THURSDAY 25 JUNE, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in TODAY’S MATCHES (1:30AM): Curacao vs Ivory Coast, Ecuador vs Germany. (4:30AM): Tunisia vs NED, Japan vs Sweden. (7.30AM) Turkiye vs USA, Paraguay vs Aus All IST Friday | Live on facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard WAR CLAIMS IRAN SAYS DEAL MARKS US DEFEAT Iran called the deal to end the West Asia war ‘a declaration of America’s defeat’ on Wednesday, as Marco Rubio sought to reassure allies PAGE 9 United8 Sports & ZEE5 COLOMBIA IN ROUND OF 32, ENGLAND The team is the latest to secure knockout MADE TO WAIT berth while England were held 0-0 by Ghana MUNOZ, THE HERO FOR SOUTH AMERICANS A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 Colombia beat stubborn DR Congo side to secure a 1-0 win. Victory in Guadalajara, courtesy of a 76th-minute goal from Daniel Munoz, took them top of Group K with six points. On the other hand, England were unable to find the invention needed to break through, creating hardly any chances that troubled the Black Stars | P11 5th gen stealth fighter jet hits air Passport a travel document, pocket as GE triples engine price not citizenship proof: MEA Commercial negotiations with the US aerospace giant on hold; India mulls paring order size EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE J A V A R I A R A N A @ New Delhi A passport is a travel document and not proof of citizenship, External Affairs Ministry officials said on Wednesday . “The passport remains a travel document, and not a document of citizenship, as it attests the nationality of Indians when they are abroad,” the officials sought to explain. A passport is among the accepted documents for the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The ministry’s statement triggered debate on social media over what constitutes a conclusive proof of citizenship, an issue that remains a grey area as it has not been explicitly addressed by the Centre. Some of them pointed out that passports are not issued to non-citizens. Section 6(2)(a) of the Passport Act 1967 requires the issuing authority to refuse a passport if the applicant is not a citizen of India. It reads: “Subject to the other provisions of this Act, the passport authority shall refuse to issue a passport or travel document for visiting any foreign country under clause (c) of sub-section (2) of section 5 on any one or more of NEGOTIATIONS to procure GE F414 engines that would power India’s fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) have hit a wall with the US aerospace giant seeking a whopping 300% increase in prices compared with earlier estimates. According to sources, the F414 engine was estimated to cost `70-80 crore per unit but GE is now quoting prices that are three times higher. Technical negotiations for F414 engines have already been completed but commercial discussions to fix engine price, technology transfer and manufacturing arrangements are now stuck, putting both costs and timelines of the flagship fighter programme at risk. The setback comes at a time when Pakistan is reportedly moving closer to inducting China’s J-35 stealth fighter, which could introduce 5th gen combat aircraft into the region before the AMCA enters service. The indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter is expected address the Indian Air Force’s HITS RAW NERVE Maha Speaker says sorry for poor command over Marathi S U D H I R S U R YAWA N S H I @ Mumbai IN a state where Marathi proficiency is projected as a marker of cultural identity Maharash, tra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar sparked a controversy on Wednesday by fumbling through a Marathi condolence motion for legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle. Narvekar apologised in the House for mistakes in his Marathi pronunciation. Explaining the lapse, Narvekar said the errors occurred due to the small font size and technical typing errors in the text provided to him. He added that there were 10 condolence motions to be read that day leaving little time , to go through each text beforehand. “If my poor reading of Marathi has hurt the sentiments of anyone, then I sincerely apologise,” he said. MNS chief Raj Thackeray, took a swipe at Narvekar and said that he was not reading a condolence message for Bhosle but a condolence message for the Marathi language itself. Thackeray said that Narvekar could have chosen to read in another language, but should not have “killed” Marathi. He added that better was expected from a person occupying such a high constitutional office. On social media, Narvekar faced flak over his command of Marathi, his careless reading and what many described as a casual approach towards the language. Several users pointed to the government’s push to make Marathi compulsory for non-Marathi auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, arguing that those presiding over the state’s highest legislative institution should first demonstrate proficiency in the language. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Ajay Chaudhari said, “It exposes our policy on the Marathi language. We have failed to inculcate a proper culture of Marathi reading and writing in the state.” Manufacturer’s leverage GE knows AMCA is built around the F414. Changing it at this stage would be difficult. That gives it leverage for negotiations F414 engine was initially estimated to cost around L 70-80 cr per unit squadron shortfall. The IAF currently operates 29 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42.5. The AMCA prototype programme requires 15 F414 engines. India has approved `15,000 crore for five flying prototypes. The F414 is also slated to power Tejas Mk-2 and Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF), taking the projected requirement to 200 engines. “The company knows the programme is built around the GE has increased prices almost by 300% F414 and that changing engines now would be extremely difficult. That gives GE significant leverage during commercial negotiations,” a source said. Sources further said GE has sought around `6,000 crore for setting up a dedicated F414 assembly and manufacturing line in India, which would cater to future requirements of the Tejas Mk-2, initial AMCA production batches and the TEDBF. It is learnt that Indian negotiators are now considering the option of reducing the initial order quantity to ease the immediate financial burden. “The F414 has already been factored in to the design and development plans for the AMCA Mk-1 as well as the Tejas Mk-2. Any new engine would require fresh integration, software work, testing and certification,” a source said. “The AMCA design has been frozen. If another engine is eventually selected, it will have to be adapted to the aircraft’s existing configuration rather than the aircraft being redesigned around the engine.” The F414 was selected for the AMCA Mk-1 because it is a proven engine already powering several frontline fighter aircraft. Generating around 98 kN of thrust, the engine is seen as a critical component of India’s future combat aircraft plans. The AMCA Mk-2 is slated to be powered by a more powerful 110-120 kN class engine being developed through an international partnership. France’s Safran and Britain’s Rolls-Royce have emerged as the leading contenders for the programme. @ New Delhi The passport remains a travel document, and not a document of citizenship, as it attests the nationality of Indians when they are abroad —Senior MEA official the following grounds, and on no other ground, namely:-- (a) that the applicant is not a citizen of India.” Officials said, “a passport is issued after a lot of due diligence, and it is based on documents from several government agencies.” A total of 14.7 million e-passports have been issued since the chip-based documents were rolled out last year as part of the revamped Passport Seva Programme, according to the officials. The epassports, which contain an embedded antenna and a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip storing personal particulars and biometric data, account for around 10% of all passports issued so far. All new passports are now being issued in the chip-based format. The e-passports offer enhanced security and significantly reduce the possibility of unauthorised access or tampering, as well as the chances of obtaining the document through fraudulent means, the officials said. “It is more difficult to generate fake passports, and the epassports offer greater reassurance to immigration authorities abroad and make clearances faster,” the officials said. The chips used in the e-passports are sourced by the India Security Press in Nashik from overseas suppliers, the officials said. They added that international best practices were studied to ensure the Indian e-passports are robust and compliant with global standards. The ministry will organise a two-day Human Resource Mobility Forum on June 30 to highlight legal pathways for migration and facilitate networking between foreign employers and Indian nationals seeking jobs abroad, the officials said. 7 yrs on, border trade Mayor bats for cleaner Delhi, unveils helpline via Lipulekh with China from tomorrow E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi The revival of trade is expected to provide a major THE India-China border boost to the economy of the trade through the Lipulekh remote border villages, genpass will resume on June 26 erate local employment and after nearly seven years, in a support small businesses. Trade via this route was significant economic and strategic development for halted in 2019-2020 due to Uttarakhand’s frontier re- Covid-19 and border tengion. For the first time, In- sions. During the prolonged dian border traders will be closure, several shops in the able to travel by road in ve- old Taklakot market were rehicles up to areas close to the portedly allotted to Nepali and other traders. Lipulekh Pass. The local administration A new trade mart has now has received an encourag- been developed for Indian ing response, with 103 appli- and Nepali traders, where cations submitted for trade Indian traders will be allotpermits this year. In the first ted shops. Members of the trade phase, 26 trade passes have been issued, including those committee said the new for 17 traders and nine as- market is better organised sistants. A customs