fridAY Amid tighter visa norms, Indian student count in US falls 6.2% 03 Over 3.52 lakh Indians are studying in the US as of February 2026, down from 3.78 lakh last year, the government told Parliament on Thursday april, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in Indians impacted by trump’s visa policy: mos facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard A f g h a n - Pa k China hosts peace talks with Taliban Pakistan has confirmed that it held ceasefire talks for lasting peace with the Afghanistan government in Beijing, which were mediated by China. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS Page 9 Sure jobs for students who are educated in Kerala: LDF E x p ress Ne w s S ervi c e @ Kozhikode Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday unveiled the LDF election manifesto, promising to raise welfare pension to `3,000 and fix the support price of coconut at `45. Interestingly, he made a promise to guarantee jobs for all students educated in the state. A curious element in the manifesto is the assertion that the state government would establish a medical institution “better than the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) by collecting funds from the public”. The proposal is widely seen as a protest against the Centre’s delay in sanctioning AIIMS for Kerala, which is one of the campaign themes in the Assembly election. The manifesto places strong emphasis on health, education, and infrastructure—pillars central to Kerala’s social model. Acknowledging the state’s ageing population, it promises focused measures to ensure a healthy dignified life for sen, ior citizens, including enhanced care for the bedridden. It also proposes insurance coverage for the “missing middle” — those currently excluded from existing schemes. An interesting proposal in the manifesto is the creation of an independent body to monitor the media, conduct fact-checking, and develop “alter native media platforms”. It also proposes setting up a company to involve student prodigies in government projects. The manifesto pledges 50 per cent employm e n t f o r wo m e n a n d strengthening measures against domestic violence. New Delhi l J8.00 l PAGES 12 The new US guidance mentions that every visa adjudication is a national security decision and calls on all applicants to credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought Kirti Vardhan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs At UK-led talks, India SC stinker as for unimpeded transit mob gheraoes 60+ nations join Hormuz meet on safe passage options day 34 J aya n th J a c o b @ New Delhi India on Thursday called for immediate de-escalation in West Asia, warning of risks to global energy flows and maritime security, while highlighting that it is the only country to have lost mariners in recent attacks on merchant shipping in the Gulf. Representing India at a highlevel virtual meeting convened by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the crisis could only be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. The meeting, attended by representatives from over 60 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Canada and the UAE, focused on the deteriorating security situation in key international waterways, particularly the Strait of Hormuz. In his remarks, the Foreign Secretary talked about “the importance of the principles of freedom of navigation and unimpeded transit through international waterways.” an official readout said. Misri stressed that “the way out of the crisis consisted of de-escalation and a return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue among all concerned parties,” signalling India’s preference for a political solution over military escalation. The meeting took place amid heightened tensions after US President Donald Trump suggested that ensuring the security of Hormuz should be the responsibility of nations that rely on it. The US did not participate in the meeting. The strait remains a critical artery for the global economy, Bench vs branch: The long arm of the law meets longer tails A n u p V erma @ New Delhi They do not even spare the judges at their official bungalows, posing a grave danger to their well-being. Faced with this simian menace, the Supreme Court is looking for talent to “scare off ” monkeys and has floated a tender for it. It aims to recruit at least 100 trained experts to deter monkeys from the premises of the apex court, as well as from its official residences and guest house. Delhi has a perennial problem with the vaulting ambitions of the simian race. In a notice issued through the government e-Marketplace portal, the Supreme Court said it intends to invite online bids from vendors and agencies from the open market for providing personnel designated as Monkey Chasers, handlers, and repellers to drive away monkeys from judges’ bungalows, the guest house, and other court premises, for two years. According to the tender, personnel will be deployed across roughly 35 to 40 residences within a 10-kilometre radius. Numbers may rise or fall with need, and the task is to deter monkeys safely, limiting nuisance and risk. Bidders must