FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 14 No. 262 | BHOPAL | THURSDAY | MARCH 6, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Sports GOLDEN GOODBYE: Smith bows out of ODI after illustrious career P.12 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY India looks at many ways to navigate reciprocal tariff UJJAIN PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit A chaos called Trump P.10 Cinema Jennie accused of copying P.14 Rajiv Gandhi failed twice but became PM: Aiyar IANS NEW DELHI Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has stirred a fresh political storm with his sensational 'revelation' on former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, describing him as a "two-time failure" in academics, first at Cambridge and then at Imperial University. Aiyar's remarks, critical of own party's Prime Minister, has given the BJP a fresh ammunition to sharpen the attack at the grand old party. The former minister in UPA government has himself come under firing line from within the Congress party for dishing out embarrassing details about Rajiv Gandhi. A Congress leader dubbed Aiyar as the "sleeper cell of the BJP." The comments got widely circulated on the social media after BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya shared a video clip on X and posted, "Let the veil be stripped." In the clip, Aiyar is heard saying, "When he became Prime Minister, I was very surprised. I thought he is an airline pilot and failed at Cambridge. It is very difficult to fail at Cambridge because the university, to maintain its image, ensures that everyone at least passes. However, despite that, Rajiv Gandhi failed." He further added, "After that, he went to Imperial College in London and failed there as well. Then I thought, how can such a person become the Prime Minister of the country?" Responding to the controversy, Congress MP Tariq Anwar dismissed Aiyar's remarks and defended Rajiv TARIFF WAR ESCALATES | It's very unfair. India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100%, says Trump in address to Congress ‘NOW IT'S OUR TURN’ Trump criticises high tariffs by India, PTI We need Greenland. I think we're going to get it NEW YORK/WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump criticised the high tariffs charged by India and other countries, terming them as "very unfair" and announced reciprocal tariffs from April 2 on nations that impose levies on American goods. Trump made these remarks in an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on Tuesday. It was the first address of his second term in the White House. On January 20, Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the US. "If you don't make your product in America, however, under the Trump administration, you will pay a tariff and in some cases, a rather large one," Trump said. "Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades and now it's our turn to start using them against those other countries. On average, the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico and Canada have you heard of them? And countless other nations charge us tremendously fp Briefs DHAKA ‘No response on Hasina extradition’ Bangladesh interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that Dhaka had sent "formal letters" to India seeking deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition but received "no official response" from New Delhi. In an interview with UK-based Sky News, Yunus said Hasina will stand trial for "crimes against humanity", the state-run BSS news agency reported. NEW DELHI Send Abu Azmi to UP: Yogi UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday strongly criticised Maharashtra Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi over his comments that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was not a "cruel administrator" and "built many temples". Azmi later withdrew the comment he made in the Maharashtra assembly. He was also suspended for the whole session. Pg8 announces reciprocal tariffs I'm asking Congress to fund a state-ofthe-art golden dome missile defence shield to protect our homeland Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they've spent on defending Ukraine higher tariffs than we charge them," Trump said. "It's very unfair. India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 per cent." In February, President Trump said that his administration would "soon" impose reciprocal tariffs on countries such as India and China, reiterating what he had said during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US capital last month. Trump has made it clear to Prime Minister Modi that India will not be spared from Washington's reciprocal tariffs and emphasised that "nobody can argue with me" on tariff structure. "China's average tariff on our products is twice what we charge them. And South Korea's average tariff is four times higher. Think of that. Four times higher. And we ‘IF US WANTS WAR, WE'RE READY’ China said that the US is using fentanyl as a "flimsy excuse" to raise tariffs on Chinese imports and "if war is what the US wants," be it tariff or trade war, Beijing is ready to "fight till the end." The statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian came as a reaction to the question posed by the New York Times on Tuesday, asking for reactions to the further increase of tariffs to 10 per cent by the US on most goods from China give so much help militarily and in so many other ways to South Korea. But that's what happens. This is happening by friend and foe," Trump said. "We've been ripped off for decades by nearly every country on earth, and we will not let that happen any longer," Trump said. Asserting that this system is "not fair to the United States" and never was, Trump said that reciprocal tariffs will kick in from April 2. "Whatever they tariff us, other countries, we will tariff them. That's reciprocal, back and forth," Trump said amid applause from Republican lawmakers. 