TUESDAY 09 SEPTEMBER, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard ALCARAZ CRUISES PAST SINNER TO WIN HIS SECOND US OPEN TITLE FRANCE MAY LOSE ITS THIRD PM IN 12 MONTHS Carlos Alcaraz brought his best game of the tournament in the summit clash to beat Jannik Sinner in four sets on Sunday. A look... Francois Bayrou was set to fall in a confidence vote in Parliament, warning in a final speech that the country was facing a “lifethreatening” crisis over its debt. SPANIARD BACK ON TOP OF THE WORLD A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 AT LEAST 19 DEAD IN NEPAL YOUTH CLASH NEW DELHI  GOVT BLINKS AFTER VIOLENT ‘GEN Z’ PROTEST  J8.00 HOME MINISTER QUITS, ARMY DEPLOYED STREET WAR SHOCKER FOR RIGHT TO SOCIAL MEDIA  The 22-year-old won 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to capture his second US Open crown, avenging his lone defeat in a major final by Sinner at Wimbledon in July. Alcaraz reclaimed the world No 1 ranking from Sinner, returning to the top spot on Monday for the first time since September 2023 after ending the Italian’s 27-match winning run at hard-court Grand Slams. P11 PAGES 12 Aadhaar not citizenship proof but joins Bihar SIR basket: SC S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi IT’S official: Aadhaar card will join the acceptable 11 documents prescribed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, making it the 12th document that can be submitted to the poll body . But Aadhaar continues to be a proof of identity not citizen, ship, as are the other nine documents prescribed by the ECI. Only two of the 12 - birth certificate and passport - are valid documents to establish citizenship. Full clarity on Aadhaar’s status came from a Supreme Court bench comprising justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi on Monday. The court passed the order after the peti- EC: 0.3% illegal immigrants on roll “Petitioners want Aadhaar as a proof of citizenship. We can’t allow that misuse, Dwivedi said, adding the EC had detected 0.3% illegal immigrants on the roll. The bench said only genuine citizens will be allowed to cast their ballot tioners submitted that EC officials were not accepting Aadhaar as a standalone document for inclusion of names in the electoral rolls. But senior advocate Rakesh D w ive d i , a p p e a r i n g f o r the poll body, said, “The EC1 has issued public adver tisements in the media to give information to the voters about the Supreme Court’s direction on BRICS VIRTUAL SUMMIT Demonstrators wield stones and sticks as they clash with riot police outside Parliament in Kathmandu on Monday. Inset: An injured Armed Police Force personnel being evacuated | AFP EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi NEPAL plunged into chaos on Monday as violent clashes between security forces and young protesters over a sweeping social media ban and deeprooted corruption left 19 dead and over 400 injured in Kathmandu and other major cities, marking one of the country’s deadliest civilian unrests in recent times. What began as student-led demonstrations quickly spiralled into deadly confrontations, with riot police firing tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons at crowds attempting to storm the national Parliament in Kathmandu. “The police have been firing indiscriminately one protest,” er told ANI. At least 28 police personnel were also injured, and visuals showed protesters using motorcycles to transport the wounded to hospitals. As the unrest, branded as a ‘Gen Z uprising’, spread across the country the authorities im, posed curfew in parts of Kathmandu and deployed the Army to maintain order. “We have imposed a curfew... after protesters began to turn violent,” Muktiram Rijal, spokesperson for the Kathmandu district office, told Reuters. The protesters also attacked Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s house in Damak. At the heart of the turmoil is Not against social media, but can’t accept those doing business in Nepal, making money, and yet not complying with the law — K P Sharma Oli, Nepal Prime Minister a government decision to block 26 major social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn, citing non-compliance with a new law requiring local registration, grievance redressal mechanisms, and self-regulation oversight. The platfor ms were banned on September 4, just days before Parliament was scheduled to debate the bill. W h i l e t h e g ove r n m e n t claimed the move was aimed at curbing hate speech and online fraud, critics blasted it as a thinly veiled censorship cam- WHY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS WERE BANNED On September 4, Nepal’s Telecommunications Authority directed mobile and internet service providers to deactivate 26 social media platforms that failed to register with the government within a seven-day deadline starting August 28, 2025 | P9 paign. The ban enraged Nepal’s digitally native youth—nearly 