Thursday, June 26, 2025 | 29 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. 226 | 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 Pak army officer, who captured IAF officer Abhinandan in 2019, killed Cinema Aamir does not interfere: Writer Divy Nidhi Sharma Gautam Gambhir defends Indian bowlers after their abysmal performance in the Leeds Test Edit ‘Marathi Manoos’ is a soppy appeal for politicians to pitch Tricolour soars with Axiom-4 ■INDIAN IN SPACE-FLIGHT AFTER 41 YRS ■CELEBRATIONS ACROSS INDIA Saquib Nachan ■14-DAY STAY IN SPACE STATION in ICU after ■60 MICROGRAVITY EXPERIMENTS stroke in Delhi Ashish Singh MUMBAI Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan, 63, a former office-bearer of the banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and a key accused in the Delhi-Padgha ISIS Terror Module case, is in an “extremely critical” condition after suffering a brain stroke, officials confirmed. Nachan, who was under judicial custody in Tihar Jail, was admitted to Delhi's Deendayal Upadhyay Hospital on Monday. On Wednesday morning he was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital for advanced treatment due to the severity of his condition. Sources from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said Nachan remains under close observation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Nachan was arrested in 2023 by the NIA for his alleged role as ‘Amir-eHind’ (India chief) of the ISIS network in India. He is accused of radicalizing youth, recruiting operatives, and overseeing the group’s ideological and logistical expansion across the country, with a particular focus on Maharashtra. The case is part of a broader NIA-led crackdown on the DelhiPadgha ISIS Terror Module case which has resulted in multiple arrests over the past year. 4Contd on | nation Briefs Pakistan eyes nuclear ICBM Pakistan is reportedly developing a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could reach the United States, say American intelligence agencies. A Foreign Affairs report claims the project may be backed by China, especially following India's Operation Sindoor.U.S. officials warn that if Islamabad acquires such a missile, Washington would be forced to classify Pakistan as a nuclear adversary—alongside Russia, China, and North Korea.Pakistan has previously maintained its nuclear arsenal was solely to deter India, focusing on short- and medium-range missiles. ICBMs can strike targets over 5,500 km. Pakistan currently lacks such capability but tested the 2,700 km-range Shaheen-III missile in 2022. Agencies NEW DELHI India returned to human spaceflight on Wednesday after 41 years, as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla soared into orbit aboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket, heading towards the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axiom Space’s commercial mission Ax-4. After many postponements, the launch took place at 12:01 pm IST from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The spacecraft is expected to dock at the ISS at 4:30 pm on Thursday, capping a 28-hour journey. Shukla, a native of Lucknow and an accomplished Indian Air Force officer, is accompanied by three others, former NASA astronaut and mission commander Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. With this mission, Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS, and only the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma’s flight in 1984 aboard the Soviet Salyut7 station. “Namaskar, my dear countrymen; we have reached space after 41 years,” Shukla announced just minutes after liftoff. “It was a great ride.” As the Dragon spacecraft entered Earth’s orbit at a speed of 7.5 km per second, Shukla shared emotional words: “The tricolour on my shoulders tells me I am with you all. This is not just the start of my journey to the ISS, but also the beginning of India’s human spaceflight programme.” Before launch, Shukla also shared a personal moment: his favourite song on the day’s playlist was “Yuh Hi Chala Chal” from the movie Swades, a track that resonates with his journey. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation I want each one of you to be part of this journey. Let us embark on India’s human space programme together Shubhanshu Shukla Group Captain Questions over damage to Iran’s nuke facilities Agencies WASHINGTON: An initial classified assessment by the Pentagon's Defence Intelligence Agency has found that the US strikes on Iranian facilities might set back the country's nuclear programme by a matter of months and not decades, as has been claimed by the US. CBS news said quoting sources familiar with the report that the assessment by the DIA, the Pentagon's military intelligence wing, said the strikes caused the entrances to two nuclear enrichment facilities , including Fordo, to be sealed Tehran wants compensation Days after swearing their nukes were untouched, Tehran now is demanding Washington foot the bill — or else they’re marching to the UN with a complaint the size of a centrifuge. In an interview with a Lebanese news agency, Iran’s Deputy FM, Saeed Khatibzadeh, thundered: “Washington must pay compensation for the damages caused to Iran’s facilities, or else Tehran will file a complaint with the United Nations on this matter.” off. Resumption of the enrichment program may be determined by how long it takes Iran to clear the entrances and make repairs to electrical and water supplies, two sources familiar with the report's findings said. The DIA assessment also indicates some of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile was moved before the strikes, one of the sources said. Officials familiar with the report cautioned that it was an early assessment that could change as more information becomes available about the sites. A complete battle damage assessment is still being assembled. 4Contd on | nation Ajit Pawar wants Hindi from Class 5 PTI PUNE Differing significantly with his government Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said Hindi should be taught from Class 5 and not Class 1. