TUESDAY 16th FINANCE COMMISSION SUBMITS REPORT TO PRESIDENT MURMU 18 NOVEMBER, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard NIGERIA GUNMEN ABDUCT 25 SCHOOLGIRLS Gunmen attacked a high school in northwestern Nigeria before dawn on Monday, abducting 25 schoolgirls and killing at least one staffer, authorities said. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9  NEW DELHI B A L A K R I S H N A V V & J AYA N T H J A C O B @ Hyderabad/New Delhi The conviction affirms a fundamental principle: no one, regardless of power, is above the law Md Yunus, Interim adviser Protesters outside Mujibur Rahman’s home in Dhaka after the verdict | PTI It’s death for Hasina Bangladesh seeks extradition of ex-PM from India after conviction BANGLADESH’s de posed prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal for crimes against humanity committed during last year’s July Uprising, a student-led revolt that culminated in her ouster. Former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, now a fugitive, received the same sentence, while former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah AlMamun, who turned approver was handed five years prison. The tribunal also ordered the confiscation of properties belonging to Hasina and Kamal. The three-member bench, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, began delivering the 453-page judgement shortly after noon amid sweeping security measures across Dhaka. Hasina, 78, was tried in her absence. She is living in exile in India to source 10% of annual LPG imports from the US R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi AMID pressure from the US to fix the imbalance in bilateral trade, India’s state-owned oil companies have finalised a oneyear contract to import 2.2 million tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the US. Announcing the contract on Monday Union petroleum min, ister Hardeep Singh Puri said 10% of India’s annual LPG imports in 2026 will be sourced from the US Gulf Coast. This is the first structured contract for US LPG in the Indian market. The deal also comes at a time when India cut oil imports from Russia due to US sanctions on two largest Russian oil firms— Rosneft and Lukoil—which had been major suppliers to India. “One of the largest and the world’s fastest-growing LPG markets opens up to the United States. In our endeavour to provide secure and affordable supplies of LPG to the people of India, we have been diversifying our LPG sourcing,” Puri said in a social media post. India is one of the world’s largest LPG consumers, primarily used for household cooking. With domestic production covering just 35% of demand, India relies on imports. After the US imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, New Delhi diversified its crude oil purchases to West Asia and the US. In fact, India has substantially increased its energy imports from the US, including crude, LNG, and now LPG. India. Prosecutors filed five counts against the trio including failure to prevent murder and sought the maximum punishment. Hasina, represented by a lawyer, denied all charges and earlier dismissed the proceedings as a “foregone conclusion.” Her son and adviser Sajeeb Wazed told news agency Reuters they would not appeal unless a democratically elected government took office with Awami League participation. The judgment is appealable in the Supreme Court, though Hasina’s absence might complicate the legal process ahead. In her first response to the sentence, Hasina dismissed the verdict and said the death sentence exposes the “murderous intent” of extremist elements within the interim government. “The verdicts announced against me have been made by J8.00  PAGES 12 a rigged tribunal established and presided over by an unelected government with no democratic mandate. They are biased and politically motivated ... they reveal the brazen and murderous intent of extremist figures within the interim government to remove Bangladesh’s last elected prime minister, and to nullify the Awami League as a political force,” Hasina said in a statement. Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry has requested that India hand over former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, describing her as a “fugitive accused”. India on Monday said it noted the verdict and that it will engage constructively with all stakeholders considering peace, democracy and stability in the neighbouring country.. “As a close neighbour, India remains committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy inclusion and stabili, ty in that country it said. P7 ,” EXPRESS READ Azam Khan, son convicted in fake PAN card case Senior Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam were sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment by the MP/MLA Court in Rampur in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. They were convicted in a case involving the issuance of two fake PAN cards in the name of Abdullah Azam. The court also imposed a penalty of `50,000 on each of them. | P8 Illegal construction no bar for legal power supply The Delhi government has lifted restrictions on providing electricity connections to properties booked by the MCD for violating norms. The move will benefit more than 1.25 lakh families, officials said. Following Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s approval, the special secretary of Power Department issued the order. Gupta said that it was essential to ensure that citizens receive legal, safe, and uninterrupted electricity