FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLI No. 55 | INDORE | FRIDAY | AUGUST 2, 2024 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.com Sports A GAME CHANGER IN LIFE & SPORT P.15 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE UJJAIN MONEY PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Wayanad: No brownie point please P.8 VC investment in India surge in April-June as China faces huge decline Cinema Nora Fatehi regrets remarks P.16 QUOTA IN QUOTA: All classification has to be backed up by data SCs NOT HOMOGENEOUS CLASS, SAYS APEX COURT Swapnil Suresh Kusale has been promoted as Officer on Special Duty in the Sports Cell of Central Railway, Mumbai Kusale lands 3rd medal for India Haridev Pushparaj ‘States can sub-classify SCs to grant quota to more backward castes within reserved category’ PTI NEW DELHI MUMBAI We all know about the ticket collector who made India proud with his cricketing exploits all these years; now, in Paris, in the grandest sporting arena, we’ve found another who has bronzed his way to our hearts – shooting star Swapnil Kusale. Swapnil continued the brilliant performance of the Indian shooters at the Paris Olympics, as he bagged a bronze in the 50m rifle three positions event, ensuring India’s third medal in the Games. The 29-year-old from Pune, who has roots in Kolhapur, brought his ‘A’ game to the final, as he shot an aggre- Today heartbeat was on the higher side. I just tried to control my breathing and did not try anything different. Everyone is more or less the same at this level. Swapnil Kusale gate of 451.4 to finish third behind China’s Y K Liu and Ukraine’s S Kulish, who shot 463.6 and 461.3 respectively, for gold and silver. 4Continued on | P6 In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday held that states are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes, which form a socially heterogeneous class, for granting reservation for the uplift of castes that are socially and economically more backward. A seven-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, by a majority of 6:1, set aside the apex court's five-judge bench verdict of 2014 in the EV Chinnaiah vs State of Andhra Pradesh case which had held that no sub-classification of Dissenting judgement Scheduled Castes (SCs) can be allowed as they are a homogeneous class in themselves. "The State in exercise of its power under Articles 15 (nondiscrimination against any citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth) and 16 (equality of opportunity in public employment) of the Constitution is free to identify the different degrees of social backwardness and provide special provisions (such as reservation) to achieve the specific degree of harm identified," held the CJI in his 140-page judgement. "Historical and empirical evidence demonstrates that the SCs are a socially heterogeneous class. Thus, the state in exercise of the power under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) can Flood situation continues to be grim in Jabalpur division Canal breached in Rewa; youth drowns in Son river Our Staff Reporter fp Briefs LATEHAR 5 Kawarias electrocuted Five Kanwar Yatra pilgrims, including two minors, were electrocuted to death in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Thursday morning when their vehicle came into contact with a high-tension overhead wire, police said. CHENNAI Fisherman dead in Lankan vessel hit A fisherman from Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram died and another went missing when their boat capsized mid-sea when a Sri Lankan Navy ship collided with it, a senior official said here on Thursday. THANE Teen spends 4 days with mom’s body A 14-year-old boy spent four days with his mother's body in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Thursday. The 44-year-old woman died in their flat at a housing complex in the Kalyan area and the matter came to light after neighbours complained of a foul smell on the premises. RAINFALL IN LAST 24 HOURS BHOPAL Places Katni (Slimnabad) Mandla (Bichhia) Shivpuri (Pichhore) Dindori (Amarpur) Gwalior (Ghatigaon) Morena (Jaura) Jabalpur (Sihora) Sheopur Kalan (Baroda) Ashoknagar (Chanderi) Vidisha (Kurwai) Flood-like situation continued to be grim in Jabalpur division on Thursday after water-level of Narmada River continues to be high. Today, some villagers had gone to take part in a bhandara but a woman was trapped in flood at Budner River at Naigaon village in district. SDRF team rescued her. Just a couple of days back, gates of Bargi dam gates were also opened. Similarly, in Rewa district, mini Bansagar canal was damaged on intervening night of Wednesday-Thursday, damag- Rainfall(mm) - 173.2 mm 167.2 mm - 117 mm - 115.3 mm 112.1 mm - 109 mm 107 mm - 105 mm 95 mm 92.4 mm ing kucha houses Ramgarwa village panchayat. In Umaria, a youth drown in Son River. SDRF team has been pressed into service to fish out body. Four youths had gone for bathing in Chintgaon village. Devotees stuck at Kedarnath Biswajeet Banerjee DEHRA DUN The journey to Kedarnath in Uttarakhand has been halted following a devastating cloudburst that caused massive destruction along the footpath leading to the shrine, following which a high alert has been issued in the valley area. Stranded devotees are being evacuated from the route since morning. Some were also airlifted by helicopter. A 30-metre stretch of the Taptkund-Kedarnath walking route has been washed away and 200 devotees have been sheltered in a GMVN guest house and police post. The Mandakini tiver's water level has risen above the danger mark due to the cloudburst. The regional weather office has issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall across seven districts in Uttarakhand for the next 24 hours. The affected districts include Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Champawat. 