NEW DELHI 13 SEPTEMBER 2026 SUNDAY `12 PAGES 28  facebook/TheMorningStandard  X.com/TheMornStandard https://epaper.morningstandard.in PLUS: 16 PAGES Hoard Drive MAGAZINE The Emperor of Controversies Dr Vikram Sampath Ravi Shankar Prabhu Chawla Debashis Chatterjee Santwana Bhattacharya Ajai Sahni Shankkar Aiyar A Gentler Kind of Romance EXCLUSIVE VOICES HEART BREAK Backward to the Future The existing pyramid of privilege structure in global governance must give way to a platform of partnership where every country has a voice, every member has a stake — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister BRICS countries should... oppose the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, reject violations of other countries’ sovereignty and interference in their internal affairs — Xi Jinping, Chinese President ‘I Will Not Compromise on the Scale’ Change Within to Change the Country Benne There, Done That Let us establish instruments to manage national currency risks and reciprocal settlements in the bloc since current financial system is vulnerable to political shocks — Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian President AMMA SPEAKS We express serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under full IAEA safeguards, in violation of international law — New Delhi Declaration India bridges Iran-UAE differences on West Asia conflict after marathon negotiations till 4 am; declaration calls for restraint while not assigning responsibility BRICS adopts landmark Delhi Declaration J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi BRICS countries on Saturday adopted the New Delhi Declaration after marathon negotiations that continued until 4 am, overcoming sharp differences over the language in the West Asia conflict, particularly between Iran and the UAE. The adoption marks a significant diplomatic breakthrough for India, the host of 18th BRICS Summit, with New Delhi playing a key role in bridging competing positions among members and ensuring that differences over West Asia did not derail the summit outcome. The declaration, while not assigning responsibility for the conflict, calls for restraint, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and respect for the “sovereignty and territorial integrity of the States”. “We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in Middle East/ West Asia and, recalling our respective national positions, call for exercising maximum restraint, as well as avoiding actions that could further aggravat e t h e s i t u at i o n , ” t h e declaration said. It also called for greater use of “dialogue and diplomacy” towards a longterm understanding that can contribute to peace, security and stability in the region. The final declaration adopted broader language, expressing “serious concern” over deliber- ON P7 ate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under full IAEA safeguards, and stressing that nuclear safeguards, safety and security must be upheld even during armed conflicts. Tehran had sought an explicit reference to what it described as a unilateral attack on Iran and a violation of the UN Charter. A “clear direction from our leadership” and sustained engagement at multiple levels helped India overcome differences, India’s BRICS Sherpa Sudhakar Dalela said. Dalela said negotiations involved extensive consultations. “Engagement at various levels” eventually enabled the grouping to arrive at a consensus. “Tehran’s concern was that the reference to the unilateral attack and the alleged violation of the UN Charter should not be diluted or ‘subsumed into a generic formulation’,” a source familiar with the negotiations said. On Gaza, BRICS expressed deep concern over continued violence despite the October 2025 ceasefire and called for its maintenance and full, unhindered humanitarian access. The declaration opposed policies aimed at the forced displacement of Palestinians and reaffirmed support for Palestinian self-determination, the right of return and full UN membership in the context of the two-state solution. TURN GLOBAL SOUTH INTO A RULE-SHAPER, URGES MODI Pilot found dead in city’s five-star hotel during layover EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi A 46-year-old Air India pilot died of possible cardiac arrest during a layover at a Delhi hotel on Friday night. Mumbai-based Captain Sunny Sharad Asaldekar had moved from Air India Express to Air India for operating widebody Boeing 787 aircraft. A senior police officer said, “On receiving a PCR call from Hotel The Grand, Vasant Kunj, on Friday, the police immediately reached the spot, where the person was found unconscious. He was shifted to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead.” Asaldekar had checked into the hotel on Thursday On Fri. day evening, his brother contacted the hotel manager, saying that he was not responding to his calls. “The hotel manager went to Asaldekar’s room and opened the room closed from inside. The deceased was found lying unconscious,” the officer said. In a statement, the airline said, “Air India is deeply saddened at the passing away of a cockpit crew member in Delhi last night. He was on a layover rest at a hotel in Delhi, where he was found unconscious last evening. He was rushed to the hospital immediately where he , was declared dead.” Serious concern over rise of unilateral tariff 1 New Delhi Declaration condemns unilateral tariffs, calls carbon border adjustment mechanisms protectionist, demands fairer trade rules 2 Condemns Pahalgam terror attack, calls for zero tolerance against cross-border terrorism 3 Calls for immediate restoration of fully functioning WTO dispute settlement system 4 Bloc-wide grain trading platform and 4 new farmer-focused initiatives covering seeds, agro-inputs, agro-ecology and digital agri endorsed 5 Declaration urges the developed world to provide finance for biodiversity conservation 6 Resolves to remain committed to aims of the Paris Agreement Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Bharat Innovates Exposition | PTI Cautious thaw in China ties on a steadier footing J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday sought to put the cautious thaw in IndiaChina ties on a steadier footing, stressing the need to prevent differences from becoming disputes and to preserve peace along the border. IRAN PRESIDENT, ABU DHABI CROWN PRINCE HOLD TALKS But the border remains a critical test of the normalisation process. PM Modi emphasised that peace and tranquillity in the border areas remain an “essential basis” for continued development of bilateral relations, the MEA said. Xi said China sees India as a “cooperation partner rather than a rival” and that the devel- opment of one country should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a threat for the other. Describing the recent improvement in ties as a shift from a “new start” to a “new elevation,” Xi