FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 15 No. 67 | BHOPAL | SUNDAY | AUGUST 24, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Bist & Shafali Shine Bright in Brisbane P.16 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN WORLD PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Readers’ Corner Paradox of equality... P.6 Trump’s 2-week ultimatum again Cinema She Loves Me. She Loves Me... P.14 ‘GST REFORMS NO MORE A CHOICE, BUT NECESSITY’ By Sudip Gupta Ex-Member MP Commercial Tax Appeal Board INDORE As per the Independence Day address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ‘acche din’ (good days) are just round the corner for people of all sections of society, wherein all will have savings and get es- CBI books Anil Ambani, RCom in Rs 2,929 crore ‘bank fraud’ case PTI NEW DELHI/MUMBAI The CBI searched the Mumbai residence of Reliance Communication Ltd. (RCOM) Director Anil Ambani on Saturday after recently registering a case for allegedly defrauding the State Bank of India of Rs 2929.05 crore, officials said. Teams of CBI conducted the searches at two locations in Mumbai on Saturday -the official premises of Reliance Communication Ltd., and residential premises of Anil D Ambani, the agency said in a statement. The CBI registered an FIR on Thursday against Reliance Communication Ltd. (RCOM), Mumbai, its Director Anil D. Ambani, unknown public servants and unknown others on the basis of the complaint from the SBI, it said. fp ESTD-1983 sential goods at cheaper rate following the GST rates cut. Broadly food items, garments (above Rs 1000), housing and electronics goods are sure to be attractive and shining this Deepawali. The immediate reason for lowering the GST rates may be to combat the tariff challenge imposed by the US, but it is also a fact that GST reforms are no more a choice but necessity. These structural reforms will go a long way for all stake-holders. Declaration by Prime Minister The Union government has laid its views before the GST Council which will accept it in-toto. The Prime Minister has expounded three pillars of reforms: 1. Structural reforms – these include elimination of inverted duty structure in some sectors. However, the Council may consider other structural reforms like comprehensive definition of supply, threshold for registration, compulsory ISRO unveils BAS model The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday unveiled the model of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) in Delhi on the occasion of National Space Day. The ISRO aims to launch the first module of the project by 2028 and the full station is expected to become operational by 2035. The BAS is set to be a significant platform for indigenous research, including microgravity studies and testing technologies for long-duration human space missions. BENGALURU/NEW DELHI ED arrests Cong MLA Karnataka Congress MLA K C Veerendra 'Puppy' was arrested on Saturday under the anti-money laundering law from Sikkim in an alleged illegal online and offline betting case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said. The federal probe agency also said it seized Rs 12 crore in cash (including about Rs crore in foreign currency), gold jewellery worth Rs 6 crore, silver about 10 kg along with four vehicles following raids launched on Friday in multiple states. Why GST rate cut is required 1. Rising GST collections: The average GDP growth of 6% versus mammoth growth of GST collections at 14.4% per State gets Rs 56,440 cr investment proposals Our Staff Reporter hief Minister Mohan Yadav did virtual conversation with industrialists including Rajiv Mundra (Kolkata), JP Agrawal (Sri Lanka), Vivek Bhatia (Delhi) and Thomas Cherian (Hyderabad). The discussion remained focused on investment opportunities in the state. C BHOPAL Madhya Pradesh received investment proposals of Rs 56,440 crore in Katni Mining Conclave on Saturday. Three Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed during the summit. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that it is the right time for investment in the state. He exhorted investors to establish their industrial units in the state. Dubbing the summit as successful, he said that eight mining companies have given the proposal of Rs 56,440 crore. The state government has done MoU with Coal India Limited for search of critical mineral, processing and con- Investment Proposals Singhal Business Production Limited Vinmir Resources private Limited Ramnik Power and Alloys Mineware Advisors Production Ltd Mahakaushal Refractories Sayana Group Auctioned main mineral block (9 block) Auctioned coal mine (2 block) Total proposed investment Rs 15000 cr Rs 850 cr Rs 1,850 cr Rs 450 crore Rs 90 cr Rs 3000 cr Rs 32,774 cr Rs 1450 cr Rs 56,440 cr Don’t like it, don’t buy it: EAM defends Russian oil import NEW DELHI NEW DELHI tration, return and refunds but the Council may dwell on e-way bills as well. Lastly, the Council may consider threshold for mismatch notices, blocking of ITC and provisional attachments to promote EoDB (Ease of Doing Business). KATNI MINING CONCLAVE | 3 MoUs signed; air cargo facility soon PTI Briefs registration without the benefit of threshold and composition schemes. 2. Rate rationalisation-The end of cess is the obvious cushion for rationalisation. The Centre is proposing rate and slab reduction. Allocation of goods in a particular slab will be a debatable issue. Many existing exemptions are likely to go away for smooth functioning. Unanimous allocation will propel future enlargement of GST ambit. 