Thursday, June 12, 2025 | 30 Pages | `5 & for State (+4 pages) `6 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 Vol. 68 No. 214 | 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) Cinema Shilpa Shetty’s 50th b’day bash amid controversy Edit Demographic conundrum GAMES NATION ED raids Bellary MP, 3 Cong MLAs in Valmiki Nigam scam India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel wants batting all-rounder Nitish Reddy to bowl more overs INDIA SHINING | Ranked 2nd by ILO after 45 percentage point jump in 10 years SOCIAL SECURITY NET SWELLS TO 64.3%, COVERS 94 CRORE IANS GENEVA Briefs Guideline for Tatkal tickets Indian Railways has announced that effective 1st July 2025, Tatkal tickets booked through IRCTC's official website and mobile app will be available only to users authenticated with Aadhaar. Further, Aadhaar-based OTP authentication will become mandatory for Tatkal bookings made online starting 15th July 2025. Authorised ticketing agents of Indian Railways will not be permitted to book opening-day Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking window. Ministry also proposes to announce confirmed status of waiting list passengers 24 hours before a train's departure, instead of the current practice of notifying passengers just 4 hours before departure. SEE CITY K’taka govt blames RCB In a move to wriggle out of the controversy, Karnataka government on Wednesday squarely held RCB management as being solely responsible for stampede near Chinnaswamy stadium, leading to loss of 11 lives. During hearing of the bail application by the four RCB/DNA Event Management representatives arrested after the stampede incident in the Karnataka High Court, the government contended that the RCB had merely informed the police station and not obtained a permission for holding a victory parade. SEE NATION Tagore’s B’desh home attacked A mob vandalised the ancestral home of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh’s Sirajganj district after a visitor was allegedly assaulted over a parking fee dispute. The altercation took place on June 8 at Kachharibari, now a museum, when the visitor was reportedly confined and beaten. In protest, locals staged a human chain on Tuesday, which escalated into an attack on the premises and the assault of a director. Authorities have suspended public access and formed a three-member probe committee. The Department of Archaeology is monitoring the situation, with the panel expected to submit its findings within five working days. India has achieved a historic milestone in recording a 45 percentage point jump in the social security coverage of its population over the last decade to cover 94 crore people and is now being ranked second in the world on the dashboard of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). According to the latest ILO data, India's social security coverage has increased from 19 per cent in 2015 to 64.3 per cent in 2025, an unprecedented 45 percentage point This remarkable achievement stands as a testament to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the relentless efforts of the Government in building an inclusive and rights-based social protection ecosystem. Mansukh Mandaviya, Labour and Employment minister surge over the past decade. ILO has acknowledged India's achievement and officially published on its dashboard that 64.3 per cent of India's population, i.e. over 94 crore people, are now covered under at least one social protection benefit. Director General ILO praised India's focussed welfare policies for the poor and labour class under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. ILO's Criteria for Scheme Consideration for each country include that the FPJ News Service MUMBAI In a breakthrough after weeks of economic brinkmanship, U.S. President Trump on Wednesday announced that a new trade agreement with China is "done," pending final sign-off from Chinese President Xi Jinping. The declaration follows two days of negotiations in London between senior U.S. and Chinese officials. “OUR DEAL WITH CHINA IS DONE, SUBJECT TO FINAL APPROVAL WITH PRESIDENT XI AND ME,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, calling the U.S.–China relationship “excellent.” At the heart of the agreement is a mutual rollback of punitive trade measures and a pledge by China to resume shipments of rare earth minerals and industrial magnets critical to U.S. defense and US official dodges query on Pakistan manufacturing sectors. In return, Chinese students will continue to be granted access to American colleges and universities, a move seen as a softening of recent visa threats. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who led the American delegation, described the framework as a vital stabilisation measure. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | world Musk ‘regrets’ some posts on Trump IANS & PTI Agencies WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON FPJ News Service MUMBAI The possible alignment of the Thackeray brothers seems to have prompted the Mahayuti to contest the upcoming local body elections jointly. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the state unit chief of the BJP, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, said on Wednesday that Online Report NEW DELHI Despite India's repeated dismissal of external involvement in the bilateral Kashmir dispute, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce raked it up, saying that it wouldn't be a surprise if US President Donald Trump tried to mediate. A reporter asked Bruce whether Pakistan had given any assurances that it would take action against terrorists when its delegation led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met with Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker recently. She said tersely, "I am not going to discuss the details of those conversations". Asked about Trump's offer to mediate between While I can't speak to his plans, the world knows his nature, and I can't speak to any details of what he might have in that regard (on the possibility of Trump mediating on Kashmir). You can call the White House. I have a feeling they would have plenty to say. Tammy Bruce US State Dept spokesperson India and Pakistan, Bruce said, "Obviously, I can't speak to what's on the mind or the plans of the president". 4Contd on | nation US invites Pak army chief Pakistan's army chief General Asim Munir is scheduled to visit Washington, DC on June 12 to attend the US Army Day celebrations on June 14, marking the 250th anniversary of the American military reported News 18. While officially ceremonial, the visit carries significant geopolitical weight. US officials are expected to press Pakistan to act against terror groups targeting Afghanistan and India. Munir’s presence is being watched closely amid concerns over Islamabad’s close ties with China through the CPEC and BRI projects. Tech billionaire Elon Musk has expressed regret over his social media posts against United States President Donald Trump following their spectacular public falling-out. “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.” Musk said in a post on his social media platform X, early on Wednesday. Musk, who departed from his role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) last month, did not specify which posts, in particular, he regretted. 4Contd on | nation “Billionaires ke paas already sab kuchh hai. Ab, aapka time aa gaya.” (“Billionaires already have everything. Now, your time has come.”) says Zohran Mamdani coolly into the camera, eyes blazing with conviction. It’s a line soaked in defiance, a throwback to Bollywood's golden age, and a deliberate signal to New York’s South Asian diaspora that one of their own is running for the city’s top job. Mamdani, 33, is no stranger to activism or headlines. The son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia professor Mahmood Mamdani, he was born in Kampala and moved to New York at the age of seven. He became the first South Asian man elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, representing Queens' 36th District. Now, he’s gunning for the mayor’s seat— armed with a progressive agenda, a desi connect, and an endorsement from none other than Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Infusing his campaign with desi tadka, Mamdani recently released a Hindi-language campaign video referencing Bollywood’s 1975 classic Deewar. It opens with Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic monologue: “Aaj mere paas buildingein hain, property hai, bangla hai, bank balance hai, gaadi hai. Tumhare paas kya hai?” The clip cuts to Mamdani’s reply: “Ab, aapka time aa gaya.” A nod to working-class New Yorkers—and a jab at incumbent Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani’s campaign pledges are bold: a rent the three-party alliance would contest the elections together. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance will contest the upcoming local body elections in the state together, except for friendly fights where tie-ups do not materialise, Fadnavis told media persons in Akola. 4Contd on | nation Booster leak puts off SpaceX launch Agencies WASHINGTON The Axiom-4 mission which includes Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, has been delayed due to a technical snag in SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket. SpaceX announced that it was "standing down" from the Falcon-9 launch to allow time for repairs after a post-static inspection of the rocket's boosters identified a liquid oxygen leak. "Standing down from tomorrow's Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections. Once complete - and pending Range availability - we will share a new launch date.” SpaceX said in a post on X Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai on Tuesday said that while judicial activism will stay and play a role in India, it should not devolve into "judicial terrorism". When it is found that the legislature or the executive has failed in their duties to safeguard the rights of the citizens, the judiciary is bound to step in, the CJI said. Justice Gavai was speaking at the Oxford Union, the Bar and Bench reported. “Judicial activism is bound to stay. At the same time, judicial activism should not be turned into judicial terrorism. So, at times, you try to exceed the limits and try to enter into an hubhanshu Shukla will be taking a taste of India with him to space. He told 'Crew Countdown to Launch' on Axiom Space’s YouTube channel, “I am carrying a few delicacies from India. You know, we have a rich culinary. A few items I am carrying are aamras (mango nectar), moong dal halwa, and carrot halwa. Some of them are my favourites, and I am so happy to be able to carry them and share them with my colleagues and the astronauts at the station right now.” These meals, designed by ISRO and DRDO, were originally created for India’s Gaganyaan mission but are now being used for international space travel. Carefully vacuum-packed and freeze-dried to withstand the conditions of space, the food is designed to stay fresh, safe, and easy to consume in microgravity. Chief Justice of India Gavai asked Indian students studying