FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard RUSSIA EU & US IMPOSE STRICT SANCTIONS The EU on Thursday heaped more economic sanctions on Russia, adding to President Trump’s new punitive measures against the Russian oil industry. PAGE 9 DIGITAL PAYMENTS MADE UP 99.7% TRANSACTIONS BY VOLUME IN 2024 TREND CONTINUES IN FIRST HALF OF 2025 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00 Test done, cloud seeding on Oct 29 likely A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi THE Delhi government has successfully tested cloud seeding in Burari, paving the way for the maiden run of artificial rain on October 29. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Thursday that all preparations for the full cloud seeding event, aimed at bringing down pollution level in the city have been , completed and the first instance of this exercise will take place on October 29, if conditions are favourable. Gupta said in a tweet, “Preparations have been completed 4 ‘most-wanted’ gangsters from Bihar killed in city encounter EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE for the first time in Delhi to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding. Today, experts successfully tested it in the Burari area. The weather department has indicated the possibility of cloud presence on October 28, 29 and 30. If conditions remain favorable, Delhi will experience its first artificial rain on October 29.” She added that this initiative is not only historic from a technical perspective, but is also set to establish a scientific method to combat pollution in the city . “The government’s objective is to make the capital’s air clean Funds transferred Last month, the Delhi govt signed a memorandum of understanding with IIT-Kanpur, for five cloud seeding trials. Funds have already been transferred to IIT-Kanpur, which will deploy its own planes. and the environment balanced through this innovation,” she said, congratulating Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and officials involved. Sirsa was quick to explain the process involved in the trial run, saying, “Today, a trial seeding flight was done from IIT-Kanpur, to Delhi via Meerut, Khekra, Burari, Sadakpur, Bhojpur, Aligarh and back to IIT-Kanpur, in which cloud seeding flares were fired between Khekra and Burari and over Badli area.” The development came a couple of days after Sirsa shared an update on the plan for artificial rain through cloud seeding, a long-awaited proposal to mitigate the annual air pollution crisis during winters. On Tuesday, he had ruled out an immediate plan for cloud seeding, saying it would be possible only “when there are clouds”. P3 Tejashwi is INDIA bloc’s CM face, Sahani deputy Announcement after Gehlot-Lalu meet; no word yet on seat-sharing @ New Delhi IN the early hours of Thursday , a joint operation by Delhi Police and Bihar Police resulted in a shootout in Rohini, in which four criminals from Bihar were killed. The gang, wanted in multiple murder and extortion cases, was reportedly planning a criminal act ahead of the Bihar elections. The deceased were identified as Ranjan Pathak, Bimlesh Mahto, Manish Pathak, and Aman Thakur. Ranjan Pathak, the gang’s leader, ran a criminal network across Bihar and neighboring states. Each of the accused had a reward of `1 lakh on their arrest. DCP (Crime) Sanjeev Yadav said they received intelligence from the Bihar Police regarding the movement of these criminals in Delhi. A joint team was constituted, and based on technical inputs, it tracked them to Bahadur Shah Marg near Pancholi Park in Rohini. According to police, at around 2.20 am, a white car carrying the four gangsters was intercepted. Yadav said when signaled to stop, the occupants of the vehicle opened fire on the police team, which retaliated. All four were injured and immediately shifted to Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Rohini, where doctors declared them brought dead, he added. The gang had been involved in high-profile crimes in Bihar, including killings of Brahmashri Sena leaders Ganesh Sharma, Madan Sharma, and Aditya Singh. They distributed pamphlets and contacted journalists, claiming their actions were in protest against “wrong policies” of bureaucracy police , misconduct, and destruction of lives of the poor. R A M A S H A N K A R @ Patna AFTER weeks of hectic parleys, the opposition INDIA bloc on Thursday declared Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Bihar elections. Cong ress leader Ashok Gehlot announced the decision at a press meet in Patna, a day after he and party’s state incharge Krishna Allavaru met RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi to end the stalemate over seat-sharing and ‘friendly fight’ in a few seats. However, in the press meet, there was no announcement of any seat-sharing deal. Gehlot, who has been camping in Patna since Wednesday, said Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani will be the alliance’s deputy CM face. He said more deputy CMs would be appointed if INDIA bloc comes to power. Tejashwi, Sahani, CPI-ML (Liberation)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, and state Congress president Rajesh Ram addressed the press meet along with Gehlot. “Tejashwi is a young and dynamic leader. We are also