NEW DELHI 16 MARCH 2025 SUNDAY `12 PAGES 24  facebook/TheMorningStandard  X.com/TheMornStandard https://epaper.morningstandard.in PLUS: 12 PAGES THE NEW WORLD ORDER The Sounds and Scents of Salalah MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE VOICES The Ozempic Face Off Cultural Fabric’s Thread Count Anand Neelakantan Devdutt Pattanaik Ravi Shankar Neha Sinha Anuja Chandramouli Prabhu Chawla Shankkar Aiyar Anuradha Goyal Dissecting the Artificial in AI An Easy-peasy Love Story AMMA SPEAKS Reel-world History Lessons The Medicine of Love High-level CEC Visa revoked for pro-Palestine protest, Indian meet on linking student at Columbia Univ self-deports from US Aadhaar, voter ID J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi It’s at variance with EC’s line in SC in 2023 P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi AMID a controversy over voter lists, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has called a high-level meeting on Tuesday to discuss the linking of the voter identity card with the Aadhaar card. According to sources, the CEC will discuss the matter with Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Legislative Department Secretary Rajiv Mani and UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar on March 18. This is at variance with the EC’s earlier position. In September 2023, the EC told the Supreme Court that the submission of Aadhaar number is not mandatory under Rule 26-B of the Registration of Electors (Amendment) Rules 2022. The EC further said that it is not mandatory to provide Aadhaar numbers for linking with the electoral roll, and it is considering issuing ‘appropriate clarificatory changes’ in enrolment forms to reflect this. In 2022, the then Union law minister Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha that linking Aadhaar with the Voter ID is voluntary adding electors without an , Aadhaar number could ‘provide other optional documents as provided in the Form 6B’. According to him, the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021, allows Electoral Registration Officers to require the voter to provide their Aadhaar number for identification. However, this is voluntary he said. , The Tuesday meeting comes amid allegations of voter ID E C S TA N C E On March 2, EC said identical EPIC numbers or series were allotted to some electors from different states and UTs due to a “decentralised and manual mechanism” before shifting of the electoral roll database of all states to ERONET platform. In another statement, the EC said that since the allotment of the EPIC series in 2000, some Electoral Registration Officers did not use the correct series Allotment of duplicate numbers due to incorrect series could not have been detected as the states/ UTs were independently managing the electoral roll databases, EC said number duplication and fudging of electoral roll data levelled by the Opposition, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Congress. Several other opposition parties have also demanded a discussion on the EPIC number duplication. Trinamool MP Sagarika Ghose on Saturday said the statements by the poll panel earlier over the duplicate EPIC numbers and this meeting being called now, are “face-saving measures”. She added that the TMC will keep a strict vigil till the next state elections. “First, three statements. Now this meeting. This is just a facesaving measure. We will keep a hawk-eye vigil till the elections,” Ghose said. AN Indian student at Columbia University Ranjani Srinivasan, , has self-deported from the US after her student visa was revoked for taking part in proPalestine protests. The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Ranjani’s visa was revoked on March 5 due to her involvement in supporting Hamas, which is a “designated terrorist organisation” in the US. It went on to furnish video evidence of her using the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) app to selfdeport on March 11. Self-deporting allows individuals to leave voluntarily before facing formal deportation, thereby avoiding the possibility Videograb of Indian student Ranjani Srinivasan leaving the US on her own after her visa was revoked | PTI of being forcibly removed, as has been the case with other deportees recently sent back to India who had come to the US as illegal immigrants. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared a video of Ranjani at the airport, stating that anyone “advocating for violence and terrorism should not be in the country”. “It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America. When you advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country I . am glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers use the CBP Home app to self-deport,” she said in a post on X. Columbia University has become a focal point for student protests in support of Palestine Police see Pak mischief in midnight grenade attack on Amritsar temple H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh A BOMB blast that took place outside the Thakurdwara temple in Amritsar’s Khandwala area late Friday night rattled the local community, sparking