THE SUNDAY Vol. 37 No. 03 | Sunday, October 12, 2025 29 Pages | `5 & for State `6 | Reg. No. MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 46955/1988 M.p.c.s. office Mumbai-400001 FREE PRESS JOURNAL INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation Weekend Cricketers of Indian origin who are making waves internationally PLAY & PAUSE Live Smart Decoding blue dolphin effect Ashvin Gidwani talks about his production on Sai Baba Sunday Read Psytrance is making a slow and steady comeback AGRI BOOST | Modi launches twin mega schemes and projects to boost agricultural growth, rural income and self-reliance to make India a hallmark of agronomy PM unveils `42k cr farm reforms FPJ News Service MUMBAI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled two landmark agricultural schemes, the PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana and the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, with a combined outlay of ₹35,440 crore, forming part of a ₹42,000-crore nationwide initiative to transform India’s agriculture and allied sectors. Addressing the Krishi Samriddhi Mahotsav at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi, coinciding with the birth anniversaries of Bharat Ratna Jayaprakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh, PM Modi said the new schemes would make India not just self-reliant in food production but an exporter of agricultural excellence. “Farmers have a bigger role in making India Viksit Bharat. We must not only feed ourselves but also produce export-oriented crops for the world,” he said, adding that the reforms would “change the PM Modi said India’s farm output and exports had surged remarkably in the past decade. fate of millions of farmers.” The PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (₹24,000 crore) aims to enhance productivity, promote sustainable practices, improve irrigation, boost postharvest storage, and extend credit facilities across 100 se- lected districts. The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (₹11,440 crore) seeks to expand pulse cultivation, strengthen the value chain, and reduce import dependency to ensure protein security for India’s growing population. PM Modi said India’s farm output and exports had surged remarkably in the past decade. “Grain production has increased by 900 lakh metric tonnes, fruits and vegetables by 640 lakh metric tonnes, and milk production has made India number one globally. Agricultural exports have nearly doubled,” he said. He added that reforms from “seeds to markets” had created a strong foundation for a resilient agricultural ecosystem, especially for small and marginal farmers. Highlighting the Namo Drone Didi initiative, he said women-led technological adoption was driving change in villages, and GST reforms had delivered maximum benefits to rural communities. 4Contd on | Nation Reliance Power CFO arrested Maha drafts code Charul Shah Joshi MUMBAI The Enforcement Directorate (ED) late on Friday evening arrested Ashok Kumar Pal, Chief financial officer (CFO) of M/s Reliance Power Limited and a close aide of businessman Anil Ambani in connection with the alleged money laundering probe linked to Rs 68.2 crore fake bank guarantee racket. Pal was presented before the special court, Delhi. ED sought Pal’s custody for at least five days for interrogation but was been given two days. ED has claimed that Pal Kerala HC caution on Waqf claims FPJ News Service was directly involved in the forged Bank Guarantee scheme. Reliance Power in a statement released on Saturday evening said , “the Company and its subsidiaries acted bonafidely and are a victim of a fraud, forgery and cheating conspiracy.” The company said Pal has demitted the office of Executive Director and CFO with immediate effect. The company also clarified that Anil Ambani has not been on the Board of Reliance Power Limited for more than three and a half years and is not connected with this matter in any manner. ED claimed that the case pertains to making and deploying forged Bank Guarantees, forged Bank Guarantee endorsements/ Structured Financial Messaging System (SFMS) confirmations which were to be submitted to Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) in order to manipulate the tender process and defraud the public at large. It is claimed that SECI had floated a tender in June 2024, for 1000 MW/2000 MWh Standalone Battery Energy Storage System, requiring bids with an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of Rs.68.20 Crores via Bank Guarantee (BG). 