FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLI No. 268 | INDORE | THURSDAY | MARCH 6, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Sports GOLDEN GOODBYE: Smith bows out of ODI after illustrious career P.12 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE MONEY India looks at many ways to navigate reciprocal tariff UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit A chaos called Trump Cinema Jennie accused of copying P.14 Rajiv Gandhi failed twice but became PM: Aiyar IANS NEW DELHI Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has stirred a fresh political storm with his sensational 'revelation' on former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, describing him as a "two-time failure" in academics, first at Cambridge and then at Imperial University. Aiyar's remarks, critical of own party's Prime Minister, has given the BJP a fresh ammunition to sharpen the attack at the grand old party. The former minister in UPA government has himself come under firing line from within the Congress party for dishing out embarrassing details about Rajiv Gandhi. A Congress leader dubbed Aiyar as the "sleeper cell of the BJP." The comments got widely circulated on the social media after BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya shared a video clip on X and posted, "Let the veil be stripped." In the clip, Aiyar is heard saying, "When he became Prime Minister, I was very surprised. I thought he is an airline pilot and failed at Cambridge. It is very difficult to fail at Cambridge because the university, to maintain its image, ensures that everyone at least passes. However, despite that, Rajiv Gandhi failed." He further added, "After that, he went to Imperial College in London and failed there as well. Then I thought, how can such a person become the Prime Minister of the country?" Responding to the controversy, Congress MP Tariq Anwar dismissed Aiyar's remarks and defended Rajiv TARIFF WAR ESCALATES | It's very unfair. India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100%, says Trump in address to Congress ‘NOW IT'S OUR TURN’ Trump criticises high tariffs by India, announces reciprocal tariffs from April 2 PTI US eyeing zero tariff on its cars NEW YORK/WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump criticised the high tariffs charged by India and other countries, terming them as "very unfair" and announced reciprocal tariffs from April 2 on nations that impose levies on American goods. Trump made these remarks in an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on Tuesday. It was the first address of his second term in the White House. On January 20, Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the US. "If you don't make your product in America, however, under the Trump administration, you will pay a tariff and in some cases, a rather large one," Trump said. "Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades and now it's our turn to start using them against those other countries. On average, the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico and Canada have you heard of them? And countless other nations charge us tremendously fp Briefs DHAKA ‘No response on Hasina extradition’ Bangladesh interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that Dhaka had sent "formal letters" to India seeking deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition but received "no official response" from New Delhi. In an interview with UK-based Sky News, Yunus said Hasina will stand trial for "crimes against humanity", the state-run BSS news agency reported. NEW DELHI Send Abu Azmi to UP: Yogi UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday strongly criticised Maharashtra Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi over his comments that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was not a "cruel administrator" and "built many temples". Azmi later withdrew the comment he made in the Maharashtra assembly. He was also suspended for the whole session. Pg8 India is resisting US demands to eliminate import duties on automobiles under a proposed trade deal between the two nations; New Delhi is reluctant to immediately bring down such duties to zero even as it considers further cuts, sources told Reuters. The issue is expected to take center stage during talks led by Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who arrived in the US this week to advance negotiations aimed at finalising a bilateral trade agreement.India currently imposes tariffs as high as 110% on imported cars higher tariffs than we charge them," Trump said. "It's very unfair. India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 per cent." In February, President Trump said that his administration would "soon" impose reciprocal tariffs on countries such as India and China, reiterating what he had said during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US capital last month. Trump has made it clear to Prime Minister Modi that India will not be spared from Washington's reciprocal tariffs and emphasised that "nobody can argue with me" on tariff structure. "China's average tariff on our products is twice what we charge them. And South Korea's average tariff is four times higher. Think of that. Four times higher. And we ‘IF US WANTS WAR, WE'RE READY’ China said that the US is using fentanyl as a "flimsy excuse" to raise tariffs on Chinese imports and "if war is what the US wants," be it tariff or trade war, Beijing is ready to "fight till the end." The statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian came as a reaction to the question posed by the New York Times on Tuesday, asking for reactions to the further increase of tariffs to 10 per cent by the US on most goods from China give so much help militarily and in so many other ways to South Korea. But that's what happens. This is happening by friend and foe," Trump said. "We've been ripped off for decades by nearly every country on earth, and we will not let that happen any longer," Trump said. Asserting that this system is "not fair to the United States" and never was, Trump said that reciprocal tariffs will kick in from April 2. "Whatever they tariff us, other countries, we will tariff them. That's reciprocal, back and forth," Trump said amid applause from Republican lawmakers. 