WEDNESDAY SANAE TAKAICHI WINS HISTORIC VOTE, IS JAPAN’S FIRST WOMAN PM 22 Sanae Takaichi, a staunch conservative who admires Margaret Thatcher, became Japan’s first woman prime minister on Tuesday OCTOBER, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard GAZA ‘TRUCE EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS’ US Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday visited a new center in Israel for civilian and military cooperation and said the truce is going “better than I expected.” PAGE 9 CAPITAL CHOKES ON TOXIC AIR HARDLINER WITH EYE ON DEFENCE, ECONOMY A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00 POST-DIWALI DATA Delhi residents nonchalantly flouted all guideline nudges ordered by the court for Diwali, without fear of or respect for law A TREND (LAST FIVE YEARS) Oct 21, 2025: Delhi’s AQI touched 350 at 8 am, a day after Diwali, placing the city in the very poor category. Nov 1, 2024: The morning after Diwali, the AQI rose to 359 at 6:30 am, according to SAFAR data. Nov 13, 2023: At 8 am, Delhi’s AQI hit 438, slipping into the severe category. Just a day earlier, on Diwali morning, it was 269 (poor). Top 10 polluted areas in Delhi AQI 427 408 408 407 402 399 391 376 Bawana Wazirpur Alipur Jahangirpuri Burari Crossing Shadipur Ashok Vihar Punjabi Bagh NCR AREAS 412 Severe 412 Severe 412 Severe 402 Very poor 390 Very poor 302 Very poor PM2.5 LEVELS PRE-DIWALI | POST-DIWALI 500 454.5 488 400 319.7 220 168 200 163.1 204 100 129.3 2021 Nov 5, 2021: Delhi gasped under an AQI of 454, firmly in the severe range, the day after Diwali celebrations. CAN YOU SEE THE CAPITAL? AQI Noida Ghaziabad Faridabad Gurgaon Gr. Noida Meerut 300 Oct 25, 2022: The capital recorded an AQI of 315, categorised as very poor, on the morning after Diwali. Cracker bursting on Diwali caused a thick layer of smog around Parliament (above) on Tuesday, making visibility low | SHEKHAR YADAV Place 92.9 2022 2023 156.6 2024 2025 Particulate Matter(PM)2.5 in µg/m3 PAGES 12 SUPREME CONTEMPT OF THE COURT Despite the Delhi government’s repeated appeals for a ‘Green Diwali’, the national capital woke up to a thick, suffocating haze the morning after the festival, as pollution levels shot through the roof across Delhi-NCR on Tuesday Place  The 64-year-old, who won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership this month, has positioned herself as a hardliner focused on defence and economic security. After forging a lastminute coalition deal, Takaichi was appointed by parliament on Tuesday as the country’s first woman head of government and Japan’s fifth leader in as many years | P9 I F R A H M U F T I @ New Delhi JUST days after the Supreme Court permitted the use of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR for limited hours during Diwali, the national capital experienced its worst post-festival morning in the past five years with the PM2.5 levels reaching 488 micrograms. By 6:05 am on Tuesday, the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 347, falling in the “very poor” category, according to SAFAR. Of the 37 air quality monitoring stations, 34 recorded readings in the red zone—indicating “very poor” to “severe” air quality. Last year, the AQI stood at 359 the morning after Diwali. With the PM levels too surging this year, the city witnessed its worst air quality since 2021, with PM2.5 levels increasing to 488 micrograms per cubic metrewithin 24 hours after Diwali—over three times the pre-festival level of 156.6. An analysis of CPCB data from 2021 to 2025 reveals a consistent spike in PM2.5 levels during Diwali night and the following morning. The 2025 reading of 488 is the highest in five years. Previous data shows PM2.5 levels rose from 163.1 to 454.5 in 2021, from 129.3 to 168 in 2022, from 92.9 to 319.7 in 2023, and from 204 to 220 in 2024. Among the city’s 10 most polluted areas, Bawana topped the list with an AQI of 418, followed closely by Wazirpur at 408, and Jahangirpuri at 404, all falling in the severe category Slightly bet. ter, but still alarming were Burari Crossing and Shadipur, both recording 393, and Ashok Vihar at 386, placing them in the very poor range. Other major localities such as Punjabi Bagh (375), RK Puram (369), Rohini (367), and Vivek Vihar (367) also saw the air Relief as $1L H-1B fee does not apply to US visa holders J AYA N T H J A C O B & P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi A month after US President Donald Trump’s proclamation jacking up the fee for H1-B visas to a steep $100,000 caused panic among international students and professionals, the US government has now clarified that the fee won’t apply to current visa holders and recent international graduates. In a detailed clarification issued on Monday, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the fee will not be applicable to those already in the country seeking a ‘change of status’ or an ‘extension of stay’. The fee is only applicable to petitions filed on or after 12:01 am ET on September 21, 2025, for beneficiaries