4Continued on | P6 4Continued on | P6 Sindhu’s medal dream ends PTI FP NEWS SERVICE BEIJING China thanks Indian navy Female boxer Angela (in blue) in tears after defeat Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who had previously been banned from competing, having been deemed a ‘biological male’, was accepted as a female at the Paris Olympics; ‘she’ made short work of an Italian woman boxer, Angela Carini, in one of the most controversial Olympic bouts ever. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that Israel had provided the grounds for "harsh punishment for itself" and it was Tehran's duty to avenge Ismail Haniyeh's death. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has ordered a "direct attack" on Israel in retaliation for the killing of top Hamas's leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, The New York Times reported. the two Hamas military officials were together in the building that was hit with several heavy munitions, according to The Times of Israel report. Israeli fighter jets had patrolled the building for half a day before conducting the strike after the IDF had early indications that Deif was with Samaleh. The two jets were in the air above the site. After the military received confirmation that Deif had arrived at the compound, the jets were given the order to target, which was conducted within just a few minutes. 1st generation State must evolve a policy to identify creamy layer among the SC/ST category and take them out of the fold of reservation. This is the only way to gain true equality. Reservation should be meant for only the first generation among a category and if the second generation has come up then benefits shall not be given. further classify the SCs if (a) there is a rational principle for differentiation; and (b) the rational principle has a nexus with the purpose of sub-classification," the CJI held. No anticipatory bail for Puja Ladli Behnas to get Rs 1,500 on August 10, promises CM NEW DELHI A Delhi court on Thursday denied anticipatory bail to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar who has been accused of cheating and wrongly availing of OBC and PwD (person with disabilities) quota benefits. Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala said Delhi Police "must also investigate if anyone from inside the UPSC helped Khedkar". The judge also widened the probe and directed Delhi Police to investigate if other persons have availed of benefits under OBC without entitlement. During the proceeding, the prosecution as well as the counsel appearing for the UPSC had opposed the application, claiming that she has "cheated the system". 4Continued on | P6 FP News Service BHOPAL/SATNA/SINGRAULI Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said Rs 1,500 will be transferred to the accounts of Ladli Behnas on August 10. Out of Rs 1,500, Rs 1,250 is part of Ladli Behna Yojna and an additional amount of Rs 250 will be given as Rakshabandhan gift, Yadav said. The government will also give a financial aid of Rs 450 to refill the gas cylinders to those who women who are getting the benefits of Ladli Behna Yojna and Ujjwala Yojna. He made the statement at the in- CM with Ladli Behnas auguration of Ladli Behna Utsav in Chitrakoot on Thursday. Rakshabandhan will be celebrated on August 19, but it will be solemnised throughout the month of Shravan, he said. The function has been organised in every district to get the blessings of Ladli Behnas, Yadav said. HC rejects Muslim side's petition on Mathura temple-mosque dispute The Allahabad High Court on Thursday ruled that the trial in 18 cases relating to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura can continue, dismissing a petition filed by the mosque committee that challenged the maintainability of these suits. Justice Mayank Kumar Jain had on June 6 reserved his judgment on the plea moved by the Muslim side on maintainability of the suits. The court has now fixed August 12 as the date for framing of is- 4Continued on | P6 Additional Rs 250 for Rakhi PRAYAGRAJ PV Sindhu's hopes of winning a third Olympic medal lay in tatters as she made a shock exit from the Paris Games with a straight-game loss against China's world number six He Bingjiao in the women's singles pre-quarterfinals here on Thursday. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Thursday announced that Hamas military wing c o m mander M o hammed Deif had b e e n killed in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip on July 13. In a post on X, IDF stated, "We can now confirm: Mohammed Deif was eliminated." https://x.com/IDF/status/181892 6099432161437 The Israeli military said that it obtained intelligence confirming his death in the past few hours. Deif was targeted in a strike at Hamas' Khan Younis Brigade commander Rafa'a Salameh's compound in Khan Younis area on July 13, The Times of Israel reported. A day later, the IDF confirmed the death of Salameh. However, it did not have final information on Deif. The IDF believed that its intelligence indicated that Deif visiting the compound belonging to Salameh was highly accurate and Khamenei orders attack on Israel Creamy layer PTI PARIS ANI TEL AVIV sues. The suits filed by Hindu litigants seek "removal" of the Shahi Idgah mosque adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple. The petitions claim that the Aurangazeb-era mosque was built after the demolition of a temple that marked the spot where Lord Krishna was born. But the mosque management committee and the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board argued that the suits were barred under Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 that prohibits changing the status of any place of worship from what it was on the day of the country's Independence. Hindu side counsel Vishnu Shankar Jain told reporters that with the dismissal of the plea challenging maintainability, the high court will continue to hear all the cases. At the function, the Ladli Behnas presented a 30-footlong Rakhi to Yadav. Chitrakoot is the place where Lord Ram and Nanaji Deshmukh did penance, he said, adding that efforts are being made to develop Chitrakoot on the pattern of Ayodhya. 4Continued on | P6 25 cops face music for not joining police band Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Around 25 police personnel were suspended across the state for not joining the ‘police band party’. The resentment against the band was so intense that while some have been suspended, some had filed petition in the court seeking exemption from the band party. 4Continued on | P6 baja baj gaya Gone in 46 seconds: A boxing gender-bender PARIS China on Thursday conveyed its "heartfelt appreciation" to the Indian Navy for rescuing a critically injured Chinese mariner from a cargo ship off the Mumbai coast and providing him with timely medical treatment. Rescued by SDRF Akhilesh Sen, 17, who was among them drowned. Jabalpur district administration has also sent SDRF team for the rescue operation. Justice Trivedi, in her 85-page dissenting judgement, said it is only Parliament which can include a caste in the SC list or exclude it, and states are not empowered to tinker with it. The SCs, she ruled, are a "homogeneous class" incapable of being sub-classified further. "The States have no legislative competence to enact the law for providing reservation or giving preferential treatment to a particular caste/castes by dividing/sub-dividing/sub-classifying or regrouping the castes, races or tribes enumerated as the 'SCs' in the notification under Article 341. Hamas military leader killed, claims Israel The fight took 46 seconds in which the Algerian delivered four big punches and several smaller ones that had blood spatter onto the Italian’s shorts; the latter threw her helmet onto the floor as she collapsed on her knees and broke into tears. Disgusted, she abandoned her fight and refused the customary handshake. With that, Khelif advanced to the quarterfinals of the women’s 66kg category.  The bout drew the ire of Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who said the fight was “not on an equal footing”. “Athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women’s competitions. And not because you want to discriminate against someone, but to protect the right of female athletes to be able to compete on equal terms,” she pointed out. Harry Potter author JK Rowling lost no time in dubbing the contest as an ‘insanity’. Posting a video of the fight, the author said: “Watch this (whole thread), then explain why you’re OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment. This isn’t sport. From the bullying cheat in red all the way up to the organisers who allowed this to happen, this is men revelling in their power over women.” The gender controversy erupted last year, when the Algerian was disqualified from the World Championships in Delhi after ‘she’ was on track to win a medal but failed an eligibility test. The IOC website for accredited media in Paris said the 25year-old Khelif was disqualified after “elevated levels of testosterone failed to meet the eligibility criteria”. On December 18, 2023, a circular was issued by the Police Headquarter, Bhopal in which a team of Police Band was made part of each battalion. Policemen from the rank of constable to ASI (upto 45 years) were to be part of the band and those interested had to give written consent. However, not many appeared to be interested and the senior officials made a list on their own without taking the consent of the police personnel. 4Continued on | P6