Monday, February 16, 2026 | Vol. 69 No. 113 | 29 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 l E-paper edition is not a replica of the print edition WE-ARE-READY MOMENT | PM Modi says this year’s Budget shuns populism, banks on capex to spur jobs and growth besides driving the Reform Express ‘Political stability powers India’s trade deal success’ INDOMITABLE INDIA QUALIFY FOR SUPER 8 FPJ News Service NEW DELHI Calling productive spending a hallmark of his government, PM Narendra Modi on Sunday said this year’s Budget deliberately avoids short-term populism and instead channels record capital outlays into infrastructure to drive jobs and sustainable growth. Modi said his government has used its years in office to plug “structural gaps left behind by earlier administrations,” pursue bold reforms and lay the foundations for a developed India. “This Budget represents the next level in this journey, imparting momentum to our ‘Reform Express’. It is designed to accelerate growth and prepare our youth for the opportunities of a rapidly changing world,” he said in a written interview to PTI. Taking a swipe at previous governments, Modi said the Congress-led UPA’s “economic mismanagement” left India un- Broken and outdated infrastructure has no place in a nation that aspires to create a Viksit Bharat None of our budgets has been made with an attitude of creating a run-of-the-mill ‘bahi khata’ documents. Because that is not our approach able to negotiate from a position of confidence and prevented trade talks from reaching meaningful conclusions. He said India’s agreements with Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the EU and the US have opened export opportunities for MSMEs — particularly in labour-intensive sectors — through near-zero tariffs or rates significantly lower than those faced by competing exporters. “These trade agreements may have materialised recently, but they are the result of a more competitive domestic industry, a confident approach and an open outlook — qualities that are rare in today’s world. Before we speak of India’s successful trade agreements in recent years, it is important to recall where we stood just over a decade ago,” the PM said. 4Contd on | nation This is not a 'now or never' moment born out of compulsion. It is a 'we are ready' moment born out of preparation and inspiration. This Budget reflects this yearning to become a developed nation MSMEs must move beyond being peripheral suppliers. They must become technologically upgraded, globally integrated and export-oriented enterprises that form the backbone of India's participation in global value chains These FTAs are tools to ensure that our youth are not just suppliers to the domestic market, but active participants in global trade and growth A country that imported almost all its mobile phones a decade ago is today the world's second-largest mobile phone manufacturer, with exports forming a significant share of production Policy can only create the enabling framework. The next phase of transformation requires a decisive response from the private sector As productivity rises, the gains must be shared fairly between workers, shareholders and owner-managers. Sustainable growth requires social legitimacy EXTREMISM BURIED, HR College shifts CHEERS FOR ‘SPACE’ classes online Birla to attend Tarique oath FPJ Special BANGLADESH MANDATE PM-elect Tarique Rahman from politics, stop us from public spaces have been kept at bay.” Zohra was one of scores of students who came out to celebrate what they described as a reclamation of their “space” — a word repeated so often that it sounded almost territorial. But it was clear what she meant, the space to move, to speak, to dress, to dissent, as students all over the world seek. Dhaka University has long been the country’s political barometer, from the Language Movement of 1952 to the Liberation War of 1971, and the protests that have periodically convulsed the country afterwards. 4Contd on | nation Ishan Kishan played an incredible innings of 77, perhaps his finest hour on the biggest stage, and made all the difference while the bowlers gave nothing away as India recorded a huge 61run victory against arch-rivals Pakistan in their ICC Men's T20 World Cup Group A clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday. Pakistan were bowled out for a paltry 114 in 18 overs in the chase of 176 as India reg- India-France talks to focus on Hammer missiles Devashri Bhujbal MUMBAI HR College of Commerce and Economics, one of Mumbai’s premier colleges, has shifted to online lectures after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished unauthorised structures from the ground floor up to the fifth floor and terrace. On Saturday, the civic body’s ‘A’ Ward carried out the demolition drive on the college premises on DW Road in Churchgate. The library section on the first floor was also affected. The BMC had issued a notice to the college authorities last week regarding the demolition. However, the college The timing of the action has adversely impacted students, faculty and the academic environment. Dr Hemlata K Bagla, Vice-Chancellor of HSNC University said civic officials had assured them the action would be taken on a holiday to avoid disruption, but the demolition was conducted on a working Saturday. 4See also | city Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hold talks with his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin in Bengaluru on Tuesday, with some key outcomes expected from the dialogue to boost defence cooperation. A defence cooperation agreement is expected to be renewed for another 10 years, with an MoU on joint venture for “manufacturing of Hammer missiles” likely to be signed at the meeting in the presence of both the ministers, the defence ministry said on Sunday. “The two ministers are also expected to witness the virtual inauguration of the H125 Light Utility Helicopter Final Assembly of Tata Airbus by PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron at Vemagal in Karnataka,” it said in a statement. The meeting will focus on expanding industrial collaboration, officials said. An announcement is also expected on reciprocal deployment of officers at the Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments. Sat images spot China’s secret N-growth FPJ News Service MUMBAI Satellite images indicate that China is rapidly expanding its nuclear infrastructure in the lush valleys of the country’s southwest. One location, Zitong in Sichuan Province, has seen the construction of new bunkers and defensive embankments. A recently built complex packed with piping suggests the handling of dangerous materials, according to a report by The New York Times on Sunday. In another nearby valley lies a heavily secured, doublefenced site