4Contd on | Nation on campus safety Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI A comprehensive state-level code on student safety, mental health and grievance redressal will soon be applicable across all universities — both government and private — following a directive from the Union Law and Judiciary Ministry. Acting on a Supreme Court (SC) order passed while hearing a Special Leave Petition, the Centre has asked state chief secretaries to implement preventive measures addressing student mental health and suicides in higher education institutions. The SC has directed all states to ensure such Panel to frame report on student welfare, suicides and grievance redressal in all universities. policies cover every university and affiliated college, excluding those linked to agricultural universities. In Maharashtra, the Higher and Technical Education Department has been designated as the nodal agency and has constituted an 11member expert committee to frame the code. 4Contd on | Nation Row over all-male Muttaqi Delhi press conference Agencies GOR CALLS ON PM FPJ News Service MUMBAI US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “great and personal friend” of President Donald Trump, and expressed optimism about deepening cooperation despite ongoing strains in India–US trade relations. “I had an incredible meeting with Prime Minister Modi. We discussed trade, critical minerals, and defence,” Gor said after his first official engagement with Indian leadership since his Senate confirmation as the next US envoy to India. Gor, on a six-day visit to New Delhi, was accompanied by US Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael J. Rigas. Before calling on the Prime Minister, he met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. In a post on X, PM Modi welcomed the new envoy, saying, “Glad to receive Mr Sergio Gor, Ambassador-designate of the US to India. I’m confident that his tenure will further strengthen the India–US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.” The visit comes at a sensitive time in bilateral relations following President Trump’s decision to impose 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports, along with an additional 25 per cent duty on India’s purchases of Russian crude oil — a move that has strained trade ties between the two strategic partners. Gor, known for his close association with Trump, reaf- 4Contd on | Nation Unchecked judicial approval of arbitrary Waqf claims could lead to absurd situations where even national monuments like the Taj Mahal might be declared Waqf property. – Justice Syam Kumar I had an incredible meeting with Prime Minister Modi. We discussed trade, critical minerals, and defence. Sergio Gor US Ambassador -designate firmed Washington’s commitment to New Delhi. “The United States values its relationship with India,” he said. “We discussed defence, trade, technology, and the importance of critical minerals.” Earlier in the day, Jaishankar said on X, “Pleased to meet Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor of the US today in New Delhi. Discussed the India–US relationship and its global significance. Wish him the best for his new responsibility.” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also met Gor, with the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posting, “Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met US Ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor earlier today. They had a productive exchange on the India–US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and its shared priorities. FS wished Ambdesignate Gor all success for his assignment.” According to the US Embassy, Gor is expected to formally present his credentials in the coming days. Haryana 100 % Trump tariffs shunts SP on China from Nov 1 FPJ News Service NEW DELHI The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday clarified that it had no involvement in the press interaction held by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi on Friday, which sparked a major controversy after reports emerged that women journalists were allegedly barred from attending the event. “MEA had no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by the Afghan FM in Delhi,” the ministry said in a statement. The press conference was organised at the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi after bilateral talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Muttaqi. No joint press briefing was held after the official meeting, and the Afghan side alone conducted a separate media interaction at its embassy premises. News18 later quoted an Afghan Taliban spokesperson as saying that the absence of female journalists at the event was “unintentional.” and Afghan embassy officials, drew widespread criticism after women reporters claimed they were denied entry. Under the Taliban regime that took power in August 2021, Afghan women and girls have faced what the United Nations describes as the world’s most severe women’s rights crisis, with restrictions that have effectively erased them from public life. The Haryana government on Saturday transferred Rohtak Superintendent of Police (SP) Narendra Bijarniya, who is among eight senior officers accused in connection with the alleged suicide of IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar. The transfer came amid growing political and public outrage over the officer’s death and allegations of caste-based harassment within the police force. According to a government order, SP, Narcotics Bureau, Surinder Bhoria, has been posted as the new Rohtak SP, replacing Bijarniya. The decision follows sustained protests by the deceased officer’s family, who have accused senior police officials of driving Kumar to take his own life. Y. Puran Kumar, an Inspector General (IG) of the 2001 IPS batch, allegedly shot himself at his Chandigarh residence on October 7. 