90% of the country’s 30 million people use the internet. “Shut down corruption, not social media,” read placards carried by many of the young demonstrators, some still in school or college uniforms. In response to the bloodshed, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned late Monday cit, ing moral responsibility . The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), a rising political force, has demanded Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s resignation and early elections. “The relevance of the current government has completely ended,” RSP general secretary Kabindra Burlakoti told The Kathmandu Post, calling for a high-level judicial probe and “stern action against those responsible.” INDIA SEEKS FAIR TRADE PRACTICES AMID TARIFF WAR J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi AMID escalating global trade tensions driven by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, India on Monday urged for a fair, transparent and inclusive global economic order. At a virtual BRICS summit, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar called for resilient economic cooperation to mitigate the fallout from protectionist shocks and geopolitical disruptions. “The world as a collective is seeking a stable and predictable environment for trade and investment,” said Jaishankar. “It is imperative that economic practices are fair, S Jaishankar transparent and to everyone’s benefit.” In a reference to the ongoing trade turbulence, the minister stressed the need for diversified and democratic production systems. “When there are multiple disruptions, our objective should be to proof it against such shocks,” he said, calling for “shorter, resilient, and more redundant supply chains.” “The international trading system is based on principles of open, fair, transparent, non-discriminatory, inclusive, equitable and a rules-based approach with special and differential treatment for developing countries. India strongly believes this should be protected and nurtured,” he said. P7 Probe admissions in all BRS, BJD will abstain from V-P poll today UP univs, colleges: Yogi HOW THE COOKIE COULD CRUMBLE P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi N A M I TA B A J PA I @ Lucknow THE Uttar Pradesh government on Monday ordered an investigation into the recognition and admission processes of all courses offered by both private and state universities, degree colleges, and educational institutions throughout the state. CM Yogi Adityanath took the decision while chairing a meeting with officials concerned. He said a special team comprising administrative, police and education department officials would be set up in each district in this regard. Sources said that all the divisional commissioners were directed to supervise the investigation in the colle ges in districts under their jurisdiction. The probe would involve scanning of all courses and their recognition letters. Strict action would be initiated against the institute where the courses would be found running without recognition. The respective teams would submit the report within 15 days. The decision followed a protest by ABVP the student wing , of the BJP in Shree Ram Swa, roop Memorial University over a law course in Barabanki on September 1. The investigation will require every institution to submit an affidavit declaring that it is running only those courses duly recognised by the relevant regulatory authority, university or board, according , to senior officials. Any institution found running unrecognised courses and indulging in illegal admissions will draw strict punitive action. Such institutions will also be required to refund the entire fee collected from students, along with interest. PALESTINIAN GUNMEN SHOOT 6 DEAD IN ISRAEL At least 12 people were also injured as attackers opened fire at a bus stop in a busy interjunction in north Jerusalem on Monday | P9 WITH two parties—the seven -member Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and four-member Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)—abstaining from the vice-presidential election on Tuesday, the numbers appear to be tilted in favour of the BJP-led alliance in the poll necessitated due to the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar. The NDA has 425 MPs, while the Opposition has the backing of 324 in the high-stakes poll in which NDA candidate C P Radhakrishnan is pitted against INDIA bloc’s Justice (Retd) B Sudershan Reddy . Both the NDA and the Congress-led Opposition held separate meetings with their re- ( 781 ) LS: 537 RS: 244 Current electoral college 391 436 325 NDA: 425, YSRCP: 11 Oppn: 324, AIMIM: 1 Majority mark Abstention: 12 (7 BJD + 4 BRS + 1 SAD) Independents + others: 8 spective MPs on the poll eve to sensitise them about the election process and also held mock poll. PM Modi told NDA MPs to vote correctly in the poll without wasting a single vote. Among parties not part of the