SATURDAY The Centre has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, in specified areas of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur 26 SEPTEMBER, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard HORMUZ IRAN FLOATS OPENING IN 7 DAYS Iran has submitted a proposal to the US to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, its foreign minister told media outlets PAGE 9 MOVE FOLLOWS REVIEW OF LAW & ORDER A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00 PLATFORMS The Delhi HC on Friday directed Meta Platforms to remove a woman’s morphed picture with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ordered police to provide protection to the victim | P7 EXPRESS READ Another woman harassed in Bihar Three men have been detained after a woman was sexually harassed and her male friend assaulted at Mandar Hills in Bihar’s Banka. This is the third case reported in Bihar within a week. P8 Pilot drunk on duty, suspended The First Officer of an Air India flight from Zurich to Delhi was suspended by Air India after he tested positive in a breathalyser test conducted at the Zurich Airport just before he was about to fly. Bhushan acquittal challenged by four Four women wrestlers on Friday moved a city court against the acquittal of ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case lodged in 2023 on allegations by six women. P3  PAGES 12 Chirag, Kushwaha, Devarayalu urge him to publicly address misgivings in poll process PA R V E Z S U LTA N & R A M A S H A N K A R @ New Delhi/Patna AMID mounting Opposition attacks on the Centre and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of arbitrary decisions in connection with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, three BJP allies — the Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-RV), Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) — on Friday sought clarity on the electoral process to “dispel misgivings” among voters. In a related development, a plea was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the decisions, guidelines and software changes allegedly made by the CEC without the concurrence of the two election commissioners, saying they violate the statutory requirement of collective decision-making. LJP-Ram Vilas chief and Union minister Chirag Paswan urged the Election Commission (EC) to publicly address concerns about the electoral process and dispel misgivings among voters, while RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha pressed for an immediate clarification. TDP’s floor leader in the Lok Sabha Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu said transparency from the poll panel would boost confidence in the constitutional institution. “If questions are being raised about the Election Commission, which is an independent constitutional body the responsi- When he was , bility lies with the CEC to present his named in a stance clearly,” Paswan said. He added suicide note that the poll panel should clarify its posi- Present CEC tion before the public, rather than address- Gyanesh Kumar ing the concerns only to Congress leader was in 2006 Rahul Gandhi. named accused in a Devarayalu said that while the SIR was suicide note. He conducted transparently in Andhra was Kerala Works Pradesh, a clarification from the EC would Secretary when a be beneficial. Malaysian project “From the perspective of Andhra officer died by Pradesh, having closely observed the SIR suicide after exercise, I can say that the process was accusing Kumar conducted in a transparent manner. Ade- and others of quate opportunities and sufficient time harassment and were provided to every voter to participate delays in payments and raise concerns,” he said. to his company for Kushwaha said, “A great deal of confu- a road project sion has arisen regarding the SIR exercise. To dispel the confusion, the Election Commission should immediately issue a clarification on the correct position.” As for the Congress, it held protests across states, with demonstrations turning violent at some places. There were reports of clashes between the protesters and the security personnel. The security forces had to use teargas and water cannons to disperse the protesters at some places. According to Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, as part of the second phase of the protests, all District Congress Committees will organise similar marches to their respective District Collectorates on Monday P7 . AN updated model framework for bilateral investment treaties (BITs) is awaiting Cabinet approval, sources said. It is expected to incorporate changes negotiated with countries such as the UAE and Qatar, while Canada will also be covered. The Cabinet is likely to approve it soon, the sources said, adding India has already begun negotiations with several nations under the new framework. Several foreign companies have criticised India’s existing BIT framework, particularly the dispute resolution mechanism, which they say is time- consuming and creates a significant impediment to further investment. Under India’s current model, foreign investors are generally required to pursue remedies in Indian courts for five years before initiating international arbitration. India terminated BITs with more than 70 countries in 2016 and 2017 and adopted a more restrictive model treaty that narrowed the definition of investment, removed most-favoured-nation provisions and excluded protection