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A IN-X ‘OBSTRUCTIONIST ATTITUDE’ Kerala stalling work at Mullaperiyar: T.N. STATES » PAGE 3 TRANSFORMATIVE FIGURE Zhu Rongji, former Chinese Premier, dies WORLD » PAGE 14 SINQUEFIELD CUP Praggnanandhaa gets the better of Sindarov SPORT » PAGE 17 STATE OF PLAY The long wait for a woman Minister A Cabinet with a woman has not been a priority for the Karnataka govt. OPINION » PAGE 9 FLEET UPGRADE Tender floated for 60 IAF transport aircraft NEWS » PAGE 4 A day before the Monsoon Session of Parliament is scheduled to end, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said he was willing to have a full- fledged debate on the prot- ests against the NEET pap- er leak. Parliamentary Af- fairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready to “increase the time” allotted for a debate on the issue. Mr. Shah also wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Bir- la, requesting a discussion on the issue in consulta- tion with the Opposition. “We are ready for a dis- cussion on all aspects from 3 p.m. today until 3 p.m. tomorrow. I will sit in the House; I will listen to eve- ryone and respond to ev- ery point. The government has nothing to hide,” Mr. Shah said outside the Lok Sabha, making a statement for the first time since the July 20 protests. He said he came to Parliament regu- larly and accused the Op- position of not allowing the Houses to function. ‘Don’t want a lecture’ However, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sab- ha Rahul Gandhi rejected the offer of a discussion, saying the youth wanted answers on who had or- dered the alleged firing on protesters and the police assault on them, and “not a lecture” from Mr. Shah. Scheduled to end on Thursday, the Monsoon Session of Parliament has seen little business (with no Question Hour and sev- eral Bills being passed amid disruptions) as the Opposition demanded that Mr. Shah respond to allega- tions of police excess against those protesting against NEET paper leak on July 20. Union Home Minister Amit Shah interacts with the media at the Parliament House complex on Wednesday. PTI The Hindu Bureau NEW DELHI Ready for discussion on protests, says Shah CHARGESHEET IN NEET CASE » PAGE 4 Emergency response Tragic slip: Rescue operations underway after a landslip in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area on Wednesday. At least seven people were killed and several others injured in the incident which occurred following heavy rain in the region. PTI (REPORT PAGE 6) CM YK THURSDAY August 13, 2026 INTERNATIONAL EDITION 18 Pages www.thehindu.com Chennai » Coimbatore » Bengaluru » Hyderabad » Madurai » Noida » Visakhapatnam » Thiruvananthapuram » Kochi » Vijayawada » Mangaluru » Tiruchirapalli » Kolkata » Hubballi » Mohali » Malappuram » Mumbai » Lucknow » Cuttack » Patna Vol. 4
No. 192 To subscribe, give a missed call at 9828331787 or scan QR code The Lok Sabha on Wednesday adopt- ed a motion refer- ring the Foreign Contribu- tion (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Com- mittee ( JPC), amid a huge uproar by the Opposition which demanded that the Bill be withdrawn as it was intended to target minority institutions. The JPC will have 21 members from the Lok Sabha nominated by Speaker Om Birla and 10 from the Rajya Sabha nom- inated by Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan. The committee has to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session of Parliament this year. The motion to refer the Bill to the 31-member JPC was added to the List of Bu- siness of the Lok Sabha through a supplementary list just before the House was supposed to recon- vene at 2 p.m., after being adjourned within minutes of assembling at 11 a.m. Though Union Home Mi- nister Amit Shah was listed to move the motion, it was the Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, who placed it before the House. Opposition’s fears The Bill proposes to create a designated authority to manage and dispose of as- sets if an organisation loses its FCRA licence, which the Opposition claimed could affect legitimate foreign funding for Christian NGOs and other minority-run so- cial welfare and education- al institutions. Before the motion was adopted, Congress MP K.C. Venugopal said the Bill clearly targeted NGOs, es- pecially those run by mi- nority communities, and demanded that it be with- drawn. “On the one hand, the RSS is collecting dona- tions from foreign coun- tries, and on the other, the government is targeting NGOs. The government should withdraw the Bill,” he said. Samajwadi Party MP Ak- hilesh Yadav also demand- ed the withdrawal of the Bill, saying the entire Op- position was against it. “Ri- jiju ji should clarify which Bill they brought till date that was not against minor- ities,” he said. The DMK’s T.R. Baalu also demanded that the Bill be withdrawn. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju dared the Opposition to show a single clause in the Bill that was against minorities. “If Venugopal or any MPs have reservations about the Bill, they can raise it in the JPC. They will get eno

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 2 Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai States A 32-year-old undertrial prisoner lodged in a jail in Rajasthan’s Tonk district died while undergoing treatment at a hospital here on Wednesday, officials said. The deceased inmate Ganadev Gurjar’s relatives, however, alleged delay by the prison administration in providing medical treatment. Jailer Amrit Singh Bhati said that Ganadev complained of chest discomfort on Wednesday morning and was taken to the health centre inside the jail premises. He was later shifted to Saadat Hospital, where doctors referred him to Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, the jailer said. Ganadev was admitted to SMS Hospital, where he died during treatment, he said. PTI Undertrial in Rajasthan jail dies; treatment delayed: kin The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would have to first see whether there had been a split in the Shiv Se- na as such a division may originate in the legislature party and the fissure can percolate into the organi- sation and the primary membership. The observations were made by a Bench compris- ing Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bag- chi and V. Mohana during the final hearing on pleas filed by the Uddhav Thack- eray-led Sena (UBT) faction in 2024 over the Election Commission’s (EC) Febru- ary 17, 2023 order recognis- ing the Eknath Shinde-led faction as the original Shiv Sena and allotting it the party’s name and “bow and arrow” symbol. The Bench examined whether a split originating in the legislature party could subsequently manif- est itself within the broad- er party organisation and primary membership, and whether such develop- ments could be considered by the EC while deciding a dispute under Paragraph 15 of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. ‘Epicentre of split’ “First, we have to see whether there is a split. A split may originate in the legislature party, but the fissure can percolate into the organisation and the primary membership,” Jus- tice Bagchi said. To this, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Uddhav faction, said, “As a proposition of law, a split in the political party can never arise merely from a split in the legisla- ture party. That has been decided by the Constitu- tion Bench [in a judg- ment].” Justice Bagchi said the judgment states that the proposed split cannot be restricted to a split in the legislature party. “But it does not say that if a split begins in the legislature party and subsequently gets reflected in the organ- isation and the primary membership, it cannot be considered. It may be the epicentre of a larger split,” the judge said. Mr. Sibal said the judg- ment does not speak of the legislature party. The Bench said it need- ed clarity on this aspect. “The Shinde group had the support of 11 ‘Rajya Prabharis’. A Rajya Prabha- ri is part of the party struc- ture. It is not something outside the Shiv Sena’s or- ganisational structure. More importantly, when we consider a political par- ty, we are not concerned only with office-bearers. We also have to consider the primary membership,” the Bench said. Mr. Sibal questioned the EC’s approach in determin- ing whether there was a ge- nuine dispute within the party and whether the fac- tion approaching it had ex- hausted the internal reme- dies available under the Sena’s constitution. EC view challenged Mr. Sibal challenged the EC’s assessment of the Se- na’s organisational struc- ture. “The point is, who is the Election Commission to determine at which le- vel, for which posts and how many persons must be elected?” he said. He added that once a prima facie split in the pol- itical party was esta- blished, subsequent deve- lopments could be considered by the EC while reaching its final decision. The hearing will resume on Thursday. Will have to see if there was split in Shiv Sena: SC In 2022, Eknath Shinde and several MLAs rebelled against the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray (right), leading to a split in the party. FILE PHOTO Division may originate in legislature party and the fissure can percolate into organisation, primary membership, says court; split can never arise merely from division in legislature party: Sena (UBT) Press Trust of India NEW DELHI Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and sought his intervention for granting parole to Jagtar Singh Hawara, a member of the banned terrorist out- fit Babbar Khalsa Interna- tional, who is serving life sentence for the 1995 assas- sination of then Chief Mi- nister Beant Singh. Mr. Mann requested Mr. Kataria to consider grant- ing 10-day parole to Hawa- ra on humanitarian grounds to meet his ailing mother. He said the matter requires the Governor’s re- commendation as the case is being heard in Delhi, while assuring that the Punjab government will take full responsibility for ensuring that law and or- der is not affected if Hawa- ra is granted parole. “Hawara has been lodged in jail for the last 31 years. His mother is old

