Judiciary exploring AI tools, says CJI-designate surya Kant mondAY 10 november, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard M a l ay s i a 7 migrants dead as boat capsizes Rescuers in Malaysia recovered the bodies of seven migrants from Myanmar and found 13 alive from a boat that capsized with dozens aboard ‘Humanity gives justice its moral core’ A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS Page 9 l New Delhi l J8.00 All eyes on Bihar women voters as final phase campaigning winds up In NDA, BJP is contesting 53 seats, JD(U) 44, while INDIA bloc’s RJD is up on 72, Cong 37 Rajesh Kumar Thakur a nd R a m a s h a nk a r @ New Delhi/Patna CAMPAIGNING for the second and final phase of the Bihar Assembly elections concluded on Sunday evening, capping nearly a month of intense canvassing and clamorous exchanges between the ruling NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan. Polling will take place on November 11 across 122 constituencies in 20 districts, marking the decisive round of a highstakes contest. The first phase on November 6 saw a record voter turnout of 65.08 percent, the highest in the state’s history with women out, numbering men at poll booths. The turnout of women voters in this phase may well decide whether, as many put it, “Rajnitik badlav ki hawa chali ya nahi (if a political wind of change has blown).” Among key seats going to polls in this phase are Chakai, from where JD(U) minister Sumit Kumar Singh is seeking re-election, BJP MLA Shreyasi Singh’s Jamui, JD(U) minister Mother’s b’day digits bring T’gana man `240 cr E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Khammam BOLLA Anil Kumar, a 29-yearold resident of Bheemavaram village in Vemsoor mandal of Telangana’s Khammam, has hit the jackpot by winning `240 crore UAE lottery recently . After completing education in Hyderabad, Anil moved to Abu Dhabi, where he works as an IT professional. Recently, he purchased 12 tickets, one of which bearing the date of his mother Bhulakshmi’s birthday, turned out to be the winning number, fetching him the Dh100 million (`240 crore) jackpot. The joy of Anil Kumar’s parents, Madhava Rao and Bhulakshmi, knew no bounds after they came to know that their son had won the lottery Speak. ing to this newspaper, they said, “We have no words to express our happiness.” Madhava Rao, 60, is a small farmer. He has another son, Subramanyam, who is elder to Anil. Speaking to an Abu Dhabi newspaper, Anil said that he intended to continue calling the UAE home for at least the next decade. The top priority for Anil is to move his family—his parents and brother—to the UAE. “It is a very safe and secure country , and I’m happy to build my life here,” he told the newspaper. “I want my parents and brother to experience the life I have here and be close to me. I also want to buy a home, maybe in Yas Island or Saadiyat Island.” Anil Kumar with his parents | Express Total voters 3,70,13,556 Women voters Decisive round Polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm on Tuesday, though it will end an hour early in select booths 1,74,68,572 General: 101 SC: 19 Total seats 122 St: 2 Male voters 1,95,44,041 Total booths: 45,399 (40,073 booths are in rural areas) 1,303 136 New voters in the total voters Total candidates Total women candidates Leshi Singh’s Dhamdaha, and BJP minister Neeraj Kumar Singh’s Chhatapur. In the second and final phase of Bihar Assembly elections, all eyes are on women voters— 1.74 crore of them out of 3.70 crore total electors—are expected to play a crucial role in shaping the outcome. “Women voters have certainly become a segment that could determine the fortunes of both 5,28,954 the ruling NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan (MGB),” said Ravi K Sinha, a Patna-based political analyst. Both alliances have aggressively courted women voters. Nitish Kumar has leaned on elfare schemes such as the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, under which `10,000 was directly credited to over two crore women to promote financial independence. During his 71 rallies, the chief minister framed his campaign around women’s empowerment and safety, contrasting his record with the “Jungle Raj” years under the RJD. Tejashwi Yadav’s campaigns sought to link women’s vote with the twin concerns of unemployment and rising prices. Women account for nearly 47% of Bihar’s electorate. According to Election Commission figures, 1,302 candidates, including 136 women, are contesting the final phase, which covers 19 constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes and two for Scheduled Tribes. Sashastra Seema Bal forces have been roped it to tighten security in districts bordering Nepal, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand untill polling ends. Eleven ministers are in the fray in the final phase, including Bijendra Prasad Yadav (Supaul) and Prem Kumar (Gaya Town), each seeking a ninth consecutive term. Other prominent contestants include Renu Devi, Nitish Mishra, Leshi Singh, and Mohammad Zama Khan. p8 RSS identified as a body of individuals, says Bhagwat E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @ Bengaluru IN a veiled remark against Congress leaders criticising the RSS for operating without registration, the Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said his organisation is recognised as a body of individuals. “The RSS was established in 1925. Do you expect us to have registered