Monday Records galore as Pant breaks bank 25 november, 2024 Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player on day one of the auction in Jeddah. A look... Big pay day for skippers epaper.morningstandard.in While Shreyas Iyer was the first to go in the history books when he was signed for `26 crore by Punjab Kings, Pant went past him as Lucknow Super Giants went as high as `27 crore for the keeper-batter. KL Rahul, meanwhile, was signed by Delhi Capitals for `14 crore facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard Rabbi’s murder a terrorist act, alleges Israel Israel has said that the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed in what it described as a “heinous terror incident.” Page 09 Climate talks end with mere $300 bn pledge S V Krishna Chaitanya EXPRESS IN BAKU T he United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku concluded on Sunday amid high drama with the adoption of a controversial agreement to triple climate finance for developing countries to $300 billion annually by 2035 as against the $1.3 trillion sought by developing countries per year until 2030. The process and the amount agreed upon faced strong opposition from India and other developing nations.India, a prominent voice among developing countries, rejected the proposal outright, calling the agreed-upon financial goal inadequate and unfairly distributed. Chandni Raina, adviser to the Department of Economic Affairs and part of India’s negotiating team, described the sum as “abysmally poor” and “a paltry amount”. CONTINUED ON: P9 Winter session of parliament from today The Centre has listed 16 bills, including the Waqf Amendment Bill, for consideration. The opposition is expected to raise issues like Manipur violence and Gautam Adani’s US indictment | P7 Overseas pacers remain in A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS l New Delhi l J8.00 l While some of the IPL’s biggest players have been batters, overseas bowlers have routinely gone big. This auction was no different as the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Trent Boult and Jofra Archer (remember him?) were snaffled for decent money | P11 PAGES 12 Sources say Fadnavis tipped to lead next Mahayuti govt; Home portfolio may go to Shinde camp Soren stakes claim to form govt, oath-taking on Nov 28 RAJESH K UMAR THA K UR @ New Delhi amid intense speculation over who will be the next Maharashtra chief minister, the BJP’s top leadership is expected to finalise the name on Monday, it is learnt. Informed sources told this newspaper that the swearing-in ceremony of the Mahayuti government is most likely to take place on Tuesday evening as November 26 is the last day of the current assembly term. If the ceremony gets delayed by even one day then , President’s Rule will kick in, said a senior leader. Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar said the oath-taking ceremony may be held on Monday, though BJP sources denied it. “The BJP and allies are set to meet on Monday to finalise their decision on the CM pick,” said a senior BJP leader. While intense lobbying for the CM post is underway, a source privy to the decision making claimed Devendra Fadnavis is most likely to be named the chief minister of the new government with two deputy CMs. In this scenario, sources said, the Home department may be offered to Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. According to BJP insiders, Fadnavis has emerged as a master strategist this time and his prowess to run alliance smoothly will also work in his favour. On November 26 Tuesday there , is joint session of Parliament on account of the Samvidhan Divas. Thereafter, Prime Minister MU K ESH RANJAN @ Ranchi Devendra Fadnavis Narendra Modi and other senior elders are expected to fly to Mumbai to attend the oath-taking ceremony, sources said. The chief minister and the deputy CMs may take oath on Tuesday, while the swearing-in of other ministers will likely take place later after finalising the list of the ministers for each party The . venue of the swearing-in has not been decided but it could be either the Wankhede Stadium or Shivaji Park, sources in Maharashtra told this newspaper. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) as partners. In the recently held election, the BJP emerged as the single largest party. In the previous term of the Mahayuti government, the BJP supported Shinde as CM even though it was the single largest party . Fadnavis agreed to become deputy CM on the advice of the top leadership of BJP. (With inputs from Mumbai bureau) The new Jharkhand government will be sworn in on Thursday Chief Minister Hemant Soren , said on Sunday after meeting Governor and staking claim to form the next government. “The process of formation of the new government has started. I met the Governor and submitted my resignation and staked claim to form the new government. The Governor has invited us to form the government,” Soren said. Soren will be sworn in as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand. Earlier in the day, a meeting of the INDIA bloc’s legislative party was held at the official residence of the chief minister in Ranchi to elect Hemant Soren as the legislative party leader. Soren, who has resigned as Chief Minister, was appointed by the governor as acting CM till Thursday, when the new government will be sworn in. Notably this is the first time a government is , retaining power in Jharkhand, which was formed on November 15, 2000. So far, every election ushered in a new government. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and former Bihar deputy chief minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav are likely to attend the swearing-in ceremony . In the results declared on November 23, Hemant Soren’s JMM-led INDIA alliance stormed to power for a second consecutive term winning 56 of the 81 Assembly seats. The majority mark in the state Assembly is 41 seats. JMM alone has 34 seats. The BJP-led alliance, on the other hand, won only 24 seats. N a m i ta B a j pa i @ Lucknow Sambhal violence Police try to control the situation amid violence during a second survey of the Jama Masjid, in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday | pti express read Delhi cop killer shot dead in encounter Manipur reverses decision on schools The third accused involved in the murder of a Delhi Police constable was gunned down in an encounter with the police on Sunday, an official said. The accused, identified as Raghav alias Rocky, was absconding after the murder of Kiranpal Singh while two more people who were also involved in the crime were nabbed a day back.| P3 The Manipur govt on Sunday scrapped its decision to reopen schools and colleges in Imphal Valley and Jiribam district on Monday, officials said. Meanwhile, the autopsy reports of three of the six persons killed in Manipur Jiribam district by suspected Kuki militants revealed multiple bullet injuries on various parts of their bodies, officials said.| P8 Hemant Soren hands over his resignation to Governor Santosh Gangwar (left) | PTI One minister for five MLAs One ministerial post for every five MLAs is a formula that is being considered by INDIA bloc in Jharkhand. If a consensus is reached on it, JMM will have six ministers, Congress three, and RJD one. There may be new faces in the cabinet as four ministers — Mithilesh Thakur, Baidyanath Ram, Baby Devi, and Banna Gupta lost their seats SC to hear today if GRAP-4 steps should continue in city S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court will on Monday hear petitions, especially a plea filed by noted environmentalist MC Mehta, related to pollution in Delhi-NCR. Delhi’s air quality showed improvement on Sunday, moving from the ‘severe’ to ‘very poor’ category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping to 370 at 6 am and further to 313 by 6 pm. The court will decide whether the GRAP-IV (Graded Response Action Plan) restrictions should continue. A two-judge bench of the apex court, led by Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih, in its last hearing on November 22, indicated that the GRAP-IV restrictions should continue. It, however, had said it will hear the case first on November 25, and decide the matter. The apex court had on Friday directed the Delhi government and police to constitute check points at all 113 entry points to Delhi to check the entry of trucks. The top court had appointed 13 members as court commissioners to visit the 13 entry points and ensure stoppage of trucks. The court earlier remarked that the Delhi government failed to comply with GRAP-4 norms. | P3 Three people were killed and scores injured, including around 20 police personnel, as protesters opposing a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque clashed with the police in UP’s Sambhal, around 150km from Delhi, on Sunday . The protesters burnt down vehicles and indulged in vandalism and arson. They also hurled stones at the police personnel, who used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob. Sources said the PRO of Superintendent of Police Sambhal sustained gunshot injuries in the leg. “The police circle officer was hit by pellets and at least 20 security personnel were injured in the violence,” Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said. He said a constable also suffered a serious head injury while the deputy collector fractured his leg. Sambhal erupts lTension gripped Sambhal after a local court ordered a survey of a mosque following a petition that claimed a Harihar temple stood at the site lViolence erupted soon after the survey team started work on Sunday. l Cops and 4 administration personnel were injured Sambhal has been simmering since Tuesday when the town’s Jama Masjid was surveyed in compliance with a local court order in response to a petition that claimed that a Harihar temple stood at the mosque site. “Three people, identified as Naeem, Bilal and Nauman, have been killed,” Singh said, adding that their post-mortem was being conducted. Ten people, including two women, have been detained and a probe was under way an offi, cial said. An official source said the