MONdAY 30 JUNE, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard Russia launches 'biggest ever aerial attack' on Ukraine Israel-iran conflic t strike AT Tehran prison KILLS 71 Russia bombarded Ukraine with over 500 drones and missiles overnight, a Ukrainian official said on Sunday At least 71 people were killed in Israel’s attack on Tehran’s Evin prison, a facility where many political prisoners and dissidents are lodged, Iran said on Sunday. 477 drones, 60 missiles fired in ONE night A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS Page 09 l New Delhi l J8.00 l PAGES 12 Russia fired a total of 537 aerial weapons at Ukraine, including 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles, Ukraine's air force said. Of these, 249 were shot down and 226 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. The Russian attacks downed an F-16 warplane, killing its pilot. Ukraine withdraws from anti-land mine pact | P9 Maharashtra govt rescinds orders on 3-language policy S u d h i r S u r ya w a nsh i @ Mumbai THE Maharashtra government on Sunday decided to rescind the decision to introduce Hindi as a third language in primary schools, a move that was panned by opposition parties as ‘Hindi imposition’. Announcing the decision on Sunday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said: “The state cabinet has decided to withdraw the Government Resolutions issued in April and June regarding the implementation of the three-language policy from Class 1.” Following the announcement, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnir man S e n a a n d U d d h av Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) cancelled their protest march planned on July 5 against the earlier government orders on teaching Hindi in primary schools. Fadnavis said a committee headed by economist and writer Narendra Jadhav will be formed to study the three-language formula and submit a detailed report on whether it can be implemented in primary schools. Till then, the government orders about introducing Hindi as a third language stand cancelled, he said. “The decision of third language policy was accepted by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray as it was recommended by scientist Raghunath Mashelkar. One Shiv Sena (UBT) member even said that Marathi, English, and Hindi should be made mandatory up to graduation level,” Fadnavis said, adding that Uddhav wanted to implement the recommendations but now has taken a U-turn. Uddhav dismissed the claim, saying he had appointed a study group on Mashelkar panel suggestions, but the group did not hold even a single meeting Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said the development is a victory of Marathi unity . Meanwhile, Fadnavis also sought to clarify he is against imposition of any language. “The decision over Hindi as a third language will be taken only after consulting with other stakeholders. Whatever decision we will take, will be taken unanimously he said. ,” Political observers say the move might dent Fadnavis’ image as he would now be seen as buckling under pressure. Delhi govt seeks `1K cr for measures to clean up air A N U P V ER M A @ New Delhi Relatives of the deceased mourn the deaths in Puri; people gather near chariots of Lord Jagannath during the annual ‘Rath Yatra’ in Puri, Odisha, on Sunday | PTI Three crushed in stampede at Puri Several injured in incident near Gundicha temple; tragedy when trucks entered crowded area R a j Kum a r M o h a nt y & As i sh M e hta @ Puri/Bhubaneshwwar THREE devotees, including two women, were killed and six others suffered injuries when a stampede-like situation broke out in front of Gundicha Temple in Puri here in the wee hours on Sunday After chariot. pulling was completed as part of Rath Yatra, all three chariots were parked in front of the temple when the tragedy took place around 4.20 am. The temple is significant for being the destination of the annual Rath Yatra. Two of the victims died on the spot while the third succumbed in a hospital. Six more injured have been admitted to the district headquarters hospital, Puri collector Sidharth Shankar Swain said. The deceased were identified as Basanti Sahu (36) of Bolagarh, Pravati Das (45) from Balipatna and Prema Kant Mohanty (78) from Khurda. The tragedy took place when the morning ‘pahada’ lifting (opening for darshan) rituals had just kicked off leading to a sudden rush of devotees to catch a glimpse of the deities on the chariots. The gathering in front of Lord Jagannath’s chariot Nandighosa swelled and amid the push and pull, people start- Collector, SP shunted Guv condoles deaths Just after the tragedy, Puri collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and SP Vinit Agrawal were transferred, while DCP Bishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi were suspended for the serious lapses Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Sunday expressed grief over the death of three persons in the crush. Kambhampati said on X: “Saddened by tragic loss of lives in the unfortunate stampede at Saradhabali” Jagannath for the loss of lives. He also directed a probe by Development