SATURDAY 06 DECEMBER, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard NO EXTENSION OF DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION OF WAQF PROPERTIES TRUMP’S NEW POLICY US MILITARY FOCUS ON LATIN AMERICA The Trump administration has set forth a new national security strategy that aims to reassert America’s dominance in the Western hemisphere PAGE 9 ‘VITAL INFO’ National Herald case: Delhi cops issue notice to DKS, brother EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru/New Delhi THE Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police has issued notices to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and his younger brother D K Suresh in the National Herald money laundering case. The summons stem from the Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s directives to register case of financial irregularities involving Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Young Indian’s acquisition of the assets of Associated Journals Ltd. As per the notice dated November 29, Shivakumar is believed to possess “vital information” related to the case re gistered on October 3 against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The DK brothers h ave b e e n asked to appear before investigators or submit the documents by December 19. The EOW has sought details on Shivakumar’s personal and political background, his association with the Congress, and breakdown of funds allegedly transferred by him or linked entities to Young Indian. Investigators also want information on the purpose and source of these transfers, any communication with Young Indian Trust or AICC officials, and whether the payments were made under instructions from others. Income-tax filings, financial statements, and related donation certificates have also been requested. Shivakumar and Suresh have reportedly admitted that they donated `25 lakh each to Young Indian Trust that runs the Congress’s National Herald newspaper from their legal income. KERALA SIR SCHEDULE Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday ruled out extending the deadline for registering Waqf properties on the UMEED portal Assistance to those who didn’t register A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI India-Russia Economic Roadmap 2030 launched; FTA talks to be fast-tracked J8.00 THE Union government has made a U-turn on celebrating the 100th anniversary of the construction of Gang canal, which flows from Ferozepur in Punjab to Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. The anniversary function was scheduled for Friday at Hussainiwala in Ferozepur, close to the origin of the canal near the India-Pakistan border, but it ran into trouble with Punjab’s farmers and parties. Sources said that the Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, who is an PAGES 12 Modi nudges Putin to end Ukraine war, says the conflict must end through dialogue, diplomacy J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi INDIA and Russia on Friday unveiled an extensive plan to turbocharge their partnership, doubling down amid Western sanctions, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated that peace in Ukraine must come through dialogue, adding India is on “the side of peace”. The new agreements and collaborations, spanning energy shipping, mobil, ity, minerals, pharmaceuticals, and health amount to one of the most ambitious upgrades to the India-Russia relationship in a decade. Both leaders used the summit to reaffirm the historical continuity of their partnership. “Over the past eight decades, the world has witnessed numerous ups and downs. Humanity has had to pass through many challenges and crises. And amidst all this, the India- Russia friendship has remained steadfast like a pole star. These relations, rooted in mutual respect and deep trust, have always stood the test of time,” Modi said. Central to the talks was the launch of the India-Russia Economic Roadmap 2030, a sweeping framework that aims to raise bilateral trade to $100 billion annually. The roadmap outlines plans to set up an Indian pharma manufacturing facility in Russia, initiate joint urea production in India, and create new training programmes for Indian seafarers. It also prioritises enhanced shipbuilding and shipping connectivity, including cooperation on the Northern Sea Route, deeper engagement on critical minerals and global supply-chain security e, visa access for Russian nationals, and the operationalisation of a full-fledged Indo-Russian Putin offers ‘uninterrupted shipments of fuel’ to India J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi AMID US pressure to curb Russian oil imports, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday assured India of an “uninterrupted supply” of fuel. “Russia is a reliable supplier of energy resources and everything necessary for the development of India’s energy sector. We are ready to continue ensuring the uninterrupted supply of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy,” Putin said while speaking to the media alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the 23rd annual summit between the two countries. In his comments, Modi did not mention oil directly but highlighted that “energy security has been a strong and important pillar of the India-Russia partnership.” In a joint statement, the two leaders said that in the current complex, tense, and uncertain geopolitical situation, RussianIndian ties remain resilient to external pressure. The Russian leader’s visit comes amid US efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, with Washington criticising India’s oil imports from Russia. US President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on most Indian goods, and alleged that purchases of Russian oil were funding the war—a claim India has consistently denied. Putin also outlined steps to deepen cooperation, including using national currencies for bilateral payments and expanding energy collaboration. “Russia and India pursue independent foreign policies and work together in BRICS and SCO for a more just and democratic multipolar world order,” he said. FIFA World Cup: Drawing board mobility pact. Modi said the roadmap reflected their “common priority” to take the economic partnership to “new heights,” noting ongoing efforts to conclude a free trade pact between India and the Eurasian Economic Union. The Ukraine conflict featured prominently in the discussions. “India has advocated for peace on the Ukraine issue from the very beginning. We welcome all efforts being made for a peaceful and lasting resolution of this matter. India has always been ready to contribute its part and will remain so in the future,” Modi said. Putin responded that Moscow is working toward a peaceful settlement and remains in communication with the US on possible mechanisms, thanking Modi for India’s “attention and action.” P7 48 TEAMS IN TOTAL MP from Bikaner, was scheduled to preside over the function and had already landed at the Amritsar airport on Thursday evening en route to Ferozepur. However, he was told to return. Meghwal did not even go out of the airport building. The Hussainiwala event was being organised by Punjab BJP