at British universities like Oxford and Cambridge to come back to India and “make Bharat strong”. “The only appeal to you is that after you complete your studies, you do not remain here. Come back to India. Give your services to make our Bharat strong and one of the most important powers in the entire globe. So, Bharat needs you, respond to that need,” he said. The CJI made the appeal while interacting with Indian students at Oxford’s Trinity College. of the Constitution, or it is in direct conflict with any of the fundamental rights of the Constitution, or if the statute is so patently arbitrary, discriminatory… the courts can exercise it, and the courts have done so,” he said.  4Contd on | nation Why Goldy Brar had Moose Wala killed FPJ News Service MUMBAI Three years after Sidhu Moose Wala was gunned down in broad daylight, alleged gangster Goldy Brar has spoken to the BBC, offering justification for the Punjabi rapper’s assassination. Brar, believed to be hiding abroad, claimed full responsibility for ordering the hit—and laid out, in his own I did what I had to do for my brother. I have no remorse whatsoever. words, why Moose Wala became a marked man. "In his arrogance, he [Moose Wala] made some freeze, free buses, free childcare, city-owned grocery stores, and a new Department of Community Safety. His grassroots campaign has already out-raised competitors in the first funding cycle. But not everyone is convinced about Mamdanis credentials. @Indian_Bronson mocked his Hindi usage: “I notice you have to say ‘pehla South Asian’ because while ‘first’ translates, there’s no word in Hindi for your constructed, alien identity.” 4Contd on | nation mistakes that could not be forgiven," Brar said, in a six-hour voice note exchange with the BBC. "We had no option but to CONG EXPELS DIGGY BRO FOR RAHUL SLUR Desi tadka meets Bollywood as Mira Nair’s son eyes Big Apple’s top job. The Congress on Wednesday expelled former Madhya Pradesh MLA Laxman Singh, brother of ex-chief minister Digvijaya Singh, from the primary membership of the party for six years for “anti-party activities”. The action against Laxman Singh, also a 5-time MP, came after he repeatedly made “derogatory” remarks against party leader Rahul Gandhi. 4Contd on | nation SC/ST/OBC QUOTA HC asks govt to clarify GR to edu institutions Urvi Mahajani MUMBAI The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the Maharashtra government whether it is willing to issue a corrigendum or withdraw a clause in a Government Resolution (GR) that includes reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes for admission to firstyear college in minority educational institutions in the state. A bench of Justices M. S. Karnik and N. R. Borkar posed the question while hearing a batch of petitions filed by some minority institutions challenging the GR. On May 6, the government’s School Education and Sports Department issued a GR applying constitutional and social reservations to minority educational institutions. kill him. He had to face the consequences of his actions. It was either him or us. As simple as that." At the heart of Brar’s anger lies the 2021 killing of youth leader Vicky Middukhera, who was reportedly close to Brar and his jailed associate Lawrence Bishnoi. ‘Will government issue corrigendum, withdraw clause providing reservation in minority educational institutions?’ 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation 4Contd on | nation Sonam confesses FPJ News Service MUMBAI PTI NEW DELHI 4Contd on | nation S ‘Return, make India strong’ area where, normally, the judiciary should not enter,” he said.  The Chief Justice emphasised that the power of judicial review should be used in rare cases.  “…that power [judicial review] has to be exercised in a very limited area in very exception cases, like, say, a statute, is violative of the basic structure The liquid oxygen leak was detected in the propulsion bay during a seven-second hot test on the launch pad. The hot test was to validate the performance of the booster stage of Falcon-9 launch vehicle. Taste of India in space ‘Activism shouldn’t turn into judicial terrorism’ New York Mayor bole toh Mamdani? MUMBAI 4Contd on | nation China trade deal done: POTUS Mahayuti united in local body elections movie masala FPJ News Service scheme should be legislatively backed, in cash and be active, and verified time series data of last three years has to be provided. While holding a bilateral discussion with the Director General, ILO, Gilbert F. Houngbo on the sidelines of the International Labour Conference (ILC), India's Minister of Labour and Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted the pro-poor and labour welfare schemes undertaken by the Modi Government over the past 11 years. WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the chilling murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, has confessed to the crime during interrogation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), sources told IANS on Wednesday. Sonam’s confession was formally recorded in the presence of Meghalaya Police officials and leaves no ambiguity about her direct involvement. “She watched her husband die,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Poonam Chand Yadav told reporters, underlining the gravity of her role in the killing. In a startling development, Sonam’s brother, Govind Raghuvanshi, publicly denounced her after learning of her confession. “Based on the evidence so far, I am 100 per cent sure she is guilty,” Govind said, adding, “If she is guilty, she should be hanged.” 4Contd on | nation