SATURDAY 13 DECEMBER, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard TYPE 2 DIABETES WONDER DRUG OZEMPIC MAKES INDIA DEBUT BANGLADESH Ozempic is now available in India as 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg in ‘FlexTouch Pen’ - an easy-to-use, once-weekly pen device, at `2,200 per week HASINA’S PARTY REJECTS POLL PLAN Bangladesh’s political tensions flared sharply after the Awami League rejected the interim government’s decision to hold national election PAGE 9 Popular as a weight loss drug globally A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS Indian mission in touch to get Luthras back  J8.00 `12K cr for Census okayed  PAGES 12 Opening nuclear sector The Union Cabinet approved `11,718 crore for conducting the Census of India, 2027, which would include the caste enumeration for the first time. The Census will be conducted in two phases — house-listing and housing census from April to September, 2026; and population enumeration in February 2027. This will be the first digital census, minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said | P7 The Cabinet is also learnt to have approved a bill that seeks to open up the civil nuclear power sector for private participation. Called the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, the proposed legislation aims to help the country achieve its target of 100 giga watts of atomic energy capacity by 2047 Cabinet clears 100% FDI in insurance P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi LEO AND BEHOLD Artist Swapan Kumar Das draws a portrait of football legend Lionel Messi ahead of his three-day GOAT Tour, in Kolkata, on Friday. Messi’s first stop will be Kolkata on Saturday. He will visit Hyderabad, Mumbai, and finally reach Delhi | PTI | P5 India isn’t on new US silicon supply chain grp May reflect Delhi’s AI status J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi A new US-led strategic initiative, named Pax Silica, which aims to build a secure, prosperous, and innovation-driven global silicon supply chain, has been launched without the inclusion of India amidst crucial trade negotiations between the two countries. The US State Department defined the initiative as focused on the entire silicon supply chain, “from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and logistics.” The inaugural Pax Silica Summit will have Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the UK, Israel, the UAE and Australia. The US State Department emphasised the group’s critical role, and said: “Together, these countries are home to the most important companies and investors powering the global AI supply chain.” The objective of Pax Silica is clearly strategic at a time when building alternative to Chineseled supply chains on critical minerals and emerging technologies are in focus. The alliance seeks “to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence, NEW DELHI OTHER BIG-TICKET CABINET DECISIONS E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi THE Indian embassy in Bangkok is maintaining close communication with Thai authorities about the detention of Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire on December 6. “Thai officials are currently proceeding with action under local laws, including arrangements for sending them back to India,” a source said. Goa Police personnel in Phuket are coordinating with the Indian embassy and the CBI to get the brothers deported. The Goa Police has recorded statements of around 50 people so far in connection with the fire incident. During the interrogation of arrested another co-owner, Ajay Gupta, the police found that when the fire broke out, the Luthra brothers were attending a wedding in the capital. When they were informed about the incident, they immediately made a getaway plan. “Ajay Gupta was present in Goa when the fire broke out on Saturday night, but he was not at the restaurant. However, he took a flight on Sunday morning and left for Delhi,” said a senior IPS officer.  Danish pharma major Novo Nordisk’s type 2 diabetes injection Ozempic is also popular globally for its weightloss benefits. A prescribed Ozempic injection would start with a 0.25 mg dose for four weeks at a total cost of `8,800. This is the company’s second medicine with semaglutide as the active ingredient to be launched in India after its weight-loss drug Wegovy. and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.” The initiative, which responds to “increasing risks from coercive dependencies” and a collective desire to secure all strategic “stacks” of the technology supply chain — including software, foundation models, semiconductors, and mineral refining --signals a concerted effort to establish a trusted economic order for the AI era. India’s exclusion is interesting, given that critical minerals have recently become a central focus of the bilateral relationship. In fact, the US and India in 2024 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on critical minerals supply chains, an important example of India’s bilateral cooperation in this sector, which aims to leverage “the two countries’ complementary strengths to ensure greater resilience in the critical minerals sector.” India’s absence from Pax Silica suggests that while the US and India are collaborating on mineral resilience, Delhi may not yet be perceived as a core, end-toend partner in the advanced segment of the global AI production ecosystem. There was no immediate reaction from Indian side THE Union Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal to raise the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in insurance firms from 74% to 100%, and usher in a set of structural reforms to strengthen the sector. The move is expected to draw substantial foreign capital, increase competition, and improve customer services across India’s insurance market. The government is likely to introduce the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in Parliament on Monday a senior finance min, istry official confirmed. By lifting the cap, the government aims to attract long-term global investors and deepen the sector’s capital base. “A more open market is expected to foster greater competition, leading to innovative product development, superior customer service standards, and the adoption of global best practices and technology,” said Narendra Ganpule, partner and insurance industry leader, Grant Thornton Bharat. The Centre expects that the higher ownership limit will unlock fresh global capital, enabling companies to scale operations, expand distribution, develop new products and enhance service standards. The government believes higher investment and competition will help extend insurance coverage to a wider population. Greater competition could also create jobs and improve efficiency . The reforms form part of a broader push to expand insurance penetration and align with the government’s long-term vision of achieving ‘Insurance for All by 2047’. To give effect to the changes, amendments to the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999, and the Insurance Act, 1938 will be introduced as part of the comprehensive legislative exercise. Alok Rungta, MD and CEO of Generali Central Life Insurance, said reforms may open doors for new players, who were waiting for 100% FDI to enter the market. Single regulator to replace UGC, AICTE & NCTE R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi THE Union Cabinet on Friday cleared a proposal to set up a single higher education regulator to replace multiple bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC). Sources