FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. XLII No. 109 | INDORE | FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 FREE www.freepressjournal.in iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE UJJAIN WORLD Nation 5 MAA KUSHMANDA COLOUR: GREEN ESTD-1983 Focus on tribal dignity, self-respect: PM P.8 PRESS PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Violence serves no cause P.6 WH signals mass firings as govt shutdown looms Cinema Rihanna, Rocky welcome third child P.12 Centre plans big Indus gift for north India Online Report India is gearing up to make massive changes to the Indus River system to meet the water demands of the northern states. In a strategic move after suspending the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, the government is now trying to ensure that the project is ready ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. During a review meeting by senior ministers last Friday, it was stated that a detailed project report (DPR) is already being prepared to construct a 14-km tunnel that would connect the Indus River with the Beas River, both part of the Indus system, according to people privy to the developments. Multinational construction firm L&T has been tasked with preparing the project report. It is expected to be ready by next year. The work on the proposed 113-km canal that would deliver the Indus water to the northern states was also reviewed at the meeting, sources added. The Indus Water Treaty was a landmark water-sharing deal signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan following an intervention by the World Bank. India suspended the treaty in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, with the government asserting ATMANIRBHARTA | HAL to begin deliveries in 2027-28 and process to be completed in 6 years Govt seals Rs 62,370 cr deal to buy 97 Tejas jets FP News Service MUMBAI fp Briefs AGNI PRIME TEST-FIRED FROM RAIL-BASED PLATFORM India has successfully test-fired its Agni-Prime intermediate-range missile from a rail-based mobile launcher, marking a first for the country’s strategic arsenal. The missile, with a 2,000 km range, was tested in a full operational scenario by the DRDO and the Strategic Forces Command. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the test placed India among a select group of nations The Ministry of Defence on Thursday inked a landmark ₹62,370-crore contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to procure 97 Tejas Mk-1A light combat aircraft BHOPAL Jaisinagar is now Jaishiv Nagar CM Mohan Yadav on Thursday announced that Jaisinagar in Sagar district of the state will now be called Jaishiv Nagar. Jaisinagar is a tehsil in the Bundelkhand region of MP and a part of the Surkhi assembly seat. ‘Babri Masjid’s erection an act of desecration’ FP News Service NEW DELHI Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has stirred a major controversy with his remarks on the Ayodhya dispute, stating that the very erection of the Babri Masjid was a “fundamental act of desecration.” The observation came during an interview with Newslaundry journalist Sreenivasan Jain, excerpts of which were shared on social media. Responding to a question on whether Hindu parties were accountable for acts of desecration, such as the placing of idols inside the mosque in December 1949, Chandrachud said the construction of the mosque itself was an act of desecration. 4Continued on | P8 (LCA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The signing comes a month after the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the acquisition. Deliveries will begin in 2027–28 and must be completed within six years. The contract covers 68 single-seaters and 29 twinseaters, making this HAL’s second major Tejas order after the ₹48,000-crore deal for 83 jets in 2021. The Mk-1A, the most ad- vanced variant of the indigenous fighter, will replace the IAF’s ageing MiG-21 fleet. It will feature 64% indigenous content and integrate new systems such as the Uttam AESA radar, Swayam Raksha Kavach elec- tronic warfare suite, and advanced actuators. The procurement falls under the “Buy (India-IDDM)” category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, underscoring New Delhi’s push for self-reliance. Nearly 105 Indian companies are part of the vendor base, and the project is expected to generate around 11,750 jobs annually for six years. 4Continued on | P8 MiG-21 to fly into history today Six decades after they were inducted into the force, Indian Air Force's workhorse, the legendary Russian-origin MiG-21 fighter jets, will finally retire from the IAF at a mega event to be held here on Friday. Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, will fly the last sortie of the MiG-21 Bison aircraft. The last of the MiG-21 jets, belonging to number 23 Squadron nicknamed "Panthers", will be given a farewell at the Chandigarh Air Force station in which chief guest will be Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. FLYING INTO HISTORY... ON PG-9 that "water and blood can't flow together". The government had since been working on a detailed plan to utilize India's share of the Indus water. To make this a reality, an ambitious project has been conceived under the Inter-Basin Indus Water Transfer Scheme and is being monitored at the highest levels of the government. The most challenging part of this project is the construction of the 14-km tunnel, say sources. 4Continued on | P8 Don not interested in solving Kashmir issue between India and Pak: US official PTI NEW YORK Kashmir is a "direct issue" between India and Pakistan and the US has no interest in "asserting" itself between the South Asian neighbours on the matter, a senior State Department official said here. The senior State Department official said Wednesday that it is a "longstanding" policy of the US that Kashmir is a "direct issue" between India and Pakistan. The official added that if the US is asked to offer its good offices on any issue, it is ready to help. US President Donald Trump has "enough crises" on his hands and "we leave that (issue of Kashmir) up to India and Pakistan to solve," the official told reporters at a briefing. "We have no interest in asserting ourselves between India and Pakistan." In his address to the UN General Assembly, Trump declared again that he had stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan. The senior State Department official also said that "it is a fact that the United States was involved in that crisis and absolutely helped broker that ceasefire." 