FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 15 No. 119 | BHOPAL | SUNDAY | OCTOBER 12, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Sports ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN WORLD Spin twin terror on P.16 PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Nation NDA likely to announce... P.7 Return to remains Cinema Sonakshi shuts down... P.14 CHHINDWARA TRAGEDY: DEG, EG TESTS NOW MUST FOR SYRUPS Our Staff Reporter TESTING ON BHOPAL The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission has amended its 2022 guidelines to make testing for Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and Ethylene Glycol (EG) mandatory for both finished syrups and raw materials. All Drug Controllers in India have been instructed to strictly follow the new mandate. Earlier, only the components used in syrup manufacturing were tested, but now finished products must also undergo DEG and EG checks. This decision comes in the wake of the Chhindwara cough syrup incident, which claimed at least 22 children’s lives due to renal failure caused by toxic Coldrif syrup containing DEG beyond permissible limits. fp Briefs NEW DELHI India, Canada discuss ties Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday held discussions with his Canadian counterpart Maninder Sidhu on ways to strengthen economic ties between the two countries. "We discussed ways to find mutually beneficial opportunities for our businesses to capitalise on the complementarities offered by our two economies. I emphasised that economic, trade and investment ties between India and Canada should be grounded in the principles of mutual respect, trust and balance," Goyal said in a post on X. RAIPUR Six Maoists arrested In a significant success under the ongoing 'Naxalite Eradication Campaign', security forces in South Bastar Dantewada arrested six Maoists and safely defused a pressure Improvised Explosive Device (IED) near Manganar Road. MISSISSIPPI 4 dead, 12 hurt in mass shooting At least four people were killed, and 12 others were injured in a mass shooting that took place just after a football game post midnight in the US state of Mississippi on Friday night, the BBC reported. The incident took place in Leland, a small city about 120 miles (190 km) northeast of the state capital, Jackson. Officials are currently awaiting results from 242 syrup samples collected across Madhya Pradesh. Testing each sample requires 12 to 24 hours, so reports will be released gradually, starting from Monday. The samples include other suspected drugs following tests on Coldrif and two additional syrups found to be of Not of Standard Quality (NSQ). A senior officer at the Drug Controller’s office said that the new measure ensures safety at the finished product stage and strengthens oversight across pharmaceutical production. 4Continued on | P8 CAG also warned govt of medicine scam Drugs banned by Centre were purchased Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL CAG warned the health department of several issues even before the Chhindwara tragedy occurred. One of the cases, about which the CAG warned the health department, was related to the irregularity in the purchase of medicines. The MP Public Health Services Corporation Limited (MP HSCL) purchased a few drugs banned by the Central Government. The CAG indicated it in its report. The MPHSCL entered into a contract from 2016 to 2020 to purchase the drugs which were kept on the list of banned medicines by the Centre. The department also purchased drugs worth Rs 176 crore. The CAG also highlighted that the drugs had been purchased at higher prices than the rates fixed by the government. The CAG also pointed out that medicines worth Rs 55 lakh, kept in the store for a long time, became unusable.   The CAG report also highlighted the delay in the supply of medicines. It also came to light through the CAG report that the same officer had purchased similar medicines at different rates in the same year. 4Continued on | P8 Probe against Coldrif manufacturer exposed lapses by TNFDA he investigation against the Kanchipuram-based manufacturer of Coldrif cough syrup, linked to the deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh, has brought to light lapses by the Tamil Nadu Food and Drug Administration in enforcing basic regulatory norms, CDSCO sources said. T 2 SCHEMES LAUNCHED | PM inaugurates Rs 5,450 crore projects, lays foundation for additional projects worth Rs 815 crore Rs 35,440-CRORE MEGA BOOST TO AGRI SECTOR PTI ‘NE is pulsating heart of India’s growth story’ NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched two major schemes for the agriculture sector with a combined outlay of Rs 35,440 crore, including a pulses mission aimed at reducing import dependency. The event coincided with the birth anniversary of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan. He also inaugurated projects valued at over Rs 5,450 crore in the agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and food processing sectors, while laying the foundation stone for additional projects worth around Rs 815 crore. The 'Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses', with an outlay of Rs 11,440 crore, aims at increasing pulses production from the current 252.38 lakh tonne to 350 lakh tonne by the 2030-31 crop year and reducing the PM Narendra Modi during an interaction with farmers at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, in New Delhi. country's import dependency. The Rs 24,000-crore 'Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana' aims to transform 100 low-performing agri-districts. The scheme will focus on enhancing productivity, promoting