thursdAY 09 april, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard A view of the Kalai-II Hydroelectric Project, the 1st hydro project in the Lohit Basin in Arunachal Pradesh | PTI Union Cabinet approves schemes, projects worth `1.74 lakh crore Pa k- A f g h a n Resolve to avoid feud, says China `13,000 cr for Jaipur metro 2nd phase Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to avoid any escalation in their armed conflict during talks hosted by China in recent days, Beijing said on Wednesday A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS Page 9 New Delhi l l J8.00 l PAGES 12 The Union cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared upward cost revision from `43,129 crore to `79,459 crore for the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery project at Pachpadra in Balotra district, two hydroelectric projects in Arunachal Pradesh worth `40,000 crore, and the second phase of Jaipur Metro (42 km) with an outlay of `13,000 crore | P7 Tenuous truce Both sides fire missiles despite ceasefire; US claims it will work with Iran to ‘dig up’ enriched uranium External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with his Bangladesh counterpart Khalilur Rahman during a meet in Delhi | PTI a g e n c i e s @ New Delhi Delhi, Dhaka dialogue signals measured thaw IRAN, the United States and Israel agreed to a two-week ceasefire in an 11th-hour deal brokered by Pakistan that headed off US President Donald Trump’s threat to unleash a bombing campaign to destroy Iranian civilization. But hours after the announcement, Iran and Gulf Arab countries re por ted new attacks Wednesday . It was not clear if the strikes would scuttle the deal, which US Vice President J D Vance called “fragile”. President Trump is sending a team led by Vance to Pakistan for talks with Iran following the ceasefire. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are also in that team. Iran said the deal would allow it to formalise its new practice of charging ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial transit lane for oil. The plan allows for both Iran and Oman to charge ships, according to a regional official directly involved in the truce talks. The official said Iran would use the money it raises from the toll for rebuilding its infrastructure. Israel backed the US ceasefire with Iran, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu day said the deal does not cover fighting against Hezbollah and attacks on Lebanon, l a r g e p a r t s o f wh i ch we re b o m b e d Wednesday . The fate of Iran’s missile and nuclear programmes, elimination of which were end goals for US and Israel in going to war, also remained unclear. Trump said the US would work with Iran to remove buried enriched uranium, though Iran didn’t confirm it. Shortly after the ceasefire announcement, Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all issued warnings about incoming missiles from Iran. That fire stopped for a time, then hostilities appeared to restart. A short time later, the United Arab Emirates’ air defences fired at an incoming Iranian missile barrage. Kuwait’s military forces, meanwhile, responded to an “extensive wave” of drone attacks. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted nine drones. Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif urged restraint after reports of ceasefire violations. This came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi raised “ceasefire violations” by Israel with Pakistani mediators on Wednesday China, Russia, the UK, India and . all EU nations lauded the peace initiative. p9 J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi In a bid to reset ties after months of strain, India and Bangladesh on Wednesday signalled a measured thaw, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Bangladeshi counterpart Khalilur Rahman agreeing to explore new proposals to deepen bilateral cooperation through existing institutional mechanisms, even as the Bangladesh side reiterated its request to extradite former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, both sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal. “Pleased to host FM Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh and his delegation this afternoon. We discussed strengthening our bilateral relationship in its various facets. Also exchanged views on regional and global developments. Agreed to remain in close touch,” Jaishankar said in a post after the meeting. An External Affairs Ministry statement highlighted India’s intent to rebuild engagement, and said “External Affairs Minister reiterated India’s desire to engage constructively with the new Government and further strengthen bilateral ties. The two sides agreed to explore proposals for deepening the partnership through the relevant bilateral mechanisms. Follow-on official meetings are expected to take place at an early date.” It added that both sides also “exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest” and agreed to undertake consultations on key bilateral issues. A statement issued by Bangladesh outlined the scope of the high-level engagement. “Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman met Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Oil and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in New Delhi today with Prime Minister’s Ad,” viser on Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir and High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah also present. It added that the delegation also held talks with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval shortly after arriving in the capital. Dhaka also outlined its policy direction under the new leadership. India won’t hold COP33 due to ‘busy calendar’ J i t e n d r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi India has withdrawn its proposal to host the 33rd edition of the Conference of Parties (COP33) climate summit, which is scheduled for 2028. Rajat Agrawal, a joint secretary at the the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, informed the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) about India’s decision. Agrawal, who has the responsibility of liaising with the UN body, conveyed the decision to the chair of the Asia-Pacific Group of the organisation in a letter sent on April 2. Spokesperson of the ministry Virat Majboor confirmed to this newspaper that India had indeed communicated its decision to the UNFCCC secretariat. “This has been officially communicated to the concerned parties, but no further details are available,” he said. Unconfirmed reports state that India told the chair of the Asia-Pacific group that the decision was based on the “review of its commitments for 2028”. During COP28 in Dubai in 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that India wished to host COP33. 40 Assembly elections April 9, 2026 Counting date: May 4, 2026 Kerala 140 seats Single phase 2021 result (total seats: 126) 2.71 cr 883 Candidates 30,495 Polling stations Total voters Non-aggression from the US 2 Acceptance of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme 3 Lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions and resolutions against Iran 4 End of all resolutions against Iran at the IAEA 5 End of all resolutions against Iran by the UN Security Council 6 Full Iranian control over Strait of Hormuz via its armed forces 7 Hormuz toll to raise funds for compensation for damage suffered during the war 8 Withdrawal of US forces from all bases in the region 9 Release of all Iranian assets frozen abroad 10 UNSC resolution making any deal binding Smoke and mirrors A US official said Wednesday the 10-point ceasefire plan published by Iran is not the same set of conditions agreed to by the White House for pausing the war. “The document reported by media outlets is not the working framework,” the senior official said on condition of anonymity. The statement adds to concerns over the fragility of the truce declared late Tuesday. Trump had said in his declaration of a twoweek truce for further negotiations that “we received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate.” Iranian state media then published its own 10-point plan. These items would run contrary to Washington’s public statements about what it wants Iran to do. J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi India on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, expressing hope that the pause in hostilities would pave the way for lasting peace in West Asia and potentially reinvigorate diplomatic efforts to find peace in Ukraine conflict. The External Affairs Ministry said: “We welcome the ceasefire reached and hope that it will lead to a lasting peace in West Asia. As we have continuously advocated earlier, de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy are essential to bring an early end to the ongoing conflict.” Highlighting the broader consequences of the conflict, the statement added: “The conflict has already caused immense suffering to people and disrupted global energy supply and trade networks. We expect that unimpeded freedom of navigation and global flow of commerce would prevail through the Strait of Hormuz.” India, which has long-standing economic and strategic stakes in the region, remains particularly concerned about disruptions to maritime trade routes. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil shipments, has been at the centre of escalating tensions, raising alarm in New Delhi over energy security and the safety of millions of Indian nationals living across West Asia. Despite sustained military attacks, Iran has demonstrated continued capability to strike regional targets using missiles and drones. Its leadership has also weathered both external attacks and internal unrest without visible signs of collapse. The truce itself was announced shortly before a planned escalation. US President Donald rump said the agreement followed conversations with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir, a claim echoed by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The ceasefire has raised cautious optimism globally . LDF - 99 seats UDF - 41 seats 2021 turnout 77.9% 2.49 cr 1,100 Candidates NDA - 75 seats AJP - 1 seat Grand Alliance - 50 seats 9.44 lakh Puducherry 30 seats Total voters Single phase 2021 result (total seats: 30) NDA - 16 seats UPA - 8 seats Independents - 6 seats 2021 voter turnout HC seeks Centre’s stand on plea against transgender law UDAYAN K I S HORE @ New Delhi 2021 result (total seats: 140) Total voters 126 seats Single phase 1 India urges lasting peace, pushes for Ukraine momentum RBi holds repo rate, governor hints at long-time pause | p10 BATTLE ROYALE IN 2 STATES, 1 UT Today assam Iran’s reported charter of demands 83.4% P5 & P8 The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre on a batch of petitions challenging the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026, citing