show at least one active government contract that deploys 50 personnel for similar work, the l The Trump administration expanded screening and vetting for all visa applicants on June 18, 2025. The Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said this tougher filtering, including increased scrutiny and compliance requirements, had an impact on the number of US student visas issued to Indian nationals The government has been regularly raising all issues being confronted by Indian students with the US authorities, he said Customs duty off S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi Full customs duty exemption granted on critical petrochemical products for three months till June 30. Will help industries like plastics, packaging, textiles, pharma, chemicals, automotive components etc. Revenue loss pegged at `1,800 crore Don gives no timeline US President Donald Trump claims Israel and US were close to completing their key objectives in the war against Iran, adding the conflict would soon be over, but doesn’t provide an exact timeline Iran’s pushback Iran threatened “crushing” attacks on the US and Israel, firing missiles at Tel Aviv and US bases after Trump vowed to bomb the Islamic Republic “back to the Stone Ages” Videograb of a strike on an IRGC missile base in Iran’s Baharestan, Isfahan | X handling nearly 20% of the world’s oil and LNG shipments and its ongoing blockade sent oil prices soaring above $100 per barrel. Two Indian seafarers had lost their lives since the beginning of the war. Cooper accused Iran of disrupting global trade. “We have seen Iran hijack an international shipping route to hold the global economy hostage,” she said, warning of ripple effects across energy fertiliser and fuel , supply chains worldwide. European countries, initially reluctant to commit naval forces, are now exploring a coordinated approach amid rising energy costs. Officials said the meeting marked the first step toward forming a coalition to restore safe passage. Initial plans include clearing mines from the waterway and ensuring protection for commercial vessels, with further consultations involving military planners expected in the coming weeks. e x p r e ss r e a d Contempt case against MLA for contacting judge in mining case Former Madhya Pradesh minister and mining baron-cum-BJP MLA Sanjay Satyendra Pathak has landed in legal trouble. Seven months after he tried to contact an MP HC judge in the illegal mining case, a division bench of the court ordered a case of criminal contempt against him on Thursday. Budget session reconvened on April 16 for women’s quota bill document adds. The problem is not new. Landmark judgments have been delivered, committees assembled with due seriousness, and tenders issued to sterilise the animals—yet little has changed. The monkeys have even been packed off to wildlife sanctuaries, only to return with what feels like admirable determination. They bound over rooftops, make short work of gardens, and stroll into homes in search of food, as if the city were always theirs to begin with. Experts support non-violent ways to keep monkeys away. They say improving habitats and better waste management can help, as easy access to food leads to conflict. The court’s move shows a more organised, if somewhat showy, approach that still tries to balance public safety with animal welfare. judges in WB After a sharp verbal clash in the Rajya Sabha between the Congress and the government, it was announced that Parliament would reconvene on April 16 for two to three days. The agenda includes bills to raise the Lok Sabha strength and measures to implement the women’s reservation law. P7 THE Supreme Court on Thursday came down heavily on the West Bengal government for its inaction over the gherao of judicial officers in Malda district during the special intensive revision (SIR) drive, ordering an independent probe by the CBI or NIA. “We direct the ECI to entrust the enquiry /investigation to either the CBI or NIA. The compliance report shall be submitted to this court. The agency shall be obligated to submit a preliminary enquiry report directly to this court,” said a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant during an urgent hearing on Thursday morning. The court took suo motu cognisance after it received a letter from the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court detailing how the judicial officers, including three women, were held captive for nine hours without food or water by protesters who claimed their names were deleted from the voter list. The incident occurred during the SIR exercise in the Kaliachowk area of Malda district. The bench said the incident exposes the ‘complete failure of the state administration’. “We have never seen such a polarised state. Unfortunately in your state, each one of you speaks politi, cal language. That is the most unfortunate thing. We have never seen such a polarized state,” the CJI told West Bengal’s Advocate General. The bench also asked the election commission to deploy adequate central forces for the safety of judicial officers in the poll-bound state. Didi blames it on EC Mamata Banerjee distanced