known as Pingtong, where analysts believe plutonium cores for nuclear warheads are being produced. The facility’s main structure, distinguished by a 360-foot ventilation tower, has been upgraded in recent years with improved vents and heat-dispersion systems, and further construction is underway adjacent to it. These facilities are part of a broader network of secretive nuclear-related sites across Sichuan Province that have undergone expansion and modernization. China’s growing capabilities add complexity to efforts to revive global arms-control pacts following the expiration of the last remaining nuclear treaty between the US and Russia. Washington maintains any future agreement should include China, but Beijing has shown little willingness to participate. Geospatial intelligence specialist Renny Babiarz told NYT the observable changes reflect China’s broader ambi- tion to strengthen its status as a global power, with nuclear weapons playing a central role. He noted that while development has been ongoing, the pace of change appears to have accelerated since 2019. According to the Pentagon’s most recent estimate, China possessed over 600 nuclear warheads by the end of 2024 and could reach 1,000 by 2030. Although that total remains far below the arsenals of the US and Russia, experts say the growth is strategically significant. Matthew Sharp, a former State Department official now affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, istered their eighth T20 World Cup victory against the old foes taking the headto-head to 8-1. Pakistan's only win against India at this level had come during the 2021 T20 World Cup held in UAE. Although star opener Abhishek Sharma departed quickly without opening his account, fellow southpaw Kishan went on a swift counter-attack that caught Pakistan completely off guard. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | games HANDS OFF: There was no handshake between skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his Pakistani counterpart Salman Ali Agha during the toss, maintaining the status quo since last year’s Asia Cup in Dubai. Tax hike may light up bootleg tobacco Siddharth Prabhakar CHENNAI Agencies NEW DELHI L Sufia Chowdhury DHAKA The chant that echoed across parts of Dhaka University was a song — “Razakar, Al-Badar kichhui robey na re… shobai bheshe jaabe Bongoposagar-e” (Razakars and Al Badr, none will remain… they all will be flushed into the Bay of Bengal) — and on this humid evening it felt less like a threat than a release. The words, drawn from the bitter lexicon of 1971, carried across the campus lawns as students danced, waving red-andgreen flags and filming themselves on their phones. For them, it was symbolic of the mood — relief that Islamists and extremists had not managed to win the elections. Ruma Zohra, 21, her hair uncovered and face streaked with glitter from an impromptu celebration, said she had rushed from her dormitory when the early results became clear. “This is a day of celebration. We are happy that those who wanted to bundle us up in burkhas, ban us ok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s next PM, Tarique Rahman, in Dhaka on February 17. It is learnt that Bangladesh had invited PM Narendra Modi to the ceremony. “The Speaker’s participation at this important event underscores the deep and enduring friendship between the peoples of India and Bangladesh, reaffirming India's steadfast commitment to the democratic values that bind our two nations,” the MEA said in a statement. The newly MPs of Bangladesh are scheduled to take oath on Tuesday morning, followed by the swearing-in ceremony of the cabinet in the evening, local media reported. after BMC drive Haridev Pushparaj MUMBAI warned that the expansion is nonetheless concerning. Analysts believe the design of the Pingtong facility indicates it is producing plutonium “pits,” the core components of nuclear warheads. At Zitong, the newly built bunkers and ramparts are thought to support high-explosive testing, which is necessary to create the precise implosion required to trigger nuclear reactions. Hui Zhang, a physicist at Harvard University’s Kennedy School, said such tests refine the synchronized shock waves needed to compress nuclear material. 4Contd on | nation The Union government’s plan to tax smokers by making cigarettes costlier by Rs 2-5 per stick with an additional excise levy of 40% is likely to boost the smuggling of misbranded and foreign cancer sticks from south-east Asian countries, a trend already on the rise in the last five years. around 70-75% of Senior officials retail prices, makes E XC L U S I V E in the Central evasion and hence Board of Indirect the black market an Taxes and Customs extremely lucrative (CBIC) said that the February trade for organized syn1 hike in taxes for cigarettes, dicates operating it. which already constitute This not only negates the government’s intention to dent smoking as a habit, but also causes losses in several thousand crores in legal tax (Cigarettes seized by DRI) revenue, officials said. 2024-25 9.4 cr Latest official data of the Directorate of Revenue Intelli2023-24 9.1 cr gence (DRI) shows that their 2022-23 6.79 cr seizures of smuggled cigarettes crore 2021-22 7.25 cr went up by 82% from 5.14 crore sticks in 2019-20 to 9.4 2020-21 6.03 cr sticks in 2024-25. These are fraction of the total all2019-20 5.14 cr only aseizures, as sister agency India Customs and other enforcers ■ Mode of smuggling: like Assam Rifles have also Via air (13.45%), land foiled multiple smuggling bids (44.91%), sea (41.6%) through the land, sea, and air ■ Cigarettes hidden in borders. plastic storage boxes, An accepted thumb rule in table top fireplace, CBIC is that only 10% of the bathroom and sanitary smuggled goods are stopped, fittings, printing ink which is an indication of the boxes size of the growing illicit trade. DRI identifies India as a key destination and transit hub for these illegal tobacco products and that it poses In Australia, a pack of serious challenges to public cigarettes costs on averhealth, economy and law enage about 55 Australian forcement. dollars (almost $40). A Two kinds of cigarettes are series of tax hikes — eight smuggled into India. The first in 10 years — was introis a rip-off of Indian brands duced to cut smoking, like Gold Flake, which induswhich has steadily fallen. try experts say contains subBut the high prices have standard quality of tobacco given rise to a multibilgrown abroad. These can be lion-dollar black market, easily identified as the boxes that accounts for as much contain wrong or no health as half of all tobacco sales warnings mandated by the Inin the country, The New dian government. FPJ Black market Illicit Smoke Down Under York Times reported on Sunday. 4Contd on | nation