mondAY 24 november, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard Ta i wa n Japan has crossed a ‘red line’: China Japan ‘crossed a red line’ with comments by its new leader suggesting a potential military intervention over Taiwan, Chinese FM Wang Yi says Page 9 British Indian spy honoured with new stamp in France leading light of figures de resistance A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS first Mahe class anti-submarine vessel joins navy MAYAN K SIN G H @ New Delhi AMID Pakistan’s reported plans to boost its underwater combat strength, the Indian Navy will commission INS Mahe, the first of the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, on Monday. The ceremony will be presided over by Ar my Chief General Upendra Dwivedi. Announcing the induction, the Navy said the commissioning of Mahe marks the arrival of a new generation of indigenous shallowwater combatants—sleek, swift, and resolutely Indian. “She will serve as a silent hunter on the Western Seaboard, powered by self-reliance and dedicated to safeguarding India’s maritime frontiers,” the Navy said. Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, Mahe has more than 80 percent indigenous design, and highlights the country’s growing expertise in warship technology and qualities critical for coastal French Navy calls out Pak media misinformation and littoral operations. Equipped with advanced sensors and weapon systems, the vessel can conduct anti-submarine missions, coastal patrols, and minelaying operations. The Mahe-class ships, 78 metres long with a displacement of about 900 tonnes, can reach speeds up to 25 knots and have an endurance of 1,800 nautical miles. A total of 16 ASW-SWC vessels are being bu i l t — e i g h t e a ch at Cochin Shipyard and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata—under contracts signed in 2019. Named after the historic coastal town of Mahe, the ship’s crest features the Urumi, the flexible sword of Kalaripayattu, symbolising agility and lethal grace. These ships will strengthen coastal defence along India’s 7,516-km coastline and enhance Navy’s shallow-water anti-submarine capabilities. The induction is keeping in mind China’s Hangorclass submarine project for the Pakistan Navy . Claims made by Geo TV, attributed to a French commander, contained “misinformation and disinformation, it said | P7 l New Delhi J8.00 l PAGES 12 PM moots global AI compact to check misuse Says critical technologies must be human-centric, not finance-centric; announces AI summit in India next year UN reforms a necessity, no longer optional: Modi J AYAN T H J A C O B @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged world leaders at the G20 summit in Johannesburg to forge a global AI compact, and stressed the need to prevent misuse while harnessing artificial intelligence for inclusive and responsible global development. “We all have to ensure that AI is used for the global good and its misuse is avoided. For this, we need to create a global compact on AI that is based on some core principles,” Modi said, putting emphasis on oversight, safety-by-design, transparency , and strict restrictions on AI in dee pfakes, crime, and terrorism. “AI systems that affect human life, security, or public trust must be responsible and accountable. Most importantly , AI should enhance human capabilities, but the ultimate responsibility for decision-making will always remain with humans,” he said. The PM also announced that the AI Impact Summit to be hosted by India in February next year will be themed Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay (Welfare for all, Happiness for all) and invited all G20 countries to take part in the mission. He stressed the need to shift from “jobs of today” to “capabilities of tomorrow,” underlining the importance of constant innovation. Outlining India’s approach “At a time when the world appears fragmented and divided, IBSA can provide a message of Prime Minister Narendra unity cooperation, and human, Modi on Sunday made a strong ity,” Modi added, addressing appeal for reforms in the UN South African President Cyril Security Council and urged Ramaphosa and Brazil’s Presithat the India-Brazil-South Af- dent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. rica (IBSA) grouping should He called for institutionalissend a clear message that ing NSA-level meetings within changes to global governance IBSA to strengthen security coinstitutions are no ordination among the longer optional but a three countries in the pressing necessity . fight against terrorS p e a k i n g at t h e ism. “There is no place Global institutions IBSA leaders’ summit for any double standno longer on the sidelines on the represent today’s ards on such a serious G20 summit in Johan- world. Therefore, issue,” he added. nesburg, Modi under- IBSA must send a Modi also highlightscored the role of the unified message ed the potential of to the world: grouping in projecting technology in fosterinstitutional unity and cooperation ing human-centric dereform is not an at a time when the velopment. He prooption but a world appears increasposed an IBSA Digital prerogative ingly fragmented. Innovation Alliance to “First, we all agree facilitate the exchange Narendra Modi, PM that global institutions of digital public infrado not reflect the realities of structure, including