MODI BECOMES SECOND LONGEST SERVING PM SURPASSING INDIRA SATURDAY 26 JULY, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in BJP leaders said Modi is the first and only Prime Minister born after Independence to become the longest-serving non-Congress PM facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard CAMBODIA CONFLICT THAILAND PM WARNS OF WAR RISK Thailand’s acting PM warned Friday that cross-border clashes with Cambodia that have uprooted more than 130,000 people “could develop into war”. PAGE 9 NO MEAN FEAT: 4,078 DAYS IN HIGH OFFICE A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI Phase 1 over, 65.2L out of Bihar poll roll MUKESH RANJAN AND RAMASHANKAR @ New Delhi/Patna DRDO TESTS DRONE GUIDED MISSILES Flight trials of V3, equipped with high definition dual-channel seeker that can strike a wide variety of targets, were carried out in Kurnool in AP | P5 AS many as 65.2 lakh names have been excluded from the Bihar election rolls months ahead of the assembly polls, whose controversial voter enumeration phase ended on Friday Voters and political parties . have till September 1 to challenge the deletion or addition of names after the Election Commission of India (ECI) publishes the draft rolls on August 1. Of the total 7.9 crore registered voters in Bihar, 22 lakh were weeded out as they were dead, 35 lakh permanently migrated, 7 lakh had registered at more than one place, and 1.2 lakh are untraceable, the ECI said. The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) made a mockery of the summery revision of poll rolls in Bihar in January this year, which had arrived at the figure of 7.9 crore voters in the state. The RJD, Bihar’s main opposition party, said it will continue its protest against the SIR exercise. Former chief minister Rabri Devi, mother of former deputy chief min- ister Tejashwi Yadav, wondered how four crore Biharis living outside the state would be able to complete the SIR formalities within the short span of two months. She went on to allege a political plot to eliminate Tejashwi. The RJD and the Congress have already hinted at the possibility of boycotting the state polls due in October-November if the discrepancies pointed out by them in the SIR are not properly addressed. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently warned of action against ‘partisan’ poll officials involved in conducting the SIR exercise in Bihar. A couple of days ago, Tejashwi said, “We are keeping the option open for boycott of the assembly polls. When the time comes, we will take a decision following a discussion with our alliance partners.” Krishna Allavaru, AICC in-charge of Bihar, said: “Talks are on for every option… This process (SIR) was not acceptable to the INDIA bloc from the beginning, and we won’t accept it in the future.” Prez sends back Aparajita bill to WB K A U S H I K P R A D H A N @ Kolkata IN what appears to be a setback for the West Bengal government, President Droupadi Murmu recently sent the ‘Aparajita Bill’, passed in the state assembly last year, back to Raj Bhavan, Kolkata, after raising a few questions, sources said on Friday Subsequently West Bengal Gov. , ernor C V Ananda Bose sent back the bill to the assembly Speaker. Governor Bose had reserved ‘The Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024’ for consideration of the President. The Centre has since conveyed its observations on certain amendments proposed to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) TMC sought speedy nod The Aparajita Bill was passed by the West Bengal Assembly in September last year soon after the RG Kar rape case. Trinamool Congress MPs had sough speedy assent to the Bill through this bill, highly placed sources in Raj Bhavan informed. One of the proposed amendments seeks to enhance punishment for rape, raising it from the existing 10 years to life imprisonment for the remainder of one’s life or death. The Union home ministry termed this change as “excessively harsh and disproportionate,” sources said. Another proposed amendment seeks to delete Section 65 of the BNS, 2023. “Thereby it is removing the distinction in punishment for rape of women under 16 and 12 years of age. The Union home ministry observed that the removal of such classification violates the principle of proportionality in sentencing,” sources revealed. Additionally, the bill proposes to make death penalty mandatory for cases involving the victim’s death or persistent vegetative state under Section 66 of the BNS. “The Union home ministry has raised concerns over the removal of judicial discretion in such cases,” sources added. Delhi’s CCTV cameras under lens; 32K faulty, 15K missing E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi THE BJP-led Delhi government is set to initiate a comprehensive technical audit of the city’s vast CCTV surveillance network following growing concerns over faulty implementation and equipment failures in a flagship project launched by the previous administration, government sources said. According to the sources, over 32,000 of the 2.64 lakh CCTV cameras installed across Delhi’s 70 assembly constituencies have been found to be