WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard UKRAINE-RUSSIA ‘THE END OF EVERYTHING’ BY JOHN HARRISON WINS BOOKER NEW SECURITY FRAMEWORK TALKS First day of the Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi ended on Tuesday, with US calling for a ‘new’ security framework, as Europe fears Trump-Putin deal PAGE 9 FIRST SCI-FI TO GRAB BOOKER PRIZE A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00  It’s the first work of science fiction to take the prestigious 50,000-pound ($67,000) literary award, but 81-year-old Harrison said he doesn’t want to be hemmed in by the sci-fi label. Harrison beat five other finalists, including previous winners Douglas Stuart and Marlon James, the oddsmakers’ favourites, and Pulitzer Prize laureate Elizabeth Strout | P9 PAGES 12 Rahul had premonition on No talk on air pollution: House panel Rajiv assassination: Sonia has raised strong objections to the omission and written to the committee chairperson, Radha Mohan Das Agrawal. Agrawal, when contacted, said he was not aware of Maken’s letter. “I am ignorant of the letter,” he said. On why the pollution issue was dropped from the revised agenda, Agrawal said he does not discuss issues relating to committee meetings in public. The earlier agenda for the panel meeting stated, “To hear the views of the Ministry of Home Affairs and concerned agencies on the subject ‘ ir polA lution in Delhi-NCR: Enforcement of Regulatory measures, effective implementation of GRAP measures, protection of vulnerable sections and coordi- P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi Memoir says his warning came 2 months before the murder in 1991 P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi TWO months before Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, Rahul Gandhi had warned Sonia Gandhi about the inadequate security of the for mer prime minister. This is one of the most poignant revelations in Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love, released on Tuesday . In the memoir, Sonia opens up about some of the most contentious chapters of her personal and political life including the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the 2002 Gujarat violence, her strained relationship with Maneka Gandhi, and the decision to turn down the prime minister’s post in 2004. Rahul’s eerie premonition about his father’s security came two months before Rajiv’s assassination on May 21, 1991. Sonia writes that as her world came crashing down when Rajiv was killed in an explosion in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, the warning by her son echoed in her mind. “If something isn’t done about Pa’s security, I know I’ll soon have to come back for his funeral,” Rahul had told his mother just two months earlier while on a tour with Rajiv. The final attempt on Rajiv’s life came a little over a year after his Special Protection Group (SPG) cover was withdrawn by the V P Singh government without conducting a fresh threat assessment. A committee had recommended that the SPG cover must continue “unless a change was warranted by some fresh threat assessment,” Sonia writes. She learnt about Rajiv’s assassination when Priyanka informed her about a phone call, a bomb explosion, people dying, and urging her to get ready HE has blue eyes, a pale coat and no health issues. What Tejas, the white tiger transferred to Dehradun zoo from Gwalior zoo to draw crowds, lacks is a calendar slot. Tejas arrived on September 28 and has spent over 40 days in quarantine, though such periods normally last 20-30 days. Zoo officials said the delay in his public debut is ceremonial as his enclosure awaits a formal inauguration. Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal was first slated to inaugurate the enclosure, but the onus was then shifted to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. This prompted the forest department to seek an appointment. Uniyal said the CMO has now offered November 17. If all goes well, the general public will see Tejas nearly 50 days after his arrival. “Since arriving in Dehradun, Tejas has remained completely healthy and active,” senior veterinarian at Dehradun zoo Dr Pradeep Mishra told this paper. He said the tiger was showing normal activity and was in good health. The delay has disappointed wildlife enthusiasts who have been waiting to see the animal. Till the formal opening, Tejas will remain in his enclosure at the Dehradun zoo. nation among law enforcement and government agencies.” The amended agenda will now hear only the views of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on the issue of “drug trafficking and narcotics control: Emerging threats and institutional response”. Maken wrote to Agrawal, “I wish to register my objection to the omission of the air-pollution hearing from the revised agenda for November 17, 2026. Given the urgency of health risks, I request that this change be reconsidered and the hearing restored to that date.” “I therefore request restoration of the air-pollution hearing on November 17. If restoration is not possible, please fix and communicate the earliest firm alternative date, together with the reason for the change. I would be