crop diversification, improving irrigation and storage, and ensuring credit access in the select 100 districts. The two schemes, already approved by the Cabinet, will be implemented from the upcoming rabi (winter) season till 2030-31. Among the projects inaugurated are artificial insemination training centres in Bengaluru and Jammu and Kashmir, centres of excellence at Amreli and Banas, Two cops accused of BTech student’s murder arrested Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The two constables accused of brutally thrashing a B.Tech student Udit Gayki, allegedly causing his death, were arrested on Saturday night. Police officials said that a murder case was registered against the two constables posted at Piplani police station. According to the FIR, constables Saurabh Arya and Santosh Bamaniya were booked under Sections 115(2) for voluntarily causing injury, 103(1) for murder and 3(5) for common intention, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The action was a sequel to an inquiry, which found prima facie evidence from witness statements, CCTV camera footage and the post mortem examination report, linking Kin demand CBI probe The family of 21-year-old BTech student Udit Gayki, who allegedly died after being beaten by two police constables on Thursday night, has demanded a CBI investigation, expressing dissatisfaction with the local police inquiry and action against accused officers. Detail report on Pg-2 What constables said In their defence, the accused constables claimed that they found the group drunk and creating a disturbance late at night. When questioned, one of them allegedly misbehaved and ran away, after which a “minor use of force” was applied to control the situation. They claimed an intoxicated Udit fell on his own and later became aggressive and even threatened to get them stripped of their uniforms. His shirt was torn while they tried to support him, they said. However, investigation revealed that the student’s death was caused by injuries inflicted during the altercation with the policemen, leading to the registration of the murder case. the constables to the student’s death. The case took a serious turn after CCTV camera footage surfaced in which cops were seen brutally assaulting the student. 4Continued on | P8 For the first time, the northeast is not the periphery but the pulsating heart of India’s growth story, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday. The PM Modi shared an article on X, written by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, that underscores the transformation and growing importance of Arunachal Pradesh in the nation’s development journey an IVF lab in Assam under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, milk powder plants at Mehsana, Indore, and Bhilwara, and a fish feed plant under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana at Tezpur. 4Continued on | P8 No role: Centre on exclusion of women journos at Af min’s presser IANS NEW DELHI India on Saturday stated that it had "no role to play" in the press conference held by Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi, which drew criticism due to the absence of women journalists. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that invitations to the press event were sent by Afghanistan's Consul General in Mumbai to selected journalists based in Delhi for the Afghan minister's visit. The Afghan Embassy's premises are outside Indian government jurisdiction, NDTV reported quoting the MEA. 4Continued on | P8 after 15 years Visually impaired Assam girl reunites with mom Ravishankar Pathak SATNA It is a poignant tale of a 20year-old Assamese girl, Mona, who has reunited with her mother, Mamuni Das, after 15 years of separation. When it happened, she was just five and left home with her 12-year-old elder brother because of poverty. Then she could speak only Assamese. Today, she is a student of BA third year and has command of both Hindi and English. Mona, a resident of Dhubri village in Assam, reached Satna with her brother by a train. As some people saw the visually challenged Mona sit on the lap of her brother at the Visually impaired girl submitting an bus stand, they inapplication at a public hearing in Satna formed the police. Because the brother- for caste certificate. (A file photo) sister duo only knew Assamese, the police could not locate their parents. A former minister Lalta Khare came to their rescue. He kept Mona and her brother at an old age home in Nimi at Chandrashay. But after some time, her brother left the place without saying anything to anyone. As Mona took interest in studies, Khare admitted her to a blind school with boarding facilities in Jabalpur. After passing high school examination when Mona returned to the old age home, Khare had passed away. President of Chandrashay Trust Motilal Goyal and Secretary VD Tripathi took care of her studies and other requirements. With their help, Mona passed the class 12 examination. 4Continued on | P8 Toll up to 25 The toll in the cough syrup tragedy shot up to 25, sources said on Saturday. Two ailing children from Betul were brought to Parasia for treatment, and both died, but the list provided by the Chhindwara administration did not include those names. At present, three children undergoing treatment in Nagpur are five-year-old Kunal Yaduwanshi, a resident of Parasia; fouryear-old Ambika Vishwakarma, a resident of Chorai-Kakai Bohna village; and eight-year-old Karvatya Sahu, a resident of Barangateli village in Parasia US values India ties: Gor after meeting Modi PTI NEW DELHI The US "values" its relationship with India, US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor said on Saturday after holding talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that focused on cooperation in areas of defence, trade and critical minerals. Gor landed in New Delhi this morning on a six-day visit that came amid continuing strains in the bilateral relations over Washington's imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports and a host of other measures taken by the Trump administration that hit Indian interests. 