MONDAY 11 25 AUGUST, 2025 HE FEATURED IN 11 TEST WINS IN SENA COUNTRIES, THE MOST FOR ANY INDIAN THIRTEEN-YEAR-LONG TEST CAREER COMES TO AN END epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard UKRAINE 34TH I-DAY AMID RUSSIAN STRIKES PUJARA RETIRES FROM ALL FORMS OF CRICKET Russia on Sunday accused Ukraine of drone attacks that triggered fire at a nuclear power plant in western Kursk, as Ukraine marked its Independence Day. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9  NEW DELHI  J8.00  The Saurashtra batter who served as India’s Test No 3 for more than a decade calls it a day... PAGES 12 Pujara, who last played for India in the 2023 World Test Championship final, announced his retirement on Sunday. “Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field - it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket,” the 37-year-old posted on social media | P11 First flight-test of home-grown air After Trump tariff, uncertainty defence weapon system successful looms over ‘textile city’ Panipat India’s air defence shield poised to get major upgrade to defend against aerial threats M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi IN a big boost to India’s air defence capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the maiden flight-test of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS), the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday . IADWS is a multi-layered air defence system comprising the quick reaction surface to air missiles (QRSAM), very short range air defence system (VSHORADS) missiles, and a high-power laser-based directed energy weapon (DEW). The indigenous air defence system was flight-tested at 1230 hours off the coast of Odisha on Saturday . “During the flight-tests, three different targets including two high-speed fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle targets and a multi-copter drone were simultaneously engaged and destroyed completely by the QRSAM, VSHORADS and High Energy Laser weapon system Navy, Coast Guard to get 76 helicopters DRDO conducts maiden flight-tests of Integrated Air Defence Weapon System | PTI at different ranges and altitudes,” the defence ministry said. It added that all the weapon system components, including the missile systems and drone detection and destruction system, command and control mechanism along with communication and radars, performed “flawlessly”. The performance of the system was GREATER NOIDA Man who set wife afire shot in leg, nabbed P R A B H AT S H U K L A @ New Delhi POLICE in Greater Noida on Sunday arrested the mother-inlaw of a woman allegedly killed for dowry, while her husband was shot in the leg after attempting to flee custody during evidence recovery . The case concerns the death of 26-year-old Nikki, who, according to her family, was set ablaze by her husband, Vipin Bhati, and his relatives. They alleged she had faced harassment and torture over dowry demands since her marriage in 2016. Despite receiving a car and a motorcycle, the in-laws would press her for an additional `36 lakh, the family claimed. Videos of the incident have triggered widespread outrage. One clip showed Bhati and another woman assaulting Nikki and dragging her by the hair, while another captured the victim, badly burnt, struggling down a staircase before collapsing. Nikki succumbed to her injuries while being taken to a hospital on Thursday night. Bhati, who was arrested on Saturday, attempted to escape while being taken to the crime scene. “He was chased and apprehended after being shot in the leg,” said the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police PRO. Sudhir Kumar, ADCP Greater Noida, said, “Bhati was being escorted to recover the used flammable content bottle from the site, when he snatched SI’s gun and opened fire on the police team. In self-defence, police shot in his leg. confirmed by the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur. The missiles successfully intercepted and neutralised the i n d i g e n o u s l y d eve l o p e d , SHIKRA aerial targets, manufactured by Anadrone Systems. These targets fly at high speeds of 650 kmph with operational altitude of 9000m and ranges up to 200 km. The Ministry of Defence on Sunday issued a Request for Information (RFI) to procure 76 naval utility helicopters for the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. Fifty-one helicopters will go to the Navy and the remaining for the Coast Guard. These twin-engine choppers, which will replace the Chetak helicopters, will be procured under ‘Buy and Make (India)’ category. RFI is the first step in the procurement process | P7 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, the armed forces, and the defence industry for the successful development of IADWS. He said the flight-tests established the country’s multi-layered airdefence capability . The integrated air defence system will undergo more tests before being commissioned. BJP, JD(U) likely to contest equal number of seats in Bihar election R A M A S H A N K A R @ Patna SEAT-sharing talks between allies of the NDA for the upcoming Bihar assembly election are in the final stages with sources pointing towards BJP and JD(U) expected to contest an equal number of seats, likely