FRIDAY ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICES TO DISPLAY ‘OIL & SUGAR BOARDS’ 11 JULY, 2025 Under the initiative of the health ministry, these informative boards will list the amount of sugar and oil in food items and their health hazards epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard US, RUSSIA SHARE NEW IDEAS FOR UKRAINE 20% OF ADULTS IN URBAN AREAS ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE AS PER NFHS-5 FSSAI, ICMR ROPED IN FOR MODEL HEALTHY MEAL Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday the US and Russia have exchanged new ideas for Ukraine peace talks after his meeting in Malaysia. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 NEW DELHI J8.00 PAGES 12 The ministry has asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), which have prepared these ‘sugar and oil boards’, to suggest a model healthy meal that can be served in canteens and eateries of public institutions, instead of the greasy, oily and sugary meals | P7 No stay on Bihar roll revision Indian negotiators SC asks ECI to consider Aadhaar, voter ID, ration card as acceptable documents for proof S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y CITIZENSHIP @ New Delhi Chandran KR, counsel for ‘Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council’ | PTI Urgent hearing to save Kerala nurse on July 14 S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on July 14 a plea seeking immediate direction to the Centre to use diplomatic channels to save Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, 38, who is likely to be executed in Yemen on July 16 for murder charges. The petitioner, Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council (SNPIAC), moved the court seeking its immediate intervention. A bench of justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi listed the matter for hearing on July 14 after Subhash Chandran K R, counsel for SNPIAC, argued that diplomatic channels needed to be explored at the earliest. He submitted that the option Nimisha Priya of payment of blood money to the family of the deceased can be explored. The family of the deceased may pardon the Kerala nurse if blood money is paid, he submitted. The bench asked the counsel to serve a copy of the petition to the Attorney General and sought his assistance. Quoting media reports, Subhash said since Priya’s execution is scheduled for July 16, the Centre should immediately intervene to save her life. Priya, who hails from Palakkad in Kerala, was found guilty by a court in Yemen of murdering Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2017. THE Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider Aadhaar card, voter ID card and ration card as acceptable documents in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly polls in the state. Refusing to stay the voter list revision, a bench comprising justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagch called the SIR a “constitutional mandate” and permitted the ECI to continue the exercise. The court took on record the poll panel’s submission that the list of 11 documents it put out on June 24 to prove citizenship in Bihar was illustrative, nor exhaustive. “In our prima facie view, since the list is not exhaustive, it will be in the interest of justice if the ECI will also consider the Aadhaar card, Electoral CHECK AMBIT “ISN’T IT TOO LATE NOW FOR THAT?” ASKS JUSTICE DHULIA ON THE TIMING OF CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION 1 Bench wonders whether the issue of citizenship falls within the Election Commission’s jurisdiction Photo Identity Card issued by the Election Commission and the ration card,” the bench said. This, the court said, was a suggestion, not a direction. “If you have good reason to discard Aadhaar, you do it, but give reasons,” it added. While asking the ECI to file its counter-affidavit by July 21, the court fixed the case for further hearing on July 28. The bench was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the SIR in Bihar. It observed that the petitions raised an im- 2 ECI says Aadhaar is for identity verification, not citizenship proof. But citizenship check is govt’s job, says SC 3 Poll panel argues it has role as the Representation of the People Act, 1950 mandates that one must be a citizen to vote portant question which goes to the root of the functioning of democracy — the right to vote. “We are of the prima facie opinion that three issues are involved in this case: (a) The very powers of the Election Commission to undertake the exercise; (b) The procedure and the manner in which the exercise is being undertaken, and (c) The timing, including the timings given for the preparation of draft electoral roll, asking objections and making the final electoral roll etc, which GURUGRAM EX-TENNIS PLAYER SHOT DEAD BY DAD OVER SPORTS ACADEMY EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi A 25-year-old former state-level tennis player was shot dead allegedly by her father over disagreements about the daughter running a sports academy and making social media reels in Sector 57, Gurugram. The accused fired three bullets into the victim. According to the police, the incident was reported on Thursday in Sushant Lok-II, Gurugram Sector 57, where Radhika Yadav, a for mer