4Continued on | P8 SC nixes Trump’s bid to freeze $2bn foreign aid FP NEWS SERVICE WASHINGTON The Supreme Court has rejected President Trump’s emergency request to freeze nearly $2 billion in foreign aid as part of his efforts to slash government spending. The Supreme Court voted 5-4 against the Trump administration’s effort, one of the court’s first responses which could impinge upon President Trump’s efforts to dramatically reshape the government. Aid programs around the world have ground to a halt due to the sweeping funding freeze and review of billions of dollars of assistance. 4Continued on | P8 Gandhi's legacy. "Failing is not a big deal; even the best people fail sometimes. But he did not fail in politics. As Prime Minister, he was highly successful," Anwar told IANS. Highlighting Rajiv Gandhi's contributions, he added, "He introduced Panchayati Raj, brought IT revolution, improved communication, and promoted scientific progress. There are very few Prime Ministers who have achieved so much in just five New Zealand have emphatically booked their place in the Champions Trophy 2025 final defeating South Africa by 50 runs in a thrilling semifinal played at Lahore’s Gadaffi Stadium. Detailed on pg 12 years." Congress national spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra however was critical of Aiyar, accusing him of repeatedly hurting the party's image. "Mani Shankar Aiyar is an influential leader and has been with Congress for a long time. But for the last several years, his statements have only damaged the party," he told IANS. 4Continued on | P8 PSC-2024 mains, PSC-2025 prelims result out Our Staff Reporter INDORE Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission on Wednesday declared state service main exam-2024 and state service preliminary exam2025 results using the 87-13 per cent formula. The 87 per cent is the main part whereas 13 per cent is the provisional part. The SSE2024, which was conducted from October 21 to October 26 for filling 110 posts, saw 306 NOW, NO CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN SCHOOLS candidates qualifying for the main part whereas 33 candidates found themselves in the provisional part. Likewise, the MPPSC selected 3827 candidates for the main part and 828 candidates for provisional part in SSE-2025 prelims conducted for filling 158 posts lying vacant in different departments. The MPPSC uses 87-13 formula for declaring results on the instructions of General Administration Department owing to ongoing legal tangle over OBC quota. The school education department has issued a directive to both government and private schools across the state, instructing them to halt corporal punishment. This move comes after a series of reported incidents in which teachers physically punished students, raising concern among parents. The Madhya Pradesh Child Rights Commission took notice of these cases and, through a letter dated February 4, urged the department to implement the ban. Corporal punishment is prohibited under the Essential Education Act of 2009, which also safeguards students from mental harassment. Violating this act is punishable under Section 323 of the IPC. The department has made it clear that any teacher or school found guilty of administering corporal punishment will face strict action. HYDERABAD: A 26-yearold student from Telangana was allegedly found dead with bullet wounds in the US, but the circumstances leading to his death were not clear, his family members said on Wednesday. G Praveen was pursuing MS in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His family was informed by US authorities on Wednesday morning (Indian time). Agencies NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Wednesday made a significant observation, stating that Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers often try to assert their superiority over Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers. This observation was made during a hearing on the misutilization of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) fund, which is meant to promote afforestation and N Chithra CHENNAI Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has intensified pressure on the Centre, calling for the 1971 Census to be the basis for delimiting Parliamentary constituencies from 2026 for the next 30 years. At an all-party meeting attended by AIADMK and others, Stalin proposed forming a Joint Action Committee (JAC) with southern states to push for these demands. Moving a resolution, Stalin insisted that if Parliament increases seats, the 1971 Census must guide the process, necessitating a Constitutional amendment. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to as- India’s billionaires count rises to 191 PTI Number of Indian high-networth individuals (HNWIs), those having assets more than USD 10 million, rose 6 per cent last year to 85,698 while billionaires count increased to 191 due to wealth creation, according to property consultant Knight Frank. On Wednesday, Knight Frank released its 'The Wealth Report 2025', which estimated the HNWI population in India at 85,698 in 2024, against 80,686 in the preceding year. The number of HNWIs is expected to rise to 93,753 by 2028, reflecting India's expanding wealth landscape, the consultant forecast. The increasing trend of the HNWI population highlights the country's strong long-term economic growth, increasing investment opportunities, and evolving luxury market, positioning India as a key player in global wealth creation. India is home to 3.7 per cent of wealthy individuals globally and currently stands at 4th position after the US (9,05,413 HNWIs), China (4,71,634 HNWIs) and Japan (1,22,119 