THE HEADLINES:
- Lok Sabha to resume discussion on three bills to provide reservation to women in Lower House and state assemblies.
- Nominated member Harivansh Narayan Singh set to be elected Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman for third term today.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron discuss West Asia conflict; Agree on need to restore freedom of navigation in Strait of Hormuz.
- 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon comes into force.
- US President Donald Trump says, Iran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium and the two countries are close to a peace deal.
- In IPL Cricket, Punjab Kings beat Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets in Mumbai.
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The Lok Sabha will today resume discussion on the three bills namely the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 for consideration and passing. The three legislations are intended to increase the participation of women in the Lok Sabha and the assemblies of States and Union Territories. The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, popularly known as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, provided for the reservation of nearly one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the legislative assemblies. The objective of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was to ensure greater participation of women in the democratic polity. These three bills have been brought to facilitate the delimitation of territorial constituencies and operationalise the provisions providing for the reservation of one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, which was introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in the Lower House yesterday, is intended to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850. Out of 850 seats, 815 members will be elected from the States and 35 members from the Union territories. The objective of the bill is to implement one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha as well as the assemblies of States and Union Territories.
Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam which was passed in 2023 provided that one-third reservation for women will come into effect after the delimitation exercise based on the first census after the commencement of the Act. The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill 2026 states that the next census and the consequential delimitation exercise will take considerable time, thus restricting effective and dedicated participation of women in the democratic polity. The objective of the bill is to operationalise one-third reservation for women through delimitation exercise based on the latest published census.
The Delimitation Bill 2026 introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in the Lok Sabha yesterday, provides for the constitution of the Delimitation Commission to undertake the exercise of delimitation, facilitating the reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the legislative assemblies.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill 2026 in the Lok Sabha yesterday.
In his remarks during the discussion on these three Bills in the Lok Sabha yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that fifty per cent of the country’s population should be made a part of decision-making process.
The Prime Minister appealed to the opposition parties not to give this historic legislation a political colour, as it will be beneficial for all and for the democracy of the country.
Mr Modi asserted that no injustice will be done to any state while implementing this law.
In a brief intervention during the discussion on this Legislations, Union Home Minister Amit Shah rejected the apprehensions of the opposition regarding reduction in number of Lok Sabha seats in southern states after delimitation exercise.
Participating in the debate, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the provision of women reservation in Panchayats and Municipalities was first introduced by the Congress government.
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In the Rajya Sabha, election for the post of Deputy Chairman is scheduled in the House. Union Minister J P Nadda will move the motion that the nominated member Harivansh be chosen as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The motion will be seconded by BJP MP S Phangnon Konyak.
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Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal Manoj Kumar Agarwal has assured that there will be no complications in implementing the Supreme Court’s recent directive on voter list registration. He explained that the entire process will be carried out online, giving citizens the opportunity to add their names to the voter list right up until the final moment.
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In our series of constituency profile, today we take a look at Madurai Central assembly seat in Tamilnadu. Madurai, which is also called the Athens of the state, has many temples. The famous Meenakshi Amman temple is a well known spiritual tourist destination. It is also a home ground for many politicians and popular faces in the film Industry. We have a details more from our correspondent:
”Madurai Central has one lakh 96 thousand 856 voters. The key contestant is PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan. The opponent is Popular film Director Sundar. C . the husband of actress and BJP leader Kushboo . The present incumbent PTR. Palanivel Thiagarajan was elected from this constituency twice and he is seeking re-election for the third time from here. In this constituency, DMK has won six times, Congress 4 times, TMC twice and DMDK once. Palanivel Thiagarajan is highly learned person having Masters and Phd at University of Buffalo. Sundar.C is an actor Director and playback singer and has directed over 37 films industry. JOY/ AKASHVANI/ CHENNAI”
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a phone call from French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday. In a social media post, Mr Modi said that during their conversation they discussed the West Asia situation and agreed on the need to urgently restore safety and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. He added that they also reaffirmed to continue close cooperation to advance peace and stability in the region and beyond.
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US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium that could be used to build nuclear weapons.He told reporters at the White House that both countries are close to a peace deal. Trump said that the US and Iran are going through a very successful negotiation and there is a very good chance they are going to make a deal. He said that if the deal happens, there will be free oil, an open Strait of Hormuz and everything will be nice.
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Celebrations broke out across Beirut as a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into force, with fireworks and celebratory gunfire lighting up the night sky. The ceasefire, which began last night, has temporarily halted hostilities and is aimed at creating space for diplomatic engagement. US State Department said the truce is intended to enable good-faith negotiations toward a permanent security and peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon. US President Donald Trump had announced the ceasefire. The announcement followed what he described as excellent conversations with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
President Trump has also invited both leaders to the White House for the first meaningful talks between the two countries since 1983. More from our correspondent:
“The 10-day window is being framed as a confidence-building measure. Trump has directed Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to work with both sides toward a lasting peace. Lebanon is also seeking the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israel, and the return of displaced civilians as part of any broader settlement. Hezbollah the Iran-backed armed group at the centre of this conflict – has been entirely excluded from the negotiations, and its position is one of outright rejection.Critically, Netanyahu has made clear that Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon ,which remains a core demand of Hezbollah and that the group must be fully dismantled. That position represents a fundamental contradiction at the heart of any deal. This is Vinod Kumar, Akashvani News, Dubai”
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In IPL Cricket, Punjab Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets in a league match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai last night. Chasing 196 for victory, Punjab Kings overhauled the target with 7 wickets in hand and 21 balls to spare.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS,
- Almost all newspapers today open with details of proceedings in the Lok Sabha.
- The Indian Express leads with, “Lok Sabha debates bills on women quota, delimitation, house strength increase,” “Pass the Bill, or women of India won’t forgive: PM to Parliament. “Lok Sabha expansion will be fair, says govt; Oppn wants it in writing is the opening headline in the Hindustan Times.
- The Hindu takes note, “Trump announces ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel”.
- Calling it the “Collateral damage”, The Financial Express mentions, “War inflicts input cost pain on India Inc”.
- In a bid to double bilateral trade in next five years, “India, New Zealand FTA to be signed on April 27 “writes The Asian Age.
- Addressing the unique risks posed by autonomous AI agents, “Legal Checkpoints for AI Agents Now Mission Critical, Say Experts states The Economic Times.
- The Hindustan Times on its editorial page, under the caption, ‘Weaponising energy supplies’, takes note of US treasury secretary Scott Bessent’s statement that the US will not extend the temporary sanctions waiver. Given that Donald Trump has announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, even as Iran continues to export oil, the signalling aspect of the announcement cannot be ruled out.
- Finally, Riding on macroeconomic stability and robust domestic demand, “IMF chief says India growing two times higher than average global growth” is a front page lead in The Statesman.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- Lok Sabha to resume discussion on three bills to provide reservation to women in Lower House and state assemblies.
- Nominated member Harivansh Narayan Singh set to be elected Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman for third term today.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron discuss West Asia conflict; Agree on need to restore freedom of navigation in Strait of Hormuz.
- 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon comes into force.
- US President Donald Trump says, Iran has agreed to hand over its enriched uranium and two countries are close to a peace deal.
- In IPL Cricket, Punjab Kings beat Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets in Mumbai.
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For details of these stories and more, log on to our website www.newsonair.gov.in and News On Air App.
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