NEW DELHI 08 FEBRUARY 2026 SUNDAY `12 PAGES 24+4  facebook/TheMorningStandard  X.com/TheMornStandard https://epaper.morningstandard.in PLUS: 12 PAGES The Root of All Radiance THE OTHER CRICKET MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE VOICES Anand Neelakantan Prabhu Chawla Ravi Shankar Shankkar Aiyar Anuja Chandramouli Pushkarni Panchamukhi Utkarsh Amitabh Mud and Muscle in the City of Moksha Drinking to the Wallet A Life Told with Mischief SWAMI SUKHABODHANANDA SPEAKS Community in the Cafe The Anatomy of Fear God’s Own Kumbh Mela $500 billion handshake New Delhi negotiates favourable terms with US after long-drawn talks; both agree to phase out duties, boost mutual investments P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi https: 08 FEBR Y 2026 UAR SUN DAY PAGE  facebo ok/Th eMorn ndard  X.com ornSta /TheM er.mo rnings tanda rd.in S4 A PMD Snaps ingSta //epap hots from the Shada E ATIV INITI bdi Yatra ndard paing al urag ethicexenco and ence and role, gue ing r influ ues r socalm e, dialo Thei mosqwide nd the tienc uct. ged, cond ed beyo into s out ty chan tend roomc. with iprinc ved class fabri la socie cial Kera a evolits core coun ties Gulf As asth sing to l reali Sas. dSam romi ation socia enge comp migr new chall by exten relila, ples. and fresh nded and al Kera tries ght respo ation nd e com brou ha beyo triat gside a ormast its educ ities Alon math runs ing activ g expa gling This stha gious ortin as well. strug comIslam d. unila . es Sama its orts Kera Boar and ation n supp ities , urag ugh mun ation supp asa cture educ ha helps reeduc ages,and enco Thro mast abhystru asa ren bega also only in phan ers service. it s and Vidy ght madrchild n not es, also i a l teach ity bodi l issue brou ity to s of uctio but s o c tes. mun ated socia form sand instr textsn d a dispu affili ess Thou ving one asth al ious e a ls as addr local cy recei relig l i n stand l scho ation s, Sam solve Lega in c i p lity. la’s ses more g stha entiaKera gth d i s nsibi year educ des reliLivin Sama influ in the wide al addres s, respo y, stren a inclu the Thang over most ionsIts cy built rasa ols and of Toda bela built that mad nisat ry. koya the des Kera soisten ary a scho ns such 0 of has ork ge. orga histo Muthu decaury, Jifri t cons ordin been arly lim netw 11,00 ges, tutio Colleand deep ge. 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This rtanc ation shou nal ion giou e , hern t ingfu impo educ ers, perso nisatthe comm toget ra rasa teach uporga ed lies inion. mean ha gave mad ifiedbi that ip. is mind gth entat mast ing qual sylla velop aring ing scholarsh ledge tion l stren fragm know not prep draft ical orisa and class stha, mem for mora and ing hold Sama thea tool ly For mere It is al think not texts. critic of th, grow g ndin Spo eS : Re tim tha ing maSChang Sa to I dy for s Rea nce fere Get iya Con Kun toric a His F n, itio Trad n d in rmatio ote o n Ro Transf isio A V ed by Guid EXPRESS READ ACCIDENT Cop dead, 13 hurt in Surajkund mela An on-duty police officer died while nearly a dozen people were injured when a swing fell down at Surajkund fair on Saturday, just an hour after two people, including a child, got hurt in a gate collapse, officials said. Arrangements were immediately made for the treatment of the injured, according to officials. P4 Sub-contractor held in biker’s death case N I T I N R A W AT @ New Delhi AUTHORITIES continued to fill the 16-foot-pit—in which 25-year-old Kamal Dhyani lost his life—with shallow action on Saturday when a subcontractor was arrested on Friday. The action came a day after the Delhi Jal Board, which had ordered the pit digging for repair work, suspended three mid-level and junior engineers. A labourer, who was present at the Janakpuri site where the accident took place, had told police that his sub-contractor was absconding. The sub-contractor has been identified as Rajesh Kumar Prajapati. DCP (West) Darade Sharad Bhaskar said that police questioned Prajapati at the Janakpuri police station and later arrested him in under Section 105 (culpable homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. “We found that a witness Vipin Singh was returning home after attending a wedding in Rohini. He saw a motorbike fall into the pit. He told a guard about it, who informed the contractor’s labourer who was present there,” Bhaskar said. He said Prajapati reached the spot in his car within 15–20 minutes, but did not inform police that someone was lying in the pit, which received a call only next morning from a passerby . INDIA and the United States set an ambitious target of $500 billion in annual bilateral trade, as the two countries released a joint statement on Saturday outlining the framework of the interim deal. As part of the understanding, India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on US industrial goods and a broad basket of agricultural and food products, including distillers’ dried grains (DDGs), red sorghum for feed, tree nuts, fruits, soybean oil, wine and spirits. In return, the US will cut reciprocal tariff to 18% on select Indian goods such as textiles, leather, plastics, rubber, organic chemicals, home décor and certain machinery . However, the US indicated that once the interim agreement becomes operational, tariffs will be lifted for sectors identified as aligned partners, notably generics, gems and diamonds, and aircraft parts. According to the joint statement, India has also indicated its intent to purchase $500 billion worth of US energy, aircraft and parts, precious metals, technology products and coking coal over five years. “Considering the two countries’ relations, diplomatic ties, and the friendship between their leaders, discussions on a bilateral trade