FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS VOL. 14 NO. 7 | BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JUNE 21, 2024 | PAGES 14 www.freepressjournal.com NATION 114 deaths: Heatwave turns deadly fp Briefs BENGALURU 157.8 kmph star pacer Johnson dies Former Indian cricket team pacer David Johnson died after falling from the fourth floor of his apartment in the Kothanur police station limits in Bengaluru on Thursday. According to police, Johnson fell from the fourth floor of the SLV Paradise Apartment. Although he was immediately rushed to the hospital, the cricketer succumbed to his injuries. Johnson was a former fast bowler known for his brief stint with the Indian cricket team. He played two Tests for India in 1996, taking three wickets. In domestic cricket, he picked up 125 wickets for Karnataka in 39 first-class appearances. The highlight of Johnson's career was clocking a speed of 157.8 km/h during a Test match against Australia. (Details on Sports Page) SRINAGAR Slain ultra associated with LeT The Army on Thursday said the two terrorists killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir were Pakistani and associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). "The killed terrorists have been identified as Usman and Umar, both of Pakistan origin and associated with LeT," Commander 7 Sector Rashtriya Rifles, Brigadier Deepak Mohan, told reporters in Rafiabad. NEW DELHI 110 die due to heatwave The unrelenting heatwave sweeping large parts of the country has claimed at least 110 lives and left over 40,000 people grappling with suspected heatstroke between March 1 and June 18 this year, Health ministry sources said on Thursday. wave units to be set up in all central government hospitals to cater to those falling ill due to the heat. NEW DELHI Modi to visit J&K today Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 84 major developmental projects worth more than Rs 1500 crore in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. According to a PMO release, the inaugurations will include projects related to road infrastructure, water supply schemes, and infrastructure in higher education etc. EDITIONS: INDORE r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 r RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 `3 UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL MUMBAI NASHIK SPORTS Member: Audit bureau of circulation Jan to Dec 2023. MONEY SALT, BAIRSTOW SPREAD CARNAGE E-paper Domestic demand for steel soars in India Cinema Balancing innovation with nostalgia World Russia hits Ukraine’s energy infra FIRE FIGHTING Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said interest of students is the first priority of the government Forming high-level panel, won't spare anyone: Min Online Report\PTI NEW DELHI Under fire for the irregularities in NEET and the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that a high-level committee will be formed and that the interest of the students is the first priority of the government. Over 30 lakh candidates appeared for the exams, both of which were conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), and the minister's comments came on a day when students held protests in various parts of the country, including outside Pradhan's home in Delhi. Some were also detained. Meanwhile, the outcry against alleged irregular- Members of All India Students Association and other students union stage a protest over NEET and UGC-NET issues outside Shastri Bhawan, in New Delhi on Thursday. ities in the medical entrance exam NEET grew louder on Thursday with several student groups staging protests and opposition attacking the government saying the paper leaks are expansion of the Vyapam scam and future of candidates who appeared in these exams is being destroyed. The cancellation of UGCNET, amid the raging row over NEET, led to questions being raised over National Testing Agency's (NTA) capability to conduct exams of larger magnitude. The Ministry of Education said it is waiting for a There has been an expansion of idea of Vyapam to rest of country, he said of the recent controversy while referring to the Vyapam examination and recruitment scam in Madhya Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi report of Bihar Police's Economic Offences Unit on alleged irregularities in conduct of NEET in Patna and will take further action on basis of that. The ministry also summoned NTA DG Subodh Kumar Singh to discuss the issue further. Contd. on P6 SC notice to Centre, NTA on pleas to cancel NEET-UG 24 PTI NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Thursday sought responses from the Centre, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and others on a slew of petitions, including those seeking scrapping of the NEET-UG 2024 exam and a court-monitored probe, amid mounting outrage over alleged irregularities in conducting the all-India medical entrance test. The apex court also stayed further proceedings on similar pleas pending before different high courts. The top court, however, made it clear that it will not stay the counselling process. A vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti issued notices to the parties seeking their responses on four separate pleas filed by the NTA seeking transfer of some pending petitions, including Many colonies to go without water for two days in Bhopal OUR STAFF REPORTER CITY.BHOPAL@FPJ.CO.IN Several colonies in Bhopal will have to go without drinking water for two days as supply from Kolar will not be made due to shifting of pipelines. The supply will remain suspended from June 21 to June 22 evening for shifting of pipe line owing to construction of flyover. The