fridAY Duo performs ISS power system upgrades 07 august, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon conducts spacewalk Fau c i f i a sco Slapped with contempt charge A US Senate committee on Thursday held Dr Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress over his refusal to answer questions on his handling of Covid pandemic Page 9 Menon’s 1st spacewalk, Meir’s 6th ■ ■ A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS l New Delhi l J8.00 l PAGES 12 NASA astronauts Anil Menon was born in Minnesota in 1976 to Indian and Ukrainian immigrants. This will be Menon’s first and Jessica Meir’s sixth spacewalk Menon was SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping to launch its first humans to space during the Demo 2 mission. He joined NASA in 2014 as a space surgeon The spacewalkers spent hours in the vacuum of space, carrying out necessary modifications for future installation of RollOut Solar Arrays on the International Space Station. The arrays are expected to provide additional power to support critical station operations, NASA said. This was the 281st spacewalk in support of ISS maintenance and upgrades 6 pm IST When the two astronauts stepped outside THE iss to carry out tasks HC hands 10-yr Mediation process is quite satisfactory, says SC RI to Tejpal in 2013 rape case note that the parties concerned are cooperating.” The Bench added that the family members The Supreme Court on Thurs- should continue the process day said it was encouraged by with “an open mind and an the progress made in the me- open heart” to achieve an amidiation between members of cable settlement. late industrialist Sunjay KaThe court was informed that pur’s family in their dispute six rounds of mediation over the Kapur family have already been held trust, expressing hope and that the mediator Sunjay that the matter would has interacted with all Kapur be resolved amicably family members infamily through the ongoing volved in the dispute. trust process. In view of the progress A Bench of Justices JB made so far, the Bench Pardiwala and K Vinod deferred further direcChandran, while taking on tions, directed that the mediarecord a preliminary media- tor’s fees be paid by the RK tion report submitted by Family Trust and listed the former Chief Justice of India matter in November 2026 for DY Chandrachud, said, “We are consideration of the next mehappy to note that the media- diation report. tion is proceeding quite satisThe dispute relates to the factorily We are also happy to ownership, control and man. S U C H ITRA K A LYAN M O H ANT Y @ New Delhi Gives ex-editor 4 weeks to surrender, terms trial court’s decision to acquit him ‘perverse’ S U D H IR S U R YAWAN S H I @ Mumbai The case dates back to 2013, when Tejpal was accused of five years after a trial court sexually assaulting a junior acquitted journalist Tarun Te- colleague in an elevator of a jpal in a 2013 sexual assault high-end hotel in Goa during case, the Bombay High Court an event organised by the magon Thursday set aside the deci- azine. The Goa Police regission and sentenced the former tered an FIR against Tejpal for editor to 10 years of rigorous various offences, including imprisonment. The HC also im- rape. He was arrested in Noposed a fine of `10.21 lakh on vember 2013 and released on the former editor of Tehelka bail in July 2014. magazine and said the money The trial commenced in 2017. would go the survivor. The judgment was pronounced A division bench of in May 2021 by Addijustices Neela Gokhational Sessions Judge le and Amit JamsandKshama Joshi, who ekar pronounced the acquitted Tejpal. verdict on the appeal During the hearing filed by state of Goa in HC, Solicitor Genin 2022 against the eral Tushar Mehta, trial court verdict. appearing for the “We have set aside the state of Goa, argued judgment and order that the trial court Tejpal to and convicted Tejpal. wrongly focused on move SC We have convicted the complainant’s Tarun Tejpal him under Sections character instead of called himself a 376(2)(f) and (k), 354A, the conduct of the ac“political victim” 354B of Indian Penal cused. He said the and pleaded for Code (IPC),” it said. trial court incorrectly leniency, saying While handing relied on the comhe was 62 years down the minimum plainant’s lifestyle, old and the sentence of 10 years’ WhatsApp chats, and father of two rigorous imprison‘nor mative’ behavgirls. He said he ment, the bench noted iour to infer consent. would approach that the incident took Senior advocate SC to challenge place 13 years ago and Aabad Ponda, reprehis conviction Tejpal had not comsenting Tejpal, armitted any other gued that the acquitcriminal offence. The maxi- tal was correct because the mum punishment for rape is complainant’s account was inlife imprisonment. consistent with objective eviThe court gave Tejpal four dence including the lift meweeks to surrender. chanics and CCTV footage. He During the hearing, the further argued that the vicbench termed the trial court’s tim’s behaviour and conversajudgment “perverse” and col- tion on text messages did not oured by prejudice against the suggest deliberate concealsurvivor. ment or coaching. E x p r e s s Re a d Agni 4 missile test successfully held India on Thursday successfully test-fired nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni 4 from the integrated test range in Odisha’s Chandipur, demonstrating its strategic strike capabilities. The testing of the missile was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command and the DRDO. Ukraine strikes oil facilities in Russia Ukraine hit more oil facilities deep inside Russia in overnight attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday, as Kyiv kept up its campaign to undermine Moscow’s wartime economy and embarrass the Kremlin. The repeated strikes have caused fuel shortages. P9 Dispute over $3 Billion Sunjay’s mother Rani Kapur seeks to restrain his