agreement began in February 2025. The objective was to achieve bilateral trade of $500 billion between India and the United States annually Commerce ,” Minister Piyush Goyal said. The overall tariff restructuring will be implemented in a phased manner. Zero-duty access will be available only after the agreement is formally signed in March. On market access for American products, Goyal said India had adopted a calibrated and selective approach. “We have opened our markets for the US on some products like DDGS and wines and spirits, but in these cases we have also kept a minimum import price to safeguard domestic producers,” he said, adding that no discriminatory measures have been taken against any Indian sector. The minister clarified that India has retained protection for sensitive agriculture and dairy segments. Only products already being imported have been given limited concessions, subject to quotas and minimum import prices. With the immediate revocation of the 25% additional tariff, sectors such as textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, plastics and rubber products, gems and jewellery, and marine products are expected to regain export momentum in the US market. Goyal said that the marine sector is likely to be one of the biggest beneficiaries. “With markets now diversified and US tariffs coming down, seafood exporters will have a double benefit,” he said. The agreement also provides for a preferential tariff-rate quota for Indian automotive parts exports, subject to tariffs imposed under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act on national security grounds. India has also agreed to address US concerns over market access for medical devices and dismantle restrictive import licensing requirements for ICT goods. Barriers affecting US farm exports will also be reviewed. P7 Small print of proposed big deal Lower or zero duty on US wine and spirits, dried distillers' grains, red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil Lower levy for high-end US cars, bikes Reciprocal tariff down to 18% on Indian textile and apparel, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber, organic chemicals, home décor, artisanal products, and certain machinery Minimum import prices fixed on products like US apples No entry for US dried/ frozen/ canned/ provisionally preserved veggies, beans, pulses, roots & tubers, citrus fruits, berries Zero US duty on import of spices, tea, coffee, copra, coconut oil, areca nut, cashew, chestnut, avocado, banana, guava, mango, kiwi, papaya, pineapple, shiitake mushroom JUSTICE SPOKE FOR HIM, BUT A BIT LATE D I L I P S I N GH KS HAT RI YA @ Ahmedabad IT was a day of systemic dark humour for Babubhai Prajapati, who won a bittersweet victory in the Gujarat High Court when he was cleared of a charge of accepting a bribe of only `20 after three decades. A day after, on Thursday , he passed away peacefully, as if mourning a hard-won victory . The case dates back to 1996, when Babubhai Prajapati, then posted as a constable i n A h m e d ab a d , w a s booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act. His department filed a chargesheet against him within a year. By 2002, a trial court framed charges against him and convicted him in 2004. These 30 years did not sit comfortably in his career profile. However, his travails became even more acute after the conviction. He was compelled to live under the stigma of corruption over a paltry sum, now as a convicted man, which cost him promotions, a full salary and other government benefits, and off course social stature. Prajapati approached the HC in 2004. Years turned into decades as wait prolonged mercilessly Arguing his case, advocate . Nitin Gandhi pointed out contradictions in witness testimonies and procedural lapses. The appellate court finally agreed with Prajapati. On February 4, 2026, exactly 30 years after the case began, the court acquitted him. Gandhi advised Prajapati to apply for the government benefits and service dues. But, what followed stunned everyone. He anticipated a tragic denouement to his life saga that took just a day to come true. He told Gandhi, “Sir, the stain of my life has been removed. Now, it will be good if God calls me.” The curtains were destined to fall on camera—the CCTV in Gandhi’s office became a record for posterity—as if the tragic proscenium hero wanted to take a last bow. The next morning, Prajapati died of natural causes. ACT EAST POLICY Strings attached as Trump nixes 25% punitive levy on purchase of Russian energy J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi US President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order rescinding a punitive 25% duty on Indian imports that had been imposed over India’s purchases of Russian energy . The White House said the move followed assurances from India that it would stop directly or indirectly importing Russian oil — assertions that New Delhi has not publicly confirmed. “Specifically, India has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil, has represented that it will purchase United States energy products from the United States, and has recently committed to a framework with the United States to expand defense cooperation over the next 10 years,” the executive order said. The document added that India has taken “significant steps” to address US concerns over Russian oil purchases and to “align sufficiently with the US on national security foreign , The interim trade pact will strengthen the ‘Make-in-India’ by opening up new opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs, and create jobs for women and youngsters Narendra Modi, PM Modi hails Tamil heritage in Malaysia policy and economic matters.” Despite lifting