TUESDAY 20 Feb 24, 2022 MAY, 2025 WHEN RUSSIA INVADED UKRAINE, STARTING ONE OF THE LONGEST WARS epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard ‘VATICAN READY TO HOST NEGOTIATIONS’ N E TA N YA H U CLEARS AID, 9 TRUCKS TO ENTER GAZA CITY Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday his decision to resume limited aid to Gaza Strip after months long blockade came after pressure from allies. PAGE 9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS No N-signalling by Pak during conflict: Misri Foreign secretary briefs parliamentary panel, says US had no role in brokering the ceasefire P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi MAINTAINING that the recent conflict between India and Pakistan was always in the conventional domain, and there was no nuclear signalling by the neighbouring country For, eign Secretary Vikram Misri told a parliamentary committee on Monday that the United States had no role in the ceasefire between the two countries, sources said. The meeting came in the wake of Operation Sindoor to avenge the slaughter of 26 civilians in Pahalgam. According to sources, the three-and-a-half hour meeting saw several Opposition members questioning Misri on US President Donald Trump’s repeated assertion of his role in brokering a ceasefire between the two nations. Many members pointed out that the US is having a free run with its narrative of mediation and has succeeded in re-hyphenating India with Pakistan. “Misri replied that we have given sufficient response on this,” said a source. Another member pointedly questioned why India “allowed Trump to repeatedly seize the narrative”. Misri reiterated that India has been consistent with its stated position that the decision on ceasefire was taken at a bilateral level. “Misri emphatically told the panel that there was no US mediation in the ceasefire,” said a source. Some MPs asked if Pakistan used Chinese platforms in the TMC pulls out of all-party delegation The row over nomination of MPs to multi-party delegations continued on Monday, with TMC’s Yusuf Pathan, named by the Centre in one of the delegations, opting out. The party said it was not boycotting the diplomatic exercise but wanted to assert its right to pick its representative. | P7 conflict. Misri said it did not matter as India hammered Pakistani air bases. On reports that India lost fighter jets during the conflict, he said it was the defence ministry’s call and didn’t want to go into such details. “The Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) informed his Pakistani counterpart that India struck nine terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and in Pakistan on May 7. Pakistan responded with an escalation, prompting India to retaliate. It was only after India’s retaliatory strikes, which included targeting key Pakistani air bases and disabling a runway at Nur Khan, that Pakistan requested a DGMO-level call,” he told the meeting. Sources said the panel unanimously condemned the trolling of Misri and praised his professional conduct. The meeting chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was attended by several parliamentarians. P7 US visa restrictions on travel agencies over immigration J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi THE US has announced new visa restrictions on owners, executives, and senior officials of Indian travel agencies allegedly involved in facilitating illegal immigration to the country. In a statement released on Monday, the US State Department said it is taking steps to disrupt networks engaged in human smuggling and illegal immigration. “Mission India’s Consular Affairs and Diplomatic Security Service work every day across our Embassy and Consulates to actively identify and target those engaged A VIS in facilitating illegal immigration and human smuggling,” the statement said. The visa sanctions are aimed specifically at individuals in the travel industry who are believed to have knowingly assisted clients in entering the US unlawfully. “Our immigration policy aims not only to inform foreign nationals about the dangers of illegal immigration to the US but also to hold accountable individuals who violate our laws,” the State Department said. The policy applies globally and even affects those who might otherwise qualify for the US Visa Waiver Programme.  NEW DELHI R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday rejected telecom companies’ pleas seeking waiver of the interest, penalty, and interest on penalty components of their pending adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, collectively amounting to over `80,000 crore. Terming the petitions by Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel, and Tata Teleservices ‘misconceived’, a bench of justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said: “We are really shocked by these petitions which have come before us. Really disturbed. It is not expected of a multinational company We will dismiss it.” . HOW many day jobs can one manage simultaneously? Not one, two, or three. In a startling revelation, background verification firm OnGrid said that a candidate was on the payrolls of 10 different companies at the same time, between 2018 and 2021, without a single day’s gap between roles. Not just that. The candidate, a woman in her early 30s, had 141 jobs in seven years. OnGrid said it found out this extreme case of moonlighting using its  PAGES 12 Voda shares down After the SC order, shares of Vodafone Idea fell 8.41% to settle at `6.75 on the BSE on