SAMBALPUR l friday l august 14, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l CITY EDITION women continue to hold far fewer top management roles Latest data submitted in Parliament shows that women held only 17.2% of senior management positions in corporate India in 2025-26 | P10 AI generated images 9 women ceos in india’s 500 listed firms Of the 252,103 senior management roles recorded that financial year, women held 43,331 positions (17.2%), while men accounted for the remaining 208,772, government data presented in Parliament showed. There were only nine women chief executive officers (CEOs) leading the country’s top 500 listed firms, as per the Ministry of Corporate Affairs data ■ Last 3 women hold only 29% of director posts ■ On company boards, the disparity was similarly stark. Women held 10,36,694 director posts against 25,09,619 director positions held by men, which is about 29% of the total as of June 30, 2026 However, women in senior management rose from 34,879 in 2022-23 to 43,331 in 2025-26, a jump of 24%, outpacing the 12% rise in men financial years were taken into account to compile the data CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Badal survives SC asks UPSC not to finalise ‘kirpan’ attack Odisha DGP names till Aug 18 Man in ‘Nihang’ attire stabs him in Nanded SUDHIR SURYA W ANSHI & HAR P REET B A J W A @ Mumbai / Chandigarh Shiromani Akali Dal president and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was on Thursday attacked with a kirpan (ceremonial dagger) inside Mata Sahib Gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra. Badal was injured and rushed to hospital, where he received three stitches on his right hand. His condition is stable. The attacker, identified as Jaspal Singh, was arrested. Police said Singh, around 60 years old, was working as a sewadar (volunteer) at the gurdwara. The motive of the attack was not fully clear. According to police sources, the attack took place when Badal, accompanied by his spouse Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, was walking down the stairs after offering prayers at the gurdwara. Taking advantage of the rush at the gurdwara, Singh, who was in ‘Nihang’ attire, tried to stab Badal in the stomach. Police officer Santosh Kendre, who was part of Badal’s special protection unit, quickly intervened and confronted the attacker. During the physical skirmish, Kendre was injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Harsimrat Kaur to enquire about Badal’s health. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a detailed investigation into the incident. “During preliminary questioning, he referred to the drug menace in Punjab but his exact reasons for attacking Badal were yet to be ascertained. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad is also conducting a probe into the matter,” said Nanded SP Neelabh Rohan. Badal has Z-plus security cover. On December 4, 2024, he survived an assassination attempt outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar when a former Khalistan militant fired shots. UDAYAN KISHORE @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) not to finalise till August 18 the names of probable officers for appointment of the Director General of Police (DGP) of Odisha. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana passed the order while seeking response from the UPSC and others on a PIL which alleged that the state government was trying to include a junior officer in the list of probable candidates for the DGP post, in breach of t h e a p e x c o u r t ’s e a rl i e r directions. The incumbent DGP, Y B Khurania, will demit office on August 16. “We will take it up on August 18. You assist us on that day but don’t finalise in the meanwhile. You defer your decision. If there is back door entry, it is not acceptable,” the bench told the counsel for the UPSC after being informed that the UPSC was slated to convene a meeting on Thursday . The counsel appearing for the UPSC assured the bench that no meeting would be convened by it on the issue till the next date of hearing. During the hearing, the bench also noted that the amicus curiae had also expressed concern and sought clarification on the issue. The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on August 18. The apex court had on Tuesday agreed to hear the PIL “ur- E x p r e s s Re a d Raj cabinet clears UCC bill, marriage registration must & polygamy banned Jaipur: The Rajasthan cabinet on Thursday decided to introduce a draft bill on Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the Assembly monsoon session beginning August 20. The state government said the proposed legislation seeks to establish uniform rules governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and maintenance across religions while keeping recognised customs of STs outside its ambit. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel told reporters that the bill was in line with the spirit of Article 44 of the Constitution and had been prepared after studying recommendations of the UCC committees and provisions adopted by other states | P8 Bar Council of India flip-flop on fiat against NALSAR graduates u d aya n k i s h o r e @ New Delhi inspiring all CM Mohan Charan Majhi and wife Dr Priyanka Marndi hoisting the Tricolour at their official residence on Thursday Dope test must for all 5,000 Air India pilots L a l i t h a s @ New Delhi IN light of the positive dope test result for the captain of an Air India flight from Phuket to New Delhi, the airline has begun mandatory screening of all its cockpit crew to ensure they have not consumed any substances or medications that violate regulations. The move aims to safeguard passenger safety and restore trust in the airline. Air India and Air India Express group together have nearly 5,000 pilots and the testing is mandatory for all, said an airline source. In an internal communication to its pilots, the Air India Group management said, “Air India already fully complies with all regulatory requirements prescribed by DGCA, which are similar to those practiced in other major aviation jurisdictions including Europe and the United States. “We nevertheless now feel it is important to go further. Accordingly we have decided to undertake , a full screening of all Group pilots for any substances or medications that are not permitted under prevailing regulations. This testing is mandatory and will start today August 13.” , gently”. The petition claimed that the state government was attempting to promote an additional DG to the rank of DGP and then include the officer in the fresh panel sent to the UPSC. It added that a 2006 verdict by the apex court, and its subsequent directions had said the DGP of a state shall be “selected by the state gover nment from amongst the three senior-most officers of the department who have been empanelled for promotion to that rank by the UPSC on the basis of their length of service, very good record and range of experience for heading the police force”. The petition then alleged that the Odisha government was “attempting to include an ineligible officer in the panel to be sent to the UPSC.” Hours after Bar Council of India (BCI) chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra on Thursday said no student who graduated from NALSAR University can be enrolled by state bar councils until further orders, he withdrew the fiat after a massive uproar. The development followed Serious matter: BCI the Hyderabad-based university’s students reportedly opIn the first circular, BCI posing the participation of chief Manan Kumar Mishra Chief Justice of India Surya had said the NALSAR Kant at the institution’s matter was “serious” while convocation. accusing the teachers there “After thorough discussion, of “doing nasty politics on the members are of unanithe campus.” He had also mous view that as per the latasked the university to est report, vast majority of furnish the details of all the students of NALSAR (2026 students part of the CJI pass out students) are innoevent boycott. cent and they were not inclined to take part in the move of disrespect. Acthat the council will wait cordingly, the Council for an inquiry report modifies the order of from the V-C. Chair man. All stuIn the first circular, dents will be entitled Mishra had also to get enrolled with the sought a report from State Bar Councils of Manan Kumar V-C on students who alMishra their choice,” the subsele gedly “mobilised a quent circular said. campaign” to not invite The initial circular drew CJI Kant for the convocation, immediate scorn online. The saying, “A student of Law, second circular said that “as having no regard or respect reported by some reliable for the highest Judicial Office sources a handful of teachers of the country is not expected , and outsiders were instru- to be a responsible or sensible mental in instigating the in- Advocate, Teacher or a nocent students”. It added Judge.” Floods loom again, 11 dists put on alert Incessant rain under the influence of a well-marked low-pressure battered north Odisha districts on Thursday, even as the Central Water Commission (CWC) warned about flash flood risk in 11 districts till Friday evening. The IMD has also issued heavy rainfall alert for north and western Odisha districts over the next four days | P3 All noise, no work Stormy Parl session ends with poor productivity P REETHA NAIR @ New Delhi one of the most tumultuous and unproductive sessions in recent parliamentary history drew to a close on Thursday with both Houses adjourned , sine die after weeks of disruptions, protests and acrimony In the finale, Prime Minister Naren. dra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the Lok Sabha for the first time during the session, as the House met only briefly before being adjourned. As soon as the Lok Sabha convened for the day on Thursday all six stanzas of the national song , Vande Mataram were played in the presence of Modi and Shah. Speaker Om Birla then adjourned the House sine die, bringing the curtains down on a session that was largely washed out by a prolonged confrontation between the government and the Opposition over the student agitation, alleged police action against protesters, and demands for accountability from the Union home minister. Significantly Birla did not deliver the custom, ary valedictory address in which the Speaker usually highlights the House’s performance and productivity during the session. According to data from PRS Legislative Research, the Lok Sabha recorded one of its lowest productivity levels in two decades, with only two sessions since 2004 witnessing less functioning. Question Hour could not be completed even once during the session amid protests. Amid the protests, as many as 12 Bills were passed by the Lok Sabha, including two that had earlier been cleared by the Rajya Sabha. Of these, only two saw a debate, while the remaining Bills were passed without discussion. The best and worst The bill to amend antipaper leaks law saw elaborate discussion lasting 10 hours. But only two MPs spoke during the debate on the Vande Mataram bill Centre’s climbdown The govt had to retreat on some of its legislative plans. The biggest climbdown came on the contentious FCRA bill, which was referred to JPC