grateful for a response before the scheduled meeting,” he said. Maken said that he had requested an examination of air pollution in his letter of November 2. P3 Some relief as crude slips below India, US held $90 for the first time since Aug talks on trade, customs in Delhi last week PROPOSED PACT RAKESH KUMAR & ARSHAD KHAN @ New Delhi It is good prices have declined. But looking through the perspective of Budget FY27, it is not a comfortable situation P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi File picture of Rajiv Gandhi comforting son Rahul at the funeral of Indira Gandhi, after her assassination in New Delhi in 1984 to go to Tamil Nadu. Rahul was in the US. “A friend had called Rahul to say, ‘It’s bad news, and he’d replied immediately, ‘Papa is dead, isn’t he?’ Sonia recalls. The memoir revisits the tumultuous days following the anti-Sikh violence that followed and the political controversies that dogged Rajiv’s tenure. Sonia also reflects on one of her most challenging personal assignments of bringing the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam into the alliance in 2004. “Though I spoke no Tamil and he did not speak English, his response was cordial. We went on to meet and go through all the steps of joining forces.” Opening up about her decision to decline the prime ministership in 2004, Sonia recounts how Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee hinted at his “long-held desire” to become prime minister during a conversation with her in 2010. She also recalls that there were occasional embarrassing instances, such as Rajiv Gandhi’s public sacking of a senior official. White tiger’s AI-powered cameras ready, the with facial recognition ribbon isn’t tech to man trade fair N A R E N D R A S E T H I @ Dehradun THE Congress on Tuesday questioned a Parliamentary committee’s decision to drop the key issue of air pollution in NCR from the agenda of its November 17 meeting, even as the national capital grapples with polluted air. The Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs had earlier decided to hear the views of the Ministry of Home Affairs and concerned agencies on the issue and hold a discussion. The panel circulated the meeting’s agenda, which included the air pollution issue, among its members on November 5, but dropped the topic from the revised agenda. Congress MP Ajay Maken PARVEEN NEGI N I T I N R A W AT @ New Delhi AT Bharat Mandapam, an AIeyed security network awaits thousands of visitors when the India International Trade Fair (IITF) opens on November 13. Delhi Police will deploy AIpowered cameras with facial recognition technology to scan the crowds and flag suspicious individuals, adding a high-tech layer to an elaborate security blanket around the venue. Around 5,000 police personnel and paramilitary forces will be deployed, while nearly 1,000 CCTV cameras will monitor activities across the premises. Special teams comprising plainclothes personnel will move around the venue to keep a close watch on the crowd. Traffic personnel will be stationed outside Bharat Mandapam to regulate vehicular movement. Additional DCP (New Delhi) Manjeet Sheoran said that the safety and security of visitors remained the foremost concern. The arrangements, he said, would allow people to enjoy the fair and shop without apprehension, with security personnel deployed throughout the event to respond swiftly to any emergency . As in previous editions, a dedicated police station will be set up inside the venue to ensure prompt action on com- plaints and any untoward incidents. Visitors will also have six help desks at their disposal to assist with directions and address grievances. Backing the cameras, five control rooms will monitor the fairgrounds and adjoining areas, with reports of disturbances or suspicious activity immediately relayed to the concerned teams for a quick response. The fairgrounds can accommodate around 1.25 lakh visitors at a time, and these measures will help police closely track visitors’ movements to prevent overcrowding. Entry to each hall will be regulated according to its capacity , with fresh entry temporarily stopped as it nears the limit and resumed only after the crowd thins out, police said. The staggered entry system can prevent congestion in busy areas and reduce the risk of stampede-like situations. INDIA and the US held detailed discussions on the customs and trade facilitation chapter of the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) in New Delhi last week, government sources said. A two-member US team visited on November 2-3. “Last week two members came to India to have a detailed discussion on the chapters related to customs and trade facilitation,” a source said. Commerce ministry officials said negotiations were on track, with talks under way to finalise the first tranche of the pact. The announcement came days after US President Donald Trump’s Republican Party lost control of both chambers of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections. Officials said technical talks would continue irrespective of the outcome and that bilateral ties were not likely to be affected. Indian exporters hope the result will give