TUESDAY INDIA’S JOB MARKET SHOWS RELIEF AS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS 19 AUGUST, 2025 A government survey on Monday said the unemployment rate dipped to 5.2 per cent in July, down from 5.6 per cent in June epaper.morningstandard.in MARGINAL RISE IN URBAN YOUTH JOBLESSNESS facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard GAZA HAMAS ACCEPTS NEW TRUCE PLAN Hamas has accepted a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza without requesting amendments, after a fresh diplomatic push to end war. PAGE 9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 The Periodic Labour Force Survey released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said the pace of joblessness among men stayed slightly higher at 5.3 per cent compared to that of women at 5.1 per cent. The rate of unemployment in urban areas for 15-29 age group saw a marginal increase to 19 per cent in July from 18.8 per cent June | P10 89,505 INDIA parties mull impeaching CEC P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi AS the face–off between the Election Commission Of India (ECI) and the Opposition intensifies over allegations of ‘vote theft’ and poll rigging, the INDIA bloc on Monday said it is mulling an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The move comes a day after the CEC asked Rahul Gandhi, leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, to either file an affidavit substantiating his vote theft allegations or apologise. The pro- posal for an impeachment motion was discussed at the INDIA bloc meeting on Monday morning. Several Opposition leaders met in the chamber of Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, and held discussions on how the CEC on Sunday addressed a press conference without answering any of the questions raised by them, according to a leader who attended the meeting. The Opposition also decided not to cooperate with the gov- ernment on the special discussion on the impact of astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s space mission. The Lok Sabha is having a two-day special discussion on the issues. Some opposition MPs said they feel this fight has to be taken forward and suggested an impeachment motion against the CEC, sources said. Addressing a joint press conference on Monday representa, tives of eight opposition parties including Congress, TMC, SP DMK and RJD hit out at the , Trump floats security guarantee for Ukraine Signals flexibility on NATO role; Putin briefs Modi on Alaska summit J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi MINIMUM CITY Commuters wade through a waterlogged road following heavy rain in Mumbai on Monday. The civic body was forced to order closure of all schools and colleges. Across Maharashtra, seven people were killed and more than 200 stranded | PTI IMD issues red alert for rain in Konkan, South J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi THE India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a ‘red alert’ for extremely heavy rains in the next 24 hours in Central and Southern India along with the Western Ghats. The alert said there was a risk of flash floods in Maharashtra, South Interior Karnataka, and isolated areas of Chhattisgarh. The IMD forecast indicates a higher possibility of extremely heavy rainfall over coastal Andhra Pradesh, southern Chhattisgarh, southern Odis- ha, Telangana, South Interior Karnataka, the Konkan region (including Mumbai), Goa, the Western Ghats area of Madhya Maharashtra, and coastal Karnataka and Gujarat in the next two days. IMD’s bulletin predicted flash floods over several watersheds in north Interior Karnataka, Telangana, Konkan-Goa, and Maharashtra in the next 24 hours. Besides, there is a low to moderate risk of flash floods in some watersheds in south Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, and Marathwada during the same period. US President Donald Trump on Monday said Washington would ensure any future peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia “works”, offering what he described as “very good protection” for Ukraine but left open the question of whether NATO would play a central role. In a high-stakes Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump signalled his willingness to support long-term security guarantees. “We’ll give them good protection,” he said, though when pressed on whether that would resemble NATO’s Article 5 collective defence commitment, he replied: “It hasn’t been discussed yet.” Zelenskyy, asked what guarantees he needed, replied: “Everything” from equipment to intelligence. But the most striking development came near the end of the meeting, when Trump announced he would be speaking to Vladimir Putin again soon, following discussions with European leaders also gathered at ZELENSKYY’S WIFE WRITES TO MELANIA In a curious development, Zelenskyy delivered a personal letter from his wife Olena to First Lady Melania Trump, thanking her for all the good efforts to help return Ukrainian