FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 26 | BHOPAL | THURSDAY | JULY 10, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN MONEY Sports Gill’s ‘Shubh’ start P.14 PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK Cinema Uorfi on her big spat with Apoorva! P.13 Harassing juniors on WhatsApp to be treated as ragging: UGC as bridge crumbles PTI NEW DELHI Four-decade-old Eleven persons, including two siblings, were killed and nine others rescued, some of them with injuries, after multiple vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar river when a portion of a four-decade-old bridge collapsed in Vadodara district on Wednesday morning, officials said. Gambhira bridge caves in A slab of the Gambhira bridge, which connects central Gujarat to the Saurashtra region and is located near Padra town, caved in, killing ten persons, Superintendent of Police (Vadodara rural) Rohan Anand said. Vehicles plunge in river At least half a dozen vehicles -- two trucks, two vans, an autorickshaw and a two-wheeler -- fell into the river after the bridge collapsed, Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya said. P M Narendra Modi announces ex-gratia Rs 2 lakh for families of deceased, Rs 50,000 for injured. Rescuers and locals look for survivors after several vehicles fall into a river following the collapse of a portion of a bridge in Mujpur near Vadodara, Gujarat on Wednesday Briefs BHARAT BANDH A nationwide strike gripped India on Wednesday, as more than ten central Trade Unions, backed by farmer groups and rural worker organisations, launched a general shutdown in protest against the Centre's alleged "anti-worker, antifarmer, and pro-corporate" policies. The protests remained peaceful across the nation, except in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, where the protestors clashed with the police, after which some were detained. NEW DELHI Crash report will be public The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that it will make public its preliminary report on the Ahmedabad plane crash in a couple of days, sources said. AAIB Director General G V G Yugandhar told the panel that it will upload the report within 30 days. Nitendra Sharma BHOPAL From now on, ministers will refrain from engaging in negative discussions in the presence of officials during Cabinet meetings. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and his ministers have collectively decided that any negative matters concerning the government will be discussed only after the officials leave the meeting. Additionally, after the Cabinet meeting, ministers may meet the Chief Minister in his chamber to discuss other subjects. As long as officials are present, the Cabinet will discuss only the agenda. The decision comes in the wake of Revenue Minister Karan Singh Verma raising the issue of his department’s transfers not being approved in front of officials. Criticising Principal Secretary Vivek Porwal, he had said the incumbent made transfers without his knowledge. At that time, the Chief Minister had asked Verma to dis- cuss the matter separately. Following this, the CM issued clear instructions that such issues should not be raised in front of officials during Cabinet meetings. Another recent case involved Public Health Engineering Minister SampatiyaUikey, in which a probe was initiated by the en- OPINIONS CAN BE WRONG: US on India’s objections to Don’s Indo-Pak ceasefire claim India, Africa must act together: PM ANI Underlining that India values Africa's role in world affairs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the two sides must act together to create a future defined not by power and dominance, but by partnership and dialogue. Addressing a Joint Session of the Parliament of the Republic of Namibia, PM Modi also said that Africa must not be just a source of raw material. "Africa must lead in value creation and sustainable growth," he said. "We must act together. Let us create a future defined not by power, but by partnership; not by dominance, but by dialogue; not by exclusion, but by equity," Modi said. PTI WINDHOEK WASHINGTON DC The US State Department on Tuesday criticised India's stance on the US playing no role in the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, describing such claims as potentially misguided. "So many comments speak for themselves. That's one of the good-news aspects of our modern world is people can see what's really occurring. You're not reliant on a comment to know what has really happened. The world is playing out in front of us in real time on big screens and small screens. Everyone will have an opinion. That's an opinion. Some opinions are wrong. Mine rarely are but other people's opinions can be wrong," US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. During a press briefing, Bruce responded to questions about the diverging narratives from Indian and