herself from the incident saying “EC failed to protect the judicial officers”. “My powers have been taken away; Bengal defamed,” she said This incident is a brazen attempt not only to browbeat judicial officers but challenge authority of this court Supreme Court line up the craft for trans-lunar injection burn Historic moonshot begins EC hands over case to NIA; probe team to reach today Kolkata: Hours after the SC order, the Election Commission of India handed over the probe into the gherao of the seven judicial officers in West Bengal’s Malda district to the NIA. A top official of the poll body said the NIA team would reach West Bengal on Friday. The gherao happened when the officers were engaged in adjudicating cases of voters whose names had been marked “under adjudication” in the draft electoral rolls. The protesters initially sought a meeting but then resorted to a prolonged gherao AAP removes Chadha as party’s RS deputy leader E x p ress Ne ws S ervi c e @ New Delhi A g e n c ies @ Cape Canaveral The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to replace Raghav Chadha as its deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha. According to sources, the party in a commu, niqué to the House secretariat, has proposed Punjab MP Ashok Mittal as his replacement. Reportedly, the letter states that Chadha, a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, should not be allotted time for speaking in the House from the AAP’s quota. The development comes amid Chadha’s prolonged silence on crucial party matters and continued absence from public events led by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. He was also conspicuous by his absence at a rally held to celebrate the reprieve Kejriwal and former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia had gotten from a city court in the liquor scam case. Reportedly, Chadha’s behaviour did not go well with the AAP leadership. Mittal, however, said that earlier N D Gupta held the position. “Now, I have been given this role. Our party wants all MPs to learn, and probably, in that context, I have been given this role,” he said. Four astronauts embarked on a high-stakes flight around the moon, humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century in the wee hours of , Thursday. The mission is a leadoff in NASA’s push toward a landing in two years. Carrying three Americans and one Canadian, the 32-storey rocket rose from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre where tens of thousands gathered to witness the historic event. After being placed in an earth orbit, the astronauts made manoeuvres to line up the craft for its trans-lunar injection burn. Food onboard includes tortillas, mango salad, spicy green beans and granola with blueberries. There are also more than 10 types of beverages, ranging from coffee to a mango-peach smoothie and a strawberry breakfast drink. “On this historic mission, you take with you the heart of this team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe,” launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson told the crew. Star campaigner From sidelines to spotlight: How Tharoor shapes poll scene K S S R E E J I T H @ T’Puram TILL a few weeks ago, he was ignored and isolated by his own party in Kerala. But now, as the poll heat in Kerala has breached tolerance levels, the same Congress leaders are vying with each other to get his date. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor now has no time to rest, as United Democratic Front (UDF) candidates carry him from one campaign site to the next, hoping his charismatic persona and suave communication skills will draw voters. In the run-up to the assembly elections — Kerala goes to polls on April 9 — Tharoor has emerged the most sought-after star campaigner of the Congress, after Rahul Gandhi. Sources say every UDF candidate wants Tharoor to campaign, banking on h i s p o p u l a r ap p e a l among urban voters and the wider electorate. The dramatic change in the attitude of leaders is hard to miss. In a recent road show Tharoor shared stage with Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, once a staunch adversary of the Thiruvananthapuram MP drawing signifi, cant public attention. “The requests for his participation exceed what can be accommodated. Leaders who once asked him to quit the party are now requesting his prese n c e, ” s a i d a leader. To campaign in 56 constituencies Tharoor is expected to cover 56 constituencies. In the first leg, from March 21 to April 1, he visited 37 constituencies. From April 2 to 6, he will participate in various programmes, including road shows with candidates After his entry into politics in 2009, Tharoor campaigned for Congress candidates in the 2011 and 2016 assembly elections. However, the KPCC leadership did not officially acknowledge his efforts. This came when his relationship with the Gandhi family appeared strained, and there were apprehensions among Kerala leaders about his possible bid for the CM post. However, following a meeting between Tharoor and Rahul in February, relations between the state Cong ress leadership and the Parliamentarian improved.