leader Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi. Sources said that the BJP leadership in the state anticipated unrest at the function, as farmers and political parties were preparing for protests. Punjab farmers feel that Rajasthan is unfairly being given Punjab’s share of the canal water. A few senior leaders of the Punjab BJP flagged this issue to their central leadership. “After the news of the function became public on Thursday, the intelligence agencies warned that it could lead to protests,” said an official. Sources said that many state BJP leaders asked their central leadership not to get associated with the event. “It was an individual event organised by Rana So- RBI cuts repo rate by 25 bps to lift economy B E N N K O C H U V E E D A N @ Mumbai RAFT OF PACTS TO BOLSTER INDIA-RUSSIA RELATIONS Agreement on labour mobility to help Indians work in Russia MoU on broader maritime cooperation Free e-tourist visa, group visa for Russians to visit India MoU between Indian fertilizer companies and JSC UralChem for joint production Food safety collaboration between Indian, Russian agencies MoU between Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune and Tomsk State University Agreement on cooperation between University of Mumbai, Lomonosov Moscow State University, and Russian Direct Investment Fund $100 bn India and Russia are looking to increase the volume of annual bilateral trade to $100 billion from the present $64 billion, according to the joint statement THE Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday cut the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25%, aiming to lend a lease of life to the economy amid global headwinds including steep US tariffs. This is the fourth rate cut since Governor Sanjay Malhotra took charge last December, bringing cumulative reductions to 125 basis points from 6.5%. The six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously voted for the rate cut and retained a neutral stance, which keeps room open for further cuts. The RBI also announced an additional liquidity boost of `1 lakh crore through two tranches of government bond purchases scheduled for December 11 and 18, along with $5 billion in dollar-rupee buy-sell Economic data swaps later this month. These aim to has surprised on ease seasonal liquidity pressures. both growth A cut in repo will lead to lower borand inflation rowing costs for individuals as well as fronts corporate houses because it reduces RBI Governor the interest banks pay to borrow from the RBI. With cheaper funding, banks can lower lending rates making home, auto, business loans more affordable. Reiterating that the RBI has “no official level for the rupee”, Malhotra clarified that “the over 5% year-todate plunge of the currency is not a worry .” RBI’s inflation forecast for the fiscal year has been revised downwards to 2% from 2.6%, after it factored in imported inflation due to the depreciation of the rupee. Growth projections have been upgraded to 7.3% from 6.8%, reflecting confidence in the economy’s resilience. 2 8 32 DGCA blinks, withdraws weekly rest rule for pilots amid IndiGo outage TOP 4 TEAMS DATES: JUNE 11 TO JULY 19 | — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister — Vladimir Putin, Russian president 3rd teams in Top two place singlefinishers finishers of eliminwill ation qualify to 12 groups too will knockout next advance round round US Prez Donald Trump and FIFA chief Gianni Infantino at the Kennedy Center | AP I have always said that India is not neutral; India has a side and that side is peace If the US has the right to buy our (nuclear) fuel, why shouldn’t India have the same privilege? Spain, Argentina, France, England will not face each other if they top the group until semis Meghwal makes U-turn on Punjab canal project H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh  INDIA, RUSSIA FAST FORWARD EXTENDED BY 1 WK The Election Commission of India on Friday decided to extend by one week the SIR schedule in view of the upcoming local body polls in the state. The draft electoral roll will now be published on December 23 and final roll on Feb 14, 2026  Rijiju said a way would be found for those who attempted registration but could not complete and that they will be exempted from penalties for the next three months. The minister stressed that those ‘mutawallis’ (Waqf property caretakers) who have not registered on the UMEED portal at all can approach their respective Waqf tribunals for further help dhi. We told the central leadership how this could backfire in Punjab. The minister was accordingly instructed by the central leadership to return back,” said a senior BJP leader. Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa had earlier condemned the BJP for its “insensitive and politically provocative” decision. He said the canal was constructed by the British in the early 20th century to appease the Maharaja of Bikaner, whose loyalty to the British Crown was rewarded through generous allocations of Punjab waters to Bikaner. S L A L I T H A @ New Delhi WITH over 1,000 IndiGo flights cancelled on Thursday and all 235 domestic departures from Delhi grounded for 24 hours, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Friday announced immediate suspension of aviation regulator DGCA’s revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms to ease crew shortages that resulted in the crisis. Naidu assured that IndiGo services would be fully restored within three days, with schedules stabilising by Saturday. However, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers contradicted the timeline, stating in a video message that normalcy would return only by December 10-15. The airline had earlier informed DGCA that a complete recovery of flying schedules could take until February 1, 2026. After an emergency review meeting with ministry DGCA, , AAI and IndiGo officials, Naidu announced a high-level inquiry into the flight disruption. A four-member DGCA panel comprising Sanjay K Brahmane, DGCA Joint Director General, Amit Gupta, Deputy Director Passengers question flight delays at Bengaluru airport on Friday | EXPRESS General, Kapil Manglik, Senior Flight Operating Inspector (SFOI) and Lokesh Rampal, FOI, has been asked to submit its report within two weeks. The aviaition regulator accused IndiGo of “deficiencies in internal oversight, operational preparedness and compliance planning” despite repeated warnings to prepare for the new rostering rules. On Friday too, chaos gripped airports nationwide as irate passengers protested at Delhi’s IGIA terminals. Similar scenes unfolded in Bengaluru (100+ cancellations) and Hyderabad (90+). Chennai suspended IndiGo’s domestic operations on Friday P3 & 7 . DGCA clears temporary flight inspectors In a rare move, DGCA has temporarily cleared 24 of its own Flight Operations Inspectors—all A320 type-rated with current licences—to return to active flying duties with IndiGo for one week to ease the pilot shortage Airlines chip in with extra flights Spicejet plans to operate 100 additional flights on routes linking Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Air India will also operate extra flights on these sectors on Dec 6