WEDNESDAY LADAKH 18 MARCH, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard RELEASE FROM DETENTION A WIN-WIN, CENTRE OPEN TO TALKS: WANGCHUK A F G H A N I S TA N S T R I K E PAK BLAMED FOR HOSPITAL DEATHS ‘Ladakh protests only to seek dialogue’ Rescuers recovered over 400 bodies from the rubble of a Kabul hospital on Tuesday after hostilities escalated between Afghanistan and Pakistan A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 HC: Take down content linked to Puri daughter within 24 hours U D AYA N K I S H O R E @ New Delhi THE Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered social media users to remove within 24 hours posts allegedly defaming Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s daughter Himayani, linking her to Jeffrey Epstein. The court said failure to act would cause “irreparable injury”. Justice Mini Pushkarna directed that the order apply in India. She stated, “The present injunction order will operate within the Indian domain… Insofar as URLs… uploaded from outside India, the defendants are directed to ensure that they are blocked in India.” The interim order was passed in Himayani’s `10-crore defamation suit. The judge noted a prima facie case and said the balance of convenience was in her favour. “Defendants are restrained from publishing or circulating the contents…on any platform…,” the court said, adding, “All specified links and content must be removed within 24 hours. If not, social media intermediaries must block access.” The court said that the plaintiff may notify platforms of “other URLs containing identical content”. During the hearing, Himayani alleged “political malice” because she is the daughter of a minister. Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani argued that she was the “subject of very scurrilous posts”. He told the court, “There is both personal malice and… political malice… This is all a figment of someone’s imagination… I am accused of professional misconduct and moral turpitude.” Tech giants Meta and Google questioned the court’s jurisdiction for global blocking. Meta’s counsel argued, “India can’t block globally… England can’t block globally .” UNIFORM CIVIL CODE MOVE IN GUJARAT The Desai committee, tasked to draft a common law on marriage and inheritance across religions, submitted report to the government, which may introduce a bill in Assembly in March | P8 NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 De facto Iran leader ‘killed’ Tel Aviv claims it eliminated security chief Ali Larijani; US counterterrorism chief resigns over war A G E N C I E S @ Jersusalem/Tehran/Dubai ISRAEL said on Tuesday that it has killed Ali Larijani, Iran’s powerful national security chief and de facto leader overseeing the country’s decision making. Tel Aviv also claimed to have killed Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, in a strike in Tehran. Iran did not immediately confirm or reject Israel’s claims. Larijani, 68, was last seen in public on Friday at a Quds Day march in Tehran. “This morning we eliminated Ali Larijani, the boss of the Revolutionary Guards, which is the gang of gangsters that actually runs Iran,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. According to the IDF, Larijani led the political-security coordination of the Iranian regime. His death, if confirmed, would be a blow to Iran, which is facing the brunt of a war launched by 1 2 E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @New Delhi OBSERVING that adoption is part of the right to reproductive autonomy, the Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a law which said a woman would be eligible for maternity leave only if she legally adopts a child below the age of three months, saying it is discriminatory . The court also urged the Centre to come up with a law recognising paternity leave as a social security benefit, noting that parenthood is not a solitary function, adding while the mother is central to a child’s development, it would be unjust to overlook the role of the father. Ruling that age-based classification under Section 60(4) of the Code on Social Security 2020 was violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, a bench comprising justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan held that an adoptive mother should be entitled to maternity leave of 12 weeks, irrespective of the age of the adopted child. “The distinction drawn by sub-section (4) of Section 60 does not have a rational nexus with the object of the 2020 Code. The object of maternity benefit is not associated with the process of childbirth but with the process of motherhood...The purpose of maternity protection does not vary with the manner in which the child is brought into the life of the beneficiary mother... Women who adopt a child aged three months or above are similarly situated to women who adopt a child below the age of three months.” ‘Jailer’ takes no prisoners, calls out TVK leader Arjuna’s slander EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chennai Rajinikanth Aadhav Arjuna the courage to withstand pressure, he claimed. The allegation drew a volley of protests from fans and netas alike, curiously putting traditional Dravidian rivals, the BJP and the PMK on the same page. From AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami to Tamil Nadu minister S Regupathy (DMK), VCK president Thol Tirumavalavan, BJP leaders Nainar Nagenthran, L Murugan, K Annamalai and Arjunamurthy and PMK presi, Balanced ideological loyalty with pragmatic statecraft, led nuclear policy and strategic diplomacy the US and Israel seeking a regime change in Tehran. Despite the perceived setback, Iran on Tuesday launched a fresh DAY wave of attacks in its neighbourhood, targeting Kuwait’s Ali al-Salem Air Base, UAE’s Fujairah, and Iraq’s Erbil. The US-Israeli war on Iran is now in its third week, killing 2,000 people in the region and 18 dent Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, all panned Arjuna. In a signed statement, Rajini thanked all who condemned the “defamatory remark”. DMK’s S Regupathy said, “Rajinikanth yields only to affection, not to intimidation.” The NDA going after Arjuna could signal the end of its attempts to woo the TVK into its fold. ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 52 WOMEN IN TRINAMOOL LIST FOR BENGAL ASSAM CONGRESS MP RESIGNS, TO JOIN BJP FATE OF 60 LAKH BENGAL VOTERS IN SUSPENSE I P8 Mexico offers to host Iran’s first-round matches at the 2026 World Cup if needed 3 Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani Maternity leave criteria nixed Paternity leave Paternity leave helps dismantle gendered roles, encourages father’s active role in child care, fosters a balanced understanding of parenting, and promotes gender equality, the Supreme Court said in its verdict Second LPG tanker arrives from the troubled Strait Modi, UAE President stress secure Strait of Hormuz Larijani led the political-security coordination of the regime, says Israel military ADOPTION VERDICT The impugned classification overlooks the emotional, psychological, and practical adjustments required of the adoptive parents and the adopted child - SC verdict Hormuz: Modi, UAE prez discuss safe navigation IDF claims Larijani was de facto leader after supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed DMK INTIMIDATION CHARGE AN attempt to airbrush actorturned-politician Vijay’s image as gutsy in poll-bound Tamil Nadu by juxtaposing it with Raj i n i k a n t h , s p e c t a c u l a rl y bombed, as the superstar called out the slander, adding “time waits and responds.” In 2020, Rajini had toyed with the idea of taking the political plunge in the state, but in the end chose not to bite the bullet citing health issues. Rajini’s loads of blockbusters include Jailer. Commenting on the decision at a recent rally Aadhav , Arjuna, senior leader of Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), attributed it to the DMK’s intimidation and not illhealth. In contrast, Vijay had  Wangchuk, who was arrested last year following violent protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and inclusion under Sixth Schedule of Constitution, said the protests were only to seek a dialogue. He noted that any negotiation means both sides will have to make some adjustments. “We were sure of a victory in court, but a win was not enough. I wanted a win-win,” he said | P7 NATO refuses to police the Hormuz, US President Donald Trump calls it foolish setting off repercussions across the globe due to disruption in supply of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz, which is under Iran’s control. Meanwhile, a top US counterterrorism official resigned on Tuesday saying the Iran war is absolutely unnecessary . Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, announced his resignation saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the war. In a social media post, Kent said that Iran “posed no imminent threat” to the US and that “it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel” He urged US President Donald Trump to “reverse course”. National Counterterrorism Centre is tasked with analysing and detecting terror threats. P9 EXPRESS READ BJP, Cong come equal in Haryana RS results The BJP and Congress won one Rajya Sabha seat each in Haryana after the counting of votes ended past midnight on Tuesday, following allegations of violation of vote secrecy by both sides. Former Lok Sabha MP Sanjay Bhatia of the BJP and Dalit activist Karamvir Singh Boudh of the Congress won through preference votes. Boudh had filed a complaint to the EC for the returning officer’s “partisan” conduct. P8 40% of young graduates can’t find work: Report PA D M I N I D H R U V A R A J @ Bengaluru NEARLY 40% of young graduates in India are unemployed, a figure that has remained largely unchanged for four decades, according to the State of Working India 2026 report by Azim Premji University . The report—which defines youth as those