FRIDAY 18 SEPTEMBER, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard OPENAI CENTRE TELLS SC IT IS READY TO CUT NEET-SS QUALIFYING PERCENTILE AI MODELS BREAK THEIR OWN RULES OpenAI has disclosed six reports of “unexpected or concerning” behaviour in AI models. It said it is introducing new mechanisms to track such rogue outcome PAGE 9 Consumers to be protected against UPI fleecing: Govt P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi AMID concerns that consumers will end up bearing the cost of the newly introduced Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions, finance ministry officials said a monitoring mechanism will be put in place to ensure that merchants do not pass on the MDR burden to customers. MDR on UPI payments will be effective from October 15. In a bid to allay the concerns, officials from the Department of Financial Services clarified on Thursday that monitoring will be done on a regular basis to ensure the MDR is not passed on to the end-consumers. The officials clarified that if any challenges arise regarding GST on the MDR, it will be eventually taken up by the GST Council. MDR on UPI transactions will attract a GST of 18% as it is considered as a service. The officials claimed there will be no additional revenue for the government from the GST on MDR as businesses can set it off via input tax credit. However, only regular GST assessees can use this provision. Officials said the introduction of MDR will help small businesses that don’t have a credit history and thus no CIBIL score. “With more formalisation of UPI, we are trying to make an alternative of credit history they said. ,” 6,000 CANDIDATES WILL BECOME ELIGIBLE A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS J AYA N T H J A C O B A N D P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi INDIA on Thursday pushed back against the latest US sanctions legislation targeting buyers of Russian energy warning , that the measures could have implications for both bilateral ties and global energy markets. New Delhi said the immediate priority was to ensure energy security for its 1.4 billion citizens while protecting trade and economic interests. It further said that India would continue to pursue this objective through “diversified sourcing and on the basis of evolving market dynamics”. Responding to the passage of the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act in the US Congress, the External Affairs Ministry said India was monitoring the developments and had already raised its concerns with Washington at senior levels. The statement indicated that the issue has been discussed extensively between Indian and US officials in recent months. “Its potential implications for not just the bilateral relation- Monitoring the situation, says commerce ministry Officials from the Ministry of Commerce said that they are currently monitoring the situation, adding necessary steps will be taken accordingly. Currently, both the countries are involved in negotiations to conclude a Bilateral Trade Agreement ship but also the international energy market have been very clearly articulated by the Indian side,” the MEA said. The ministry also made clear that New Delhi was prepared to respond to any economic consequences arising from the new US measures. “The Indian side has also made clear its determination to D ‘RE FARM E RS WITH Y’ M AY BE I NELIGI BL EF FINES OR Pollution punishment S THE Centre has proposed a new regulatory framework to curb crop-residue burning in Delhi-NCR and adjoining states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, with fields linked to stubble burning facing a “red category” designation for 15 months. The draft rules, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, seek to replace the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) rules of 2023 and their amendments in 2024. The government has invited comments from stakeholders within 60 days. Under the proposed framework, an agricultural field where stubble burning is detected would be placed in the “red category” for 15 months. A corresponding “red entry” would be made in the land records, potentially flagging the property during dealings with revenue authorities. The draft does not clearly specify all consequences of the designation. However, sources said land carrying a “red entry” may potentially become ineligible for certain government schemes. The proposed E R NT V T SC H E ME The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe into the bomb threat that forced an Air India Express flight from Dammam to New Delhi to make an emergency diversion to Ahmedabad on August 31, with the woman First Officer emerging as a “key suspect” in allegedly making the threat. P7 take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests,” it said, adding that the government would work with Indian trade and industry bodies to address the implications. Earlier in the day, the US House of Representatives passed a sweeping sanctions package aimed at increasing Draft rules moot 15-month ‘red’ tag for fields linked to stubble burning IN GO NIA takes over probe into AI Exp bomb threat  PAGES 12 economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine. The legislation, which was approved by the House by a 262159 vote after clearing the Senate 86-11, has been sent to President Donald Trump, who has said he will sign it. Among other provisions, the legislation gives the US president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that continue significant purchases of Russian oil and gas. China and India, two major buyers of Russian energy could , potentially face such measures. India is the world’s third-largest oil importer and has significantly increased its purchases of Russian crude in recent years, making the issue particularly important for its energy policy and trade relations with Washington. However, opposition within the US Congress also remains. