FRIDAY AVIATION REGULATOR ASKS INDIGO CEO TO APPEAR BEFORE IT AGAIN 12 DECEMBER, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to appear before it again on Friday amid ongoing flight disruptions WASHINGTON UNDER EMERGENCY AFTER RAIN, FLOOD 60 FLIGHTS FROM BENGALURU CANCELLED Elbers was summoned by DGCA on Thursday to submit a comprehensive report, including data and an update on the recent operational disruptions. Following the meeting, the regulator called him to another meeting on Friday. Meanwhile, disruptions continued, with the crisis-hit airline cancelling 60 flights from Bengaluru airport A state of emergency was declared on Thursday after torrential rain sent rivers flowing over their banks and trapped people in floodwaters. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9  NEW DELHI TWO-DAY TRADE TALKS CONCLUDE  J8.00  4-MEMBER PAGES 12 6 states get SIR extension, WB left out Ground machinery is in overdrive, says EC P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi US President Donald Trump at a roundtable discussion with top business leaders at White House on Wednesday | AP/PTI $1 mn ‘Trump Gold Card’ rolled out President Donald Trump on Wednesday launched the $1 mn ‘Trump Gold Card’, a visa programme offering pathway to US citizenship. He said if, say, IBM wants to hire an individual at the top of his or her class at Wharton but can’t guarantee the person stays in the country, the company can buy the Gold Card and “that employee can be there for a very long period of time.” | P9 Purposeful and positive engagement India and the US on Thursday concluded two days of talks with both sides exchanging views on trade-related issues. Both sides agreed to continue the purposeful and positive engagement. A delegation led by Deputy US Trade Representative Rick Switzer was in Delhi for the talks | P10 Sign on the FTA dotted line: Goyal The US should sign the free trade agreement (FTA) with India on the “dotted lines” if it is happy with what has been offered by India, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. He welcomed the Trump administration’s views on India’s offer, but refrained from giving a deadline for the signing of the FTA | P10 ‘Warm’ Modi, Trump call amid trade deal push J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi AMID hopes for an early framework trade deal and intense discussions over US agriculture and dairy products seeking access to Indian markets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump on Thursday a call described as “warm , and engaging”. Modi said that two leaders reviewed progress in the bilateral relationship. “Had a very warm and engaging conversation with President Trump. We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity,” Modi posted on X after the discussion. People familiar with the call said the two leaders exchanged views on expanding cooperation across trade, critical technologies, energy defence and , security, and agreed to work closely to address shared strategic and economic challenges. They also reiterated satisfaction at the momentum in the India–US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and underlined the need to sustain progress. The conversation comes as Washington signals cautious optimism on market access talks. US Trade Representative AQI INTO 6 MAIN BANDS Good Satisfactory Moderate Poor Very Poor Severe 0-50 51-100 101-200 201-300 301-400 401+ A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi EACH BAND DEFINED BY POLLUTANT LEVELS (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, ETC) AND ASSOCIATED HEALTH RISKS ‘Moderate air pollution good day for Delhi-NCR’ J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi WITH residents in the city gasping for breath and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) considering an Air Quality Index (AQI) between 100 and 200 as ‘moderate’ pollution that can cause discomfort to elderly chil, dren, and individuals with lung or heart issues, Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav thinks otherwise and has said an AQI below 200 is a good day for Delhi-NCR. “The number of good days (AQI < 200) has increased to 200 in 2025, up from 110 days in 2016,” Yadav told the Rajya Sabha and praised the government’s interventions to improve the number of good air quality days in Delhi-NCR. Jamieson Greer told a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee this week that New Delhi had offered the “best (trade) offer ever” in ongoing negotiations, even as he acknowledged resistance in India to opening its market to US row crops and meat products. “They have been very difficult nuts to crack… but they have been quite forward leaning,” Greer said, calling India a “viable alternative market” for American exporters. The new US Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer’s visit to New Delhi is seen as critical, with both sides pushing to make crucial progress in trade talks amid American tariffs, including a 50% duty on certain Indian goods linked to purchases of Russian crude. Modi and Trump agreed to remain in touch, continuing a line of communication that has included calls on occasions