against retrospective taxation and certain regulatory measures. Analysts identified the existing framework as one of the factors for stagnat- The bench noticed that plans were available for only 730 buildings and asked: “That’s less than one-third. What about the other two-thirds? When will law take its course?” The court asked if the authorities had examined gaps in the mechanism for PG accommodations, noting that the MCD’s affidavit referred to provisions of the Master Plan. not be traced or verified. The bench noticed that plans were available for only 730 buildings and asked: “That’s less than one-third. What about the other two-thirds? When will law take its course?” The court also wanted to know whether the authorities had examined gaps in the exist- ing regulatory mechanism for PG accommodations, noting that the MCD’s affidavit primarily referred to provisions of the Master Plan. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the corporation was trying to trace the sanctioned plans and had asked property owners to produce them. “Some IN a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the Centre on Friday appointed senior IAS officer Mandeep K Bhandari as chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Bhandari, a 2001-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories) cadre, is currently serving as Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. The Appoint- ments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Bhandari’s appointment as CBSE chairperson, an order issued by the personnel ministry said. Senior IAS officer Lokhande Prashant Sitaram had been holding the additional charge of the post. On July 2, Sitaram was appointed Additional Secretary in the MHA while continuing to hold the additional charge as CBSE chairperson. He was appointed CBSE chief on June 2 after the incumbent was shunted out amid the OnScreen Marking system row. Bureaucratic reshuffle Senior IAS officer Anand Singh has been appointed Additional Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, while P Hemalatha will be Additional Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training. According to an official notification, Bihar cadre IAS officer Vipin Kumar, currently chairman of the Airports Authority of India, has been appointed Additional Secretary, Department of Rural Develop- ing foreign investment flows. The government is now seeking to update it based on its experience in negotiating treaties with the UAE and Qatar. “Four BITs will be finalised soon and people are already going to different countries for negotia- buildings are 50-60 years old and the authorities are making efforts to trace their plans and other records,” Mehta said. The bench sought details of inspections and asked the MCD to identify buildings being used as PGs. It also questioned whether figures on demolitions, sealing and show-cause ment. Srikant Nagulapalli, Director General of Hydrocarbons, has been appointed Additional Secretary in the Department of Expenditure. IAS officer V Ponnuraj, a 2000-batch officer of the Karnataka cadre, has been appointed Director General of Hydrocarbons in place of Nagulapalli. Sarita Chauhan Chand, Additional Secretary in the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, has been appointed Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Ministry of Steel. tions. We have negotiations with 20-25 countries as per the BIT framework of 2016. But later, during our negotiations with UAE and Qatar, we moved far away from the previous framework,” a finance ministry official said. However, the domestic judiciary will not be bypassed. The new framework will also maintain certain safeguards for India’s policy-making space. “The framework will be designed in a way to ensure some red lines will not be crossed,” the sources said, adding that tax-related provisions would be excluded from the model BIT. Gross FDI fell to less than 1% of GDP in 2025, compared with a peak of 3.6% in 2008. NIPPON NOTES Satwik and Chirag shocked by Thai pair Doubles specialists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered a first-round defeat in the men’s doubles category. Satwik and Chirag, who were the defending champs, lost 12-21, 21-19, 21-14 against Thailand’s Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun. Baranica vaults to historic bronze Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh (R) celebrate their gold medal success. The duo posted the Asian Record in the final | PTI INDRANEEL DAS EXPRESS @ ASIAN GAMES NAGOYA The two are young and are playing their first Asian Games. Nerves are raw and emotions high as the two went about their campaign. Just like the two shooters, the game too is being played at the Asian Games for the first time. Friday was different. A new notices cited in its affidavit related specifically to PG buildings or to its general enforcement drive. Mehta said the figures were part of the general enforcement drive and sought time to consult MCD officials and obtain instructions. The bench asked the authorities to identify the buildings in which PGs were operating rather than relying on general figures on unauthorised construction. The bench also allowed former IPS officer Kiran Bedi to address the court when the matter is listed next. ’01-batch AGMUT cadre officer new CBSE chief R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi The new framework will not include tax concessions or provisions that could