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, described the bill as “deeply flawed”, arguing that its tariff provisions could give the White House broad authority over US import taxes. CAPITAL CHOKE RTA The Election Commission on Thursday issued an interim order in the dispute between factions the Trinamool Congress to have control over the organisational and symbol “Flowers & Grass”. It has frozen them for use in the upcoming bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly segments on October 6. P7 J8.00 Energy security of 1.4B citizens top priority while protecting trade, economic interests: MEA CE TMC factions can’t use name, symbol in bypolls  Russia curbs bill could impact ties, India warns US in strong pushback J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi EXPRESS READ NEW DELHI  rules retain the higher environmental compensation rates introduced in 2024. Farmers found responsible for burning crop residue would face a fine of `5,000 for agricultural land below two acres, `10,000 for land between two and five acres, and `30,000 for land exceeding five acres. If the penalty is not paid within 30 days, it could be recovered as arrears of land revenue. In cases of repeated stubble burning, the “red category” status could be extended for another 15 months, potentially resulting in successive compensation demands and continued entries in land records. The funds collected as environmental compensation would be transferred to the concerned FARMERS FOUND RESPONSIBLE FOR BURNING CROP RESIDUE WOULD FACE A FINE OF `5,000 for land below two acres `10,000 for land between 2 & 5 acres `30,000 for land exceeding five acres Red category status to be extended for another 15 mnts in case of repeat offences 60 days: Time given to stakeholders to comment on proposal State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee. They could be used to support crop-residue management machinery, crop diversification, biomass storage and utilisation and research. The proposed framework comes amid recurring winter air-pollution concerns in DelhiNCR. Crop-residue burning in neighbouring states has been identified as one contributor to seasonal pollution, though its contribution varies depending on weather and other factors. The Centre’s proposed system thus combines financial penalties with a land-record mechanism aimed at discouraging repeat violations while directing collected funds towards alternatives to stubble burning. In a 1st, Punjab drones to check residue disposal H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh PUNJAB will deploy drones for the first time this paddy harvesting season to detect stubble-burning incidents in real time, particularly late-evening farm fires that can evade satellite surveillance. The move follows directions from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to Punjab and Haryana to strengthen monitoring ahead of the winter pollution season. Drones will initially operate in identified hotspots, with surveys focused on the 3 pm to 9 pm window and active fires mapped against cadastral records for geo-tagged enforcement. Punjab currently relies on satellite monitoring through the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre. Officials said satellite imagery has limitations, including a one-day lag and only two passes a day, while burnt-area data can take up to 15 days to arrive. A CAQM pilot in Patiala in May found drone imagery sufficiently clear to identify farm fires. Punjab recorded 5,114 stubble-burning cases last year, down 54% from 10,909 in 2024. Eight high-risk districts accounted for 67% of the total. In a note filed before the Supreme Court on Thursday, the Centre said many seats remain vacant in highly specialised medical and surgical disciplines. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, told the court that the lower percentile would make roughly 6,000 additional candidates eligible, nearly thrice the vacant seats MEDICAL COUNSELLING COMMITTEE HAS TO FILL VACANT SEATS WITHIN TWO WEEKS Events begin amid chaos With just one day to go for the Games, excitement is ramping up. A few issues have dominated the buildup even as events have already started. A look... ACCOMMODATION ISSUES CONTINUE CRICKET TAKES CENTRESTAGE For the first time, a senior Indian team will play Japan in an international cricket match on Friday. The Harmanpreet Kaurled team will take on Japan in the quarterfinal match. On Thursday, Bangladesh women advanced based on ranking after tie against China was abandoned while Pakistan beat Thailand As this daily reported, accommodation has been chaotic for athletes. It continued on Thursday with rooms meant for two being shared by three at the Costa Serena cruise ship. With no Games Village for this event, around 17,000 athletes and officials are being accommodated at various locations, including the cruise ship, shipping-container style wooden huts at the dock area & hotels across Aichi prefecture DOUBLES PAIR LOSES IN TEQBALL Declan Gonsalves and Anas Baig were out of medal contention in the men’s doubles Teqball event on Thursday. The Indians first lost 10-12, 8-12 against Vietnam’s Truong Giang Ba and Anh Khoa Le before going down 4-12, 7-12 against South Korea’s Junsuk Lee and Taebeen Lee | P11 It’s Tata vs Tata over Chandra’s reappointment B E N N K O C H U V E E D A N @ Mumbai THE boardroom war at Tata Sons deepened on Thursday with four out of six directors of the group holding company voting to re-appoint N Chandrasekaran as executive chairman for five more years and clearing the proposal to list the company mandated by the Reserve Bank of India. Both proposals were opposed by Tata Trusts, the largest shareholder of Tata sons with 