FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 14 No. 26 | BHOPAL | WEDNESDAY | JULY 10, 2024 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.com Sports Jasprit Bumrah, Mandhana named ICC Player of the Month for June ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE UJJAIN PRESS PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Nation Killing of five soldiers won’t go unavenged: Govt P.7 MONEY Fitch says rated Indian cos’ sales to rise 2% in FY25; margin seen stable Cinema Bhuvan takes legal action against person... P.16 BJP turns MP 9L register, just 250 get jobs, 20K getting trained in industries into lab of OBC politics MUKHYAMANTRI SEEKHO KAMAO YOJANA Smita BHOPAL Around 250 youth so far have got jobs after completing their apprenticeship under Madhya Pradesh Government’s “Mukhyamantri Seekho Kamao Yojana”. The scheme, launched in June 2023 by former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, was meant to provide onthe-job training to youth in the industries so as to enhance fp Briefs NEW DELHI Haryana BJP prez appointed The BJP on Tuesday appointed MLA Mohan Lal Badoli, a seasoned organisational leader associated with the RSS, its Haryana unit president as it looks to strengthen its support base ahead of assembly polls in the state. A sitting MLA, Badoli lost the Lok Sabha election from Sonipat to his Congress rival in a close contest. Badoli made his maiden entry to the Haryana Assembly in 2019 from the Rai seat, the first time the BJP won from the constituency. HYDERABAD Indian student dies in US A 26-year-old Indian man from Andhra Pradesh drowned after falling into a waterfall at Albany in New York state, India's Consulate said, the latest incident to hit the community grappling with a string of such tragedies. Sai Surya Avinash Gadde, from Chityala of Gopalapuram Mandal in east Godavari district of Andhra, died on July 7 at Barberville Falls in Albany. The student's LinkedIn profile showed he enrolled at Trine University in the US state of Indiana in the 2023-24 session. SRINAGAR 4 of family killed in J&K Four persons of a family were killed in a road accident in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said here on Tuesday. Ghulam Rasool Bhat, his son and two daughters had left home in the Rajwar area of Handwara to fetch drinking water on Monday night when they met with an accident at the Kanchaki village, an official of the traffic police said. They were rushed to a hospital where they succumbed to their injuries, the official added. RAMPUR Azam Khan's resort bulldozed Authorities on Tuesday used bulldozers to demolish a resort owned by the family of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan which was built "illegally" on the land of a governmentowned fertiliser unit here. Rampur District Magistrate Joginder Singh said the administration took action to free 0.038 hectare of land of the fertilizer unit. their employability and help them secure jobs. The registrations under the scheme began in September 2023 and a total of around nine lakh youth registered themselves. Of them, around four lakh applicants completed the formalities and to date, 20,000 are under training in 7,500 industries. Of them, 700 have completed their apprenticeship and around 250 have got jobs in the same or other industries. About 31,000 industries based It’s a scheme to provide training, experience, not jobs, says Director, Skill Development in Madhya Pradesh and other states have associated themselves with the scheme. Under the scheme, an agreement is signed between the state government, the industry concerned and the student-apprentice. The industry would give the apprentices onthe-job training and pay a stipend of Rs 8,000 per month to Class 12 pass candidates, Rs 8,500 to ITI certificate holders, Rs 9,000 to graduates and Rs 10,000 to those having higher qualifications. The scheme is meant for domiciles of Mad- hya Pradesh in the 18-29 years age group. The industry concerned has to pay just 25 per cent of the stipend and the rest is paid by the government. Director, Directorate of Skill Development Harshika Singh, told Free Press that the general perception is that this scheme is meant to give jobs. “That is not so. It is aimed at providing work experience to the youth along the lines of the National Apprenticeship Act,” she says, adding that “Most of the ap- MODI & PUTIN: Bear hug, camaradarie marks meeting PM calls Russia India’s ‘all-weather friend’ Agencies Huge disappointment MOSCOW Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed disappointment over Modi's visit to Russia, which he termed as a "devastating blow to peace efforts." Describing Russia as a trusted ally and all-weather friend at a community event in Moscow on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the opening of two new Indian consulates in the country — in Kazan and Yekaterinburg — to enhance travel and trade. On a two-day visit to Russia, PM Modi hailed President Vladimir Putin‘s leadership in strengthening the bilateral relationship over the past two decades during his address to the Indian diaspora. “On hearing the word Russia, the first word that comes to mind of every Indian is India’s “sukhdukh ka saathi” (all-weather friend) and “bharosemand Allahabad HC to hear Gyanvapi plea on Aug 12 IANS ALLAHABAD Russia’s President Vladimir Putin decorates Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called in Moscow on Tuesday dost” (trusted ally),” he said. “No matter how low the temperature dips below minus (zero degrees Celsius) during Russian winter, India-Russia friendship has always remained Age of consent for sex is 18, not 16: SC Agencies NEW DELHI The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday adjourned the Gyanvapi mosque case to August 12. The court was hearing a plea challenging Varanasi