Pakistani officials regarding US involvement in brokering a peace deal. PM Narendra Modi being conferred with Namibia’s highest civilian award by Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, in Windhoek, Namibia 4Continued on | P8 road US to impose $250 fee on Jab takgaddhe rahegi, tourists, students, H-1B rahenge: Min Beautiful Bill became an Act after President Trump signed it on July 4. The new visa rule is part of the omnibus Act. According to the new rule, this mandatory fee, effective from 2026, would apply to "any alien issued a non-immigrant visa" applications, including tourist/business (B-1/B-2), student (F/M), work (H-1B), and exchange (J) visas, with exemptions only for diplomatic visa categories (A and G). Online Report T he US has implemented yet another change in its immigration policy with the introduction of a $250 Visa Integrity Fee under President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law on July 4. The fee, which will change annually as it is pegged on inflation, is like a security deposit and the amount might be refunded if the applicants meet certain criteria. The One Big a minor boy, Justice R M Joshi said that such a genetic examination is ordered only in exceptional cases. In his July 1 order, a copy of which was made available on Wednesday, Justice Joshi said that merely because a man claims he is entitled to divorce on the ground of adultery does not make it an eminent case for passing an order directing a DNA test. "A question arises as to whether this is an eminent case for passing the order of DNA test. The candid answer to the same would be an emphatic no," the HC said. The court said that if there is an allegation against the wife that she had committed adultery, then the same can be proved by any other evidence instead of calling upon the child to undergo a paternity test. The order was passed in a petition filed by a man's es- gineer-in-chief based on a letter from former MLA Kishore Samrite. On this matter, too, discussions were held once the officials were asked to leave.  Even during thethen-chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s tenure, informal discussions used to take place after Cabinet meetings.  Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Rakesh Singh on Wednesday said that potholes are an unavoidable reality as long as roads exist. “Until roads remain, potholes will occur,” he told reporters during an interaction in Bhopal. Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The death of a 46-year-old engineer whose body was found in a car at a deserted spot in Sukhi Sewania has been confirmed as murder, according to the autopsy report released four days after the discovery. Earlier, police had suspected that the man, identified as Kapil Sharma, had died due to heart attack. The post-mortem report revealed that Kapil’s throat was slit with a sharp-edged weapon, leading to registration of a murder case against unidentified persons, police officials said on Tuesday. ED summoning lawyers: SC takes suo motu note RELIEF FOR FARMERS Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL In a major boost to power sector, state Cabinet on Wednesday approved creation of 49,263 new posts across all three power distribution companies in Madhya Pradesh. With this decision, the total number of regular posts will rise to 77,298, significantly reducing reliance on contractual and outsourced employees. Officials believe this will help improve overall efficiency and functioning of companies. The Cabinet also decided to waive interest and penalty worth Rs 84.17 crore imposed on 35 lakh farmers for nonpayment of canal water cess used for irrigation.Farmers will now need to pay only the principal amount, offering significant financial relief. This waiver scheme will remain effective till March 26. Moreover, the state will send a request to Centre to conduct 40% procurement of summer moong and urad crops, ensuring better returns for farmers. 4Continued on | P8 CM to visit Dubai, Spain n a bid to attract foreign investment, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will be on a tour to Dubai and Spain from July 13 to 19.He will hold one-onone meetings with companies and industry leaders to showcase Madhya Pradesh s investment-friendly policies and opportunities. I JNU adopts MP’s ‘Kulguru’ ddressing council of ministers before the Cabinet meeting, CM Yadav said that Jawaharlal Nehru University (Delhi) has adopted the Madhya Pradesh-origin term ‘Kulguru’ for Vice Chancellor. To mark Guru Poornima on Thursday, a two-day celebration will be organised in all state schools, with district in-charge ministers participating. The Sandipni School (Kamla Nehru School) will also be dedicated on Guru Poornima. A GOVERNMENT TO REIMBURSE REGISTRATION FEE, STAMP DUTY abinet has approved the proposal to reimburse registration fee and stamp duty in favour of developer (private