FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 44 | BHOPAL | MONDAY | JULY 28, 2025 | Pages 12 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Nation Mamata to begin Bhasha Andolan from Birbhum P.8 fp Briefs RAIPUR Four Maoists killed In a significant counterinsurgency operation success, four rewardcarrying Maoists were killed during a prolonged encounter with security forces in the dense forest region of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, the police said on Sunday. The operation, launched by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) on July 26, was based on specific intelligence inputs regarding Maoist activity near the Basaguda and Gangaloor police station limits in the district’s south-western corridor. The gunfight began in the evening and continued intermittently through the night. Among the deceased were two women cadres, all affiliated with the South Sub Zonal Bureau of the banned CPI (Maoist), said the official. NEW DELHI India’s direct tax collections double India's total gross direct tax collections (before adjusting for refunds) have more than doubled in the last five years, reflecting the high economic growth and improved tax compliance in the country, which has been encouraged with the introduction of the new digital technology. The increase in collections is backed by a 36 per cent jump in the number of Income Tax returns filed in the last 5 years, with around 9.19 crore ITRs submitted in FY 2024-25 compared to 6.72 crore in FY 2020-21 due to the robust expansion in the taxpayer base. MELBOURNE Indian-origin man attacked An Indian-origin man, Saurabh Anand, was left severely injured after being brutally attacked with a machete by a group of teenagers in Australia's Melbourne, local media reported. The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. on July 19 while the 33-year-old was walking home from a pharmacy at the Central Square Shopping Centre in Altona Meadows.The horrifying assault left him with multiple injuries, including a nearly severed hand, which was later reattached during surgery. ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL WORLD As hunger bites Gaza, Israel starts war pause UJJAIN PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK Brand Sutra Finding A New Footing P.12 6 dead, 29 hurt in Mansa Devi Temple stampede Biswajeet Banerjee Vinay Shankar Pandey confirmed the casualties and said the stampede was triggered after devotees began scrambling for safety amid rumours of an electric current passing through a section of the temple pathway. “The situation is now under control,” Pandey told reporters over the phone from Haridwar. “But the panic led to tragic consequences.” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Singh Doval said that 35 people were rushed to nearby hospitals, where six were declared dead. "We received information that some people were injured in the rush. Police responded immediately. The rest are under HARIDWAR A stampede at the popular Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar on Sunday morning claimed six lives and left at least 29 others injured after panic broke out among devotees following reports of an overhead electric wire collapsing along the temple path, officials said. The incident took place around 9 am as thousands of pilgrims had gathered at the hilltop shrine during the ongoing Shravan pilgrimage, which witnesses a sharp rise in footfall on weekends and festival days. Garhwal Commissioner Incident took place around 9 am as thousands of pilgrims gathered at shrine during Shravan pilgrimage treatment," he said. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the overhead wire's collapse and to assess whether adequate crowd management and safety protocols were in place. Initial reports suggest that a combination of overcrowding and a narrow pedestrian path contributed to the chaos. District Magistrate Mayur Dixit said, “Based on photos and videos, we found that someone spread a rumor about an electric wire snapping. However, there is no indication from the condition of the injured or the deceased to support this claim. We will investigate who started the rumor.” The incident occurred between 9 and 9:15 am when panic erupted among thousands of pilgrims who had thronged the hilltop temple during the auspicious Shravan month. Eyewitnesses claimed that someone in the crowd shouted about an electric current on the pathway, setting off a wave of fear. 10 sittings, 3 bills on table Our Staff Reporter The monsoon session of the 16th Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly will begin on Monday, with 10 sittings scheduled over the 12-day duration. Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday reviewed preparations and directed officials to ensure smooth conduct of the session. According to Principal Secretary AP Singh, the Assembly Secretariat has received a total of 3,377 questions — 1,718 starred and 1,659 unstarred. It has also recorded 226 call attention notices, one adjournment motion, 23 private member resolutions, 65 zero hour notices and one notice under Rule 139. Three government bills are expected to be tabled during the session. PM lauds Bhopal’s ‘Sakaratmak Soch’ in Mann Ki Baat Highlights forts of Bundelkhand as symbols of valour Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address on Sunday, praised the efforts of Bhopal’s women-led ‘Sakaratmak Soch’ group for its contribution to city cleanliness. Modi said the group, comprising around 200 women, is actively engaged in cleaning 17 public parks in Bhopal and promoting sustainability by distributing cotton bags. He credited such initiatives for helping Bhopal improve its ranking in the national cleanliness survey. Highlighting importance of heritage, Prime Minister also spoke about the historic forts of Bundelkhand, CM hears Mann Ki Baat with people Chief Minister Mohan Yadav listened to the Prime Minister’s address at a government school in Ward 50 of the state capital. Speaking on the occasion, Yadav said the PM’s mention of the Sakaratmak Soch group and Bundelkhand forts is highly encouraging. He also said that on August 10, foundation stone of a rail coach manufacturing factory will be laid in Raisen. calling them living chapters of India’s glorious past. He named forts like Gwalior, Datia, Ajaygarh and Chanderi, urging people to explore these sites that echo with tales of bravery and rich history. Parl set for fiery debate on Op Sindoor 4Continued on | P8 PTI NEW DELHI GOLDEN CM removes 5 Harda officials over lathicharge on Karni Sena GILL Our Staff Reporter SENA STORM | Shubman creates history, becomes first Asian to score 700 runs in a Test series in England BHOPAL CM Mohan Yadav on Sunday removed five officials of Harda district, including four from police and one from district administration, over a controversial lathicharge on Karni Sena members earlier this month. The action comes in response to a police crackdown on July 12 Agencies MANCHESTER Indian captain Shubman Gill etched his name in cricketing history on Sunday by becoming the first cricketer from Asia to score 700 runs in a single Test series on English soil. Gill surpassed the longstanding record of Mohammad Yousuf, who had amassed 631 runs during Pakistan’s 2006 tour of England. Gill had already broken Yousuf’s mark on Saturday, reaching 13 during the second session of Day 4 of the fourth Test. His form through the series has been nothing short of phenomenal, marked by elegance, grit, and consistency. What makes the feat even more remarkable is that Gill is also the first Asian batter to cross the 700-run milestone in a Test series across SENA countries All five have been attached to the office of IG, Narmadapuram, until further orders and 13, when Karni Sena members were protesting, demanding arrest of an accused in a cheating case. The protest turned tense when police used force to disperse the crowd. During the operation, police reportedly entered Rajput Bargi dam’s 15 gates opened Our Staff Reporter hostel, detained members one by one, and allegedly thrashed them after asking their caste identity. There were also serious allegations that police beat female residents of the hostel. In the crackdown, police arrested Karni Sena’s district president and national president Jeevan Singh Sherpur, triggering widespread outrage not only within the Rajput community, but across social and political circles. 4Continued on | P8 Agencies ARIYALUR BHOPAL Eight more gates of Bargi dam were opened on the intervening night of SaturdaySunday leading to flood-like situation in low-lying areas in Mandla and Dindori districts. Total 15 gates of the dam have been opened so far. Spell of extremely heavy to very heavy rainfall continued in the state on Sunday. An alert has been issued for heavy rainfall in next 24 hours. Low to Moderate flash flood risk likely over likely at Ashoknagar, Guna, Mandsaur, Neemuch, Raisen,Rajgarh, Sheopur, Shivpuri and Vidisha districts in next 24 hours. 4Continued on | P8 Representative pic per cent and 40 per cent. Stunting is a form of chronic undernutrition that occurs when children do not receive adequate nutrition over a long period of time. According to the data based on the Ministry of Women and Child Development's Poshan Tracker for June 2025, some of the worstaffected districts with highest level of stunting include Nandurbar in Maharashtra (68.12 per cent), West Singhbhum in Jharkhand (66.27 per cent), Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh (59.48 per cent), Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh (58.20 per cent), and Bongaigaon in Assam (54.76 per cent). Uttar Pradesh leads the list with 34 districts showing stunting levels above 50 per cent, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Assam. In response to multiple questions, the Women and Child Development Ministry said that 35.91 per cent of the 8.19 crore children aged 0-?6 years measured across anganwadis were stunted and 16.5 per cent were underweight. Among children below five years of age, the prevalence of stunting was even higher at 37.07 per cent. The situation is equally test ride CM Mohan Yadav and Minister Krishna Gaur enjoy the trial run of Bhopal Metro Train from Subhash Nagar station to AIIMS on Sunday. Report on pg3 The first week of disruption in Parliament's Monsoon session is set to give way to a fiery debate