FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 14 No. 304 | BHOPAL | FRIDAY | APRIL 18, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY Sports Neeraj begins season with a bang P.13 fp ESTD-1983 Fitch cuts India growth estimates by 10 bps to 6.4% UJJAIN PUNE INDORE NASHIK NAGPUR HC notice to Fadnavis The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Thursday issued notice to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a poll petition challenging his 2024 win from the Nagpur South West assembly seat. The poll petition was filed in January by Congress' Prafulla Vinodrao Gudadhe, who had lost to Fadnavis by a margin of 39,710 votes. In the plea, Gudadhe alleged procedural lapses and corrupt practices and had sought that the HC declare Fadnavis' win "null and void". Cinema Darr 2 on the cards? P.14 NEW DELHI SC relief to sacked teachers In a major relief, the Supreme Court on Thursday extended till December 31 the services of terminated teachers found untainted by the CBI. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar considered West Bengal's submissions that the terminations adversely impacted teaching in various state-run and aided schools. The order came on the pleas of the state government, which moved court after the April 3 verdict. The top court judgment invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and staffers in various schools, calling the entire selection process "vitiated and tainted". BIJAPUR 22 Naxalites arrested Twenty two Naxalites have been arrested and explosive materials seized from them at three places in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said on Thursday. Seven lower rung cadres were apprehended on Tuesday from a forest near Tekmetla village under Usoor police station area, when a joint team of the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action- an elite unit of CRPF) and local police was out on an area domination operation, an official said. ‘No waqf appointments, status quo for now’ PTI The Centre on Thursday assured the Supreme Court that it will neither denotify waqf properties, including "waqf by user", nor make any appointments to the central waqf council and boards till May 5. The assurance of solicitor general Tushar Mehta came when he informed a bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan that the waqf law was passed by Parliament with "due deliberations" and it should not be stayed without hearing the government. The Centre also strongly opposed the apex court's proposal to pass an interim order against the denotification of waqf properties, including 'waqf by user', aside from staying a provision allowing the inclusion of non-Muslims in the central waqf councils and boards. "During the course of hearing, the solicitor general states Today in IPL that the respondent (Union of India) would like to put in a short response within seven days. He further states and assures that till the next date of hearing, no appointments will be made to the council and boards under sections 9 and 14 (of the Act)," the bench said. The bench noted Mehta, appearing for the Centre, has also said that till the next date of hearing, waqf properties, including 'waqf by user' already registered or declared by way of notification, shall not be disturbed and denotified. The bench then granted a week's time to the Centre to file a preliminary response to the pleas challenging the Sarang corners Singh; Cong leader comes in support of ex-CM Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, known for creating controversy with his statements, has again kicked up a row. During a protest in Shajapur against ED charge sheets in connection with the National Herald case, Singh said when Babri Mosque became a martyr, he was the MPCC presi- dent. Bhopal did not see such riots even in 1947 as it did after the fall of Babri Mosque. He said he had spent two weeks in the state party office. When he was saying this, his tongue slipped. Instead of saying he had stopped riots, Singh said he had let it happen. GMC nursing college principal removed Our staff reporter As many as 70 officials were served a departmental charge sheet in the nursing scam on Thursday. These officers were assigned the inspection of nursing colleges and have been given 15 days’ time to NURSING COLLEGE SCAM reply. Nursing officers, doctors, and SDMs were in the team. However, SDMs are not mentioned in the charge sheet.  Nursing college principal, Gandhi Medical College (GMC), Radhika Nayar has been removed. Earlier, notices were served to the former principal of GMC’s nursing Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to resume soon PTI NEW DELHI India on Thursday said there is a possibility of resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra soon and preparations for it are underway. India and China have been looking at resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra as part of efforts to improve ties after the two countries completed disengagement of troops at the two remaining friction points of Demchok and Depsang under the framework of a pact sealed in October last year. 4Continued on | P8 MATCH NO. 34 RCB Vs PBKS BENGALURU; 7.30 PM (DETAIL ON SPORTS PAGE) validity of the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 and posted the matter on May 5. "If your lordships will say something about 'waqf by user', what will be the fallout?" Mehta said. He added, "We, as a government, and Parliament, are answerable to the people." The CJI said if the registration of any waqf property had taken place under the erstwhile 1995 Act, then those properties can't be denotified till further hearing. The apex court, while hearing the matter on