accused in the violence would be booked under the stringent provisions of the National Security Act (NSA). The trouble started on Sunday morning when a mob gathered near the mosque and started shouting slogans as the survey team began their work. District officials said the survey was planned in the morning to avoid interference with the mosque prayers that are usually held in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the ruling party, government and the administration orchestrated the violence “to divert attention from the by-election malpractice”. According to the local administration, a second survey by an ‘advocate commissioner’ started around 7 am and a crowd began gathering there soon after. Rich heritage Dehradun’s Rashtrapati Ashiana to open to public from April next year In a move reminiscent of t h e M u g h a l G a rd e n s at the Presidential Palace, the historic Presidential Ashiana located on Rajpur Road in Dehradun is set to open its doors to the public this April. This decision comes under the directives of President Droupadi Murmu. On Saturday, officials from the Presidential Secretariat c o nv e n e d i n D e h r a d u n for a meeting with state gover nment re presentatives. During this session, they out- Among the other key signings were Venkatesh Iyer (`20 crore) for KKR, Arshdeep Singh (`18 crore) for PBKS, Yuzvendra Chahal (`18 crore) for PBKS, Mohammed Siraj (`12.5 crore) to GT, R Ashwin (9.75 crore) and Noor Ahmed (`10 crore) to CSK, and Ishan Kishan (`11.25 crore) for SRH Decision on Maharashtra CM choice today, swearing-in likely tomorrow 3 killed, 20 cops injured in clash with mob in UP town n a r e n d r a s e t h i @ Dehradun Other key signings lined plans to enhance the facilities available for the public at the Ashiana. An official source stated, “Our aim is to transform the Presidential Ashiana into a space where citizens can experience history and also embrace it as an integral part of their culture and heritage.” Spanning an area of 21 acres, the complex is currently utilised by the President’s Bodyguard (PBG), while the total area of the Ashiana is approximately 237 acres. To prepare for this initiative, a high-level meeting was held A slice of history The Rashtrapati Ashiana was originally established in 1838 as a summer camp for the Governor General’s Bodyguard horses, providing respite from Delhi’s scorching heat. After Indepen-dence, the President’s Bodyguard continued to utilise the facility. In 1920, the Commandant’s Bungalow was built on it, which later became a presidential retreat during Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed’s tenure in 1975-76. on Saturday at the Ashiana complex, where Dr Rakesh Gupta, additional secretary of the Presidential Secretariat, engaged in discussions with senior officials from the Uttarakhand government. Official sources indicated that it was decided during the meeting that the public will have access to the main building of the complex. The visitors will not only have the oppor tunity to explore the Ashiana but also lear n about the rich history of the Indian Army’s 251-year-old PBG regiment and its 186-year-old stables. Uttarakhand government secretary Sachin Kurve stated, “The opening of the Rashtrapati Ashiana in Dehradun will provide an opportunity for the people to connect with India’s rich heritage and glory .” The Rashtrapati Ashiana was originally established in 1838 as a summer camp for the Gover nor General’s Bodyguard horses, providing respite from the severe heat in Delhi. After India’s Independence in 1947, the President’s Bodyguard continued to utilise the facility . karnataka Rare burning swing sacrificial monuments found in Koppal R a g h o t ta m K o p pa r @ Koppal Two burning swing sacrificial m o n u m e n t s h ave b e e n found near a lake at Bilagi village in Kushtagi taluk of Koppal district. The burning swing is called “Uri Uyyale” in Kannada. T h ese r are monume nt s describe the sacrifices made by people around 1,000 years ago. Such monuments were found earlier in Mandya, Gadag, Dharwad and Chamarajanagar, according to historians. In the past, people used to set themselves afire sitting or standing on a swing (offering themselves to Agnideva, the God of fire) to bless their childless r ulers with sons or daughters. Some used to perform this ritual to attain moksha, according to inscriptions on the monuments. However, these are considered as sacrificial monuments. Historians are now studying them in Koppal district. These rituals were performed in the temples of goddesses. People even performed these rituals for the victory of their kings in wars, according to historians. Paramesh Bilgi from Koppal said, “These are rare monuments and there is a need for research on them.” D at t ap r a s a n n a Pat i l , a history professor at VDS College in Gadag, said, “Not much is known about these monuments. Two such monuments were found in Ron and one in Chamarajanagar earlier.” Memorial Stones are stones dedicated to a person who sacrificed his life for the cause of king or public in war or a battlefield.