4Continued on | P8 Odisha medico gang-raped near college in Bengal PTI KOLKATA A medical college student from Odisha was allegedly raped by unidentified men in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman district, police said on Saturday. The police began an investigation into the incident that occurred outside the private medical college campus in Durgapur on Friday night when the second-year student went out with one of her friends for dinner, her family members said. The survivor, from Jaleswar in Odisha, is undergoing treatment at the college hospital and gave her statement to the police, an officer said. Following the incident that occurred after last year's RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, the opposition BJP claimed that law and order "totally collapsed" under Mamata Banerjee's rule, the TMC said such matters should not be politicised. "On the basis of a complaint lodged by the family members of the medic, we have started an investigation," he said. Later, DC (East) of Dur- NCW team meets victim A delegation of the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Saturday met with a secondyear medical student from Odisha, who became a victim of gangrape outside a private medical college at Durgapur in West Burdwan district of West Bengal, where she is studying on Friday night. gapur Commissionerate, Abhishek Gupta, said, "The matter is sensitive. The investigation is being conducted with all aspects in mind. As soon as more information is available, it will be shared." Talking to reporters, the parents of the student said they reached Durgapur this morning after getting a call from their daughter's friends. Her mother alleged that her daughter was "gangraped" around 10 pm on Friday when she went out of the college campus with one of her friends for dinner. 4Continued on | P8 MP NETS Rs 3,665 CR INVESTMENT ON FIRST DAY OF TRAVEL MART Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Madhya Pradesh received investment proposals worth Rs 3,665 crore on the first day of its inaugural Travel Mart on Saturday. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the state will now host Travel Mart annually on October 11, 12, and 13, joining Kerala and Rajasthan in having fixed dates for the event. The event, held at Kushabhau Thakre International Convention Center, saw participants from 27 countries. Over 4,000 business-to-business meetings are planned under the Travel Mart, aiming to showcase the state’s culture and tourism potential globally. During the conclave, Sitarist television commercial, made by Anushka Shankar, daughter of Pandit Ravi Shankar, was launched. CM also announced new helicopter services across Didn’t say, give it to me: Trump after Nobel snub Agencies CM Mohan Yadav inaugurates MP Travel Mart on Saturday. Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was also present three sectors to boost tourism. Ekta Kapoor films in MP During one-to-one meetings, Balaji Films’ Ekta Kapoor signed a five-year contract to shoot her projects in Madhya Pradesh, further promoting the state as a filming destination. hawat said the government has identified Madhya Pradesh as one of the best states for tourism, highlighting its vast potential. CM inaugurates Travel Mart Union Minister hails MP tourism Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated the event, stating that MP has a glorious past and immense potential in religious, wildlife, heritage and health tourism. Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shek- 4Continued on | P8 Trump slaps new 100% tariff on China AP WASHINGTON WASHINGTON, DC US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) reacted to not winning the Nobel Peace Prize this year, claiming that he had extended assistance to the awardee, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, on multiple occasions. He said the Venezuelan opposition leader called him and accepted 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'... I didn't say, 'Give it to me', though. I think she might have... I've been helping her along the way. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to place an additional 100 per cent tax on Chinese imports starting on November 1 or sooner, potentially escalating tariff rates close to levels that in April fanned fears of a global recession. The president expressed frustration with new export controls placed on rare earth elements by China - and said on social media that "there seems to be no reason" to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as part of an upcoming trip to South Korea. Trump later told reporters he had not cancelled his meeting. "But I don't know that we're going to have it," he said during an Oval Office appearance on another subject. "I'm going to be there regardless, so I would assume we might have it." Trump also suggested there may be time to ratchet down his steep new tariff threat. "We're going to have to see what happens. That's why I made it Nov. 1," he said. China's new restrictions On Thursday, the Chinese government restricted access to rare earth minerals, requiring foreign companies to get special approval for shipping the metallic elements abroad. 4Continued on | P8