THURSDAY 02 OCTOBER, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard The Morning Standard Wishes its readers a TSUNAMI WARNING ISSUED BRIEFLY Our office and press will remain closed today and there will be no issue of the newspaper on Friday. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS NEW DELHI   J8.00  Rescuers used sniffer dogs to look for survivors in the Philippines on Wednesday after an earthquake killed at least 69 people and injured more than 200 others. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology briefly issued a tsunami warning and asked people to stay away from the coastlines of Cebu and nearby provinces of Leyte and Biliran. The warning was lifted three hours later. P9 PAGES 12 3% DA hike for Central govt staff okayed FESTIVE BONANZA: Govt approves setting up 57 more KVs, higher MSP for rabi crops and a road project for Assam M U K E S H R A N JA N @ New Delhi THE government on Wednesday decided to give a 3% hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for 49.2 lakh Central government employees and 68.7 lakh pensioners, as the increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission. The decision to hike the rates of DA and DR was taken by the Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi, I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, noting that it would provide the desired relief to employees and pensioners ahead of Dussehra on Thursday and Diwali later this month. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), also chaired by the PM, approved the opening of 57 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) across the country aimed at expanding access to , quality education. CABINET DECISIONS DA AND DRA Total: 58% of basic pay Crops MSP (2026-27) Wheat Barley Gram Masur Rapeseed/Mustard Safflower No of employees to benefit: 49.2 Lakh Pensioners: 68.7 Lakh To cost: `10,000 Cr The minister stated that the increase in the DA and DR would take effect from July 1 and would cost the government exchequer approximately `10,000 crore. This is the second hike this year, as a 2% increase was announced in March, taking DA payouts from 53% of basic pay to 55% . That was after a 3% hike in October last year. The DA and DR are given to employees and pensioners to insulate them from the im- Cost of Production Margin `2,585 `2,150 `5,875 `7,000 `6,200 `6,540 `1,239 `1,361 `3,699 `3,705 `3,210 `4,360 109% 58% 59% 89% 93% 50% KENDRIYA VIDYALAYAS Total number: 57 Bihar: 19 ; AP: 4 Naxal-hit areas: 4 NE and hilly regions: 5 Total cost: `5,862.55 Cr 150 YEARS OF ‘VANDE MATARAM’ The ‘Vande Mataram’ song that played a crucial role in the freedom struggle, its 150th year will be celebrated. The celebrations will be done among students and youths,” I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. pact of inflation. The minister stated that the total estimated requirement of funds for establishing the 57 new KVs is `5,862.55 crore, and they will be opened over a period of nine years, starting from 2026-27. The plan includes capital expenditure of approximately `2,585.52 crore and operational expenditure of around `3,277.03 crore. Twenty new KVs will be established in districts that currently have no KVs despite a significant population of Central government employees. Additionally 14 , KVs are planned for aspirational districts, four in Maoist-affected areas and five in the Northeast and hilly regions, Vaishnaw said, adding that, out of these KVs, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs will sponsor seven. In another major decision, the CCEA increased by 6.59% the MSP for wheat to `2,585 per quin- tal for 2026-27 marketing year. There is also a hike in MSP per quintal for rapeseed and mustard of `6,200. For lentil (masur), the MSP is `7,000 per quintal, an increase of `275 per quintal. The MSP per quintal of gram stands at `5,875, safflower `6,540, and barley `2,150, the minister said. The decision aligns with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSP at a level of 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production. “The expected margin over allIndia weighted average cost of production is 105% for wheat, followed by 98% for rapeseed and mustard; 89% for lentil; 60% for gram; 60% for barley; and 50% for safflower. This increased MSP of rabi crops will ensure remunerative prices to the farmers and incentivise crop diversification,” the government said. The Cabinet also approved a road project in Assam at a capital cost of `6,957 crore. Putin likely to visit India on Dec 5, 6 amid Trump tariffs JAYA N T H JACO B @ New Delhi RBI holds rates for now, hints at cut in Dec B E N N K O C H U V E E D A N @Mumbai 100 YEARS OF SANGH’S SERVICE TO THE NATION: MODI PM Narendra Modi writes that the RSS, which was founded on the occasion of Vijayadashami 100 years ago, “is the embodiment of that timeless national consciousness”. | P7 THOUGH the RBI-led rate-setting panel has decided to leave both the benchmark