fresh life to India-US talks, as it checks Trump’s ability to push key agenda, including tariffs and anti-immigration measures. The two sides have been negotiating the BTA since February Differences over . tariff and access to India’s agri-dairy markets remain sticking points, along with the threat of US tariff under Section 301 apart from sanctions over oil purchase from Russia. The official also said that technical discussions on BTA will continue irrespective of the mid-term poll outcome, and India’s relation with the US is unlikely to be impacted. Pronab Sen, former chief statistician Pullback in crude oil prices definitely augurs well sentimentally for domestic equities Sunny Agrawal, head – fundamental research , SBI Securities Indian basket average cost The Indian crude basket averaged $100.01 a barrel in November, down 17% from $119.91 in October. It had averaged $116.09 in September, $90.19 in August and $82.04 in July. The basket was priced at $96.39 on November 6 GIVING a shot in the arm to Indian markets, international oil benchmark Brent crude fell below $90 a barrel on Tuesday for the first time since August as US President Donald Trump signalled that the West Asia war may be coming to a close. Brent, the price gauge for around 80% of global crude, hit a low of $89.03 per barrel in morning trade in London. Crude oil is a big burden on India’s imports bill, with the country sourcing 85% of its requirements from overseas. Falling prices could translate into lower transport costs and lower prices of goods and services, thus improving the purchasing power of households. The fall in crude prices will likely bring cheers to equities, bonds and the rupee, and if the price sustains it may prompt RBI to rethink its pace in the battle against inflation. On Monday the Sensex added , 107.25 points, or 0.13%, to close at 81,106.65, while the Nifty50 closed 58.25 points, or 0.23%, higher at 25,044.65. On Tuesday , the markets remained closed for Diwali-Balipratipada. The rupee has weakened nearly 4% against the dollar this year, despite gaining some ground in recent weeks. PRICE CORRECTION The fall in oil prices came after US President Donald Trump said he would hold off on fresh strikes against Iran. Hopes of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine also supported the fall in prices Analysts, however, aren’t willing to uncork the bubbly early They said the fall in pric. es may not last long as global oil supplies remain tight and countries will need to replenish their strategic reserves. “Global reserves, particularly in OECD countries and China, have come down considerably and have been drawn upon during the disruption,” said Prashant Vasisht, senior vicePresident and co-group head, corporate sector, ICRA.Vasisht said countries would need to rebuild their strategic petroleum reserves. Earlier, the West Asia conflict had triggered a massive price shock with Brent soaring to a peak of $118 in March. YAMUNA 40-MINUTE CRUISE FOR `500 LAUNCHED The ‘Namo Yamuna River Safari’, launched on Tuesday, will take passengers on a 6-km round trip between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur. Each ride will last 40 minutes | P3 BJP GAMEPLAN NCP merger bid amid Pawar family turf war S U D H I R S U R YA W A N S H I @ Mumbai WHILE the proposed merger of the two Nationalist Congress Party factions has gathered momentum, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar remains reluctant to surrender control of the party founded by her late husband Ajit Pawar. At the centre of the political drama is Sharad Pawar, who is keen to reunite the party he founded in 1999. Highly placed sources said the BJP wants to secure the support of Sharad Pawar and his nine Lok Sabha MPs to strengthen its position in Par- Sunetra Pawar with Parth | FILE PIC liament and weaken the Congress-led Opposition. A video of NCP working president Praful Patel’s interaction with Sharad Pawar at hospital, indicating they would meet after Tuesday fuelled speculation. , However, Sunetra Pawar and her son Parth are against any merger. At a recent meeting of senior NCP leaders with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, the BJP urged them to expedite the merger. Sunetra Pawar’s exclusion from the meet suggested BJP could explore its plan directly with NCP leaders. Signs of a shift in NCP’s position have since emerged. NCP Maharashtra chief Sunil Tatkare recently acknowledged talks took place and the matter was discussed when Ajit Pawar was alive. Concerned about losing control of the party, Sunetra and Parth Pawar have questioned if Sharad Pawar, given his secular ideology would be comfortable , working under Modi and Shah. However, sources said Sharad Pawar is keeping his options open. One of his priorities is to secure a prominent role for his daughter, Supriya Sule. He is also confident of winning the legal battle over the NCP. An NCP (SP) leader offered a different perspective: “He is a politician whose decisions cannot be considered final until the last moment... If the BJP believes it can rely on the political calculations of an 86-year-old leader at such a crucial and uncertain juncture, good luck to them.”