TUESDAY 16 JUNE, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard FAKE NEET RE-TEST QUESTION PAPER RACKET BUSTED BY GUJARAT POLICE X.com/TheMornStandard S TA N F O R D The Gujarat Police have busted a fraud syndicate that promised students and parents access to NEET retest question papers in return for money Several students, voicing their support for Palestine, staged a walkout during Google CEO’s keynote commencement address at the university. The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police said the accused had created multiple Telegram channels and circulated ads and posts claiming they could provide the RE-NEET question paper. Sumer Singh Meena, a resident of Jaipur, and Akash Meena, resident of Kota, were arrested. However, no question papers or examination materials were recovered | P7 STUDENTS WALK OUT OF PICHAI’S SPEECH TWO FROM RAJASTHAN IN CUSTODY A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 B’desh sore as PM adviser stopped at New Delhi airport J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi A diplomatic row erupted between India and Bangladesh on Monday after Dhaka summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe and conveyed its “deep disappointment” over the stopping in Delhi of Zahed Ur Rahman, adviser on policy and strategy affairs to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. It is learnt that Zahed was stopped by immigration authorities at the Indira Gandhi International Airport for ‘verification’ in the context of some of his previous anti-India statements. Though the authorities subsequently granted him a ‘one-time exemption’ to enter, he had by then decided to return to Dhaka on a night flight via Colombo. The incident triggered a strong reaction in Dhaka, with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman describing it as “unexpected” and “unfortunate”. “It is an unexpected incident, unfortunate,” Khalilur Rahman said and added that the Bangladesh government was taking appropriate steps regarding the matter. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry also summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe and handed over a formal protest note. Foreign Ministry spokesman Shahidul Karim said that Badhe arrived at the ministry in the afternoon and was formally informed of Bangladesh’s concerns over the episode. Zahed had travelled to New Delhi to lead a Bangladeshi delegation to the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), being hosted by India’s Ministry of External Affairs on June 15 and 16. According to diplomatic sources, Bangladesh had formally informed India in advance about Zahed’s participation. Diplomatic sources said that Zahed had to wait at the airport for nearly two hours while immigration authorities carried out verification procedures. He was eventually cleared for entry under a one-time exemption, but chose not to proceed with his visit. The adviser was travelling on a regular Bangladeshi passport and not on a diplomatic passport, it was learnt. The development comes at a sensitive time in India-Bangladesh relations, which have witnessed occasional strains but showed the intent to repair and strengthen the ties amid political changes in Dhaka and differences over a range of bilateral and regional issues. Zahed is known as a political commentator and critic of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her government. Zahed Ur Rahman It is an unexpected incident, unfortunate, too Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh Foreign Minister IORA meet Zahed was travelling to India to attend the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association on June 15–16 in New Delhi  NEW DELHI  J8.00 Digitally signed by Trump, Vance, Ghalibaf; in-person inking on Friday E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi New Disha for LNG flow IN a major diplomatic breakthrough, US President Donald Trump and Iran announced an agreement intended to end more than three months of conflict in West Asia and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Digitally signed by Trump, US Vice President J D Vance and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf electronically on Sunday, the framework is expected to be inked in person in Switzerland on Friday . Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the development. “I welcome the understanding reached between the United States and Iran on ending the conflict in West Asia, which has caused serious economic disruption across the world and led to loss of life in many countries,” Modi said in a post on X. He added that India hopes the agreement’s implementation will help restore peace and stability in the region and safeguard “the freedom of navigation and commerce”. In Washington, Trump declared the breakthrough on social media, saying “Ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” He A Liquefied Natural Gas carrier, chartered by Petronet LNG, safely transited the Hormuz — the first Indian LNG tanker to cross it since the West Asia war broke over three months ago. It is also one of the first commercial vessels to transit the strait since the announcement of a preliminary ceasefire deal between the US and Iran also said the blockade on Iranian ports would be lifted