widow Priya from interfering in trust Rani Kapur also challenged creation of trust, saying it was fraudulently constituted to divest her of her entire estate, including stake in the Sona Group agement of the RK Family Trust and assets linked to it following the death of industrialist Sunjay Kapur. The SC was hearing a plea filed by Sunjay Kapur’s mother, Rani Kapur, seeking to restrain his widow, Priya Kapur, and other parties from interfering with the functioning of the RK Family Trust during the pendency of the mediation RK Family Trust controls the promoter entity of the Sona Group, which is valued in excess of $3 bn proceedings. Earlier, while referring the matter to mediation on May 7, the Supreme Court had appointed former CJI Chandrachud as mediator with the consent of all parties. During an earlier hearing on April 27, the court had urged the family to explore an amicable settlement, observing that a prolonged inheritance battle in- FCRA bill to have prospective effect, Gen Z outreach Protests lawful form debate on Aug 12: Shah to Mizo CM M U K E S H RANJAN @ New Delhi The controversial Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, will be taken up for discussion and passage in Parliament on August 12, but its provisions will not apply retrospectively Mizo, ram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said on Thursday after meeting Union home minister Amit Shah. Lalduhoma, accompanied by a delegation of church leaders from Mizoram, met Shah in Parliament to press for changes to several contentious provisions of the bill, which seeks to tighten oversight of foreignfunded organisations. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Lalduhoma said: “We raised six issues. He assured us that this bill will not have retrospective effect. On the remaining concerns, he said he would respond in writing.” Passage by Aug 13 Lalduhoma said Shah informed the delegation that the bill would be debated in Parliament on August 12. The government is expected to seek its passage before the Monsoon session concludes on August 13 At a separate meeting with Shah, a delegation of church functionaries led by DMK MP P Wilson submitted a memorandum seeking withdrawal of the FCRA Amendment Bill 2026 in entirety . Alternatively, the memorandum demanded “the reference of the FCRA Amendment Bill 2026, to g ether with a comprehensive review of the work- ing of the Principal Act, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee and the repeal of the existing Section 15 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, so that no provision for the vesting of foreign contribution or of assets survives in any form”. Introduced in the Lok Sabha in March 25, the bill proposes sweeping changes to the FCRA, which governs the receipt and utilisation of foreign donations by individuals, associations and companies. The most contentious provision of the bill empowers a government-designated authority to take custody of foreign funds and assets created through such contributions if the FCRA registration and organisation is cancelled, surre n d e re d o r ceases to exist. P7 Gurugram commissioner shifted amid waterlogging H a r p r e e t B a j w a @ Chandigarh The Haryana government on Thursday transferred Gurugram Municipal Corporation Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya amid recurring waterlogging in the city amid rains. According to an official order, Dahiya has now been appointed the deputy commissioner of Rohtak, while the outgoing Rohtak DC has been transferred to Ambala in the same post. The rejig, however, has been played down as a routine bureaucratic transfer, unrelated to the monsoon-related woes facing the residents of the Millennium City. Notably, the order issued by the Haryana chief secretary does not name a successor to Dahiya—an officer of the 2013 batch. Rani Kapur says Sunjay and Priya took advantage of her medical condition and confidence by transferring her assets into the trust volving an 80-year-old litigant would serve little purpose. The court had also stated, “Once we referred it to mediation, we expect cooperation. Otherwise, we will decide it ourselves.” It pointed out that “the goal was to avoid a prolonged corporate battle”. The apex court is also hearing Rani Kapur’s suit challenging the creation of the Rani Kapur Family Trust. She has alleged that the trust was fraudulently constituted to divest her of her estate, including control over Sona Group. According to her, the dispute escalated after Sunjay Kapur’s death in June last year. Rani Kapur has alleged that Sunjay Kapur and Priya Kapur took advantage of her medical condition by transferring her assets into the trust. Motorists wade through a waterlogged road in Gurugram on Thursday | Express This came a day after a sixhour overnight traffic nightmare brought large parts of Gurugram to a standstill, with fresh spells of heavy rain on Thursday triggering widespread waterlogging across the city The adverse weather con. ditions prompted the Gurugram Police to issue an advi- sory urging private establishments to allow their employees to work from home to reduce traffic pressure and ensure unhindered movement of emergency services. After heavy showers began around 2.40 am on Thursday, Gurugram woke up to waterlogging and traffic disruptions. Waterlogging occurred at various intersections and service lanes, including Rajiv Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Sohna Road, the Delhi-Gurugram expressway and Delhi-Jaipur highway . School students and office workers faced difficulties and inordinate delays reaching their destinations. “We request all corporate institutions and private establishments to provide their employees the facility of work from home on August 6, 2026, in order to reduce vehicular movement. This would help keep traffic flowing smoothly and allow emergency services,” the advisory stated. Gurugram Police