the tariffs, the executive order makes clear that relief is conditional. It establishes a formal US government monitoring mechanism to verify whether India has indeed stopped importing Russian oil. US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has been tasked with overseeing this process, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The order lays out a clear enforcement trigger. “If the Secretary of Commerce finds that India has resumed directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” it states, the Secretary of State — after consultations with senior Cabinet officials and White House advisers — “shall recommend whether and to what extent I should take additional action as to India, including whether I should reimpose the additional ad valorem rate of duty of 25 percent on imports of articles of India”. The interim pact will open a USD 30 trillion market for Indian exporters, especially MSMEs, farmers and fishermen, as the US duties on Indian goods will be down to 18% Piyush Goyal, Union Commerce Minister This deal is a total betrayal to all that India stands for and |all that India stood for over the last 75 years. This is not a deal which is in our interest by any means Pawan Khera, Congress J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi reached Kuala Lumpur on Saturday to a red-carpet welcome, marking the start of a visit aimed at imparting fresh momentum to IndiaMalaysia relations. Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim received Modi at the airport, underscoring the importance Kuala Lumpur attaches to ties with New Delhi amid strategic, economic and cultural engagement. Soon after his arrival, Modi attended an Indian community event, accompanied by Ibrahim. At the gathering, Modi emphasised the deep historical and emotional links between the two countries, particularly through the Indian diaspora. Malaysia, with 2.9 million strong Indian diaspora, is a key pillar in India’s Act East policy . “Malaysia has the second largest Indian-origin community in the world. There is so much that connects Indian and Malaysian ‘GLOBAL ECO hearts. The exhibition that PM PARTNER’ Ibrahim and I saw a short while PM Modi projected ago shows these connections India as a reliable beautifully. You are a living global economic bridge that links us,” he said. partner, stressing that Highlighting the role of lantrust had emerged as guage in shaping ties, Modi una defining element of derlined the global significance Delhi’s international of Tamil, spoken widely among engagement. Malaysia’s Indian-origin population and recognised by the Malaysian government as a minority language. “Tamil is India’s gift to the world. Tamil literature is eternal and Tamil culture is global. In the same way, Tamil people have also served humanity with their talents,” Modi said. Referring to prominent Tamil leaders in India, he added, “I proudly say India’s Vice President, , Thiru C P Radhakrishnan ji, our Foreign Minister Jaishankar ji who is with us today, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ji, who has presented our budget nine times, and Dr Murugan, our Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, are all from Tamil Nadu.” T20 WORLD CUP Lukewarm response: Free entry, empty stands ICC, PCB IN TALKS TO RESOLVE ISSUE F I R O Z M I R Z A @ Mumbai CRICKET don’t always sell, so it seems. A couple of days before the T20 World Cup opener between Pakistan and the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Stadium in Colombo on Saturday, Sri Lanka Cricket announced free entry for the public from 9:30AM on the match day Entry to two grass . embankments was made free and the SLC said the move was made only for the first match and it will encourage the public to come to stands and watch their favourite stars in action. It is not restricted to Sri Lanka alone. Initial indications are not very encouraging for co-hosts India as well. For non-India matches, especially for associate nations like Nepal, Scotland, the turnout is expected to be minimal. Local associations are apparently distributing tickets to school and academy students. Empty Eden Garden stands during West Indies-Scotland match | AFP Take for instance the Kolkata match on Saturday. There were just a few thousands that grew to some official figure of 18000 by evening in a 60000-capacity stadium. That too for match where ticket was priced at as low as `100. In Mumbai too there were quite a few vacant seats even when India were playing. The price range for the match, as shown on the ticketing website ranged between `750 and `30000. Besides, unlike the Nepal-England match, an in- dividual can book a maximum of two seats for India’s opener. The ticket sellers showed the match as sold out but on Saturday tickets were available. The SLC is already bearing the brunt of Pakistan’s government decision to not play the match against India. Given the fact that nine associate nations will play in the current edition, a similar situation may arise at various venues especially when the India are not involved. EVEN as Pakistan huffed and puffed to a last-over win over Netherlands in their T20 World Cup opener, their board was apparently formally involved in a ‘dialogue’ with the ICC with respect to their match against India on February 15. Pakistan decided to boycott that tie but PCB seems to have climbed down from their initial stance as both parties are understood to have opened formal discussions after persistent back-channel communication between PCB, ICC and broadcaster. This after the PCB wanted to invoke Force majeure which the ICC objected. Today’s Matches 11am: Afghanistan vs New Zealand (Chennai), 3pm: England vs Nepal (Mumbai), 7pm: Sri Lanka vs Ireland (Colombo)