on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor from Monday as the ruling alliance and the Opposition prepare to lock horns over the two issues steeped in national security and foreign policy imperatives. The BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance and opposition parties are expected to field their top guns during the discussion in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Sources said Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and 4Continued on | P8 Chola Empire roadmap for developed India: PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted the Chola Empire's role in bolstering ancient India's economy and military, describing it as a historical blueprint that serves as an "ancient roadmap" for modern India. PM Modi also emphasised that for India to build a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India), it must draw inspiration from the Chola Empire's powerful navy by strengthening its defence forces and exploring new opportunities. The Prime Minister was addressing the public at the valedictory function at the 'Aadi Thiruvathirai' festival on the occasion of the birth anniversary of King Rajendra Chola I at the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple in Tamil Nadu's Ariyalur. PM Narendra Modi also re- leased a commemorative coin honouring the great Chola emperor Rajendra Chola I. "The economic and military heights India reached during the Chola era continue to inspire us even today. Rajaraja TCS to lay off over 12,000 employees this year Agencies NEW DELHI India's largest IT services firm, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), is set to lay off about 2 per cent, or 12,261 employees, of its global workforce this year, with the majority of those impacted 50% kids stunted in 63 dists across 13 states, UTs As many as 63 districts across 13 states and Union Territory, including 34 in Uttar Pradesh, have reported that more than 50 per cent of children enrolled in anganwadis are stunted, according to an analysis of multiple documents submitted in Parliament. The analysis also showed that 199 districts reported stunting levels between 30 Monsoon session of Assembly begins today BHOPAL offgrid PTI E-paper Edit ICJ’s ruling on climate change P.6 HARIDWAR MISHAP | Chaos breaks out following reports of an overhead electric wire collapsing along temple path (Detail on Sports Page) NEW DELHI MUMBAI serious in terms of underweight children. Nandurbar in Maharashtra recorded 48.26 per cent underweight prevalence, the highest in the country, followed by districts like Dhar (42 per cent), Khargone (36.19 per cent) and Barwani (36.04 per cent) in in Madhya Pradesh, Dang in Gujarat (37.20 per cent), Dungarpur (35.04 per cent), and Sukma in Chhattisgarh (34.76 per cent). 4Continued on | P8 belonging to middle and senior grades. As of June 30, 2025, TCS's workforce stood at 6,13,069. It increased its workforce by 5,000 employees in the recently concluded April-June quarter. The move is part of the company's broader strategy to become a "future-ready organisation", focusing on investments in technology, AI deployment, market expansion, and workforce realignment, TCS said in a statement. TCS is on a journey to become a Future-Ready organisation. This includes strategic initiatives on multiple fronts. ECI wraps up SIR, 65L voters out of draft roll Agencies NEW DELHI A day before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a batch of pleas challenging the Election Commission's decision to undertake a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in pollbound Bihar, ECI On Sunday said that it has successfully concluded the enumeration phase of the SIR in Bihar, held from June 24 to July 25, 2025. In what is being hailed as one of the most comprehensive electoral exercises in the state, more than 7.24 crore electors - out of a total of 7.89 crore submitted their enumeration forms. According to a detailed press release, as many as 65 lakh voters will not figure in the state’s new draft electoral rolls, which are to be published on August 1. See Nation Chola built a powerful navy, which he further strengthened. The Chola Empire is like an ancient roadmap for developed India. It tells us that if we have to make 'Viksit Bharat,' then we have to strengthen our navy and defence forces and explore new opportunities. Today, India is embracing the philosophy of Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi. 4Continued on | P8 ‘No extension’ of Aug 1 tariff deadline: US IANS NEW DELHI The US administration on Sunday said the August 1 deadline for imposing reciprocal tariffs remains unchanged and there will be no extension this time. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick ruled out any possibility of an extension on the Fox News Sunday TV programme." No extensions, no more grace periods. August 1, the tariffs are set. They'll go into place. Customs will start collecting the money, and off we go," Lutnick was quoted as saying on the show. He also said that the European Union (EU) needed to open its markets for more US exports to convince US President Donald Trump to reduce a 30 per cent tariff rate that is due to kick in on August 1.