FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLI No. 232 | INDORE | WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 29, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Masterclass in relentless consistency across formats P.14 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE UJJAIN MONEY PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Consensus missing on Waqf board P.10 MobiKwik, CRED launch CBDC e-rupee in partnership with RBI Cinema Rang De Basanti turns 19 P.16 Modi to 55% TRUCKERS HAVE POOR EYESIGHT Trump wants ‘fairvisit US in February US tariff PTI A TOTAL OF 50,000 NEW DELHI About 55.1 per cent of truck drivers in India have compromised vision, while 53.3 per cent require distance vision correction and 46.7 per cent need near-vision treatment, a new report released on Tuesday revealed. The report prepared by IIT Delhi further said that about 44.3 per cent of drivers exhibited borderline or above TRUCK DRIVERS IN Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were screened by IIT Delhi in collaboration with the Foresight Foundation. body mass index (BMI), 57.4 per cent had elevated blood pressure levels, and 18.4 per cent showed borderline or high blood sugar levels. According to the report, A VICTORY | Double bench of Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait & Justice Vivek Jain also cleared the way for all stalled recruitments HC okays 27% OBC quota; rejects 87:13 formula Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Principal bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur on Tuesday rejected 87:13 formula thus paving the way for 27% reservation for OBC in recruitment. Double bench of Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain also cleared the way for all stalled recruitments. Advocate Rameshwar Singh said that the 87-13 formula was determined under the order of the petition dated August 4, 2023, which was re- fp Briefs NEW DELHI 5 fishermen hurt in SL Navy firing Five Indian fishermen sustained injuries, including two seriously, in an incident of firing by the Sri Lankan Navy in the proximity of Delft Island early Tuesday, triggering a strong reaction by India. The acting high commissioner of the island nation in New Delhi was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and a strong protest was lodged with the top diplomat. In its reaction, India said use of force is not ‘acceptable under any circumstances whatsoever "An incident of firing by the Sri Lankan Navy during the apprehension of 13 Indian fishermen in the proximity of Delft Island was reported in the early hours of this morning," it said. New quota format 27% 16% 20% 10% 37% OBC SC ST LAKHS TO BENEFIT he HC order for 27% OBC reservation would benefit lakhs of students whose appointment was blocked as 13% seats were held back in all recruitments. All advertisements for recruitment clearly mentioned that recruitment would be made on the basis of 87:13 formula. Now with rejection of this formula, seats that were put on hold would be filled. T jected by the High Court on Tuesday. He further said that process of appointment would soon begin agaist the stalled 13% posts. The high court through an interim order passed on August 4, 2023 had directed the state government to imple- Our Staff Reporter Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that his Japan tour will script a new chapter of friendship between Madhya Pradesh and Japan. It is a matter of happiness that the state is having trade relations with Japan. In 2023-24, the state did export of $92.8 million to Japan. He was addressing an interactive session on Investment Opportunities in Madhya Pradesh on the first day of his Japan tour on Tuesday. DISCUSSION WITH TOYOTA OFFICIALS CM held discussion with Toyota officials. He discussed potential trade ties with Toshiyuki Nakahara, Department CM Mohan Yadav calls on Tokyo’s governor Yuriko Koike during his Japan visit on Tuesday General Manager, Administration and Support Department, India & Middle East Division and Masahiro Nogi, Project General Manager, Administration and Support Department, India and Middle East Division, Toyota Motor Corporation. 4Continued on | P8 Stone pelting on two Kumbh special trains Our Staff Reporter 14,986 Properties belong to Waqf board, MP that have been claimed by the Waqf board using Section 40 of the Waqf Act. The JPC has decided to get an update on information on Waqf properties that are allegedly in state governments or CM meets Indian Ambassador After reaching Japan’s capital Tokyo, the CM met Indian Ambassador to Japan, Sibi George and discussed to strengthen ties between India and Japan. He is on Japan tour till January 31. SC seeks Centre’s view after woman rejects Shariat law FP News Service NEW DELHI official agencies' un-authorised occupation. State governments have also been asked to share details of cases where their authorities are engaged in a legal dispute with Waqf boards over ownership or possession of any property. Waqf Board chairman Dr Sanwar Patel told Free Press, ‘JPC has demanded details of Waqf Board from all states including Madhya Pradesh. The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, directed the Union government to file its response within four weeks in a plea seeking a declaration that individuals born as Muslims but who have renounced their faith should not be governed by Shariat law in matters of inheritance and succession. Instead, the petitioner, Safiya PM, has sought the application of the Indian Succession Act, 1925, to such cases. The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan, heard the plea, which raises significant questions about the intersection of personal faith, secular law, and inheritance rights reported Live Law. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union, described the case as an "interesting question," noting that the petitioner views Shariat law as regressive. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Jhansi to Prayagraj. Stone pelting on Mhow-Prayagraj train occurred at 1:00 am and on Jhansi-Prayagraj occurred at 2:00 am. 4Continued on | P8 JPC SEEKS DETAILS OF WAQF BOARD PROPERTY IN STATE Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), New Delhi has demanded details of Waqf Board properties in Madhya Pradesh. There are 14,986 properties of Waqf Board and the JPC has demanded details including current status, khashra numbers and other records. According to the report, the JPC asked states to furnish details of properties 4Continued on | P8 BHOPAL Two Kumbh Mela special trains were pelted with stones at Harpalpur station, Chhatarpur district after passengers waiting on the platform found the doors of the compartments locked on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. One train was travelling from Mhow (Ambedkar Nagar) to Prayagraj while the other was travelling from Our Staff Reporter ment 87%-13% formula. After this order, all recruitments in the state were stopped. Japan tour will script new chapter of friendship: Yadav BHOPAL/CHHATARPUR BHOPAL EWS General about 33.9 per cent of drivers reported moderate stress, while 2.9 per cent were found to have high-stress levels, emphasising the need for mental health support. Releasing the report, Union Minister of Road and Transport Nitin Gadkari said, "With 70 per cent of traffic on roads and logistics costs soaring at 14-16 per cent, India faces significant challenges in transportation". 4Continued on | P8 Avoid Ayodhya visit, urges Ram temple Trust amid rush IANS bilateral relationship’ and pushes PM to buy more American weapons Agencies WASHINGTON Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about his phone conversation with the American President Donald Trump, the White House provided a more explicit readout of the conversation. It made clear that Trump wants India to buy more American weapons and rebalance the trade relationship. The American President threat to India, China stressed that there should be more Indian procurement of “American-made security equipment and moving toward a fair bilateral trading relationship”, says a White House statement issued after the call. Significantly the call has been termed “productive”. Trump later told reporters that Modi would visit the White House “probably in February”, and will be among the first dignitaries to visit since the inauguration. 4Continued on | P8 The United States will impose tariffs on the countries that "harm" America, President Donald Trump has said, as he named China, India and Brazil as high-tariff countries. "We're going to put tariffs on outside countries and outside people that really mean harm to us. Well, they mean us harm, but they basically want to make their country good," Trump told House Republicans at a Florida retreat on Monday, the first after he became the president for the second term last week. PRAYAGRAJ The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra on Tuesday made an appeal to the devotees of Lord Ram, living in areas nearby Ayodhya to postpone their visit by 15-20 days, to give those from faraway places 'priority' in Lord’s darshan, in the wake of unprecedented rush on the auspicious period. With the onset of Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj from January 13, the holy cities of Ayodhya as well as Varanasi are also witnessing a strong surge of devotees, making it difficult for state administration to effectively manage the situation. 4Continued on | P8 PM pitches for ‘concert economy’ FPJ News Service BHUBANESWAR Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken note of the success of the Coldplay tour, and declared that India has immense possibilities in the concert economy and urged the state governments and the private sector to invest in creating the necessary infrastructure and skills. Inaugurating the 'Utkarsh Odisha, Make in Odisha Conclave' in Bhubaneswar's Janata Maidan, Modi said"A country that has such a rich heritage of Laddoo Mahotsav mishap: 7 dead Biswajeet Banerjee BAGHPAT music, dance and storytelling and a huge pool of youngsters who are big consumers of concerts, there are many possibilities in the concert economy. You have witnessed that in the last 10 years, the demand and trend for live events have increased. Over the last few days, you must have seen the beautiful pictures of Coldplay concerts in Mumbai and Ahmedabad. This proves that there is a massive scope for concerts in India," he said. Tragedy struck the Jain community in Baraut, Baghpat, during their annual 'Laddoo Mahotsav' on Monday when a bamboo platform erected at a temple collapsed under the weight of hundreds of devotees. The incident claimed six lives and left over 50 injured. According to the police, the platform was built for devotees to offer laddoos as part of the religious observance commemorating the nirvana of Jain deity Adinatha. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8