once the agreement is signed. Iranian state media said Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed the understanding. “The memorandum will be published after signing in Switzerland,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said. However, the deal leaves several contentious issues unresolved. Iran’s nuclear programme remains the most sensitive point of contention. While both sides have agreed in principle that Tehran will not pursue nuclear weapons, details on enrichment limits, stockpile management, and inspection are yet to be finalised. Trump has indicated Iran may @ New Delhi IN a major recast of the wholesale and factory gate inflation framework, the government on Monday unveiled a revised series of the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) with 2022-23 as the base year and simultaneously introduced new Producer Price Indices (PPIs). The new WPI series, released by the Office of the Economic Adviser under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, replaces the 2011-12 base year series. The government has also launched the Output PPI, a trial Input PPI for manufacturing, Govt’s move in line with practices adopted by advanced economies and IMF recommendations Base year for both WPI and PPI to be 2022-23, replacing 2011-12 series and Service PPIs covering seven sectors including banking, insurance, railways, telecom and air passenger services. The commerce ministry said WPI and PPI will be published in parallel for five years to allow users, particularly those NOIDA AIRPORT COMMERCIAL OPS BEGIN The airport received its first landing with an IndiGo flight arriving from Lucknow, followed by the first takeoff from the greenfield project by a flight to Bengaluru. P3 Jinxed bungalow to become disaster HQ A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi BRATISLAVA BONDING India and Slovakia on Monday elevated their bilateral relationship as PM Modi held talks with Robert Fico. This was the first visit by an Indian PM to Slovakia | PTI PRODUCER PRICE INDEX Govt introduces PPI data for both goods and services for the first time to better reflect price movement be allowed low-level enrichment, a departure from his earlier position demanding complete dismantlement of its nuclear infrastructure. Sanctions relief and frozen Iranian assets also remain under negotiation. Iranian officials have demanded access to billions of dollars in blocked funds and a phased lifting of US and UN sanctions. Washington, however, has only committed to discussing potential waivers and a possible reconstruction framework over the next 60 days. While Iran reportedly conditioned the agreement on a halt to Israel-Hezbollah fighting, Israel said its forces would continue operations in Lebanon. Trump criticised recent Israeli strikes in Beirut, saying they were “not appropriate” at a sensitive diplomatic moment. P9 33 SHAM NATH MARG Inflation up, new PPI series to capture it kicks in EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE PAGES 12 IT’S A DEAL Name on watchlist Zahed Ur Rahman’s name appeared on a watchlist during a routine screening, state-run BSS news agency reported. His YouTube channel ‘Zahed’s Take’ is blocked in India  PPI to phase out WPI in five years PPI comprises Output, Input, and Service indices comprising 7 sectors Service PPI to cover banking, securities transaction, insurance, management of pension funds, railways, air (passenger) & telecom; remaining sectors in next phase relying on WPI-linked contracts and escalation clauses, to transition to the producer price framework. After this, WPI will be discontinued. As per the new data, WPI inflation surged to 9.7% year-onyear in May 2026 against 8.3% in April, led by a jump in energy prices. Combining the new base and old base WPI, the May print is the highest in 44 months. Fuel inflation rose to 30.3% in May from 24.9% in April, driven by crude oil, natural gas, and mineral fuels (ATF, naphtha, petrol, diesel, etc). The Output PPI (goods) saw a rise similar to that of WPI, at 9.4% in May against 8.1% in April, led by fuel inflation. Under the revised WPI basket, the number of tracked items has increased from 697 to 957. Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, along with nuclear electricity, have been included in the basket for the first time. FOR decades, the sprawling Civil Lines bungalow at 33 Sham Nath Marg occupied a peculiar place in Delhi’s political folklore. Unlike the capital’s other coveted government residences, this one became notorious for the misfortune that seemed to follow its occupants. Chief ministers lost office, political careers stumbled and, in one case, tragedy struck. Over time, the address acquired a label that no government property wants: jinxed. Now, after years of standing largely vacant, the infamous bungalow is headed for the wrecking ball. The government plans to demolish the property and redevelop it into the capital’s first dedicated headquarters of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), complete with a modern Emergency Operations Centre. In a fitting twist, a building long associated with political misfortune could soon become the command centre for handling disasters. Even as redevelopment plans gather pace, the bungalow’s curious history