The Ideas Page: Women’s reservation serves a political project that depends on early delimitation 7 TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2026 JOURNALISm of COURAGE AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES ₹5.00 l www.indianexpress.com DA I LY F R O M : A H M E DA B A D , C H A N D I GA R H , D E L H I , j A I P U R , KO L K ATA , L U C K N O W , M U M B A I , N AG P U R , PAT N A , P U N E , vA D O DA R A EXPRESSinvestigation IN ASSOCIATION WITH ICIj Access plan ties cancer patients in red tape and Rs 10-lakh upfront Anonna Dutt earlier. They were not sure I would survive,” he said. He has now been on Keytruda for over ■ Two years ago, Ekta* a year. The stories of Ekta and Ajit found herself sitting at the dining table of her Gurugram illustrate the challenges surhome one evening, on a call rounding access to Keytruda. with a representative from the AninvestigationbyTheIndian Kiran Patient Access Program Express, in association with at 6:45 pm. She spoke for over The International Consortium an hour, she says, because she of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), has found was afraid to hang that accessing up. She needed an KeytrudainIndia, OTP without even through the which her company's own mother-in-law patient assistance could not receive her next dose of THE CANCER scheme, is beset with financial, loKeytruda, the gistical and regublockbuster imlatory barriers munotherapy pArt-II that put the drug cancerdrug,atthe out of reach for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), overwhelming majority of patients who need it. Delhi, the following morning. ■ For 63-year-old Ajit*, first On Monday, The Indian Exdiagnosed with kidney cancer press reported on how the acin2017,thepathtoKeytrudawas cess squeeze has led to a burslightlylessdifficultbutonlybe- geoning multi-city black cause he had the means to pur- market in Keytruda. chaseacancerinsurancepolicy. Keytrudaisthebrandname “IrememberwhenIgotahernia of Pembrolizumab, which is at one of the stitches from my manufactured and sold by kidney removal surgery. My »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 daughterwastogetmarriedina few months but the doctors tomorrow: oNE doSE, asked me to hold the wedding mANy qUEStIoNS New Delhi, April 13 calculus TOP COURT HEARS PETITION ON EXClUSIONS IN WEST bENGAl S.I.R. Ifwinmarginis2%,deletions 15%,whatwillhappen:SC We are getting blinded by dust and fury of an impending election: Bench Express News Service New Delhi, April 13 CALLING THE right to vote the “biggestexpressionofnationality and patriotism...in a democratic government”, the Supreme Court Monday raised questions on the exclusion of voters in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal andflaggedconcernsoverdeletions in the context of winning margins. Hearingapetitiononthead- judication of appeals against the exclusion of names in the SIRofelectoralrollsinthestate, thecourtindicatedthatitmight considerallowinganadditional supplementary list. “...Suppose margin is 2% and 15% of electorate who are mapped could not vote, then maybe we are not expressing anyopinion,butwewoulddefinitelyhavetoapplyourminds,” Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who was part of a two-judge bench »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 At tribunals’ door, time running out: ‘No one understands our fear’ DECISION 2026 W E ST b E N GA l Sweety Kumari Kolkata, April 13 CLADINawhitekurta-pyjama, 87-year-old Manmatha Nath Bhowmik stands outside the Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation at Joka near Kolkata, clutching a plastic folder, and carrying a bag slung sideways. His eyes, clouded with age and distress, are scanning the Central force deployment at the gates of the institute, where the 19 tribunals to hear »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 l it aims to create database of athletes to help develop personalised training programmes The athletic gene: Rising sport hub Gujarat launches project to unlock clues Ritu Sharma Ahmedabad, April 13 AS GUJARAT counts down to 2030, when it will be hosting the Commonwealth Games for the first time, the state government is planning to conduct whole genome sequencing of talented athletes in the state to identify and record genetic markersassociatedwithendurance and power sports. l GENESIDENTIFIEDWITHSPORTS 9 10 genes for endurance: Sports such as marathon, cycling, triathlon genes for power, speed, muscle development: Weightlifting, boxing, wrestling, football genes for muscle building, recovery: Sprinting, weightlifting, wrestling, boxing 9 2 3 2 genes for injury risk: Sports with quick direction changes such as gymnastics genes for stress response, focus under pressure: Shooting, tennis, cricket, combat genes for motor coordination etc: Sports that require such coordination, or are reaction-based 2 genes for hydration, thermoregulation: sports such as endurance running, cycling, rowing, aerobic training »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 OIl PRICES AT OVER $100 PER bARREl US begins blockade of Iran ports, Tehran threatens to hit Gulf Trevor Hunnicutt & Parisa Hafezi Washington, Dubai, April 13 THEUSmilitarybeganablockade of ships leaving Iran’s ports on Monday, President Donald Trump said, and Tehran threatened to retaliate against ports of its Gulf neighbours after weekend talks on ending the war broke down. Oilpricesclimbedbackover $100 per barrel, with no sign of aswiftreopeningoftheStraitof Hormuztoeasethebiggestever disruption in supplies and broader concerns over the »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad Business as Usual By EP UNNY