investor) of Lake View Residency Hotel, which will be developed, operated and managed on Public Private Partnership (PPP). The PPP work will be done on the basis of design, construction, finance, operation, transfer (DBFOT). The registration fee and stamp duty will be levied on lease to be executed in favour of the developer by Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation, Madhya Pradesh Hotel Corporation Limited. The reimbursement of registration fee and stamp duty will be done through the departmental budget of tourism department. C According to Rambabu Chaudhary, in-charge of Sukhi Sewania police station, police received information on July 6 about an unidentified body lying inside a car near Bijasen farms in Zahir Peer village. When officers arrived, the body was already in a decomposed and swollen state, and no visible wounds were noticed at the time. The deceased was later identified as Kapil Sharma, a resident of Sant Asharam Nagar. He was a civil engineer by profession and also involved in real estate dealings. 4Continued on | P8 I deserve a Nobel: Kejri FP Online MOHALI Former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, has expressed his desire for a Nobel Prize. Speaking at a book launch event in Mohali, Punjab, Kejriwal claimed that despite alleged interference from the Lieutenant Governor during his tenure, his government still managed to deliver significant work. 4Continued on | P8 Jaguar fighter jet crash in Raj kills 2 IAF pilots NEW DELHI tranged wife and her 12-yearold son, challenging a February 2020 order passed by a family court directing the child to undergo a DNA profiling test to decide paternity. The high court noted that the family court had erred in passing such an order and quashed it. The Supreme Court has initiated a suo motu case over the issue of investigation agencies summoning lawyers who offer opinion or represent parties in cases to examine if they can be put to notice. A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria will hear the matter on July 14, when the court reopens after the summer break. The action comes in the wake of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoning a couple of senior lawyers - Arvind Datar and Pratap Venugopal. However, the ED on June 20 directed its investigating officers not to issue summons to any advocate in a money laundering investigation being carried out against their client 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 See page 3 Cabinet nod to 49,263 new posts in power firms Missing engineer found murdered in abandoned car Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL No DNA test for kid over wife’s ‘adultery’ Merely because a man suspects his wife of adultery does not become a ground to make their minor child undergo a DNA test to determine paternity, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has said. Quashing a family court's order directing a DNA test on 4Continued on | P8 Decision made after Karan Singh Verma raised issue of transfers in presence of officials doubting dad PTI The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed higher education institutions to monitor any informal WhatsApp groups created to harass juniors, saying it will be treated as ragging and attract strict action under anti-ragging rules, according to officials. The UGC receives dozens of complaints every year from freshers alleging harassment by seniors. "In several cases, seniors form informal WhatsApp groups, contact juniors and subject them to mental harassment. This too amounts to ragging and will invite disciplinary measures," the UGC said in its latest directive. "Student safety on campus is paramount and non-negotiable. Failure to enforce antiragging norms may lead to stringent action, including withholding of grants," it warned. The advisory also flagged incidents where juniors were threatened with social boycott if they did not follow seniors' instructions. No deviation, ministers to stick to agenda in Cabinet meets 4Continued on | P8 MUMBAI E-paper Edit Welfare is fine, not regionalism P.6 RBI issues draft norms for novation of OTC derivative contracts GUJ: 11 DEAD fp MUMBAI 3rd such accident since March Charred part of an IAF Jaguar Trainer aircraft that crashed near Churu on Wednesday PTI JAIPUR/NEW DELHI Two pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed on Wednesday morning in a crash of a Jaguar fighter jet near Churu in Rajasthan, the third such accident since March involving the twin-engine bomber. The IAF said a court of inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident. "An IAF Jaguar Trainer aircraft met with an accident during a routine training mission and crashed near Churu in Rajasthan, today," it said in a brief statement. "Both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident. No damage to any civil property has been reported," it said. 4Continued on | P8