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 3Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai States INBRIEF
The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) on Wednesday urged the Election Commission to undertake a detailed re-verification of the 73 lakh voters proposed for deletion under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the State. Genuine electors should not be removed without thorough scrutiny, it said, maintaining that every genuine voter should be given an opportunity to establish eligibility. The draft voters’ list is scheduled to be published on August 17. 73 lakh voters face removal from rolls in Telangana: Cong. A mobile phone was found in the possession of former MP Prajwal Revanna, who is serving a life sentence for rape at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru. During an inspection by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) officials in the prison complex on August 11, they found a mobile phone in the barrack occupied by Prajwal and another prisoner, Prathap Rai, a POCSO case accused. Allegations of VIP treatment and special facilities being extended to influential inmates at the Parappana Agrahara prison have surfaced in the past. Phone found in former MP Prajwal Revanna’s prison cell A 55-year-old woman who got lost in a dense forest in SPSR Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh was traced by the police and Forest department officials using a drone. Nagadasari Ratnamma, a resident of Harijanawada in Obulayapalle village was found near the Mamidikona base camp on Tuesday. According to the police, she went into the forest to collect firewood on Monday around 11 a.m. While returning with the firewood, she lost her way. Family members and residents searched for her through the night and approached the police next morning. Drone locates woman who went missing in A.P. forest Day of remembrance People paying obeisance to ancestors on the banks of the Periyar in Ernakulam, Kerala, on 'Karkkadaka Vavu' on Wednesday. THULASI KAKKAT The Tamil Nadu go- vernment has in the Supreme Court flagged Kerala’s “obstruc- tionist attitude”, which has “stalled” the implementa- tion of a 12-year-old top court judgment in the Mul- laperiyar dam dispute al- lowing Tamil Nadu to raise the reservoir water level to 142 feet. Kerala has been voicing concerns over the structu- ral safety of the 131-year- old British-era masonry dam across the Periyar in Idukki district. Though lo- cated in Kerala, the dam is owned and operated by Ta- mil Nadu under an 1886 lease agreement. On May 7, 2014, the Su- preme Court ruled in fa- vour of Tamil Nadu in the long-standing Mullaperiyar dam dispute. A Constitu- tion Bench had declared the dam structurally safe while allowing Tamil Nadu to raise the reservoir water level from 136 feet to 142 feet. Tamil Nadu said a 2006 judgment of the top court had even allowed it to raise the water level ulti- mately to 152 feet after completion of strengthen- ing measures on the Mulla- periyar dam. Tamil Nadu, in a report, said Kerala has not cooper- ated with the timely com- pletion of measures to strengthen the baby dam, earth dam and the grout- ing of the main dam, which were critical for structural safety. The State report urged the court to give permis- sion to Tamil Nadu to fell trees near the dam site to facilitate long-pending strengthening work on the baby dam. The State said the Kerala government was “attempt- ing to delay the grant of permission for transporta- tion of grouting materials and machinery, and yet to grant permission”. Kerala stalling strengthening works at Mullaperiyar: T.N. The Mullaperiyar dam in Idukki district of Kerala. FILE PHOTO SC had earlier allowed Tamil Nadu to raise reservoir level after taking steps for structural safety, but it could not be implemented owing to Kerala’s ‘obstructionist attitude’, T.N. govt. tells top court Krishnadas Rajagopal NEW DELHI Capping days of delibera- tions, hectic lobbying, and attempts by Congress legis- lators to get inducted into the Cabinet, the D.K. Shiva- kumar-led government fi- nally managed to allocate portfolios to the 19 newly inducted Ministers. Two senior Ministers, who had expressed unhap- piness in public over ear- lier allocations, were allot- ted different Ministries. The Chief Minister said that the remaining berth would be filled by a woman legislator. Senior Minister K.H. Muniyappa, who was ear- lier miffed at being conti- nued as Food and Civil Supplies Department after he had sought Social Wel- fare, has managed to pre- vail over the party leader- ship. Ramalinga Reddy, who was upset at not being given Bengaluru Develop- ment and instead was gi- ven Water Resources Mi- nistry, has been allocated Forests, Ecology and Envi- ronment. Besides, Health and Family Welfare Minis- ter U.T. Khader has been gi- ven the additional respon- sibility of Minority Welfare, Haj and Wakf. The Chief Minister has retained the Law and Par- liamentary Affairs besides others unallocated portfolios. At a time when the State is facing challenges over

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 4 Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai News The Defence Minis- try on Wednesday issued a tender worth around ₹1 lakh crore for 60 multirole transport aircraft (MTA) for the In- dian Air Force (IAF), in a major push to replace its ageing fleet of cargo and transport aircraft and ex- pand its strategic airlift capability. The tender has been is- sued to multiple Indian companies, including Hin- dustan Aeronautics Limit- ed (HAL) and private sec- tor defence majors, a senior Defence Ministry of- ficial said. The programme is en- visaged as an Indian-led in- itiative, with Indian com- panies partnering with global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to manufacture the aircraft in the country, the official added. Mahindra Defence has tied up with Brazilian ae- rospace major Embraer to offer the C-390 Millenni- um, while Tata is partner- ing U.S. firm Lockheed Martin to offer the C-130J Super Hercules, which is already operated by the IAF for special operations. Under the proposed programme, around 20% of the aircraft are expected to be inducted in fly-away condition, while the re- maining aircraft would be manufactured in India. The domestically pro- duced aircraft are expect- ed to have more than 60% indigenous content and would be built through joint ventures between In- dian companies and the OEMs. Aerial refuelling The MTA are expected to provide the IAF with en- hanced capability to rapid- ly move troops, equipment and other military assets over long distances. The aircraft could also poten- tially be configured for ae- rial refuelling, providing the IAF with an additional tanker capability. The IAF currently oper- ates 12 C-130J Super Her- cules aircraft, primarily for special operations and tac- tical airlift missions. Separately, the force is inducting the C-295 tran- sport aircraft under a pro- gramme involving Airbus and Tata, with around 70 aircraft planned for the IAF and the majority of them to be manufactured in In- dia. The MTA programme is part of the IAF’s broader modernisation drive amid concerns over its ageing transport fleet and the need to augment airlift capabilities. The IAF has also issued a tender for 114 multirole fighter aircraft under its long-pending fighter mo- dernisation programme. It is simultaneously looking to acquire more than 100 trainer aircraft to replace its ageing Hawk fleet and augment training capacity as the number of fighter squadrons is sought to be increased. The proposed transport aircraft programme is also expected to deepen India’s domestic aerospace manu- facturing ecosystem by bringing global OEMs into production partnerships with Indian companies and increasing indigenous content in military airlift platforms. Centre floats tender worth ₹1 lakh crore for 60 planes Airlift assets: The IAF’s C-130J Super Hercules aircraft flanked by two C-295 aircraft during a flypast. FILE PHOTO The Defence Ministry issued the tender for multirole transport aircraft to multiple Indian firms, including HAL and private defence majors; it aims to replace Indian Air Force’s ageing cargo fleet Saurabh Trivedi NEW DELHI Indian companies to partner with global original equipment manufacturers as part of programme The India-China border is “generally stable at the mo- ment”, China’s Foreign Mi- nistry said on Wednesday, in response to queries about recent reports of ris- ing tensions in Arunachal Pradesh’s eastern sector. When asked about these reports on Tuesday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Rand- hir Jaiswal had said that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas was of “utmost impor- tance”. He did not deny the reported rise in ten- sions since late July, in an area where both sides have been patrolling, with over- lapping claims. In a statement in res- ponse to the queries, Chi- na’s Foreign Ministry spo- kesperson Guo Jiakun described the current sit- uation as “generally stable”. Diplomatic talks “The China-India border situation is generally stable at the moment,” Mr. Guo said. “China and India held the 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordi- nation on China-India Bor- der Affairs last week. The two sides agreed to main- tain communication via di- plomatic and military channels and jointly uphold peace and tranquil- ity in the border areas.” Reports last week sug- gested that Chinese Peo- ple’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops crossed the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Pukar La and Ollo in Taksing circle of Upper Subansiri. On August 7, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pe- ma Khandu denied reports of an incursion, saying he would verify with the Ar- my and local bodies. Offi- cials have not publicly con- firmed the reports. “Due to the undemar- cated nature of the boun- dary, patrols at times face off against each other. Such incidents are re- solved through existing mechanisms and proto- cols. The Army and the [In- do Tibetan Border Police] ITBP are geared up to dom- inate the border and