fear and concern. The explosion, caused by a g renade thrown by two motorcycle-bor ne men, occurred around 12.35 am. While a section of the temple’s wall was damaged, no injuries were reported. Police said the temple priest and his family who were inside , at the time, had a narrow escape. The intensity of the blast was such that window panes of nearby buildings shattered. CCTV footage shows the suspects throwing the grenade at midnight. Senior police offi- cials rushed to the scene, and an investigation is underway to track down the culprits. Punjab Police suspect the involvement of Pakistan’s InterServices Intelligence (ISI) in the attack. “This marks a shift in strategy by ISI handlers in Pakistan. So far, their targets have been police posts and politically connected individuals. Now, it seems they are trying to incite communal tensions,” said a senior officer. This is the 13th bomb attack in Punjab in the past four months but the first targeting a religious site. Earlier attacks focused on police establishments, with suspected involvement of foreign-based gangsters turned terrorists. Local leaders condemned the attack, calling it an attempt to disrupt Punjab’s peace. Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar assured swift action. “The nature of the explosive is yet to be verified...,” he said, adding “... Pakistan engages in such acts...” BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh accused the AAP government of failing to curb disruptive elements, calling the attack on a temple a serious attempt to stir communal unrest. Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring urged stronger measures, while SAD leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema called for a judicial probe, saying attack reflected breakdown in law and order. Traffic mess: Plans afloat to unclog Del-Gurugram NH-48 BOTTLENECKS AROUND 3 LAKH COMMUTERS USE NH-48 EVERY DAY New entry-exit arrangement at 4 locations — Mahipalpur, Shiv Murti & two points at Shankar Vihar — on a carriageway of NH-48 connecting Delhi to Gurugram Only exit points Shankar Vihar and Mahipalpur to decongest stretch between Gurgaon Road-Parade Road crossing and Shiv Murti Only entry points near Shankar Vihar and Shiv Murti N I T I N R A W AT @ New Delhi WITH daily commuters facing harrowing time due to massive traffic jams, a new entry-exit arrangement at four locations on a carriageway of National Highway-48 connecting Delhi to Gurugram has been proposed. The National Highway Authority of India and Delhi Traffic Police have carried out separate studies and proposed steps to decongest the crucial stretch for commuters from Delhi to amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Last week, Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia student of Palestinian descent who had been at the forefront of pro-Palestinian protests on campus last year, was arrested by US authorities. While his green card was revoked, a federal judge temporarily halted his deportation. Another Columbia University student, Leqaa Kordia, was also arrested by US authorities. Rajani holds a Bachelor’s Degree from CEPT University in Ahmedabad and a Master’s Degree from Harvard, where she was awarded the Fulbright Nehru and Inlaks Scholarships. She has also worked for an environmental advocacy nonprofit in Washington. Gurugram, according to sources. The four locations are in Mahipalpur, Shiv Murti and two points at Shankar Vihar. To decongest the stretch between Gurgaon Road-Parade Road crossing and Shiv Murti, it has been proposed that only exit points should be made at Shankar Vihar and Mahipalpur, officials privy to the development told this newspaper. The other two points — Shankar Vihar and Shiv Murti — can serve as an entry points. NH-48 is marred by frequent traffic snarls Spillover traffic goes till Dhaula Kuan and Rao Tula Ram Marg till Vasant Vihar COMMUTERS SPEND AT LEAST 1 HR DURING PEAK TIME TO COVER 6.9-KM DISTANCE; IDEALLY, IT SHOULDN’T TAKE MORE THAN 20 MIN Around three lakh commuters, mostly office-goers, use the NH-48 every day The commut. ers say it takes one hour to cover the 6.9-km stretch during peak hours, with the bottleneck near Shiv Murti causing huge problem. The spillover traffic from Shankar Vihar hits the area near Dhaula Kuan and also Rao Tula Ram Marg till Vasant Vihar. There are three main locations on NH-48 where the traffic is particularly bad. For example, Shankar Vihar doesn’t have separate entry and exit points, thus choking the stretch and piling up of vehicles. Now, an exit point has been planned on the stretch, with an entry point being ahead. Similar is the situation in Mahipalpur where there is no separate entry and exit point. The area is close to the IGI Airport and dotted with budget hotels. It has now been suggested that the stretch be made only exit point. A separate provision has been proposed near Shiv Murti from where vehicles can enter the highway . In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had recently said that the Delhi Traffic Police conducted a survey in March 2024 in which problem of congestion was found in 134 locations, primarily