4Continued on | P8 Day not far when India will be USD 5 trillion economy, says PM PTI NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the day is not far when India will turn a USD 5 trillion economy as he urged all stakeholders to invest in people, economy, and innovation to create jobs and boost growth. Speaking in a post-Budget webinar on employment, Modi said the government has provided skill training to 3 crore youth since 2014 and decided to upgrade 1,000 ITIs and set up five centres of excellence. Referring to an IMF report of February 2025, Modi noted that between 2015 and 2025, India grew by 66 per cent, making the country a USD 3.8 trillion economy. Observing that the country's growth surpassed that of several major economies, he said "the day is not far when India will become a USD 5 trillion economy." 4Continued on | P8 Gandhi's legacy. "Failing is not a big deal; even the best people fail sometimes. But he did not fail in politics. As Prime Minister, he was highly successful," Anwar told IANS. Highlighting Rajiv Gandhi's contributions, he added, "He introduced Panchayati Raj, brought IT revolution, improved communication, and promoted scientific progress. There are very few Prime Ministers who have achieved so much in just five Online Report Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar has stirred a row after claiming that Mughal emperor Akbar was a "rapist, invader and a looter". The development comes at a time when another Mughal ruler, Aurangzeb, has been at the centre of a storm in Maharashtra after Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi lavished praise on him. Speaking in the Rajasthan Assembly on Tuesday, Dilawar said labelling Akbar as "great" was an insult to the country as he was a rapist and a looter amid sloganeering from the opposition benches. Blaming previous Congress regimes for giving Mughals disproportionate space in history textbooks compared to regional heroes, Dilawar said, "They tried to belittle Maharana Pratap. And Akbar, who used to set up 'meena bazaar', was a rapist, an invader and a looter, was called great. This was an insult to the country of our great men. This cannot be tolerated." As Congress MLAs continued to disrupt his speech and objected to his remark, the BJP leader continued his tirade and referred to how textbooks omitted the negative aspects of "cruel rulers" like Aurangzeb and 4Continued on | P8 PSC-2024 mains, PSC-2025 prelims result out Our Staff Reporter INDORE Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission on Wednesday declared state service main exam-2024 and state service preliminary exam2025 results using the 87-13 per cent formula. The 87 per cent is the main part whereas 13 per cent is the provisional part. The SSE2024, which was conducted from October 21 to October 26 for filling 110 posts, saw 306 NOW, NO CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN SCHOOLS candidates qualifying for the main part whereas 33 candidates found themselves in the provisional part. Likewise, the MPPSC selected 3827 candidates for the main part and 828 candidates for provisional part in SSE-2025 prelims conducted for filling 158 posts lying vacant in different departments. The MPPSC uses 87-13 formula for declaring results on the instructions of General Administration Department owing to ongoing legal tangle over OBC quota. The school education department has issued a directive to both government and private schools across the state, instructing them to halt corporal punishment. This move comes after a series of reported incidents in which teachers physically punished students, raising concern among parents. The Madhya Pradesh Child Rights Commission took notice of these cases and, through a letter dated February 4, urged the department to implement the ban. Corporal punishment is prohibited under the Essential Education Act of 2009, which also safeguards students from mental harassment. Violating this act is punishable under Section 323 of the IPC. The department has made it clear that any teacher or school found guilty of administering corporal punishment will face strict action. Taimur. "Aurangzeb killed countless Hindus, razed hundreds of temples and imposed jizya tax. But the reality was hidden from the country's students and taught for many years... In textbooks, the invader and cruel ruler Taimur was described as great, which was completely inappropriate," the Education Minister said. 4Continued on | P8 Agencies NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Wednesday made a significant observation, stating that Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers often try to assert their superiority over Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers. This observation was made during a hearing on the misutilization of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) fund, which is meant to promote afforestation and PTI CHENNAI Stepping up the pressure on Centre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday proposed that the 1971 Census be the basis for delimitation of Parliamentary constituencies for 30 years starting 2026 and favoured a Joint Action Committee (JAC) involving all southern states to press for related demands. At an all-party meeting on delimitation here that was attended by main opposition AIADMK among others, Stalin, moving a resolution, said that in the event of increase in the number of seats in Parliament, the 1971 Census should be the basis for it and that appropriate Constitutional amendment should be done. Responding, BJP state unit chief K Annamalai wondered what was the ruling DMK's India’s billionaires count rises to 191 PTI Number of Indian high-networth individuals (HNWIs), those having assets more than USD 10 million, rose 6 per cent last year to 85,698 while billionaires count increased to 191 due to wealth creation, according to property consultant Knight Frank. On Wednesday, Knight Frank released its 'The Wealth Report 2025', which estimated the HNWI population in India at 85,698 in 2024, against 80,686 in the preceding year. The number of HNWIs is expected to rise to 93,753 by 2028, reflecting India's expanding wealth landscape, the consultant forecast. The increasing trend of the HNWI population highlights the country's strong long-term economic growth, increasing investment op- portunities, and