FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 14 No. 259 | BHOPAL | MONDAY | MARCH 3, 2025 | Pages 12 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN MONEY Sports Teammates rally for run machine P.10 PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Math behind problem of delimitation P.6 ‘Employment rising but wages not keeping pace with inflation’ Brandsutra Golden Marketing Methods P.12 RUSSIA'S WAR IN UKRAINE | Starmer focused on restoring peace talks UK, France, Ukraine agree to work on ceasefire plan Farmers to get power connection for Rs 5: CM Govt to distribute 30L solar pumps Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL AP LONDON Britain, France and Ukraine have agreed to work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday before a summit with European leaders to discuss ending the war. The meeting has been overshadowed by the extraordinary scolding by US President Donald Trump of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday for being ungrateful for US support against the invasion by Russia. But Starmer said he's focused on being a bridge to restore peace talks, whose collapse he used as an opportunity to re-engage with Trump, Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron rather than "ramp up the rhetoric." "We've now agreed France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at a summit held at Lancaster House in central London that the United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then we'll discuss that plan with the United States," Starmer told the BBC. Starmer and Macron have both spoken to Trump since Friday. Sunday's meeting is an important step The London meeting has taken on greater importance CHAKRAVARTHY'S FIFER SEALS VICTORY PTI fp Our Staff Reporter The ongoing Shiv Mahapuran Katha at Kubereshwar Dham in Sehore has seen two deaths on consecutive days this weekend. The Katha began on February 25. Devotees have been staying in the pandal at the venue with crowds swelling on each passing day of the seven-day Rudraksh Mahotsav. Amid excessive heat and crowds, 25year-old Jabalpur resident Golu Koshta’s health deteriorated on Sunday. When he was rushed to the hospital, the doctors declared him dead.  Similarly, Vijendra Swaroop The bodies of the last four of the trapped labourers were pulled out from the site of the avalanche-hit Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Chamoli on Sunday, taking the death toll to eight as authorities ended the nearly 60-hour rescue operation. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav addresses Kisan Abhar Sammelan at CM House on Sunday around Rs 7,000 annually. By using solar pumps, farmers will also be able to irrigate their fields during the day, a major shift from the current night-time irrigation practice. The government has also committed to purchase excess solar power produced by farmers, creating an additional revenue stream for With this victory, India will now face Australia in the first semifinal on Tuesday, while New Zealand will travel to Lahore to take on South Africa on Wednesday. See sports them. Moreover, CM Yadav outlined plans to promote "Gau Palan" (cow rearing) in villages, along with the establishment of "Gau Shalas" (cow shelters) in larger cities, each capable of housing up to 10,000 cows. 4Continued on | P8 Minister learns about govt decisions through media: Rajput Food and Civil Supplies Minister Govind Singh Rajput said on Sunday that the government thinks about farmers’ welfare more than the latter’s expectations. That’s why, even the department minister comes to know of government decisions later, through newspapers. He added that farmers will not face any difficulty during the coming wheat procurement period as drinking water and shade arrangements have been made at the purchasing centres. Procurement will continue from March 15 to May 5. Harassed by girlfriend, youth commits suicide Our Staff Reporter of Kanpur died at the venue on Saturday. Sehore CMHO Dr Sudhir Deharia confirmed the two deaths.  Around 10 lakh devotees were at the venue, making it tough for the administration to maintain the system. On Sunday, thousands of devotees gathered to listen to Pandit Pradeep Mishra’s Katha, leading to chaos at the venue. Mumbai: A special court here has directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to register an FIR against former Sebi chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch and five other officials in connection with alleged stock market fraud and regulatory violations. "There is prima facie evidence of regulatory lapses and collusion, requiring a fair and impartial probe," the special ACB court judge, Shashikant Eknathrao Bangar, said in the order passed on Saturday. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Union Minister's daughter, friends harassed; one held SEMIFINAL SHOWDOWNS Armed men in SUV block car, kidnap bride, assault groom BHOPAL In a shocking incident, an 18-year-old youth, Raj Meena, hanged himself in his bathroom at his Anand Nagar home under the Piplani police station on Sunday morning, allegedly after being harassed by his girlfriend. Police found no suicide note at the scene and have initiated an investigation and sent the body for autopsy. Meanwhile, Meena's sister created a ruckus at his girl- friend's residence, with family members alleging that Meena, a carpenter, was in an intercaste relationship with the girl, who exploited him by demanding expensive gifts and even threatened to terminate their relationship if her demands were not met. Meena’s girlfriend was briefly detained by police after being handed over by Meena's kin, but was later released due to lack of immediate evidence. Piplani police station TI Anurag Lal said that further action will be taken after proper investigation. FP News Service Private lunar lander Blue Ghost after touching down on the moon. Moons surface and Earth are visible on the horizon Pvt lunar lander Blue Ghost aces moon touchdown AP CAPE CANAVERAL A private lunar lander carrying a drill, vacuum and other experiments for NASA touched down on the moon Sunday, the latest in a string of companies looking to kickstart business on Earth's celestial neighbour ahead of astronaut missions. Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander descended from lunar orbit on autopilot, aiming for the slopes of an ancient volcanic dome in an impact basin on the moon's northeastern edge of the near side. Confirmation of successful touchdown came from the company's Mission Control outside Austin, Texas, following the action some 225,000 miles (360,000 kilometers) away. "You all stuck the landing. We're on the moon," Firefly's Will Coogan, chief engineer for the lander, reported. An upright and stable landing makes Firefly - a startup founded a decade ago - the first private outfit to put a spacecraft on the moon without crashing or falling over. Even countries have faltered, with only five claiming success: Russia, the US, China, India and Japan. A half hour after landing, Blue Ghost started to send back pictures from the surface, the first one a selfie somewhat obscured by the sun's glare. The second shot included the home planet, a blue dot glimmering in the blackness of space. 4Continued on | P8 Union Minister Raksha Khadse on Sunday lodged a police complaint regarding the harassment of her daughter and some of her friends by a group of men at an event in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district, following which one person was arrested. The FIR was registered on the complaint of Khadse at Muktainagar police station in connection with an incident that occurred at Sant Muktai Yatra in Kothali village on Friday night. Seven persons have been named in the FIR, of which one, identified as Soham Mali, has been arrested, a Muktainagar police station official said in the evening. He added that teams have been formed the nab the other accused. 4See also | P8 Duplicate voter ID numbers don’t imply fake voters: EC GUNA PTI JALGAON IAS officer takes VRS Bodies of four more recovered In a groundbreaking initiative aimed at supporting farmers, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced that permanent electricity connections will now be provided to farmers for just Rs 5. This initiative will help those without permanent power connection, allowing them to access reliable power for their agricultural needs. The Central Region Electricity Distribution Company will spearhead this drive, and subsequent efforts will extend to other regions, including the western sector. The announcement was made during the Kisan Abhar Sammelan held at the Chief Minister's residence, organised by the BJP Kisan Morcha to express gratitude for the government's decision to provide bonus on wheat purchase. In a major boost to t agricultural sector, CM Yadav also announced distribution of 30 lakh solar pumps to farmers over the next three years. Ten lakh solar pumps will be provided annually. This move aims to relieve farmers of the burden of high electricity bills, which often amount to Court orders FIR against ex-SEBI chief BHOPAL BHOPAL DEHRADUN 4Continued on | P8 At Shiv Mahapuran Katha in Sehore, 2 deaths in as many days Briefs Senior IAS official Mohammad Suleman has taken voluntary retirement from service (VRS). He is official of 1989 batch. During his tenure, he served on important positions in government. Before him, two other IAS officials took VRS. His application for VRS has been accepted by Ministry of Personnel, sources said. answer to that is yes," he said. Starmer said there are "intense discussions" to get a security guarantee from the US. "If there is to be a deal, if there is to be a stopping of the fighting, then that agreement has to be defended, because the worst of all outcomes is that there is a temporary pause and then (Russian President Vladimir) Putin comes again," Starmer said. "That has happened in the past, I think it is a real risk, 10 lakh turn up at Kubereshwar Dham DUBAI India clinched the top spot in Group A of the Champions Trophy with a decisive 44-run victory over New Zealand on Sunday, setting up a highly anticipated semifinal clash against Australia. Shreyas Iyer led the charge for India, crafting a composed 