state-level tennis player, resided with her parents. She was shot dead by her father using his licensed weapon. Police teams arrived at the scene and inspected the crime scene. The body was sent for post-mortem. A case has been registered under relevant sections at Sector-56 police station based on a complaint by the deceased’s uncle. The accused, Deepak, has been arrested. The revolver used in the incident has been recovered, police said. Her mother was on the ground floor, and Radhika was in the kitchen on the first floor when the incident took place. Preliminary investigations revealed that Radhika used to run a tennis academy, and her father was unhappy about her involvement in it. Following a dispute over the issue, the accused shot her dead, police said. The police team is questioning the accused. Further action will depend on the facts that emerge during the interrogation, police added. PARVEEN NEGI EXPRESS READ Mann remarks on PM visit draw MEA flak The External Affairs Ministry (MEA) on Thursday condemned comments made by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann on PM Narendra Modi’s recent five-nation tour, labeling them “irresponsible and regrettable.” The reaction came hours after Mann questioned the utility of the PM’s overseas visits. Quake hits Haryana, tremors felt in Del-NCR An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 struck near Jhajjar in Haryana on Thursday morning, sending tremors across Delhi-NCR. The epicentre was 3 km northeast of Jhajjar and 51 km west of Delhi. The tremors were also felt in Rohtak and Gurugram, Panipat, Hisar and Meerut. | P4 MILLENNIUM CITY Following overnight heavy rain, several roads in Gurgaon cave in. A truck carrying beer falls after a road collapses in Sector 74A. | P4 are very short, considering the fact that the Bihar elections are due in November 2025 and notifications for this elections will come in advance weeks earlier,” the bench said. While questioning the ECI on the timing of the SIR, the court rejected the argument of the petitioners that the poll panel did not have any power to carry it out. When senior lawyer, Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the ECI said Aadhaar wasn’t a proof of citizenship, the bench rebutted, saying the ECI had nothing to do with citizenship, as the matter is in the domain of the home ministry . The court asked the ECI why it started the SIR so close to the Bihar polls. There is nothing wrong with SIR but it should have been done months before the election, it said. Senior lawyer Gopal Sankarnarayanan, appearing for one of the petitioners, argued that the SIR drive was completely arbitrary and discriminatory . BARBIE FIRST WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES INTRODUCED Mattel has introduced its first Barbie representing a person with Type 1 diabetes, as part of wider efforts from the toy maker to increase inclusivity among its dolls | P9 to visit US again to resume trade talk D I PA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi WITH the Trump administration’s deadline for imposing higher import tariffs on its trading partners shifted to August 1, Indian trade negotiators are likely to visit the US again to iron out the differences and seal a deal, government sources said. India was expecting to sign an interim trade deal with the US ahead of the earlier deadline of July 9 but could not, due to differences over tariff rates on agriculture, dairy and automobiles. The government de, cided to send the trade negotiators again after the earlier team led by Rajesh Agrawal, special secretary, Department of Commerce, returned without a deal in hand. The dates for the team’s next US visit have not been finalised, but it could be sometime next week. According to sources, the Indian government is trying to negotiate a “complete deal” and it is not differentiating between an interim deal and the first phase of the Bilateral Trade Agreement. “Whatever will be finished, we can package it as an interim deal and for the rest, talks will continue,” said an official. While US President Donald Trump has been claiming that a deal with India would be signed soon, finance ministry sources say talks so far have hit a deadlock. Officials say the Indian side has been guarding against any tariff reduction on agriculture and dairy products. Tariff on automobiles is also said to be one of the contentious issues. Initially India appeared to relent on agri, culture tariffs, but after pressure from the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, the government seems to have hardened its stand. A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi IN a major relief to thousands of industrial units operating in the national capital, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has abolished the requirement for obtaining and renewing factory licences from the civic agency In the notified . industrial areas, under the new system, the Factory Licence Fee will be fixed at 5% of the Property Tax. It will be collected annually along with Property Tax, simplifying both payment and compliance. For industrial units in designated industrial areas, the MSME Udyam Registration Certificate or the Allotment/ Lease Deed issued by the government’s DSIIDC will be treated as a deemed Factory Licence under