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 5Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai News The first indication of the Union go- vernment’s soften- ing of stance on the Fo- reign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, emerged on Au- gust 9, when several Chris- tian organisations launched coordinated ap- peals on YouTube, Face- book and WhatsApp, urg- ing the Centre to either refer the Bill to a Joint Par- liamentary Committee ( JPC) or withdraw it altogether. The appeals were seen as an attempt to provide the government with an honourable route to step back from pushing the le- gislation through Parliament. On Wednesday, Minister of State for Home Nitya- nand Rai moved a motion in the Lok Sabha to send the Bill to a JPC. Amid din, the motion was adopted, giving Parliament more time to examine the con- tentious provisions in the Bill. Ever since the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sab- ha on March 25, Opposi- tion parties have protested the legislation. It was among the bunch of Bills listed for passage in the on- going Monsoon Session of Parliament, which con- cludes on August 13. The Bill makes way for the appointment of a ‘de- signated authority’ to take over, manage, or dispose of assets created from fo- reign funds when an NGO’s FCRA registration is sus- pended, cancelled, or not renewed. Since July 6, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has held at least four meet- ings with various Christian groups to allay their concerns. The latest meeting was held on August 6 in the Parliament House complex when he met an 18-mem- ber delegation comprising various Christian denomi- nations — Catholic, Protes- tant and Orthodox. Dravida Munnetra Kaz- hagam MP P. Wilson, who led the delegation, the Joint Action Forum on Mi- norities, said the Home Mi- nister granted an audience after they wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We had given a repre- sentation to the Prime Mi- nister. The Prime Minis- ter’s Office forwarded it to the Home Minister, and we were called by the Home Minister for a meeting,” Mr. Wilson said. Conciliatory move Government sources said the subsequent decision to refer the Bill to a JPC was also a conciliatory move aimed at breaking the par- liamentary deadlock, with Opposition parties conti- nuing to demand a discus- sion on the police action against protesters on July 20. The statement made by U.S. Congressman Riley Moore, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, on August 4 on social me- dia platform X, where he alleged that the Bill could permit government takeov- ers of churches and reli- gious charities, was also one of the reasons for the rethink, sources said. In the post, the Republi- can politician described the Bill as a “clear attack against Christians” and warned that the issue could become a concern in India-U.S. relations. On Wednesday, the Catholic Bishops’ Confe- rence of India (CBCI) and the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) welcomed the move, say- ing it was a “positive step”. Jonathan Lalremruata, adviser to the CBCI, told The Hindu that the legisla- tion should differentiate between major and minor offences before the assets built by an NGO are taken over. “Regulation of foreign funds is a must. Action should be taken against those NGOs which indulge in anti-national activities” Mr. Lalremruata said, ad- ding that they will be de- posing before the commit- tee with their suggestions. Centre softens stance on FCRA Bill following several appeals Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and a delegation of Church leaders with Union Minister Amit Shah in Delhi in July. ANI Meetings with Christian groups, post by Trump ally, breaking the parliamentary deadlock among reasons behind move; Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and the National Council of Churches in India welcome the move to send Bill to JPC Vijaita Singh NEW DELHI Amid vocal protests by Op- position members, the Lok Sabha passed a Bill on Wednesday to amend the Mines and Minerals (Deve- lopment and Regulation) Act without a debate. The Lok Sabha took up the Bill for passage after a couple of adjournments earlier in the day. But al- most immediately the Op- position trooped into the Well of the House and started shouting slogans. Revolutionary Socialist Party MP N.K. Premachan- dran had strongly opposed the introduction of the Bill, arguing that it was against federalism. When the Chair, Jag- dambika Pal, put the Bill to vote, Opposition members started shouting “Adani, Adani”. After the Bill passed, Parliamentary Affairs Mi- nister Kiren Rijiju objected to Opposition MPs crowd- ing the Well of the House. Mr. Rijiju said the govern- ment was ready to debate the issue of student prot- ests over the NEET paper leaks and urged the Oppo- sition to start discussion. He also said Union Home Minister Amit Shah was ready to answer ques- tions and informed the House that Mr. Shah had written to the Speaker seeking a debate. Meanwhile, Mr. Pal ap- pealed to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and senior Congress leader K.C. Ve

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 6 Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai News Srivilliputhur is the pride of the South since Andal was born here on Aadi Pooram, elevating the Tamil star furth- er. In Goda Stuti, Swami Vedanta Desikan says a point of pride for Srivilliputhur is the fact that Sri Ranganatha’s be- nign glance is always turned towards sacred Srivilliputhur, where Andal became a great exponent of true bhakti, said Damal Perundevi. Earth goddess was worried about the other mortals, especially in Kali Yuga. Perumal asked Her to manifest on earth and guide devotees towards spiritual upliftment in a simple, easy-to-follow manner. He Himself came down as Rama and Krishna at different yugas to guide the mankind. Bhoo Devi appeared as a baby in the Tulasi garden of Periyazhwar in Srivilliputhur in the Tamil month of Aadi and was named Goda by her father. There are nine types of bhakti and a devotee can follow any of them. However, what is pleasing to Perumal is say- ing His name aloud. “Kesavanai paadu, Damodharanai paadu”, says Andal. Inspired by the discourses of her fath- er from an early age, her life was all about Krishna. She wore the garland kept for the temple deity (Vatapatra- sayee) and vowed to marry only Perumal. To that end, like the Gopikas, she not only observed the pavai nonbu in the month of Margazhi but also rendered the Tiruppavai, in- viting her friends to rise early, pray to Krishna and surren- der to Him. Pleased with her devotion, Perumal demand- ed He be offered the garland that she adorned herself with, before presenting it to the idol. She came to be known as Andal (one who rules over the Lord with her de- votion). Her emphasis on the efficacy of chanting His name is the way for all devotees to attain Him. Sacred Srivilliputhur FAITH
INBRIEF
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought clarity from Meta over its policy governing access to its Rights Manager tool, after concerns were raised that fraudulent actors have allegedly exploited the platform’s copyright-protection mechanism to target original content. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani directed Meta to place on record its norms and eligibility criteria for granting access to Rights Manager, along with the grounds on which applications for the tool may be rejected. The directions came during the hearing of a suit filed by a content creator. HC seeks clarity over Meta’s policy on Rights Manager tool Solution to yesterday’s SudokuSolution to previous puzzle SUDOKU
(set by Arden) Solve this puzzle online and access more puzzles at https://thehindu.com/crosswords Across 1 Such a number is a contradiction — any way you look at it (5,3,2,4) 10 Old lot rejected praise (5) 11 Visit to observe things first hand and make landfall (5,4) 12 Hog on surplus, not to be returned (7) 13 It’s iced rum which is most unpredictable (7) 14 Drive over dead animal (5) 16 Love to read part of a review at a Roman institution (9) 19 Plant to look intelligent (9) 20 Well chosen land (5) 22 Increasing current passing through the coil (7) 25 A worker getting angry about firm (7) 27 Unfortunately, Hindus get blinded (9) 28 Some return from Newcastle to Hedley to find accommodation (5) 29 Our fearsome dog barking as well (3,4,7) Down 2 Engage half heartedly to accommodate travel companions (9) 3 Confidence shown amid all the clatter (5) 4 Being rude is bad conclusion (9) 5 Fear of death before scan (5) 6 They wrote proclamations which embarrassed the cast (9) 7 Engine driver set to keep within the lines (5) 8 Rising prospect of hard hat perhaps finding a fraction of crude oil (7) 9 Outstanding protection for English disease (6) 15 Audacity of the Democratic party to go about making mistakes (7-2) 17 Twinkling star will confuse on how to ride a horse (9) 18 Destroy area, blast the stone (9) 19 Uniform force inside frame made to protect against cold and noise (7) 21 Outsiders narrate that line in anger (6) 23 Tight-fisted gentleman is wasting time (5) 24 To end it all, camping area not safe and enclosed (5) 26 Jack embraces, he remains (5) 14871 SCAN TO PLAY The Supreme Court on Wednesday backed an NGO’s petition that lakhs of families pay municipal tax- es for years, they are pro- vided electricity and water connections, and allowed to convert their properties to free holds only to be thrown out into the streets one fine day by the State af- ter their homes are demol- ished as illegal structures. A three-judge Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant asked the Union and State go- vernments to consider a petition filed by an NGO, the Centre for Law and Good Governance, seeking the formulation of a un- iform policy for demolition of unauthorised construc- tions and simultaneous rehabilitation of the affect- ed families. ‘Twin responsibilities’ CJI Kant highlighted that demolition and rehabilita- tion are the “twin responsi- bilities” of the government in a welfare democracy. One should not be without the other, the CJI said. “If you want to demolish an unauth

A IN-XCM YK When a young man was brought to my clinic after his first episode of psychosis, his parents wanted to know when he could return to college. This is not an atypical first interaction. However, in many instances, after a few consultations later and especially once the immediate crisis had settled, the questions would take a different turn. “Is this in our blood?” a parent would ask. And should their child undergo a genetic test? I could often tell that they were thinking about whether they had ‘caused’ the illness, whether their child’s future was foregone, and whether the diagnosis would affect marriage prospects and the ability to have healthy children. Broadly, families rarely ask about psychiatric genetics out of scientific curiosity. They ask because they are looking for an explanation and, indeed, relief from blame. Sources of risk This is where colloquialisms like “genes for schizophrenia” or “genes for depression” do a lot of harm. Psychiatric genetics has made remarkable progress in recent years and, as doctors and medical researchers, we know that genes do not determine a person’s destiny. But there is also another equally important message: vulnerability is distributed and complicated but also inseparable from the life in which it is expressed. The engine of much of this progress is the genome-wide association study (GWAS). Instead of choosing a few candidate genes to study, researchers use GWAS to compare millions of common genetic variants across very large groups of people with and without a condition. The point is to find out whether some variants appear more often in one particular group. In common psychiatric disorders, no single gene variant has an effect comparable to the effects of single genes in monogenic diseases like Tay-Sachs disease or Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In other words, risk is polygenic: it emerges from the combined influence of thousands of variants, along with rare genetic changes, development, environment, and chance. Signals in genomes In 2022, a landmark schizophrenia study involving tens of thousands of people identified associations at 287 genomic regions and pointed to genes active in neurons and synapses. A similarly large bipolar disorder study in 2021 identified 64 associated regions. Both these GWAS studies showed where researchers could look for biological mechanisms underlying these conditions — and possible treatment options. That said, a genomic region is not the same as a gene, and association is not causation. Many ‘signals’ lie in stretches of DNA that regulate when and where genes are switched ‘on’ rather than directly encoding a protein. Several genes may sit near the same signal. The relevant effect may occur during a narrow period of brain development. A GWAS is more like a satellite map that highlights areas of interest; to drill down beyond that, scientists have to use other tools. GWAS studies have also exposed a mismatch between traditional diagnostics and biology. For example, in a December 2025 study in Nature, researchers reported that some inherited risk is shared across schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This does not mean diagnoses become meaningless. A diagnosis is still useful to guide treatment and communicate the prognosis to the patients and their families. At the same time, the finding suggests that nature has not organised mental illness according to the chapter headings of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Reasons to be cautious Some groups have still tried to compress all these small effects into a combined polygenic risk score — a single number they intend to use to estimate a person’s inherited susceptibility. While such scores can be useful in specific areas of research, they cannot say whether a person will become ill, at what age, how severe the condition will be or which medicine will work. A person with a higher polygenic risk score may also remain well while a person with a lower score may develop illness. This is because the score captures only a part of genetic liability, and it does not ‘contain’ childhood adversity, sleep disruption, substance use, medical illness, social support, access to timely care, and so on. The International Society of Psychiatric Genetics has cautioned that current polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression are not sufficiently accurate for routine clinical prediction. Indian psychiatrists have one more reason to be cautious. Genomic databases have historically drawn disproportionately from people of European ancestry. Scores developed from those datasets are often less accurate in other populations because the frequencies and correlations of genetic variants differ by ancestry. Even “Indian ancestry” is too blunt a label. The GenomeIndia project, which generated whole-genome data from 10,000 healthy, unrelated Indians across 83 population groups, documented an extraordinary genetic diversity. India cannot simply import a

