FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 18 | BHOPAL | WEDNESDAY | JULY 2, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports Tanvi Sharma: Teen Titan takes over world P.14 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL WORLD PM Paetongtarn suspended over a leaked phone call UJJAIN PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Poor face exit from ballot box P.6 Cinema Shefali was ahead of her time P.16 India, US may sign interim trade deal this week IANS NEW DELHI India is on course to finalise an interim trade agreement with the US as early as this week to escape the tariff hike on its exports proposed by President Donald Trump, according to a report in the Financial Times. India's negotiating team, led by Special Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, is engaged in high-level talks in Washington to conclude the bilateral trade agreement. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to hold one- on-one talks with his US counterpart Marco Rubio on Tuesday or Wednesday on the sidelines of a meeting in Washington, the report stated. The interim trade deal would be an initial step towards a comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement between Indian and the US. Indian and US negotiators are aiming to finalise an interim trade deal ahead of the July 9 deadline that has been fixed by US President Donald Trump for the 90-day pause on new tariffs that were to be levied on Indian products. Misleading to make India-US relations about China: EAM External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that it is a "very gross oversimplification" and "even misleading at times" to make the India-US relationship about China. Jaishankar was responding to a question on how much of the India-US relationship is defined by its stance on China. "I think it's a very gross oversimplification to make India-US about China. In fact, it's not just an oversimplification. I think it's even misleading at times," Jaishankar said on Monday during a conversation with Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad at the publication's headquarters at One World Trade Centre near the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan Negotiations are expected to continue after that for a bigger trade deal to be signed in September-Oc- tober. The US is seeking broader market access for its agricultural and dairy products, but for India, this is a livelihood issue for the country's small farmers and hence is considered a sensitive area. India may allow the import of select agricultural products, such as almonds, as these are already flowing into the country. However, as a quid pro quo, India is likely to press for improved access to the US market for seafood products like shrimp and fish, as well as spices, coffee, and rubber- segments UNANIMOUS CHOICE | A choice of CM and RSS, he is assuming office today Hemant Khandelwal BJP’s state president unopposed Our Staff Reporter HE CAME INTO POLITICS THROUGH BY-ELECTION IN 2007 BHOPAL Legislator from Betul Hemant Khandelwal will take over as the BJP’s state unit president. Khandelwal was unanimously elected to the post on Tuesday. Khandelwal filed his nominations in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Jyotiraditya Scindia and the party’s present state unit president VD Sharma. State election in charge Dharmendra Pradhan is conducting the election process.  The nominations of Khandelwal were filed in separate sets.   As, other than Khandelwal, nobody filed nominations for the post, he was elected unopposed. fp Briefs HYDERABAD Pharma unit blast toll at 36 The death toll in the explosion in a pharmaceutical unit at Pashamylaram near Hyderabad mounted to 36 on Tuesday. With some of the injured succumbing at hospitals and rescue workers recovering more bodies from debris, the death toll rose sharply since Monday. VIRUDHUNAGAR 8 die in cracker factory blast At least eight workers, including two women, were killed in a sudden blast at a firecracker manufacturing factory in Sivakasi in the district on Tuesday, police said. Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin, who condoled the accident, announced solatium to the kin of the deceased. WASHINGTON USAID officially shuts down The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) officially shut down on Tuesday, which was criticised by former US Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. Meanwhile, the USAID will be merged into the US State Department from Tuesday. emant Khandelwal is the son of former MP Vijay Khandelwal. His political career began with the Lok Sabha by-election in 2007. After his father’s death, the BJP gave him a ticket for the by-election. He was elected MLA in 2013 and 2023. Khandelwal was BJP’s district unit president and treasurer. H CM Mohan Yadav submitting nomination of Hemant Khandelwal to union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is Returning officer in election, at BJP office on Tuesday. He will officially take over on Wednesday when the present president, VD Sharma, will get a farewell. Free Press wrote several times that Khandelwal would be the BJP’s state president.  