FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 14 No. 42 | BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JULY 26, 2024 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.com ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: Sports WORLD SA pacer Coetzee ruled out INDORE UJJAIN PRESS PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK Passing torch best way to unite nation: Biden P.15 MUMBAI E-paper Edit Hasina is skating on thin ice P.8 Cinema Bollywood at the Olympics P.16 Despite funds, no proper toilets for girls in 1,916 schools HC: Voluntary membership can’t be banned by executive fiat Rishita Tomar BHOPAL Out of 92,226 schools in the state a total of 1916 schools ranging from classes 1 to 12, are operating without proper toilet facilities for girls’ students, according to official data from UDISE 2023-2024. Only 7 out of the state’s 52 districts have schools with access to girls toilet. This situation persists despite the state government’s ongoing promotion of the CM Rise school initiative as a School sans toilet for girls fp Briefs NEW DELHI DU fees hike in UG, PG & PhD The Delhi University has hiked fees for students enrolled in first-year undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes as well as foreign students seeking admission from the 2024-2025 academic session. The new fee structure for the academic calendar that begins in August was approved by Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh in June. According to the new fee structure, the course fee for firstyear BTech students has been raised by 3.70 per cent, i.e. from Rs 2.16 lakh to Rs 2.24 lakh. RANCHI 2 J’khand MLAs disqualified Jharkhand Assembly Speaker's Tribunal on Thursday disqualified two legislators under anti-defection law with effect from July 26, an official said. The order disqualifying JMM's Lobin Hembrom and Congress's Jai Prakash Bhai Patel from the House came on the eve of the assembly's sixday monsoon session beginning on Friday. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the BJP had initiated proceedings under the anti-defection law against Hembrom and Patel respectively in the Speaker's Tribunal. HYDERABAD Maoist killed in Telangana A Maoist was killed in an exchange of fire between around 10 ultras and the police in a forest area bordering Bhadradri-Kothagudem and Mulugu districts of Telangana on Thursday, police said. Police personnel were combing the forest area when they were allegedly "fired" upon by the members of the banned CPI (Maoist). The police's retaliatory fire resulted in the death of one Maoist, they said. model for educational excellence and infrastructure. This failure comes despite the availability of ample funds. The school education department has a substantial budget at its disposal, and financial constraints are not the issue. The central government has allocated Rs. 3842.07 crore to the state under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (an integrated scheme for school education). This includes Rs. 2962.78 crore for elementary education, Rs. 844.85 crore for sec- ondary and senior secondary education, and Rs. 34.44 crore for teacher education. The situation is particularly concerning given the state’s participation in the Swachh Bharat campaign, aimed at improving sanitation infrastructure across the state. Despite constructing numerous toilets under this campaign, the government has failed to address the critical need for girls’ toilets schools. 4Continued on | P6 INVEST MP: Coimbatore thrust proves successful for state Rs 3,500 cr investment proposal received: CM Announces opening of office of Industries Department Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The state received an investment proposal of Rs 3,500 crore at the Invest MP Interactive Session in Coimbatore, on Thursday. Chief Minister Yadav announced that an office of industries department of MP government would be set up in Coimbatore. In the interactive session, Yadav invited all those who were present at the meet to the Investment Summit in Bhopal in February next year. More than 1,200 representatives took part in the interactive session in Coimbatore. Yadav said that industrialists had turned Coimbatore MOU signed between state government and industrial groups in Coimbatore in presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday and Tiruppur into an industrial hub. Now, Madhya Pradesh is calling industrialists who will be provided with all the facilities to set up units in the state, Yadav said, adding that he came to Coimbatore to strengthen ties between Tamil Nadu and MP. MP’s eco-system is suitable for textile industry, and to attract big garment industries, there is a provision for 200% financial aid in the special readymade garment policy in the state for those who want Three MoU inked at conclave In the interactive session, a one-to-one meeting was held with more than 25 industrialists and four main industrial organisations. Apart from that, a MoU on knowledge sharing with Indian Cotton Corporation was inked. It was done to promote the production and area of ELS in the state. Another MoU on knowledge sharing was signed with Tiruppur Export Association to increase availability of skilled manpower in the state and to set up textile clusters. Likewise, a MoU was inked with South India Mills Association for promoting cotton production and research and development in MP. to make permanent investment, Yadav said. PM Mitra Integrated Mega Textile Park will be set up in Dhar for which the Centre gave its nod, he said. Dist stats In Khargone, 137 schools do not have girls’ toilets. In Ashoknagar 125 schools, Dhar 107 schools, Vidisha 99 schools, and Agar Malwa with 90 schools do not have toilets for girls Bhopal & Indore In Bhopal, out of a total of 859 schools, 14 schools lack girls’ toilets. In Indore, 18 out of 1,174 schools are without girls’ toilets. 3 die due to diarrhoea in Umaria Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Three died due to diarrhoea in Umaria district on Thursday. Five persons still undergoing treatment. Two people including father and son –Kanup Singh (75) and Churaman Singh(32) are among those who died of diarrhoea in Belsara, while one person died in village Barhi. CMHO Dr SB Choudhary informed Free Press, “ Three died due to diarrhoea in two village Belsara and Barhi of Umaria district. On intervening night of WednesdayThursday, people fell ill. 4Continued on | P6 The court comes down heavily on previous ban on Central govt employees joining RSS Our Staff Reporter INDORE In a plea by a retired central government official seeking permission to join Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday slammed the previous office memorandums (OMs) listing the organisation in the banned category. “…voluntary membership of a national & internationally famed organisation like RSS, for activities other than political in nature, like religious, social, philanthropic, educational cannot be proscribed through executive instructions. They ought