ranging from Diwali greetings to discussions on the Gaza peace plan earlier this year. THE Election Commission on Thursday revised the timeline for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in six states, including poll-bound Tamil Nadu, following requests from the chief electoral officers. However, poll-bound West Bengal was not granted any extension as the SIR exercise concluded on Thursday The West . Bengal government has been at the forefront of protests demanding a longer extension of SIR citing BLO distress and rushed timeline. The enumeration period for Tamil Nadu and Gujarat has been extended till December 14, and the draft electoral rolls will be published on December 19, according to a statement by EC said its ground machinery is in overdrive to re-verify ASD (absent, shifted, dead/duplicate) electors with whom contact could not be established by BLOs despite 3 mandatory attempts. New electors can fill Form 6 and submit it to BLOs, or fill it online the EC. The enumeration period for these six states and Union territories was to end on Thursday, and the draft electoral rolls were to be published on December 16. The schedule for poll-bound Kerala was revised earlier. The enumeration period for the state will end on December 18, and the draft electoral roll will be published on December 23. “With focused policy interventions and strengthened implementation at the ground level, air quality in Delhi-NCR has improved,” he said. The ministry has recorded the average Delhi AQI from January to November is 187 compared to 213 in 2018. It has said AQI level hasn’t reached ‘Severe Plus’ band (AQI > 450) on any day in Delhi in 2025. Yadav said the government has tried to address road dust through various measures, including end-to-end pavement, mechanical sweeping, pothole repairs, greening along traffic corridors, and regulating construction activities. He said Punjab and Haryana have recorded 90% reduction in fire incidents during the paddy harvesting season in 2025. DELHIITES will soon be able to taste a slice of Kashmir in the city, with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) proposing to construct a houseboat at the Baansera Park on the Yamuna floodplains. Visitors will be able to use the houseboat to host meetings and conferences, dining with friends and family , and for recreation. The DDA will soon float a tender to build a full convention centre on the houseboat. It has worked out a roadmap for the ambitious project. The work is expected to be completed within 180 days of the award of contract, with the date of completion likely to be pegged in May or June 2026. The DDA has decided to use biodegradable wood for construction, with even the piling structures being timber based. Like the traditional houseboats of the Dal Lake and Kerala’s Alappuzha, the Baansera houseboats will not use any concrete or steel structures, which sits well with the ecological character of the floodplains. The DDA has fixed the contours of the plan. At about nine-metre-high, the houseboat will have multiple levels, with For Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the deadline has been extended till December 18, and the draft electoral rolls will be published on December 23. The exercise in Uttar Pradesh has been extended till December 26, and the draft electoral rolls will be published on December 31. The enumeration period for Goa, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan and West Bengal end on Thursday, and the draft electoral rolls will be published on December 16. The decision came against the backdrop of suggestions that several electors had not been able to fill out or submit their enumeration forms. Several opposition parties have alleged that stringent deadlines have taken a toll on the mental health of several BLOs, leading them to attempt or die by suicide. The issue dominated the ongoing winter session of Parliament, where the Opposition attacked the government on BLO deaths and inadequate timeline for the exercise. However, the EC has not acknowledged any of the BLO suicides due to work pressure. P8 MESSI MANIA: MEET AND GREET WITH STAR FOR `10L EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad WANT to meet and greet one Lionel Messi? Well, there is a way. Pay up `10 lakh for a 15-minute meet and greet session with the football legend. Even if he may not be playing football or dribble past defenders during his trip to India, the name is enough to evoke an unimaginable romance. The craze to get a glimpse of the World Cup-winning captain has touched giddying heights during the GOAT tour. Take for instance the 38,000 capacity Uppal Stadium. It is sold out. The ticket price ranges from `2,250 to `9,000 (as listed on ‘District’). The meet and greet session is set to be held at the Falaknuma Palace before the bandwagon moves to the Stadium for the evening pro- DRAFT EV POLICY 2.0 FOR MAJOR CHANGES gramme including a 20-minute match between Messi and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. Messi’s journey will start in Kolkata on Friday and will have a stop-over in Hyderabad before flying to Mumbai and New Delhi on Dec 15. Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary for Special Projects and Investment Cell, and Special Chief Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Sports, Government of Telangana, outlined the programme in detail. On the meet-and-greet fee, Jayesh Ranjan framed it `9,000 Highest available ticket to watch Messi at the stadium For the first time, Delhi plans to come out with a policy by focussing on battery recycling system, expansion of charging infra & up to 50% subsidy. | P4 A slice of Kashmir in Baansera soon, houseboat to act convention centre CPCB CATEGORISES 1 2 3 4 5 6 Had a very warm and engaging conversation with President Trump DGCA TEAM STATIONED AT INDIGO’S HEADQUARTERS IN GURUGRAM In Persian Style 9 METRES The houseboat will have four decks, all made of wood, with no cement or steel 50 YEARS Expected life of the houseboat WOODS TO BE USED Chinar Deodar Cedar Walnut INTRICATE CARVINGS ON Railing Columns Arches Exterior wall panels CONVENTION Meeting space FEATURES for 15–20 people ground, lower, middle, and upper decks. The bid-winning company will be asked to use different varieties of wood, with deodar at the base, a cedar superstructure, and carvings made of walnut wood. These houseboats will reflect a Persian style, just like their Kashmir variants, with ceilings and interior wall panels made of chinar wood. It will be made by master craftsmen and placed near the eating house at Baansera. Right from the railing, columns, arches, and exterior wall panels, everything will be intricately carved. Its windows will be made of cedar Reception area Waiting lounge Dining facilities Gallery wood and have carved sash windows with glass panes. Keeping with the green character of the proposal, only seasoned wood will be used to avoid warping, and all joints will be sealed with natural resin or other appropriate allweather sealants to ensure longevity and strength of the structure. Engineered wood will be used for the flooring for stability and smooth look. The houseboat convention centre will create a meeting space for 15–20 people, a reception area with a waiting lounge, dining facilities with a pantry, and gallery space. as a personal decision. “If someone wants to meet Elon Musk for 15 minutes and is asked to pay `1 crore, and they see it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, they may be willing to spend that amount. This event is curated in the same way. But if someone simply wants to see Messi on the ground and watch him play, they can go to the stadium.” The football event at Uppal Stadium is scheduled from 7 pm on Saturday. “There is a 20-minute match between Messi and the Chief Minister. It is a friendly match. It is meant to allow both Messi and the Chief Minister to show their footballing abilities.” B’DESH TO GO TO POLLS ON FEBRUARY 12 Bangladesh will hold national elections on February 12, its first tryst with democratic renewal since last year’s uprising that toppled PM Sheikh Hasina and forced her into exile | P9 Luthra brothers detained in Thailand 5 days after Goa blaze, hands cuffed E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi SAURABH Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the co-owners of the Goa restaurant where 25 were killed in a fire incident on Saturday, were detained by the Thailand police early Thursday on India’s request. Later in the day, a Delhi court dismissed their anticipatory bail. Soon after their detention, the Thailand police released pictures showing the accused in their custody. They were seen with their hands tied, clutching their passports as they stood beside Thai cops. The Luthra brothers had fled to Phuket within hours of the fire starting at their Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub. They face charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and negligence. The deportation process in Thailand started after the Centre suspended their passports on the request of the Goa government. India and Thailand have had an extradition treaty since 2015, but, unlike the deportation process, extradition involves multi-layered judicial procedures, which are time consuming. In the case of deportation, an executive decision leads to the handing over of a wanted person from the host country to the one that makes the deportation request. A CBI official said that the Luthra brothers would be brought to India soon to face trial in Goa. “The Thai police detained the brothers from their hotel room. A Goa Police team has already reached Thailand, and the Luthras will be handed over to them,” he said. On Monday, following a request by the Goa Police, the CBI had approached the Interpol, requesting it to issue a notice against the restaurateurs. The Blue Collar Notice, meant to trace the identity and whereabouts of a person connected to a criminal investigation, was issued on Tuesday night. During the hearing of the Luthras’ anticipatory bail pleas on Thursday, the Goa Police told the Delhi court that the brothers had misled authorities about when they left India. According to the Goa Police, the brothers booked tickets to Phuket within 90 minutes of the fire incident on Saturday .