THE SUNDAY Vol. 36 No. 37 | Sunday, June 8, 2025 29 Pages | `5 & for State `6 | Reg. No. MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 46955/1988 M.p.c.s. office Mumbai-400001 FREE PRESS JOURNAL Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper WEEKEND Weekend Why are queer Indians scared of ‘coming out Canada PM defends G-7 invite to India Agencies OTTAWA India is the fifth largest economy in the world and it is central to a number of critical global supply chains, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said, arguing that the leadership of the country must be part of discussions at the upcoming G7 summit. Carney's comments came after some political opponents in Canada criticised him for inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in view of a probe into allegations of Indian links to the killing of a Khalistani separatist in 2023. Canada is hosting the G7 summit in the Alberta province from June 15 to 17 in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping. To a specific question on the case of killing of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023, Carney told reporters that it is not appropriate for him to comment as the legal process in the case is underway. 4Contd on | Nation Briefs Repression in Sindh US Congressman Brad Sherman, a senior member of the US House of Representatives, voiced strong concerns over water scarcity, enforced disappearances, and systemic repression of the Sindhi people. Congressman Sherman took to social media to share that he had highlighted the urgent need to protect the Indus River -- the lifeline for tens of millions of Sindhis -during his meeting with a Pakistani delegation. He underscored the environmental and humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sindh. "For years, Sindhis have faced political repression through enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings," Sherman said, citing Pakistan's Human Rights Commission's documentation of over 8,000 enforced disappearances since 2011 -many of which have never been properly investigated. Blind lawyer debuts in SC In a landmark moment for disability representation, Anchal Bhatheja, a blind lawyer, appeared before the Supreme Court on June 6—reportedly the first such appearance by a blind woman advocate. She made history as the first blind CLAT aspirant to gain admission to the National Law School of India. Play & Pause Trapped in filter fatigue? Sridhar Rangayan on KASHISH Pride Film Fest and more Sunday Read Jesús Molina on fusing faith, funk through jazz 117 million lifted out of poverty in 10 years FPJ News Service World Bank says 5.3% of Indian population living in extreme poverty in 2022-23, down from 27% in 2011-12. MUMBAI India has made remarkable strides in poverty reduction, slashing its extreme poverty rate from 27.1 per cent in 2011-12 to just 5.3 per cent in 2022-23, according to a new World Bank report. This sharp decline coincides with a revision in the global extreme poverty line from USD 2.15 to USD 3 per day (in 2021 PPP terms), reflecting updated inflation trends and living costs. The report estimates that in 2024, 54.7 million Indians were living on less than USD 3 per day, translating to 5.44 per cent of the population. Despite the higher threshold, the number of extremely poor has fallen significantly. At the older benchmark of USD 2.15, India’s poverty rate dropped from 16.2 per cent in 2011-12 to just 2.3 per cent in 2022-23. This dramatic reduction has lifted an estimated 171 million people out of extreme poverty over the last decade. Notably, the rural-urban divide in poverty has also narrowed. Rural extreme poverty plunged from 18.4 per cent to 2.8 per cent, while urban poverty dropped UK-INDIA DIALOGUE | Delhi says it expects its partners to understand that victims of terrorism cannot be put at par with perpetrators ‘Zero-tolerance policy on terror’ PTI NEW DELHI India expects partners to understand its policy of "zero tolerance" against terrorism, and it will never countenance "perpetrators of evil" being put on par with its victims, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday during extensive talks with his British counterpart David Lammy. Jaishankar's remarks, which seemed to be an attempt to send an unambiguous message to the global community, came against the backdrop of unease in New Delhi over several countries hyphenating India and Pakistan following their four-day clashes last month. Lammy arrived in New Delhi this morning on a twoday visit to review various aspects of the strategic partnership between the two countries. A British readout said bolstering economic and migration ties and delivering further growth opportunities for Brit- from 10.7 per cent to 1.1 per cent. The rural-urban gap shrank from 7.7 to 1.7 percentage points, marking an annual decline of 16 per cent. The report attributes much of this success to India’s extensive