outside the US without a valid H-1B visa, or those requesting consular processing. While the September 21 Presidential proclamation created confusion regarding the entry of professionals to the US, the USCIS confirmed that the proclamation does not impact travel for current H-1B visa holders Proclamation applies to new H-1B petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025, on behalf of beneficiaries who are outside the US and do not have a valid H-1B visa — USCIS statement or those with an approved change of status petition. Importantly USCIS said that , even those with expired F-1 or H-1B visas who depart the US and later return on an approved petition will not be subject to the fee, provided their original petition was filed before the September 21 cutoff date. The update offers long-awaited clarity to thousands of skilled foreign workers and international graduates navigating an already complex immigration landscape in the US. Healthcare professionals, workers under national interest waivers (such as those in defence), and employees of universities, nonprofit research institutions, and government research bodies are believed to fall under exempt categories, though further clarification is expected. Students go to the US as F1 visa holders and later transition to H1B through employer sponsorship. International students in the US, especially from STEM fields, can work for up to three years after graduation. According to the Open Doors report for 2023-24, there are over 3.3 lakh Indian students in the US and 95% of them are enrolled in post graduate courses or PhD programmes. Indians, who continue to form the largest group of international students in the US alongside the country’s tech professionals, are one of the biggest beneficiaries of H-1B visas. According to US administration data, Indians account for nearly 70% of new H-1B visa allocations, followed by Chinese nationals at 11–12%. TRUMP-PUTIN MEET NO PRECISE TIMEFRAME FOR SUMMIT YET Russia’s statement on Tuesday doused hopes for a swift preparatory meeting to finalise the talks on Ukraine | P9 thick with pollutants. The city’s average AQI was 388, firmly in the very poor bracket, with eight of the ten most polluted sites crossing 370. Following the sharp deterioration, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) enforced Stage II of the GRAP across Delhi-NCR on October 19. If conditions worsen, authorities may escalate to Stage III. Citizens, however, mocked the green Diwali initiative. “Delhi NCR is a pollution-free paradise where you can breathe oxygen straight from firecrackers,” posted Ruchika Sethi, a member of Citizens For Clean Air Bharat, in a sarcastic post. Meanwhile, an old tweet by Delhi’s current CM from 2017 resurfaced -“My city is melting, it’s all smoke, in the air… So much poison, who is spewing it?” The post went viral again on Tuesday , capturing the city’s toxic irony . KIDS MORE PRONE TO LUNG DISEASES Health experts raised alarms over the worsening situation. Dr Dhiren Gupta, Senior Paediatrician at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, warned that “Children are the worst hit, inhaling more toxins and becoming highly vulnerable to respiratory illnesses.” NCR EQUALLY BAD, RECORDS AQI OF 412 The air was no less hazardous in NCR. Noida, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad each recorded an AQI of 412, falling in the severe category. EXPRESS READ Ex-DGP, wife booked for murder after son’s death Former Punjab DGP Mohammad Mustafa, his wife, and former minister Razia Sultana, along with their daughter and daughter-in-law, have been booked for murder and criminal conspiracy by Haryana Police in connection with the death of their son, Aqil Akhter. | P8 Four killed, ten injured in Navi Mumbai blaze Four people were killed and 10 injured after a suspected shortcircuit fire broke out in a multistorey residential building in Navi Mumbai shortly after midnight on Tuesday, police said. A sixyear-old girl and an 84-year-old bed-ridden woman were among those who died, officials said. SOAS Hindi scholar deported from Delhi airport Immigration authorities at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Monday midnight deported Francesca Orsini, a scholar of Hindi and professor emerita at SOAS, London University, as she was blacklisted for violating visa conditions since March this year, sources in the Immigration Department told this newspaper on Tuesday. | P7 GOVT COUNTERS, SAYS AAP CAUSING STUBBLE TROUBLE A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi THE BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday traded words over high air toxicity levels in Delhi following Diwali celebrations. Countering the AAP’s charge that the BJP government had not stopped the illegal sale of regular firecrackers in Delhi, the BJP accused the AAP government in Punjab of forcing farmers to burn stubble to further pollute the air. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned why data on PM2.5 and PM10 levels from Diwali night, October 20-21, was unavailable. “The firecracker business is worth crores of rupees, and this year the firecracker lobby has earned enormous profits. Who shared in those profits?” he asked, accusing the Delhi government of collusion to allow the sale of regular firecrackers despite the Supreme Court permitting only green crackers. Bharadwaj further accused the BJP government of neglecting public health, favoring private hospitals while government facilities suffered. Bharadwaj also criticised Gupta’s understanding of pollution control. “When the chief minister cannot even pronounce AQI correctly how can , anyone expect her to have any grasp of pollution control?” he said. He added that the BJP government was deliberately weakening public healthcare while promoting private hospitals and clinics. The BJP struck back swiftly . Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the AAP government in Punjab AAP REACTION Saurabh Bharadwaj asked why data on PM2.5 & PM10 levels from Diwali was unavailable. “Cracker business is worth crores, and this year the firecracker lobby has earned enormous profits. Who shared in those profits?” he said. of forcing farmers to burn crop residue, worsening Delhi’s air quality “Farmers don’t want to . burn stubble, but they were told to do so. This stubble burning is meant to impact Delhi,” he said. Sirsa also downplayed the role of Diwali crackers, “In 2023, AQI rose by 83 points after Diwali, in 2024 by 32 points, but this year, despite people freely celebrating, it rose by just 11 points. What do the numbers say now?” Meanwhile, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav held the BJP government responsible for the hazardous air. He called the situation “extremely dangerous.” He said, “Despite repeated warnings, the government could not take stringent steps to control pollution,” and warned that continued toxic air could even affect tourism in the city . Tata Trusts reappoints Venu Srinivasan for life B E N N K O C H U V E E D A N @ Mumbai TATA Trusts, which owns and controls the $180-billion Tata empire, has ‘unanimously’ reappointed Venu Srinivasan, chairman emeritus of the TVS Group, as a trustee for life. With the reappointment of Srinivasan, 73, ahead of his term expiring on October 23, the focus now shifts to the upcoming decision on Mehli Mistry, whose trusteeship expires on October 28. The development comes amid reports of a vertical split within Tata Trusts, with one faction aligning with Noel Tata, who took over as chairman following Ratan Tata’s death, and the other comprising loyalists of the former doyen. Mehli Mistry is the younger brother late Cyrus Mistry and Noel is married to their sister Aloo Mistry Mehli was brought . on board by Ratan Tata during the crisis following Cyrus Mistry’s sacking in October 2016. “Renewal and fresh appointment is required to be unanimous according to past practice of the trusts,” a source said. At least 30 rebels give NDA, Oppn a headache R A M A S H A N K A R @ Patna REBEL and independent candidates may spin the poll arithmetic for both the ruling NDA and the Opposition Mahagathbandhan in the Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled in two phases on November 6 and 11. As many as 30 rebels and independents are contesting in the first phase of the 243-member Assembly polls. Several aspirants who have been denied tickets have joined smaller outfits like the Jan Suraaj Party of Prashant Kishor or entered the fray as independents. The nominations of Shashi Bhushan Singh, sitting MLA from Sugauli (East BJP-JD(U) PRESSURING CANDIDATES: KISHOR Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Tuesday alleged that three of his party candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections withdrew their nomination papers under “pressure” from the ruling ruling BJP-JD(U) combine | P8 Champaran), and Seema Singh of the LJP (Ram Vilas) from Marhaura (Saran), were cancelled due to technical reasons. Singh had filed papers as a Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) candidate — one of the INDIA bloc allies — while LJP (RV) is part of the NDA. Discontent, as per sources, simmers within both alliances. In the NDA, many have turned rebels. JD(U) MLA Narendra Kumar Neeraj, alias Gopal Mandal, is contesting as an Independent from Gopalpur, which he has represented four times. The JD(U) has fielded former MP Shailesh Kumar, alias Bulo Mandal, from the seat. Similarly BJP MLA Rash, mi Verma is fighting as an Independent from Narkatiaganj. Several Patna constituencies—Digha, Patna Sahib, Kumharar, Maner, Paliganj, Danapur, Bikram, and Barh—are witnessing intra-alliance resistance. In Digha, BJP MLA Sanjeev Chaurasia faces JD(U) rebel Ritesh Ranjan Singh of Jan Suraaj and CPI(ML) Liberation’s Divya Gautam. In Parihar, Ritu Jaiswal, who had unsuccessfully contested 2020 assembly election, has turned an RJD rebel. She has filed her nomination against RJD’s Smita Purbe, daughterin-law of former RJD state chief Ram Chandra Purbe. MORE REPORTS ON P8