with the British government?” Bhagwat asked, replying to a question during an in-house question and answer session organised by RSS. After Independence, the Government of India did not make registration compulsory, he said. “We are categorised as a body of individuals, and we are a recognised organisation,” Bhagwat explained. On whether Muslims are allowed in the Sangh, he said anyone can join. The Sangh identifies individuals as Hindus beyond denominational lines. “Individual identities — Brahmin, Muslim, or Christian — RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addresses ‘100 Years of Sangh Journey: New Horizons’ event, in Bengaluru on Sunday | pti ‘Can be a Hindu Rashtra tomorrow if people wish’ India can become Hindu Rashtra “tomorrow morning” if 1.4 billion people take a collective decision, Bhagwat said. “Hindu rashtra is the essence of Bharat’s identity, which means harmony, equality and unity, not domination” are dissolved in the shakha,” he said. Obliquely referring to Pakistan, he said that whenever the neighbouring country has tried to harm India, it has hurt itself. “Bharat always desires peace. Whenever Pakistan attacks, we must give it a befitting reply .” Appreciating India’s foreign policy, he said it has managed to strike a balance with China. “We want friendship with everyone, but China cannot digest a strong Bharat. While being polite, we must safeguard our sovereignty he said. ,” On RSS’s political involvement, he reiterated that the Sangh unites society and does not engage in politics but supports policies beneficial to the nation. “We support rashtra neeti, not rajneeti,” he said, adding RSS supports all parties working for India’s welfare. On the reservation system, Bhagwat said it should continue till equality is achieved. “Discrimination can be removed through affection and cooperation,” he stated, adding that what exists today is not caste system but caste confusion. “Caste influence should be overcome through mutual love and respect.” l PAGES 12 24 Weather monitors breach ‘severe’ 400 mark p r a b h at s h u k l a @ New Delhi WITH no respite in sight, Delhi’s air quality plunged deeper into the red zone on Sunday, with the city’s 24hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) climbing to 370, up from 361 on Saturday and 322 on Friday . In the early hours between 7 and 8 am, Delhi touched the season’s worst level with the AQI climbing to 391, before dipping slightly. 24 of the city’s 39 monitoring stations crossed the 400 mark, registering “severe” pollution levels. Another 11 stations recorded readings above 300 in the “very poor” category . Anand Vihar (412), Alipur (415) and Bawana (436) were among the worst-hit areas, while Chandni Chowk, RK Puram and Patparganj also logged AQI levels exceeding 400. Across the national capital region (NCR), Noida recorded 392, Ghaziabad 387 and Greater Noida and parts of western Delhi also hovered near the severe threshold. Gurugram fared slightly better but remained in the “poor” category . The Air Quality Early Warning System has forecast In Belém, the tropical rain drifts in from the river and settles over a city of fishing boats and mango trees. The quiet streets of the city, known in Brazil as the Amazon’s capital, will over the next two weeks be a microcosm of the world as nearly 200 national delegations arrive for COP30, the UN’s 30th climate conference. The Amazon’s gateway city will once again find itself at the centre of a global reckoning. The UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2025 warns that planetwarming greenhouse gases are still rising, with global emissions 7% higher than in 2020. Despite countless promises, the funding by 2035, with $300 billion to be channelled from wealthy nations to poorer countries. Yet, actual flows are scarcely a tenth of what is required. That shortfall, more than any speech or declaration, will shape the outcome of COP30. A decade after the Paris Ag reement was adopted, implementation continues to lag. The UN’s 2025 report on national climate plans shows most countries have updated their commitments, but the combined effect still points to higher emissions by 2030, about 9% above 2010 levels. The State of Climate Action 2025 finds that Stations with worst AQI 436 422 425 415 Bawana R K Puram Patparganj Alipur that conditions are likely to remain stubbornly poor over the coming days. Officials attributed the spike to stagnant winds, a shallow smog layer and radiational cooling after snowfall in the western Himalayas, which trapped pollutants close to the surface. Local emissions and regional sources, including ongoing cropresidue burning in adjoining states, continued to keep PM2.5 concentrations high. Stage II of the Graded Re- D i l i p S i n g h K s h at r i ya @ Ahmedabad The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) thwarted a chilling terror plot to unleash mass casualties in the state using ricin and arrested three suspected Islamic State operatives from the state’s Gandhinagar and Banaskantha districts. The first of the three to be arrested was Dr Ahmed Mohyuddin Syed, a Hyderabad-based MBBS graduate who studied in China. Syed, the alleged mastermind of the plot, had allegedly begun synthesising a deadly poison from cyanide and ricin, a lethal toxin that can be used as a biological weapon. According to ATS Deputy Inspector General Sunil Joshi, intelligence inputs indicated that Syed entered Gujarat to execute a terror