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 8 Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai Editorial The BJP-led government’s relentless zeal in over-regulating civil society organisations is on display again in the Foreign Contri- bution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which it had sought to push through Parliament. After strong protests, it has now been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee ( JPC). In 2020, the government got amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, or FCRA, passed that barred a registered body from passing funds to another, even one registered under the same Act, and cut the share of foreign funds that could be spent on administration from half to a fifth, among other restrictions. It now proposes to go further still by taking over the assets that the mo- ney built, even on the mere lapse of a certificate. Under the Bill, a donee organisation can lose its registration not only when the government can- cels it, but when renewal is refused, not applied for, or not granted before the old certificate runs out. As soon as this happens, the organisation’s foreign funds and what was built with them will pass to a government-designated authority auto- matically. The property returns only if the organ- isation re-registers within a period the govern- ment has yet to specify, failing which it is lost for good. According to the Bill, a building put up only partly with foreign money will be taken over in full. The organisation must then apply to get back the share not paid for with foreign money. The Bill does allow for an appeal to a district judge, but only against what the authority does with the property later. The refusal to renew cannot be appealed against, and the organisation will not be entitled to be heard before the refusal is made. In essence, because the authority acts on the Centre’s instructions, the Centre can use opaque reasons to withdraw a licence, take over the pro- perty, and then direct the body now holding it. It is not surprising that minority religious insti- tutions have been the most alarmed. This is true of Christian organisations, which run thousands of schools, colleges and hospitals built and sus- tained with money from churches and congrega- tions abroad. Hundreds marched in Aizawl, Miz- oram, under a newly formed council of churches; organisations in Kerala have objected to the Bill; Nagaland’s Chief Minister wrote to the Home Mi- nister seeking a parliamentary review; and the Tamil Nadu Assembly has also unanimously re- solved that the Centre should withdraw the Bill. The Home Minister has assured church leaders that the Bill will not apply retrospectively, but the text of his own Bill says otherwise. A hospital built decades ago can still be taken over today be- cause a certificate has been allowed to lapse. The JPC, to which the Bill has been sent, should re- draft it to provide organisations with an oppor- tunity to be heard before renewal is refused, as well as a right to appeal against such a refusal, among other changes that would make the regu- lation fair and transparent. Troubling bill The FCRA amendments need redrafting in the JPC This Independence Day, India would launch a fresh quest for relevance in Test cricket. Having lost at home to New Zea- land and South Africa in the past, Shubman Gill’s men no longer sport an invincible air in their backyard. Now having flown past Palk Strait, the two-Test series commencing against Sri Lanka at Galle on Saturday offers India a chance to revive its flagging fortunes in the ICC World Test Cham- pionship. Currently, India is placed fifth and Sri Lanka sixth in the rankings, which reflects the middling form of these two outfits. The Men in Blue have done reasonably well in limited overs cricket but when clad in whites the results have been erratic. India, though, will draw some heart from the way it held host England to a 2-2 draw last year; home triumphs against the West Indies and Afghanistan were expected outcomes. Against their rivals from the Emerald Isle, the In- dians will be up against spin on pitches tailor- made for the purveyors of the slow art. History reveals that Sri Lankan spinners like Muttiah Mu- ralitharan and Ajantha Mendis at times have am- bushed Indian batters. Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya needs to be countered at Galle and Co- lombo. Indian batsmanship has declined against spin over the years. Coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Gill are shepherding a unit dealing with transition in Tests. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Puj- ara, Ajinkya Rahane, and R. Ashwin have retired. While the selectors overlooked pacer Mo- hammed Shami, the injury-enforced absence of Jasprit Bumrah is a blow. Much would rest on Mo- hammed Siraj leading a raw pace attack, and spinner Kuldeep Yadav should get the necessary support. Veteran Ravindra Jadeja and seasoned batter K.L. Rahul remain the few links to a time when India was at its best in Tests. Maverick Rish- abh Pant could play a key role while the batting will

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 9Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai Opinion Bangalore, August 12: The need to conserve the traditional elephant habitat in South India had been stressed in a report by an ecological reconnaissance party. The party toured the proposed Jawahar National Park, a 2,000 square kms, sprawling area comprising the Bandipur and the Nagarahole national parks in Karnataka, Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu, and Wynaad in Kerala. The party, which covered the entire area by foot, during the monsoon of 1975, for mapping the areas of wild life concentration and for studying environmental factors affecting wild life urged strong action, on many fronts, to conserve this finest of elephant forests in the country. The study showed the Kabini reservoir, along with the encroachments in the vested forest of Pulpully (in Kerala) had drastically reduced the area of wild life habitat and had almost completely split the habitat into two, severing many traditional migration routes of elephants. FIFTY YEARS AGO AUGUST 13, 1976 Kabini project has cut off routes of elephants FROM THE ARCHIVES Bombay, August 12: The annual factory report of the Bombay presidency for 1925 indicates that measures for improving the conditions under which operatives work are being steadily enforced. There are now 1,460 factories in the presidency (one-fourth the total number of all factories in India), a net increase of 115 during the last year. The number of operatives employed in all industries rose from 354,853 in the previous year to 370,460, representing roughly one fourth of the factory population of India. Wages have remained fairly steady. The number of women in factories has increased from 72,679 in 1924 to 77,624 in 1925 while children have decreased from 9,779 in 1924 to 8,460 in the year under report. The introduction of compulsory education in large towns is expected further to narrow down the scope of double employment of children as also the legislation which the Government have in hand for penalising parents or guardians who are responsible for such employment. A HUNDRED YEARS AGO AUGUST 13, 1926 Working of factories in Bombay Indian independence was an audacious bet on hope. Audacious not because Winston Churchill was remotely correct in declaring that India ‘was no more a united nation than the Equator’ (Churchill always was bilious about India). No, it was audacious because the freedom that the nationalist leaders fought for was to be bestowed on all citizens of India, regardless of caste, creed, class, political allegiance or gender. Overnight, all women and all men were equal before the law. This really was a nation built on the simple premise of equality for all. That hope powered India through the turbulent early decades where, by any markers of history, or diplomatic weight, or economics, or brute power, India should have failed. India did not fail, but today, those promises of equality shine somewhat less brightly after the misogynistic response to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-organised protests at Jantar Mantar last month. An old promise On the eve of independence, the landmass of the subcontinent was divided between British India and the princely states. The trauma of Partition and the pressing need to home the millions who came across the Radcliffe Line, was followed immediately by the need to integrate the princely states into the union. And then there were the challenges that came with the extreme poverty of a colony that had been milked by the colonial power. Everything was in short supply — money, education, health, housing, industry — everything apart from hope. Against that backdrop, the Constituent Assembly decided to give universal franchise to all Indians above the age of 21; every woman or man over 21 was eligible to vote in the first elections held in independent India in 1952 (it took Switzerland until 1990 to give every woman the right to vote). When the Election Commission fanned out to register voters before that first election, they faced a major challenge in getting all 80 million eligible women to come out in order to be registered. Then, they had to persuade them to not identify themselves as ‘the daughter of X’ or ‘the wife of Y’. Getting each woman to register as an individual in her own right, with her own name was a mammoth task. Yet, the workers of the Commission persisted because the promise of equality was more than just nice words in the wind. They worked to include. It was in stark contrast to the current Special Intensive Revision (SIR) which appears to work on the presumption of exclusion. Even so, in 1952, 2.8 million women were eventually struck off the rolls since they would not identify themselves by name. It is a measure of how far India has travelled in gender equality that in 2019, the gender gap in voting closed. Since 1952, India has made progress in turning electoral equality into a lived equality for women and men, and the idea of identifying women by the male head of the house