4Continued on | P8 Nitendra Sharma Calls for self-reliance during 'Swadeshi' Awakening Week BHOPAL There will be none in the MP Human Rights Commission to hear the public grievances on Saturday because the tenure of service of the acting MPHRC chairman Rajiv Tandon is ending on Friday. The post of the chairman of the HRC has been lying vacant for a long time. As Tan- Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday said that in every era, India has overcome challenges through the power of Swadeshi and self-reliance. He said that it was through Swadeshi that Mahatma Gandhi led the country to independence. Yadav was addressing the state-level inauguration of Swadeshi Awakening Week, organised by Madhya Pradesh Jan Abhiyan Parishad and Swadeshi Jagran Manch on the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. On the occasion, several social organisations handed over pledge letters to CM, expressing their commitment to promoting Swadeshi values. Later, Yadav participated in Rajiv Tandon AP Singh don’s tenure in office will end, and as there are no members in the commission, the public complaints will go unheard. Because there is no member in the commission, the government has decided to hold a meeting for new appointments in the commission at 4pm on September 29. A committee, consisting of the Chief Minister, Home Minister, Leader of the Opposition and Speaker, appoints the members of the HR Commission. 4Continued on | P8 Utsav Gupta In a pioneering step towards environmental transpar- As Leh remained under a tight curfew on Thursday a day after violent protests that claimed four lives, CBI began probing climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL) over alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). On Thursday, two months after the agency launched a preliminary inquiry into the matter, the Union Home Ministry (MHA) cancelled the FCRA licence of Wangchuk’s NGO with immediate effect. In Wednesday's violence, four protesters were killed and at least 80 others injured in clashes between demonstrators and security forces. Leh, usually bustling with tourists and pil- ency, the Urban Administration Department (UAD) is preparing a proposal to upload comprehensive data on both tree plantation and tree cutting activities on the MeriLiFEportal, a first-of-itskind initiative in India. The MeriLiFE portal, developed under the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), currently hosts data Over 4,600 complaints are pending before the MPHRC. After the tenure of Manohar Mamtani as chairman of the MPHRC ended, nobody was appointed in his place. A member of the commission, Rajiv Tandon, was appointed its acting chairman. The number of pending cases has increased because Tandon is alone in the commission. Scapegoat charge limate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday dismissed the home ministry’s claim that he incited Ladakh’s violent protests, calling it a “scapegoat tactic” to deflect from core issues. Prepared for possible arrest under the Public Safety Act, he warned that “Sonam Wangchuk in jail may cause them more problems than free Sonam Wangchuk.” C grims during autumn, wore a deserted look as paramilitary personnel patrolled the streets to prevent further flare-ups.< 4Continued on | P8 Teacher selection exam results out BHOPAL: The Employee Selection Board (ESB) on Thursday announced the results of primary middle school teacher selection examination 2024. The examination was held to recruit 9,882 teachers for the School Education and Tribal Welfare Departments.Successful candidates can check their results on the official website: www.esb.mp.gov.in. 4Continued on | P8 SC raps MP govt, CBI for delay in PM lauds GST push suspension of absconding cops FP News Service NEW DELHI PTI NEW DELHI a foot rally that started from Manas Bhavan and concluded at Ravindra Bhavan.He announced that during Swadeshi Awakening Week, Swadeshi products would be promoted and encouraged across the state. The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the Madhya Pradesh government and the CBI for the delay in suspending absconding police officials accused in a custodial death case and warned of contempt action. A bench of Justices B V Na- CUSTODIAL DEATH garathna and R Mahadevan said the police officials have been absconding since April but have not been suspended. The top court was hearing a contempt plea of the mother of the 24-year-old victim alleging non-compliance of the top court's May 15 order, transfer- ring the investigation from Madhya Pradesh Police to the CBI. The local police was observed to have attempted a cover up besides influencing the probe into his death. The counsel for the CBI informed the apex court that the two officers were suspended on Wednesday. 4Continued on | P8 Govt to track tree felling, plantation on MeriLiFE portal BHOPAL FP News Service MUMBAI Faced every challenge MPHRC will be empty from tomorrow with Swadeshi spirit: CM Meeting to appoint new members on Monday; PS Vidhan Sabha ahead in race 4,600+ PLAINTS PENDING offgrid First initiative in India; UAD to prepare proposal soon LADAKH UNREST SPURS GOVT TO CRACK FCRA WHIP on plantation activities from 4,852 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the country. However, it lacks a mechanism to track the number of trees felled or the status of compensatory plantation. According to UAD officials, over 31 lakh saplings have been planted this year across 416 ULBs in Madhya Pradesh. The data, updated daily, has already been uploaded on the portal up to September 25. Despite these efforts, the state still lacks a system to monitor tree felling, its exact locations and whether required compensatory plantation has been carried out. The proposed upgrade to the portal will position Madhya Pradesh as the first state in India to maintain official and transparent records of tree cutting alongside plantation. The system will also track the location and survival status of each planted sapling, providing authorities with a reliable, realtime picture of ecological progress on the ground. NO VERIFIED DATA SO FAR: Currently, no verified data exists on how many trees are cut in Madhya Pradesh annually. Once integrated with the MeriLiFE portal, the new system will allow authorities to track tree loss, verify compensatory plantation and assess ecological balance with greater accuracy. 4Continued on | P8 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has emerged as a “historic reform” that eased burdens on both families and businesses. “A shirt costing Rs 1,000 was taxed at Rs 117 before 2014. Today, it attracts just Rs 35,” he noted, adding that most essential goods now carry only 5 per cent tax, directly benefiting farmers, labourers, and consumers Inaugurating the third edition of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, the Prime Minister called it a milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance Welcoming over 2,200 exhibitors and thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, and youth, PM Modi said the fiveday event, with Russia as its country partner, reflects the confidence the world has in India’s economic potential. He congratulated Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for successfully hosting the show. Marking the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the Prime Minister reiterated the principle of Antyodaya — development that reaches the last person. “This is the strength of social justice,” he said. Highlighting reforms such as UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Modi said they have laid the foundation of an economic revolution. He noted that goods and services worth over Rs 15 lakh crore have been procured through GeM, with MSMEs contributing nearly half. Urging entrepreneurs to strengthen India’s manufacturing, Modi declared: “From chips to ships, everything must be made in India. 4Continued on | P8