around 100 each. However, both parties are likely to face a challenge in satisfying smaller allies like Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM), which are demanding 40 and 20 seats, respectively . A senior LJP (RV) leader on a condition of anonymity said, “We have made it clear to contest not less than 40 seats in the elections.” Even if Chirag’s LJP (RV) relents, it is not expected to contest less than 30 seats, sources added. On the other hand, a senior The LJP HAM leader said, “My party question would not settle for less than 20 seats. We should not be of- In the 2020 fered fewer seats than what poll, even LJP gets. We have four legis- though LJP lators in the state assembly won one seat despite while the LJP has none.” Bihar JD(U) president contesting 135 Umesh Kushwaha confirmed seats, it cost seat-sharing talks are under- Nitish’s JD(U) way and it will be finalised at dearly by , the appropriate time. “We cutting votes will let you know when it is finalised,” he said. Sources said the seat-sharing negotiations among NDA allies is likely to be finalised either by the end of August or the first week of September. JD(U), sources said, would not contest less than 100 seats in any condition. This means, sources said, that the BJP will also not accept less than 100 seats. The other ally former un, ion minister and MP Upendra Kushwaha has not opened his cards so far, but would like to contest on a ‘respectable’ number of seats. In the 2020 Assembly elections, JD(U), led by chief minister Nitish Kumar, contested 115 seats and won 43, while the BJP fought on 110 and won 74 seats. P8 BJP says Aadhaar alone can’t give voting rights; Rahul slams EC PA R V E Z S U LTA N & R A M A S H A N K A R @ New Delhi/Patna THE BJP on Sunday accused the Opposition of indulging in propaganda after the Supreme Court said that voters excluded during the ongoing SIR exercise in Bihar can submit Aadhaar along with other documents, asserting that the Supreme Court did not say Aadhaar alone can be a valid document to get voting rights. Aadhaar is only a proof of identity and residence and does not establish citizenship, BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya said on X. “It is amusing to see the various interpretations of the Supreme Court’s order dated Aug 22 in ADR vs ECI case, particularly with respect to Aadhaar… Nowhere in the judgment does the Supreme Court even suggest, let alone direct, that Aadhaar should be used as a valid document for SIR,” Malviya wrote on ‘X’. “The truth is simple: SIR is intact, Aadhaar alone cannot get you enrolled; dead, fake, Bangladeshi and Rohingya names will be removed and only Indian citizens will elect the next government – not foreigners. Don’t fall for propaganda. The Supreme Court has seen through the ‘game’,” Malviya said. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during his ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Araria district of Bihar, said SIR in Bihar was an “institutionalised attempt” by the Election Commission to benefit the BJP “The poll panel is . working to help the saffron party But it will . not succeed as the people of Bihar are alert,” he said. Rahul also accused the BJP-RSS of “closing the doors of opportunity” for Dalits, backward classes, women and the poor, and of attempting to “destroy the Constitution.” H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh THE imposition of a 25% tariff, along with an unspecified penalty by the United States, is likely to severely impact India’s exports of textiles to the US market. However, it will help Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Vietnam, Egypt, and Italy, allowing them to increase their market share. In Panipat, which is known as the ‘Textile City’ of India, with an export volume of around `20,000 crore per year, the exporters are struggling. They have faced a dip in exports over the past three years, primarily due to the Russia-Ukraine war, inflation across European and South American markets, and rising freight charges. They are now adopting a wait-and-watch policy before taking new orders. Vinod Kumar, Chairman of the Haryana Chamber of Commerce Industry (Panipat Chapter), said that the US’s decision has hit the textile industry of Panipat hard. “As per annum, we export textiles worth `20,000 crore, and of these 60% that is `12,000 crore, are exported to the US, from home textile items to floor covering items such as carpets New India-Japan framework on AI, economic security J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi INDIA and Japan are in the process of finalising a new bilateral framework to strengthen cooperation in economic security with a focus on securing , stable supply chains for critical goods coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan on August 29 and 30. The framework is expected to cover key sectors including semiconductors, essential minerals, communications, clean energy arti, ficial intelligence (AI), and pharmaceuticals, sources said. Both sides are also preparing to announce a dedicated AI Cooperation Initiative, aimed at supporting collaboration between startups and tech firms in the emerging artificial intelligence space. The initiative aims to promote ties between Japanese