Khandelwal has been the choice of Yadav and the RSS. The names of several tribal leaders and women were doing the rounds for the post. But the central leadership finally approved Khandelwal’s name. Aspiring for ministerial berth, but becomes party’s state head tment e possible appoin s. had reported on th FP d June 28 edition ant in its Feb 1 an of Hem Hemant Khandelwal was aspiring for a ministerial berth, and his name was also doing the rounds for his induction into the cabinet. He missed the opportunity because of the caste equation. But he is lucky to have been elected the party’s state president. where Indian exporters are globally competitive but face tariff competition in the American market. India has already started buying more oil and gas from the US to reduce the trade surplus and has offered to increase these purchases. India has proposed significant tariff reductions, potentially lowering average duties from 13 per cent to 4 per cent, in exchange for exemptions from US tariff hikes imposed during the Trump administration. 4Continued on | P8 Cabinet okays Mukhyamantri Vrindavan Gram Yojana One village in each assembly constituency to be selected to boost cow rearing Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL To make villages self-reliant, the state cabinet on Tuesday approved the Mukhyamantri Vrindavan Gram Yojana. Under the scheme, one village in every assembly constituency with a minimum population of 2000 people and at least 500 cows will be selected and developed. The scheme envisages cow rearing, environment and water conservation, solar energy, development of meadows and infrastructure etc. The main aim of the scheme is to promote cow rearing and dairy development and to strengthen a self-employ- CAT blames RCB for B’luru stampede Minister says to media she is being harassed BENGALURU BHOPAL know whether an officer had the right to order an inquiry against a minister. According to sources, the state government may issue a show-cause notice to E-in-C Sanjay Andhwan seeking an explanation from him. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Tuesday observed that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru are "prima facie responsible" for the stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which led to the death of 11 people. Nearly 2.5 lakh fans thronged the MG Road and Cubbon Road areas near the stadium after RCB announced a victory parade from the Vidhana Soudha and a fan engagement programme at the stadium to celebrate the team's maiden IPL triumph. The state government has decided to give a Guard of Honour to the mortal remains of organ or bodydonors, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced on Tuesday. The family of these donors will also be felicitated at the district programme on Republic Day or Independence Day. This decision will provide a fillip to the body or organ donation ef- 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL An allegation of graft of Rs 1,000 crore against the minister of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Sampatiya Uikey, has snowballed into a serious issue. Uikey raised the matter in the cabinet on Tuesday, saying the inquiry ordered by the engineer-in-chief (E-in-C) of the department tarnished her Former legislator Kishor Samrite wrote to the Prime Minister against Sampatiya Uikey and two officers of PHED, BK Songariya and Manoj Bhaskar. The Prime Minister s Office sent the letter to the office of the Chief Secretary, which forwarded the letter to the PHED. The E-in-C of the PHED ordered an inquiry into the complaint, which raised a storm image. She demanded Chief Minister Mohan Yadav act against the E-in-C and the complainant Kishore Samrite. The ministers backed Uikey, saying ordering an inquiry into a baseless complaint was not the right thing to do. The ministers wanted to SC introduces reservation for apex court staff PTI NEW DELHI In a first, the Supreme Court has introduced a formal reservation policy for the direct appointment and promotion of its staffers belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The decision was communicated in a circular issued on June 24 to all Supreme Court employees. "As per the directions of the Competent Authority, it is to notify for the information of all concerned that the Model Reservation Roster and Register has been uploaded on the Supnet (internal email network) and it is made effective from June 23, 2025. "It is to inform further that in case of objections/representations raised by any staff member about mistakes or inaccuracies in the roster or register, they may inform about the same to the Registrar (Re- cruitment)," the circular said. As per the circular and the model roster now in effect, top court employees will receive a 15 per cent quota and ST employees a 7.5 per cent quota in promotions. According to the policy, the quota benefits will be available to registrars, senior personal assistants, assistant librarians, junior court assistants and chamber attendants. MESS FOR BC STUDENTS The cabinet also gave in principle approval to start a mess in departmental hostels of the backward class welfare department. There are 108 hostels of the department in the state with 9050 inmates. A fund of Rs 31 crore has been sanctioned for the purpose. ment-based economy. Facilities under six categories will be provided through the scheme. Reconstruction of bridges: The cabinet gave in principle approval to sanction Rs 4,572 crore for reconstruc- Our Staff Reporter The cabinet approved 1266 posts, including 202 scientist officers, for Madhya Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratories. forts, whichcan save several lives. Confirming the government's resolve, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav took to X (formerly Twitter), and said, “Giving the gift of life after death…is not just charity, it is immortality.” Dr Rakesh Bhargava, Secretary, Kiran Foundation, working in the body and organ donation domain, said that the government’s decision to felicitate organ or body donors will create a favourable atmosphere to encourage people to do the same.  