Sections 416 and 417 of the DMC Act, 1957. This will eliminate the need for a separate factory licence from MCD, thereby reducing compliance burden on entrepreneurs. The new system will reduce the number of inspections by MCD officials. It has also been a grievance of industrial units that MCD officials sometimes visit or inspect factory premises for the wrong reasons. Responsibility for ensuring compliance with fire safety, environmental clearances, and structural norms will rest solely with the factory owner/occupier, who must obtain all necessary approvals from the competent authorities. Required changes will be made to the MCD Property Tax portal to integrate factory licence issuance and automate the payment and compliance workflow. Mayor Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh said that to promote Ease of Doing Business, MCD took the decision. The mayor stated that various industrial area associations and industry bodies have emphasised the need for reforms in the area of MCD licencing for factories and industrial units, highlighting that entrepreneurs are facing unease in conducting business. Tech-help: Visually impaired fans go app & mobile at Lord’s IMAGINE an app cloning the whole stadium, compressing data of every corner, stairs, balconies and concourse for a visually impaired person to use and wander about more relaxingly All the information in the . palm of their hands (mobile phones to be precise) with a guiding voice in the ears. That’s how Lord’s has become more disabled-friendly when it introduced the visually-impaired apps this Summer. Now, the fans can not just listen to commentary but can feel and soak in the atmosphere of a game with more ease. At a time when even basic amenities for fans at stadiums across India seem to be a far cry , Lord’s, the Home of Cricket, in London has introduced this novel feature to make it more disable-friendly. The Marylebone Cricket Board (MCC), which runs the stadi- um, in collaboration with Waymap has installed a personal navigation system to help specially-abled fans to their seats and other amenities. The technology was tested ahead of the third Test between England and London last month and is now operational. The MCC also runs ball by ball commentary that allows fans to follow the game. “We hope that the introduction of Waymap at the home of cricket breaks down some of the barriers currently being faced by visually impaired fans,” Cel- ROOT, NITISH SHARE HONOURS ON DAY 1 On a traditional, attritional day of red-ball cricket, India picked up timely wickets on a hot London day. England set the platform, thanks to a typically composed innings from Joe Root. Nitish Reddy took 2 wkts | P11 ‘NO DEAL IS BETTER THAN BAD DEAL’ Sources close to the government say no deal is better than a bad deal. For the record, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said that India is in no hurry to seal a deal with the US unless it is mutually beneficial for both countries ‘REJECTING DEAL WON’T HURT INDIA’ India may refuse to ink a trade deal and accept US reciprocal tariffs, said sources. “US is imposing higher tariffs on other countries too. So, our export competitiveness may not get impacted at all,” the sources reasoned No need to obtain, renew factory licence, says MCD MORE THAN HISTORY F I R O Z M I R Z A @ London Rajesh Agrawal, chief negotiator so Zuccollo, the chief executive of Waymap, told this daily “Our . partnership with Lord’s cricket ground is improving the matchday experience for all visitors and we’re extremely proud of the positive impact this has on accessibility for all within our first sporting venue.” He said the wayfinding app is a highlyaccurate personal navigation system which offers step-by-step audio and on-screen instructions. The company mapped the venue using Lidar technology . Sachin Tendulkar rings the bell before the third Test on Thursday | AFP K-terrorists open fire at comedian Kapil Sharma’s cafe in Canada H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh UNIDENTIFIED gunmen opened fire at the newly opened ‘Kap’s Café’ of comedian Kapil Sharma in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on Wednesday . No one, however, was injured. Sources said Khalistani terrorist Harjeet Singh Laddi of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) has claimed responsibility . Bullets struck not only the café but also nearby buildings. The attack triggered panic among the Indian diaspora and locals. CCTV footage is being scanned and a forensic investigation is underway . Laddi claiming responsibility was reportedly prompted by comments allegedly made by Sharma in the past, sources said. Authorities in Canada were investigating whether the firing was meant to intimidate Sharma or was part of a broader pattern of threats linked to pro-Khalistani sympathisers who operate from abroad. There is no official confirmation from police, and Sharma has also not issued a statement. Purported videos of the incident dated July 9 are doing the rounds on social media, showing a man firing at least nine shots with a pistol from a moving vehicle at the site. The NIA wants Laddi for the murder of a VHP leader in Punjab in April last year. The NIA lists Laddi among India’s most wanted.
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