FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 15 No. 32 | BHOPAL | WEDNESDAY | JULY 16, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Shubhanshu Shukla’s father Shambhu Dayal & mother Asha get emotional ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN WORLD PUNE INDORE NASHIK n Asha Shukla, Cinema No sequels for RGV P.14 SHUBHANSHU’S STELLAR RETURN Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla greets as he reaches Earth with other crew members of the mission aboard the Dragon spacecraft Shubhanshu Shukla’s mother PTI join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space is role in piloting of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station has created a new milestone for India's space exploration as well as for international collaboration in science and technology n PM Narendra Modi NEW DELHI n Mohan Yadav, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister I fp Briefs NEW DELHI St Stephen’s College gets bomb threat St Stephen's College and St Thomas School here received bomb threats through email on Tuesday, prompting authorities to launch a thorough search operation, with officials saying nothing suspicious has been found so far. Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said St Stephen's College reported that they received the bomb threat at 7:15 am. H With waves and smiles, Shubhanshu Shukla returned to Earth on Tuesday after an 18-day stay on the International Space Station, a feat that holds the promise to herald India's own human spaceflight ambitions. The Lucknow-born Shukla and three other astronauts of n Droupadi Murmu, President hukla's achievement will be a source of inspiration for countless youth not only in India but also in the world S SEIAA ISSUE Kothari, Uma set to go n Sibi may be shifted from CMO, n Order will be issued after CM’s return from foreign tour Nitendra Sharma BHOPAL Principal Secretary of Environment Navneet Kothari, member secretary of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), and executive director of Environment Planning Coordination Organisation (EPCO) Uma Maheshwari are set to go after the incident in which the SEIAA chairman’s office was locked. Both Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Chief Secretary Anurag Jain are angry after the incident. After Yadav returns from a foreign trip, an order will be issued, transferring Kothari and Maheshwari. Jain is also out of the state capital. The bitter wrangling in SEIAA has put the state government to shame. The issue has snowballed into a major problem after Kothari approved the deemed permission. When Maheshwari was on leave, Shriman Shukla signed the permission. After Maheshwari returned from leave, a cold war between Maheshwari and Chouhan was on. The government has decided to remove both the of- ficers from the department. Along with this, there will be changes in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. Sibi Chakravarty is also set to go from the CM’s secretariat. Chakravarty may be posted to some other place. After Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Neeraj Mandloi was shifted to the CM’s Secretariat, the government appointed Alok Singh as secretary and Vikas Mishra as deputy secretary. Another officer may be shifted to CM’s Secretariat in place of Chakravarty. 4Continued on | P8 E-paper Edit Misplaced J&K priorities P.6 Heavy rains, flash floods sweep across US North BACK TO EARTH, BOUND FOR HISTORY | Shukla is the 2nd Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma's 1984 sojourn Excitement is endless, we are very proud. I’m feeling very happy that my child is finally coming back after so many days. He told me yesterday it would be his last call from space, and that he was packing to leave. I just kept praying for his safe return. The next generation should take inspiration from him and move ahead MUMBAI the private Axiom-4 mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the San Diego coast in California in the pre-dawn darkness at 2:31 am Pacific Time (3:01 pm IST) amid cheers from the citizens of India, literally on the other side of the world. Shukla, a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, became the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma's 1984 sojourn as part of a Soviet Russian mission. He also scripted history by becoming the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station with the longest stint -- 20 days -- in orbit around the Earth. For India, Hungary and Poland, this mission has realised the return to human spaceflight, with astronauts from these countries travelling to space for the first time in more than 40 years. 4Continued on | P8 Cartoons on PM, RSS: SC grants protection to cartoonist PTI NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted protection from coercive action to a cartoonist accused of sharing online objectionable content on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS workers. The top court also expressed anguish over increasing objectionable posts on social media and underscored the need to pass a judicial order to curb the malaise. 4Continued on | P8 Execution of Indian nurse in Yemen postponed PTI NEW DELHI The execution of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse on death row in Yemen, has been postponed by Yemeni authorities, government sources said on Tuesday. Priya's death sentence was scheduled to be carried out on Wednesday. The nurse, hailing from Kollengode in Kerala's Palakkad district, has been found guilty of murdering a Yemeni citizen in July, 2017. It has been learnt that the local authorities in Yemen have postponed the execution scheduled for July 16, the sources said. The government of India has made concerted efforts in recent days to seek more time for Priya's family to reach a "mutually agreeable" solution with the other party, they said. In 2020, a Yemeni court handed her the death sentence and the country's Supreme Judicial Council dismissed her appeal in November 2023. The 38-year-old nurse is currently lodged in a jail in Sana'a, the Yemeni capital city that is under the control of Iran-backed Houthis. The sources said the government of India has been rendering all possible assistance in the case since beginning. 4Continued on | P8 Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai are among the world's top 130 cities for students with the national capital being ranked as the most affordable city globally for students, according to QS rankings announced on Tuesday. All four Indian metropolises featured in the 2026 QS Best Student Cities ranking Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai - have improved their positions, reflecting growing momentum in India's higher education appeal. According to prestigious rankings announced by London-based QS, Mumbai has re-entered the global top 100, rising 15 places to secure the 98th position. 