Public Relations Officer Sandeep Turan said the appeal was aimed at managing traffic more effectively P3 . of dialogue to build consensus: RSS head S udh i r S u r ya w a n sh i @ Mumbai Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday described protests as a form of dialogue that should be used to evolve consensus rather than creating divisions in society Addressing a gather. ing of about 2,000 students here, he said Gen Z and Gen Alpha are the most honest of generations. He said people of his generation, when they were young, follow the directions of elders, but today’s generation has strong opinions and needs logical answers. Addressing a wide array of questions, Bhagwat said if people’s voice is not heard in a democracy they could use protest as a , medium to talk to power. “Protest is a way of dialogue. In a democracy there are many , ways to arrive at a consensus. It is true that there is a need to do a lot of reform in Indian education. If there is no dialogue, then protests happen. I will not say Gen Z should not protest, but there are ways to protest. If Gen Z is upset, then we need to pay attention. The recent agitation took place because of lack of attention. Their issues can be sorted out through dialogue,” Bhagwat said. He also emphasised that Gen Z is not antinational; instead they are the future of the country “I have not called anyone anti-na. tional. In fact, today’s generation is the most honest. We can trust them blindly Children . are the gift of God,” Bhagwat said. Why, then, were they caned and fired at with pellet guns at Jantar Mantar during a protest march? Bhagwat said he was not aware about cause of the violence. Responding to another question on the government’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ pitch though there was no proper infrastructure in schools and high teacher vacancies, Bhagwat said that the government needs to pay attention to these issues by increasing the education budget. He said that the education department’s allocation can go up to 6% of the GDP as recom, mended by various expert committees. “Education is everyone’s responsibility If . anyone is not discharging his duty, then there is a problem in the system. But at the same time, people have to also extend support. Besides, education should not be treated as a commercial venture,” he said. P8 Bhagwat speak On protest: legitimate form of dialogue. Purpose is to build consensus, not create divisions Edu sector spending: support demand to raise it to 6% of GDP Gen Z: seeks logical answers to queries with warmth and respect Social media ban: not the solution to its harmful effects Tech misuse: Don’t trust social media content without verification Leadership: not about just delivering speeches or winning elections, but about working from behind, sharing success and fame LGBTQIA+: part of society but institution of marriage should not be tampered with Conflicts with Pak, China: should not permanently disrupt dialogue or people-topeople ties Doc by day, fugitive from the past: ‘Dr Jhatka’ story Indian Air Force gets its first woman fighter combat leader Top gun n i t i n r a w at @ New Delhi For nearly three decades, patients in a small town in Madhya Pradesh knew him simply as “Dr Jhatka”—the neighbourhood doctor who ran a modest clinic, dealt in property and took up contract work. What they did not know, Delhi Police says, was that the man treating them had spent the past 27 years on the run. On Tuesday Rajinder Bairagi , alias Rajinder Singh Yadav alias Dr Jhatka (53) was arrested from Ashok Nagar in Madhya Pradesh, ending a manhunt that began after he allegedly murdered a police official at a wedding in Sonipat in 1998 and escaped from police custody the following year while handcuffed. He was brought to Delhi on Wednesday . Rajinder had buried his past with remarkable success. After fleeing in 1999, he first surfaced in Colaba, Maharashtra, where he spent about a year working as a physical education teacher at a school. Continued on P4 JA V ARIA RANA @ New Delhi Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman to clear the Fighter Combat Leader (FCL), the toughest course for fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force. She successfully completed FCL at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior last week. FCL is among the most prestigious badges for fighter pilots. Only a small fraction of IAF’s aircrew, about 1%, TACDE: Training the best to become better TACDE is a crucial unit of the IAF that trains top-tier fighter pilots to push their limits. Beyond running the FCL, the unit develops the tactical procedures and standard operating manuals used across the force, and puts newly inducted aircraft, radars and weapons through rigorous evaluation get picked for the five-month rigorous programme, which trains the selected pilots in advanced air combat tactics and turns them into the specialists who set the template for how frontline squadrons fight. Graduates return to their units as in-house authorities on weapons employment and combat manoeuvring. Reaching that level closes a loop Sqn Ldr Kanth helped open a decade ago. In June 2016, Kanth, Avani Chaturvedi, and Mohana Singh, were commissioned as the IAF’s first women fighter pilots, after the government opened the combat stream to women on an experimental basis. In May 2019, Kanth became the first Indian woman cleared to fly fighter combat missions by day, then on the MiG-21 Bison, before converting to the Su-30 MKI. She has since featured in a Republic Day parade tableau and was conferred the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2020. Sqn Ldr Kanth, who hails from Darbhanga in Bihar and has trained as an engineer before joining IAF, is part of a cohort that keeps posting firsts. Sqn Ldr Mohana Singh, commissioned alongside her, went on to become the first woman to fly the indigenous Tejas in a frontline squadron.