DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2025, KOLKATA, LATE CITY, 14 PAGES VICE-PRESIDENT POLL TODAY: BJD, BRS TO ABSTAIN 2 SOLDIERS KILLED IN J&K ENCOUNTER ‘SHALL BE TREATED AS THE 12TH DOCUMENT’ Accept Aadhaar as identity proof in Bihar SIR, Supreme Court tells EC Authorities shall be entitled to verify authenticity of Aadhaar... by seeking further proof/documents: Bench PAGES 4,5 ANANTHAKRISHNAN G THE WORLD THESUPREMECourtMondaydirected the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar as a 12th document,inadditiontothe11ithas permittedforidentificationinorder to be included in the final electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar ahead of Assembly elections. The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, however, made it clear that Aadhaar GUNMEN OPEN FIRE AT JERUSALEM BUS STOP, KILL 6 PAGE 10 NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 FOUR MONTHS after Mehul Choksi, the fugitive diamond trader wanted in India for the alleged Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank loan fraud case, wasarrestedinBelgium,Indiahas sent a letter of assurance to the country’s government, saying it willkeephiminMumbai’sArthur Roadjailcomplex,“if extradited”. Choksi was arrested in Belgium in April based on an extradition request by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Last month, his bail plea was turned down by a court of appeal in Belgium, just ahead of his extradition hearing before a court in that country. InalettersentonSeptember4 to the authorities in Belgium, Rakesh Kumar Pandey, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs,saidthattheIndiangovernment has sought extradition of Choksi from Belgium to face trial in India. Pandey said it has been NEW DELHI, GUWAHATI, SEPTEMBER 8 PRIME MINISTER Narendra ModiislikelytomeetpeopledisplacedbytheconflictinManipur and announce a rehabilitation package during his visit to the state, which is expected to take place later this week. However, efforts to convince Nagas in the state not to go ahead with their scheduled“tradeembargo”from Tuesday have not succeeded, presenting the administration with a challenge. A tentative itinerary of the PM’svisitonSeptember13—his first since ethnic conflict began CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 APURVA VISHWANATH NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 tively raises the bar for the Election Commission (EC) to exclude an individual from the voter rolls if they have a valid Aadhaar card. For, the inclusion of Aadhaar as the 12th doc● umentmakesroomforan individual excluded from the draft list to cite Aadhaar to file claims for inclusion and E HOW HAS the Supreme Court's intervention on Monday moved the needle on the Bihar Special Intensive Revision exercise? In terming Aadhaar as the “12th document” to establish proof of identity, the SC effec- CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 EAM S Jaishankar and other BRICS leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russia President Vladimir Putin and Brazil President Lula da Silva during the virtual summit. PTI At BRICS, Jaishankar red-flags ‘linking of trade measures to non-trade matters’ SHUBHAJIT ROY INANobliquereferencetotheUS administration’s decision to imposeanadditional25percenttariff on India as penalty for purchase of Russian oil, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Mondayexpressedconcernatthe “linking of trade measures to non-trade matters”. Calling for a “stable and predictable environment for trade and investment”, he underlined that economic practicesshouldbe“fair,transparent and to everyone's benefit”. “The state of the world today is a cause for genuine concern. The last few years have witnessedthedevastatingimpactof HOME MINISTER QUITS; REPORT AFTER MIDNIGHT SAYS BAN LIFTED Mehul Choksi was arrested in Belgium in April BY UNNY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Scheduled to visit the state on Sept 13 in Manipur in May 2023 — was discussed at a meeting between Governor Ajay Bhalla and legislatorsof theruling alliance atthe Raj Bhavan on Sunday. Former Chief Minister N Biren Singh, Speaker Th Satyabrata Singh, and state BJP chief A Sharda Devi wereamongthosepresentatthe meeting. The Governor urged the legislators to engage withtheirconstituenciestominimise tensions before the visit, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 Riot police disperse protesters outside Nepal’s Parliament in Kathmandu on Monday. AP learnttheextraditionproceedings for the surrender of Choksi have advanced before Chambers of Indictment,Antwerp. the Covid pandemic, major conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East/WestAsia,volatilityintrade and investment flows, extreme climate events and a discernible slowing down of the SDG Agenda.Inthefaceof thesechallenges, the multilateral system appears to be failing the world. Thatsomanyseriousstressesare beingleftunaddressedis,understandably, having consequences for the global order itself,” he said, addressing the BRICS leaders’ summit online. “Trade patterns and market access are today prominent issues in the global economic discourse. The world requires constructive and cooperative approaches to promote trade Zelenskyy: Tariffs on countries making deals with Russia right idea BUSINESS AS USUAL Rehabilitation package, meet with displaced on PM’s Manipur itinerary DEEPTIMAN TIWARY & SUKRITA BARUAH the purpose of establishing the identity of a person,” the court ordered. The court directed the EC “and its authorities to accept Aadhaar Card as a proof of identity for the purpose of inclusion or exclusion in the revised voter list of the State of Bihar". "Aadhaar card, for this purpose, shall be treated as the 12th document by the authorities. It is, however,madeclearthattheauthorities shall be entitled to verify the authenticity and ADDRESS AT ONLINE MEET NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 Personal space, light, storage in jail: India assures Belgium on Choksi, if extradited MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL “is not proof of citizenship”, and statedthattheECwillbeentitled to assess its authenticity. “There is no quarrel that as perthestatutorystatusassigned to Aadhaar Card under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, itisnotaproof of citizenshipand therefore shall not be accepted as proof of citizenship. However, keeping in view Section 23(4) of theRepresentationof PeopleAct, 1950, Aadhaar Card is one of the documents enumerated for No citizenship proof but top court raises the bar for exclusion by EC EXPLAINED INSIDE `6.00 (`12 IN NORTH EAST STATES, `20 IN ANDAMAN) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 19 killed in ‘Gen Z protests’ against Nepal govt ban on social media sites, corruption YUBARAJ GHIMIRE NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 AT LEAST 19 protesters, including16inKathmandu,werekilled andover200injuredonMonday as police opened fire on youths demonstratingagainsttheNepal government’s recent decision to ban over two dozen social media platforms. The Army was de- ployed in the capital as the situation deteriorated. The protesters, under the banner of “Gen Z”, also targeted the “rampant corruption” in the government and sought accountability. The protests were held in Kathmandu,Pokhara,Bhairahawa, Itahari and Chitwan. Police are learnttohaveopenedfireinatleast two places — Kathmandu and EXPLAINED GRAFT & GAG: WHY BAN TRIGGERED NEPAL’S GEN Z PAGE 7 ItahariineastNepal.While16were killed in Kathmandu, the remainingthreewerekilledinItahari. APTIreportaftermidnightsaid the Nepal government had lifted thebanonsocialmediaplatforms. Nofurtherdetailswereavailable. Earlier in the evening, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, who represented the Nepali Congress partyinthecoalitiongovernment ledbyPrimeMinisterKPSharma Oli,resignedonmoralgrounds.Oli heldanemergencycabinetmeeting,whichdecidedtodealsternly CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SUPPORTING US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose an additional 25 per cent tariff on India as penalty for purchase of Russian oil — taking the total tariff to 50 per cent —Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that such action on countries who “make deals” with Russia was the “right idea”. His remarks come nine days after his phone call with Prime MinisterNarendraModiaheadof theShanghaiCooperationOrganisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. Asked if he thought the plan to impose tariffs backfired when he saw photographs of Modi Zelenskyy, who met Trump last month, also called for sanctions against Russia. File with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the recent SCO summit, Zelenskyy, in an interview airedonABCNews’‘ThisWeek’on Sunday,said:“No.Ithinktheidea to put tariffs on the countries who continue (to) make deals CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Personalised software improved In first, J&K AAP MLA held under learning in Andhra schools: Study PSA for ‘disturbing public order’ ABHINAYA HARIGOVIND NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 8 AN EVALUATION study by researchers, including Nobel laureate and economist Michael Kremer,hasfoundthatapersonalised learning software used in Andhra Pradesh's government