International Music Day Wednesday, October 1, 2025 | Vol. 68 No. 308 | 30 Pages THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL 9 MAA SIDDHIDATRI COLOUR: RED/ORANGE Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation SIR UPDATE | Altogether 21.53 lakh new names have been added while 68.5 lakh names have been struck off. There are now 7.42 crores electors registered, a drop of nearly six per cent EC releases final voter list in Bihar Dheeraj Kumar PATNA The Election Commission on Tuesday released the final electoral rolls in Bihar after carrying out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The revised list has been published on the poll body’s official website, and voters can check and verify their details online at https://voters.eci.gov.in, through a mobile app, or by SMS. According to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), CM stresses relief for flood affected Kalpesh Mhamunkar MUMBAI Bihar, the state now has 7,41,92,357 registered voters. Of them, 3,92,07,604 are male and 3,49,82,828 are female, while 1,725 voters have been identified as third gender. The final list also shows that 4,03,985 electors are aged 85 years or above, and 14,01,150 are young voters between the ages of 18 and 19. Voters with physical disabilities account for 7,20,709. Altogether, 21.53 lakh new names were added during the revision process. More than 36,000 voters had lodged claims to add their names, while 2.17 lakh sought removal of names. Nearly three lakh voters were issued notices for failing to submit the required documents. At the same time, the commission struck off nearly 68.5 lakh names from the rolls. These included deceased persons, transferred voters, and duplicate entries identified during the SIR. As a result, the final electoral roll records a total of 7.42 crore electors, a drop of about 6 per cent compared to the 7.89 crore registered as on June 24. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation Fierce finger Howard Lutnick signals pointing in TN H1B visa overhaul over Karur deaths PTI NEW YORK/WASHINGTON Continuous downpours over the past fortnight have devastated large swathes of farmland in Maharashtra, particularly in Marathwada and parts of western districts, leaving thousands of farmers in distress. Latur, Dharashiv, Nanded, Beed, Parbhani, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Solapur are among the worst-hit, with crops submerged and fields eroded. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, briefing the media after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, acknowledged the opposition’s demand to declare a “wet drought” but ruled out such a classification. He explained that the term does not exist in the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) manual or in any official framework. “There has never been a declaration of wet drought in Maharashtra in the past, nor is there any mention of it in the NDRF guidelines,” he clarified. At the same time, Fadnavis emphasised that the government will extend all relief measures normally given during droughts to farmers hit by excessive rainfall. “This ensures the substance of the demand is met, even if the terminology is not used,” he said. The Chief Minister revealed that nearly 60 lakh hectares of farmland have been affected by heavy rainfall this season. The final list includes the names of more than 7.24 crore voters who had submitted their enumeration forms, and it will be used for conducting the state assembly elections. Physical copies of the electoral rolls are being provided to all District Election-cum-District Magistrates and to recognised national and state-level political parties. The draft electoral rolls were published on August 1 and kept open for claims and objections till September 1. At that stage, the state had 7.24 crore electors on record. FPJ News Service CHENNAI The stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally in Karur, which left 41 people dead and over 60 injured, has spiralled into a political and legal storm, with the Tamil Nadu government, rival parties, and Vijay himself trading charges while mourning families await justice. The disaster unfolded on September 27 at Veluswamypuram along the Karur–Erode highway, where an estimated turnout of tens of thousands far exceeded the permitted number. Eyewitnesses spoke of chaos as Vijay, arriving hours late, made unscheduled halts while the crowd, packed tightly in sweltering heat with little water or shade, surged toward his vehicle. Multiple crush points formed, causing panic and loss of life. On Tuesday, the Tamil Nadu government released video clips of TVK cadres climbing rooftops in Karur and Namakkal, citing these as clear violations of norms. Senior officials, including IAS officer P Amutha and ADGP Davidson Devasirvatham, told reporters that the crowd size had more than doubled from what had been cleared by police, creating “immense hardships and risks.” The state has announced a judicial probe headed by retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan. Police have booked three senior TVK leaders—general secretary Bussy Anand, deputy general secretary Nirmal Kumar, and Karur West district secretary V.P. Mathiyalagan— under culpable homicide and related charges. Mathiyalagan has been remanded to custody until October 14. Separately, two more local functionaries were taken into judicial custody for alleged lapses. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has indicated that the H1B visa process will undergo “a significant number of changes” before February 2026, when the newly announced one-time fee of USD 100,000 for H1B applications is set to take effect. “This procedure and process goes into effect in February of 2026, so my guess is going to be, there are going to be a significant number of changes between now and 2026,” Lutnick said in an interview with NewsNation on Sunday. He added that the high fee would reduce the rush of applicants. “At least it shouldn’t be overrun with these people. But I think you’re going to see a real thoughtful change going forward. And that’s what I expect will happen.” “There’s going to be a variety of changes; they’re talking about changes - how to get the lottery, should it still be a lottery? But that will all be resolved by February,” he said. “But as of right now, there’s going to be a one-time fee of USD 100,000 to get in.” Lutnick criticised the lottery system for allocating visas. “There was a lottery. The H1B is a lottery,” he said. “They said doing a lottery for skilled workers coming into America is ‘bizarre’. That just doesn’t make any sense.” 