Vol. 68 No. 142 | Thursday, March 20, 2025 | 28 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (July to December 2024) GAMES NATION Noted farm leaders Dallewal, Pandher detained, cops begin evicting farmers Cinema IIFA was truly a huge dream come true for me: Shreya Skipper Hardik Pandya feels lucky having three captains in the Mumbai Indians squad Edit Trilingualism will not erode Tamilian cultural identity Sunita back on Earth, long road to recovery FPJ News Service MUMBAI In a dramatic homecoming, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore touched down safely on Earth after an arduous nine-month mission that stretched far beyond its intended timeline. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, carrying the duo along with fellow astronauts Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashed down off the Florida coast just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, bringing an end to an unexpectedly prolonged sojourn aboard the International Space Station (ISS). As news of Williams’ safe return reached her ancestral village of Jhulasan in Gujarat, jubilation erupted. Firecrackers lit up the Briefs Delhi concern over Gaza India on Wednesday said it is concerned over the situation in Gaza and called for supply of humanitarian assistance to the affected people as Israel resumed bombing in conflict-hit Palestinian territory shattering its fragile ceasefire with Hamas. New Delhi also underlined the need to release all hostages held by Hamas. "We are concerned at the situation in Gaza. It is important that all hostages are released," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. "We also call for the supply of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza to be sustained," it said in a statement. Suicide off coastal road A 30-year-old man allegedly died by suicide after jumping off the Coastal Road at Worli on Tuesday night, marking the first such incident on the newly built stretch. The tragedy occurred around 10:15 pm on March 18. The man, identified as Darshit Sheth, a resident of Malad, parked his car on the Coastal Road before allegedly jumping, leaving his mobile phone behind. His body was discovered early Wednesday morning near the seashore twelve hours later. According to police sources, Sheth's death may have been linked to a family dispute. Officers traced his family through his phone and confirmed his residence in Malad. No suicide note was found either in his car or on his body. No imposition of 3 languages States, regions, and students will decide the three languages to be learned under the National Education Policy (NEP), with no language imposed on any state, Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar told Parliament on Wednesday. The three-language formula in the NEP has sparked controversy, particularly in Tamil Nadu. FILMY FALLOUT | Campaign against Mughal emperor carried out with full knowledge of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, parent body VHP to step up drive to oust Aurangzeb tomb S Balakrishnan MUMBAI RSS leader Sunil Ambekar during a press conference ahead of RSS Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha Sammelan in Bengaluru, Karnataka. –PTI The Vishwa Hindu Parishad's recent statewide protests on the Aurangzeb issue were carried out with the full knowledge of its parent body, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Sources in the VHP said RSS spokesperson Sunil Ambekar's statement on Wednesday that ``Aurangzeb was not relevant" was being taken out of context. A senior office-bearer of the VHP pointed out that ``when Ambekar was asked at a press conference if Aurangzeb was relevant he replied in the negative. But he never said anything against the campaign to remove the burial tomb of the Mughal ruler in Khuldabad." Ambekar had addressed a press meet in Bengaluru primarily to brief the media about the annual meeting of the RSS' supreme policy-making body, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha which is scheduled to take place in the garden city from March 21 to 23. The meeting, among other things, will chalk out a plan to celebrate 100 years of the RSS commencing next month. The view of the Sangh parivar on the issue was made clear by chief minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis who said that the tomb will have to be dismantled, 4Contd on | nation New highway toll policy likely soon TAJ, A KNOWN TRADEMARK: DELHI HC PTI MUMBAI FPJ News Service NEW DELHI Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the government will soon announce a new policy for toll charges on national highways, offering a reasonable concession to consumers. Replying to queries in Rajya Sabha, the minister asserted that the government is spending a lot on building road infrastructure and therefore toll charges are necessary. "It is the policy of the department that when you want good road, you have to pay for it," Gadkari said. He said, “After completing this session, we are going to declare a new policy for the toll...and we will give reasonable concession to the consumer, and there will be no debate on particularly about the toll," adding that the problems would be resolved. The Delhi High Court has officially recognized "TAJ" and its related marks, owned by the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), as well-known trademarks under the Trade Marks Act, 1999. This landmark ruling strengthens legal protections for the TAJ brand, preventing unauthorized usage even in unrelated industries. Justice Amit Bansal delivered the judgment on March 11 in response to a suit filed by IHCL, part of the Tata Group. The hospitality giant had alleged that certain individuals were unlawfully using its "TAJ" trademark. "Given the long duration of use, extensive geographical presence, widespread public recognition, and the goodwill 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation After completing this session, we are going to declare a new policy for the toll...and we will give reasonable concession to the consumer, and there will be no debate on particularly about the toll. Nitin Gadkari Minister of Road Transport and Highways Tariffs are now reality, UPSC format Jaishankar points out for MPSC Prajakta Pol ANI MUMBAI NEW DELHI 2 convictions from 193 cases The Union Government informed Parliament that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered 193 cases against political leaders over the past decade, resulting in just two convictions. No case led to an acquittal on merits. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday highlighted the reality of increased use of tariffs and sanctions, saying, "Tariffs, sanctions, I think, whether we would like it or not they are a reality, countries use them. In fact, if one looks at the last decade, I would say we have seen a much greater weaponization of pretty much any kind of capability or any kind of economic activity. It could be financial flows, it could be energy supplies, it could be technology. The competitive exams conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) will become more challenging. CM Devendra Fadnavis announced that, starting from 2025, the MPSC exams will be conducted in a descriptive format, similar to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation sky, villagers danced with joy, and chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ rang through the streets. Among those celebrating were her extended family members, schoolchildren, and neighbours who had spent months anxiously awaiting updates on her mission. Their prayers had been answered, and relief was palpable. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the astronauts’ resilience, stating, “Their unwavering determination will forever inspire millions.” Williams, 59, and Wilmore, 62, had faced daunting challenges after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft suffered critical malfunctions, including helium leaks and thruster failures 4Contd on | nation Nagpur violence mastermind arrested FPJ News Service ON TRACK: TRUMP AFTER CALL WITH ZELENSKYY Agencies MUMBAI WASHINGTON Minority Democratic Party (MDP) leader Fahim Shamim Khan who contested against Nitin Gadkari in the last Lok Sabha polls and lost miserably garnering 1073 votes has been arrested for allegedly leading a protest outside a Nagpur police station on Monday, following a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) demonstration demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb. The incident escalated into violence. For the first time since President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was unceremoniously ejected from the White House two weeks ago, US President Donald Trump spoke with the Ukrainian leader to brief him on the conversation he had with Russian President Putin. Giving details, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Just completed a very good telephone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. It lasted approximately one hour. Much of the discussion was based on the call made yester- 4Contd on | nation day with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs.” The American President said, “We are very much on track, and I will ask Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, to give an accurate description of the points discussed. That Statement will be put out shortly.” White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters later that the Ukrainian President sought more air defence assistance from America, particularly Patriot missile systems and Trump told Zelenskyy that he would look into what resources were available in Europe. President Trump also told the Ukrainian President that America was prepared to provide expertise to run the nuclear power plants when it came to it. 4Contd on | nation