said: “This situation has not come easily and is worth cherishing,” a readout quoted by Chinese state media said. INDIA, UAE SEEK TO EXPAND STRATEGIC TIES IN DEF, SPACE The two leaders met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, nearly a year after their previous meeting in Tianjin in August 2025. PM Modi said the relationship should be guided by “mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest” while reiterating that “differences should not become disputes.” MEA: UNIFIED PAYMENT, NOT BRICS CURRENCY ON TABLE A FEAST OF INDIAN FLAVOURS AT GALA DINNER FOR LEADERS Youth overcome Agniveer hesitation Mandatory listing only for Sikh Regiment, headcount rises option for Tata Sons RBI BLOW TO NOEL TATA H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh B E N N K O C H U V E E D A N @ Mumbai IN a major setback for Tata Sons Chairman Noel Tata, the Reserve Bank of India is learnt to have rejected its application seeking to deregister as a non-banking financial company nearly 30 months after it was filed. The RBI , has directed Tata Sons to comply with norms applicable to an NBFC in the upper layer, paving the way for its listing. In a letter to Saurabh Agarwal, CFO of Tata Sons, RBI advised the company to take actions to ensure full compliance with its guidelines and instructions. The latest direction means Tata Sons will remain classified as an Upper Layer NBFC, a category subject to enhanced regulatory requirements, including mandatory listing. The RBI first classified Tata Sons as an Upper Layer NBFC in September 2022, with such entities required to list within three years. The original deadline for Tata Sons was September 30, 2025. Tata Sons had around `22,000 crore of public debt when it applied to surrender its NBFC licence. It subsequently repaid the debt and became net debt-free by March 2023. RECRUITMENT into the Sikh Regiment has increased significantly after the Army intensified efforts to attract candidates from Punjab. The Army has been exhorting the state’s youth to join the regiment, which has a history of fighting some of the fiercest battles and boasts numerous gallantry honours and awards. There was a decline in the number of youths joining the Army after the introduction of the Agnipath scheme in 2022, besides mass migration to Western countries. This regiment had appealed to the youth with the slogan, “Come, join the Army. Come, join the Sikh Regiment” at the time when the army recruit- ments are at an all-time low in Punjab in order to ignite memories of the valour of the regiment among the youth of the state, propelling them to attempt to join the force. Sources pointed out that in 2024-25, only about 25% of the vacancies meant for the regiment could be filled, but it went to 50% in 2025-26 due to the surrounded vacancies of the last fiscal year which got added on to the next year. The improvement could only happen due to the sustained efforts of the Sikh Regimental Centre, senior officers, formations on the ground and veteran army personnel as they made concerted efforts to improve the intake. Also regimental teams visited recruitment grounds, involved village sarpanches and interacted with locals to motivate candidates and spread awareness. The battalions stationed in the state were asked to identify potential recruits and motivate them to join the regiment. “The Ministry of Defence was conveyed by the Union government to push the recruitment of Sikh soldiers in the Sikh Regiments,” said a senior officer. ASIAN GAMES Engineer, marketing exec, content editor India’s teqball crew G O M E S H S @ Chennai THE name doesn’t ring a bell at all nor there are any trailblazing tales. Teqball it is. And the game is part of the Asian Games to be held in Nagoya from September 19 to October 4. The sport and its sportpersons are shrouded in a veil of mystery They come . from obscure and varied backgrounds. If one is a digital marketing planner, the other is a content manager and one is an engineer — a motley crew that will represent India in Nagoya. They are part-time professionals and part-time players. Juggling their work and game, the found their way into Asiad. Teqball, founded in Hungary around 2014, is a fast-growing sport that combines the agility of football and nuances of table tennis. Played on a curved TT table with a football, each match is decided by a best-of-three sets, with the first to get to 12 points (From left) Quimcy Dsouza, Anas Baig and Declan Gonsalves | SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT winning the set. Much like table tennis, it is played in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles categories. And similar to football, the players are not allowed to use their arm or hand. The sport first came to India around 201819, but in the last few years te- Xi laid out a four-point framework for better ties. He called for an objective assessment of the relationship, economic cooperation, political wisdom in managing differences and stronger coordination on regional and global issues. The two leaders also agreed to deepen coordination through BRICS, the UN, SCO and G20. qball has started to take wings, and a late addition to the Asian Games meant India will take part in three categories. The players are Anas Baig, Declan Gonsalves and Quimcy Dsouza. “We started this sport back in 2022,” Quimcy tells this daily. “We started this sport when nobody knew it, honestly For the . last four years, we haven’t been seen. We are doing this for the love of the game,” she adds. Full story: newindianexpress.com. EXPRESS READ U’khand ex-CM Rawat resigns from party posts A day after the Enforcement Directorate raided his former OSD Chandan Singh Jeena and seized `32 lakh in suspected unaccounted cash besides other valuables, veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Harish Rawat stepped down from two party posts late on Friday night. Jeena served as his OSD between 2014 and 2017. The raid was linked to a recruitment scam. P8 S Arabia shuts Red Sea oil pipeline after attack RIYADH: Saudi Arabia authorities said drones launched from Iraq led to the temporary closure of a crucial oil export route, the EastWest pipeline, used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. On a day Brent crude surpassed $104 a barrel, analysts said the rupture of the critical Hormuz-bypass line, that carries 5 million barrels per day, could strangle oil supplies for a lot of countries. P9 England captain Root breaks Sachin’s record England captain Joe Root went past Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most number of fifties in Test cricket in the third match between England and Pakistan. England won by eight wickets at Edgbaston on Saturday. He has now scored 69 fifties, while Tendulkar scored 68 in 200 Tests. He also has 51 stylish hundreds against Root’s 41 in 169 Tests. Root is short of 36 years and has some cricket left in him. P11