to have been done only through duly enacted law if the necessity was felt for doing so, preferably through amendments to the Conduct rules itself,” observed a division bench comprising Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice Gajendra Singh. The court said that the ‘It took 5 decades for Govt to correct mistake’ The court also lamented the fact that it took almost five decades for the Central Government to realise its mistake; to acknowledge that an internationally renowned organisation like RSS was wrongly placed amongst the banned organisations of the country and that its removal there from is quintessential. moratorium on joining RSS must preferably by way of the Conduct rules only and not through executive framed Official Memorandums, as it results in infringement of precious fundamental rights of not only the Central Government employees as the citizens of the country, but also members and office bearers of the organisation serving the country as part of RSS. 4Continued on | P6 3,000 people trapped in Katni floods, relocated Katni-Jabalpur rly tracks submerged Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL In 8:1 verdict, SC upholds states’ rights on mineral tax royalty Agencies NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld state governments' right to levy royalty on mineral-bearing land, reasoning they had competence and power to do so. This will benefit mineral-rich states like Odisha, Jharkhand, Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, as their governments can now charge additional levies on mining companies operating in their territories. The landmark 8:1 verdict was delivered by a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which ruled 'royalty' is not the same as 'tax'; Justice BV Nagarathna delivered the dissenting verdict. The eight-judge verdict, Royalty is a contractual (consideration) paid by lessee to lessor and that Parliament does not have power to tax mineral rights under Entry 50, List I. Supreme Court bench read by the Chief Justice, said "royalty is a contractual (consideration) paid by lessee to lessor" and that Parliament "does not have power to tax mineral rights under Entry 50, List I". "We hold that both royalty and debt rent don't fulfil the ingredients of tax," the Chief Justice said. The verdict also said there is no provision in the MMDRA (the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act) that "imposes limitations on state to tax minerals". Justice Nagarathna said allowing states to tax mineral rights would lead to "unhealthy competition between states to derive revenue... the national market could be exploited... this would lead to a breakdown of the federal system, in the context of mineral development". The centre had argued only Parliament has the power to impose taxes on minerals. 4Continued on | P6 LS adjourned twice amid war of words Agencies NEW DELHI The Lok Sabha was adjourned twice in the post-lunch period on Thursday as a war of words broke out between the treasury and opposition benches, triggered by Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi's spat with BJP's Ravneet Singh Bittu. Participating in a debate on the Union Budget, Channi referred to the assassination of Bittu's grandfather, former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh. This led to a war of words between Channi and Bittu, who recently quit the Congress to join the BJP. 4Continued on | P6 Around 3,000 people trapped due to flood-like situation in 40 villages, were relocated to safer places in Katni district on Thursday. Katni districts experienced incessant heavy rains for last 48 hours. They have been shifted to relief camps. Besides, a woman died after a wall collapsed due to heavy rain in Katni. Railway track was also submerged due to heavy rain on Katni-Jabalpur route, but employees cleared way for trains. With the help of SDRF and NDRF flood-affected people were taken to relief camps or safer places. Vehicular traffic was disrupted due to over three feet of water in Garraghat near Ghughri village between Umariapan and Dhimarkheda. Water Users Association (WUA) Katni Shiv Kumar Singh said, “Water increased suddenly in Belkund River of Dhimarkheda, resulting in low-lying areas getting new avatar Meet teacher Droupadi Murmu... ...President takes up role of teacher for school students, stresses environment conservation PTI NEW DELHI President Droupadi Murmu interacts with Class 9 students of Dr Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya in the President’s Estate in New Delhi President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday took up the role of a teacher for students of central school in the President's Estate, interacting with them on the issue of global warming while also suggesting ways for environment conservation. During her interactive session with Class 9 students of Dr Rajendra Pra- sad Kendriya Vidyalaya in Delhi, she also emphasised the need for water conservation and encouraged them to plant more trees in a bid to reduce the impact of climate change. "We should plant more trees. We should also take steps to reduce water wastage and conserve it through rainwater harvesting," Murmu said. She also discussed air pollution and talked about the ways to reduce it. At the beginning of her interaction, the president asked the students about their ambitions and the subjects they liked and expressed her happiness after learning that they aspired to become scientists and doctors, among others. Murmu also talked about the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 4Continued on | P6 Top: An ambulance submerged in rainwater in Tikamgarh and (above) Rly staff check tracks for train in Katni flooded. Similarly, Datla dam of Gulwara block swelled due to heavy rain in the district.” ADM Sadhna Paraste informed Free Press, “Around 3,000 people have been shifted to relief camps or other safer places due to flood-like situation in district.” 4Continued on | P6 PLACES TIKAMGARH KATNI NIVARI PANNA CHHATARPUR BHIND DINDORI RAIN(mm) 230 153.3 135 148.3 82.6 78 74.1 ‘Got protest note from B’desh on didi’s comment’ NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Thursday that Bangladesh has officially objected to the recent comments made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the ongoing civil unrest in the neighbouring country. "I can confirm that we have received a diplomatic note from the Bangladeshi side, protesting against the comments made by the Chief Minister of West Bengal," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday. "I would like to underline that under the Seventh Schedule, Union List I, Item No. 10 of our Constitution, the conduct of foreign affairs and all matters which bring the Union into the relation with any foreign country are the sole prerogative of the Union government," he added. "There is a United Nations resolution that the neighbouring countries should show respect and accommodate refugees coming from regions under turmoil," the Trinamool Congress supremo said.