interest rates as well as the neutral monetary stance unchanged, Governor Sanjay Malhotra has given enough hints at another round of easing. After three successive reductions since February—taking the repo down by 100 bps to 5.5%— the monetary policy committee (MPC) on Wednesday unanimously voted to take more time to assess the impact of the 50% tariffs on the economy as well as other fast-emerging domestic and external factors. Though the panel retained the neutral stance too, it was with dissent, with two external members—Ram Singh and Nagesh Kumar—wanting to change it to accommodative, the governor told reporters later. Given these, the governor has admitted that there is room for more action on the rates front, RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India on December 5–6 for the 23rd annual India-Russia bilateral summit, according to sources. While there has been no official confirmation from either New Delhi or Moscow, sources involved said that both sides are working to finalise the “broad agenda” for the visit. This will be Putin’s first visit to India since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in February 2022. He last visited the country in 2021. The summit comes at a time of deepening strategic ties between India and Russia following the imposition of punitive US tariffs on India for its imports of Russian crude oil. The planned visit aims to provide an opportunity for both nations to assess their evolving bilateral relationship, which has been shaped by shifting geopolitical dynamics. “The summit between the two leaders will provide both sides an opportunity to zero in on ways to enhance economic engagement and bolster the strategic partnership,” said a source. Bilateral trade hit a record $68.7 billion in 2024–25, driven largely by India’s imports of discounted Russian oil. However, Indian exports to Russia remain modest at $4.88 billion, and addressing the trade imbalance is expected to be a priority area. “A key focus area will be bridging the trade deficit,” said the source. Ahead of the summit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected in India in November, while Defence Minister Andrey Belousov is scheduled to attend the Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation later this month. MAJOR PUSH ON REFORM FOR EASE OF DOING BIZ 100 bps repo rate cut since Feb this year 6.8% revised GDP estimate for FY26, up from 6.5% earlier 2.6% inflation forecast for FY26, down from 3.1% 20 bps likely GDP growth due to rate cut may be in December, by which time he expects more clarity on whether tariff uncertainties can be dismissed. Also, festive demand trends will provide a clearer view of growth potential amid external demand volatilities. On how far the GST rate cuts can cushion the impact of the 50% tariffs on the broader economy, Malhotra said, not all of it, but may be 20 bps cushioning from the likely increased domestic demand. However, he admitted that domestic demand remains weak and the growth outlook is clouded due to elevat- 22 regulatory changes announced to increase credit flow, ease of doing business and support rupee ed global policy uncertainties, and tariffs will moderate already weak exports. On growth, the MPC has revised the FY26 estimates upwards to 6.8% from 6.5% earlier. Malhotra noted that Q1 saw an unexpected growth upside at 7.8% due to a low deflator, frontloaded exports to the US, and higher government spending. Further, highfrequency indicators suggest that domestic economic activity sustained momentum even in Q2. However, Q3 and Q4 must tough it out on their own, with the official projection being 6.4% and 6.2%, respectively, while Q1 of FY27 is pegged at 6.4%. On inflation, the governor said prices are expected to remain benign, and an above-normal monsoon is expected to keep food prices in check. Inflation forecasts for FY26 have been revised downwards to 2.6%, while Q3 and Q4 are pegged at 1.8% and 4%, respectively, and at 4.5% for first quarter of next fiscal. The retail inflation has been printing below 4% since February and has eased to a six-year low of 2.07% in August up from 1.8% in the previous month. P10 `1 cr each ex-gratia for families of 10 govt staff who died on Covid duty, says Gupta A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi THE Delhi gover nment will grant an ex-gratia of `1 crore each to 10 families of employees who lost their lives while discharging their duty during the Covid-19 pandemic, CM Rekha Gupta said on Wednesday . The government will shortly release this assistance. According to the CM, a committee of ministers, including Ashish Sood, Pankaj Singh and Kapil Mishra, is working on it. The panel would be supported by sen- ior officials from the Relief Branch Divisional Commissioner Neeraj Semwal and District Magistrate Amol Srivastava. This is not a one-time exercise but a continuous process. The panel is regularly reviewing such cases, and in the coming days, more such families are