DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA ● REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2025, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 ALUDEIDBASEATTACKEDBYSHORT-RANGE, medium-range ballistic missiles, no casualties: US MATCHEDNUMBEROFBOMBSDROPPED by US, mighty and successful response: Iran IRANINFORMEDU.S.VIADIPLOMATIC channels before missile attack, says report War widens: Iran hits US base in Qatar SYRIA Tel Aviv Tehran Baghdad IRAQ ISRAEL Qatar home to over 8 lakh Indians, Delhi monitors situation, alerts its nationals IRAN ia rs Pe SAUDI ARABIA n QATAR Al Udeid Gu lf Doha Strait of Hormuz SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, JUNE 23 Qatar condemns attack, Bahrain suspends flights in its airspace DAVID RISING, JON GAMBRELL & MELANIE LIDMAN DUBAI, JUNE 23 IRANLAUNCHEDmissileattacks Monday on a United States military base in Qatar, retaliating for theAmericanbombingof itsnuclear sites and escalating tensions in the volatile region. A US defence department official confirmed the missile attack but said no casualties have been reported. The official said thattheAlUdeidAirBasewasattacked by short-range and medium-rangeballisticmissiles. The US is continuing to monitor the situation, said the official. (Reuters adds: Iran, which had been warned by Washington not to retaliate or face massive US military action, had informed the US via two diplomatic channels hours ahead of the attack, as well as Qatari authorities, a senior regional source told Reuters.) Qatarcondemnedtheattack, but said it successfully inter- cepted the missiles and no casualties were reported. It said its airspace is now safe. Shortly after the attack, the Gulf nation of Bahrain that is home to the US 5th Fleet headquarters temporarily suspended flights in its airspace, which is similarto what Qatar did shortly before it was hit. Iran said the attack in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the US on its nuclear sites over the weekend, signaling its likely desire to deescalate.Iranalsosaidittargeted the base because it was outside of populated areas. Iranannouncedtheattackon state television as martial music played. A caption on screen calledit“amightyandsuccessful response” to “America’s aggression”. The Ain al-Assad base housing US troops in western Iraq was also targeted, an Iraqi security official who was not authorised to comment publicly told TheAssociated Press oncondition of anonymity. But Iran did CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Tracers are seen in the sky after Iran targeted the US’s Al Udeid base in Qatar, as seen from Doha on Monday. Reuters India set to ramp up oil imports from Russia, Africa, US and Latin America INSIDE SUKALP SHARMA NEW DELHI, JUNE 23 RUSSIA BACKS IRAN AS PUTIN HOSTS FOREIGN MINISTER IAEA’S CHALLENGES AFTER ATTACKS ON IRAN’S N-SITES PAGES 14, 13 AFTER IWT SUSPENSION 87 115 141 75 India seeks pause in World Bank expert’s proceedings over Kishanganga & Ratle RITIKA CHOPRA NEW DELHI, JUNE 23 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY GOVT & POLITICS BYPOLLS: AAP RETAINS SEATS IN GUJARAT, PUNJAB; CONGRESS WINS IN KERALA PAGE 10 PAGE 1 ANCHOR INDIA HAS written to the World Bank’s neutral expert, Michel Lino, requesting a pause in his proceedings on the Ratle and Kishanganga hydropower disputes, following the Union government’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, The Indian Express has learned. Lino is understood to have sought Pakistan’s views on India’srequest,whichIslamabad has opposed. The disputes being heard by Lino since 2022 concern two Indian hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir — Kishanganga, on the Kishanganga river, and Ratle, on the Chenab river. A French dam engineer and, until recently, the president of the International Commission on Large Dams, Lino was appointed by the World Bank on E E X P L A I NE D 24/06/2025 A WORRIED Delhi was monitoring the situation in Qatar where morethan8lakhIndiansliveand work, and the Indian embassy asked the community to be cautious as Iran launched a military attack Monday night on a US base in Qatar. The Indian embassy in Doha said, “In view of the ongoing situation, the Indian community in Qatar is urged to be cautious and remain indoors. Please remain calm and follow local news, instructions and guidance pro- ● Ultimatum to Pak AFTER THE Pahalgam attack, India kept the IWT in abeyance “until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism”. Under the IWT, the waters of the “Eastern Rivers” — Sutlej, Beas and Ravi – are for India’s unrestricted use, while the “Western Rivers” – Indus, Jhelum, Chenab – are primarily for Pakistan. October 13, 2022, under Article IX and Annexure F of the Indus Waters Treaty. His mandate is to hear both India and Pakistan and determine whether the design of theseprojectscomplieswiththe CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE ESCALATION in the IsraelIran conflict and Tehran’s threat to close the Strait of Hormuz are likely to push Indian refiners to further ramp up oil purchases from non-West Asian suppliers —mainlyRussia,WestAfrica,the US and Latin America — as shipping routes to Indian ports from these suppliers are detached from the critical choke point in the Persian Gulf, according to industry sources and experts. In fact, India’s oil sourcing strategy is already reflecting a risk-hedged posture pertaining to West Asian oil flows with RussianoildominatingIndia’soil import mix. Following US air strikes at Iraniannuclearfacilitiesoverthe weekend, Iran’s parliament Sunday approved a motion calling for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit choke point in global energy Porsche crash: Prosecution tells JJB offence ‘heinous’, try minor as adult MAHARASHTRA ON Monday issued a revised Government Resolution (GR) stating that SC/ST/OBC reservations will not apply to minority trust-run colleges for the First Year Junior College (FYJC) admissions. This came 11 days after the Bombay High Court halted the effect of the government’s deci- CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PUNE, JUNE 23 CLAIMING THAT the minor accused in the Porsche car crash committed a "heinous offence" and was driving the vehicle after consumingliquordespiteknowing its consequences, the prosecution on Monday urged the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) to pass an order that he should be tried as an adult. Citingsectionsof theJuvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children)Act,2015,thePunecity police had earlier submitted an application at the JJB for the minor to be tried as an adult. The defence lawyer opposed the application saying the present offence cannot be legally termed “heinous”, and that the object of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act is “reformative” and not “punitive”. On Monday, special public prosecutor(SPP)ShishirHirayargued at the JJB that the minor accusedwasbookedunderIPCsections 467 (forgery) and 304 (culpablehomicidenotamountingto CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Maharashtra retracts on quota for SC/ST/OBCs in minority colleges PALLAVI SMART MUMBAI, JUNE 23 siontoapplySC/ST/OBCreservationtominority collegesfor FYJC admissions. Theschooleducationdepartmentof thestateissuedacorrection to an earlier Government Resolution (GR) which applied SC/ST/OBC reservation to open seatsinminoritytrust-runjunior colleges, which was subsequently challenged in the HC. TheHChadhalted theeffects of the decision granting interim relief to junior colleges run by minority trusts on June 12. Citing the court order, the revised GR states that changes are being made in the procedure to be followed by minority institutions regarding centralised online admission for Class 11. “Allprovisionsofthestategovernmentregardingsocialandparallelreservationsshallapplytoall juniorcollegesinthestate,except thosewithminoritystatus,foradmissions to Class 11,” it states. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 HINDI IN MAHARASHTRA SCHOOLS CM reviews policy, says final call only after consultations with stakeholders VALLABH OZARKAR MUMBAI, JUNE 23 AMID GROWING opposition against Maharashtra government’spolicyonincludingHindi as“generally”thethirdlanguage in Marathi and English medium schools from Classes 1 to 5 from the academic year 2025-’26, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said that a final decision on the three-languageformulawillbetakenonly after comprehensive consultations with all stakeholders. The announcement came after a high-level meeting at the CM’s official residence, Varsha, late evening that was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, Minister of State Dr Pankaj Bhoir, and senior education de- CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Iranian Army Commander-in-chief Amir Hatami attends a meeting in their War Command Room at an undisclosed location in Iran on Monday. Reuters FYJC ADMISSION EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE flows. It is now up to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council to decide on whether or not to go ahead to try and choke the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has in the past threatened to close the strait on multiple occasions, but has never actually done it. Even in the current scenario, industry experts also expect the possibility of an actual closure to be really low. Notwithstanding that, aheightenedriskof theclosureis boundtoraiseconcernsglobally, vided by Qatari authorities. The Embassy will also keep updating through our social media channels.” The Indian community is the largest expat community in the country, which has one of the highest per capita income in the world. Iransaiditlaunchedamilitary attack on the Al Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest US military installationintheregion,according to a statement by the country’s armed forces. A senior White House official earlier confirmed thattheUSwasawareof apotential attack by Iran against the partment officials. According to officials, the meeting discussed the implications of the policy, especiallyunder the new National Education Policy (NEP). It was decided that a comprehensive presentation willbepreparedhighlightingthe linguistic situation across the state, ensuring that Marathimedium students do not face any disadvantage. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Notice against Justice Shekhar Yadav pending, 50 MPs from RS confirm signing Justice Shekhar Yadav of Allahabad High Court DAMINI NATH & LIZ MATHEW NEW DELHI, JUNE 23 THEIMPEACHMENTnoticeby54 Rajya Sabha MPs against Allahabad High Court judge Justice Shekhar Yadav for a controversial speech by him at a VishwaHinduParishadeventlast year is confirmed to have been signedbyatleast50MPs,theminimum required to move forward, The Indian Express has learnt. According to Rajya Sabha sources, so far only 44 of those MPs have verified their signaturesafter the secretariat sought their responses via emails and calls in March and May this year. Of the remaining 10, The Indian Express was told by six MPsthattheyhadsignedthenotice. Three MPs could not be CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 In India team’s chess win, story of recreational player from IIM-Calcutta MAYANK NEW DELHI, JUNE 23 IT WAS just another day for Atharvaa Tayade, a 24-year-old pursuing an MBA degree at IIMCalcutta, when a message popped up on his chess.com account in March: “We are participating as Team MGD1, would you be interested to play?” The message was from N Srinath,thegoldmedal-winning captain of India’s Budapest Olympiad team, seeking a “recreationalplayer”fortheonly team from India at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships. The championship requires six players per team, with one compulsory spot each for a womanandarecreationalplayer (someone who has never achieved FIDE Classical,Rapid or Blitz Rating of 2000 Elo points). Tayade was a perfect fit:a skilled player who stepped away from chess to pursue academics, his peak rating frozen at 1926 since July 2015 when he left the sport. Last week, when Team MGD1, which had the most numberof Indians,wontheFIDE World Rapid Team Championship in London, the focus was on Tayade, not on star players like Arjun Erigaisi, Harikrishna Pentala or Pranav V. Tayade remained unbeaten untilthefinalround,carryinghis team until the defeat by Malcolm’s Mates’ Murat Omarov. By then, his 11 wins in 12 rounds had already secured a win for his team. This meant the Pune-based chess management firm, Team MGD1, became the firstIndianteamtowintheevent in the tournament’s brief threeyear history. “I knew that I was strong but I did not expect to perform this well. Luck was a factor; there were multiple things that had to fallintoplace,butIamhappythat Special Arrangement Atharvaa Tayade (right) with grandmaster N Srinath after his team won the FIDE World Rapid Team Championship it went well eventually,” said Tayade,anIIT-Bombaygraduate. Tayadesaidhewaspreparing forhissummerinternshipwhen Srinath messaged him. “I was quite surprised, but I responded by stating a bit about myself and said I could participate. That's when we exchanged numbers, spoke on WhatsApp and Srinath told me a couple of days later that they were finalising me,” he recalled. Aheadof hisfirstmajorevent in years — his first at the world level — Tayade said he made no preparations. His internship — part of the MBA course — took precedence. He spent two months — April and May — at Standard Chartered’s Mumbai office.Inbetween,he playedjust one local tournament as suggested by Srinath, to re-adjust to over-the-board play, relying solely on his online games. How Tayade dominated the field is intriguing. “When I restarted chess during my engineering days, I came close to my original strength. Slowly, I was abletoincreasemyratingonline, and that's when I hit a peak of 2800, which is probably why Srinath noticed me,” he recalled. He proceededto beat players like Wadim Rosenstein — architect of WR Chess Team and the recreational board concept — and nine-year-old compatriot Sarbartho Mani, among other rising talents. With an 11.0/12 Rapid score and 4.0/4 in Blitz, Tayade, who is originally from Mumbai, earned the moniker “India’s Pang Bo”. China's Pang Bo hogged the limelight in 2024 with his unbeaten run for the all-Chinese team, Decade China, in the amateur board. Earlier, while his contemporaries like Mitrabha Guha, Harshit Raja and Abhimanyu Puranik became grandmasters, Tayade opted for academics. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2