10112026-TTC-01.qxd 11/10/2026 12:43 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 310 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 RAHUL DARES PM TO DEBATE ON DIMAGI NAXAL JIBE >> NATION /thetribunechd JAMMU SEES OVER 60 FIRE INCIDENTS ON DIWALI >> J&K CEO DEFENDS TEMPLE, CALLS IT FITNESS DEVICE >> BUSINESS ISRAELI PREZ GIVES BIBI RIVAL CHANCE TO FORM GOVT >> WORLD tuesday | 10 november 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Cong first list of Pb candidates soon PHAGWARA: The Congress is likely to release its first list of candidates by the monthend, PPCC president Pargat Singh said while talking to The Tribune here on Monday. On the possibility of a prepoll alliance with other parties, Pargat and party leader Partap Bajwa had indicated that they could consider an alliance with the Left. — TNS Tankeshwar named VC of Panjab varsity CHANDIGARH: After a 103-day interim arrangement, Panjab University on Monday got a regular Vice-Chancellor, with Prof Tankeshwar Kumar, currently VC of the Central University of Haryana, appointed to the post for a three-year term. The appointment was announced by the office of the Vice-President. — TNS Artist Arpita Singh passes away at 89 NEW DELHI: Modernist artist Arpita Singh, widely known for her detailed figurative works reflective of societal traumas such as war and communalism, died from agerelated ailments at a hospital here on Monday. She was 89. Her husband, artist Paramjit Singh, said she was working almost till the last. — TNS Delhi chokes as North grapples with Diwali smog Several towns in Punjab, Haryana record alarming AQI as pollution grips northern plains Aksheev Thakur Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 9 Delhi became the epicentre of North India’s air emergency as a poisonous cocktail of emissions from vehicles, farm fires and firecrackers contributed to its worst Diwali air quality in the past five years. While the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data placed Delhi’s average air quality index (AQI) in the “very poor” range at 376, real-time readings on AQI.in put it in the “hazardous” category at nearly 1,500. Air quality remained “poor” to “very poor” across Punjab and Haryana. Jalandhar and Mandi Gobindgarh topped Punjab’s pollution chart with an AQI of 336 each, while Ludhiana (292), Amritsar (257) and Patiala (221) remained in the “poor” category. In Haryana, Bahadurgarh recorded the highest AQI at 400, followed by Charkhi Dadri (389) and Rohtak (378), CPCB data released on Monday showed. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana has contributed to the seasonal deterioration in air quality, with environmental experts cautioning against viewing farm fires as the sole continued on page 8 edit: delhi chokes again SMOG CRISIS 400 389 378 376 336 336 292 B’GARH* CHARKHI DADRI ROHTAK DELHI HARYANA JALANDHAR MANDI LUDHIANA GOBINDGARH AIR QUALITY INDEX 401-500 SEVERE 301-400 VERY POOR 201-300 POOR 101-200 MODERATE 51-100 SATISFACTORY 0-50 GOOD PUNJAB *BAHADURGARH A truck-mounted anti-smog gun sprays water along Kartavya Path as the AQI remains in ‘very poor’ category in New Delhi on Monday. MANAS RANJAN BHUI 376 vs 1,500: CPCB, pvt agencies split on AQI Aksheev Thakur Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 9 A wide gap in air quality readings reported by government and private monitoring agencies has emerged in Delhi after Diwali, with the Cen- tral Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recording an overall air quality index (AQI) of 376 on November 9, while some private platforms and mobile applications showed readings as high as 1,500. The discrepancy has raised questions about how air pollution is measured and communicated to the public, particularly during episodes of extreme pollution. While the CPCB placed Delhi’s air quality in the “very poor” category, some private platforms classified it as “hazardous”, reporting figures several times higher than the government’s readings. Explaining the difference, Dr Gufran Beig of the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) said the variation continued on page 8 1,350 farm fires in two days worsen Pb’s air Aman Sood Tribune News Service Patiala, November 9 Punjab’s air quality deteriorated sharply after Diwali, with official records placing the state’s overall air quality index (AQI) near the “very poor” category, while some private monitoring platforms reported “severe” to “very severe” pollution levels in several cities amid firecracker emissions and a fresh spike in farm fires. The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) recorded an average AQI of 287 on Monday, while the state’s farm-fire tally crossed 4,657, with more than 1,350 incidents reported over the past 48 hours. On Monday, a day after Diwali, AQI readings in Punjab were: Patiala 221, Ludhiana 292, Khanna 279, Jalandhar 336, Mandi Gobindgarh 336 and Amritsar 257. By comparison, on Saturday, a day before Diwali, the AQI stood at 204 in Patiala, 222 in Ludhiana, 201 in Khanna, 205 in Jalandhar, 281 in Mandi Gobindgarh and 115 in Amritsar. “The