due to construction work by various civic agencies and encroachment. The report was shared with concerned agencies for actions. The traffic cops have also shared a list of 128 bad/potholed roads and 97 damaged/ encroached footpaths to civic agencies in October 2024. MUMBAI SET TARGET Delhi Capitals celebrate the wicket of Mumbai’s Harmanpreet Kaur in the WPL final on Saturday. Harmanpreet scored 66 to help team to 149/7 I AFP Falsely implicated in gold smuggling case, says actor E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ B’luru KANNADA actor Ranya Rao , 33, who was arrested at KIA after she was found carrying 14.8 kg of gold bars on March 3, has claimed that she is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the case. The government on Saturday ordered DGP K Ramachandra Rao, CMD of Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd, and step-father of actor Ranya, to go on compulsory leave. KV Sharath Chandra, ADG, Recruitment, has been g ive n c o n c u r re n t charge of Rao’s post with immediate effect. In a letter to the Additional Director General (ADG) of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) written on March 6 from Bengaluru Central Prison, Ranya claimed that nothing has been recovered from her and that she has been implicated in the case to protect some other EXPRESS READ INSIDE EDGE Will continue to play as long as I have fun and enjoy it, says Kohli S W A R O O P S W A M I N AT H A N @ Bengaluru DURING Virat Kohli’s fireside chat with Isa Guha, the former India captain raised his index and middle fingers to form a ‘V’ sign — the universal peace symbol — before sporting a wide grin. “I’m pretty happy where I’m right now,” he said during an RCB event. More than that he spoke about retirement, the one topic everyone is interested with right now. Twenty minutes either side of that moment, Kohli spoke on a wide variety of subjects ranging from retirement, leader- ship, family, social media and being in the present. On the subject of retirement and what motivates him these days, Kohli said: “I’m (very peaceful and calm),” he said. “Me playing is not for achievement. It’s for the joy enjoyment , and love for the game. As long as that is intact, I will continue to play. I have to be honest about that with myself... at this point of time in my life, I feel pretty happy I still love playing . the game.” He was also effusive in his praise for how women’s sport has developed in India. “In two seasons of the Women’s Pre- Former India captain Virat Kohli spoke during an event in Bengaluru on Saturday passengers. The letter has been making the rounds after the Special Court for Economic Offences dismissed her bail plea. This newspaper could not confirm the veracity of the letter. Chief Superintendent of Bengaluru Central Prison K Suresh sent the letter to the DRI on March 7. In the four-page letter in English, Ranya stated that DRI officers apprehended her from inside the aircraft and from that time till she was produced before the court, she was slapped for 15 times by the officers whom she can identify . Unable to bear the torture, she signed around 60 pages of statement and around 40 blank pages, she said. Ranya alleged that DRI officers forced her to starve and did not allow her to sleep while in custody She requested the ADG . not to consider her statements recorded after her arrest till she was produced before the court. mier League, you see a completely different women’s game today,” he said. “And it’s going to keep growing, it’s so very important because you can’t just cater to looking at men. It has to be collective, sports culture influences everyone and women’s sport is a massive part of it. We have so much talent in women’s sports and not just cricket. We have great individual athletes in tennis, badminton, wrestling, boxing... it’s been amazing.” However, he firmly shut the door on the prospect of making an international comeback in the game’s shortest format to have a shot of playing the Olympics. “The Indian Premier League (IPL) has definitely played a big role in that as well, it has gotten us to a stage where it’s part of the Olympics. It’s a great opportunity for some of our guys.” But the 36-year-old, who doesn’t usually do public speaking events especially with the press corps present, had his tongue firmly in his cheek when he said ‘maybe if we are playing for the gold medal, I may just sneak in for one game (smile). But I think it’s a great thing. To be Olympic champions would be a magnificent feeling.” P11 AQI ‘satisfactory’ in city for 1st time in 5 yrs Delhi recorded an AQI of 85 on Saturday, which falls in the ‘satisfactory’ category. This is the first time in the five years that March witnessed a ‘satisfactory’ AQI. The CAQM revoked actions under Stage I of GRAP) with immediate effect. The city is likely to get drizzle on Sunday. P3 Ghaziabad Namo Bharat to have Metro-Desk soon The National Capital Region Transport Corporation will launch Metro-Desk, a co-working space at Ghaziabad Namo Bharat Station. It will feature 42 open workstations, 11 private cabins, housing up to 42 individuals and 11 companies at a time. P3