India’s the 21st century None of us is a Unified Payments Interface, . permanent member of the UN health platfor ms such as Security Council. This clearly CoWIN, cybersecurity framedemonstrates that global insti- works, and women-led technoltutions no longer represent to- ogy initiatives. The alliance day’s world. Therefore, IBSA aims to help member countries must send a unified message to leverage digital innovation to the world: institutional reform drive inclusive growth while is not an option but a preroga- strengthening collaboration on tive,” Modi said. emerging technologies. Express news service @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends a session at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg | AP to AI, Modi said it rests on three pillars of equitable access, population-scale skilling, and responsible deployment. “Under the India-AI Mission, we are creating accessible high-performance computing so that the benefits of AI reach every district and every language,” he told the G 20 leaders. The PM emphasised that technology must be human-centric, global, and open-source rather than Modi meets key leaders Modi held a series of meetings on the sidelines of G20 Summit, including with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. He separately met the prime ministers of Japan, Netherlands, Jamaica, and IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva finance-centric, national, or exclusive. “We have to promote technology applications that are ‘human centric’ instead of ‘finance centric’, which are ‘global’ instead of ‘national’ and ‘open source’ instead of ‘exclusive models’. We have tried to integrate this vision in all technology projects of India.” He cited India’s leadership in digital payments and its effective response during the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering vaccines and medicines to more than 150 countries, to underline the potential of inclusive technological and economic growth. “Development should be sustainable, business should be trusted, finance should be fair, and progress should bring allinclusive prosperity the prime ,” minister said. This is the first G20 summit held in Africa. HC voices shock at severe penalty on childcare leave City to have 2 more revenue districts, SDM count to go up U d aya n K i s h o r e @ New Delhi A n up V e r m a @ New Delhi The Delhi government is preparing for a major administrative overhaul to streamline governance. Under the proposed changes, the number of revenue districts in the capital will be increased to 13, and the number of SDM offices will be expanded to 39 from 33. Officials believe the new structure will significantly reduce delays and minimise the need for the public to visit multiple government offices for routine work. At present, the capital has 11 revenue districts, each headed by a district magistrate. The districts operate separately from the MCD, which is divided into 12 zones led by deputy commissioners. The new district boundaries are being planned on the basis of Delhi’s 11 municipal zones. Sources said that the Delhi Cabinet has given and in-principal approval to the proposal that currently awaits the L-G’s approval. Also, the government has been planning to establish a mini-secretariat in every district to bring all departmental services except law and order under one roof. In addition, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area functions as a separate entity within the New Delhi district that usually witnesses confusion over its jurisdiction. The government has planned to merge NDMC and Delhi Cantonment areas into the New Delhi district and align MCD zones with revenue districts. In September 2012, new districts were created when SouthEast Delhi and Shahdara were carved out. The current restructuring will require a major redraw of Delhi’s administrative map, leading to the addition or exclusion of villages and localities. l The French postal service, La Poste, honoured Noor Inayat Khan with a stamp issued to honour the ‘Figures of the Resistance’ who fought against Nazi Germany. She is among a dozen war heroes chosen on the set of stamps issued this month to mark 80 years since the end of World War II. Britain honoured Noor in 2014 to mark the centenary of her birth. Law and disorder Police personnel detain a young woman during a protest against worsening air quality in the national capital near the India Gate on Sunday | PTI | P3 THE Delhi High Court has set aside an order reducing the pay of a Central Secretariat Service officer for three years due to her “child care leave”, saying the punishment “shocks the conscience of this court”. A bench of justices Madhu Jain and Navin Chawla made the observation in an order passed on November 20 on a petition filed by one Ritu Ravi Prakash, who was serving as an Assistant Section Officer in Central Secretariat Service, that provides staffing and support to the central government’s ministries and offices. The bench said that the reduction of pay by two stages for three years, with denial of increments and consequential effect on future progression, was manifestly disproportionate to the alleged misconduct. “The allegations do not involve moral turpitude, corruption, financial irregularity, or any act prejudicial to the integrity of service. They stem entirely from the petitioner’s effort