HNWIs). Further, Knight Frank stated that India's billionaire population has also seen a strong year-on-year growth in 2024. "India is now home to 191 billionaires, of which 26 joined the ranks in just the last year, which was pegged at just 7 in 2019," the consultant said. The combined wealth of Indian billionaires is estimated at USD 950 billion, ranking the country third globally, behind the US (USD 5.7 trillion) and Mainland China (USD 1.34 trillion). "India's growing wealth underscores its economic resilience and long-term growth potential. The country is witnessing an unprecedented rise in high- Rajesh Thakur BHOPAL Lokayukta, state’s top anti-corruption watchdog, is pushing for enhanced authority, with the state government considering an amendment to the MP Lokayukt Evam Up-Lokayukt Act, 1981. The proposal aims to broaden the definition of "public servant" in the statute, enabling Lokayukta to investigate a wider array of people and institutions. Currently, the Act defines a "public servant" as ministers, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha, employees of the state government, vice-chancellors of universities and top officials of state-established companies and local authorities. However, the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1948 defines "public servant" much more expansively, including judges of the lower judiciary, employees of any institution receiving financial assistance from the government, arbitrators, liquidators, receivers and conservation of forest resources. A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih remarked that, from their experience as government pleaders and judges, IAS officers show supremacy over IFS and IPS officers. According to Justice Gavai, this tendency of IAS officers to show supremacy is a persistent issue across all states, leading to resentment among IPS and IFS officers. "In my experience as a government pleader for three years and a judge for 22 years, I can tell you IAS officers want ‘1971 census should be basis of delimitation’ offgrid NEW DELHI Govt may amend Act to give more teeth to Lokayukta Proposal sent to govt Lokayukta's proposal for amending the definition of 'Public Servant' has been forwarded to the state government for review, to determine if it can align with the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The proposed amendment could be introduced in the upcoming or future sessions of the Vidhan Sabha anyone performing public duties for government-aided organisations. If the amendment is approved, Lokayukta would be empowered to probe any person or organisation that has received government funding or aid. This change would substantially increase its scope and give it much more authority in tackling corruption across a broader spectrum of public services. SC: IAS officers want to show supremacy over IPS, IFS officers Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL T’gana student shot dead in US It is India v/s New Zealand P.6 net-worth individuals, driven by entrepreneurial dynamism, global integration, and emerging industries," Shishir Baijal, Chairman & Managing Director of Knight Frank India, said. This expansion is not just in scale but also in the evolving investment preferences of India's elite, who are diversifying across asset classes, from real estate to global equities, he added. "In the decade ahead, India's influence in global wealth creation will only strengthen," Baijal said. sure Parliament on this issue. The meeting unanimously opposed population-based delimitation, warning it threatens federalism and southern states' political representation. Tamil Nadu’s 7.18% share in Parliament, Stalin emphasized, must remain unchanged. The AIADMK-backed resolutions demanded the Centre accept Tamil Nadu’s stance and reject any move reducing the state’s 39 Lok Sabha seats. While supporting delimitation, the state insists it should not penalize regions that successfully implemented socio-economic reforms over decades. 4Continued on | P8 to show their supremacy over IPS and IFS officers... There is always a conflict in all states... There is always heartburning amongst the IPS and IFS that though they are part of the same cadre, why should the IAS treat them as superiors," said Justice Gavai. Further, the apex court expressed concern over CAMPA funds being used for non-admissible activities, such as buying iPhones and laptops, and directed the Chief Secretary of the concerned state to file an affidavit. 4Continued on | P8 Centre clears ropeway projects for Kedarnath, Hemkund Sahib IANS NEW DELHI The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the construction of two ropeway projects at a cost of Rs 6,811 crore to provide last mile connectivity to pilgrims visiting the holy temple at Kedarnath and the Gurudwara at Hemkund Sahib, both in Uttarakhand. The 12.9 km ropeway project from Sonprayag to Kedarnath will be developed on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) mode at a total capital cost of Rs. 4,081.28 crore, according to the official statement issued after the CCEA meeting. 4Continued on | P8 Court to hear plea over temple claim on April 28 PTI SAMBHAL A district court on Wednesday fixed April 28 for hearing a plea claiming that the Shahi Jama mosque here was originally a Harihar Temple. When the matter came up before Civil Judge (Senior Division) Aditya Singh, the matter was deferred to April 28. The petition was initially filed in another court on November 19, 2023. A lawyer representing the Hindu side said the respondent was supposed to submit its written statement, but did SAMBHAL MOSQUE ROW not do it. Speaking to media persons, the advocate Gopal Sharma, said, "Today, the hearing took place in the court of Aditya Singh. The next date has been set for April 28. The mosque side's lawyer was to file their written statement today, but they have not submitted it yet." He added, "We have appealed to the court to disallow any further opportunity for them to file their written statement."