children taken to Russia the White House. The call would mark his second direct engagement with the Russian leader in four days, an indication that Trump is attempting to personally steer negotiations toward a resolution. “I just met with Zelenskyy, and we covered a lot of territory,” Trump said. “I plan to speak with President Putin again later today .” That statement reframed the day’s diplomacy Trump’s move . to keep direct lines open with Moscow even as European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Star mer and French President Emmanuel Macron, advocate a tougher approach underscores his central role in shaping the next phase of the conflict. “I don’t think you need a ceasefire to end the war,” Trump said—a position more closely aligned with Moscow’s narrative than Kyiv’s. Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to brief him on his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska. Putin’s telephone call to Modi—their second call in the past 10 days—came amid mounting pressure from the US over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. During the call with Modi, Putin shared his take on his meeting with Trump and Modi responded by reaffirming India’s position: support for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict through diaP9 logue and diplomacy . 4 killed in shop inferno, short circuit suspected N I T I N R A W AT @ New Delhi WANGON YI IN INDIA TWO-DAY VISIT The Chinese foreign minister on Monday held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who called for “a candid and constructive approach” to reset ties. Wang will meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Tuesday | P7 FOUR people were killed in a fire that broke out at an electronics shop in the Moti Nagar area of West Delhi on Monday . According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), they received information about the fire at an electronics shop in the Raja Garden area and five fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The blaze was brought under control at 4.10 pm. Due to smoke filling the premises, some people lost conscious and were taken to the hospital for treatment. DCP (West) Vichitra Veer said that Moti Nagar police station received a distress call regarding a fire on the second floor of Mahajan Electronics. Fire brigade, SHO Moti Nagar, and other personnel promptly responded to the incident and Five fire tenders doused the blaze at an electronics shop in Raja Garden | EXPRESS rushed to the spot. Upon reaching, they learnt about five people being trapped inside. After strenuous efforts, all of them were taken out and sent to hospitals, the DCP said. While four of them died in the incident, one is under treatment. The deceased have been identified as Aaushi (22), Payal (20), Amandeep Kaur (22), and Ravi (28). One Sandeep is currently under treatment. Appropriate proceedings are being initiated, Veer added. The reason behind the incident will be investigated. All the CCTV cameras inside the store will be thoroughly checked, police said. An eyewitness said that everything was normal till 3 pm, when suddenly a short circuit occurred, leading to a fire which engulfed the entire store. Although people from the ground and first floor managed to rush out, three to four people who were having lunch on the upper floor were trapped. They were removed to the hospital by the authorities. Notably, in July, two men died after a fire broke out at Vishal Mega Mart in central Delhi’s Karol Bagh area. One of the deceased was a UPSC aspirant and was found dead inside an elevator; the second victim’s charred body was recovered from the second floor. CEC, alleging that instead of responding to questions raised by them, he chose to attack them at his presser on Sunday . TMC’s Mahua Moitra said the Lok Sabha should be dissolved as the last elections were held on “faulty” voter list. When the Lok Sabha met at 11 am on Monday, opposition MPs, including those from the Congress, were on their feet, raising slogans and showing placards with demand for discussion on the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar. Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House following the bedlam. IMAGINE handing over a bag of old plastic bottles or rusted iron scraps and walking away with rice, soaps, or shampoos in return. That’s exactly what’s happening in Guntur Rural Mandal, where the Andhra Pradesh gover nment has launched Swachh Ratham, a p i o n e e r i n g p i l o t p ro j e c t that transforms waste into daily essentials. As part of the cleanliness campaign, specially designed vehicles visit villages to collect dry waste from households. In return, villagers receive groceries and daily-use products of equal value, all at no cost. Announcements are made before the vehicle arrives, and the staff collects the waste on the spot. The pilot project, designed by the Swachh Andhra Corporation and the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department, is