water supply will be affected in colonies including Shivaji Nagar, MP Nagar zone-1, Arera Colony— E/2,E/4,E/5, Nishatpura, New Arif Nagar, Bag Nushrat Afza, Ram Mandir area, Hamidia Road, Chhavni, Patel Nagar, Sangam Talkies among others. Likewise supply will remain suspended in Chhoti Masjid wali gali, Guru Baksh Ki Tallaya, Bal Vihar, Medical Street, Gujarat Cold drinks, Khajur Wali Gali, Shanti Nagar, Irahimganj, Kabadkhana, Chhola Vishramghat, Sapna lodge area, JP Nagar, Pinjomal Dharmshala, Chaukse Nagar, Rambha Nagar, Ali Aziz Ki Masjid, Qazi Camp, Shahin Colony, Sunder Nagar, Masjid Jamiat AHL e Hadees, Bafna Colony, Dal-Mills area, Guru Nanak Colony, Atal Ayub Colony, Rishaldar Colony, Rajgarh Colony, Shakti Nagar, Indira Nagar, Categorized market, Ishaiganj, Dulichand Ka Bag, Radha-Krishna Colony, Ekta Colony, Futa Maqbara, Sindhi Colony, Salim Chowk, Berasia Road. Similarly the residents of Bag Munsi Hassan Khan, Bag Mufti Saheb, Saluja Hospital, Berasia bus stand, Congress Nagar, Putli Ghar, Shahjahanabad. Contd. on P6 those claiming paper leak, from high courts to the apex court. As the bench issued notices on the NTA's petitions, the counsel appearing for the testing agency urged it to stay the related proceedings before different high courts. Contd. on P6 Man shot 40 times in Burger King PTI NEW DELHI The victim, Aman, was sitting with a woman. She is showing the man a picture on her phone. At 9:41 pm, the first shots were fired. Visuals of the chilling murder of a 26-year-old man inside a Burger King outlet in west Delhi's Rajouri Garden have surfaced, showing how the targetted killing took place at the popular fast food joint. Contd. on P6 Kejriwal gets bail in money laundering case PTI NEW DELHI In a huge relief to embattled Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a court here on Thursday granted him bail in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise scam. Special Judge Niyay Bindu also declined the Enforcement Directorate's prayer to keep in abeyance the bail order for 48 hours to allow the central agency to avail legal remedies like moving a superior court in appeal. The judge ordered Kejriwal's release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh but imposed certain conditions before granting him the relief, including that he will not try to hamper the investigation or influence the witnesses. The judge also directed Kejriwal to appear before the court whenever required and to cooperate with the investigation. The judge had reserved the order earlier during the day after hearing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which sought to link Kejriwal to the alleged proceeds of crime and co-accused, and the defence that claimed the prosecution has no evidence to nail the AAP leader. Kejriwal's lawyers are likely to submit the bail bond before the court tomorrow, after which he would be released from Tihar jail. One the other hand, the ED is also likely to challenge the bail order. However, the grant of regular bail to the AAP national convenor will give his Aam Aadmi Party and its allies a stick to beat the Modi government with as, according to Section 45 of PMLA, bail can be granted only if the judge is prima facie satisfied that the accused has not committed the offence and that he is unlikely to commit any offence while on bail. Contd. on P6 I'm not safe in Raj Bhavan Bengal Guv No Lokpal in 16 MP univs KOLKATA The UGC releases list of 157 defunct universities, including 108 state, 47 private and 2 deemed-to-be varsities Defunct state Our staff reporter INDORE varsities in MP West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose today said that he was apprehending a threat to his security because of the presence of the current contingent of Kolkata Police posted at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata. His statement came days after he ordered the police personnel to vacate the Raj Bhavan premises. They, however, are still on duty in the Governor House. "I have reasons to believe that the presence of the current officer-in-charge and his team is a threat to my personal security," Governor Bose told Press Trust of India. "I have informed Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee that I am insecure with Kolkata Police in Raj Bhavan, but there was no action," he said. Contd. on P6 Rajiv Gandhi Prodoyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV), which is in the news for financial irregularities, and Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University (MPMSU) are among 16 defunct universities, including seven state run, from Madhya Pradesh which have not appointed Lokpal (Ombudsperson) in adherence to UGC (Redressal of Grievances of Students) Regulations, 2023. Besides, nine private universities from MP have also not appointed the Lokpal. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released a list of a total of 157 universities which have not appointed Lokpal. The list includes a total of 16 universities from MP, 7 Vidhyapeeth University; Madhyanchal Professional University; Oriental University; Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya; Swami Vivekanand University, Gyanodaya University; JNCT Professional University and Amaltas University. Yadav meets Modi, speaks about bhoomipujan of Ken-Betwa proj OUR STAFF REPORTER BHOPAL Chief Mohan Yadav met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Thursday. Yadav informed Modi about the progress of the Ken-Betwa link project and the ParvatiKalisindh-Chambal link project. Yadav said he had requested the Prime Minister to perform the Bhoomipujan of the KenBetwa link project. He informed the Prime Minister about