Commissioner Anu Garg and announced a compensation of `25 lakh each for kin of the deceased persons. While Law minister Pritihiviraj Harichandan, the minister in charge of the Jagannath temple affairs, and temple administrator Arabinda Padhee were missing in action for the major part of the day DGP YB , Khurania was rushed to Puri to manage the aftermath. According to eye-witnesses, there was complete absence of police or security near the chariots. Eye-witnesses said barring a few constables, no senior officer was present at the site. There were no ambulance service or medics too. The first response came from locals who helped move the injured to the hospital. P5 Capital monsoon wait finally over, heavy rain likely ahead, says IMD Woman, friend held in Kerala over murder of two newborns PRA B H AT S H U K L A @ New Delhi G o p i k a V a r r i e r @ Thrissur Police on Sunday arrested a 25-year-old man and his woman friend in connection with the murder of their two babies over the past four years in Thrissur. The arrests followed a dramatic turn of events on Saturday night when Bhavin, in a highly intoxicated state, walked into the Puthukkad police station carrying a bag containing skeletal remains, reportedly of two infants. According to cops, Bhavin, a native of Amballoor, told the officers that his girlfriend, Aneesha,23, had killed their babies. Thrissur Rural SP B Krishnakumar said: “The police officers were shocked to hear the news, and I was immediately called by the Chalakudy DySP. Without hesitation, we took swift action to verify Bhavin’s claims that his girlfriend had killed the babies.” A team was assembled at midnight to probe the case, and Aneesha, the babies’ mother, was also taken into custody . During interrogation, Aneesha reportedly confessed to murdering their second child. Later, police recorded the duo’s arrest under various charges, including murder. The couple, who met on Facebook in 2020, had been in a relationship despite opposition from Aneesha’s mother. She has been residing in Vellikulangara with her mother and brother, who according to Aneesha were unaware of the incidents. The samples of skeletal remains will be sent for forensic examination. DNA tests will be done to ensure the babies were of Aneesha and Bhavin. The police have identified the spot where the second baby was buried. However, the case will be challenging as the events happened several months ago. ed falling over each other. Eyewitness accounts said two trucks entered the area to unload the ladder parts for fixing the chariots to facilitate pahandi of the deities to the Gundicha temple. Devotees had to squeeze themselves to pave the way for the vehicles and the tragedy occurred. Expressing anguish over the incident, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi sought forgiveness from devotees of Lord Flames of protest A torch rally to protest against the gangrape of a Kolkata law student in her college, in Siliguri, West Bengal, on Sunday | pti | P8 express read Punjab boy youngest to scale Mt Elbrus Teghbir Singh, aged six years and nine months, from Punjab’s Ropar has become the youngest to scale Mount Elbrus (18,510 ft), Europe’s highest peak located in Russia. Teghbir began his trek on June 20 and reached the summit on June 28. In August 2024, he became the youngest Asian to scale Mt Kilimanjaro | P8 83 B’desh nationals detained from capital Shivraj slams MP forest dept over ‘evictions’ Delhi Police has apprehended 83 Bangladeshi nationals, including 33 minors, from various localities of east Delhi for staying illegally in the capital, an official said on Sunday. So far, 120 Bangladesh nationals have been apprehended under a special drive launched in November 2024 to take legal action against illegal immigrants. Accompanied by tribals alleging eviction from their land for a wildlife sanctuary, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday. “I’m cautioning the forest department, don’t commit this mistake again. Whatever is being done by them is to tarnish the government,” Chouhan fired. The long-awaited monsoon finally arrived in Delhi on Sunday, two days later than its usual onset date of June 27. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that the southwest monsoon covered the entire country on June 29, nine days before the usual July 8. Its arrival provided muchneeded relief from the intense heat spell that gripped the city in early June, as temperatures dropped significantly over the past 24 hours. According to the weather office, light to moderate rainfall occurred in several parts of Delhi on Saturday, with heavy showers recorded in some isolated areas. The city also experienced strong easterly winds reaching up to 33 kmph and a marked fall in both day and night temperatures. Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 32.8oC, which is 4.4 degrees below normal, and a minimum of 26.8oC, slightly below the seasonal average. Other stations reported simi- lar trends. Palam, Ridge, Ayanagar, and Lodi Road all registered daytime highs in the 31-33 oC range, with rainfall ranging between 0.5 mm and 13.6 mm. The city remained under a generally cloudy sky for most of the day, with thunder and lightning accompanying spells of rain in parts of Central, South, and East Delhi. The forecast for the next few days indicates persistent wet conditions. From June 30 to July 5, the capital is likely to see generally cloudy skies with light to moderate rainfall across all districts. T hunderstorms and lightning are expected daily, and some areas may receive heavy rain, particularly during the early part of the week. Maximum temperatures are predicted to hover between 31oC and 35oC, while the minimum will range from 23oC to 28oC. With high humidity levels and continued rainfall expected, waterlogging and traffic disruptions are likely in low-lying areas. However, fall in temperature is expected to ease the heat stress across the city . THE Delhi government has requested a grant of `1,000 crore from the Centre to deploy new technology and implement measures to improve the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital, PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Sunday . Verma, along with Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, was inspecting the Nehru Park area as part of the government’s initiative to install air purifiers in the city . “Since we have formed the government, our cabinet minister Singh Sirsa and his department have taken several steps in lowering pollution and AQI in Delhi. We will identify spots in Delhi and come forward with our best technology We have re. quested a funding of `1000 crore from the central government for this,”Sahib Singh said. The ministers visited Nehru Park to review the feasibility of creating a pilot Clean Air Zone. The government is evaluating whether the installation of outdoor air purifiers across public parks can create micro-climates of significantly cleaner air, particularly during days with increased AQI levels. This is part of a larger exploratory study that could lead to Delhi’s first Clean Air Zone if found viable. The 85-acre Nehru Park has been identified as a potential pilot site for the installation of 150 advanced air purification machines, subject to further analysis. “We are conducting a study. The technology has shown promise in limited applications, and we aim to determine whether it can work across larger green zones, such as Nehru Park. We aim to ask people if the technology fit to work or not in their feedback,” said Sirsa. “This is part of a proactive approach — testing innovation before scale, and only where it truly benefits people.” Each proposed purifier is over 9 feet tall and uses advanced filtration technology to capture harmful PM2.5 particles. If implemented in the future, these could cover a 400– 600 square meter radius and offer year-round relief to walkers, joggers, and children using the park. fuel ban move on elvs faces challenges The capital fuel ban policy for ELVs faces challenges ahead of its July 1 rollout. Petrol stations lack preparedness, with uninformed staff and technical glitches | P4 Tension-free travel From next month, rly to release reservation chart 8 hrs before departure RAJE S H K U M AR T H AK U R @ New Delhi AS part of its efforts to ease passenger comfort, the rail ministry is planning to release reservation charts eight hours prior to a train’s departure. Currently, the charts are released four hours before the scheduled departure. The new system is expected to come into effect from next month. Early preparation and release of charts will help passengers on waitlisted tickets know their status early enough to make alternative arrangements in case of nonconfirmation. The decision follows a series of meetings between railway officials and Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on how to improve ticket booking and t r av e l c o nv e n i e n c e f o r passengers. “To improve travel uncertainty, the rail ministry has proposed the new time frame to release the reservation chart, most likely to be implemented by July 1 or a few days late as it requires some technical modification in the system,” said a senior official. The official added steps are also being taken to streamline the ticket booking process. Vaishnaw has been reviewing the progress of these reforms closely reiterat, ing during every meeting that the ticketing system should be smart, transparent, accessible, and efficient. “To reduce uncertainties on waitlisted tickets, the railway board has proposed pre- paring the reservation chart eight hours before the departure. The railway minister has agreed with this proposal and directed the board to start implementing this in phases so that there is no disruption,” said an official. With the new system in place, passengers will receive the first update on their waitlist status well in advance. “The most important benefit of early chart release system will be to the passengers travelling from remote locations for catching long-distance trains. It will also provide more time to make alternative arrangements in case the wait list is not confirmed,” a senior official added. Indian Railways has also begun upgrading its Passenger Reservation System, to handle 1.5 lakh bookings per minute— up from 32,000 tickets now.