declaring Mukesh Sahani, an EBC lead- Vikassheel Insan Party chief Mukesh Sahani, CPI-ML leader Dipankar Bhattacharya, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav during a press conference in Patna on Thursday | PTI People won’t forget ‘jungle raj’ for 100 yrs: Modi Referring to the RJD rule in the past as ‘jungle raj’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said people won’t forget it for another 100 years. Modi said the opposition alliance is not a ‘gathbandhan’ but a ‘lathbandhan’ (coalition of criminals) as its leaders are out on bail er, who has struggled to rise to this position, as the deputy CM face. Sahani is a messiah of his (Mallah) community After we . win the elections, some people from other sections of society could also be made deputy CMs,” Gehlot said. Tejashwi thanked his father Lalu, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge for reposing faith in him. “I alone will not become CM but everyone from Bihar will become Change Makers (CMs),” he remarked. He claimed if a government is formed un-  There were 20,849 crore digital transactions in 2024, up from 3,248 crore in 2019, the RBI said in its half-yearly Payment System Report. In terms of value, `2,830 lakh crore was transacted through digital payment systems in 2024, up from `1,775 lakh crore in 2019. The transaction volume for first half of 2025 stood at `12,549 crore, amounting to `1,572 lakh crore | P10 PAGES 12 HOW IT WORKS 1 ASEAN-INDIA 2 First, calcium carbide goes into the hole Next, water added, produces acyteline gas ‘CANNON’ BORE CANNON DRUM IGNITER 3 Igniter burns gas, creates a big bang ‘CARBIDE GUN’ PARTIALLY BLINDS AT LEAST 14 IN MP A N U R A A G S I N G H @ Bhopal A ‘desi firecracker gun’ landed as many as 122 Deepawali revelers in hospitals across Madhya Pradesh, at least 14 of whom have partially lost their eyesight. Better known as a ‘carbide gun’, the contraption got humongous traction on social media and became a must have ‘equipment’ for children and teenagers looking for a big bang. Priced at `150–200, they were sold as toys despite the possibility of misfire. By the time the state government banned it on October 18, they had already entered many homes. Vidisha, which neighbours Bhopal, is the worst-hit among all districts. The Vidisha district police have arrested six persons for the illegal sale of the guns. “I can’t see anything since the carbide gun we bought on Deepawali exploded. One of my eyes has burnt completely,” recounted 17-year-old Neha, who is currently recuperating at the state government’s Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal. Of the 122 patients, 26 are under treatment at Hamidia Hospital. Some teenagers attempted to make them at home using plastic or tin pipes, filling them with gunpowder, matchstick heads and calcium carbide. One such teen Raj Vishwakarma said, “I attempted to make it at home. That was when it went off on my face, resulting in loss of sight in one of the eyes.” Damage to retina Its explosion results in emission of metal fragments and carbide vapour, both dangerous to the retina Patients have ruptured their pupils, in many cases leading to permanent blindness — Dr Manish Sharma, Bhopal district chief medical and health officer Modi speaks to Malaysian PM, to virtually address meet J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi INDIA and Malaysia announced on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join the ASEAN-India summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26 virtually after a telephonic conversation between Modi and Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim. “I had a warm conversation with my dear friend, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia. Congratulated him on Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship and conveyed best wishes for the success of the upcoming Summits. Look forward to joining the ASEAN-India Summit virtually and to further deepening the ASEANIndia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Modi said on X. Ibrahim said he respected Modi’s decision, adding that Malaysia remained committed to advancing bilateral and ASEAN-India cooperation for a “more peaceful and prosperous region”. While the Indian statement did not cite reasons for Modi’s decision to skip the regional gathering, it is learnt that the upcoming Bihar assembly elections and the absence of immediate breakthroughs in trade talks with the US influenced the move. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Malaysia for the summit. P7 der his leadership, he would do all the development works the NDA could not do in 20 years, in just 20 months. Taking a dig at the NDA for not announcing its CM face, Tejashwi said, “Why did the NDA not declare Nitish the CM face? We have been saying that the BJP will not make Nitish the CM. Ami Shah has also clearly said it the elected MLAs will take a decision on this… You (the BJP) have always declared a CM face. Why not this time?” Gehlot also targeted Shah, saying: “Your contention that Nitish will lead the NDA in the P8 polls has no meaning.” EXPRESS READ Nod for `79K-cr defence procurement proposals Cong, PDP decide to support NC in RS polls Youth thrashed over filming of reels, dies The Defence Ministry on Thursday cleared proposals