3. Ease of living- It covers regis- India has certain "red-lines" in its trade negotiations with the US and New Delhi will not compromise on protecting the interests of farmers and small producers, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday. Jaishankar said the negotiations for a trade deal between the two sides are underway. Speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum, Jaishankar also said that US President Donald Trump's way of dealing with the world is a very major departure from the traditional way of doing so and the entire world is facing this issue. "We've not had a US presi- CARICATURE ROW Cartoonist issues public apology IANS INDORE Hemant Malviya, a cartoonist based in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, on Saturday, publicly apologised for a controversial caricature he shared earlier this year depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The apology, posted across Facebook (though IANS does not confirm if it is his official account), follows a directive from the Supreme Court, which is currently hearing the case surrounding the cartoon. Malviya's illustration, originally published on April 1, 2025, drew swift backlash after Indore resident Vinay Joshi lodged a formal complaint, alleging that the cartoon insulted religious and political sentiments. 4Continued on | P8 New Delhi will not compromise on protecting interests of farmers and small producers S Jaishankar External Affairs Minister dent who has conducted foreign policy as publicly as the current one. That itself is a departure that's not limited to India," he said. The relations between New Delhi and Washington are on a downturn after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 per cent, including 25 per cent additional duties for India's purchase of Russian crude oil. The external affairs minister said trade is "really the major issue" between the two countries. "The negotiations are still going on and the bottom line is we have some red lines." "The red lines are primarily the interest of our farmers and to some extent small producers. So when people pronounced that we succeeded or failed etc." 4Continued on | P8 Mom consumes poison along with 3 children over domestic dispute Woman, two children dead, one remains critical FP News Service SATNA A family's life took a devastating turn in ItwanDudaila village, near Madhya Pradesh's border with Uttar Pradesh, following a domestic dispute over a seemingly minor habit. On a Saturday evening, Jhumki (32) allegedly gave a poisonous substance to her three young children before consuming it herself. Her husband, Babbu Yadav, told police that he had scolded his wife earlier for her habit of chewing gutkha, especially as their children were growing up. When he refused to give her money for it and went to work, the tragic event unfolded. Upon returning, Yadav found his children complain- ing of stomach pain. His daughter's words, "Mummy fed us something bitter," were a harrowing clue to what had transpired. He immediately rushed all four family members to Majhgawan Hospital. Despite swift action, his daughter succumbed at the first hospital. The mother and two remaining children were transferred to Satna District Hospital, but Jhumki and another daughter died on the way. The deceased have been identified as Jhumki, and her daughters, Bulbul (1) and Chandrama (3). The couple's son, Deepchandra (4), remains in critical condition at the district hospital, battling for his life. servation. An MoU has been also inked with TEXMin, Dhanbad for Artificial Intelligence, IT, Block Chain, Remote Sensing use etc. An MoU has been also signed with Indian Science Education and Research Institution, Bhopal for mining investigation research. 4Continued on | P8 Trump names close aide as US Ambassador to India annum proves that formalisation is taking its root. 2. Imports and domestic protection: Around 25% of GST is import driven. A rate reduction will reduce revenue and also lessen the protection of domestic industry; forcing it to compete with imports. 3. Balancing rates: Mr. Subramanian in 2016 had proposed an average rate of 15.6%. The tax incidence of VAT and central excise was added and every commodity was placed at a rate lower than the total President Donald Trump has nominated his longtime aide Sergio Gor, who is currently the Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, as the next US Ambassador to India. In a social media post on Friday, Trump said Gor, 38, is a "great friend, who has been at my side for many years". "I am pleased to announce that I am promoting Sergio Gor to be our next United States Ambassador to the Republic of India," he said. He would also serve as a special envoy for South and Central Asian affairs, Trump said. The announcement comes amid tariff tensions between Washington and New Delhi. Trump said Gor and his team had overseen the hiring of nearly 4,000 officials across federal departments and agencies "in record time," adding that over 95 per cent of positions were now filled. Gor will remain in his current role at the White House until his confirmation, he said. "Gor has worked on my historic presidential campaigns, published my best-selling books, and ran one of the biggest Super PACs, which supported our movement," Trump wrote. selves in the 5 % slab. 6. Elimination of 12 % and 28 % slab: The 12 % goods will be merged either in 5 or 18 %. Least processed or inputs or labour intensive or employment