evolving luxury market, positioning India as a key player in global wealth creation. India is home to 3.7 per cent of wealthy individuals globally and currently stands at 4th position after the US (9,05,413 HNWIs), China (4,71,634 HNWIs) and Japan (1,22,119 HNWIs). Further, Knight Frank stated that India's billionaire population has also seen a strong year-on-year growth in 2024. "India is now home to 191 billionaires, of which 26 joined the ranks in just the last year, which was pegged at just 7 in 2019," the consultant said. The combined wealth of Lokayukta, state’s top anti-corruption watchdog, is pushing for enhanced authority, with the state government considering an amendment to the MP Lokayukt Evam Up-Lokayukt Act, 1981. The proposal aims to broaden the definition of "public servant" in the statute, enabling Lokayukta to investigate a wider array of people and institutions. Currently, the Act defines a "public servant" as ministers, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha, employees of the state government, vice-chancellors of universities and top officials of state-established companies and local authorities. However, the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1948 defines "public servant" much more expansively, including judges of the lower judiciary, employees of any institution receiving financial assistance from the government, arbitrators, liquidators, receivers and conservation of forest resources. A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih remarked that, from their experience as government pleaders and judges, IAS officers show supremacy over IFS and IPS officers. According to Justice Gavai, this tendency of IAS officers to show supremacy is a persistent issue across all states, leading to resentment among IPS and IFS officers. "In my experience as a government pleader for three years and a judge for 22 years, I can tell you IAS officers want Stalin moots JAC of MPs, seeks 30-yr status quo on delimitation offgrid NEW DELHI Rajesh Thakur BHOPAL Proposal sent to govt Lokayukta's proposal for amending the definition of 'Public Servant' has been forwarded to the state government for review, to determine if it can align with the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The proposed amendment could be introduced in the upcoming or future sessions of the Vidhan Sabha anyone performing public duties for government-aided organisations. If the amendment is approved, Lokayukta would be empowered to probe any person or organisation that has received government funding or aid. This change would substantially increase its scope and give it much more authority in tackling corruption across a broader spectrum of public services. SC: IAS officers want to show supremacy over IPS, IFS officers Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Rajasthan minister calls Akbar ‘rapist’ JAIPUR years." Congress national spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra however was critical of Aiyar, accusing him of repeatedly hurting the party's image. "Mani Shankar Aiyar is an influential leader and has been with Congress for a long time. But for the last several years, his statements have only damaged the party," he told IANS. Govt may amend Act to give more teeth to Lokayukta Indian billionaires is estimated at USD 950 billion, ranking the country third globally, behind the US (USD 5.7 trillion) and Mainland China (USD 1.34 trillion). "India's growing wealth underscores its economic resilience and long-term growth potential. The country is witnessing an unprecedented rise in highnet-worth individuals, 4Continued on | P8 to show their supremacy over IPS and IFS officers... There is always a conflict in all states... There is always heartburning amongst the IPS and IFS that though they are part of the same cadre, why should the IAS treat them as superiors," said Justice Gavai. Further, the apex court expressed concern over CAMPA funds being used for non-admissible activities, such as buying iPhones and laptops, and directed the Chief Secretary of the concerned state to file an affidavit. 4Continued on | P8 Centre clears ropeway projects for Kedarnath, Hemkund Sahib IANS NEW DELHI compulsion to hold the all-party meeting, boycotted by the saffron organisation, saying the Centre has clarified no state would be affected due to delimitation. Stalin also asserted that the 1971 population data should be the basis for delimitation of LS seats for 30 years from 2026 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should make an assurance in the Parliament. The JAC is to take forward such demands and create awareness among the people and the meet unanimously opposed delimitation exercise based on population, which will be a "threat to federalism and the rights of southern states to political representation." The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the construction of two ropeway projects at a cost of Rs 6,811 crore to provide last mile connectivity to pilgrims visiting the holy temple at Kedarnath and the Gurudwara at Hemkund Sahib, both in Uttarakhand. The 12.9 km ropeway project from Sonprayag to Kedarnath will be developed on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) mode at a total capital cost of Rs. 4,081.28 crore, according to the official statement issued after the CCEA meeting. The ropeway is planned to be developed in Public-Private Partnership and will be based on the most advanced 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Court to hear plea over temple claim on April 28 PTI SAMBHAL A district court on Wednesday fixed April 28 for hearing a plea claiming that the Shahi Jama mosque here was originally a Harihar Temple. When the matter came up before Civil Judge (Senior Division) Aditya Singh, the matter was deferred to April 28. The petition was initially filed in another court on November 19, 2023. SAMBHAL MOSQUE ROW A lawyer representing the Hindu side said the respondent was supposed to submit its written statement, but did not do it. Speaking to media persons, the advocate Gopal Sharma, said, "Today, the hearing took place in the court of Aditya Singh. 4Continued on | P8