spike indicates that firecracker emissions added to the already polluted air,” said environmental experts. However, some private online platforms reported substantially higher AQI, with the level in Patiala touching 1,281, Ludhiana 1,955, Jalandhar 959, Amritsar 1,212 and Sangrur 1,651 late on Diwali night. The average AQI stood at over 750 as per private platforms. These figures were three to four times higher than the data reported by official monitoring agencies, including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The PPCB has installed six Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Khanna, Mandi Gobindgarh and Patiala for real-time monitoring of ambient air quality. The two-hour window permitted for bursting crackers was largely ignored, with celebrations continuing well past midnight in many areas. Though the police registered a few cases across the state, most FIRs were filed against unidentified persons. Smoglike conditions prevailed across Punjab, with a thick layer of smoke visible in continued on page 8 Dhaka rejects Hasina’s Modi, Zelenskyy discuss peace Pb Police extradite 17 plea for new passport, efforts ahead of Abu Dhabi talks fugitivesin6mths:Govt seeks her extradition India calls for dialogue as Ukraine urges bigger role in ending war Cheema says won’t let Tribune News Service Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 9 Bangladesh on Monday rejected former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s request for a new passport. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir dismissed Hasina’s request as “drama” and called on India to extradite her. The remarks came after it emerged that Hasina had sought a new passport and National Identity (NID) card to return to Bangladesh. Hasina has maintained that she will return to Bangladesh next month despite concerns that she could be arrested and executed. Media in Bangladesh quoted Kabir as saying, “She fled the country. There are no passport applications for fugitives.” Kabir said, “If Hasina wants to return, there is a legal process for that. Bangladesh and India have an extradition treaty. Let her New Delhi, November 9 Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, a day ahead of trilateral talks involving Russia, the US and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi. The negotiations are expected to mark the first direct engagements between the parties in months. In a statement, the Union Government said, “Prime Minister Modi had a telephone conversation today with President Zelenskyy and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict.” The statement said Zelenskyy shared his perspective on recent developments related to the ongoing conflict. Modi reaffirmed India’s human-centric approach and reiterated New Delhi’s consistent position that the con- gangsters escape law by fleeing abroad flict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. The two leaders also discussed ways to further strengthen India-Ukraine bilateral cooperation across sectors for the mutual benefit of both countries. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy posted on X that he had briefed Modi on the latest diplomatic developments. “We are actively preparing every item on the agenda for the meeting in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine has continued on page 8 Chandigarh, November 9 The Punjab Police have brought back 17 gangsters from foreign countries over the past six months, something the previous governments failed to achieve in decades, Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said on Monday. With this, the Bhagwant Mann government had sent a message that no criminal could escape the law by fleeing abroad, the minister said. Addressing a press conference, the AAP leader said the extraditions were part of the “Gangstran Te Vaar” campaign. Between January 20 and November 7, the police conducted 1,61,266 raids and arrested around 2,162 proclaimed offenders. “The Punjab Police have successfully brought several gangsters back to India from different countries,” Cheema said. Prominent among them were Ramanjit Romi from Hong Kong; Amrit Singh from the Lahore gurdwara reopens after 79 years 6 from Hansi burnt aliveincarfireafter highwaycrashinUP Nvidia CEO admits to affair with ‘Chinese spy’; probe on Deepender Deswal San Francisco, November 9 Nvidia is opening an investigation into reports that CEO Jensen Huang was the “target of a foreign intelligence effort,” the company’s board of directors said on Sunday. The announcement came after Huang acknowledged to the board that he had been intimate with a business executive whom, according to The New York Times, US intelligence determined was gathering information for Beijing. In a letter to Nvidia employees, Huang said he had been unfaithful to his wife and apologised to his family and colleagues. He said he took “full Sheikh Hasina ask the Indian Government to hand her over to Bangladesh under that treaty. She can then return, surrender before the court and serve her sentence.” Home Affairs Adviser Salahuddin Ahmed said