expose India’s sovereign taxation powers to international arbitration. “Tax will not go into the model BIT. It’s our sovereign right to tax, and that can’t be open to arbitration,” a source said S URUCHI Singh slept for 13 hours after finishing 25th in the women’s individual 10m pistol qualification eve n t o n We d n e s d ay. Kamaljeet did not get a chance to brood over his so-near-yet-sofar moment in the men’s individual 10m pistol qualification event on Thursday . Despite getting to know that he would be part of the mixed team on Friday, he did not get proper sleep. He was tossing and turning; he was borderline obsessed with the mixed 10m air pistol event at the picturesque Aichi Prefecture Shooting Range. Though Suruchi had been a constant in the team, Kamaljeet was a late inclusion. The shooting team has had one of the worst outings in recent times. If things had gone as per calculation, India would have won more gold before the start of F r i d ay ’ s m e d a l e v e n t s . The results have betrayed the team. With such a predicament, they started the mixed team campaign. Suruchi and Kamaljeet had shaken off the qualification blues. A pep talk from mother and coach, solitary walks and quiet times were enough for them to recoup. ‘Plans were available for only 730 buildings’ U D AYA N K I S H O R E @ New Delhi No tax component DARKNESS TO LIGHT: GOLDEN HIT AFTER SECOND CHANCE Satya Niketan: HC raps MCD over missing PG building plans THE Delhi High Court on Friday asked the MCD what action it proposes to take against buildings being used as paying guest (PG) accommodations without verifiable or traceable sanctioned plans, and sought details of the statutory framework governing PG facilities. A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia noted that sanctioned plans for 1,723 of the 2,453 PG buildings surveyed by the MCD after the Satya Niketan building collapse could A Gazette notification published on Friday said the Act, which gives special powers to the Armed Forces, will remain in effect in the specified areas for six months from October 1, unless withdrawn earlier. This follows a review of the law and order situation. The “disturbed area” declaration has been extended across Manipur, barring areas under 13 police stations. P8 NDA allies’ turn New model investment treaty coming to seek clarity from Gyanesh P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi HC FIAT TO META AFSPA EXTENDED FOR SIX MORE MONTHS IN PARTS OF 3 STATES ENGLISH CHINESE FIRST LADY STEALS THE SHOW Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan has drawn attention for her English-language exchanges with the US First Lady Melania Trump during state visit to the US | P9 day and a new beginning as Suruchi and Kamaljeet went about their chores in the final hall after a record performance during qualifications. With four teams in the final, India were the favourites to win gold. It was just a matter of time. “I always dreamt about winning a medal in the Asian Games,” said Kamaljeet. For Suruchi, it was exorcising the ghost of the qualification. More than them, India needed the gold in shooting. P11 Baranica Elangovan of Tamil Nadu scripted history on Friday. She captured a bronze medal for India in the women’s pole vault here. It is India’s first-ever medal in pole vault (women) event. The 29-year-old had a best effort of 4.15m. Two good: Gulveer captures silver Long-distance runner Gulveer Singh won a silver medal in the men’s 10,000m, becoming the first athlete from the country to achieve podium finishes twice in the said discipline in the history of Asian Games. Shot putter Manpreet Kaur also won a bronze. NDPS ACT OVERLAP Prez sends anti-Goonda bill back to West Bengal S U B H E N D U M A I T I @ Kolkata IN a setback to the BJP-led West Bengal government, President Droupadi Murmu has sent the controversial West Bengal Public Safety and Control of AntiSocial Activities Bill back to the state for reconsideration. Opposition parties on Friday welcomed the development. The ‘anti-Goonda’ bill was passed by the West Bengal Assembly in June. The bill was criticised by Opposition parties alleging the Suvendu Adhikari government would misuse its expanisve provisions. However, it was sent to Rashtrapati Bhavan for approval. In its note before returning the bill, the Centre said it may overlap with the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act. “Section (B) of the proposed Bill, insofar as it includes within the definition of ‘goonda’ a person who commits, attempts to commit, abets, promotes, finances or facilitates any offence punishable under the NDPS Act, 1985, may overlap with the preventive-detention framework provided under the PIT- Two-part legal effort The ‘anti-Goonda’ Bill was passed with Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill — which has been notified — that allows the state to confiscate and auction properties of those involved in the damage of properties. Both bills were meant to be used together NDPS Act, 1988, which is a specific Central legislation dealing with preventive detention of persons engaged in illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances,” it said. As the overlap might give rise to repugnancy under Article 254 of the Constitution, the note said reference to offences under NDPS Act in the section may be deleted. Secretariat officials said there is scope for the bill to be passed in the state assembly after amendment.