A IN-XCM YK Trained youth who secured placement under DDU-GKY 65in per cent. The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) has trained 18.38 lakh rural youth but placed 11.94 lakh, with the government acknowledging an overall placement ratio of around 65% against the scheme’s 70% target. The Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has flagged the placement gap. PTI NEWS IN NUMBERS Percentage of retail inflation in India in July 2026 4.45in per cent. India’s retail inflation rose to 4.45% in July 2026, up from 4.38% in June, according to government data. The increase was largely driven by higher food prices, with food inflation rising to 5.52% in July from 5.32% in June. The Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation remains within the Reserve Bank of India’s target of 4%. PTI No. of free-ranging dogs sterilised in areas of Ladakh since 2022 2,950The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), along with the Indian Army and government departments, has sterilised more than 2,950 free-ranging dogs in black-necked crane breeding areas of Ladakh since 2022. The dogs can disturb nesting birds and prey on eggs and chicks, affecting breeding success. PTI No. of Anti-Human Trafficking Units set up across India 819India has established 819 Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) across the country, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau report, ‘Crime in India 2024’. The Centre has advised States and Union Territories to strengthen inter-state coordination to tackle human trafficking, with platforms such as the Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC). PTI Funds cleared by Maharashtra to set up wildlife infirmaries 39.69In ₹ crore. The Maharashtra government on Wednesday approved ₹ 39.69 crore for establishing wildlife infirmary facilities during 2026-27, with ₹19.84 crore allotted to purchase supplies and materials. Of the approved funds, ₹19.8445 crore has been allocated for supplies and materials. PTI COMPILED BY THE HINDU DATA TEAM The story so far: Opposition leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal have launched campaigns against E20 saying it harms vehicles and that the government is forcing it on people. Mr. Kejriwal alleged that India has “yielded” to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to buy ethanol from the United States. What is the status of production? The government’s target was to produce 10-11 billion litres of ethanol so that 20% of petrol used in transport vehicles could come from ethanol produced in India, with the money being funnelled into the Indian economy rather than becoming a foreign exchange outgo through crude oil imports. Taking advantage of the policy push, India’s distillery capacity has ramped up and is now capable of producing some 18-20 billion litres from some 500 distilleries. For this ethanol year, which runs November to October, the oil companies have contracted to procure some 10.5 billion litres of ethanol. Will it spur corn imports from U.S.? There is no evidence of a surge in ethanol or maize (corn) imports in Ministry of Commerce statistics. In any case, direct ethanol import for petroleum blending is banned, though the U.S. corn lobby has been pushing for India to increase corn imports. Government figures for this ethanol year show that 45% of the ethanol for petrol blending will come from maize, FCI rice some 22%, sugarcane juice 16%, B-heavy molasses some 10%, damaged foodgrains around 4.5% and C-heavy molasses 1.1%. India’s maize output grew by 45% in three years to 55 million tonnes in 2025-26, with more than 20% of it going into ethanol, says Shankar Lal Jat of Indian Council of Maize Research, adding that there is no need to import it. Sugarcane juice and B-heavy molasses go into sugar production and they are now being diverted to ethanol. The Indian Sugar Manufacturers’ Association reported that the closing stock of sugar in September of 2025 was around 5 million tonnes, and this year too, the closing stock is expected to be 5 million tonnes. This indicates the diversion to ethanol has not affected sugar availability or stocks. Yet, in the event of a monsoon failure, crop losses and foodgrain shortages, the diversion of FCI rice, sugarcane juice and B-heavy molasses to ethanol production will come under stress, raising the possibility of corn imports. Should we be worried about using E20 in our vehicles? If you bought your vehicle after April 2023, you can fill your petrol tank with E20, shut it and forget it because that’s when the Bharat Stage 6 Phase 2 (Real Driving Emissions) mandate took effect. Vehicles built after this deadline were factory-engineered for E20 — with ethanol-resistant elastomers, fluorinated fuel lines, upgraded pump seals and recalibrated engine control units. These roughly 70 million vehicles, about 23% of India’s active petrol fleet, face little cause for concern. The remaining 77% — nearly 240 million legacy two-wheelers and cars built for E5 or E10 — are the genuine worry. Ethanol is a pol

A IN-XCM YK For feedback and suggestions for Text & Context, please write to letters@thehindu.co.in with the subject ‘Text & Context’ X QUESTION 1 Remade in Hindi as Shanghai, who directed the original political thriller French film, “Z” and why is it named so? X QUESTION 2 What is the connection between the fictional character, Don Diego de la Vega and the letter “Z”? X QUESTION 3 Which Indian startup that starts with the letter “Z”, initially started under the name “Foodiebay” in 2008. X QUESTION 4 Nicknamed “Zed” and also called the “Asian Bradman”, name this legendary Pakistani batsman who was active between 1969 and 1985. X QUESTION 5 The atomic number of an element, representing its number of protons, is universally symbolised by the letter ‘Z’, which comes from a German word for “number” or “to count.” What is this German word? Questions and answers for the previous day’s daily quiz: 1. The phonograph was invented in 1877 on this day. name the person who invented the phonograph. Ans: Thomas Alva Edison 2. This English poet died on this day in 1827. Some of his poems include ‘The Lamb’ and ‘The Tyger’. Identify the poet. Ans: William Blake 3. This American actress, known for her roles in The Big Sleep, Dark Passage and Key Largo died on this day in 2014. Name the actress. Ans: Lauren Bacall 4. This team was founded through the merger of the football clubs from France and Germany. It happened on this day in 1970. Name the team. Ans: Paris Saint-Germain 5. On this day in 1966, during a press conference, this musician apologised for saying that his band was “more popular than Jesus now”. Name him. Ans: John Lennon 6. Identify this theoretical physicist who shared the 1933 Nobel Prize for Physics for his contributions to the wave theory of matter and to other fundamentals of quantum mechanics. He was born on this day in 1887. Ans: Erwin Schrödinger Early birds: Siddhartha Viswanathan| Dil Bahadur Airee| Sunil Madhavan| Nootan Singh| Varghese Joseph THE DAILY QUIZ With ‘Gen Z’ prominently in the news, here’s a quiz on things related to the letter Z X Visual question: Name this leader of the Mexican rebel movement called the Zapatistas. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Please send in your answers to dailyquiz@thehindu.co.in Srinivasan Ramani What is the meaning and origin of “red letter day”? ( J. Suresh, Chennai) When you refer to something as being a “red letter day”, it implies that it’s a very important or a very special day. As far as you are concerned, it’s a day on which something memorable happened or will happen. Here are a few examples. The day the school won the championship was a red letter day for us. Even after 25 years, Vasu considers his wedding day a red-letter day. The days I spent with Raja Rao were red-letter days. The expression comes from the practice that was followed in religious calendars. In the old days, saints’ birthdays, festivals and other holy days were marked in red. The other days of the month, which were not special, were marked in black. So, the original “red letter day” had a religious significance. It was only during the 18th century that the expression began to take on a general meaning — namely, any memorable or important day in an individual’s life. You can now refer to the day of graduation as a red-letter day. The day you meet Amitabh Bachchan or Sachin Tendulkar could also be called a red letter day! By the way, this practice of marking special days in red continues even today. For the modern man, Sundays and second Saturdays have become red-letter days as well! What is the meaning of “misogynist”? How do you pronounce the word? (Anto Maria Santosh, Chennai) The word “misogynist” is usually used to refer to a man who hates women. Here are a few examples. Some scholars believe that Jack the Ripper was a misogynist. As expected, the misogynist didn’t invite a single woman to the party. A word about the pronunciation. The “i” in the first syllable is like the “i” in ‘hit’ and ‘sit’. The “o” sounds like the “o” in ‘hot’and ‘lot’. The “y” in the third syllable is pronounced like the “a” in ‘China’, and ‘about’. The “g” is like the “j” in “jam” and “Jew”. The final “i” is like the “i” in “kit” and “pit”. This word is another example of how male chauvinistic the English language is. “Misogynist” is a fairly common word; most dictionaries include it. But not all dictionaries include the word, which refers to a woman who hates men! Why? I guess women are supposed to like men. Perhaps there are more woman-hating men than man-hating women! By the way a woman who hates men is called a “Misandrist”. Is it OK to say, “Which class are you studying?” (K. Raghavan, Thiruvananthapuram) This seems to be a common way of asking the question in our country. Most people accept it the way it is — at least in speech. If you wish to be grammatically correct, the word “in” is required. You could either say, “In which class are you studying?” or “Which class are you studying in?” Here are a few more example