the matter was being examined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Law. Ahmed said the authorities were reviewing whether an application had actually been submitted, whether it had been filed properly, the legal basis for such an application, and whether Hasina was continued on page 8 GS Paul Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 9 In a major milestone for Sikh heritage conservation, Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib on Temple Road in Lahore, Pakistan, reopened on Sunday after remaining closed and neglected for nearly 79 years following Partition. The historic shrine, associated with Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru, was formally inaugurated after extensive restoration and reconstruction work by Pakistan’s Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora and Evacuee Trust Property Devotees participate in ardas after the formal inauguration of Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi Guru Hargobind Sahib in Lahore. COURTESY: PSGPC Board additional secretary (shrines) Nasir Mushtaq. The gurdwara is believed to stand at the site visited by Guru Hargobind (1595-1644), revered in Sikh history as the warrior-saint who strengthened the community’s ability to resist religious oppression. The shrine was among PM Narendra Modi with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. FILE EAM DIALS LAVROV, TALKS UKRAINE CONFLICT External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Our conversation focused on the Ukraine conflict and ongoing diplomatic initiatives.” the Sikh religious sites left in Pakistan after Partition and was abandoned following the migration of the Sikh population from the region. Speaking to The Tribune, Arora, who is also the president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, said members of the Sikh community offered prayers at the gurdwara for the first time following the completion of the restoration work. “On the auspicious occasion of Bandi Chhor Divas, dedicating this historic Sikh shrine was our way of spreading a message of love, freedom, brotherhood and religious harmony in Pakistan. continued on page 8 c m y b Tribune News Service Hisar, November 9 Six youths from two villages in Hansi district, including two brothers, were burnt alive after the car they were travelling in rammed into an electricity pole and caught fire on the PanipatKhatima National Highway in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district last night. The tragedy has plunged five families in Rakhigarhi and neighbouring Moth Rangran villages into grief. The accident occurred around 25 km from Muzaffarnagar. The deceased have been identified continued on page 8 Maldives; Prabhpreet Singh from Germany; Parminder Pindi from the UAE; Sajjan Mahesh and Sukhdev Kumar, alias Manish Baidi, from Indonesia; Ajay Singh, Pawandeep Singh and Jaspreet Singh from Malaysia; and Karmbir Singh Deol from Canada. “These operations demonstrate the determination and capabilities of our police force in pursuing criminals beyond geographical boundaries,” he said. Cheema alleged that gangsters were “nurtured during the AkaliBJP rule and allowed to flourish under the Congress regime”. He claimed that the BJP had kept Lawrence Bishnoi, currently lodged in a Gujarat jail, “like a state guest”. The AAP government, he said, was determined to rid the state of such elements. Company says national interests not compromised Jensen Huang responsibility” for his actions. “Leading Nvidia is the privilege of my life. My responsibility is to serve you and be worthy of your trust. I have fallen short of that responsibility,” Huang wrote. continued on page 8 PT Usha cries fraud over poll loss, wants PM & IOC to intervene Vinayak Padmadeo Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 9 PT Usha, the first-ever woman president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), has called the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) elections a big farce. A fifth place finish — of the six candidates only four were to be elected — practically rules out one of the best track athletes’ chances of returning to the helm. Anju Bobby George (53 votes), Rani Rampal (50), Dola Banerjee (45) and Saina Nehwal (43) all polled more than Usha, who garnered 40 votes out of the total 80 available votes. Speaking to The Tribune on Monday, Usha alleged that a “big fraud” had been committed to oust her from the IOA office. She requested both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene. “Winning and losing is normal but results have to be fair. I am certain that this (result) is fraudulent. I cannot finish fifth; I should be at the top. I know that I polled over 25 single-preference votes, and those voters all called to confirm the same. Mathematically, it is impossible for her (Anju) to get 53 votes!” Usha claimed. She further stated that she had only agreed to take up the IOA presidency in 2022 on the insistence of PM Modi. “First, I was nominated as a Rajya Sabha MP and , then I was asked to become the IOA president. continued on page 8