15042026-TTB-01.qxd 4/15/2026 12:22 AM Page 1 c m y b STALIN WARNS OF UNREST OVER DELIMITATION NATION /thetribunechd 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 103 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HARYANA UP HIKES MINIMUM WAGES AFTER PROTEST BACK PAGE wednesday | 15 april 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Trump dials Modi, talks Bill seeks 850-seat LS for women quota by ’29 Govt intent mischievous, W Asia, Hormuz security Bill content devious: Cong Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies to be redrawn on the basis of 2011 Census Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service Ujwal Jalali IMF RAISES INDIA’S FY27 GDP FORECAST TO 6.5% Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 14 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday held a 40-minute telephonic conversation during which they reviewed the evolving situation in West Asia and underscored the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure amid rising regional tensions. Modi, in a post on X, said he had received a call “from my friend President Trump”, with the two leaders also taking stock of the “substantial progress” achieved in bilateral cooperation across sectors. “We are committed to further strengthening our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in all areas,” the PM said, signalling continuity in deepening India-US ties even as geopolitical uncertainties intensify. The discussion assumes significance against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz — a critical artery for global energy supplies — where recent developments have raised concerns over potential disruptions to shipping and oil flows. “We reviewed the substantial progress achieved in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors,” Modi wrote. US Ambassador to India Sergio continued on page 8 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slightly upgraded India’s GDP growth forecast for FY27 to 6.5 per cent, revising it upward by 0.1 percentage point from its January projection. This makes India the fastest-growing major economy in 2026. It, however, warned that escalating geopolitical tensions could weigh on global economic momentum and push inflation higher. Fresh negotiations in Pak over next 2 days: USPrez Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 14 US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said talks with Iran “could be happening over next two days” in Pakistan. “Something could be happening over the next two days… we’re more inclined to go there. It’s more likely, you know why? Because the field marshal is doing a great job,” Trump said in an interview with New York Post. Sources said a second round of talks between the US and Iran likely later this week — possibly on April 16. Reports indicate that despite the failure of marathon talks in Islamabad over the weekend, both Hormuz blockade deepens conflict over Tehran’s N-plan US STARTS BLOCKADE OF IRANIAN PORTS More than 10,000 US sailors, marines and airmen, along with over 12 warships and several aircraft, are executing the blockade of ships entering and departing Iranian ports, the US Central Command said, adding the blockade was being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations. sides have kept the door open for further engagement, underscoring the urgency to prevent escalation after weeks of conflict. continued on page 8 Shekhar Singh It’s delimitation in garb of women quota: DMK Tribune News Service PM Narendra Modi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at an event to pay tributes to Dr BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary in New Delhi. PTI government will pilot three Bills, which it circulated to Lok Sabha members today. The first Bill will amend relevant Articles of the Constitution to achieve two broad objectives — first, to delink 33 per cent women’s quota rollout from the delimitation exercise following the 2026 Census (this provision was enshrined in the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, also continued on page 8 New Delhi, April 14 The Centre’s bid to fasttrack amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam has hit a political wall, with Opposition parties making it clear that backing the women’s reservation Bill did not mean endorsing the route being proposed. Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the move a “historic correction” and sought its implementation before 2029, the Opposition said the exercise “raised more questions than it answered”. Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said when the “intent behind a Bill was mischievous and the content of it was devious”, the extent of “damage to parliamentary democracy was enormous”. The DMK described the move as “effectively a delimitation Bill in the garb of women’s reservation”. The sharpest concern of the Opposition is that the proposal was not just about reserving seats for women, but about redrawing the country’s electoral map. By tying the quota to delimitation, parties argued, the government was “pushing a politically sensitive restructuring under continued on page 8 Mann rolls out scheme for ChoudharyisBihar‘Samrat’asBJPtoget ~1K monthly aid to women first CM; Nitish era ends after 2 decades Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, April 14 To mark the 135th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann visited Adampur on Tuesday, where he rolled out the Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana under which Rs 1,000 will be given to women from the general category and Rs 1,500 to those belonging to the SC catego- ry in the state every month. As part of the launch, three women beneficiaries were presented with certificates of enrolment under the scheme. The Aam Aadmi Party chose to launch the scheme from Adampur as it is a reserved Assembly segment. The CM had visited Adampur last month after the announcement of the scheme in the Budget session and had continued on page 8 Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 14 Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary (57) was on Tuesday unanimously elected leader of the ruling NDA legislature party in the state, paving the way for his elevation as the Chief Minister. Choudhary will be the first ever BJP leader to be the CM of Bihar, where he began his career from the RJD, joining the JD(U) and eventually the BJP . An MLA from Tarapur who won the last Assembly election after spending a decade in the legislative council, Choudhary will take the oath of office on Wednesday. He will replace Bihar’s longest serving CM Nitish Kumar, who tendered his resignation to Governor Syed Ata Hasnain on Tuesday after holding the post for nearly two decades. continued on page 8 ANI 40-minute call focuses on India-US strategic ties New Delhi, April 14 The Constitution amendment Bill the BJP-led NDA government will pilot on April 16 to advance the rollout of 33 per cent women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to the 2029 General Election proposes to raise the strength of the Lower House from the current 543 to 850 MPs. A copy of the Draft Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, accessed by The Tribune, says the government will use population data based on the 2011 Census to delimit constituencies of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for reserving one-third seats for women. This 33 per cent quota will have proportional sub-quotas for SC and ST women. On April 16, the Outgoing CM Nitish Kumar with Samrat Choudhary in Patna. AMRITSAR - Opposite New Amritsar Colony, GT Road; AMRITSAR - Mall Road, Near HDFC Bank; AMBALA - Kalka Chowk, Ambala City; BARNALA Opposite Old Bus Stand; BATHINDA - Bank Bazar; CHANDIGARH - Elante Mall; CHANDIGARH - Bridge Road, Sector 17-C; CHANDIGARH - Near Housing Board Chowk, Manimajra; HOSHIARPUR - Mall Road; JALANDHAR - Model Town, Near Masand Chowk; JALANDHAR - Nakodar Road; KANGRA - Opp. Post Office, Dharamshala Road; KAITHAL - Opp. Kaithal Club; KHANNA - Near Kalgidhar Gurudwara; LUDHIANA - Feroze Gandhi Market; LUDHIANA - Beside Nexa Showroom, Model Town; MANDI - Near HDFC Bank, Seri Bazar; MOHALI - Phase 5, Sector 59; MOGA - Partap Road; NAWANSHAHR - Near HDFC Bank, Chandigarh Road; PATIALA - Opp. PWD Guest House, Bhupindra Road; PATHANKOT - CPL Mansion, Gandhi Nagar; SHIMLA - The Mall Road; SOLAN - Vivanta Mall, The Mall; YAMUNANAGAR - Adjacent Bikaner Sweets, Jagadhari Road; ZIRAKPUR - Raksha Business Center c m y b