Friday, December 19, 2025 | Vol. 69 No. 64 | 30 Pages Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation GAMES MONEY FM tables in LS Securities Market Code Bill that seeks to expand Sebi’s board to 15 members Cinema Hijab row: Javed Akhtar seeks apology from Nitish Kumar Nathan Lyon surpasses Glenn McGrath at No. 2 on Australia's all-time bowling list in Tests Edit Coastal Road: A road for a few at the expense of taxpayers GATEWAY UNLOCKED | Pact opens pathways to key markets in Africa and Europe, and duty-free access to a range of Indian labour-intensive sectors India, Oman seal FTA FPJ News Service MUMBAI India and Oman on Thursday signed a free trade agreement that will grant duty-free access to a wide range of Indian labour-intensive sectors, including engineering goods and textiles. The pact is expected to provide a major boost to Indian exporters, who are grappling with the impact of steep tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Indian goods, by helping them diversify shipments across the Middle East — a key gateway to markets in Africa and Europe. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed in Muscat by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Oman’s Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef. The agreement is likely to be implemented in the first quarter of 2026. The signing of CEPA coincided with a high point in the visit, with Sultan Haitham conferring the Order of Oman — the Sultanate’s highest civilian honour — on Modi. It is the 29th foreign state award received by the PM and underscores the depth of bilateral ties. Modi was on the final leg of a threenation tour that included Jordan and Ethiopia, where he was conferred the Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia. The CEPA is set to enhance Mahayuti nears BMC seat-sharing Kalpesh Mhamunkar MUMBAI The BJP and Shiv Sena, key constituents of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, have reached a broad consensus on seat-sharing for 150 of the 227 wards in the BMC elections, Mumbai BJP president Amit Satam said on Thursday. He added that talks on the remaining 77 wards are progressing smoothly and are expected to be concluded within the next two to three days. 4Contd on | nation Oman’s Sultan, Haitham bin Tarik, honoured PM Modi with the Order of Oman, in Muscat on Thursday Bill passed amid din VB-G RAM G Addressing a joint press conference with Shiv Sena MLA and Maharashtra minister Uday Samant, Satam said the final decision on the unresolved wards would be taken by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He underlined that the alliance’s larger objective was to provide Mumbai with a corruption-free civic administration and to meet the expectations of its residents. 4Contd on | nation market access, reduce trade barriers and strengthen cooperation across key sectors. Officials said the pact would unlock opportunities across the economy, spur growth, generate jobs and increase investment flows between the two countries. Oman has also offered enhanced mobility for Indian professionals, including easing norms for intra-corporate transferees and service suppliers. LoI CANCELLED IN PUNE DEAL Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI In a significant development in the controversial Pune land transaction, the state Industries Department has cancelled the Letter of Intent (LoI) issued to Amadea LLP for the purchase of a 40-acre land parcel in which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s son, Parth Pawar, holds a 99% stake. The LoI had allowed Amadea LLP to register the sale deed by paying a token stamp duty of Rs 500 instead of the applicable Rs 21 crore. Issued by the District Industries Centre (DIC), Pune, the LoI had come under scrutiny for being allegedly contrary to state policy. Sources said the cancellation order cited the firm’s failure to meet stipulated conditions within the prescribed timeframe, rendering the LoI invalid. The Industries Department issued the LoI in April 2026 , following which the land deal was registered at the Pune subregistrar’s office in May. 4Contd on | nation Oz PM unfurls new hate speech laws Agencies Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar SYDNEY NEW DELHI The LS witnessed anarchic scenes on Thursday as Opposition MPs rushed into the Well, raised slogans, and tore up copies of Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, (VB-G RAM G) which seeks to replace Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The Opposition MPs, in- cluding a large number from Congress, objected to what they called the Centre’s attempt to erase Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and weaken the rural jobs guarantee scheme aimed at assisting the poorest of the poor. 4Contd on | nation PM Anthony Albanese has announced a new package of hate speech laws aimed at directly targeting “hate preachers” and strengthening Australia’s response to antisemitism, while conceding that more could have been done before the Bondi Beach terrorist attack. On Thursday, counter-terrorism police arrested seven people in southwest Sydney suburb of Liverpool following Fallout of Bondi Beach terror attack intelligence warnings of potential planned violence. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | world SIR IN UP, KERALA SC TO EC: CONSIDER EXTENDING DEADLINES FPJ News Service NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to "sympathetically consider" requests to extend the deadline for submitting enumeration forms in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the SIR process across several states. Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for the petitioners in the UP SIR matter, highlighted the need for more time for submitting enumeration forms in Uttar Pradesh. He noted that the next elections in the state are scheduled for March-April 2027 and said there was no urgency in completing the SIR process. The ECI had revised the enumeration period in UP to December 26, with the revised date for publication of draft rolls set for December 31, Live Law reports. 4Contd on | nation LARGE, MID YA SMALL? MULTI CAP FUND IS FOR ALL! Scan to learn more about Multi Cap Funds Zindagi ke liye SIP An open-ended equity scheme investing across large cap, mid cap & small cap stocks Exposure across many sectors/industries Suitable for long-term investors An Investor Education and Awareness Initiative SIP - Systematic Investment Plan | Visit https://www.hdfcfund.com/information/key-know-how to know more about the process to complete a one-time Know Your Customer (KYC) requirement to invest in Mutual Funds. Investors should only deal with registered Mutual Funds, details of which can be verified on the SEBI website (www.sebi.gov.in/intermediaries.html). 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