between 15 and 29 years—shows that unemployment among young graduates remains persistently high, with 40% of those between 1525 years and 20% of 25-29 years unable to find work. This is not a new trend. The YOUTH LEAVING STUDIES TO SUPPORT FAMILY The report also flags the financial pressures affecting education patterns. The share of young men in education has declined from 38% in 2017 to 34% in late 2024, and a growing number of youngsters are leaving studies to support their families. The report highlights that this reason increased from 58% in 2017 to 72% in 2023 among young men aged 15-24 years report, which draws from nationally representative labour force surveys, administrative databases, and primary surveys, states that graduate unemployment has “remained more or less unchanged be- tween 35% and 40%” from 1983 to 2023, even as the number of graduates has increased significantly over time. Even when work is found, stable employment is uncommon. Tracking young graduate men over a year, the report finds about half can find some form of work, but few secure permanent salaried employment. “Among graduates, only about 7% find permanent salaried employment within a year,” the report states. This gap between education and employment comes at a critical time as India’s demographic advantage, driven by its large young population, is nearing its peak. The report estimates that the share of working-age population in the country will begin to decline after 2030. Cash-starved HP trims perks of special appointees H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh WITH the March 21 budget approaching, the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government has moved to make an early statement on expenditure control, beginning with its own political appointees. The General Administration Department notification has said that the cabinet-rank status granted to advisers to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, along with chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, and deputy chairpersons of boards and corporations, has CM Sukhu been withdrawn with defends immediate effect. The the move notification also mandates a 20% cut in their Chief Minister salaries and monthly Sukhvinder Singh emoluments. Sukhu said the The decision strips step marks the away all privileges atbeginning of a tached to the rank, inbroader reform cluding official vehicles, process. “We have police protocol, housing decided to benefits, and hospitality withdraw the allowances. Officials cabinet rank given said the move is aimed to advisers and at reducing non-essenheads of boards tial expenditure. and corporations. The backdrop is a This is the first worsening fiscal posistep, and more tion. The state’s debt has such reforms will crossed `1.40 lakh crore, follow,” he said. while the discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant is expected to result in an annual loss of around `10,000 crore. Pressure has mounted after the Finance Commission of India reportedly recommended ending the grant for 2026–27. Around 50 political appointees, including six high-profile advisers, are impacted by the order. Estimates suggest that each such appointee costs the exchequer between `2.5 lakh and `3 lakh per month in perks and allowances, making the withdrawal of status a quick, if limited, cost-cutting measure. EID AL-FITR People shop at a market amid festive rush ahead of Eid al-Fitr at Zakir Nagar in New Delhi on Tuesday | PTI Property dealer shoots himself while being shot for social media Licensed pistol of cousin used The lincensed pistol belonged to the victim’s cousin Himanshu, who was present at the time and filming the act. Police have seized the firearm along with 10 live cartridges Bullet wound in the chest The victim has been identified as Pawan Kumar, a resident of Dallupura village, who was declared brought dead with a gunshot wound in the chest E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi A video-recorded moment turned fatal in east Delhi’s New Ashok Nagar when a 28-yearold property dealer accidentally shot himself while handling a pistol on Monday . The incident, captured by his cousin on a mobile phone and later circulated on social media, shows the man loading the magazine, inserting it into the weapon, and then placing the pistol against the left side of his chest before it discharged, causing him to collapse. Police said they received information from the hospital where the victim had been rushed in an unconscious state. He was identified as Pawan Kumar, a resident of the nearby Dallupura village, and was declared dead on arrival with a gunshot wound in the chest. The incident took place in Dallupura. Crime and forensic teams inspected the hospital and the crime scene. The body was later shifted to the LBS Hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination. The pistol was a licensed weapon belonging to the victim’s cousin, Himanshu, who was present at the time and filming the act.