to procure weapons and military hardware worth `79,000 crore, including Nag missiles, to boost the combat capabilities of the services. | P7 The National Conference received a boost as its ally Congress and the opposition PDP announced support to the ruling party in the RS polls, increasing NC’s chances of winning all the four seats. A 22-year-old man died after he was thrashed during a fight between two groups over making videos for social media in northeast Delhi’s Nand Nagri flyover, an official said Thursday. GREAT OPENING SHOW Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal shared 212-run first wicket partnership to help India reach 340/3 against New Zealand | PTI | P11 AI battles ageing fleet as seat troubles sky high ‘Friendship no licence to rape’: HC denies S L A L I T H A @ New Delhi 15-20 yrs old aircraft AN average of 250 passenger seats on Air India flights develop faults every month, posing a persistent challenge for the Tata Group as it works to modernise the ageing fleet it acquired from the government in January 2022. According to airline insiders, the hurdle lies in the non-availability of spare parts for older aircraft many of which are 15 to 20 years old. In several cases, even the original manufacturers of seat components have shut down. “Seat maintenance was never a priority earlier,” said an Air India source. “A seat includes not just the cushion but also trays, in-flight entertainment screens, and fittings. Sometimes, passengers them- The main hurdle is in the nonavailability of spare parts for older aircraft many of which are 15-20 years old. In several cases, even the original manufacturers of seat components have shut down. The airline says 26 A320 aircraft have been upgraded. selves cause damage, and immediate repairs aren’t always possible if the aircraft is due for a quick turnaround.” While travellers have long voiced concerns over poor cabin conditions, a recent social media outcry by a business class passenger brought renewed scrutiny The pas. senger, flying AI 187 from Delhi to Toronto which is a 19-hour journey claimed that staff asked him to sign a consent form acknowledging his seat’s broken tray before boarding. Air India sources admitted such incidents are “not isolated,” adding that multiple solutions are offered to affected passengers. “At check-in, travellers are informed about seat issues and asked for consent if they wish to continue with that seat. If not, they can opt for the next available flight,” the source explained. In some cases, business class flyers may be shifted to economy, while economy passengers can usually be reassigned to another seat more easily . The airline, however, insists that a large-scale retrofit and modernisation plan is already in motion. All 26 A320 aircraft have been upgraded, featuring new seats and interiors. The first Boeing 787 is currently being retrofitted in the US, a process requiring approvals from global regulators such as the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Once completed, work will begin on the Boeing 777 fleet. The revamp comes amid the government’s broader push to expand India’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul capabilities, a sector that’s only now gaining traction in the country . Until the retrofit programme reaches full scale, however, passengers may continue to encounter the occasional “notray” or “jammed recliner” seat on AI’s long-haul routes. anticipatory bail to accused in Pocso case EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi THE Delhi High Court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to a man accused of raping a 17-year-old girl, rejecting his claim that the incident was consensual because they were friends. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, while dismissing the plea under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, emphasised that “friendship does not give any licence to rape, confine, or beat the victim mercilessly”. The court observed that the accused had failed to cooperate with the investigation, despite having his anticipatory bail applications withdrawn or reject- ed on four previous occasions. According to the FIR, the minor girl, who had known the accused for several years as a neighbour, alleged that he took her to a friend’s house, where he repeatedly assaulted and beat her, threatening to kill her if she disclosed the incident. Rejecting the accused’s claim that their relationship was consensual, Justice Sharma stated that friendship could not justify acts of sexual violence or physical abuse. The judge also noted that medical evidence supported the victim’s statement, further strengthening the prosecution’s case. The accused had argued that the FIR was filed 11 days after the incident. The court, however, dismissed this claim, noting that the delay was understandable given the trauma and fear experienced by the minor. “Quite naturally, it was owing to the fear and trauma of the said incident that the complainant had initially resisted disclosing the incident to her parents,” the order stated. Finally, the court ruled that no case for anticipatory bail was made out. In her order dated October 17, Justice Sharma held that the serious nature of the charges warranted custodial interrogation and dismissed the plea.