4Continued on | P15 SC judge caution on wasting public money Naqvi gets cornered over trophy fiasco Haridev Pushparaj MUMBAI The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has put up a defiant stand and raised strong objections against the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, also Pakistan’s Interior Minister, for India not receiving the Asia Cup trophy after the victory against Pakistan in Sunday’s final. As per reports, during the Council’s AGM held in Dubai on Tuesday, the BCCI vicepresident Rajeev Shukla and former treasurer Ashish Shelar put up their defiance against Naqvi’s act on Sunday where he refused to budge on India’s position of not receiving the trophy from him but from an Emirates Cricket Board official. Naqvi was stranded on the podium of the Asia Cup presentation ceremony as Indian players and support staff cooled off on the ground refusing to accept the trophy and medals from the ACC President, also serving as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman. 4Contd on | nation BOOST FOR INDIA LIKELY FPJ News Service MUMBAI U.S. President Donald Trump’s sharp increase in visa costs is prompting American corporations to accelerate the transfer of high-end work to India, reinforcing the country’s position as the global hub for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) that manage everything from finance to product design, Reuters reported. India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, already hosts more than 1,700 GCCs, accounting for over half of such US firms eye India centres as Trump’s H-1B clampdown raises costs and risks facilities worldwide. Once regarded as back-office support units, these centres now drive complex innovation — from creating advanced automobile dashboards to leading pharmaceutical research. 4Continued on | P15 4See also | P2 MSRTC’S 10 PER CENT FESTIVE FARE HIKE FPJ News Service MUMBAI FPJ News Service BHUBANESWAR Supreme Court Justice BV Nagarathna has criticised government bodies for pursuing hopeless cases that waste public money and judicial time, urging instead the adoption of mediation as a more effective means of resolving disputes. Speaking at the Second National Mediation Conference in Bhubaneswar on September 27, she said, “If a government body goes on initiating another round of litigation where there exists no likelihood of success, our country’s resources will continue to be improperly used and judicial time mislocated.” If a government body goes on initiating another round of litigation where there exists no likelihood of success, our country’s resources will continue to be improperly used and judicial time mislocated. Justice B V Nagarathna Justice Nagarathna described mediation as timely, accessible and equitable. She called upon lawyers to see themselves as “healers of human conflict” and encouraged the judiciary to fully em- brace the Mediation Act, 2023, which represents Parliament’s intent to expand access to justice and reduce the burden on courts. 4Contd on | nation Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) on Tuesday announced that it will temporarily hike fares by 10 per cent in all its buses, except air-conditioned Shivneri and Shivai buses, from October 15 to November 5, a statement said. The Shivneri buses primarily run on the MumbaiPune route, while the Shivai buses operate on various intercity routes, including Thane and Nashik. "Passengers who start their journey after midnight of October 14, i.e. October 15, will be charged at the revised fare. The carrier will have to recover the difference between the old fare and the new fare of the reserved ticket from such passengers who have made advance reservations. In short, passengers who start their journey from 00.00 hours of October 15 will be charged at the revised fare," the statement read. "After the Diwali rush season is over, i.e. from November 6, the fare should be charged again at the original per-stage rate," it added. Nobel lining for Trump, Hobson’s choice for Hamas in peace plan Analysis Ashwin Ahmad A ll eyes have turned to Hamas as President Trump unveiled his 20-point peace plan for Gaza on Monday. The plan, which was unveiled in the presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was viewed by West Asia watchers as a take it or leave it offer to Hamas. Give back all the hostages within 72 hours, disarm completely, and take no part in any future government in Gaza. For Israel, there were no such conditions. Instead, as the document pointed out, the Israeli military “will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the [Israeli military], ISF, the guarantors, and the United States.” In other words, the IDF would not be leaving Gaza anytime soon. Trump also made clear to Hamas the price of non-compliance. If the group refused, he said. “Israel would have my full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas.” The Trump plan is interesting in its timing. Diplomats believe the president is looking to get selected for the Nobel Peace Prize whose winner is set to be announced on October 10. The other requirement was securing Netanyahu’s political survival. The Israeli prime minister who is under heavy pressure both from members of his right-wing coalition and the public to bring the hostages home, has been offered a face-saving route by which he can accomplish this without giving up his larger aims of annexing both Gaza and the West Bank. According to Ambassador K.P. Fabian, West Asia expert the sustained pressure on Hamas could mean the group may have to surrender. “Hamas would understand, and I’m sure it knows that eight Islamic nations met Trump on September 24 on the sidelines of the UNGA. I am sure the proposal would have been presented to them, and they would have said yes. This means Hamas will stop getting any diplomatic support from them should it reject the deal.” 4Contd on | nation 4See also | world Sustainable: PM Modi M Narendra Modi on Tuesday welcomed US President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza conflict, stating that it provides a pathway to "long-term and sustainable peace" for Palestine and Israel. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "We welcome President Donald J. Trump's announcement of a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict. It provides a viable pathway to longterm and sustainable peace, security and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people, as also for the larger West Asian region. We hope that all concerned will come together behind President Trump's initiative and support this effort to end conflict and secure peace." P PAK PRAISED FOR ENDORSEMENT PTI WASHINGTON/NEW YORK US President Donald Trump has claimed that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir have fully endorsed his "Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict," saying they back it “100 per cent.” Speaking at a joint news conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, Trump said his proposal was developed after “extensive consultation with our friends and partners throughout the region.” “This afternoon after extensive consultation with our friends and partners throughout the region, I'm formally releasing our principles for peace, which people have really liked,” Trump said. “These are done in total consideration and working with the nations that we're talking about. All of these nations have made contributions to those suggestions. I want to thank the leaders of many Arab and Muslim nations for their tremendous support in developing the proposal along with many of our allies in Europe.” 4Contd on | nation