FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI India’s growth steady amid global shocks: IMF Resignation loophole PERSPECTIVE Page 10 Delimitation could recast a political generation Page 6 BRIEFLY Delhi’s double whammy: New Delhi: Residents of Delhi continued to reel under the impact of soaring temperatures as mercury continued an upward trend on Tuesday. At Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, the maximum temperature stood at 38.2°C, departing 2.1 degrees above normal. Days are likely to get hotter as maximum temperatures are expected to touch 42°C on Friday and Saturday, according to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) evening bulletin. The weather experts noted the rise will be “gradual”, registering a surge of 4-5°C during the next 4 days, with no large changes in maximum temperature in the next 24 hours. Likewise, Delhi’s minimum temperatures are also expected to increase, entering the near-normal range for the month, which was currently lower than April’s average. On Tuesday, the city’s minimum temperatures settled at 18.2, nearly three notches below normal. (Page 2) PM Modi, Prez Trump hold talks, stress West Asia stability STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 14 April P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump, during which the two leaders reviewed progress in India-US relations and discussed key regional and global developments, including the situation in West Asia. In a post on X, Mr Modi described the interaction as a conversation with a “friend,” highlighting that both sides took stock of the substantial progress achieved in bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors. “We reviewed the substantial progress achieved in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors. We are committed to further strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas,” he said. A major focus of the discussion was the evolving situation in West Asia, where ongoing tensions have heightened concerns over regional stability and global energy security. Modi said both leaders stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure, given its critical New Delhi, 14 April New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday held talks over the phone with the foreign ministers of Israel, Kuwait, Singapore and Australia and discussed the situation arising from the conflict in West Asia. "Had a telecon this afternoon with Israel FM @gidonsaar. Our discussion covered different aspects of the West Asia situation,’’ he wrote on X later after talking to his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar. The phone call came days after India, without directly criticising Israel, condemned the attacks on Lebanon in which many innocent people were killed. The Israeli minister also took to X to write: ‘’A good conversation, as always, with my friend, India’s Minister of External Affairs @DrSJaishankar. We discussed Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and Lebanon.’’ role in global oil supply chains. The Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime chokepoint, facilitates a large share of the world’s crude oil shipments, making its security vital for global markets and major energyimporting nations such as India. Any disruption in this route could have far-reaching shock is diminishing household purchasing power, raising food insecurity, straining public budgets, and weakening livelihoods." UNDP estimates that globally, 8.8 million people are at risk of falling into poverty, while the West Asia military escalation could cost the Asia-Pacific region up to $299 billion. In India, the population oucing in poverty is expected to rise by around 400,000 to 2.5 million, the report said. India's poverty rate is estimated to rise to 24.2 per cent post-crisis from 23.9 per cent, pushing 2,464,698 people into poverty. An estimated 354,033,698 people are projected to live in poverty in the country post-crisis, as compared to 351,569,000 pre-crisis. Globally, the number of people pushed into poverty in the world as a result of the conflict rises from approximately 1.9 million to nearly 8.8 million. South Asia accounted for the largest share, ranging from about 1.7 million to over 8 million, reflecting both the subregion's population size and its higher exposure to income and price shocks, the UNDP report highlighted. The report said China is estimated to experience a more moderate increase in the number of people at risk of falling into poverty, from around 115,000 to over 620,000, reflecting small proportional changes applied to a very large population base. implications for fuel prices and international trade. Though details of the call remained limited, diplomatic observers view the conversation as part of ongoing coordination between the two leaders on strategic and security matters amid a complex global environment. The Union government is set to operationalise the long-pending provision for women’s reservation in legislatures through the introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, during a special session of Parliament scheduled from 16 to 18 April. The proposed Constitution Amendment Bill seeks to implement nearly one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, including within seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, by linking it to a fresh delimitation exercise based on the latest available census data. The move is being projected as a major step to expedite women’s participation in legislative bodies, which has remained pending due to constitutional and procedural requirements tied to census and delimitation timelines. According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the current constitutional framework under Articles 82 and 170 froze the allocation of seats based on the 1971 Census, with no fresh readjustment allowed until after the first census post-2026. While this freeze was intended to serve a broader policy goal, the government argues that India’s demographic landscape has changed significantly, with uneven population growth, migration, and rapid urbanisation leading to disparities in representation across constituencies. “The objective is to ensure that women’s reservation is implemented without undue delay and that democratic institutions reflect contemporary realities,” a senior government functionary said, underlining the intent to align constitutional provisions with present-day needs. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, who will introduce the Bills, has said the initiative would “promote inclusivity and strengthen participatory democracy,” in line with the broader vision of Viksit Bharat@2047. The proposal builds on the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023 ~ called the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam ~ which provided for women’s reservation but linked its implementation to delimitation following a future census. Alongside the amendment, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, proposes the constitution of a Delimitation Commission to redraw parliamentary and assembly constituencies and determine the allocation of seats reserved for women. The Bill points out that the existing framework relies on outdated data, with seat allocation based on the 1971 Census and constituency boundaries drawn using 2001 figures, resulting in imbalances due to population shifts and migration, IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 14 April Nitish Kumar on Tuesday resigned as Chief Minister of Bihar after ruling the state for nearly two decades. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary will become the next CM, becoming the first Chief Minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar. Mr Kumar formally submitted his resignation to Governor Syed Ata Hasnain, marking the end of an era in Bihar’s politics. Later in the day, Mr Choudhary was elected leader of the BJP Legislative Party at a meeting in Patna. The proposal for his name was put forward by the other Deputy Chief Minister, Vijay Sinha, and was unanimously supported by all the legislators. After the BJP Legislative Party meeting, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that Samrat Choudhary had been re-elected as the leader. Later, a joint meeting of NDA legislators was held in the Central Hall of the Legislature, where Samrat Choudhary’s name was formally endorsed. Following this, he met the Governor Syed Ata Hasnain and staked claim to form the government. The new government, led by Samrat Choudhary, will be sworn in at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the Lok Bhavan. The Governor’s Secretary, Gopal Meena, had already visited Mr Choudhary’s residence on Monday evening to review preparations for the swearing-in ceremony. Along with Samrat Choudhary, senior JD(U) leaders Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Vijay Kumar Choudhary are also expected to take oath as ministers. They are expected to be appointed as Deputy Chief Ministers. This is being seen as part of the initial Cabinet of the new government. The Cabinet will be expanded in future to maintain caste and regional balance. Several new faces may be given an opportunity, while some experienced leaders are also likely to be included. After being elected leader of the BJP Legislative Party, Samrat Choudhary thanked the national leadership. He said that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, along with the party’s top leadership, had placed their trust in him and continuously entrusted him with responsibilities. Roadways are the lifelines of India: PM Modi PRITHVIRAJ SINGH Dehradun, 14 April Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described roadways and infrastructural Government moves to fast-track women’s quota, delimitation reforms in special session New Delhi, 14 April Nitish Kumar resigns as Bihar CM, Samrat Choudhary to replace him EAM discusses West Asia situation with counterpart from Israel: STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE SHAHID K ABBAS PCB hands two-year ban to Zimbabwe quick Muzarabani for PSL-to-IPL switch Page 12 Page 7 Iran war could push 2.5 million people in India into poverty: UN The ongoing Iran war could push 2.5 million people in India into poverty, according to estimates and projections by the United Nations. India is projected to experience some loss in its human development progress, the report said. In a report titled 'Military Escalation In The Middle East: Human Development Impacts Across Asia And The Pacific', the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) noted that the conflict is "widening human development pressures across Asia and the Pacific through higher fuel, freight, and input costs. The Wednesday, 15 April 2026 SPORTS BUSINESS EDITORIAL | particularly from rural to urban areas. “The growth of population across regions and migration patterns have led to unequal representation, making delimitation an essential exercise,” the Statement notes. The Commission will be tasked with carrying out delimitation and ensuring that reservation for women, including those from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, is implemented systematically. The new framework will apply to all future general elections and by-elections once the Commission’s final orders are notified. The decision to convene a special session from 16 to 18 April underscores the government’s push to fast-track key electoral reforms. Observers expect the session to witness intense debate, with Opposition parties likely to question the timing, scope, and political implications of the proposals, particularly regarding inter-state representation and federal balance. projects as the “lifelines of India.” He said investment in road development has increased more than sixfold since his government assumed office in 2014, with Uttarakhand alone witnessing projects worth over Rs 2.25 lakh crore. Speaking at the inaugural function of the 213-kilometre Dehradun-Delhi Expressway in the Uttarakhand capital, Mr Modi highlighted the scale and speed of infrastructure development in the past 12 years. He noted that Uttarakhand has been a major beneficiary, receiving nearly 19 per cent of the total investment. “The lifelines of a nation are its roadways, highways, expressways, airways, waterways, and railways. For the past decade, the country has been working to strengthen these lines of destiny to make India a developed nation. These projects are not merely for today; they are guarantees for the wellbeing of future generations. This is also Modi’s guarantee. Our government has been making unprecedented investments for the past decade,” the Prime Minister said. He added: “Until 2014, less than Rs 2 lakh crore had been invested in road development across India. Today, that figure has crossed Rs 12 lakh crore. In Uttarakhand alone, projects worth more than Rs 2.25 lakh crore are underway. Prior to 2014, the entire nation had not seen investments of even Rs 2 lakh crore in roads, but today Uttarakhand alone accounts for Rs 2.25 lakh crore.” Mr Modi emphasised the transformation in Uttarakhand’s connectivity: “Generations once waited for roads in the villages of Uttarakhand. Today, with the double-engine government, roads have reached remote hill locations. Villages that were abandoned have come alive again. Be it the mega Char Dham road project, the extension of the railway network, or the Kedarnath– Hemkunt Sahib ropeway, these lines of development will become lifelines of this region in the coming days. The entire world is talking about the pace and scale of India’s 21st-century development.”