said the government is likely to present a bill in the ongoing Parliament session, which concludes on December 19. The bill—previously called the Higher Education Commission of India Bill— has been renamed the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill. The move is in line with the National Education Policy which moots , a new unified body to subsume UGC, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). However, medical and law colleges will remain outside the new regulator’s scope, sources said. An official told this paper that the unified regulator is expected to have three major functions: regulation, accreditation and the setting of professional standards. Funding—considered the fourth pillar—is not expected to come under the regulator at this stage, with financial autonomy proposed to remain with the administrative ministry . The regulatory system is in need of a complete overhaul to re-energise the higher education sector and enable it to thrive — NEP 2020 IN PARLIAMENT GOVT AGREES WITH RAHUL ON BAD AIR DEBATE P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi IN a rare moment of unity, the government, on Friday, agreed to hold a discussion on air pollution in Parliament after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi called for an urgent, structured debate on the worsening crisis in major cities. Speaking in Lok Sabha, he described pollution as a cross-party public health emergency and urged a solution-driven approach rather than political sparring. He said the issue was not ideological, adding both sides could focus on solutions rather than trading accusations. “We 349 330 should have a detailed discussion in Parliament. The prime 330 314 307 minister should put in place a 308 methodical plan for each city— 282 DAILY one that can, over the next five AVERAGE or 10 years, make life easier for AQI IN our people,” he said. 259 DELHI Parliamentary Affairs MinisDEC 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ter Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready for a discussion and that the Business Advisory Committee could allot time for it. Gandhi warned of the scale of the crisis, saying, “Most major cities are living under a blanket of poisonous air.” He added, “This is an interesting issue because I am certain that there would be full agreement between the government and us on this. This is not an ideological issue; everybody in the House agrees that air pollution—and the damage it is doing to our people—is something we should cooperate on,” he said. Rijiju said the government had been open to discussing it and finding solutions with inputs from all members. Govt wants blue ticks on mostly dead handles Delhi Jal Board: Verified but posts only 1-2 times a month DUSIB: Last active in 2022 Red flag on ‘birth tourism’ Delhi Commission for Women: Last tweeted in August ’24 The US Embassy in India on Friday issued a public warning to tourist-visa applicants of a tough stance against what it called “birth tourism” | P7 MISSING IN ACTION Delhi Fire Service: Verified but posts only 2-3 times a month PWD Delhi: Verified; posts only 3-4 times in 15 days Delhi Tourism: Last posted on Nov 22 I F R A H M U F T I @ New Delhi DELHI government has directed all its departments to get their official social media handles verified and appoint nodal officers to oversee online communication. Nodal officers, at least of joint secretary rank, have been instructed to function as single-point contacts, responsible for timely posting of achievements. Despite the government preparing to spend a considerable amount to get blue ticks across over 100 departments, a closer look reveals that most of them are barely active online, rais- ing questions whether verification alone can improve public outreach. Yet the reality of the government’s digital performance stands in stark contrast to these directives. The Finance Department last posted in 2017, featuring a photograph of former minister Manish Sisodia. The Delhi Jal Board, although verified, posts only once or twice a month. The Delhi Transport Corporation is among the few consistently active bodies, tweeting roughly three times a day The Education Department . too maintains regular engagement on Instagram and X. DRAMATIC COMEBACK Vinesh training in Bengaluru as she takes big step towards LA28 F I R O Z M I R Z A @ Chennai IN a dramatic turnaround of events, one of India’s most decorated wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat has announced her intention to come out of retirement on Friday She has posted on X that . the fire is still burning and she would take one final shot at an Olympic medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Though the announcement seemed sudden, the wrestler had hinted her comeback when she moved to Bengaluru with her just-born child for training. Vinesh along with her husband Somvir Rathee welcomed a baby boy into the family in July Soon . after, she started fitness sessions at Pratap Sports School, Kharkhoda in Sonepat, Haryana. Om Prakash Dahiya, Vinesh’s childhood coach, said his ward has already moved to Bengaluru to train. “She is already in Bengaluru. Once again, the goal is to win an Olympic medal. She is accompanied by a wom- an there as she needs someone to take care of her son and training,” Dahiya said. As always, Olympic Gold Quest is supporting her. Vinesh, multiple World Championships, Asian Games and Common- ‘WITH BABY BY MY SIDE’ “...So here I am, stepping back toward LA28 with a heart that’s unafraid... And this time, I’m not walking alone my son is joining my team, my biggest motivation, my little cheerleader on this road to LA” wealth Games medallist, suffered heartbreaks at the Olympics not once but thrice. From her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games where she was stretchered out after suffering a knee injury on the mat to unfathomable loss at the 2021 Tokyo Games to disqualification hours before the gold medal bout for being 50 grams overweight at the 2024 Paris Games, the 31-year-old somehow always had a torturous outing at the world’s biggest stage. But the road to glory will not be easy Vinesh, who contested . and won from Haryana’s Julana constituency during the Assembly elections last year, has to start from scratch. She was an Indian Railway employee but resigned before joining politics. Now she has to earn her berth first in district and then state squad before making it to the Haryana team for the next P11 nationals in 2026. More weather stations in posh areas questioned J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi DISTRIBUTION of air quality monitoring stations in Delhi is heavily skewed and needs redistribution to address air pollution data gaps, a parliamentary panel recently observed. According to its report, most monitoring stations are installed in the central and southern Delhi, which are relatively less populated, greener, and more affluent. This creates a distorted and non-representative dataset, systematically excluding the more polluted, densely populated, and less affluent localities. The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment, Forests, and Climate Change has presented its 401st report entitled “Air Pollution in Delhi NCR and Steps Taken by Various Agencies for Its Mitigation.” The report notes that the six new proposed monitoring stations for Delhi are again planned for relatively greener areas, such as the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus, while the trans-Yamuna region has been “once again left out”, asking the govt to reconsider the decision.