79 off 98 balls, while valuable contributions from Hardik Pandya (45) and Axar Patel (42) propelled the team to a total of 249 for 9 in their 50 overs. In reply, Varun Chakravarthy delivered a match-winning performance, dismantling the New Zealand batting lineup with a sensational spell of 5 for 42 in his 10 overs, securing India's victory. in defending the war-torn ally and shoring up the continent's defences. Sunday's summit is likely to include talks on establishing a European military force to be sent to Ukraine to underpin a ceasefire. Starmer said it would involve "a coalition of the willing." Starmer said he does not trust Russian President Vladimir Putin but does trust Trump. "Do I believe Donald Trump when he says he wants lasting peace? The and that is why we must ensure that if there's a deal, it is a lasting deal, not a temporary pause." The three essentials listed by Starmer for a successful peace deal were: arm the Ukrainians to put them in a position of strength; a European element to guarantee security; and a "US backstop," to prevent Putin from breaking promises. "That's the package. All three parts need to be in place, and that's what I'm working hard to bring together," Starmer said. Leaders began arriving early Sunday afternoon for the meeting at Lancaster House, a 200-year-old mansion near Buckingham Palace, following a charm offensive last week to persuade Trump to put Ukraine at the centre of negotiations and tilt his allegiances toward Europe. NEW DELHI A bride was kidnapped in broad daylight from National Highway (NH) 46 near Ruthiyai in Guna district on Sunday, while her groom was beaten during the attack. Police have launched an intensive search operation after the newly-married woman made statements during kidnapping, suggesting she knew at least one of her kidnappers. According to reports, Vikram Nayak, a resident of Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan had married a woman from Ashoknagar the previous day. Following completion of wedding rituals on Saturday night, the couple departed from Ashoknagar around 9:30 am, travelling in a car with the bride's grandmother, aunt and their driver. Vikram later told police that eight men emerged from the SUV, armed with knives which they used to smash car windows. They dragged Vikram out of the vehicle and assaulted him before forcibly removing the bride and compelling her to enter their vehicle. Before fleeing, the kidnappers punctured the car's tyres to prevent pursuit. Amid reports flagging issuance of identical voter card numbers to electors in two different states, the Election Commission on Sunday said duplicate numbers do not necessarily imply fake voters. It also said that while elector photo identity card (EPIC) numbers of some of the voters "may be identical", the other details including demographic details, assembly constituency and polling booth are different. "Irrespective of the EPIC number, any elector can cast a vote only at their designated polling station in their respective constituency in their state or union territory where they are enrolled in the electoral roll and nowhere else," the poll panel said. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 The car from which the bride was abducted. he noticed suspicious vehicles following them from Ashoknagar itself. The pursuers first attempted to intercept their car in Gader area, but the driver managed to evade them. However, around 10:30 am near Ruthiyai, the kidnappers blocked their vehicle using an SUV and positioned a bike behind them to prevent escape. Approximately seven to offgrid Call centre uses AI to remove Indian accent Online Report Teleperformance, the world's biggest call centre operator is using artificial intelligence (AI) to '"neutralise" Indian accents for Western customers, according to a media report. The company said it was applying real-time AI software on phone calls to remove the accents of English-speaking Indian customer service agents that will enhance clarity and improve customer interactions. The French company has around 90,000 employees in India and tens of thousands in other countries which serve customers in the UK, including the government, the NHS, Vodafone and eBay. The AI-driven solution has been developed by Palo Alto-based startup Sanas which also includes background noise cancellation technology that filters out disruptive sounds such as office chatter, sirens, or even crowing roosters to improve call quality. "It's a technology that allows [us] to neutralise accents in real time without any data storage," Teleperformance's Markus Schmitt told investors last week. "You have obviously the issue we talked about human connection, human empathy. We have first implemented Sanas with clients in India. And sometimes, there is a difficulty people in India talking and vice versa with clients from the US." Sanas, which claims to be at the forefront of AI innovations that blur the line between machine-generated enhancements and human interactions, claimed that its product has been developed with the goal of "reducing accent-based discrimination". 4Continued on | P8