NDA or the INDIA bloc, the YSRCP, with 11 members in Parliament, has decided to support the NDA nominee, while the BJD and the BRS have decided to abstain. The present strength of the electoral col- lege is 781 (238 from the Rajya Sabha and 542 from the Lok Sabha; one Lok Sabha and six Rajya Sabha seats are currently vacant). This puts the majority mark at 391. While one member SAD has decided to boycott the election, three of the seven independents in the Lok Sabha have not revealed their hands. In another development, RLP MP Hanuman Beniwal and Azad Samaj Party MP Chandrashekhar Azad met INDIA nominee Reddy late in the evening, sparking speculation of their support. Members of the electoral college will cast their votes in the Parliament House between 10 am and 5 pm. Results will be announced late evening. accepting Aadhaar.” The bench asked the EC to issue further directions to its officials present on the ground in Bihar to accept Aadhaar as a proof of identity . Given that the Aadhaar card could be forged, the court allowed officials to verify its authenticity . “In view of the statutory status assigned to Aadhaar under the Aadhaar Act, it is not proof of citizenship. However, keeping in view Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, Aadhaar card is one of the documents for the purpose of establishing the identity of any person. It is, however, made clear that the authorities shall be entitled to verify the authenticity and genuinity of the Aadhaar card, like any of the other enumerated documents, by seeking further proof/documents,” the bench said in its order. Couple, minor daughter, pet dog killed in AC explosion EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi A couple, their teenage daughter, and their pet dog died in a devastating fire an exploding air-conditioner compressor caused in their building at Green Field Colony in Faridabad early Monday. Their 24year-old son was injured while trying to escape. Police said the incident occurred around 3.30 am when an AC on the first floor of the building exploded, sparking a blaze that spread to the upper floors. The victims lived on the second floor. They have been identified as Sachin Kapoor, 52, his wife Rinku, 46, and their daughter Sujjain, 13. Their s o n , A r ya n , jumped from the balcony in a bid to save himself. He sustained fractures in both legs and is undergoing treatment in a hospital. Their pet dog died. According to officials, as the fire spread, the family attempted to reach the rooftop via the staircase, but the terrace door was locked. They were trapped as thick smoke engulfed the building. Firefighters later found the three lying unconscious on the stairs. Police said they are suspected to have died of suffocation, though post-mortem will establish the exact cause. Investigators believe a short circuit may have triggered the blast. Neighbours said they learnt of the incident only after police arrived. “We came to know only when the fire brigade and police arrived. The smoke had already spread across the building,” one of them said. Panel nod to cut trees for Barapullah Phase III flyover E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi THE Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has approved treerelated clearances for the Barapullah Phase-III elevated corridor, paving the way for completion of the project connecting Mayur Vihar Phase-I and AIIMS, according to officials on Monday . PWD Minister Parvesh Verma welcomed the decision, say- ing the revival will unlock “smoother, safer and greener” links across East and Central Delhi. Verma said that the corridor—conceived as a continuation of Phases I and II to link Sarai Kale Khan with Mayur Vihar—will be completed within a year. Officials said that more than 90% of the construction is complete. The 3.5-km, pier-supported elevated corridor includes an additional bridge to minimise pier count in the Yamuna’s active flow zone, three lanes each way eight loops, and dedi, cated cycle tracks and footpaths. Authorities say it will decongest NH-24, the DND Flyway , and the Ring Road, and improve access to a multimodal transit hub. Environmental safeguards formed part of the CEC clear- ance. In line with directives, the PWD and the forest department conducted a joint resurvey, recording tree geo-locations, species, and girth, and reengineered pier placements to retain trees through selective transplantation. Officials estimate that around 325 trees will need to be felled; PWD says marking, pruning, and transplantation will proceed under forest department supervision. The project, approved in 2014 with construction starting in 2015, has suffered repeated delays and cost escalations since then. Initial cost estimates, reported at around `964 crore to `1,260.63 crore, have been overtaken over the years. As of early this year, nearly `1,238.68 crore has already been spent, and the current projected cost is approximately `1,330 crore.