NEW DELHI 08 NOVEMBER 2026 SUNDAY `12 PAGES 24  facebook/TheMorningStandard  X.com/TheMornStandard https://epaper.morningstandard.in PLUS: 12 PAGES THE RISE, FALL, AND RISE OF RAHUL GANDHI Beauty at Face Value Setting Up a Benchmark MAGAZINE The Begum Buried in History Dr Vikram Sampath Ravi Shankar Prabhu Chawla Anuja Chandramouli Shashi Tharoor Dr Alka Pande Shankkar Aiyar ‘Writing For Children is Tougher’ EXCLUSIVE VOICES Rice to the Occasion ‘I Don’t Want to Fit in’ AMMA SPEAKS Being a Human Being IAF TOUCHES NEW HEIGHTS WITH HEAVY LIFTER J A V A R I A R A N A @ New Delhi IN the highest-ever landing by an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft anywhere in the world, an Indian Air Force (IAF) IL-76MD, nicknamed ‘Gajraj’, has touched down at the 13,629 feet Mudh-Nyoma airbase in eastern Ladakh. Nyoma lies around 25 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. With the landing, the IAF has shown it can now take the Russian-origin heavylift transport aircraft almost to the frontline, in a boost for India’s strategic airlift capability . Announcing the landing on Saturday, the IAF hailed it as “a new height in aviation history” and “a milestone that reinforces I n d i a ’s s t r at e g i c a i rl i f t capability”. Strategic airlift is the ability to move troops, tanks, artillery and supplies in bulk over long distances. It was put to the test after the 2020 standoff in eastern Ladakh, when the IAF flew in over 68,000 soldiers, around 90 tanks and 330 BMP infantry combat vehicles. “An Indian Air Force IL-76MD has scripted history with a successful landing at Nyoma, marking the highest-altitude landing ever achieved by the aircraft anywhere in the world,” the IAF said on social media. The landing also comes amid An Indian Air Force IL-76MD transport aircraft lands at Ladakh’s Nyoma airfield | PTI continuing friction along the 3,488-km LAC. Patrolling has resumed in Ladakh, but the temporary buffer zones at Galwan, Gogra-Hot Springs and Pangong POLITICAL JOUST South fuels ethanol war on the Centre Cong alleges ethanol blending surpasses prescribed limits, Keralam orders tests P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi The Sunday Standard wishes its readers a Our offices and press will remain closed today and there will be no issue of the paper on Monday EXPRESS READ Man shot 9 times over parking row Paramjeet Dhankhar, the COO of a Singapore-based software firm, was shot dead by his neighbour over a parking dispute in Faridabad on Friday night. Nine bullets hit Dhankhar, police said. THE Centre on Saturday rubbished allegations of excess ethanol blending in petrol, stating that all 893 samples tested across 27 states and Union Territories met prescribed standards. This comes even as Keralam ordered inspections of fuel outlets and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanded disclosure of actual ethanol content in petrol sold across the country . Keralam’s decision followed Karnataka government’s allegation that petrol supplied by major oil marketing companies contained ethanol above the prescribed limit, with tests recording levels as high as 31.2 per cent. Countering the allegation, the PetroQuestion use leum Ministry said tests by Indian Oil, of third party Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petrolaboratory leum found all 893 samples within the permissible 19–21 per cent range under The oil companies the Bureau of Indian Standards’ IS questioned 17021 specification. These included 56 certificates issued samples collected across Karnataka by a third-party from outlets of the three companies. laboratory in Keralam said it ordered the inspecKarnataka, saying they didn’t specify the tions as a precaution following Karnataka’s allegations, though no instance standard test method of excess ethanol blending had been detected in the state so far. Samples will be collected from outlets in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur districts and sent for testing. Rahul, meanwhile, cited Karnataka’s findings to question the Centre’s assurances. “Look at the results,” he said, citing readings of 31.2 per cent at an IOC outlet and 30.5 per cent at an HPCL outlet. He alleged that samples from outlets of IOC, HPCL, BPCL, Nayara and Shell had exceeded the limit. The three public sector oil companies, however, challenged the sampling and testing procedures adopted during Karnataka’s October exercise. They said the findings could not be independently validated without technical details and compliance with prescribed procedures. The October exercise was conducted without their representatives, they said. Despite requests through the coordinator, they said they had not received retention samples, outlet details or laboratory reports. Tso still cover areas Indian troops historically patrolled. The four-engine Gajraj can carry about 45 tonnes and has been airlifting T-72 tanks and Safdarjung hosp adds burn ward beds I F R A H M U F T I @ New Delhi WITH Delhi hospitals preparing for a possible spike in firecracker-related injuries during Diwali, Safdarjung Hospital has upgraded its Burn Casualty to nine beds and kept 20 more vacant in its Burn Ward to handle any emergency rush. Safdarjung Hospital houses the country’s largest burn unit. The pre parations come against the backdrop of a significant caseload reported by city hospitals last Diwali. More than 250 people suffered burn injuries across the capital, with Safdarjung Hospital alone reporting 129 cases. The hospital has also made arrangements to add beds in the Plastic Surgery Ward if required. All doctors, highest 10 worst-performing stations in Delhi. The reading underlines how pollution is not confined to densely built-up or industrial neighbourhoods. Situated close to major arterial roads, including Outer Ring Road, IIT-Delhi is exposed to intense vehicular movement, exhaust emissions and re-suspended road dust. Construction activity and debris in the surrounding areas further add to the particulate pollution. Experts say that the IIT flyover on Outer Ringh Road acts as a high pressure channel connecting south Delhi to the airport, Gurugram and NCR and the traffic is one of the major reasons for high AQI around it. A source in IIT-Delhi said, “The Apart from Safdarjung, other government hospitals have maintained dedicated burn facilities. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital has a 26-bed burn unit, while Lok Nayak Hospital has a 30-bed burn unit with ICU & ward facilities. including residents and faculty members, will remain on duty during the three-day Diwali period, with no leave permitted, hospital officials said. Specialists from General Surgery Oph, thalmology, Anaesthesia and Orthopaedics will also be available to assist the burn unit in case of a surge in patients. Additional nursing and sup- port staff, security personnel, patient trolleys, wheelchairs and ambulances have been deployed as part of the emergency preparedness plan. The hospital has issued a safety advisory urging people to maintain a safe distance while lighting firecrackers, ensure children are supervised by adults and wear cotton clothes during celebrations. For burn injuries, the hospital has advised cooling the affected area under clean running water for 20 minutes and seeking medical attention. It has cautioned against applying ice, toothpaste, oil or other home remedies to burns. Last year, AIIMS reported 55 burn cases, followed by Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital with 37. ‘It was all of us’: Usman says Oz team was in on ‘sandpapergate’ @ Bengaluru SOLDIERING ON Defence Minister Rajnath Singh interacts with IAF personnel during his visit to Air Force Station in Bagdogra, ahead of Diwali, in West Bengal on Saturday. Singh termed Bagdogra air base an integral part of defence network in north-eastern region | PTI Greenery everywhere, but AQI crosses 400 SURROUNDED by sprawling green spaces, dense tree cover and relatively open areas, the IIT-Delhi campus is perceived as one of the most greener pockets of the national capital. But the air quality data of the campus tells a different story . Despite its lush surroundings, the IIT-Delhi regularly records an Air Quality Index (AQI) value above 400, as per the Central Pollution Control Board data, which places it among Delhi’s most polluted monitoring locations. The IIT-Delhi monitoring station recorded an AQI of 440 on Tuesday 451 on Wednesday 449 , , on Thursday and 453 on Friday , before registering 437 on Saturday. These values place the monitoring station among the Govt facilities EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE IIT CAMPUS I F R A H M U F T I @ New Delhi BMP-2 vehicles to Ladakh since the early 1990s. But Nyoma’s earlier mud strip could handle only smaller aircraft like the C-130J and AN-32, as well as helicopters. At over 4,000 metres, the thin air saps engine power and wing lift, so aircraft land faster and need longer runways. The decision to upgrade it into a fullfledged airbase came after the 2020 military confrontation with China. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) built a 2.7-km runway under the `218-crore project, and the base was operationalised last November. Nyoma is now the IAF’s fourth airbase in Ladakh, after Leh, Thoise and Kargil. city’s wider pollution load means that green spaces alone cannot shield the campus from the movement of polluted air.” According to an analysis by ASTraM (Actionable Intelligence for Sustainable Traffic Management), IIT-Delhi is among the 10 locations contributing to Delhi’s persistent traffic jam. An IIT official said that the administration keeps taking steps to address the problem, which includes low-cost sensor networks integrated with citylevel data to provide early pollution warnings. Other proposed interventions include upgrading filtration systems in lecture halls, laboratories and hostels through air filters. The campus clinics have reportedly documented a rise in respiratory-related visits during peak pollution periods. Non-BS-VI cars registered outside city face winter ban I F R A H M U F T I @ New Delhi DELHI is preparing to move away from the seasonal bans on polluting vehicles registered outside the Union territory to a regular, three-month prohibition every winter. The Delhi government announced on Saturday that vehicles registered in other states and UTs that do not meet BS-VI emission standards will be barred from plying in the city every year between November 1 and January 31. A Department of Transport’s notification says the restriction will cover commercial goods vehicles as well, including in light, medium and heavy goods categories. Even buses operating under All India Tourist Permits will fall within the ambit of the new rule. The decision will impact a large number of commuters and commercial vehicle operators who travel to Delhi from neighbouring states. The electric and CNG vehicles, however, have been exempted from the restrictions. The department has also approached neighbouring states, including Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, urging them to accelerate their transition to electric vehicles and BS-VIcompliant transport. This year, such a ban was enforced from November 1. The department has deployed 250 personnel at key entry points, toll plazas and pollution hotspots to enforce the ban. NEW light has been shed on one of the most orchestrated cricketing scandals in recent times — the ball-tampering one featuring members of the Australian team against South Africa in a Test in 2018 — by Usman Khawaja. The recently retired Australian batter has told an Australian publication that everybody was in on it. “It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,” he said ahead of the release of his autobiography next week, where a chapter is dedicated to the issue. In 2018, after TV cameras picked up Cameron Bancroft using the material on the ball in the hope of achieving reverse swing, Cricket Australia conducted an inter nal investigation and banned then captain Steve Smith, deputy David Warner for 12 months and Bancroft for nine months. Now, according to Khawaja all of them, including current captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, knew. “In an ideal world, I don’t want to do this,” Khawaja told the Sydney Morning Herald. “The issue is that I genuinely thought after eight years the truth would have been out by now. Maybe I thought Davey (Warner) would have exposed it, or someone else would have talked about it more. I just didn’t think it was going to come down to this.” Khawaja went on to add that he spoke to the team during the third Test at Cape Town and wanted to take collective responsibility. The four bowlers involved in that match — Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon — all denied publicly that they knew about it. Cricket Australia said in a statement it was “comfortable” with the findings of its original investigation, but remained open to new evidence. “There has been a great deal of speculation in the eight years since the 2018 Cape Town Test, including extensive media coverage throughout last month’s series in South Africa,” it said.