supply, after reviewing the matter with the Law Department. | P4 As many as 44 Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad, including 18 from one family, and one from Karnataka were charred to death near Madinah in Saudi Arabia when a diesel tanker collided with the bus in which they were travelling, triggering a massive fire. A group of 54 pilgrims flew from Hyderabad to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on November 9 and was to retur n on November 23. Forty-six of them were on the bus and only one survived. Of the remaining eight, four chose to travel separately to Madinah, and the other four stayed in Makkah. The victims include 18 members of a family across three generations. Of the 18, nine were children. The accident happened at around 1.30 am near Mufrihat, about 25 km from Madinah. The bus had stopped on the side of a road when an oil tanker rammed into it, resulting in an explosion and a fire that engulfed the bus, sources said. The one pilgrim who survived the crash is currently receiving treatment at a hospital. The Consulate General of India in Jeddah has established a 24×7 emergency helpline (See box). Telangana Minority Welf are Minister Mohd Azharuddin met the families of the victims. “We are in constant touch with Saudi authorities and are extending all possible assistance to the families. Our priority is to help the relatives in every way he said. ,” As the bodies were charred beyond recognition, the Saudi authorities are likely to conduct DNA tests. A team led by Azharuddin will fly to Saudi Arabia soon along with relatives of the victims. The Telangana government Members of the commission, led by chairman Dr Arvind Panagariya, handed over the report to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The 16th Finance Commission was constituted on December 31, 2023, with a mandate to determine formula for states’ share of central taxes and grants-in-aid for five financial years. | P10 S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi stubble burning can be adequately tackled. Thus, we direct both states to have a combined meeting and ensure that the CAQM’s suggestions are scrupulously implemented,” a bench comprising CJI B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria said. “It is also stated that the Union environment minister held a meeting on November 11 and that within a day, appropriate Syed Naseeruddin with family at Hyderabad airport. Eighteen of the family, including Naseeruddin, died in the accident | X SAUDI ARABIA Accident took place ~25 km before Madinah Madinah Makkah FAYA Z WA N I A N D H A R P R E E T BA J WA @ Srinagar/Chandigarh TRACKING TERROR TRAIL has announced an ex-gratia payment of `5 lakh to the kin of the deceased. The Consulate General of India in Jeddah said it is committed to ensuring the swift han- Around 200 people linked to Al Falah University under probe in Faridabad Police raids intensified across Faridabad, Nuh, Ballabgarh, and Gurugram, mapping 65 CCTV clips of the bomber’s movements Al Falah University chancellor's brother Hamud Siddiqui arrested in MP for decade-old fraud cases involving over `40 L Hamud reportedly ran investment firm, promised investors 20% returns and fled his home town in 2000 ATS probing foreign travel of doctor siblings Shaheen and Parvez across Saudi, Maldives, and Turkey ATS examining passports, SIM cards, finances, and online contacts of Shaheen and her brother P3 THE conspirators of the Red Fort blast in Delhi were planning to weaponise drones with explosives and rockets, officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Monday, a day after arresting a key associate of alleged suicide bomber Dr Umar un Nabi. The agency arrested Jasir Bilal Wani, alias Danish, from Srinagar saying that he was Delhi Police calls Al Falah University chairman an active co-conspirator. The multi-state, multi- Police asked the university’s founder and chairman Jawad Ahmad agency investigation into the Siddiqui to appear before it. The university is facing probe in two attack continued on Monday FIRs, registered by the Crime Branch. The cases were filed after the , with investigators taking fur- National Assessment and Accreditation Council, in its review of the ther crucial steps in Jammu accreditation status of the university, flagged serious irregularities. and Kashmir and Delhi, among other states. Jasir is a resident of Qazi- in a Srinagar hospital on have launched a search for gund in south Kashmir’s Kul- Monday after he had immo- Rather’s younger brother Dr gam district and had providlated himself the previ- Muzaffar Rather, who is said ed technical support for ous day due to the de- to be hiding in Afghanistan. carrying out terror attention of his brother Meanwhile, the Delhi Potacks by modifying Ahmad and Jasir in lice zeroed in on the FaridaRED drones and attemptthe blast probe bad university at the centre FORT ing to make rockets case. of investigation. It issued noATTACK ahead of the deadly The Wani family tices to Al Falah University, car bomb blast near is neighbour to the seeking details about the docthe Red Fort. family of Dr Adeel uments that establish its bona Jasir and his uncle Nabeel Ahmed Rather, who is fide about the accreditation Ahmad were picked up by the among a dozen doctors ar- status of its institutes and Jammu and Kahsmir Police a rested by police during inves- make it eligible for obtaining few days back during the on- tigation into the white-collar grants from the University going investigation. terror network. Rather was Grants Commission. It asked Meanwhile, Jasir’s father arrested from Saharanpur its founder and chairman JaBilal Ahmad Wani, a dry fruit and is said to be an associate wad Ahmad Siddiqui to apseller, died of burn injuries of Dr Umar Nabi. The police pear before it. instructions could be taken to find out appropriate steps to be taken to deal with the menace of pollution,” the bench said. Asking the Delhi government to file an affidavit detailing the nature of equipment and their efficiency in measuring the AQI in the national capital, the SC posted the matter for hearing on November 19. Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for some advocates who intervened in the case, said the situation was akin to an “emergency” as the AQI has deteriorated to alarming levels, causing irreversible damage to the health of people, particularly kids. The senior lawyer sought critical measures, such as a complete ban on construction and private cars. PM EXPRESSES GRIEF Narendra Modi conveyed condolences to the families of the deceased. “My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the swift recovery of all injured,” he wrote HELPLINE: 8002440003, 00966122614093, 00966126614276, 00966556122301 1 MORE UMAR AIDE HELD FOR PLANNING DRONE ATTACKS ‘Question of livelihood’: SC refuses to impose blanket ban on construction THE Supreme Court on Monday said that it is not inclined to impose extreme measures, such as year-round construction ban, under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), to address the deteriorating Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi-NCR. While hearing a plea filed by environmentalist, MC Mehta, seeking appropriate directions to curb pollution in Delhi-NCR, the SC said such an order would have far-reaching consequences and jeopardise the livelihoods of millions if the construction is banned for a year. “If the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) suggestions to Punjab and Haryana are implemented, then Fiscal roadmap for next five years 45 Indians killed in Saudi bus crash The trial in absentia is a farce orchestrated by a kangaroo court controlled by opponents — Sheikh Hasina J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi  The 16th Finance Commission on Monday submitted its report on devolution of taxes between the Centre and states to the President dling of the remains in accordance with the wishes of the families, who will have the option of repatriating the bodies of their loved ones or opting for burial there itself. TN officials to skip SIR work, cite workload T M U R U GA N A N D H A M @ Chennai THE members of the Federation of Associations of Revenue Employees (FERA) of Tamil Nadu will boycott SIR work from Tuesday protesting , against “excessive workload, insufficient manpower, deadline pressure, and inadequate training and funding,” the association said on Monday . With the umbrella organisation of associations of government employees and teachers also deciding to go ahead with its one-day strike on Tuesday to highlight its long-pending demands, a majority of government offices may not be operational. Over 12 lakh employees may take part in the strike. Office-bearers of the FERA told this newspaper that around 70,000 people, including Booth Level Officers, supervisors, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, anganwadi workers, municipal and corporation staff, and teachers engaged in SIR will boycott the poll-related work from Tuesday . The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral roll, which concludes on December 4, involves distributing and collecting forms, uploading them online, and holding review meetings. The association claimed that SIR was being implemented in haste and without planning. Minimum temp dips to 8.7o C, coldest Nov morning in 3 yrs E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi TRUMP READY FOR RELEASE OF EPSTEIN FILES In a volte-face, US Prez calls the controversy a ‘Democrat hoax’, insists that his govt has nothing to hide | P9 PRESSINTAKE After thumping victory, Nitish calls on Governor in Patna | P8 SC asks Maharashtra not to cross 50% quota in local polls | P7 A damp, hazy morning and a sharp overnight chill set the tone for Delhi on Monday, as the city’s minimum temperature dropped to 8.7o Celsius — its lowest November reading in three years and 3.6 o Celsius below the seasonal average. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) n o t e d t h e d ro p at Safdarjung, reporting an official minimum departure of -3.6o Celsius as night-time temperatures slipped from low double digits into single figures. The 8.7°C reading is higher than the November low of 7.3°C recorded on November 29, 2022, and lower than last year’s 9.2°C and the 2024 mark of 9.5°C. It reflects a late-autumn pattern that is becoming more unpre- dictable. By 8:30 am, the humidity had climbed to 92%. The air felt damp, matching the mist and haze drifting across Delhi. According to the IMD, the week will see mainly clear to partly cloudy skies, with repeated morning mist and shallow to moderate fog expected at many stations from November 18-23. Daytime temperatures will remain comfortable in the midto high 20s. Safdarjung logged a maximum of 27.1°C on Monday, and forecasts place daytime highs between 25°C and 28°C over the next seven days. Winds stayed light, so there wasn’t much daytime mixing, and patches of low-level fog persisted in several areas. The IMD said that minimum temperatures will stay well below normal for the next five days.