office than the earlier one and ofand other essential arrange- fers more space for storing ments have also been made goods. Traders have also sought concessional rent operational at Gunji. “After verification of the and improved logistics support. remaining applications, 25 In 2019, trade to 30 more t h ro u g h t h i s passes are route was worth likely to be isnearly `3 crore, sued in the including exnext two to p o r t s wo r t h three days,” around `1.25 Dharachula crore and imSub Divisional ports of apMagistrate Ashish Joshi told Trade via Lipulekh Pass was proximately suspended in 2019-2020 `1.90 crore. this newspaper. N A R E N D R A S E T H I @ Dehradun FOR Delhi residents frustrated by overflowing garbage bins and unattended waste heaps, help is a phone call away. The MCD has launched a toll-free helpline, allowing citizens to directly report garbage-related issues from anywhere in the capital any time. Announcing the initiative at Delhi Dialogues organised by The Morning Standard on Wednesday, Mayor Pravesh Wahi said residents can call the toll-free number 155305 at any time, on any day to lodge com, plaints. Another number, 9643096430, will be operational from 8 am to 6 pm, while zone- wise contact numbers have been issued for public convenience. The civic body will soon roll out hoardings and billboards across the city highlighting the helpline service. On waste management, Wahi said, “Mixing the garbage makes the job of its disposal a hundred times harder. Simply segregating the garbage into dry and wet waste can save a lot of time. It is a critical habit that keeps our environment clean. The segregation ensures organic waste can be composted and inorganic items can be recycled.” The mayor said that the MCD was on track to clear both legacy and fresh waste at Delhi’s landfill sites, with the Okhla one expected to be garbage-free before December. After inspecting the Okhla landfill on Wednesday morning, Wahi said, “The lega- cy waste has been almost remediated. Work has started on the fresh waste that is coming in. We are close to achieving our target. Twenty-three acres have already been freed from garbage.” The goal is to completely clear the site by December 2026. The number of garbage yards has also reduced significantly he , said. The reclaimed land at Okhla could soon be put to public use. Wahi said that there are plans to develop parks, hospitals and community halls on the cleared area. He added that the chief minister has envisioned an ISBT at the site. EXPRESS READ Iran prez invites Modi to Khamenei’s funeral Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the state funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The ceremony is set to be held across multiple Iranian cities between July 4 and 9. P7 Ambedkar University to get north Delhi campus KOLKATA TRAGEDY An injured person is being rescued after a three-storey under-construction warehouse collapsed in Taratala area of Kolkata, West Bengal, on Wednesday. At least five persons were killed and 30 others injured in the incident | PTI | P8 The Delhi government allocated `1,668 crore for the construction of a new campus of the university in Dheerpur. Spread over 50 acres, it will be sustainable and cater to about 8,000 students once fully complete. P4 SPECIAL CARE Sooryavanshi to have separate changing room in Ireland, England EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chennai/Bengaluru VAIBHAV Sooryavanshi is ready to set quite a few precedents during India’s tour of Ireland and England. If handed his senior international debut, the explosive 15-year-old batter from Bihar will surpass the batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar to become India’s youngest international cricketer. He will get a separate changing room as part of safeguarding protocols of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Ireland. “The Indian team have been given three separate rooms in the pavilion and safeguarding laws have been advised,” a Cricket Ireland official told this daily. “We’ll check all obligations have been met, but the BCCI will manage MANDAR PARDIKAR things in accordance with UK law etc. Our procedures and policies are in line with best practice in the UK.” This will be the first time that an Indian cricketer will be changing away from colleagues. Both Sachin Tendulkar and Shafali Varma, who had toured the UK as teenagers, were above the prescribed age limit. As per existing procedures, Sooryavanshi will be permitted in the away dressing room during the game and can attend team talks. The restriction, however, applies only when he is getting changed before and after each match. It is learnt that the safeguarding officers from each venue are working closely with the liaison officer for the Indian team to ensure implementation of the procedures. The BCCI has also allowed Sooryavanshi’s parents to accompany the player during the tour. India will play two T20Is in Ireland on July 26 and 28 before taking on England in the five-match T20I series starting on July 1. Two of the most high profile recent instances of this policy being applied pertained to two Arsenal youngsters — Ethan Nwaneri (2022) and Max Dowman (2025).