The Ideas Page: Women’s reservation serves a political project that depends on early delimitation 13 TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2026 JOURNALISm of COURAGE LUCKNOW, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES ₹6.00 l www.indianexpress.com DA I LY F R O M : A H M E DA B A D , C H A N D I GA R H , D E L H I , j A I P U R , KO L K ATA , L U C K N O W , M U M B A I , N AG P U R , PAT N A , P U N E , vA D O DA R A EXPRESSinvestigation IN ASSOCIATION WITH ICIJ Access plan ties cancer patients in red tape and Rs 10-lakh upfront Anonna Dutt earlier. They were not sure I would survive,” he said. He has New Delhi, April 13 now been on Keytruda for over ■ Two years ago, Ekta* a year. The stories of Ekta and Ajit found herself sitting at the dining table of her Gurugram illustrate the challenges surhome one evening, on a call rounding access to Keytruda. with a representative from the AninvestigationbyTheIndian Kiran Patient Access Program Express, in association with at 6:45 pm. She spoke for over The International Consortium an hour, she says, because she of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), has found was afraid to hang that accessing up. She needed an KeytrudainIndia, OTP without even through the which her company's own mother-in-law patient assistance could not receive her next dose of THE CANCER scheme, is beset with financial, loKeytruda, the gistical and regublockbuster imlatory barriers munotherapy pArt-II that put the drug cancerdrug,atthe out of reach for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), overwhelming majority of patients who need it. Delhi, the following morning. On Monday, The Indian Ex■ For 63-year-old Ajit*, first diagnosed with kidney cancer press reported on how the acin2017,thepathtoKeytrudawas cess squeeze has led to a burslightlylessdifficultbutonlybe- geoning multi-city black cause he had the means to pur- market in Keytruda. Keytrudaisthebrandname chaseacancerinsurancepolicy. “IrememberwhenIgotahernia of Pembrolizumab, which is at one of the stitches from my manufactured and sold by »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 kidney removal surgery. My daughterwastogetmarriedina tomorrow: oNE doSE, few months but the doctors mANy qUEStIoNS asked me to hold the wedding TOP COURT HEARS PETITION ON EXClUSIONS IN WEST BENGAl S.I.R. If win margin 2%, deletions 15%... what will happen: SC We are getting blinded by fury of an impending election: Bench At tribunals’ door, time running out: ‘No one understands our fear’ DECISION 2026 Express News Service New Delhi, April 13 CALLING THE righttovotethe “biggest expression of nationality and patriotism...in a democratic government”, the Supreme Court Monday raised questions on the exclusion of voters in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal andflaggedconcernsoverdeletions in the context of winning margins. Hearing a petition on the adjudication of appeals against »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 WEST B ENGAl Sweety Kumari OIl AGAIN TOPS $100 Kolkata, April 13 CLADINawhitekurta-pyjama, 87-year-old Manmatha Nath Bhowmik stands outside the Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and SanitationatJokanearKolkata, clutching a plastic folder, and carrying a bag slung sideways. His eyes, clouded with age and distress, are scanning the Cen- Manmatha Nath Bhowmik outside the Tribunal office at joka near Kolkata. He has citizenship papers from 1959. PARTHA PAUL tral force deployment at the gates of the institute, where the 19 tribunals to hear appeals of the 27 lakh “deleted” from the final voting list in West Bengal are to sit. Bhowmik has come alone. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 calculus US begins blockade of Iran’s ports, Tehran threatens to hit Gulf Blockade won’t impede transit to or from non-Iran destinations: US Business as Usual By EP UNNY Trevor Hunnicutt & Parisa Hafezi Washington, Dubai, April 13 THEUSmilitarybeganablockade of ships leaving Iran’s ports on Monday, President Donald Trump said, and Tehran threatened to retaliate against ports of its Gulf neighbours after weekend talks on ending the war broke down. Oilpricesclimbedbackover $100 per barrel, with no sign of aswiftreopeningoftheStraitof Hormuztoeasethebiggestever disruption in supplies and broaderconcernsoverthedurability of a two-week ceasefire agreement reached last week. Trump said that Iran had been in touch on Monday and wanted to make a deal but that he will not sanction any agreement that allows Tehran to have a nuclear weapon. “Iranwillnothaveanuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We can’t letacountryblackmailorextort the world.” Since the war started on February 28, Iran has effectivelyshuttheStraitofHormuz toallvesselsexceptitsown,sayingpassagewouldbepermitted only under Iranian control and subject to a fee. Trump said earlier that Washington would block Conversion, sexual assault FIRs: Before TCS unit arrests, tip-off and undercover cops Violence in Noida as factory workers protest seeking higher wages, better work conditions Iran, India in touch on Investigation underway: Tata FULL COVERAGE passage of ships: Envoy DGP: Provocative Sons chairman A vehicle damaged during a protest by factory workers demanding a hike in wages, in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, Monday. EXPRESS Mohamed Thaver Nashik, April 13 IN FEBRUARY this year, when a local political party worker in Nashik,located180kmnorthof Mumbai, approached the Nashik City police alleging that a Hindu woman in her early 20s working at a BPO unit of TCS there was observing fasts during Ramzan, it would set off a series of events that would end with nine FIRs ranging from allegations of sexual abuse and religiousconversion,sevenemployees being placed under arrest, and a pause in the unit's operations. On Monday, N Chandrasekaran,theTataSons chairman, said a thorough investigation is underway to ascertain what transpired. According to the police, the local political party worker told themthatthewomanhadbeen influenced to follow the teachings of Islam at her workplace, where “something amiss” was going on. Police did not disclose which party the worker is affiliated with. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 and external elements are being traced Drishti Jain Noida, April 13 THOUSANDS OF factory workers from dozens of units across Noida’s industrial belt protested violently to demand better wages and working con- ditions on Monday, throwing stones, smashing vehicles and setting several of them on fire. Theviolencemarkedasharp escalation of tensions that had beensimmeringinthefactories since Friday, and the latest in a series of labour protests that have broken out in at least four other cities across North India over the past couple of months. Following two days of dharnas by contractual labour outsidefactories,theUttarPradesh government had announced a series of measures for workers’ welfare, including mandatory double overtime pay and timely wages on Saturday. On Sunday, Gautam Buddha Nagar district magistrate Medha Roopam met with representatives of industrial units and directed them to take steps to safeguard the rights of workers. Police said it was unclear why the workers suddenly became violent on Monday. UP Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna said the “provocative elements” and “external elements” involved in the »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Shubhajit Roy New Delhi, April 13 BEforE NoIdA, protEStS IN BArAUNI, SUrAt, mANESAr pAgE 6 INDIA AND Iran are in contact with each other on the passage of Indian ships through the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranianembassyissendingafresh consignment of about 20,000 kg of medicine from India on Monday night, an Iranian diplomattoldTheIndianExpress on Monday. So far 45,000 kg of medi- »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 cineshavebeenshippedtoIran in two batches since the war broke out. The latest batch will be sent in a Mahaan air flight from Delhi to Mashhad, sources said, for nationwide distribution. These medicines are mainly for Iranians who have been injured in US and Israeli strikes in the war before the two-week ceasefirewasdeclaredonApril9. According to the Iranian »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 l PROjECT AIMS TO CREATE DATABASE OF TALENTED ATHLETES TO HELP DEVELOP PERSONALISED TRAINING PROGRAMMES The athletic gene: Rising sport hub Gujarat launches project to unlock clues Ritu Sharma develop personalised training programmesinthestate,where crickethasbeenthemostpopuAS GUJARAT counts down to lar sport. The ‘Sports Genomics Pro2030, when it will be hosting the Commonwealth Games for gramme’ is being undertaken the first time, the state govern- by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre ment is planning to (GBRC), under the conduct whole gePAGE 1 Department of nome sequencing of Science and Techtalented athletes in nology of the state, the state to identify and record genetic markers as- in coordination with the Sports sociated with endurance and Authority of Gujarat. Noting that genetic factors power sports. In a first, the project aims to contribute as much as 66% to identify talent early, create an athleticperformance,GBRCDiathlete genome database, and rector Dr Snehal Bagatharia Ahmedabad, April 13 anchor says: “In a key study published in 2023, 128 genetic markers (DNApolymorphisms)showed a positive association with athletestatus.Atotalof41markers were related to endurance, 45 to power, and 42 to strength.” Led by Dr Ildus Ahmetov of LiverpoolJohnMooresUniversityintheUnitedKingdom,the study 'Genes and Athletic Performance: The 2023 Update' was published in the journal Genes. It identified 251 genetic markers linked to sports-relatedtraits,across34countries, including India. Under the programme, for l GENESIDENTIFIEDWITHSPORTS 9 10 genes for endurance: Sports such as marathon, cycling, triathlon genes for power, speed, muscle development: Weightlifting, boxing, wrestling, football genes for muscle building, recovery: Sprinting, weightlifting, wrestling, boxing 9 which Rs 26.05 crore has been allocated for five years, the GBRC will collect at least 2,000 2 3 2 2 genetic samples per year over five years, with the 10,000 samples covering 10 sports – five endurance and power sportseach.Thesesportswillbe identifiedincollaborationwith genes for injury risk: Sports with quick direction changes such as gymnastics genes for stress response, focus under pressure: Shooting, tennis, cricket, combat genes for motor coordination etc: Sports that require such coordination, or are reaction-based genes for hydration, thermoregulation: sports such as endurance running, cycling, rowing, aerobic training theSportsAuthorityofGujarat, fromallthedistrictsofthestate. The sampling strategy would be decided in collaboration with the Sports Authority, Bagatharia said. “A meeting is scheduled this month.” The goal is to create a Gujarat Athlete Genome Database, integrating genotype, physiological and performance data which, apart from identifying genes influencing athletic performance,wouldalsohelpzero in on genetic risk factors for injuries,andhelpdesignrehabilitation protocols. Officials said the project would also help understand sex- and age-related genomic differences influencing athletic adaptation. Gujarat has seen a rise in sports stars from remote parts, like 21-year-old Rohit Majgul belonging to the Siddi community who recently qualified as a judoka for the Commonwealth and Asian Games. Majgul belongs to Jambur village in the Gir region that is often referred to as 'Mini Africa' as the Siddi community that is based here draws its origins from Africa. In 2018, Sarita Gayakwad fromGujarat’soverwhelmingly »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Lucknow
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