that it takes away one’s right to self-perceived gender identity . It sought the Centre’s response by July 22, the next date of hearing. The 2026 law was introduced on the ground that the existing definition was “vague and broad”, which allegedly made it difficult to identify the genuinely oppressed per- sons for whom the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 was originally intended. A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia was hearing petitions, which claimed that the law is “manifestly arbitrary and disproportionate”, and that it infringes Article 19(1)(a) (fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression) of the Constitution by restricting the expression of gender identity . Petitioner Chandresh Jain said the Act “removes and dilutes selfperceived gender identity”. Capital cool: Wednesday coldest April day in 11 yrs Gusty winds and spells of light scattered rain throughout Wednesday kept Delhi unusually cool for April. The maximum temperature came down to 28.2 degrees Celsius, the lowest for the month in 11 years. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, the maximum temperature at Safdarjung was recorded at 28.2°C, 6.9°C below normal. The last time the maximum temperature was lower in April was on April 23, 2016, when it had settled at 27.2°C. Additionally, the city’s base weather station at Safdarjung recorded 6.4 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Wednesday, marking the wettest spell since April 4, 2023, when 16.3 mm of rain was recorded. Meanwhile, the minimum temperature at Safdarjung settled at 16.8°C, 3.2°C below normal. Pal- A view of sunset on a rainy day near India Gate on Wednesday | Parveen Negi At the special sitting of Parliament commencing April 16, MPs must approach the bill to advance women’s reservation with a sense of responsibility and purpose, writes Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding it is a moment to rise above differences and act with unity | P7 Sabarimala case Court can decide if a religious practice is superstition, says SC S U C HITRA K A LYAN M OHANTY @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it has the powers to strike down religious practices or superstitions—even if they are rooted in faith—if they violate public order, health and morality A nine-judge Constitu. tional bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, hearing a batch of review pleas challenging the Sabarimala judgment, rejected the Centre’s submission that a secular court can’t decide on superstitions. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that even if a practice is superstitious, it is not for the court to determine that. “Under Article 25(2)(b) of the Constitution, it is for the legislature to step in and Questions enact a reform law,” he said, while stress- on locus ing that ‘constitutional morality’ cannot The bench be a ground for judicial review to decide asked how essential religious practices and beliefs. persons who The bench categorically clarified that are not it doesn’t agree with the line that the leg- Ayyappa islature has the ‘last word’ in such mat- devotees could ters, stressing that courts cannot shy challenge a away from testing contentious practices temple custom. “Why should against constitutional principles. The bench also questioned how per- this court sons who are not devotees of Lord Ayyap- concern with a pa could challenge a centuries-old temple non-devotee?” custom in the top court. The Supreme asked Justice Court had in 2018 struck down the re- BV Nagarathna striction on the entry of women in the age group of 10-50 years to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, based on a public interest litigation filed by an organisation named Indian Young Lawyers Association. Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said two previous Supreme Court verdicts on decriminalisation of consensual gay sex and adultery provisions based on the doctrine of constitutional morality were “not a good law”. express read Rare chill ADITI RAY C HO W DHURY @ New Delhi Time to act on women’s quota am recorded 15.5°C, 4.5 degrees below normal, Lodhi Road 16.2°C, 2.8 degrees below normal, Ridge 15.3°C, 4.8 degrees below normal; and Ayanagar 16.4°C, 2.5 degrees below normal. According to IMD scientist Akhil Srivastava, “The main weather activity is with respect to the western disturbance, which is currently seen over Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.” Temperatures are expected to rise from Wednesday he added. , Final JEE results likely on April 20 Landing, parking fee lowered for airlines The results for the Joint Entrance Examination held for BE and BTech courses are likely to be announced by April 20, the National Testing Agency said on Wednesday. The Session 2 of the examination concluded on April 8, with 11.23 lakh candidates taking it at 566 centres across the country. The result will be compiled based on the combined performance of candidates in both Session 1 and Session 2. The Aviation Ministry on Wednesday announced a 25% cut in the landing and parking charges for domestic carriers for three months. It will offer airlines a cumulative relief of about `400 crore, said the ministry. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said, “With the ultimate aim of supporting airlines and, in turn, passengers, airfare increases are being further contained [through this reduction].”