SATURDAY 27 JUNE, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard PA R T I E S C A N C E L L E D EUROPE BAKES IN SEVERE HEATWAVE Army’s 41-member rescue team for Venezuela Street parties and music fests were cancelled and alcohol sales limited in western Europe on Friday, as a deadly heatwave choked 150 million people A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9  NEW DELHI VICTORY FOR AGES Ecuador pulled off a memorable show to beat Germany. So much so that Daniel Noboa, Ecuador President, declared Friday a national holiday, highlighting what this win meant for the country and its people. Gonzalo Plata was the Ecuador hero of the tie as he netted the players decisive goal 13 minutes from celegrate their time, helping the team win 2-1 second goal and advance to the knockouts. against Germany Despite the defeat, Germany | AFP finished as Group E winners. J8.00 Dutch top Group F Ecuador stun Germany to squeeze into the last 32 of the World Cup on Thursday while Netherlands, Japan, Australia and Ivory Coast also advance. A look... National delight & holiday  Ivory Coast make history Ivory Coast sealed the runners-up spot in Group E after eliminating Curacao in Philadelphia. Nicolas Pepe scored twice in a 2-0 victory. It is the first time that the west African nation has reached the knockout stage. Netherlands wrapped up their first round campaign with a 3-1 victory over Tunisia to top Group F, just ahead of Japan, who drew 1-1 with Sweden to finish in second place. Sweden also advanced as one of the best third place finishers. The Dutch will now face 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco in the last 32, while Japan will take on Group C winners Brazil. A year on, govt recognises 6 soldiers killed in Op Sindoor EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi DELHI residents purchasing property will no longer have to run from pillar to post to get electricity connections transferred in their names, as discoms will automatically mutate them using ownership data shared by sub-registrar of fices under an amended DERC regulation, officials said on Friday . An amendment of SubRegulation (1) of Regulation 17 of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (Supply Code and Perfor mance Standards) Regulations, 2019, stipulate discoms will have to effect the name change within two billing cycles. The DERC said that if any applicant wants a transfer of connection due to a change of ownership of the property or transfer to a legal heir, he or she will have to apply to the discom concerned in a prescribed format. After receiving the details of the seller and the buyer, the discoms will process the transfer of connection without the requirement of a separate request and the need for additional documents, said the notification. The amendment will come into effect after its publication in Delhi’s gazette notification. Earlier, a property buyer was required to submit a separate application to the distribution company along with documents like proof of ownership, identity proof and occupancy documents for the transfer of an electricity connection. The regulation will help bridge the gap between property registration and utility services. It will do away with concerns of new property buyers regarding outstanding electricity dues accumulated by previous occupants or owners. TEJAS MK1A FACES ENGINE TROUBLE AGAIN One of the six engines delivered by GE so far failed mandatory acceptance parameters during inspection | P7 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi MORE than a year after Operation Sindoor, the government has officially recorded the names of the six military personnel who made the supreme sacrifice during the four-day war by including them in the roll of honour at the National War Memorial. It marked the first official recognition of fatalities in the conflict. The names have been inscribed on the Tyag Chakra (Circle of Sacrifice) at the War Memorial in New Delhi. The monument comprises 16 concentric granite walls bearing the names, ranks and units of personnel who laid down their lives since Independence. The martyrs are Subedar Major Pawan Kumar of HQ 10 Infantry Brigade, Rifleman Sunil Kumar of 4 JAKLI, Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar of 5 Field The names of the six soldiers on Wall 3D under the 2025 Roll of Honour at the National War Memorial, New Delhi Regiment, Agniveer Mood Muralinaik of 851 Light Regiment, Havildar Sunil Kumar Singh of 237 Field Workshop Company and Sergeant Surendra Kumar of No 39 Wing of the Indian Air PAGES 12 Relief for lakhs as CBSE eases language policy Class 7-9 students can keep existing combo of two foreign languages till Class 10: Board E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi TODAY'S Group L: Panama vs England; Croatia vs Ghana (both at 2:30 AM*). Group K: Colombia vs Portugal; DR Congo vs Uzbekistan MATCHES (5 AM*). Group J: Algeria vs Austria; Jordan vs Argentina (7:30 AM*). LIVE ON United8 Sports & Zee5 (*IST Sunday) Electricity connection transfer rules simplified  Two IAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft carrying humanitarian supplies and a 41-member rescue team from the Indian Army departed for Venezuela on Friday to assist in the relief and rescue efforts in the earthquake-hit country. The death toll due to the earthquake is close to 600, while thousands of others are reported to be missing | PTI | P7 Force. Two of the six were decorated with gallantry awards. Rifleman Sunil Kumar was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award, while Sergeant Surendra Kumar was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal. Mood Muralinaik is the only Agniveer to lose his life during Operation Sindoor. Naik was killed in Pakistani shelling in Poonch on May 9, 2025. His death has since become the subject of a legal tussle before the Bombay High Court, where his family has sought parity in pensionary and welfare benefits with the regular soldiers. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 last year, in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. Indian armed forces struck nine terror-linked sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir associated with Jaishe-Mohammed and Lashkar-eTaiba. The cessation of hostilities took place on May 10 after DGMO level intervention. IN a big relief to lakhs of CBSE students studying in Classes 7-9 and have opted for two foreign languages under the three-language policy they will be allowed to contin, ue with the same language combination until Class 10, board officials said on Friday . The clarification comes a month after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced that Class 9 students would be required to study three languages, of which two must be native Indian languages, from July 1 as part of the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020. The announcement had prompted concerns among students and parents, with many moving courts against the order. Explaining the new position, a senior CBSE official said the requirement to study at least two Indian languages would be implemented prospectively from Class 6 and would not apply retrospectively to students already enrolled in Classes 7 to 9. “An official notification clarifying the same will be issued soon,” the official said. In a circular issued on May 15, the CBSE had stated that until dedicated R3 (third language) textbooks are available, Class 9 students should use the Class 6 R3 textbooks (2026-27 edition) for their chosen language. The language policy forms part of the board’s effort to align its scheme of studies with NEP 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. Under the May circular, students opting to study a foreign language may do so only as the third language after studying two native Indian languages or as an additional fourth language. Separately, the CBSE had announced in April the phased implementation of the three-language formula from Class 6 and the introduction of a two-level system for mathematics and science in Class 9 from the 202627 academic session. Under the proposed structure, mathematics and science would be offered at two levels—mandatory standard and optional advanced. NCERT book hails judiciary Months after a Class 8 NCERT textbook courted controversy for allegedly maligning the judiciary, a new Class 9 book describes it as an “impartial and independent institution that safeguards citizens’ rights and upholds the spirit of the Constitution”. However, the new class 9 textbook was prepared before the controversy over the class 8 textbook broke out. The new social science book talks about various functions of the judiciary, stating that it plays a vital role to protect democracy Capital shame: Three die after inhaling toxic gas in septic tank at factory N I T I N R A W AT @ New Delhi CLEANING of septic tanks proved to be a hazardous activity once again in the city with , contractors and their clients preferring to save cost on protective gear than human lives. The horror repeated itself on Friday when three people were killed after they allegedly inhaled poisonous gas inside a septic tank at a factory in Mundka, officials said. Three people entered the septic tank one by one and all of them succumbed to poisonous gas inhalation. The Delhi Fire Services tenders, which were rushed to rescue them around 12:03 pm, could only recover their bodies, which were shifted to the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital for postmortem. The victims’ families said that one of them had got trapped inside and others went in to save him. The deceased have been identified as Arun, 38, Sandeep, 32, and Chand, 42, all residents of Sultanpuri. The story of cheap lives of workers, their careless contractor and a well-to-do client looked familiar. The police officials said that Marwah Printers hired Neeraj to clean a septic tank situated inside the factory premises in Mundka Industrial Area. Neeraj, in turn, N A M I TA B A J PA I @ Lucknow AMID intense speculation over the resignation of Vishwa Hindu Parishad vice president and Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra general secretary Champat Rai following the arrest of eight persons over donation