expected to receive the ex-gratia. “During the pandemic, when the entire world had come to a standstill, these employees carried on their duties day and night, ensuring that healthcare, sanitation and essential services did not halt,” the CM said. She said that the government has decided to release the pending ex-gratia payments of employees who were deployed on Covid duty during 2020-2021. “Very soon, this amount will be handed over to the families as recognition of the extraordinary service of the 10 employees who put service to society above their own lives during the most difficult period of the pandemic,” she added. ‘Set Wangchuk free’: Wife writes to Prez and PM FAYA Z WA N I @ Srinagar DANCE OF DEVOTION A woman performs the traditional dhunuchi dance to the beats of dhak at Minto Road Durga puja pandal | SAYANTAN GHOSH | P3 Zubeen’s manager, fest organiser held; sent to police custody E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ Guwahati/New Delhi IN a dramatic turn in the investigation into the mysterious death of music icon Zubeen Garg, Assam Police on Wednesday brought his long-time manager Siddharth Sharma and North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta to Guwahati after arresting them in Gurugram and Delhi. Given the wave of public anger, both were whisked away from the airport under heavy security and produced before the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate, who sent them to a 14-day police remand. With courts closed for Durga Puja, the hear- North East India Festival chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and manager Siddhartha Sharma being brought to the CID office in Guwahati after their arrest on Wednesday | PTI ing was conducted at the judge’s residence. Sharma and Mahanta face charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, criminal conspiracy and causing , death by negligence. Munna Prasad Gupta, Special DGP (CID) and head of the ninemember SIT, told reporters that, acting on an Interpol alert, immigration officials at IGIA detained Mahanta soon after his return from Singapore. He was then handed over to a police team sta- tioned in the capital. Sharma was tracked down in Gurugram. Investigators also recovered Garg’s mobile phone, reportedly from Sharma’s possession, a key piece of evidence in the probe. Assam DGP Harmeet Singh said, “There will be a final result in the case. Keep faith in us.” Garg, 52, died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in Singapore on September 19, where he was attending the 4th North East India Festival. His sudden death raised questions about his final moments. The arrests follow massive public outrage and mounting pressure on the Assam government. Over 60 FIRs have been filed across the state against Sharma, Mahanta, and others. The government had set an October 6 deadline for the duo to surrender. Police froze Mahanta’s bank accounts and launched a separate probe into his alleged role in financial crimes. For Garg’s family, the arrests brought some relief. His wife, Garima, during the 13th-day rituals in Jorhat, said: “We all want to know what happened to him in his last moments. I am confident that the probe will progress and the truth will come to light. We believe we will get justice soon.” His sister, Palme Borthakur, echoed similar sentiment: “Now that the two have been arrested, we feel slightly better. Justice will be delivered.” EXPRESS READ Criminal held after encounter A criminal was shot at near Sanjay Van in southwest Delhi’s Kishangarh area on Wednesday, police said, adding the accused first opened fire at cops. Cough syrups kill 6 MP kids in 3 wks Deaths of six minors between September 4 and 26, has prompted authorities in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara to issue an advisory, stopping sale and use of cough syrups. | P8 JAILED Ladakh climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife Dr Gitanjali J Angmo on Wednesday sought the immediate release of her husband and accused the agencies of hounding them. She put forward her demand in a letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Lt-Governor Ladakh Kavinder Gupta. Wangchuk, a recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2018, has been arrested and booked under stringent NSA and lodged in Jodhpur jail after a protest in Leh demanding statehood for Ladakh and recognition under Sixth Schedule took a violent turn leaving four dead and over 80 injured. Gitanjali, founder and CEO of Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh, wrote that despite promises she was not made to speak to husband and is “unaware of his condition”. “Am I not entitled to meet and speak with my husband on phone and in person wherever he is detained,” she asked. “I was put under CRPF surveillance in Village Phyang, where our institute is situated. Students and staff were also put under tight surveillance. Two members of the institute were taken into police custody…,” she alleged.