to avail CCL (child care leave) for her minor daughters. The punishment, therefore, shocks the conscience of this Court,” the bench said. Prakash’s daughters, born in 1995 and 1998 respectively, were pursuing studies in Classes X and XII during 2012–16, and the petitioner had applied for CCL for their examinations and related needs. The leave, however, was not sanctioned on the occasions, and the subsequent period of her absence from duty became the subject of disciplinary proceedings. The bench said that while it was trite that leave, including CCL, cannot be claimed as a matter of right, it is equally well settled that the power to sanction or decline such leave must be exercised reasonably, having due regard to the object and purpose for which the CCL was introduced.” In the present case, the bench noted that though the department had placed reliance on the plea of staff shortage, however, no contemporaneous record or administrative assessment was produced to substantiate such claim. Express read Ukrainian FM dials EAM amid US peace plan With Washington’s deadline fast approaching for Kyiv to accept US President Donald Trump’s 28-point peace plan, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reached out to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to brief him on the diplomatic efforts to end the nearly four-year conflict with Russia. Trump has given Ukraine until November 27 to approve the proposal—a plan that would make Kyiv reduce its army. | P7 Tejas pilot cremated with military honours Wing Commander Namansh Syal, the Indian Air Force pilot who died in Tejas fighter jet crash during the recent Dubai Air Show, was cremated on Sunday in his native village, Patialkhad in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, with full military honours. His mortal remains were taken from the airport to Patialkhad, where the villagers, family members and officials gathered to pay their tributes. | P8 Anti-drone systems at all civilian airports, shortly Centre scraps move to give Chandigarh to L-G m uk e s h r a n j a n @ New Delhi THE Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) at a joint meeting, held recently have decided to deploy , anti-drone systems at all major and minor civil airports in view of “a possible war-like situation emerging in future,” officials said on Sunday . According to them, initially, it has been decided to install the system at major airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar and also Jammu and Srinagar. The decision has been taken in view of the experience gathered during ‘Operation Sindoor’ and also due to global military escalations that have featured an increased use of drones. It is reliably learnt from of- ficials that the anti-drone equipment will thwart any possible attack using ro gue drones. The system will be installed for the first time at civilian airports only a senior official told , this paper on Sunday . The decision was arrived at after multiple high-level meetings. Though the MHA has been overseeing the project, a committee has been constituted by the BCAS, with members drawn from aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and other stakeholders. Officials said the modalities and specifications of the equipment are currently being looked into and once everything is finalised, the MHA will coordinate with the Ministry of Civil Aviation in implementing and commissioning the project. However, officials said the entire project would be commissioned only in a phased manner, with sensitive airports express illustration like Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Srinagar and Jammu covered in the first phase followed by the scheme being rolled out in the remaing airports. A senior official in the know said, “The authorities will fix deadlines for commissioning the equipment at different airports only after finalization of specifications ... then airport operators will be directed to install the technology that fits our criteria. Models successfully existing at other airports outside India are also being examined for ef fective implementation.” HAR P REE T B A J W A @ Chandigarh AMID the political uproar in Punjab over the Centre’s purported move to table a bill that brings Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240 of the Constitution, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday retracted its decision. Interestingly the Punjab unit , of BJP also said it would demand the retraction of the proposed bill. Sources said that the core committee of the Punjab BJP met in the morning and held a virtual meeting with the central leaders to discuss the impact of the proposed bill on the people’s psyche. Withdrawing the proposal which it had earlier listed in the bulletin of Parliament— tabling the Constitution 131st Amendment Bill to bring Chandigarh on a par with other union territories: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Puducherry—the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that the proposed bill would not be introduced in the winter session. The Ministry of Home Affairs wrote on the X platform, “A suitable decision will be taken only after adequate consultations with all stakeholders... . The Central Gover nment has no intention of introducing any Bill to this ef fect in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament.’’