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 12 Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai Business Ola Electric Mobility Ltd. on Wednesday said the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has approved revised timelines under the ACC production linked incentive scheme for Ola Cell Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (OCT), its wholly owned subsidiary. The MHI revision is much more than a timeline extension. The approval secures a full five-year PLI window through CY2031 for Ola Electric's 20 GWh allocation and unlocks up to ₹7,240 crore in cumulative PLI incentives, the company said. PTI Govt. revises ACC PLI timelines for Ola Electric INBRIEF
The country’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), used artificial intelligence to underwrite nearly ₹1 lakh crore in MSME loans of up to ₹5 crore each during 2025-26, a senior bank official said on Wednesday. “In FY26, in 12 months time, we are able to underwrite loans up to ₹5 crore, both covering the new-to-bank customers, as well as existing customers. Almost ₹1 lakh crore we were able to underwrite,” SBI MD Rama Mohan Rao Amara said at the annual FIBAC event. PTI SBI uses AI to underwrite nearly ₹1 lakh cr. MSME loans Shares of India’s Godrej Consumer Products plunged more than 11% on Wednesday and posted their steepest fall in over six years as CEO Sudhir Sitapati’s abrupt exit fuelled concerns over strategic execution at the consumer goods company. The maker of Cinthol soaps named finance chief Aasif Malbarias CEO and managing director on Tuesday after Mr. Sitapati resigned, just three months after his reappointment for a five-year term. REUTERS Godrej Consumer logs worst day in 6 years on CEO exit India and the five-member Southern African Customs Union signed terms of refe- rence on Wednesday to start talks on a preferential trade agreement, as New Delhi seeks lower tariffs on exports including cars, pharmaceuticals and in- dustrial machinery. The move revives talks between India and SACU, comprising South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Le- sotho and Eswatini, after five rounds of negotiations between 2002 and 2010 ended without a deal. The pact could become India’s first major trade agreement with an African regional bloc, giving Indian companies preferential ac- cess to a market of about 65 million people. Commerce Minister Piy- ush Goyal said he was con- fident SACU countries and India would “benefit im- mensely” from a fair, equit- able and balanced agreement. Southern African Customs bloc, India revive trade talks Reuters NEW DELHI Large brokerages like ICICI Securities, Groww and An- gel One will start showing indicative close on their websites by August 14, amid uptick in the adop- tion of closing auction ses- sion (CAS), said SEBI Chair- person Tuhin Kanta Pandey. “I think there is Zerodha and Upstox, which have al- ready done it on their web- site; they will do it in apps too. The other important Qualified Stock Brokers (QSBs) like ICICI Securities, Groww, and Angel One are big and they will also start showing their indicative prices by 14th, and they will also bring it in apps,” the SEBI Chairperson said adding that CAS, a new glo- bally consistent closing share price calculation me- chanism, needs to increase in adoption. This became important because buyers were un- able to meet sellers on the first day of launching CAS. Big brokerages to show post CAS indicative close by August 14 Ashokamithran T. MUMBAI The current UPI set up is financially un- sustainable and threatens critical invest- ments in cybersecurity, fraud prevention, and net- work infrastructure, Stand- ing Committee on Finance informed Parliament on Wednesday. In response, the government said it was currently looking at two ways to move forward with making the UPI platform fi- nancially self-sustaining. The first option being explored is a charge on cer- tain high value transac- tions and high turnover merchants, the Ministry of Finance informed the Committee. The other option, it said, was a “tiered incen- tive structure” so that the government can phase out its current scheme under which it compensates pay- ment ecosystem players for a portion of the cost of processing low-value UPI transactions conducted at small merchants. These submissions were revealed in the Committee’s report placed before the Lok Sab- ha on Wednesday. They were made in reply to the Committee’s recommen- dations to the government to find some way to make UPI financially sustainable without inflating the go- vernment’s budget. “Given the sustainability of the UPI ecosystem and the burden on the Govern- ment exchequer, the De- partment is currently ex- ploring two options: (i) Examining the feasibility of restoring MDR for certain high threshold transac- tions/ merchants; and (ii) a tiered incentive structure to phase-out the Govern- ment support in the next few years,” the Depart- ment of Financial Services informed the Committee. The Merchant Discount Rate is a charge the pay- ment ecosystem such as banks, payments proces- sors, and gateways levy on merc

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 13Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai Business Investors are question- ing whether Federal Reserve Chairman Ke- vin Warsh can successfully unwind decades of com- municating its monetary policy intentions without exacting a price from fi- nancial markets. While some market par- ticipants welcomed recent efforts by the Fed to reduce what they see as excessive focus on Fed messaging, many argued that investors have spent years incorpo- rating its guidance into everything from bond val- uations to risk-manage- ment models. Investors are next fo- cused on the Fed’s annual symposium at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in late Au- gust, a key platform for Warsh to show whether he doubles down on a more restrained communica- tions strategy. “The goal of a central bank isn’t to make capital markets more exciting by removing a source of tran- sparency and informa- tion,” said Alex Morris, chief executive of F/m Investments. “Once you start provid- ing transparency, it’s hard for the market to accept that you’re just going to take it away.” Since Warsh became chairman in 2026, the U.S. Fed has adopted a simpler communications strategy, dropping forward gui- dance, shortening Federal Open Market Committee statements, and focusing on current economic con- ditions rather than signal- ing the future path of inter- est rates. Cut on meetings More recently, New York Times reported that Warsh raised the idea of reducing the number of the Fed’s regularly scheduled meet- ings where it sets mone- tary policy. If adopted,that would break with nearly half a century of practice. A Fed spokesperson de- clined to comment on the possibility of holding fewer meetings or on its strategy of communicating less. The Fed Chair has ar- gued that markets have be- come too dependent on its guidance and should pay more attention to econom- ic fundamentals. But investors noted that the Fed itself encouraged that dependence through a half-a-century push toward transparency, including regular press conferences, economic projections, and detailed policy statements. The concern for many investors is not simply that markets would become more volatile. Rather, they are worried that less infor- mation from policymakers could make it harder to price risk, pushing up yields and borrowing costs over time. “There is a lot of confu- sion which is showing up in long-term yields rising, long-term inflation expec- tations also ticking higher after the last Fed meeting,” said Angelo Kourkafas, se- nior global investment strategist at Edward Jones. “Less information in this case is not necessarily better for markets... be- cause markets are still try- ing to find out now how the new Fed will respond to the incoming data.” In recent sessions, U.S. 30-year yields have hit their highest in 19 years, while the benchmark 10- year yield rose to a 20- month peak. ‘Unhelpful noise’ teven Zeng, U.S. rates stra- tegist at Deutsche Bank, said reduced Fed guidance presents a clear trade-off. Fewer meetings and less communication could di- minish what he called “un- helpful noise” and make each policy decision more meaningful. Investors would likely demand compensation for having less visibility into the Fed’s thinking. During any transition to a new framework, “bond yields likely will be higher to commensurate with greater policy uncertain- ty,” Zeng said. That prospect is particu- larly significant for Treasu- ry markets, where long- term yields incorporate ex- pectations about future inflation, growth, and mo- netary policy. Several in- vestors said the Fed’s com- munications are so deeply embedded in market pric- ing that scaling them back could alter how investors value government debt. Even investors open to less Fed guidance say mar- kets would inevitably be- come more dependent on economic data as they search for clues about poli- cymakers’ intentions. “It’s not bad for the mar- ket to have less meetings and less guidance,” said Vishal Khanduja, head of the Broad Markets Fixed Income team at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Policy test But he said investors strug- gle when policymakers’ words and actions diverge. In a world with fewer offi- cial signals, markets would have little choice but to in- fer the policy path directly from inflation, employ- ment and growth data, Khanduja noted. The U.S. consumer price index due for release on Wednesday will be the next key policy test for the market. “The Treasury market will be more volatile around these important data releases because data then becomes the only sole guiding force towards what the future policy should look like,” Khanduja said. Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise,said regular policy updates remain es- sential to keeping market expectations aligned with policymakers’ intentions. Still, he said the Fed could likely reduce the number of press confe- rences while maintaining its current schedule of pol- icy meetings and state- ments. The broader chal- lenge for the central

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 14 Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai World U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he slipped away from Air Force One after a trip last month in Turkiye be- cause the Secret Service and military wanted him on a “different plane” due to a threat that he insisted did not scare him. Mr. Trump downplayed the extraordinary nature of the subterfuge involved in his flight, which saw him stow away in an airport ca- tering container to sneak onto another plane while Air Force One was sent into the sky, essentially as a decoy. He also downplayed the risk to the people — White House officials, security and support staff, and presspersons — he left on the plane. “They wanted me to go on a different flight, diffe- rent plane,” Mr. Trump told presspersons after re- turning from an event in Ohio, saying he had little choice in the matter. “I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it,” he said. “I get a lot of threats.” His comments con- firmed a report that first appeared in The Washing- ton Post saying that Mr. Trump, following a NATO summit last month, was spirited onto a different plane because of a credible threat from Iran. The ac- tion was kept secret for weeks, until the newspap- er’s story. “I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk,” Mr. Trump said on Tuesday, who did not provide many details about the action. But he said the incident did not scare him. “I don’t worry about anything, to be hon- est,” Mr. Trump said. “Whatever it is. You know my attitude? Whatever!” Trump says Secret Service wanted him off the aircraft Donald Trump Associated Press WASHINGTON X North Korea on Wednesday performed its second ballistic missile test in less than a week, its neighbours said, a likely protest of the upcoming South Korea-U.S. military drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal. South Korea’s military said it remains ready to repel any provocation by Pyongyang. AP N. Korea launches missile towards sea ahead of South Korea-U.S. drills SEOUL AP X Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched drone strikes on the capital Khartoum and other army-controlled cities on Wednesday. RSF spokesperson confirmed that the group had targeted the airport and army warehouses in Atbara, as well as fuel depots in Omdurman and a military airport in the south. AFP Paramilitary force launches drone attacks across Sudan army targets KHARTOUM REUTERS X Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday threatened to seize ships belonging to European countries in retaliation for plans to sell off cargo seized from Russian “shadow fleet” vessels. Moscow has bristled at the moves, with Mr. Putin calling it “piracy and banditry”. “We will be forced to respond in kind,” the Kremlin chief said. AFP Russia’s Putin threatens retaliatory seizures of European cargo ships MOSCOW REUTERS X Two rebels were killed in air strikes ordered by Colombia’s new government, a military source said on Tuesday, after Bogota pledged to fight a scourge of violence gripping the nation. The strike against the National Liberation Army was carried out late Monday in the northeastern Catatumbo region, the Defence Ministry said. AFP Two militants killed as Colombia steps up air strikes against rebels BOGOTA REUTERS Ukrainian anti-ship missiles, jet-po- wered aerial drones and sea drones blitzed a major Russian Na- val base on the Black Sea coast in a “unique” night- time operation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Ze- lenskyy said on Wednesday. Cutting-edge drones de- veloped by Kyiv since Rus- sia invaded more than four years ago have repeatedly targeted Russian ships in the Black Sea, including warships and oil tankers. Both countries have Black Sea shorelines. Ukraine’s uncrewed fleet has succeeded in lim- iting the movements of Russia’s once-dominant Black Sea navy, Kyiv offi- cials say, in one of the country’s biggest accom- plishments of the war. But Ukrainian officials reckon that Russian Presi- dent Vladimir Putin is bent on prosecuting the inva- sion, despite his bigger ar- my’s slow and costly pro- gress on the battlefield and U.S. diplomatic efforts to find a settlement. Mr. Putin is planning “an additional rapid mobil- isation of several hundred thousand Russians by the end of the year,” Mr. Zelen- skyy said on social media late Tuesday, citing Ukrai- nian intelligence reports. The Ukrainian military “carried out a unique oper- ation targeting the Naval base in Novorossiysk — the last major stronghold of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea,” Mr. Zelenskyy said. The attack struck air defences, piers and other infrastructure in the Kras- nodar region, he added. Krasnodar region Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said that hundreds of Ukrainian drones attacked Novorossi- ysk, Anapa and Gelendzhik and the Temryuk district of the region overnight. Russian air defences downed more than 500 Ukrainian drones, the De- fence Ministry in Moscow said. Nighttime blitz damaged Russia’s Black Se

