FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms INDORE | SATURDAY | AUGUST 16, 2025 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 FREE www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE WORLD Nation Nitish Kumar cuts PT exam fee to Rs 100 UJJAIN PRESS PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI Edit SC saves village mandate Deal or no deal: Which way will Alaska go? Cinema Salman fondly recalled his first memories of Sholay INDEPENDENCE DAY | We should not waste our energy on shortening the line of any country. We have to make our line longer with full energy, says Modi PM calls for self-reliance amid rising global selfish interest PTI NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday gave a clarion call for making a "Samriddh Bharat" by becoming self reliant in fields ranging from fighter jet engines to energy and Artificial Intelligence, as he announced a task force for next generation reforms, GST changes as big gift for Diwali, and a state-of-the art defence shield dubbed "sudarshan chakra." Modi's consecutive 12th cspeech was focused on the theme of "aatmanirbharta" (self-reliance) at a time India and the world is facing growing US protectionism, as he highlighted the rising global selfish interest. "We should not waste our energy on shortening the line of any country. We have to make our line longer with full energy. The world will acknowledge our mettle if we can do it. (kisi doosre ki lakeer chhoti karne ke liye apni urja hamein nahin khapaani hai. Hamein poori urja ke saath hamari lakeer ko lamba karaa hai. Hum agar apni lakeer lambi karate hain to duniya bhi hamara loha manegi.)," Modi said in his 103-minute address from the ramparts of Red Fort on the country's 79th Independence Day. Citing his 25 years of experi- HIGHLIGHTS private sector job market for the first time under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana. I want shopkeepers and traders to come forward, write outside their shops reading, 'yahan swadeshi maal bikta hai (indigenous products are sold here) By the end of this year, made in India, made by the people of India, made in India chips will come to the market Next generation GST reform will be a gift on Diwali, tax on common, individual requirement We have brought huge reforms to the field of nuclear energy. We have opened the doors for the private sector in nuclear energy. We want to combine our strengths services would be reduced significantly... MSMEs would benefit, and it will also help the economy Announced Rs 15,000 aid for youth entering the Infiltrators are snatching away livelihood of youth. Infiltrators are targeting sisters and daughters. This will not be tolerated. These infiltrators mislead innocent tribals and capture their land. SUDARSHAN CHAKRA India will build a 'Sudarshan Chakra', a 'multi-layered framework' to integrate advanced surveillance, cyber protection, and physical safeguards to protect its citizens and infrastructure from enemy strikes, terrorist or otherwise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday. The Prime Minister also said, “We should build our own jet engines too for our jet engines and asked our scientists and youth to take it up as a direct challenge.” ence as the head of a government, he said, "If we choose this path, then no selfish interest will ever be able to entrap us." Modi's longest Independence Day address for any prime minister was peppered with several announcements, including a national deep water exploration mission for self-reliance in energy and a high-powered demography mission to deal with the "serious crisis" of demographic changes effected by infiltrators. His sweeping call for "swadeshi" (Made in India), self-reliance and innovation in a gamut of sectors, including semiconductors, social media, Rahul, Kharge skip Red Fort event ‘Will not budge on Indus waters’ NEW DELHI Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated during the 79th Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort that Operation Sindoor was India's “expression of outrage” after Pahalgam killings and that the country would “no longer tolerate nuclear threats”. He said India would give a “fitting and crushing response” to any misadventure. He also asserted that India has understood how “unjust and one sided the Indus Water Treaty was” and that “blood and water will not flow together”. On the Indus Water Treaty, which India suspended post the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Modi justified its suspension saying “this was an agreement that has caused unimaginable loss to our farmers for the past seven decades – now the water that rightfully belongs to Bharat will be reserved solely or it and its farmers. The agreement is unacceptable to us in the interest of our farmers, and in the interest of the nation.” Modi’s assertion follows threats emanating from Pakistan army chief General Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as also its former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in recent days.   Modi said the Army was given “complete freedom” for Operation Sindoor and it “accomplished something that had not happened in decades - penetrating hundreds of kilometres into enemy territory, they reduced terrorist headquarters to dust and turned terrorist headquarters into ruins.” Skirting claims some Rafales and other systems being destroyed in the conflict, Modi insisted that “Pakistan attacked our military bases, our airbases, our sensitive places, our places of worship, our citizens with missiles and drones in countless numbers….. but their every attack was scattered like straw by our brave soldiers and our technology .. they could not cause even the slightest damage.” Congress MP and LoP Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge skipped the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort on Friday, sparking speculation about the reason behind their absence. There was no official statement from the opposition party or the two leaders but sources suggested Gandhi gave the event a miss after he was upset with the seating arrangement last year. The two leaders extended their greetings to all citizens by paying tribute to the country's freedom fighters on social media. "This freedom, achieved through the sacrifices of great freedom fighters, is a resolve to build an India where justice rests on the foundation of truth and equality, and every heart is filled with respect and brotherhood. It is the duty of all of us to protect the pride and honor of this precious heritage. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!" Gandhi said. NEW DELHI 4Continued on | Nation PTI NEW DELHI IANS NEW DELHI 4Continued on | Nation Amid tariff row, US' historic ties, shared vision wish on I-Day 4Continued on | Nation 6 dead in roof collapse near Humayun Tomb Six people, including three women, were killed and four others injured when the roof of a dwelling unit attached to a dargah in the Humayun Tomb complex collapsed in the Nizamuddin area on Friday evening, the Fire Department said. "The roof of the single-storey structure with two rooms adjacent to Dargah Patte Wali caved in around 3.51 p.m.," said a fire department official. "We rushed four fire tenders with 25 firemen to the spot after receiving the information," said a fire department official. District Magistrate Sarvan Kumar said six people were killed in the incident, adding that some of the victims are residents of Nizamuddin, Mustafabad and Zakir Nagar. "Teams of NDRF, 4Continued on | Nation DDMA, CATS Ambulance and police shifted the victims to the hospital," he said. Initial information has indicated that the visitors had come to meet the imam who used to make taveez or religious pendants for them, he said. Shivansh Saini, son of Anita, 56, a resident of Jangpura who died in the incident, said, "We got a phone call saying that my mother got injured in a wall collapse. Annual FASTag pass of Rs 3k for pvt vehicles The annual highway toll pass of Rs 3,000 for private cars, jeeps, and vans will be rolled out from Friday. Ahead of the roll out, the government has opened the pre-booking window for FASTag-based annual passes that allow users to cross up to 200 highway toll booths on a single recharge of Rs 3,000 within a year. A dedicated link for activation of the annual pass is available on the Rajmarg Yatra app. The link would also be available on the official websites of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). fertiliser and pharma, came amid a strain in the country's ties with the US, with President Donald Trump doubling tariffs on Indian imports to a whopping 50 per cent after singling out India for purchase of Russian oil to pressure it on trade. Sporting a saffron turban, Modi, however, made no direct reference to the issue as he doubled down on his emphasis on self-reliance and "swadeshi". The task force on reforms will make time-bound recommendations for adapting India to become developed by 2047, he said. "It is the call of the hour that we need not fret in the times of crisis but should work to improve our abilities and accomplishments," he said. Indian manufacturers' mantra should be "daam kam, dum jyada" (less price, better quality), he added. India can do it, he said noting that toy producers have begun exporting after he had in a 'Mann ki Baat' episode called for boosting domestic production and the need for stopping their import. The prime minister likened his call for "Samriddh Bharat" (prosperous India) to the freedom fighters' goal of "Swatantra Bharat" (independent India). The United States on Friday extended wishes to India on its 79th Independence Day and said the "historic ties" between Washington and New Delhi are "consequential and far-reaching." In a statement, US State Secretary Marco Rubio stressed that America shares a vision for a more peaceful, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific region with India and said the ties between the two nations will rise to modern challenges. "On behalf of the United States, I extend our congratulations and warm wishes to the people of India as they celebrate their Independence Day on August 15. The historic relationship between the world's largest democracy and the world's oldest democracy is consequential and farreaching," the statement read. "Our two countries are united by our shared vision for a more peaceful, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific region. Our partnership spans industries, promotes innovation, pushes the boundaries of critical and emerging technologies, and extends into space," he added. 4Continued on | Nation ‘Bhai aap kya kehna chahte ho?’ Online report Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is usually the one leaving others flipping through a dictionary. But this week, the author and former diplomat found himself momentarily outworded — and responded with just five words in Hindi that sent social media into fits of laughter. The exchange began when US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused New Delhi of being “recalcitrant” over a stalled bilateral trade agreement. Negotiations have been deadlocked, particularly over India’s protectionist stance on agriculture and dairy. Tharoor, known for his eloquence, defended India’s position on X: “I hear some people are accusing India of being ‘recalcitrant’. I say, far better to be recalcitrant than to be tractable, submissive or acquiescent to injustice.” Enter X user ‘Sagarcasm’, a popular meme-maker, who fired back with a spectacularly convoluted reply: “That’s fine Shashi but what about the abnegation of camaraderie in the egregious enfranchise that comes from the fatuous of the grandiloquent at the behest of impecunious and insidious semaphore?” The post — an elaborate word salad designed to parody Tharoor’s style — was AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, FISHERIES ‘Standing like a wall against any harmful policy’ Not here to negotiate for Ukraine: Trump Agencies WASHINGTON, DC Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI Indicating for the second time there would be no compromise with the US on tariffs in some areas, the Prime Minister declared, “India's farmers, India's cattle rearers, India's fishermen, these are our biggest priorities. Modi is standing like a wall against any harmful policy related to the farmers of India, the fishermen of India and the cattle rearers of India. India will never accept any compromise regarding its farmers, its livestock farmers, its fishermen.” He largely stepped around the issue of imposition of 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs and an additional 25 per cent punitive tariff on India by United States President Donald Trump during the Independence Day speech. He spoke though about how despite “so much instability” India was moving at a “fast pace” towards becoming the “third largest economy”. The assertion is connected to Trump bracketing India and Russia as two “dead economies” and announcing higher tariffs against India for purchasing Russian oil, which he had claimed was funding the Ukraine war. Moreover, only a day earlier US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had warned of even more “sanctions or secondary tariffs” on India should the talks between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled on Friday, fail in Alaska. US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of their high-stakes face-to-face meeting in Alaska, cautioning that Russia will face “severe economic consequences” if it refuses to work towards ending the Ukraine war. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, where the summit is scheduled for Friday, Trump said, “I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine. My goal is to get President Putin to the table. I’m doing this to save thousands of soldiers a week, not for my health.” He added that any land exchange would be Ukraine’s decision. Trump emphasised that the talks will explore ceasefire arrangements, prisoner exchanges, arms-control measures, and possible economic or security guarantees. He vowed to “end the Ukraine war quickly” and expressed confidence that both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could make peace. On Truth Social earlier, utter nonsense. But this time, the king of vocabulary didn’t respond with another flourish of English. Instead, he replied simply: “Bhai aap kya kehna chahte ho?” (Brother, what are you trying to say?). That uncharacteristically plain response instantly went viral. “Bro made Shashi type in Hindi,” one amused user remarked. Another joked, “Even Tharoor got confused.” 4Continued on | Nation Trump posted “High Stakes!” signalling the significance of the summit, which could influence not only the course of the war but also European security and global energy markets. Asked whether the US might offer Russia access to rare minerals as an incentive, Trump replied, “We’re going to see what happens. It’s very important for Russia, and very important for us, because we’re going to save a lot of lives.” Putin is expected to seek recognition of Russia’s territorial gains and relief from Western sanctions, while Zelensky has refused to surrender territory and was not invited to the Alaska talks. However, Trump revealed plans for a follow-up meeting involving himself, Putin, Zelensky, and possibly European leaders — a session he called potentially “more important than the first.” 4Continued on | Nation Putin hails India’s ‘well-deserved authority’ in global affairs Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday praised India's "welldeserved authority" in global affairs, highlighting its active role in addressing key international issues. In his Independence Day messages to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Putin also underlined Russia's commitment to strengthening the "special privileged strategic partnership" between the two nations. "India enjoys well-deserved authority in the world arena and actively participates in resolving the most important issues on the international agenda," he said POLICE SELECTION BOARD WILL BE CONSTITUTED: CM In coming three years, the backlog of vacant posts will be filled Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced to established the police recruitment board, while addressing a programme here on Friday. He also expressed that vacant 20,000 posts will be filled in coming three years. At present, the Employee Selection Board is conducting the recruitments of the police department. The CM stressed that the police department faces various obstacles in police constable recruitments, but the Board will give free hand to the department to select the police personnel. He said that he is increasing the posts of the constables in the state, but due to some certain reasons the appointments process is hang in balance. He further added that while the recruitment process of the current 7,500 concludes, around 2,000 posts will again become vacant, because of retirements. Armed robbers loot Rs 61 lakh from cash van J&K cloudburst: Toll climbs to 60 PTI KISHTWAR/JAMMU Two armed men on Friday robbed more than Rs 61 lakh from a cash van heading to load money into an ATM in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district, police said. The incident occurred near Sinchhari Tirahe under the Gaurihar police station limits, they said. Manish Kumar and his colleague were taking van with currency notes to an ATM kiosk in Sarbai when two men on a motorcycle intercepted them and threatened them at gunpoint before fleeing with Rs 61,17,100 cash, Luvkush Nagar Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Naveen Dubey told reporters here. Braving intermittent rains, rescuers intensified their search for survivors in a cloudburst-hit village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Friday, even as Chief minister Omar Abdullah put the death toll in the tragic incident at 60, with an unspecified number of people still trapped. Disaster struck Chisoti, the last motorable village on the way to the Machail Mata temple, around 12:25 pm on Thursday, leaving a trail of death and destruction. Rescuers pulled out 46 bodies, including that of two Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, on Thursday. In addition, 167 people have been rescued in an injured He made the announcement that in coming three years all 20,000 posts will be filled, by organising exam every year. He also announced to give the benefits of 6th pay commission, to those police personnel who are depute in VVIP movement. Their risk duty allowance was pending for long time. PTI CHHATARPUR tharoor stumped NEW DELHI E-paper condition, while 69 others were reported missing by their relatives. Thirty bodies have been identified and handed over to the victims' families. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday and assured them of all help. 4Continued on | Nation