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai on Tuesday, Pawar emphasized the importance of students learning Marathi from the very beginning of their schooling. “Students should learn Marathi from Class 1 and be able to read and write it fluently,” he said. Controversy erupted last week when the state government issued a revised order stating that 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation Tharoor, out on a limb, grows wings Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI In the great Congress drama of 2025, on Wednesday, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge took a dig at Shashi Tharoor—suggesting that the former diplomat made it into the Congress Working Committee purely because of his formidable English —many expected Tharoor to either rebut or retreat. Instead, he tweeted a bird. Perched on X (formerly Twitter), Tharoor posted an image of a bird with the words: "Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one..." It was less a reply, more a literary judo move—a perfect mix of elegance and passive resistance The jab from Kharge came after Tharoor's article in The Hindu praising Prime Minister Modi's “energy and dynamism” during Operation Sindoor’s diplomatic drive. 4Contd on | nation 1976 to 1986: Batting's Golden Decade India no stranger to fourth innings feats By invitation Gulu Ezekiel It may not be much consolation to Indian cricket fans seething after England’s amazing run chase in the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Headingley, Leeds on Tuesday. But during a golden period stretching from 1976 to 1986 Indian team pulled off a number of remarkable fourth innings feats, three of which were world records at the time. It happened first in the third Test at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad in April 1976 where five years earlier India had recorded their maiden victory against West Indies that sealed the series too. In 1976 India had been beaten by an innings in the first Test at Bridgetown, Barbados and the second Test, at Port of Spain was drawn. The third Test was slated for Georgetown, Guyana but had to be shifted back to Trinidad Common thread Gavaskar due to torrential rain in the Guyanese capital. After gaining a substantial lead of 131 runs, West Indies captain Clive Lloyd declared the second innings at 271 for 6, confident that the target of 403 was well beyond the capabilities of the Indian batsmen. However, India stunned the cricket world by romping home by six wickets, scoring 406 for four, eclipsing the only previous winning total of 400plus, that too by Don Bradman’s ‘Invincibles’ at Headingley in 1948 when they scored 404 for three to win by seven wickets. Then in the fifth and final Test in Australia at the Adelaide Oval in early 1978 with the series locked 2-2, India were set the formidable target of 493 to win the Test and the series. They reached 445 to lose by 47 runs. It was at the time the highest total in a losing cause, since twice overtaken as is the case with the winning total. 4Contd on | nation ‘Darkest chapter in India’s history’ FPJ News Service From 2026, CBSE class 10 Board exams twice a year Agencies MUMBAI NEW DELHI On the solemn occasion marking 50 years since the imposition of the Emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in commemorating what he called “one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history.” A day steeped in political memory and constitutional reckoning, June 25 was observed by the Union government as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas — the Day the Constitution Was Murdered. In an emotionally charged and politically resonant moment, Prime Minister Modi unveiled a new book titled The Emergency Diaries: Years That Forged a Leader, published by the BlueKraft Digital Foundation. The book, described as a deeply personal account, chronicles his journey during the Emergency years, drawing from archival materials and firsthand accounts of those who worked with him as a young RSS pracharak navigating India’s darkest hours. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has penned the foreword, underscoring the bipartisan resistance to the authoritarianism of that era. “The Emergency Diaries brought back many memories from that time,” the Prime Minister wrote on X “It reaffirms the vitality of preserving our democratic framework. I call upon all I call upon all those who remember those dark days or whose families suffered to share their experiences. Let this become a moment of mass memory and intergenerational awareness Narendra Modi Prime Minister of India those who remember those dark days or whose families suffered to share their experiences. Let this become a moment of mass memory and intergenerational awareness.” Earlier in the day, the Union Cabinet met under Modi’s leadership to commemorate the 50th anniversary. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation Cabinet adopts a resolution to mark the date -Samvidhan Hatya Diwas - “an unforgettable chapter when the Constitution was subverted, the Republic attacked, federalism undermined, and human liberty suspended.” In a major shift to make school assessments more flexible and student-friendly, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to implement a new system to conduct Class 10 board exams twice a year, starting from the academic session of 2026. As per the announcement, all Class 10 students will be mandatorily required to appear in the first exam, scheduled to be held in mid-February, with results to be declared in April. The second exam, to be held in May, will be optional, allowing students an opportunity to improve their performance in up to three subjects, such as Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and languages. The results for the second exam will be released in June. This new model gives students a ‘best-of-two’ advantage. If a student appears for both exams, the higher score from the two attempts will be counted. Students whose result in the first phase falls under the compartment will be allowed to reappear for the same subjects in the second phase. However, students who are absent in three or more subjects in the first exam will be marked as "Essential Repeat" and must wait until the next academic session. The internal assessment will be conducted only once, before the first examination. No additional subjects can be added after passing Class 10, and stand-alone subjects will not be permitted under this policy. Special provisions have been made for different student categories: 4Contd on | nation