the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan under which wells, Bawadis, rivers, ponds, tanks and lakes cleaned up with people’s cooperation. The campaign launched from June 5 was to end on June 16, he said. But observing people’s en- Father, two daughters die as fire breaks out in house OUR STAFF REPORTER BHOPAL A father and his two minor daughters died after a massive fire broke out in their house in Gwalior district, an official said on Thursday. Fire safety officer Atibal Singh Yadav, said that the incident occurred in Kailash Nagar, Bahodapur locality in the district in the early hours of Thursday when the victims were sleeping. "We received information about the incident at around 3 am after which fire tenders rushed to the spot. After the intensive effort of half an hour, we were able to control the fire. We brought out all the three persons, and one of the daughters was alive and was immediately sent to hospital but she was declared brought dead. A total of three persons died in the incident," he said. Those who died were identified as house owner Vijay Gupta (45) and his two daughters Anshika (17) and Yashika (14). Vijay's wife and his son had gone to her maternal house, the officer said. "Prima facie, it appeared that fire broke out in the kitchen of the house and reached the godown constructed below the house where dry fruits were kept. Contd. on P6 When temple was built no engineer gave a thought to ‘snaan’ of Ram Lalla Biswajeet Banerjee The newly built Ram Mandir, constructed at a staggering cost of over rupees one thousand crores, is grappling with technical glitches in the sanctum sanctorum, which is becoming a headache for the priests. The faults lie in the drainage system as there is no outlet for the water that collects. Result: The water used in daily rituals does not get drained out and it is a matter of concern for the priests and the temple authority, a priest said. The temple was consecrated on January 22. According to a priest, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Ram Lalla is bathed every day before the adornment ceremony. The ritual includes bathing with water from the Saryu River and a mix known as Madhu Purk, which contains milk, curd, ghee, and honey. After this, Ram Lalla is bathed agan with Saryu's water. “However, there is no provision for draining the water that collects on the floor after these rituals,” said the priest. Currently, a large plate is placed below to catch the water, which is then offered to the plants. Any remaining water is dried manually. This makeshift solution is far from ideal and poses a continuous challenge for the priests. Contd. on P6 state universities and 9 private ones. The defunct universities have been told to appoint the Lokpal as the regulators and communicate about the same to the UGC. DEFUNCT PVT UNIVS: Aryavart University; LNCT Drainage glitches galore at Ram Lalla's abode AYODHYA Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya; Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University; Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism & Communication; Nanaji Deshmukh Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya; Raja MansinghTomar Music &Arts University; Rajiv Gandhi Prodoyogiki Vishwavidyalaya and Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Poor Cooling Solutions To protect Ram Lalla from the heat, two tower air conditioners have been installed. However, these ACs are proving to be insufficient. The priest mentioned that the engineers of Ram Mandir are also actively seeking solutions to this problem. The Ram Mandir Trust declined to comment. The technical deficiencies also prevent the installation of a more efficient cooling system within the sanctum sanctorum. The structure, built with intricately carved stones, would require significant alterations for AC installation or to create a drainage system. Breaking the stones would not only spoil the sanctum's aesthetics but is also technically challenging, as the construction involved interlockContd. on P6 ing stones that cannot be easily tampered with. thusiasm, the time limit of the campaign has been extended up to June 30, Yadav said. He also informed the Prime Minister about the campaign launched in the state to wipe out sickle cell anaemia. It was Yadav’s first meeting Modi after he took over as Prime Minister for the third time. Yadav also met Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. On Wednesday, he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Forest Minister Bhupendra Yadav. All the leaders congratulated him for winning all the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Those living in Karna should learn Kannada PTI BENGALURU It is the responsibility of every Kannadiga to protect the Kannada language, land, and water, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said as he gave a call for creating a Kannada atmosphere in the state. "It is the duty of all to create a Kannada atmosphere. For that, all the people living in Karnataka should learn Kannada. We cannot remain silent like that," he said. "Kannadigas are not insolent. But love for Kannada should be developed. We should not become like the bigots in other states. But we should develop respect and admiration for our language, land, and country," he said. "Everyone must decide to speak in Kannada with those who live in Karnataka. A vow must be taken that no language other than Kannada is spoken. Kannadigas are generous. That is why there is an environment in Karnataka where even those who speak other languages can live without learning Kannada," he stated. "The same situation cannot be seen in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala. Contd. on P6