confined to seven panchayats in Guntur Rural Mandal. Despite its limited scope, the project has yielded striking results. Over 15 days, Swachh Ratham vehicles collected 2,599 kg of dry waste, including 1,271 kg of plastic, 490 kg of old books, 448 kg of iron, 208 kg of cardboard, 92 kg of steel, 75 kg of paper, and 16 kg of aluminium. The waste was valued at `47,373, for which villagers received commodities worth `47,604. Vengalayapalem led the way with 801 kg of waste, followed by Challavaripalem (788 kg) and Lalpuram (331 kg), proving that rural households are eager to participate in waste-to-wealth efforts. Encouraged by the success, We’re not afraid of poll panel’s threat: Rahul Patna: A day after chief election commissioner asked Rahul Gandhi to submit an affidavit on his vote theft slur or apologise in a week, the Congress leader on Monday said he was not afraid of such threats | P7 BJP throws a dare at opposition parties New Delhi: BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Monday dared INDIA bloc parties to dissolve state assemblies where they are in power if they doubt the Election Commission’s fairness. ‘Moon Man’, Gandhi kin among Oppn V-P picks, decision today P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi THE Opposition INDIA bloc is set to name its Vice Presidential candidate on Tuesday afternoon, following a meeting on Monday where top leaders discussed options, with a final decision expected then, sources said. “A meeting of leaders of all Opposition parties in Parliament will be held at 12:30 PM Tuesday Aug 19, at , 10, Rajaji Marg,” wrote Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on X. Sources said that the names that came up in the meeting included former ISRO scientist M Annadurai, who is known as the ‘Moon Man of India’ and is a Padma Shri awardee, as well as Tushar Gandhi, great-great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. The Opposition’s candidate will be vying with the NDA’s pick, Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan. The sources said that senior DMK leaders have proposed the name of Annadurai, who hails from Tamil Nadu, for the vice president’s post. The name of senior DMK leader Tiruchi Siva is also doing the rounds, but discussions have yet to be held with other opposition leaders. Siva, however, refused to comment, saying his leadership will take a call on the issue. N DA n o m i n e e R a d hakrishnan hails from Tamil Nadu, which will go to the polls in 2026. While Annadurai has served as the programme director not only for Chand r ay a a n - 1 a n d C h a n drayaan-2, his nomination could help the Opposition counter the NDA’s southern push by projecting its candidate, a former MP from Coimbatore. Sources said the opposition wants to field a non-political face who has national standing and stature for the second-highest constitutional position in the country . According to sources, the TMC has also stated that the party is keen on having Waste-to-wealth initiative brings groceries to villagers’ doorstep in Andhra B A N D H A V I A N N A M @ Guntur HOUSEHOLDS WERE COVERED BY THE PERIODIC LABOUR FORCE SURVEY the project has been recently launched in the Vijayawada rural region. Officials say the scheme serves a dual purpose: keeping villages clean while also providing livelihoods to drivers of Material Delivery Unit vehicles left jobless after the government scrapped the door delivery scheme. DMK won’t support Radhakrishnan DMK leaders on Monday said that the party has no intention of backing NDA’s vice-presidential candidate C P Radhakrishnan. “We will give preference only to ideology. We cannot support Radhakrishnan merely on the grounds that he is Tamil.” Jagan says will back NDA nominee The YSR Congress Party is set to support NDA’s vice presidential candidate C P Radhakrishnan. Sources said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had spoken to YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy seeking the regional party’s support for the ruling alliance’s candidate. a non-political figure for the Vice-Presidential election. The TMC had abstained from voting in the last Vice Presidential election, as it was at odds with the Congress for the choice of party leader Margaret Alva as the Opposition candidate. According to people familiar with the developments, there was a prevailing view that the candidate should be from either Bihar or TN. While the BJP believes that the nomination of Radhakrishnan, a leader with an RSS background, will garner support from the wider opposition, especially the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, it remains to be seen what stance the opposition parties will take. RAJNATH REACHES OUT TO NAVEEN FOR SUPPORT | P5 EXPRESS READ PM meets astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla—the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station. Terming the interaction with the astronaut “great”, the PM said they discussed a wide range of subjects.