District Court’s order denying the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) permission to survey the wazukhana area, excluding the Shivling, inside the mosque premises. The wazukhana area was sealed in 2022 as per an order from the Supreme Court. The ASI has established that a temple existed before the mosque was built on the land. On December 18, 2023 the ASI handed over its findings on the Gyanvapi mosque complex to the Varanasi District Court. This move came after the completion of cleaning work in the wazukhana area, as directed by the Supreme Court. The legal tussle dates back to a 1991 petition filed in Varanasi, seeking restoration of Gyanvapi land to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. in ‘plus’, it is full of warmth. This relationship is built on the strong foundation of mutual trust and mutual respect,” Modi said at the event, which also saw the presence of External People not aware that age of consent for sex has been raised from 16 to 18, said the Supreme Court The Court made the observation while dismissing the Madhya Pradesh's government appeal against acquittal of an accused in a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO Act). The age of consent was increased from 16 to 18 in India in 2012, with the enforcement of the POSCO Act and subsequent amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The public is largely unaware that the age of consent for sexual intercourse with a girl has been raised from 16 years to 18 years, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday. A Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Sanjay Karol and PV Sanjay Kumar today dismissed the Madhya Pradesh's government appeal against acquittal of an accused in a case under the Protection of The age of consent was increased from 16 to 18 in India in 2012, with the enforcement of the POSCO Act and subsequent amendments to the IPC Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra. PM Modi said the world had long seen an “influenceoriented global order.” “But what the world needs right now is confluence, not influence, and no one can deliver this message better than India, which has a strong tradition of worshipping confluences,” Modi said. 4Continued on | P6 Amarwara polls today Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO Act). "Awareness is still not there that age of consent has been increased from 16 to 18. Else families can intervene and while opposing also say wait till 18," Justice Khanna remarked before disposing of the matter. The problems in proceeding with trial in POCSO cases involving consenting girls have been flagged by multiple members of the judiciary since consensual romantic and sexual relationships involving young girls often lead to prosecution against the male partner. The voting for by-poll of Amarwada Assembly seat (Schedule Tribe) in Chhindwara district will be held on Wednesday. Election Commission has made tight security arrangements to hold polling in a peaceful manner. Total 332 polling centres have been set up for polling. The by-election was necessitated as seat had fallen vacant after sitting Congress MLA Kamlesh Shah resigned to join the BJP during the Lok Sabha election. BJP has fielded Kamlesh Shah in the by-election and he is taking on Congress candidate Dheeran Shah. This by-election is a prestige point for both major political parties- BJP and Congress. Both of them have left no stone unturned to woo the voters. The outcome of election is not going to affect the political equation of the state as BJP is in majority, but it will be a matter of discussion in the corridors of the power. 4Continued on | P6 4Continued on | P6 prenticeships are for a period of one year. So far 700 have completed their training and 250 have got jobs.” Most of the apprentices have been absorbed in manufacturing industries. “We are in the process of compiling the details of the youth who have got jobs including the nature of work, pay package etc so that we can handhold them in the future, too,” the director says. 4Continued on | P6 Pannun’s org banned for five more years IANS NEW DELHI The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday extended the ban on 'Sikhs for Justice (SFJ)', founded by pro-Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, for another five years. In a notification, the MHA said that SFJ's activities have the "potential of disrupting peace, unity and integrity of the country". According to MHA, SFJ is involved in anti-national and subversive activities in Punjab, with the intention to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India. The MHA also said that SFJ is in "close touch with militant outfits and activists, and is supporting violent form of extremism and militancy in Punjab and elsewhere to carve out a sovereign Khalistan out of the territory of Union of India". 14 ministers, including CM and 14 MPs, are from this category Nitendra Sharma BHOPAL The BJP has turned MP into a laboratory of OBC politics, which has so far been a domain of UP and Bihar. OBC is given importance in the state these days. After induction of Ramniwas Rawat into the cabinet, the number of OBC ministers, including Mohan Yadav, has gone up to 14. Out of 29 MPs, 11 belong to OBC category. Similarly, out of ten RS members from the state three come from OBC. Next to OBC category, the number of ministers belonging to the SC is very high. Six ministers come from SC, five from ST and eight from category. There are six MPs from ST, four from SC and eight from the general category. The party has sent one ST, three OBC and three SC members to the Rajya Sabha. The Congress has one OBC NEW DELHI The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday announced that former cricketer Gautam Gambhir has been appointed as the Indian men's cricket team's