Monday. The company’s market valuation eroded by `6,933.95 crore to `72,914.86 crore, data showed Vodafone Idea, India’s third largest telecom service provider, had moved SC last week seeking a waiver of over `30,000 crore in it owes the government. Later, Bharti Airtel, along with its unit Bharti Hexacom, also filed a petition in the SC requesting a waiver of `34,745 crore in dues. Tata Teleservices sought relief on `16,798 crore it owes the government. During the hearing, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Vodafone Idea, sought an adjournment of the case to July saying the parties , were trying to approach the government for relief. However, the bench rejected it and proceeded to dismiss the case. Earlier, Vodafone Idea had claimed it was not in a position to pay AGR instalments, adding that it may be forced to shut down operations. The telco said that without the government’s support on AGR relief, the company’s ongoing discussions with banks regarding funding will stall. This will also jeopardise the telco’s plans for further investment and may also lead to service disruption, it added. PRE-MONSOON PAIN Locals being evacuated on a rubber boat from Bengaluru’s Sai Layout following heavy rain on Monday | SHASHIDHAR BYRAPPA | P5 MOSCOW, KYIV TO NEGOTIATE CEASEFIRE TERMS On his telephone conversation with Putin, Trump said: “I believe it went very well. Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the war.” The conditions for the ceasefire, he said, will be negotiated between the two sides, as they know the “details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of” | P9 against Col Qureshi S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday castigated Madhya Pradesh minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for his scurrilous “sister of terrorists” remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and ordered setting up a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the FIR against him in the matter. “The entire nation was in shame due to the comments... We saw your videos, you were on the verge of using very filthy language but somehow better sense prevailed or you did not find suitable words. You should be shameful. Entire country is proud of our Army and you made this statement,” said a two-judge bench of justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh. The court brushed aside his apology and wondered if “they were crocodile tears or an attempt to wriggle out of the legal proceedings”. “What kind of apology was this? You should have simply admitted your mis- FOUL AIR NO RESPITE FROM TOXIC AIR IN NATIONAL CAPITAL take and apologised but you say ‘if you have said this and that’ then I apologise. This is not the way to seek apology The kind . of crass comments you made, you should be shameful,” the bench said. It asked the Director General of Police in Madhya Pradesh to constitute the SIT by Tuesday . “We are constituting a SIT with three IPS officers and one should be the rank of IG or DGP rank. All of them should be [from] outside the state. It is a litmus test and we want the state to submit the SIT report to us. We would like to have a very close watch.” The bench, however, stayed Shah’s arrest. Criticising the Madhya Pradesh government for its inaction in the matter, the court asked, “What have you done after registering the FIR? Has he [SHO] examined what kind of offence is made out? What is the status?” On May 14, the MP High Court had taking suo motu cognisance of Shah’s disgraceful comment and ordered the police to register an FIR against him. The city’s air pollution crisis remains dire, posing severe health risks to the city residents and an enormous economic burden on them. | P3 SC to hear plea on prof’s arrest over Op Sindoor remarks S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a petition filed by Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad challenging his arrest by the Haryana police for his alleged statement on Operation Sindoor. Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal appeared for the professor before the two-judge bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, saying, “He has been arrested for BREXIT UK, EU INK DEALS IN FIRST MEET Britain and EU hailed a new chapter in their ties on Monday after they sealed new agreements on defence and easing trade flows at their first summit since Brexit. | P9 Young woman did 141 jobs in 7 years! Employment History Check solution, powered by verified EPFO data. In 2020, while the world grappled with layoffs and employment uncertainty this in, dividual clocked 50 new jobs, switching between start-ups, large enterprises, and MNCs. OnGrid had earlier witnessed cases of candidates clocking jobs in doubledigits. But a moonlighting of this scale was a first. “As remote work, freelancing, and hybrid models become J8.00 US President Donald Trump announced the news through his social media account after a two-hour call with Russian prez Vladimir Putin on Monday Misconceived: SC junks Vodafone, SIT probe ordered Airtel petitions for waiver of dues into ‘shameful’ slur MOONLIGHTING U M A K A N N A N @ Bengaluru  Trump said he has spoken to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen as well as other European leaders about the positive development RUSSIA, UKRAINE TO IMMEDIATELY START CEASEFIRE TALKS: TRUMP the norm, employment risks are also evolving. Traditional background checks are simply not enough anymore,” said Piyush Peshwani, co-founder & CEO, OnGrid. “This case is a wakeup call,” he