generating goods will get 5% berth to help the common man, women, students, middle class and farmers. Goods of 12% involving more processes or tending to luxury will go in the 18% slab. The goods of 28% slab will go to 18% or to the new (highest possible) slab of 40%. (See Nation) Gadkari, CM inaugurate state’s longest flyover Union Minister inaugurates road projects worth Rs 4,250 cr FP News Service JABALPUR Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated the state's longest and most modern flyover in Jabalpur on Saturday. The minister also inaugurated and laid foundation stones of road projects worth Rs 4,250 cr covering a total road distance of 174 kilometres in eastern Madhya Pradesh. Gadkari said that without Modi government at the Centre, the much-awaited 7 km flyover in Jabalpur would not have been possible. Gadkari said   for the first time in the country’s history, Rs 1.2k crore from the Central Road Fund (CRF) was approved for a flyover project. Hitting out at the opposition, Gadkari said the Congress government would delay  approvals for  projects in the state. He said that he had warned the then Congress-led state government that he would stop giving funds if the flyover pro- 16-yr-old gangraped by relative, 4 others FP News Service DATIA PTI NEW YORK/WASHINGTON incidence. In November 2017, the rates were reduced, bringing the average rate to 11.4%. Further rate reduction is certainly a sacrifice by the government and may balance the wrath of competition. 4. Current slabs and their contribution: The present rate slabs 0, 5, 12, 18 and 28 yield 0, 7, 5, 65 and 11 percent revenue respectively. 5. Poor man’s goods: Most of these are exempt and will remain so. However, certain exemptions may find them- A 16-year-old student lodged a gang-rape case in Datia on Friday. According to her statement, she was gangraped by five youths who also threatened to release a video of the incident on social media. According to her complaint, she visited Datia to buy clothes, where she met a relative and his friend, who then took her to a jungle area on a scooty. According to the girl, three youths identified as Karan, Hargobind Pal and Pankaj were already present in the jungle. All three took turns to rape her. One of the accused reportedly recorded the assault and threatened to release a video of the incident on social media if she complained. After the incident, the victim reached police station with her father, mother, and aunt and lodged a formal complaint. 4Continued on | P8 ject was not approved.“Within three days, the approval was finalised,” Gadkari revealed. He said there is a plan to construct a Tiger corridor for Rs 5,500 crore connecting Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, and Pench Tiger Reserve. The corridor is expected to boost tourism and save wildlife in the area. 4Continued on | P8 Postal services to US suspended NEW DELHI: Postal services to the US have been temporarily suspended as the USbound air carriers have denied carrying shipments due to lack of clarity in new norms issued by the American customs department, Ministry of Communications said on Saturday. However, services will continue for letters, documents and gift items up to USD 100. Under an Executive Order issued by the US administration on July 30, 2025, goods valued above USD 100 will be subject to customs duties in America with effect from August 29 onwards. Bizman stabbed dozen times in front of 10-yr-old son, dies Horrific end to business dispute Our Staff Reporter INDORE In a chilling incident, a 40-yearold businessman was stabbed to death by his former business partner in front of his 10-yearold son on Saturday morning, amid a long-standing financial dispute. He was attacked with a kitchen knife nearly a dozen times till it broke into two. The incident occurred around 6:30 am at the victim, Chirag Jain’s, flat in Milan Heights Society under Kanadiya police station limits, while Deceased Chirag Jain Accused Vivek Jain his wife was away at the gym. A shocked son informed his neighbours and mother over the phone. According to additional DCP Amarendra Singh, Chirag Jain lived with his family in Flat No. 806 of Milan Heights and ran a strainer pump company on Sanwer Road. He had been involved in a dispute with his former business partner Vivek Jain, a resident of Tilak Nagar, for several months. On Saturday morning, Vivek arrived at Chirag’s home to resolve the financial dispute. Very soon, the discussion turned into an argument. Vivek got so angry that in a fit of rage, he picked up a kitchen knife from the shelf nearby and stabbed Chirag nearly a dozen times in the neck, abdomen, and other parts of the body. Chirag collapsed on the spot and died due to excessive bleeding. After the brutal attack, Vivek fled the scene. 4Continued on | P8 offgrid 500 injured at Got Mar Mela FP News Service CHHINDWARA Nearly 500 people have sustained injuries in the Got Mar Mela in the Pola area of Pandhurna district, official sources said on Saturday. The competition is to take the flag installed in the middle of the Jam River which flows between Pandhurna and Sawar village. In the middle of the two vil- lages, there is a temple of goddess Chandi after offering prayers at the temple the residents of these two villages put a flag in the middle of the river compete with one another to take the flag. The one who takes the flag wins the competition. The residents of the two villages throw stones at one another so that nobody can take the flag. 4Continued on | P8