Wednesday, proposed to stay certain key provisions of the Act, includ- When minister Vishvas Sarang shared a video of Singh’s statement on social media, he wrote it indicated that Singh had engineered riots after the fall of Babri Mosque. Nothing can be more objectionable than the way Singh said Babri Mosque was a martyr. What lies in Singh’s heart comes to his lips, Sarang said. Congress leader KK Mishra and senior journalist Lajja Shankar Herdenia came in support of Singh. Both of them said Sarang’s statement was wrong. Herdenia said Singh was trying to stop riots. ing the power to denotify properties declared as waqf by courts and inclusion of nonMuslims in central waqf council and boards. On Thursday, Mehta asked whether the court might consider staying, directly or indirectly, the Act based upon some prima facie or tentative reading of some of the sections. "If your lordships are going to stay a statutory provision," Mehta said, "it by itself is rare. We will have to take your lordships to the history of legislation, followed by amendment". college, Rosy Shahul, DrJitendra Mahaver, Dr Harisingh Makwana, Dr Sandeep Kumar, Dr Virendra Kumar, Rajani Nair, PriadarshaniDeharia. But so far, no action has been taken against them. The then health commissioner had served 110 officials, and now, charge sheets have been given to only 70 officials. In February 2024, the CBI had submitted a list of 308 nursing colleges, divided into three categories: suitable, defi- Judiciary can’t direct Prez, act as super Parliament: Veep PTI NEW DELHI Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday questioned the judiciary setting a timeline for the president to take decisions and act as a "super Parliament", saying the Supreme Court cannot fire a "nuclear missile" at democratic forces. Dhankhar's strong words to the judiciary came during his speech to Rajya Sabha interns, days after the Supreme Court sought to fix a timeline for the president to grant assent to the bills reserved for her consideration by the governor. "So, we have judges who will legislate, who will perform SHAH VOWS TO END NAXALISM BY MARCH 2026 Cheetahs coming to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary FP News Service Union Home Minister Amit Shah honours 2,264 CRPF martyrs and their families' contribution to India's progress FP News Service cient, and unsuitable, to the high court. Of these, 66 colleges werecategorised as unsuitable, 132 as suitable, 37 as suitable with minor deficiency, and 73 as deficient. Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr A.K. Shrivastava said, “The inspection team consisting of nursing staff, doctors, and SDMs was assigned the task of inspection of nursing colleges. 4Continued on | P8 PTI The Donald Trump administration has threatened to revoke Harvard University's eligibility to enrol international students if it doesn't submit detailed records of its foreign student's "illegal and violent activities". D epartment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday wrote a "scathing letter" demanding detailed records on Harvard's foreign student visa holders' illegal and violent ac- NEEMUCH Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Naxalism, which is confined to just four districts in India, will be eliminated by March 31, 2026, and the CRPF is the "backbone" of this mission. Shah added that he is confident of victory wherever the CRPF is deployed. Shah was speaking at Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) 86th Raising Day function as the chief guest in Neemuch on Thursday. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was also present. He said the CRPF's contribution to national security is unparalleled, whether it is PTI MUMBAI Maharashtra Government has decided that Hindi as a third language will be mandatory for students in classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools tivities by April 30, or face immediate loss of Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) certification, a DHS news release said. "Harvard bending the knee to antisemitism - driven by its spineless leadership fuels a cesspool of extremist riots and threatens our national security,” Noem said. ‘Strongest evidence’ of life outside Solar system PTI Hints of molecules known to be produced by marine organisms have been detected on an exoplanet, providing "the strongest evidence yet" of life outside the Solar System, researchers have said, cautioning that more data is needed. 'K2-18 b' is an exoplanet over 8.5 times as massive as Earth, where previously molecules containing carbon, such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), have been found. The exoplanet lies 120 light-years from Earth and orbits the star 'K2-18'. In this study, the researchers, led by those from the University of Cambridge, UK, analysed data recorded An artists impression shows the K2-18b super-Earth phide' -- known to be produced on Earth by microbes, such as a marine phytoplankton. The molecules provide "the strongest evidence yet that life may exist on a planet outside our solar system", even as how they formed on K2-18 b remain unknown, the team said in a statement. by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and found 4Continued on | P8 fingerprints of 'dimethyl sulphide' and 'dimethyl disul- 5-year-old girl burned to death in hut fire Cause of fire not known, further probe is on: Cops fighting terrorists in the Kashmir valley, or ensuring peace in the Northeast. Highlighting contributions of CRPF, Shah further said, "2,264 among you have sacrificed their lives. I want to say to families of all the martyrs that as the nation moves forward towards becoming the supreme