new head coach. Gambhir was a left-handed opener for the India team and served as Kolkata Knight Riders' team mentor in the Indian Premier League 2024. KKR lifted their third IPL trophy this season under Gambhir's guidance. Jay Shah took to his official X account and announced Gambhir's appointment as Team India's new Head Coach. The BCCI secretary added that he has his full confidence in Gambhir and that he will be the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward. "It is with immense pleasure that I welcome Mr @Gau- tamGambhir as the new Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team. Modern-day cricket has evolved rapidly, and Gautam has witnessed this changing landscape up close. Having endured the grind and excelled in various roles throughout his career, I am confident that Gautam is the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward. His clear vision for #TeamIndia, coupled with his vast experience, positions him perfectly to take on this exciting and most sought-after coaching role. The @BCCI fully supports him as he embarks on this new journey," Shah wrote on X. Rahul Dravid's tenure as the head coach of Team India came to an end after the conclusion of the final match of the T20 World Cup 2024, where India beat South Africa by seven runs to win the prestigious trophy after 17 years. 4Continued on | P6 Napoleon's flintlock pistols fetch $1.83 mn at auction Online Report A pair of flintlock pistols, once owned by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, sold for a staggering US$1.83 million at a recent auction. Held at Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, France, the pistols surpassed their estimated value of $1.3 million- $1.63 million. According to the auctioneer, the pistols were gifted to Napoleon's close friend Ar- mand de Caulaincourt shortly after the emperor's attempted suicide in April 1814. This attempt followed a series of defeats for Napoleon against a united European force. Napoleon's suicidal thoughts reportedly emerged in the days leading up to the attempt, with him frequently checking his pistols and removing bullets. He ultimately resorted to poison after signing the Treaty of Fontainebleau. The attempt failed, leading to his abdication and exile to Elba. The pistols were presented in an ornate Burr wal- nut box with an ebony inlay, featuring green velvet lining and an embroidered "N" on the lid. Both the box and pis- tols bear Napoleon's personal cipher. This sale comes on the heels of another Napoleonrelated record at Osenat. Last November, the auction house sold one of the emperor's iconic black hats for a staggering $2.1 million. Interestingly, the French government declared the pistols a National Treasure just a week before the auction, preventing them from leaving the country. "These pistols represent and two general category members in the Rajya Sabha. Once, the BJP was identified as a Brahmin-Bania party. Most of its leaders were from the general category. Nevertheless, the BJP has set aside this tag after coming to power in 2003 and gave OBC chief minister to the state. Uma Bharti, Babulal Gaur and Shivraj Singh Chouhan have been the chief ministers of the state. Now, Mohan Yadav is wearing the crown. All of them belong to the OBC category. 4Continued on | P6 Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Darshan Singh Choudhary, Rodmal Nagar, Bharat Singh Kushwaha, Rahul Lodhi, Ganesh Singh, Bharti Pardhi, Vivek Sahu, Gyaneshwar Patel, Lata Wankhede belong to the OBC. In RS, Banshilal Gurjar, Maya Naroliya and Kavita Patidar are OBC. offgrid PARIS Besides CM Mohan Yadav, Prahlad Patel, Inder Singh Parmar, Aidal Singh Kanshana, Ramniwas Rawat, Karan Singh Verma, Uday Pratap Singh, Narayan Singh Kushwaha, Krishna Gaur, Narayan Singh Pawar, Dharmendra Lodhi, Dileep Jaiswal, Lakhan Patel and Narendra Patel are from OBC. Union mins, LS, RS members BCCI announces Gambhir as new coach of Team India ANI OBC in cabinet the downfall, the end, the abdication" of Napoleon, said auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat. "He fell from a position of immense power, and with these very guns, contemplated ending his own life. They embody the image of his fall from grace." This revised version shortens the text while maintaining key details. It also uses a more engaging structure and avoids redundancy. HATHRAS STAMPEDE Cannot rule out big conspiracy, says SIT report PTI LUCKNOW The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday suspended the local SDM, a circle officer and four others based on the SIT report on the Hathras stampede that did not rule out a "big conspiracy" behind the incident. The SIT report also flagged lapses on the part of the local administration that led to the incident that claimed 121 lives on July 2. The report held the organisers responsible for the stampede, claiming they did not make arrangements to manage the crowd and also fixed the responsibility of administration, according to official sources. It said the local police and administration did not take the event seriously and failed to provide proper information to senior officers. The stampede at the 'satsang' of self-styled godman Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba claimed 121 lives. "In its preliminary investigation, the SIT has held the event organisers primarily responsible for the stampede on the basis of eyewitnesses and other evidence. The SIT did not rule out any big conspiracy behind the incident and has stated the need for a thorough investigation," officials said. The lawyer of the 'godman' on July 6 claimed "some poisonous substance" sprayed by "some unidentified men" triggered the stampede. The investigation committee also found the event organisers and the tehsil-level police and administration guilty. 4Continued on | P6