added. A d i t ya N a r aya n Mishra, MD & CEO of CIEL HR said people moonlight not just for extra income. It can be for pursuing a passion project, acquiring new skills, or giving back to the community through teaching, he said. ‘Deeply troubling’ Ali Khan Mahmudabad’s arrest sparked outrage across academic circles on Monday, with teachers of Delhi University and JNU issuing statements in solidarity with the Ashoka University professor, calling the charges against him “deeply troubling”. P4 was remanded to two-day police custody after the Haryana police arrested him from Delhi following the registration of two separate cases. In his defence, he clarified that his comments had been completely misunderstood. The prosecution charged him with endangering India’s sovereignty unity and integri, ty for his alleged comments on Operation Sindoor. The FIR is based on the complaint of Haryana State Commission for Women under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sec- a patriotic statement. Please list the matter for hearing.” The bench said that it would list the matter for hearing on May 20 or 21. Mahmudabad, the associate professor and head of the political science department at Ashoka University in Haryana, had moved top court to challenge his arrest. On Sunday, Mahmudabad Govt rapped over pollution control body vacancies ‘Better safe than sorry’, says HC on govt’s move against Celebi contract P R A B H AT S H U K L A @ New Delhi SLAMMING authorities for dragging their feet on filling key positions in pollution control bodies, the Supreme Court on Monday issued an ultimatum to the Delhi government and neighbouring states, warning of contempt proceedings for continued non-compliance with its earlier orders. The SC’s remarks came while hearing a plea on the poor functioning of state pollution control boards and committees due to severe staff shortages, which it said directly impacted their ability to tackle the growing air pollution crisis in NCR. Taking strong exception to the vacancies in the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the Delhi government to ensure that all vacant posts are filled by September 2025. “We cannot tolerate the laxity shown by the Delhi government especially when Delhi is worst affected by air pollution,” the bench said. E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi A Delhi High Court bench on Monday heard a petition filed by Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Ltd against the termination of their services, and said it was better to be safe than sorry in cases where national security was involved. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoked the ground handling services contract of the Turkish-headquartered firms on May 15, citing national security. This was in light of Turkey backing Pakistan during the India-Pakistan confrontation post-Operation Sindoor. The firms contended that the decision was arbitrary . Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Centre, said, “I am saying that it is a national security issue and the order (revoking clearance) reflects the same. An enemy can make 10 attempts and succeed in one, while security CISF to continue check-in bag screening till May 21 The Central Industrial Security Force will continue to monitor the check-in luggage of passengers and cargo operations at 69 civil airports until May 21. The four-day extension has been given by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. agencies have to succeed on all 10 occasions. National security based upon civil aviation security has to be placed on the highest pedestal.” Justice Sachin Datta responded, “The rule is better safe than sorry .” Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for the firm, argued the decision was taken due to public perception. “It appears to me that it is because of public perception since the shareholding of the company is of Turkish nationals,” he said. “The petitioners were not ‘rogue’ companies whose business could be trammelled with ‘one stroke’ on a day’s notice,” Rohatgi added. tions, including 152 (acts endangering sovereignty or unity and integrity of India), 353 (statements conducing to public mischief), 79 (deliberate actions aimed at insulting the modesty of a woman), Section 196(1) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion). The State Women’s Commission also criticised Mahmudabad, describing his comments as disparaging toward women officers in the Armed Forces and said that it also promoted communal disharmony . EXPRESS READ Redevelopment of ISBT Sarai Kale Khan cleared A major hurdle in redevelopment of ISBT Sarai Kale Khan and its integration with RRTS network has been removed with L-G VK Saxena granting approval to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation for allotment of a Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board land at Sarai Kale Khan. P4 3 trampled to death by wild elephants in MP Three elderly villagers were reportedly trampled to death by two wild elephants in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh on Monday. While directing a probe by the forest department, MP CM Mohan Yadav announced compensation of `25 lakh each for families of each deceased. Max temp 40.8oC; rain, storms predicted today Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 40.80C on Monday, 0.4 notch above the seasonal average, the Met said. The weather office has forecast a thunderstorm with rain on Tuesday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to settle around 390C and 280C.