66% stake. Tata Trusts chairman Noel N Tata termed both decisions illegal. Noel said the trusts and the board had unanimously decided against listing Tata Sons and alleged he was kept in the dark about the board’s communications with RBI about listing. In a detailed statement, Noel said Tata Trusts would file an RTI application to obtain details of the board’s communications with RBI. According to the statement, Noel told the board that there is nothing in the September 11 RBI communication that says Tata Sons should be listed. He said if RBI doesn’t accept the firm’s demand to not be treated as a regulated entity then it should seek three years , to comply with the listing requirement. According to Noel, listing will destroy SP group’s Tata Sons’ character. Earlier, the Tata Sons board said four of liquidity plan its six members voted to give another five- Noel Tata tabled year term to Chandrasekaran, who had on a proposal to August 12 said he was not seeking a third provide `25,000 term beyond February 2027, when his cur- crore of liquidity rent term ends. The board said Chandraseka- to the debt-laden ran accepted the reappointment proposal Shapoorji Pallonji after the board requested him to continue. Group by buying Soon after the board meeting on Thursday out a portion of , Noel said Chandrasekaran’s decision not to its holding in the seek another term had already been accept- Tata Group’s ed and, therefore, the reappointment by vote holding company, was illegal. Tata Sons “Tata Trusts maintains that Chandra’s decision not to offer himself for reappointment at the end of his current tenure had already been accepted and had attained finality as his decision was freely taken, clearly expressed and not the outcome of any process of review,” he said, adding that Chandra had decided not to seek another term without prior intimation to or deliberations with Tata Trusts. “Once such a decision has been publicly communicated, it has consequences which cannot be afterwards undone, since the group’s employees, its lenders and counterparties, the market and the majority shareholder have all proceeded on it,” he said, and asked the board to finalise the search panel to find his successor at the earliest. Unnatural deaths report in Manipur HC raps govt for violence during DUSU campaign relief camps shocking, says SC bench U D AYA N K I S H O R E @ New Delhi S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi EXPRESSING shock and displeasure over the 25 alleged unnatural deaths in relief camps — set up for the victims and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the 2023 Manipur violence cases — the Supreme Court on Thursday directed Manipur Chief Secretary to file a status report. “We direct the Chief Secretary to submit report about all the 25 unnatural deaths reported in the newspapers...along with post-mortem report iden- Special report The order came after the bench perused reports of the Justice Mittal committee and an IAS officer about unnatural deaths in the relief camps in Manipur housing internally displaced persons from the 2023 Manipur riots tifying the cause and what preventive steps have been taken in (camps for IDPs),” said a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. The court took note of a report by an IAS officer from Manipur stating that 25 deaths had occurred in relief camps, but post-mortems were conducted in only 20 cases. “The state is also obliged to explain as to why only `20,000`30,000 as compensation was paid to internally displaced persons who met with unnatural deaths while sheltered in relief camps,” the bench said. The bench also directed the Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) to file a separate status report on the issue of unnatural deaths. ‘... criminal society’ THE Delhi High Court on Thursday pulled up the Centre, Delhi University and the police for allegedly failing to control violence during the campaigning for the September 18 Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, saying, “Democracy can’t be converted into a criminal society .” “We are more than conscious that we are a democratic society, but we are also conscious that this democracy can’t be converted into a criminal society,” a bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said. The bench sought a report The HC sought a report from DU, police and the government by Friday, warning that it may stay counting of votes and declaration of results if it is not satisfied with the action. “Democracy can’t be converted into a criminal society.” from DU, Delhi Police, and the government on the issue by Friday, warning that it may stay the counting of votes and declaration of results if it is not satisfied with the action. “Delhi Police as also DU shall also file status report as to action taken by them once the incident of unruly conduct and violation of Lyngdoh Commit- tee, the order of the Court, and code of conduct was found. Depending on the status report to be filed under our order, necessary directions shall be passed tomorrow,” the bench said. The bench added, “No excuses will be accepted by the court and we are making it very clear that, though we are not staying or postponing the election but, if we are not satisfied with your action, we can pass harsher order staying the counting or declaration of results. We feel unless such orders are passed, no one is going to listen. It’s very very sad.” The bench directed the lawyers for student unions to be present in court on September 18 at 12 noon, when the matter will be taken up for hearing. The bench made the observation while hearing a petition filed by advocate Prashant Manchanda, alleging violations. The plea sought directions to ensure enforcement of the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations and anti-defacement guidelines. P4