strike under the ISIS-K or ISKP (Islamic State Khorasan Province) banner. Multiple ATS teams were mobilised to track him down. The team inter- World runs out of excuses as UN’s 30th climate conference kicks off in the Amazon world’s heating trajectory remains unchanged. “Current policies will reduce projected 2030 emissions by only 2% compared with last year’s estimates,” says the UN Environment Programme. “The path to a liveable future gets steeper by the day,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres has reminded governments. “But this is no reason to surrender. It’s a reason to step up and speed up.” Finance, the other side of the climate equation, looks equally fragile. The Baku-to-Belém Roadmap, unveiled ahead of the summit, sets a target of $1.3 trillion a year in global climate Hundreds of protestors, including opposition politicians, gather at India Gate on Sunday against pollution. Many were detained by the police | parveen negi Gujarat ATS arrests doc, two others for suspected ISIS-K ricin terror plan Cautious optimism S O UMYA SAR K AR @ Belém (Brazil) The Chief Justice of India-designate emphasised that technology must be harnessed as a tool, without surrendering the humanity that gives justice its moral core. Justice Kant said in Delhi, “The law, after all, is not a mere algorithm. It is a reflection of human conscience, shaped by empathy, moral reasoning, and an understanding of context that machines cannot replicate.” none of the key sectors such as energy transport, industry and , agriculture is cutting emissions fast enough to bend the global curve. For developing economies, progress depends on money that has not arrived. The $100billion annual pledge, first made in 2009, was fulfilled only in 2023. India’s case shows the scale of the challenge. According to a CEEW (Council on Energy, Environment and Water) study achieving net-zero emis, sions by 2070 would require around $10 trillion in investment. Without low-cost international finance, the transition could stall long before it gathers pace.  continued on P7 The three suspects arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad | PTI cepted a silver Ford Figo on the Ahmedabad-Mehsana highway . Inside, they found Syed with two Glock pistols, one Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges, and four litres of castor oil, a precursor to ricin poison. Police said Syed’s interrogation revealed transnational links. He reportedly confessed to receiving instructions from Abu Khadija, an Afghan-based ISKP handler with Pakistani contacts. He had also procured raw materials and lab equipment to produce chemical toxins. Joshi said the digital evidence on Syed’s phone confirmed his research into ricin production. sponse Action Plan (GRAP) remains in force, with civic bodies increasing parking fees and urging residents, especially vulnerable groups, to limit outdoor exposure. According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for air quality forecasting, stubble burning contributed around five per cent to Delhi’s pollution, while the transport sector emerged as the highest contributor at 20 per cent on Sunday p3 . Ex-AAP MLA Shoaib Iqbal quits party E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi FORMER AAP MLA Shoaib Iqbal announced his decision to quit the party on Sunday af, ter it did not give a ticket to the candidate of his choice for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) bypolls in the Chandni Mahal ward. Before joining AAP he had won five times on , tickets of other parties. Interestingly, his son Aaley Mohammad Iqbal is the sitting AAP MLA from the Matia Mahal constituency . He made the announcement after the party declared candidates for the November 30 bypolls to the 12 wards of the MCD. “AAP was born out of a movement, but it has lost its way. I have resigned from the party and will never return,” he said. He specifically expressed unhappiness with the party’s choice of candidate for the Chandni Mahal ward, where AAP has fielded Muddasir Usman Qureshi. p3 Two top Haryana gangsters detained in Georgia and US H a r p r ee t B a j w a @ Chandigarh Two wanted Haryana gangsters, Venkatesh Garg and Bhanu Rana, have been detained in Georgia and the United States, respectively and are , expected to be deported to India soon, a top police official told this newspaper. “A team of Haryana police is already in Georgia to bring back fugitive Venkatesh Garg, while deliberations are ongoing to bring back Bhanu Rana from the US,” the official said. Venkatesh Garg is associated with the Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu gang and hails from Narayangarh in Haryana. More than 10 criminal cases have been registered against him. He fled to Georgia after being implicat- ed in the murder of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader in Gurugram. He has been operating an extortion racket and recruiting youth from the state as well as from Rajasthan and Delhi, into his criminal network, sources said. Meanwhile, the other gangster, Bhanu Rana, a close associate of the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang from Karnal, has been operating across Haryana, Punjab and Delhi. His name surfaced during investigations into a grenade attack in Punjab earlier this year. In June, when the Special Task Force in Karnal arrested two men carrying hand grenades and pistols, they reportedly confessed that they were acting on Rana’s orders.