power by 2047, your families' contribution is immense." Shah commenced the event by honouring the fallen soldiers at the Shaheed Sthal (Martyrs’ Memorial). Following this solemn tribute, he reviewed the ceremonial parade from an open jeep. 4Continued on | P8 A 5-year-old girl was burned to death after a fire broke out in a hut in Bhitarwar area on Wednesday night, a police official said. As per reports, the incident occurred in Gajna Bajna area, under the jurisdiction of the Belgadha police station, where the hut was completely engulfed in flames. Despite the valiant efforts of local residents who attempted to extinguish the fire, they were unable to control it in time. Emergency services were alerted and police and administration officials were notified. SDOP Jitendra Nagaich and Belgadha police station in-charge Ajay Sikarwar rushed to the spot in hopes of rescuing the trapped child. Unfortunately, by the time rescuers reached her, the young girl had succumbed to severe burns and smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire was immediately not known and further probe is on to ascertain cause of fire, officials said. Hindi mandatory 3rd language in Maha offgrid NEW DELHI 4Continued on | P8 FP News Service NEEMUCH Mandsaur's Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary will soon become the second home for cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav scheduled to participate in a special release programme on April 20. This development follows the successful introduction of cheetahs at Kuno Sanctuary, where increasing numbers have demonstrated that Madhya Pradesh provides a favourable environment for these magnificent cats. Pg-4 Article 142 of the Constitution gives the Supreme Court the power to issue orders that ensure "complete justice" in any matter before it. This power is also known as the Supreme Court's "plenary power". "There is a directive to the president by a recent judgment. Where are we heading? "What is happening in the country? We have to be extremely sensitive. It is not a question of someone filing a review or not. We never bargained for democracy for this day. President being called upon to decide in a timebound manner, and if not, becomes law," Dhankhar said. DATIYA Comply or lose foreign students: Trump admin threatens Harvard NEW YORK executive functions, who will act as super Parliament and absolutely have no accountability because the law of the land does not apply to them," Dhankhar said. The vice president also described Article 142, which grants plenary powers to the Supreme Court, as a "nuclear missile against democratic forces available to the judiciary 24x7". "Article 142 has become a nuclear missile against democratic forces (and) available to (the) judiciary 24x7," he said. 4Continued on | P8 Officers, docs among 70 served charge sheet BHOPAL How would Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray react to the current-day politics and Eknath Shinde's Sena? Uddhav Thackeray's faction of Shiv Sena has tried to answer that question, with an AIgenerated voice of the Sena founder. The audio clip, played at a Sena (UBT) gathering in Nashik yesterday, was also done with an eye to shoring up the party's prospects after the assembly polls debacle. The 13-minute speech attacked the BJP and the Shiv Sena faction under Shinde. The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to examine the question if Muslims can be governed by secular Indian succession law to deal with their ancestral and self-acquired properties instead of Shariat without renouncing their faith. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar took note of a plea filed by Naushad K K, who hails from Kerala's Thrissur Digvijaya calls fall of Babri Mosque as ‘martyr’, his tongue slips on riots MUMBAI AI Bal Thackeray attacks Shinde Can Muslims be governed by succession law? SC to examine NEW DELHI E-paper Edit Bigotry under the surface P.6 WAQF CASE | Top court grants Centre 7 days to reply to pleas Briefs MUMBAI across the state, in a departure from the practice of studying two languages. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray slammed the move, adding his party will oppose the decision vehemently and ensure that it is not imple- mented. The three-language formula for classes 1 to 5 is a part of the new curriculum implementation under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. 4Continued on | P8 India slams Pak Army Chief's Kashmir ‘jugular vein’ remark IANS NEW DELHI Hitting out strongly at Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir for referring Kashmir as Islamabad's "jugular vein", India on Thursday reminded Pakistan yet again that it continues to illegally occupy the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which it must vacate. "See, how can anything foreign be their jugular vein? This is a Union Territory of India. Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacation of illegallyoccupied territories by that country," said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) at a regular media briefing on Thursday. Addressing a Convention for Overseas Pakistanis, Munir had urged the gathering to not forget that they belong to a "superior ideology and culture". "You should definitely tell Pakistan's story to your children. Our forefathers thought that we are different from the Hindus in every aspect of life. Our religions, our customs, traditions, thoughts and ambitions are different. That was the foundation of the two-nation theory that was laid," he said. "Our stance is absolutely clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, we will not forget it," the Pakistani General added. 4Continued on | P8