and Indian firms. “Such cooperation is a win-win and mutually beneficial and can contribute to the growth of the Japanese economy,” a source said. The announcement is set to coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Japan. Modi may also travel to Sendai to see an experimental bullet train and visit a leading chip-making equipment manufacturer. Japan is home to major players in the global semiconductor industry including Kioxia, Re, nesas Electronics, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, and Toshiba Electronic Devices. These companies are central to advancements in chip-making and related technologies. Sendai, where Prime Minister Modi is expected to visit, is part of a region that has been increasingly focusing on semiconductor innovation and development, positioning itself as a hub for next-generation tech. Modi is set to visit Japan on August 29-30 at invitation of Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba, to participate in the 15th IndiaJapan Annual Summit During the visit, the two leaders will review the progress of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, with discussions also covering key areas such as defence. and rugs,” he added. “At present, the tariff on textile goods is 10%, but will increase as announced by the Trump administration, benefitting Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey Vietnam and Italy as these , , countries were our competitors,” he said. Kumar further said that there are around 500 exporters in Panipat who employ approximately 2 lakh workforce. “The move may lead to retrenchment of the workforce, which will be very unfortunate,” he added. Lalit Goyal, Chairman, Handloom Export Promotion Council and president of Panipat Exporters’ Association, said that the total textile export to the US amounts to `96,000 cr, with the remaining `80,000 cr comprising garments and make-up. TN green nod to ONGC drill fuels concerns S V K R I S H N A C H A I TA N YA @ Chennai A few hours after reports emerged that the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has granted environmental clearance to the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) for drilling 20 onshore exploratory wells in Ramanathapuram district, Environment and Climate Change Minister Thangam Thennarasu said the state has advised the SEIAA to withdraw the clearance accorded to the ONGC. In a statement issued on Sunday evening, Thennarasu said the gover nment “would not allow any project relating to hydrocarbon in any part of the state, either now or in the future”. “Considering the welfare of farmers and the general public, it is the firm policy decision of CM MK Stalin that no hydrocarbon-related projects can be permitted in any part of TN,” Thennarasu’s statement said. Environmentalists say the block where the 20 exploratory wells are proposed is close to the ecologically sensitive areas like Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park and several notified bird sanctuaries. The environmental clearance has also raised questions over transparency . WALK OF FAITH People from the Sikh community carry the Guru Granth Sahib in a palanquin during the ‘nagar kirtan’ procession at the Golden Temple on ‘Guru Granth Sahib Parkash Utsav’ in Amritsar on Sunday | PTI EXPRESS READ POST-RETIREMENT FUNDS OFFICIALS KEEP TIGHT VIGIL TWO OF FAMILY ARRESTED POTHOLE-RIDDEN ROADS ABNORMAL WEATHER HEAVY RAINFALL Retired DSP assaulted by wife and sons in Shivpuri Flood alert in five Odisha districts as rivers swell Heroin syndicate busted, drugs worth `5 cr seized Youth crushed to death as Ganesh idol topples in MP Cotton crops in South India under pest attack Traffic in Delhi’s Dwarka disrupted as road caves in A retired deputy superintendent of police, Pratipal Singh Yadav, was tied up and assaulted by his wife and two sons in MP’s Shivpuri district allegedly for `20 lakh post-retirement funds, said SDPO Prashant Sharma. A case has been registered in the matter. The state government on Sunday issued a flood alert for at least four districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj and Jajpur as water levels in the Subarnarekha, Baitarani and Brahmani rivers have started rising due to heavy rain. | P5 The Delhi Police busted a major heroin syndicate with the arrest of two women of the same family near the GTB Hospital, who worked as suppliers and also seized contraband valued at over `5 crore in the international market, an official said on Sunday. | P3 A 24-year-old man from Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district tragically died after being crushed under a brandnew Ganesh idol, which reportedly toppled due to pothole-ridden roads in Burhanpur district, southwestern MP, on Saturday night. After North India, cotton crops in South India are facing an outbreak of pest attacks due to abnormal weather conditions, which may impact farmers’ income and further contribute to overall declining production trend in the country. | P7 A portion of a road near the National Law University in Delhi’s Dwarka, caved in on Sunday morning due to waterlogging caused by heavy rainfall. The collapse led to traffic disruptions in the area, the police said, adding that the stretch has been barricaded. | P3