4Continued on | P8 Royal Rendezvous Britain’s King Charles III meets members of the India men's Test team Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and captain Shubman Gill during an audience in the gardens of Clarence House, London on Tuesday AP/PTI Pregnant woman gang-raped, thrown into 300-foot gorge, 2 held FP News Service KATNI A pregnant woman was allegedly gang-raped and thrown into a 300-foot-deep gorge in Katni, police said on Tuesday. Luckily, she survived. Police have arrested both accused Pawan Burman and his cousin, Nigam Raikwar, for the crime. According to reports, the victim was in a relationship with Pawan Burman. He ex- ploited her sexually by promising marriage, and she became pregnant. When she informed Pawan, he began pressuring her to have an abortion. From ancient philosopher Acharya Kanad's concept of atoms ('parmanu') to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) missions, the new Class 8 Science textbook called 'Curiosity' by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has mapped legacy of bridging traditional Indian knowledge with contemporary science. "This integration of traditional knowledge with modern scientific education is intended to develop curiosity, environmental awareness, ethical values and critical thinking," the foreword of the book notes. "Long before modern vaccines, India had a traditional method called variolation to protect against smallpox," reads a section titled 'Our Scientific Heritage' in the chapter 'Health: The Ultimate Treasure'. Variolation is a practice that predates Edward Jenner's work on vaccination. The chapter also features an 'Ever Heard Of?' section he grouping should improve mechanisms to respond to security threats and challenges, and build a solid security barrier. Over the past 24 years since its founding, the SCO has always upheld the Shanghai Spirit, grown into a mature and robust organisation, and demonstrated strong vitality T n Xi Jinping, Chinese President PTI ment is frequent. Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Shukla held a meeting with officials of the department and issued instructions that a committee consisting of the collector, SP, and executive engineer of PWD should be set up in every district. The committee members should identify places where helipads can be set up. Other than government lands, efforts will also be made to set up helicopters in private places. The work may start from the super corridor in Indore. Making a helicopter land on buildings on the pattern of metro cities may begin from Indore. Along with this, helipads will be set up on large areas. The Delhi High Court on Tuesday reserved its order on activist Medha Patkar's plea against her punishment in a defamation case filed by Delhi LG V K Saxena. Justice Shalinder Kaur allowed the parties to file written submissions by July 18. Saxena filed the case 23 years ago when he was heading an NGO in Gujarat. While Patkar was represented by senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, advocate Gajinder Kumar argued on behalf of Saxena. The 70-year-old Narmada Bachao Andolan leader challenged the April 2 sessions court order upholding her conviction handed out by a magisterial court in the case. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 HELLO! MUSK’S TESLA MAKES INDIA ENTRY FP Online T 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 With ‘Curiosity’, NCERT maps legacy PTI 2 teachers, their friend held for raping college student spotlighting India's recent contributions to global health. "Indian vaccine companies played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to support the global health efforts," it says, linking ancient practices to modern advancements. from ‘Parmanu’ to ISRO... NEW DELHI More than one helipad will be constructed in the big cities in the state. Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior, and Jabalpur have been identified for it. The Chief Minister and other VIPs are required to go to the airport or any other state hangar. But VIP movements on the road cause traffic gridlocks, and it takes a lot of time to reach the destination. This is the reason that the aviation department has decided to set up more helipads in the cities where VIP move- wo lecturers from a private college and their friend have been arrested in Bengaluru's Moodabidri for allegedly raping a college student on multiple occasions and blackmailing her with videos and photos. According to reports, the incident came to light after the accused blackmailed the victim and demanded further sexual favours. Unable to endure the abuse, the student confided in her parents, who then approached the Karnataka Women's Commission. The accused have been identified as Narendra, a Physics lecturer; Sandeep, a Biology lecturer; and their friend Anoop. Both lecturers were employed at the same college where the victim was a student. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 EAM S Jaishankar during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in Beijing Helipads will be built with cement and concrete in dist headquarters Our Staff Reporter PTI The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) needs to remain true to its founding objective of combating terrorism and extremism and take an "uncompromising" position on combating the challenges, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at a conclave of the grouping on Tuesday while strongly justifying India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack. With his counterparts from Pakistan, China and other SCO member nations listening, Jaishankar said the Pahalgam attack was "deliberately conducted" to undermine the tourism economy of Jammu and Kashmir and sow a religious divide, asserting that India will remain firm in its response to confront terrorism. In an address at the SCO foreign ministers meeting in this Chinese city, Jaishankar said India will continue to positively approach new ideas and proposals, asserting that such cooperation must be based on "mutual respect", "sovereign equality" and in accordance with "territorial integrity and sovereignty" of member states. NEW DELHI BHOPAL NEW DELHI PTI TIANJIN LG defamation case: HC reserves order on Medha's plea against conviction Veteran actor Dheeraj Kumar dies Veteran actor-producer Dheeraj Kumar, known for starring in Manoj Kumar's "Roti Kapda Aur Makaan" and producing hit television shows "Om Namah Shivay" and "Adalat", has passed away at a hospital here, a family friend said on Tuesday. He was 79. Kumar was suffering from acute pneumonia and was admitted to an intensive care unit of the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. Pahalgam attack was ‘deliberately conducted’: EAM More than 1 helipad to be constructed in Indore, Ujjain, Bhopal MUMBAI Delhi, Mumbai, B’luru, Chennai world's top 130 cities for students SCO MEET Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attends the inauguration of India’s first Tesla Experience Centre, in Mumbai on Tuesday PTI MUMBAI Global EV giant Tesla on Tuesday made its muchawaited entry into India, launching its Model Y with price starting at Rs 59.89 lakh while opening its first experience centre here. Tesla, led by American tech billionaire Elon Musk who had in the past cited India's high import tariffs for the company not entering the country earlier, will be importing the Model Y as a completely built unit (CBU), from its Shanghai manufacturing facility in China. The mid-sized electric SUV Model Y, which was once the world's best-selling car, will be offered in India in two variants -- rear-wheel drive with base price at Rs 59.89 lakh and long-range rear wheel drive at a base price of Rs 67.89 lakh. 4Continued on | P8