food subsidy programmes, which provided free and subsidised ANI WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump on Friday for the eleventh time claimed credit for brokering a cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan, adding that he used trade as a lever, leading to both countries stopping the war immediately. "You know, I did something FPJ News Service MUMBAI Dr S Jaishankar External Affairs Minister ish businesses are set to be at the top of the UK foreign secretary's visit to India. Before holding talks with Jaishankar, the British foreign secretary met Prime Minister 4Contd on | Nation Trump reiterates role in stopping war SC caution on preventive detention We practice a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and expect our partners to understand it. food transfers that supported millions of households through economic distress, especially during the pandemic years. However, the gains come alongside cautious economic projections. The report notes that India’s real GDP remains approximately 5 per cent below its pre-pandemic trajectory as of FY25. Economic growth is expected to return to its potential by 2027-28, assuming global uncertainties — such as trade tensions and policy shifts — are resolved in a stable and predictable manner. Narendra Modi. In his televised opening remarks at the meeting with Lammy, Jaishankar thanked the UK for its strong condemnation of the "barbaric" Pahalgam terror attack and London's solidarity and support to New Delhi's fight against terrorism. "We practice a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and expect our partners to understand it, and we will never countenance perpetrators of evil being put at par with its victims," he said. The Supreme Court has come down hard on States for misusing preventive detention laws to keep individuals in jail even after they have secured bail. In a strong rebuke to Kerala authorities, the Court quashed the six-month detention of Rajesh, a registered private moneylender, under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 2007. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Manmohan called preventive detention a “constitutional exception” and stressed it cannot be used as 4Contd on | Nation 4Contd on | Nation that people don't talk about, and I don't talk about very much, but we solved a big problem, a nuclear problem potentially with India and with Pakistan. I spoke to Pakistan, I spoke to India, they have really great leaders, but they were going at it, and they could have gone at it nuclear," FPJ News Service If politics were theatre, Rahul Gandhi seems determined to run an encore performance — same stage, same script, same roaring disapproval from the Election Commission. On Saturday, the Leader of Opposition claimed the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections were “match-fixed,” alleging they were a blueprint for rigging democracy. He warned that this poison would next spread to Bihar — basically, wherever the BJP looks nervous. Gandhi’s rigging recipe, laid out in a five-step post on X, reads like a political thriller: rig the EC appointment panel, add fake voters, inflate turnout, target key booths, and vanish the evidence. It accompanied an op-ed in the Indian Express, complete with voterroll arithmetic and suspicious 5 PM-to-morning turnout leaps. But the Election Commission issued yet another denial, calling the allegations unsubstantiated, disrespectful, and an affront to the rule of law. It reminded Gandhi that it had already addressed these claims in December 2024 — an answer clearly lost in transmission. 4Contd on | Nation at each other." They both stopped, and I stopped that war immediately. It was going much further, and hopefully, it would not go to nuclear, but it might have gone to nuclear. In fact, it might have gone to nuclear in the next round, but we stopped it, and I'd like to commend the leaders of both countries, Pakistan and India." 4Contd on | Nation FIR against HDFC Bank MD FPJ News Service MUMBAI An FIR has been registered by Bandra police against Shashidhar Jagdishan (60), managing director and CEO of HDFC Bank, and seven others under IPC sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (breach of trust by bankers etc), 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention). The FIR was filed by Prashant Mehta, a permanent trustee of Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust (LKMM Trust) against Jagdishan and seven former trustees. This follows an order of a metropolitan magistrate. The bank has denied the allegations and claimed that the registration of FIR was a part of The bank has categorically denied all the allegations levelled against its MD and CEO Jagdishan. A spokesperson said false and malicious prosecution was being initiated against Jagdishan to thwart recovery of over `65 crore. efforts to thwart the recovery of loans of