schools led to a doubling of learning rates among those who used it. The Personalised Adaptive Learning (PAL) software — now used on tablets across over 1,200 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO STUDY 1,224 schools in state where Personalised Adaptive Learning (PAL) software now used on tablets GRADE-WISE GAINS CLASS 6: 2.04 equivalent years of schooling (in 1 academic year) CLASS 7: 2.36 equivalent years of schooling (over 2 years) CLASS 8: 1.77 equivalent years of schooling (over 2 years) CLASS9: Gainof 1.54equivalent yearsof schooling(over2years) ARUN SHARMA JAMMU. SEPTEMBER 8 JAMMU AND Kashmir’s lone Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Doda, Mehraj Malik, was apprehendedbythepoliceonMonday on charges of disturbing public order and detained under the stringent Public Safety Act for one year. He is the first sitting legislator in Jammu and Kashmir to have been detained under the PSA, which allows the administration to keep a person under Mehraj Malik named in 18 FIRs, 16 Daily Diary reports preventive detention without trial, if it is satisfied that his remaining free might disturb public order and peace, or threaten security of the state. SenttoKathuajail,Malikwas namedin18FIRsand16dailydiaryreportsatdifferentpolicestations in Doda district, officials said.Theyallegedhewasincreasinglycausingdisturbancetopublic order, especially at a time whenthedistrictadministration was busy initiating relief measures for people hit by recent heavy rains and flash floods in far-off areas of the hilly district. Malik is accused of attacking officials on duty, locking them inside their offices, and abusing and intimidating them in public, officials said, adding that he is also facing charges of abduction. The imposition of PSA will not affect his membership in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Purulia to Venice: Anuparna’s story from parents’ objection to film award PAGE 1 ANCHOR RAVIK BHATTACHARYA KOLKATA, SEPTEMBER 8 INITIALLY, THEY had objected to their daughter Anuparna Roy’s foray into the “film world”. Today, Brahmananda Roy and hiswifeManishaarethe“proudest parents in the world”. AnuparnaRoyonSundaybecame the first Indian to receive the Best Director Award in the Orizzonti section at the 82nd Venice Film Festival for her film Songs of Forgotten Trees. Since then, the cellphones of the Roy couple at the remote town of KultiinPaschimBardhamandistrict of West Bengal have been buzzing with congratulatory calls and messages. “Initially, we objected to her workinginthefilmline.Wewere concerned. I think as parents, it wasnormal.Weknewnothingof the filmmaking profession. We objectedtoherchangingjobsfrequently and spending all the money from her salary in filmmaking,”Anupurna’sfathersaid. “We mocked her by saying: Will you become Satyajit Ray? She used to say she can’t be Ray, but she will not stop working in films. She was adamant and strong-willed from the beginning. Now, we see we were wrong. She proved herself,” added Brahmananda. According to her parents, Anuparna had her fair share of struggles.“Shestayedinarented apartment with two other girls in Mumbai. I even sent her some money, which she used in her films,” said her father. “We were worried for her andwhatshewasdoingbecause weneverunderstoodfilms.Butit was her passion, and today, we see where our daughter has gone. From a village in Purulia to Anuparna Roy with the Best Director Award in the Orizzonti category for Songs of the Forgotten Trees, during the 82nd Venice Film Festival on Saturday; the poster of the film. AP Italy to win the award,” added her mother. Notably, the Songs of Forgotten Trees, which won the award, depicts the story of two women who share an apartment in Mumbai and develop a deep connection despite their different backgrounds. “When she called us from Italy and gave us the news, we could not believe our ears. She saidshehas“finallywon”.Ittook us some time to realise what she achieved…We are elated,” said 63-year-old Brahmananda, a retired colliery officer. Anuparna, who hails from NarayanpurvillageunderNitoria police station in Purulia, passed her Madhyamik from Ranipur Colliery School and her Higher Secondary from Napara High School. “She did her graduation with honours in English from Kulti College. Since childhood, she has been fond of reading books and writing. Then she went to Delhi to study mass communication. She then suddenly moved to Mumbai, where shedidanumberof jobs,including in IT sales,” said Anuparna’s 57-year-old mother. In a statement at the Venice film festival, Anuparna said: “I come from a village where girls CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Kolkata