theft, VHP spokesperson Vijay Shankar Tiwari on Friday emphatically denied it. Tiwari pointed out that Rai had fully cooperated with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the UP government to probe the matter, adding he did not figure in the police FIR that identified the eight accused persons. He also said the VHP hasn’t sought Rai’s arrest, suggesting it was a media creation. Those who hurt the Hindu faith must not be spared but the innocent should not be proceeded against either, he added. The eight accused — Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu, Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Manish Yadav, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Chandra Srivastava and Karunesh Pandey — were produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate Nivedita Singh, who remanded them in judicial custody till Monday A total `79,85,493 was . recovered from the possession of accused persons. While Lavkush Mishra and Anukalp Mishra are among those involved in counting of offerings received as donations at the temple, Tinnu Yadav used to be the driver of Champat Rai and had been involved in the temple’s management since the consecration ceremony in 2024, an official said. P8 EXPRESS READ C’garh forms panel to draft UCC: Sai The state government has initiated the process to draft and implement a Uniform Civil Code and formed a five-member committee, spearheaded by Justice (Retd.) Ranjana Prakash Desai as chairperson, tasked with reviewing current legal frameworks and drafting a roadmap for the bill. Tragedy continues In May, a worker had died cleaning a septic tank in New Ashok Nagar. In July 2025, a contractor and a labourer died after they fell into a septic tank at an under construction house in Qutub Vihar Phase II. In May 2024, 2 workers died cleaning a septic tank in Jasola village engaged the deceased to complete the job. The police filed a case under Section 106/3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Section 9 of the Prohibition of Manual Scavenging Act and Section 3(1)(j) of the SC/ST Act, the invocation of the third act suggesting the unfortunate reality of caste divide in work conditions in the country The police have arrest. ed Marwah Printers owner Suraj Marwah, 50, a resident of Mansarovar Garden, Jayant, 61, a resident of Baprola Vihar, and contractor Neeraj, 35, a resident of Nangloi. The victims’ families alleged that if the company owner had provided proper safety equipment, the three men would have survived. Arun’s brother Narendra said that it was probably Chand who had got trapped in the tank. VHP denies rumour on resignation of Champat Rai Will enact law on love jihad: Suvendu HYDROGEN TRIAL A hydrogen-powered train undergoes a high-speed trial in Delhi on Friday as part of sustainable rail transportation plan | PTI Row over `500 watch ends after 29 yrs S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi TWENTY-NINE years after an Uttarakhand man died due to an altercation over a `500 watch, the Supreme Court has finally closed the case and allowed the last remaining convict to walk free after altering his sentence from rigorous imprisonment of five years to the period already undergone. “At this distant point in time, we are of the view that it would meet the ends of justice if we alter the sentence of imprisonment from rigorous imprisonment for five years to the period already undergone, while maintaining the conviction,” the bench said in its June 25 order. The court also stated that from the materials on record, it is seen that the appellant was, at that point of time, 33 years old. Today, we are in 2026, almost three decades have gone by since then. The appellant What’s in the files Japan PM Abe wanted to raise Manmohan in December UPA govt discouraged the idea prompting the Japanese to say the ashes couldn’t remain remain remain in Japan Manmohan and then NSA (Mathu alias Jagdish) is now well over 60 years of age. We have also noted the genesis of the altercation between the deceased and the accused, which escalated into a scuffle, leading to the fall of the deceased into a dry canal, the bench noted. The top court further clarified that the convict had served sufficient time in cust o dy, a n d m o d i f y i n g t h e punishment to “period already undergone” would meet the ends of justice. With the alteration, the convict is now free to walk out, bringing closure to the case after years of litigation. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Friday that his government would enact a law against religious conversion to strictly deal with ‘love jihad’ and ‘land jihad’. He added that the state would also implement the Uniform Civil Code and National Register of Citizens in days to come. ‘Maha to halt Sikh shrine law for talks’ Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon claimed on Friday that Maharashtra has decided to constitute a committee for consultations with religious bodies, Sikh scholars and other parties before introducing the proposed law on Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Board, Nanded, in the Assembly.