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 15Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai World Lights for rights Peaceful demonstration: Indigenous people light candles during a protest calling for the protection of Indigenous land rights and demarcations, outside the Supreme Court in Brasilia, Brazil, on Tuesday. AP A streak across the sky, then a muffled blast. Near Izyum in eastern Ukraine, another petrol station has just been blown to pieces. The scene has become commonplace as Russia multiplies its strikes against the country’s logis- tics infrastructure. Since July, Moscow has hit more than 200 petrol stations across, according to Ukrainian media. Most are in the east and north- east along logistics routes leading to the front. Looking at a car riddled with shrapnel holes and stretch of twisted metal sheets, David Akopyan was wandering among the ruins of what was once his workplace. A few minutes before the strike, the 35-year-old attendant had closed the station because of the risk of bombardment. “I put up the barrier tape, cleared everyone out, and had barely reached my car when I heard the whistle of the missile,” he told AFP, pointing to a small building ripped open by the blast. Around him, the con- crete blocks meant to shield the premises that proved useless. Peppered with shrapnel and emerging out of rub- ble, a sign continues to dis- play the price of unleaded petrol. “I think we only have two or three stations left in town,” Mr. Akopyan said, looking somewhat lost. Since launching its full- scale invasion in 2022, Rus- sia has regularly targeted Ukraine’s energy capabili- ties—thermal power plants, gas distribution and pipelines. But in recent months, it is regular petrol stations that have been in Mos- cow’s sights. ‘As difficult as possible’ With the advent of drones, the two countries are in- creasingly targeting each other’s military logistics, particularly roads and sup- ply hubs. But the Russian attacks on roadside petrol stations “have no impact whatsoev- er” on the military since the “defence ministry has its own fuel supply sys- tem,” Ukrainian energy analyst Sergiy Kuiun told AFP. Ukraine’s Energy Minis- try suspects the aim is more cynical. “These strikes are in- tended to damage civilian infrastructure, disrupt lo- gistics, and make the hu- manitarian and economic situation as difficult as pos- sible ahead of the coming winter, as well as to worsen the provision of essential services for communities,” it told AFP in written comments. The campaign has forced a cat-and-mouse- like game for the station operators, who have man- aged to restore around 80% of the damaged pumps to service, said Mr. Kuiun. In Izyum, some 30 km from Russian troops, air raid sirens sound multiple times a day, temporarily closing the stations. Explo- sions echo in the distance. Near a petrol station draped in anti-drone net- ting, an employee casually smoked a cigarette, waiting for the alert to be over. Civilians and soldiers sat behind the wheels of the vehicles, lined up, waiting for the pumps to reopen. Sowing panic Residents of the garri- son town told AFP they feared being unable to ob- tain enough fuel if they suddenly need to evacuate. Some have begun build- ing up reserves, while oth- ers are already considering leaving because of the risk of shortages. Ukraine alleges the strikes are also accompa- nied by a “large-scale me- dia campaign” by Russia aimed at “sowing panic and discouragement among the population”. The country’s stations also serve as restaurants, meeting places and some- times even bars, frequent- ed by some military per- sonnel but mostly civilians. Some stations more than 200 km from the front line bear the scars of recent drone strikes. Worker Akopyan, a former soldier, tried to re- main outwardly calm. “Even if they bomb all the stations, there will be options for how to supply fuel ... one way or another, we’ll keep working.” But he admitted he wor- ries what might happen if the campaign intensifies. “For now, they are try- ing to drive all the civilians out of the town ... Then they’ll just wipe everything out.” Ukraine says Russia targeting its fuel stations to cause crisis during winter Agence France-Presse IZYUM A file photo of a wrecked dpetrol station following Russian drone and missiles strikes in Kyiv in May this year. AFP New Zealand Prime Minis- ter Christopher Luxon sur- vived a confidence vote on Wednesday, seeing off a leadership challenge from his Defence Minister that exposed growing rifts in his National Party less than three months before a tight election. The bid by Chris Penk was the year’s second pu- blic test for Mr. Luxon, boosting concern over dis- quiet in his centre-right party as it struggles in opi- nion polls and fuelling fresh doubts about his grip on power ahead of the No- vember 7 election. Mr. Luxon moved swift- ly after the vote, sacking Mr. Penk from his defence, intelligence, space and building portfolios. The Prime Minister said Mr. Penk had instigated the leadership chall

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 16 Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai Sport X Matthew Hayden has backed Shubman Gill to handle the challenges facing the team in the longer format, saying the skipper is “a wonderful young man and a good leader”. “Gill has many challenges to face, none of which is more important than the survival of Test cricket... I’m sure he’ll be up to the challenge”. Hayden backs India skipper Gill to successfully navigate Test cricket STRONG SUPPORT GETTY IMAGES X Italian teenager Sara Curtis set a 50m women’s backstroke world record of 26.63s in qualifying at the European swimming championships in Paris on Wednesday. The previous record of 26.86 was set by Australia’s Kaylee McKeown at a World Cup meet in Budapest on October 20, 2023. Italy’s Curtis shatters women’s 50m backstroke world record TEENAGE SENSATION AFP X American businessman Josh Kushner and former Disney executive Bob Iger are purchasing the LA Lakers for a record-breaking price of $12.5billion, ESPN reported on Wednesday. The duo purchased controlling interest from Mark Walter, who bought a controlling interest in the team from the Buss family for $10 billion in 2025. Kushner, Iger to buy Lakers for record $12.5 billion: report CHANGING HANDS AP X Cadillac replaced its team principal Graeme Lowdon with former Alpine director Marcin Budkowski on Wednesday. It said the move was part of a “planned leadership transition as the organisation evolves from its initial building phase into the next stage of racing.” The F1 season resumes with the Dutch GP from August 21 to 23. Budkowski to drive Cadillac’s fortunes as new team principal BIG MOVE GETTY IMAGES The Indian Ocean lapsing into liquid sighs and roaring waves is entwined with Galle’s topography. This coastal town with a colo- nial past is leafy and charming. In this Sri Lan- kan amalgam of fine aes- thetics and overwhelming history, India is seeking a fresh path in Tests. The two-Test series commencing with the first one here from Saturday off- ers Shubman Gill’s men a rope to pull themselves up from the pit they sunk into in cricket’s longest format. India, the dominant in ODIs and T20Is, despite the recent blip in England, is also India the inconsis- tent in Tests, especially af- ter losing in its backyard first against New Zealand and then to South Africa. It is no surprise that In- dia is placed fifth in the current ICC World Test Championship rankings, and in a cycle that would also feature clashes against Australia, the time for in- stant revival is now. Coach Gautam Gambhir and cap- tain Gill get a chance to get over transition blues and chase success. Men with impeccable le- gacies have walked into their twilight. In a fresh era, one that misses Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R. Ashwin, the team-manage- ment has to guide the cara- van ahead. At different points in the past, batons have been passed smooth- ly in batsmanship, be it from Sunil Gavaskar to Sa- chin Tendulkar, or from the latter to Kohli. In K.L. Rahul, Gill has a solid link with the immediate past. It is the same in bowling, too, with veteran Ravindra Ja- deja still being in the mix. However, a medley of retirements, injuries and selectorial interventions like the refusal to pick Mo- hammed Shami does leave the squad in a state of flux. In the past, the Indian middle-order briefly toyed with the promise offered by Karun Nair, Hanuma Vi- hari and Shreyas Iyer, and then moved on. It is into this vacuum that players like Devdutt Padikkal and the returning Sarfaraz Khan have to step into and find their groove. In a world shaped by op- tics, the latest cricketing fad is to prove your batting chops against fast bowling. In this macho quest, In- dian batters seem to have lost their patience and poise against spin. A weak- ness that has taken many by surprise, and one that Sri Lanka would try to ex- ploit on surfaces amenable to the slow and the wily. Left-arm spinner Pra- bath Jayasuriya is the latest among the twirly men, keen to prove his mettle against the visiting Indians. In the rival quarter, Kul- deep Yadav would prefer a steady position in the play- ing XI. He is a spinner who should not be allowed to wither away. From bustling Colombo, Gill’s men, after a good warm-up fixture, travelled past green hills, and are taking in the sights of the Indian Ocean. There is no message in a bottle from the seas, but if Rishabh Pant could revive his bat- ting style of fury and fun, India would be better placed. More clues may be gleaned when the squad trains at the Galle Interna- tional Stadium on Thurs- day. A spate of retirements, injuries and selectorial interventions have left the squad in a state of flux; coach Gambhir and captain Gill will be looking at the two-Test series as a chance to get over transition blues and chase success INDIA IN SRI LANKA India arrives in the Emerald Isle seeking a fresh path in Tests K.C. Vijaya Kumar GALLE Series of reckoning: Padikkal has a great chance to display his wares at No. 3. X@BCC