non-functional. Additionally, more than 15,000 cameras that were part of the sanctioned count were never installed in the first place. Discrepancies have also been flagged in several constituencies where the actual number of installed cameras falls significantly short of the approved allocation, they added. In light of these findings, the Rekha Gupta-led government has decided to conduct a fullscale technical audit of the project. The audit is expected to cover installation records, equipment functionality, vendor compliance, and data storage mechanisms, with the aim of identifying lapses. “This is a matter of public safety and taxpayers’ money,” a source said. “We are not just looking to fix what’s broken but also to understand how such a large-scale lapse was allowed to happen. The audit will help us move forward with transparency and ensure the system works as intended,” he added. Locals removing bricks and cement slabs by hand to rescue students trapped under debris | PTI 7 students killed, 25 hurt as Rajasthan school collapses R A J E S H A S N A N I @ Jaipur SEVEN students were killed and over 25 others were injured when a government school collapsed on Friday morning at Piplodi village in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district. The students, mostly from Class 7, were inside the school when the structure gave way bury, ing the students under piles of concrete slabs, bricks and stones. Five children died on the spot, while two succumbed to injuries in hospital. The tragedy occurred at 8 am on Monday. Moments before the collapse, students noticed debris falling from the ceiling and alerted teachers, who allegedly ignored the warning signs. Locals said a portion of the school building collapsed with such force that it sounded like an explosion. Villagers who rushed to the site and the school staff conducted the initial rescue operation. The villagers said the children were taken out with great difficulty . The injured were initially taken to Manohar Thana Hospital. “Thirty-five injured children were brought in. Eleven were critical and they were referred to the district hospital in Jhalawar,” said Dr Kaushal Lodha, medical officer, Manohar Thana Hospital. “There were about 50 children in the school when it collapsed. I had alerted the teachers several times about the poor condition of the building, but no repairs were done,” said Badrilal, father of a student. Jhalawar district collector Ajay Singh Rathore said the school was not listed among structurally unsafe buildings. The Education Department suspended five teachers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma expressed condolences over the loss of lives.  J8.00  After completing 4,078 consecutive days in office, PM Modi has now surpassed former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who served for 4,077 days from 1966 to 1977. Throughout his uninterrupted 24 years in office, Modi was Gujarat chief minister for 13 years from 2001 before seamlessly occupying the post of PM after winning the general elections in 2014 | P7 PAGES 12 INDIA AND MALDIVES RESET BILATERAL RELATIONS Modi gives Muizzu L4,850 crore lifeline; FTA on the table Defence and security cooperation is a testament to mutual trust. The roots of our relationship are older than history and as deep as the sea… Narendra Modi, Prime Minister India’s continued assistance to the Maldives through the export of essential commodities is a key facet of our bilateral cooperation under the longstanding trade agreement Mohamed Muizzu, Maldivian President Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu during the exchange of an MoU and virtual inauguration of the projects, in Male | PTI J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi INDIA and the Maldives on Friday unveiled a significant reset in bilateral relations, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing a `4,850 crore line of credit (LoC) and a new framework for expanding cooperation in trade, defence, infrastructure, and digital connectivity among others. , Modi’s visit, his first to the Maldives in his third term, marks a sharp turnaround in bilateral ties, which had faced strain early in President Mohamed Muizzu’s tenure when the latter tried to strengthen relations with China by moving away from India. Reflecting the renewed warmth, Muizzu and his ministers welcomed Modi at Velana airport. After delegation-level talks, Modi said: “India is proud to be the most trusted friend of the Maldives. For us, it is always friendship first.” He added that the Maldives holds a central place in India’s Neighbourhood First policy and the MAHASAGAR vision for regional maritime cooperation. “India will always stand by the Maldives in strengthening its defence capabilities,” Modi said, adding that deepening security ties reflect the trust between the two nations. “Our defence and security cooperation is a testament to mutual trust. EXPRESS READ MoD inks `2K cr contract with BEL for air defence radars The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Friday signed a `2,000-crore contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of air defence fire control radars for the Indian Army. The fire control radars will be able to detect all forms of airborne threats, the ministry said. ROOT RECORD Joe Root celebrates hundred against India at Old Trafford on Friday. He became second-highest run-getter in Tests behind Sachin Tendulkar | AP | P11 The roots of our relationship are older than history and as deep as the sea… our friendship will remain bright and clear,” the prime minister said. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described the visit as “a demonstration of trust and strategic convergence.” On India’s concerns about foreign military presence in the region, Misri said: “Security is a mutual concern. Both sides reaffirmed that peace and stability in the Indian Ocean are shared responsibilities.” The two nations agreed to move swiftly on finalising a bilateral investment treaty and launched negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA). “We hope to conclude the India-Maldives FTA quickly Misri said. ,” Modi’s two-day visit also aims to reinvigorate India’s development partnership with the Maldives, with the `4,850 crore LoC at its core. “This will support infrastructure projects aligned with the priorities of the Maldivian people,” Modi said. India also agreed to ease Maldives’ debt repayment obligations on existing Indian lines of credit — a move that signals New Delhi’s willingness to support Male’s economic recovery . Muizzu, who once distanced from New Delhi, appreciated India’s help. He also condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, expressing solidarity with India on its counterterrorism efforts. Rape-murder convict held after escape from Kerala jail L A K S H M I AT H I R A @ Kannur HOURS after escaping from the Kannur Central Jail early Friday morning, Govindachamy the convict in the Soumya , rape-murder case, was nabbed by the police around 3.5 km away from the prison. Based on alerts, the police caught him from a well on the premises of the National Statistics Office at Thalap. Govindachamy’s escape from the high-security block was a meticulously crafted operation that unfolded over nearly a year. Police investigation, coupled with Govindachamy’s statements, reveal a chilling level of detail. From deliberate weight loss and tool hoarding to cutting iron bars under the cover of rain and mapping CCTV blind spots, the onehanded convict plotted every move with precision. Lodged in the fourth cell of the 10th block designated for high-risk inmates, Govindachamy, a native of Tamil Nadu, gradually altered his diet, switching to a chapati-only menu to shed weight, making it easier to scale walls with his single hand. “He even managed to get hold of a blade—likely from plumbers—which he used to saw through the cell’s iron bars,” a police source said. Govindachamy began cutting the bars nearly 20 days before the escape. To scale the 20-foot-high outer wall, he used two plastic tanks, a wooden box, and a steel container. “After g etting out, he changed out of his jail clothes and put on a black shirt and pants. This change was caught on CCTV cameras outside the prison,” the officer said. Questions are being raised about prison oversight and internal vigilance. PLAN B AS GAZA CEASEFIRE TALKS WOBBLE Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that his government was considering “alternative options” to ceasefire talks with Hamas after Israel and the US recalled their negotiating teams. | P9 SC issues 15 guidelines to prevent student suicides 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 Friday issued 15 pan-India guidelines to curb the rising trend of suicides among students in educational institutions. The guidelines were part of its verdict on an appeal against an Andhra Pradesh High Court order that rejected a plea to transfer the probe into the death of a 17-year-old National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) aspirant in Vishakhapatnam, to the CBI. Quashing the order, the bench directed the CBI to probe the case. A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, while issuing the guidelines, said they will be binding till an appropriate law or regulatory framework is enacted. The court mandated that all educational institutions shall adopt and implement a uniform mental health policy, drawing cues from the UMMEED (Understand, Motivate, Man- age, Empathise, Empower, and Develop) Draft Guidelines for the Prevention of Student Suicide, the MANODARPAN initiative, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2022. The policy shall be reviewed and updated annually and made publicly accessible on institutional websites and notice boards. “All educational institutions with 100 or more enrolled students shall appoint at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist, or social worker with demonstrable training in child and adolescent mental health. Institutions with fewer students shall establish formal referral linkages with professionals,” it added. The bench directed all institutions to ensure optimal student-counsellor ratio. Suicide helpline numbers shall be prominently displayed in hostels, classrooms, common areas, and on websites, the order said.