4Contd on | Nation 4Contd on | Nation FPJ News Service MUMBAI MUMBAI MUMBAI Kerala High Court’s Justice Syam Kumar has issued a significant caution, warning that unchecked judicial approval of arbitrary Waqf claims could lead to absurd situations where even national monuments like the Taj Mahal might be declared Waqf property. His statement, however, was not meant to raise alarm but served as a thoughtful appeal for diligence and integrity within the judiciary. Justice Kumar’s words reflected a deep concern for the rule of law and the protection of property rights for all citizens. During a recent case, he stressed the importance of following due legal process with care and honesty. By using the example of the Taj Mahal, he employed a rhetorical device to highlight the dangers of accepting claims without proper evidence or trial. He suggested that if the core principles of law are ignored, no property, no matter how historically or legally secure, remains safe from arbitrary claims, Legal Maestros reports. The message, “Mr Prime Minister, you are great,” is handwritten and personally signed by the US President himself on the photograph. – @narendramodi X/ANI Photo The all-male press conference held by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Delhi on October 10, 2025. —Hafiz Zia Ahmad, @HafizZiaAhmad/X Ministry of External Affairs clarifies that it had no involvement in the press interaction held by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Friday The spokesperson said that Muttaqi regularly meets and gives interviews to women journalists, including nonAfghan reporters, at his office in Kabul, who are required to follow a strict dress code. “Mut- taqi meets women in his office in Kabul regularly. I myself do interviews with female journalists,” the spokesperson told the outlet. The press conference, attended only by male journalists US President Donald Trump on Friday reignited the trade war with China, announcing a sweeping 100 per cent tariff on Chinese imports and threatening to cancel his scheduled summit with President Xi Jinping, accusing Beijing of taking an “extraordinarily aggressive” stance on trade. In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump said the new levies, along with “large-scale export controls on virtually every product they make” and “all critical software,” would take effect from November 1 — or sooner — in retaliation for China’s latest move to tighten export curbs on rare earth minerals. “It is impossible to believe that China would have taken such an action, but they have, and the rest is history,” he declared. China’s newly announced controls require global companies to seek permission from Beijing to export critical magnets and other products containing even small amounts of Chinese-sourced rare earths. These elements are essential in making electric vehicles, smartphones, defence equipment and renewable energy technologies — areas where China dominates global supply chains. The US already imposes 30 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports, while China levies 10 per cent on American goods. The new measures, if implemented, would push the average US tariff on Chinese goods near 58 per cent, raising fears of a return to the full-blown tariff war that crippled trade earlier this year. 4Contd on | Nation offgrid “I have been helping along, I didn’t say give it to me” Agencies WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump on Friday reacted to not winning the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, claiming that this year’s awardee, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, had called him to say she was accepting the prize “in honour” of him. “The person who got the Nobel Prize called me today and said, ‘I am accepting this in honour of you because you really deserved it.’ A very nice thing to do. I didn’t say, ‘Give it to me,’ though. I think she might have. She was very nice,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that he had extended help to her “along the way.” “They needed a lot of help in Venezuela during the disaster. I am happy because I saved millions of lives,” he said. “I’ve been helping her along the way,” Trump added. “They need a lot of help in Venezuela, it’s a basic disaster. So, and you could Trump takes credit for supporting Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner María Corina Machado also say it was given out for ’24 and I was running for office in ‘24.” Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for “her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” The Norwegian Nobel Committee described her as a “brave and committed champion of peace,” saying she “keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness.” In a statement, the Committee said, “Democracy is a precondition for lasting peace. However, we live in a world where democracy is in retreat, where more and more authoritarian regimes are challenging norms and resorting to violence. Machado has spent years working for the freedom of the Venezuelan people.” It added that the same trends could be seen globally: “rule of law abused by those in control, free media silenced, critics imprisoned, and societies pushed towards authoritarian rule and militarisation.” 4Contd on | Nation