A IN-XCM YK THE HINDU 17Thursday, August 13, 2026 Chennai Sport The Indian fencing team collected three gold, one silver, and one bronze medal on the third day of the Commonwealth Championship in Lagos, Nigeria. Kanaglakshmi captured gold and teammate Joys Ashitha took silver in senior women’s foil while Rajendran Shanthimol Sherjin was on top in senior men’s epee. In senior men's sabre event, Karan Singh clinched India’s third gold of the day and Kumaresan Padma Gisho Nidhi added to the haul by winning bronze. Indian fencers win three more golds at C’wealth c’ship INBRIEF
Indian surfers made a strong impact throughout the opening round of the World Surf League at Mahabalipuram beach, Chennai, on Wednesday. Ruban Vasu won his Round 56 heat with 8.50, while Praveen Rathod and Nithish Varun also won their respective heats. In Round 48, Harish Muthu, Sanjay Selvamani, Tayin Arun and Ajeesh Ali were among the Indian surfers to advance, keeping the home challenge alive. Japan’s Keanu Kamiyama was among the standout performers in the Men’s QS 2000, posting a strong 13.67 in Round 48 to win his heat, while India’s Srikanth Dhanasekaran advanced in second with 9.63. Indians start well in World Surf League Chelsea signed Pep Chavarria from Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday as a replacement for left back Marc Cucurella. Chavarria has signed a deal until 2031. He helped Rayo reach the Conference League final last season and finish eighth in LaLiga for the second straight year. Chelsea brings in Chavarria to replace Cucurella ing from a knee and hamstring injury and went straight into competition and could not do as well as Indian athletes returned with three individual me- dals at the World Athletics under-20 Championships last week but for the me- dallists, it was more a case of gold lost than silver or bronze won. Ashish Yadav, who be- came only the second In- dian javelin thrower to win a medal with his 74.09m throw for silver, blamed lack of practice and injury for his below-par performance. “My throwing on ground had completely stopped before the competition. “I was in rehab, recover- I had hoped,” Ashish said during a media interaction here on Wednesday. While even matching his personal best of 79m would have still kept him in second spot, Ashish is now hoping to become the lat- est addition to the group of 80m plus throwers in the country. “This was only my se- cond international compe- tition and the previous one, the Asian under-20 Championships (in May) was disappointing so a me- dal here is satisfying,” he added. Ashish had failed to cross 70m and placed fifth then. Basant Meghwal, who missed out on gold in high jump on countback, was equally disappointed. Meghwal finished behind Younes Ayachi of Algeria, having cleared 2.21m in his second attempt. “I was thinking about gold only but it didn’t hap- pen. “I am happy I matched my personal best but if I had done so in my first at- tempt, I could have got gold. I even tried going for 2.24m but the previous at- tempt took a lot of effort and my ankle had started paining,” he explained. Shahnavaz Khan, who won bronze in long jump and has already qualified for the Asian Games, rued the fact that he started cramping after his third jump, which was also his best attempt at 7.84m. “My best normally is in the last three jumps only but I was unable to push harder because of cramps. But I am confident of reco- vering well in time for Asian Games,” he insisted. Blame it on injuries and lack of practice for missing the yellow metal at u-20 Worlds, say Indian athletes Uthra Ganesan NEW DELHI Medal winners: Meghwal, Ashish and Shahnavaz at a press conference on Wednesday. PTI Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa crashed through the defences of Javokhir Sindarov in a second round match to register his first victory of the Sinque- field Cup, the penultimate event of the Grand Chess tour, here. Praggnanand- haa claimed his point inch- by-inch in the endgame arising out of a queen pawn opening. Sindarov, who will be up against World champion D. Gukesh later this year for the world crown, chose just an equal endgame that should have been a perfect draw for him. But then what he possi- bly did not account for was Praggnanandhaa’s tenaci- ty. It paid off in the end for the Indian as from what the computer was claiming to be a drawn endgame turned in to a winning one in no time. The game lasted as ma- ny as 95 moves. With Praggnanandhaa reaching 1.5 points from his two games, overnight leader Fabiano Caruana was the only one to end with a draw, against Anish Giri of Holland. The Dutchman is known for his deep opening prep- aration and he did not dis- appoint his fans but Carua- na was well armed with black. After just one decisive result in the first round, the equation changed dra- matically with four deci- sive results in round two. Levon Aronian beat Vin- cent Keymer, Wesley So proved superior against Jorden Van Foreest and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave defeated Savian Samuels. There are five lea

A IN-XCM YK Test captaincy has sat agreeably on Shubman Gill’s slender shoulders thus far, but his biggest examinations lie ahead of him. Starting with the first of two Tests against Sri Lanka, at the picturesque Galle International Stadium. Gill wasn’t a surprise choice as skipper when Rohit Sharma announced his Test retirement in May last year. Yes, Jasprit Bumrah had captained in Rohit’s absence in England in 2022, and was his deputy on the tour of Australia, leading the country in the first Test in Perth which Rohit missed as he was away on paternity leave, as well as in the fifth and final Test in Sydney from which the Mumbaikar sat himself out on grounds of poor form. But Bumrah’s protesting body, primarily courtesy a unique action that puts tremendous strain on various parts, meant he had to be handled with care, if not kid gloves. It will be impossible for Bumrah to be available for every Test from here on — in fact, he is not even in Sri Lanka, recovering from an impact injury to his left knee — and India’s selectors under Ajit Agarkar read the writing on the wall, aware that they would be short-changing Bumrah, as well as his colleagues, if they bestowed the captaincy on the pace spearhead. There was K.L. Rahul, already an all-format captain even if only in a stand-in capacity, but Agarkar’s panel chose to go with a younger man, clearly identifying Gill as the one would take the team deep into the future. At the time, ahead of the five-Test tour of England, Gill didn’t have a great deal of experience when it came to leadership at the First Class level, though he was an established captain at Gujarat Titans. But in a smart punt that will yield results in due course, the decision-makers entrusted the responsibility to Gill, and the right-handed stylist responded in spectacular style. Losing a Test, not the heart The runs flowed from his scything willow in torrents in England as he finished with a remarkable 754 runs from the five games, courtesy four centuries in 10 innings. Then 25, Gill kicked off the series with a statement-making 147 in the first innings of the series opener in Leeds, and even though India lost the game despite being in control at various stages, Gill didn’t lose heart. In the next Test in Birmingham, with Bumrah sitting out the game in a pre-arranged workload management plan, Gill was at his imperious best, decimating England almost single-handedly. In the first innings, he uncorked a magnificent 269, scoring at a fabulous rate, and then backed it up with 161 in the second innings at the staggering strike-rate of 99.38 with India pushing for a declaration. His 430 runs at Edgbaston were the second most a batter had struck in a single Test, behind only Graham Gooch’s 456 (333 and 123) against India at Lord’s in 1990. Clearly, far from being cowed down by the ‘burden’ of captaincy, Gill was positively thriving in the leadership role. After a slight three-innings lull (how cruel and demanding can we get?), Gill was back to doing Gill things in Manchester, in a Test India could not afford to lose if they entertained hopes of squaring the series. Down 1-2 after going down at Lord’s, India faced a monumental task in their bid to draw the Test. England declared after opening up a lead of 311, asking India to bat out more than five sessions to come away unscathed. A stalemate appeared the least likely proposition when India lost left-handers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan in the first over from Chris Woakes, with not a run on the board. Fortunately, they had a quartet of stonewallers on whom they rode piggyback to frustrate England into submission, with their inspirational captain leading the way. After his Birmingham exploits, Gill hit a small trough which brought him a mere 34 runs from three outings. Immovable object But with his team pushed to a corner, the No. 4 responded superbly in the company of the experienced, accomplished and exceptionally composed Rahul. In direct contrast to his gung-ho annihilation of the opposition bowling, Gill ground out a fantastic hundred marked by patience, impeccable shot-selection and a great awareness of where his off-stump was. For more than six hours, he was the immovable object until he chased an innocuous ball from Jofra Archer just before lunch on the final day and was caught behind. India still had plenty of work ahead of them if they were to build on the 188-run stand between Rahul and Gill. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar took it upon themselves to carry forward the act of defiance, both striking unbeaten centuries in an unseparated fifth-wicket stand of 203 that allowed India to entertain hopes of pulling off a series-levelling victory at the Oval. Gill’s batting wasn’t special in the English capital for the second time on the tour, but he led his side excellently, especially in the climactic final moments when India rallied in grand style after Harry Brook and Joe Root seemed to have put the hosts inexorably on the path to vic