over Rs 65 cr. For the past few years, a running battle has been going on within the highprofile hospital between two factions of trustees and former trustees. So far five FIRs have been filed, but this is the first time an FIR has been lodged against the MD and CEO of a large financial institution. The hospital permanent trustee Prashant Mehta has demanded immediate suspension and prosecution of leading pri- vate sector lender HDFC Bank CEO and MD Sashidhar Jagdishan. “This is not a private feud or a commercial misunderstanding. It is a deep rooted criminal betrayal of fiduciary obligations, charity laws, public money and rule of law. Sashidhar Jagdishan has abused his institutional position to suppress truth and subvert justice,” said Prashant Mehta at a press conference along with Parambir Singh, executive director of the hospital and retired police commissioner of Mumbai. 4Contd on | Nation PM outlines goals for disaster-resilient infra Rahul cries rigging, EC repeats rebuttal MUMBAI Trump told reporters on Air Force One. Lauding the leadership of India and Pakistan, Trump said, "Both nuclear countries, strong nuclear countries, and I talked about trade and said, 'We're not doing trade if you guys are going to be throwing bombs PTI NEW DELHI Flying hurdle A Kedarnath-bound helicopter made an emergency landing on the road in the Badasu area of Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag on Saturday. – PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday outlined five key global priorities to build disaster-resilient infrastructure, including a skilled workforce, a global digital repository to document best practices and innovative financing. In a video address to the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure 2025, Modi said strengthening early-warning systems and coordination is another crucial aspect. He noted that India has established a tsunami-warning system benefitting 29 countries and that it recognises the Small Island Developing States (SIDA) as large-ocean countries and the need for special attention to their vulnerabilities. "The theme of this conference is shaping our resilient future for coastal regions. Coastal regions and islands are at great risk due to natural disasters and climate change. 4Contd on | Nation offgrid Your exact location has now gone digital Ketan Narottam Tanna No more “near the banyan tree, opposite Gupta Vada Pav” woes— your location is now just ten digits away. MUMBAI Picture this: in a quiet corner of a remote village in Meghalaya, a young woman taps generate using DIGIPIN app on her smart phone. Within seconds, a 10-digit alphanumeric code appears. All she has to do is share that code, and anyone can find her location with an accuracy of few metres. Welcome to DIGIPIN, or Digital Postal Index Number—India Post’s bold digital upgrade of the humble address. Developed in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre, DIGIPIN is a GPS-based locator designed to put every location in India on the digital map with pinpoint accuracy. On Saturday, India Post invited citizens, developers, and institutions to help refine this open-source innovation. An app is also in the works to make generating your DIGIPIN as easy as tapping a button. India has been divided into small square grids, each assigned a unique DIGIPIN based on latitude and longitude. This digital address pinpoints your exact home location on the map. By using GIS technology, DIGIPIN enables accurate service delivery, especially in rural and remote areas. It eliminates confusion from similar-sounding addresses, improves last-mile delivery, and strengthens emergency and logistics services. 4Contd on | Nation Drama after 2 KSCA officials quit Vinay Madhava Gowda BENGALURU High drama prevailed in Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which runs Chinnaswamy stadium on Saturday after its General Secretary and Treasurer tendered their resignation owning moral responsibility for the stampede. On Saturday morning, KSCA Secretary Shankar and Treasurer Jairam sent their resignations to KSCA Presi- dent Raghuram Bhat who convened an emergency meeting of the committee to discuss the issue. Since only the President, Secretary and Treasurer had obtained restraining order against police action, other office bearers and committee members refused to come to the meeting and consequently decided to hold a zoom meeting. Even the zoom meeting which was scheduled around 3 pm was put off after CID sleuths entered KSCA for in- vestigation. As KSCA President Raghuram Bhat waited for the CID sleuths for a long time they collected details of the stampede and the CCTV footage from the manager. The office bearers had a zoom meeting late in the evening, after CID sleuths had left. In their resignation letter, both Shankar and Jairam said: “This is to inform that due to the unforeseen and unfortunate events that have 4Contd on | Nation