continues to command attention. Nestled in the leafy expanse of Civil Lines, 33 Sham Nath Marg occupies over 5,500 square metres of prime land. Built in the 1920s, the twostorey structure was designed in the colonial style, with huge lawns, landscaped gardens, conference rooms and staff quarters. For years, it ranked among the capital’s most prestigious official residences. Its reputation, however, was shaped less by its architecture than by the fate of those who lived or worked there. The first prominent occupant was Delhi’s first chief minister, Chaudhary Brahm Prakash, who moved into the bungalow in 1952. His tenure came to an abrupt end in 1955 amid controversy surrounding the alleged ‘jaggery scam’. Decades later, the bungalow found another high-profile resident in Madan Lal Khurana, who was allotted the residence after becoming CM in 1993. Khurana, too, failed to complete his term, resigning in 1996 amid allegations linked to the hawala scandal. Continued on P4 Akal Takht asks Sikhs to snap Mann ties for ‘offending Guru’ H A R R P E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh THE Akal Takht on Monday declared Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann “Guru Dokhi” (one who has offended the Guru) and “Panth Virodhi” (anti-community), and directed members of the Sikh Panth to shun ties with him over an alleged objectionable viral video that it said hurt Sikh religious sentiments. Acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj announced the decision after a meeting of religious bodies and Panthic organisations. According to the Akal Takht, two governmentrecognised forensic laboratories examined the video and concluded that it was authentic. Gargaj said the reports found no evidence of manipulation and described the footage as appearing natural. The Sikh clergy said Mann had earlier denied the video and said it was fabricated using AI. The Akal Takht said it had also written to the Chief Minister’s Office seeking suggestions regarding the forensic exam, but had received no response. After reviewing the reports and consulting religious leaders, scholars, legal experts and Panthic organisations, the gathering concluded that Mann should be declared “Guru-Dokhi”. According to the resolution, the video shows a person resembling Mann sprinkling alcohol on a symbolic image of the Ten Sikh Gurus and on a photograph of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, actions that participants said were unacceptable to the Sikh community The reso. lution alleged that Mann had misled the Akal Takht regarding the video. The decision triggered sharp reactions. Congress and the BJP demanded Mann’s resignation, while AAP rejected the findings. EXPRESS READ GLOBAL GAME Navy to induct frigate, sub-hunter & survey ship Migratory patterns and colonial history — Story of 2026 World Cup The Navy is set to commission three warships—stealth frigate INS Dunagiri, anti-submarine INS Agray and survey vessel INS Sanshodhak—in Kolkata in the third week of June. P7 Population at 2.3 crore after 1st phase of Census The first phase of Census 2027 in Delhi, which concluded on June 14, covered nearly 76 lakh houses and around 55 lakh households, with enumerators recording 2.3 crore people were living in the city. | P3 S W A R O O P S W A M I N AT H A N THE story of the 2026 World Cup is also a story of migration, the history of colonialism and how some of the countries used their network of scouts to tap into their diaspora across the world. On Tuesday night, France will play Senegal. Out of the 26 members in the African team, 10 of them were born in France with some of them making their competitive club debuts for sides across France before declaring for Senegal, the country of their parents or grandparents. Algeria, who will face holders Argentina a few hours later, have as many as 13 who were born in France. That party includes one of the most famous surnames in world football, Spain frustrated ATLANTA: Debutants Cape Verde produced one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history by holding European champions and 2010 edition winners Spain to a goalless draw on Monday. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, front, makes a save against Spain | AP Luca Zidane, Zinedine’s son. The migratory patterns are also visible in other ways; out of the 1248 players, 289 will not play for the country of their birth. It’s here that first-timers like Curacao and Cabo Verde have improvised. Considering the links between Curacao and The Netherlands, they have tapped into that system. Out of the 26 members, only Tahith Chong was born there (other 25 were all born in Netherlands). Cape Verde also tapped into their vast scouting networks in Portugal (three), Netherlands (six) and France (three). One of the funkier stories also comes thanks to their federation. One of their players, Roberto Lopes, was approached by the Cape Verdean federation on LinkedIn. Lopes, born in Ireland, didn’t speak enough Portuguese so he had ignored the original message. Full story: newindianexpress.com Today’s matches (Wednesday IST): Group I: France vs Senegal (12.30 am); Iraq vs Norway (3.30 am); Group J: Argentina vs Algeria (6.30 am); Austria vs Jordan (9.30 am). Live on Unite8 Sports and Zee5