029”, the court questioned who exactly was being threatened, whether it was the State or its people. The court observed that such messages were being openly Evolve framework for SM ban for under 13: Lokesh E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada In a significant policy move aimed at protecting children in the digital ecosystem, Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh has directed officials to prepare a comprehensive regulatory framework to restrict access to social media for children below 13 years of age and design an age-appropriate digital environment for teenagers. Chairing a high-level Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting upbeat after the unprecedented turnout on a rain-soaked day when polling was by and large peaceful. In 2016, the NDA had wrested power by dislodging the 15-year-old Cong ress government. Pointing out that the voter participation at many polling Quantum Day HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh chairs the Group of Ministers meeting on social media ban for children at his Undavalli residence on Thursday | Express with senior officials and representatives from leading social media platforms at his Undavalli residence on Thursday, Lokesh stressed the need for drafting a legislation that balances digital access with child safety, creativity and mental well-being. The HRD Minister emphasised the need for a graded, agebased content access system, particularly for users aged 1316, ensuring that children are not exposed to harmful or inapP4 propriate content.  displayed due to the inability of police to act decisively It re. marked that the continued emergence of such objectionable content on social media indicates that offenders had little fear of law enforcement. The court asked the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and police whether individuals would dare to post such objectionable content on social media if proper investigation was conducted and chargesheets were promptly filed in cases. Noting that the inaction of authorities had emboldened offenders, the court observed that those posting abusive content were becoming increasingly aggressive because police were P4 asleep.  express read 3 drown while taking photos at waterfall Visakhapatnam: Three girls drowned in a waterfall at Mullugummi between Ananthagiri and Hukumpeta mandals in Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Thursday while taking photos. The deceased were identified as S Pavitra (15), S Ratnakumari (16), and S Trisha (17) of Jambuvalasa village in Hukumpeta mandal. S Anjali was injured in the incident and admitted to hospital. The bodies of the three girls were retrieved from the waterfall. A case was registered | P3 mounting Opposition criticism that the proposed changes In a significant endorsement linked to the rollout of the of the Centre’s push to pass the Women’s Reservation bill could amendments to the Women’s widen the gap between the Reservation Bill, the NDA’s key more populous northern states ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and their southern counteron Thursday dismissed con- parts. Opposition parties have cerns that the South would be argued that states like UP disadvantaged by the would gain disproporproposed delimitation tionately, increasing exercise, asserting that the seat differential a proportional increase with states such as in Lok Sabha seats Tamil Nadu and potenwould maintain the extially diluting the isting balance of South’s influence in representation. Parliament. Speaking to this paThe TDP’s remarks per, TDP parliamentary came a day after the Unp a r t y l e a d e r L av u ion Cabinet’s clearance Krishna Devarayalu “The South had of a draft bill to insaid that with a pro- argued against crease Lok Sabha seats posed 50% expansion population being from 543 to 816, with 273 the sole basis. in Lok Sabha strength, reserved for women, the relative share of Now narrative is ahead of the 2029 genchanging. each state would reeral elections. Both Governance main unchanged. “Afwomen’s quota and decannot be ter the increase, the limitation will be based delayed percentage of a state’s on the 2011 Census, indefinitely in representation in the rather than waiting for the name of stabilisation Lok Sabha will stay the fresh population data. same. For instance, Dismissing allegaKerala now accounts for 3.6% tions of inadequate consultaof the total 543 seats in Lok Sab- tion with the opposition, Deha. After a 50% increase, Kera- varayalu said they were given la will retain the same percent- ample opportunity. “As far as age with 30 seats,” he said, our state is concerned, we made dispelling fears of political a detailed presentation to the marginalisation in the South. Union home minister and our His remarks come amid concerns were addressed.” P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi Fog of war Army steps up info-warfare game, psy-ops after Operation Sindoor lessons JAVARIA RA N A @ New Delhi THE Indian Army has operationalised a dedicated Information Warfare Organisation and is in the process of expanding its psychological and cyber units down to the Corps level after absorbing lessons from Operation Sindoor, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi confirmed on Thursday . Speaking at the Ran-Sanwad tri-services dialogue in Bengaluru on Thursday the Army , chief said the new organisation comprises a Psychological Defence Division and a Command Cyber Operations Wing. “The Psychological Defence Division under a Brigadier is playing a very pivotal role,” Gen Dwivedi said, adding the Command Cyber Operations Wing would also go down to the Corps headquarters later. This means, the Army’s 14 Corpslevel formations will have their own info-warfare capabilities. The Army chief was candid that this is the beginning of a longer journey “This is phase . 1. Based on this, we will move on to phase 2 and phase 3.” The phased rollout mirrors Army’s recognition that information General Upendra Dwivedi warfare is not a monolithic challenge. Domestic operations carry a different character from what expeditionary forces face when deployed in unfamiliar territory “When the expedi. tionary forces go, they have a different concept because they are going to an alien area. They don’t even know the culture of that area,” he said, underlining the layered complexity of per- ception management in foreign operational environments. A key operational decision during Operation Sindoor was to shut down all Army social media handles, leaving only the official ADG Strategic Communication channel active. “We closed on all other social media handles... so there was a single source of truth, which went from the soldier to the top- man to everybody looking to get the infor mation,” Gen Dwivedi said. This centralisation prevented adversaries from exploiting a fragmented information environment. The Army is also expanding its communication footprint, including on Instagram, to create a clear and authoritative infor mation pipeline for personnel.