AP WASHINGTON The war of words between billionaire Elon Musk and President Donald Trump over the big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts is heating up again, with Musk claiming he may form a new political party and Trump blasting the Tesla CEO over electric vehicle subsidies. The most prominent divide in the relationship between RailOne app to address passenger needs at one place Musk and Trump is the president's big bill. Musk ramped up his criticism of the bill just three days ago, arguing the legislation that Republican senators are scrambling to pass would kill jobs and bog down burgeoning industries. NEW DELHI Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched on Tuesday the RailOne mobile application, which can help passengers get easy access to multiple services such as ticket booking, train and PNR enquiry, journey planning, rail help services and passengers get easy access to the following services: Ticketing -- reserved, unre- served, platform tickets; train and PNR enquiry; journey planning; rail help services; meal booking in train," a press note from the Railway Ministry said. "Additionally, facilities for enquiry related to freight are also available," it said. Highlighting the basic objective of the app, the ministry said that it will provide a NEW DELHI: Before setting off on a five-nation, two continent tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the Union Cabinet which approved the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme with a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore to scale up research, development and innovation in strategic and sunrise domains. In other decisions, the Cabinet also gave its nod to the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme, the National Sports Policy 2025. See Nation better experience to the users, realised through a simple and clear user interface. "It not only houses all the services in one place but also provides integrated connectivity between services, giving the user a holistic package of Indian Railways services," the ministry said. 4Continued on | P8 Musk, who is also CEO of SpaceX, posted on X on Saturday that the bill would be "political suicide for the Republican Party". With the Senate working its way through a tense overnight session that dragged into Tuesday, Musk suggested he will work to get members of Congress who vote for the bill out of their seats next year. 4Continued on | P8 ‘FIR can be registered on email plaint from abroad’ KOCHI meal booking. Vaishnaw inaugurated the app, available on both Android Play Store and iOS App Store platforms, at the 40th Foundation Day celebrations of the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). "RailOne App is a onestop solution for all passenger needs. Through this app, Cabinet nod to employment linked incentive scheme War of words over big beautiful bill intensifies between Musk, Trump offgrid PTI tion of 1766 bridges from 202526 till 2029-30 under reconstruction of damaged bridges schemes. The damaged bridges will be reconstructed and will be connected with all season roads. FSL POSTS APPROVED ‘Not charity, immortality,’ MP to give guard of honour to organ donors Uikey raises allegations of graft against her in cabinet Samrite’s letter raises storm Bhopal to have National Defence University The state cabinet gave in principle consent for establishment of a National Defence University in Gandhi Nagar. For this purpose, Rs 1.5 crore per year will be provided for three years. For the permanent premises of the National Defence University, 10 acres of land from the premises of the Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV) will be transferred. Till the building of the varsity is constructed, the available building of the RGPV will be provided for the functioning of the university. The Kerala High Court has held that the police cannot refuse to register a first information report (FIR) merely because a complaint was sent via email from abroad without a signature. The high court said that the introduction of Section 173 of the BNSS 2023 has given statutory recognition to the concept of Zero FIR and therefore, the police are duty-bound to register an FIR if a complaint discloses a cognisable offence, even if the complaint is received from outside their jurisdiction or through electronic means. "Zero FIR has been introduced with the primary purpose of ensuring that victims can file complaints regardless of jurisdiction. 4Continued on | P8