FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 15 No. 53 | BHOPAL | THURSDAY | AUGUST 7, 2025 | Pages 18 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Sports It champions equality & courage across table P.16 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL NATION UJJAIN PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Tragedies in the Himalayas P.10 Taliban bolsters diplomatic footprint in India Cinema Divas embrace sustainable style P.15 Indore-led pharma boom drives MP’s record US exports Top 5 Dists with max Exports: State is exporting pharmaceutical goods, fruits, vegetables, machinery, cotton and grains. MANISH UPADHYAY INDORE Madhya Pradesh has quietly achieved a major milestone— exporting goods worth `66,218 crore to the United States -- in the financial year 2024–25. Among the five major countries MP trades with, the US topped the list. Pharmaceutical companies were the biggest contributors to the success, clocking shipments worth `11,968 crore. Of this, pharma units based in Indore, Dewas and Pithampur alone accounted for `4,202 crore (approximately USD 496 million). The figures were revealed in the ‘Export Analysis of Mad- hya Pradesh 2024–25’ report, released by Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO). The data was compiled by Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS), under Union Ministry of Commerce. For MP, 2024–25 fiscal marked a record-breaking year, with exports rising to `66,218 crore—up from `65,255 crore in the previous year. The uptick reflects a broader upward trend in high- Top 5 Commodities: Top 5 Countries for Exports: • Dhar • Pharma • USA • Indore • Animal Feed • Bangladesh • Raisen • Machineries • France • Singrauli • Aluminium • UAE • Sehore IN FINANCIAL YEAR 2024-25 MP MADE EXPORT OF RS 42 BILLION (USD 42.68 CR.) • Textile • Netherlands duce. While pharma maintained its stronghold, engineering and food-processing value sectors, including pharmaceuticals, engineering goods and agricultural pro- TARIFF DOUBLED TO 50% Provides 21-day negotiation window. US tariff now highest in the world; China at 30% & Pak at 19% Agencies UNFAIR, UNJUSTIFIED AND UNREASONABLE: CENTRE US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil -- a revenue source the White House says is sustaining Moscow's war in Ukraine. The new measure, to take effect in 21 days, will be added on top of a separate 25% tariff due to come into force on Thursday, effectively doubling the overall duty on Indian imports to 50%. In tariff rankings, India now matches Brazil at the top with 50%, followed by Switzerland at 39%, Canada and Iraq at 35%, and China at 30%. The official order links the decision to what the Trump administration calls a "national emergency". It states that India is "directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil" and that imposing the additional 25% duty "will more effectively deal" with that emergency. A White House statement said that the US will impose “additional 25% ad valorem duty” above the 25% reciprocal tariffs announced on August 1 to “deal with the national emergency stemming from Russia’s actions in Ukraine”. This tariff is deemed necessary and appropriate due to India’s “direct or indirect import of fp Briefs JABALPUR Gold deposit discovered Geologists announced that they have discovered a large gold deposit in Mahgawan Kevalari village under Sihora tehsil, spanning over 100 hectares. Sihora region has long been known for its mineral wealth, including iron ore, manganese and bauxite, but this new gold find is expected to draw major investment. NEW DELHI Kartavya Bhavan inaugurated PM Modi on Wednesday inaugurated Kartavya Bhavan, the first of the ten upcoming Common Central Secretariat buildings to house the bureaucracy. esponding to US President Donald Trump’s decision to ratchet up tariff to 50%, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) declared that New Delhi will take “all actions necessary to protect its national interests.” The MEA criticised the move as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.” We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India. It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest. R US Prez: Don’t know about Will call Modi but not imports from Russia Trump: Brazil Prez S President Donald Trump recently said he was unaware that the United States still imports goods like uranium and fertilisers from Russia. When asked about U.S. Imports of Russian chemicals and fertilizers during a press conference at the White House, Trump said, “I don’t know anything about it. We will have to check.” His comments came after India defended its oil trade with Moscow and accused Washington of double standards. U razilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has turned down his US counterpart Donald Trump's offer to call him anytime to discuss tariffs. The Brazilian leader said he would not call Trump to discuss tariffs because the US leader "does not want to talk," but added, "I will call Xi Jinping, I will call Prime Minister Modi. I won't call Putin, because he can't travel now. But I will call many Presidents." B PM to visit China for SCO meet fter a gap of over seven years, PM Narendra Modi is expected to travel to China later this month to attend annual summit of SCO, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. According to the plan, PM will embark on a visit to Japan around August 29 and after concluding the trip, he will travel to the northern Chinese city of Tianjin for the SCO summit to be held on August 31-September 1. A Russian Federation oil”, which the President judges will more effectively address the national emergency, the executive order said. The additional tariffs dra- matically raises pressure on India as most of its competitors such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and now China are now at lower tariffs. However, exporters said that US tariffs re- lated uncertainty is already disrupting trade and that Indian exporters have grown wary of exporting to the US. 4Continued on | P8 PROPERTY PAPERWORK Assembly adjourned TO PINCH HARDER sine die Cong stages Key stamp duty hikes walkout, calls of an affidavit has move anti-people The cost from Rs 50 to Rs gone up Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Getting a property agreement or other legal documentation done in state will now cost significantly more, with the state government passing a bill that sharply raises stamp duty charges across multiple services. On Wednesday, the Assembly passed four bills, including one that increases stamp duty rates by 100% to 400% on several commonly used documents. The move drew immediate backlash from the Opposition, with Congress MLAs staging a Our Staff Reporter India, Russia reaffirm def ties, privileged strategic partnership MOSCOW Deputy Defence Minister Colonel General Aleksandr Fomin held a meeting with Vinay Kumar, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to the Russian Federation, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. The Russian Defence Ministry said the sides discussed topical issues of bilateral cooperation in the defence sphere and confirmed the focus on further strengthening the specialised cooperation in the form of a particularly privileged strategic partnership. It added that the meeting took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere which is traditional for the Russian-Indian relations. Russia on Tuesday emphasised that sovereign nations have the right to choose their trade partners and determine the terms of economic cooperation based on their interests, TASS reported. No helmet, no petrol rule to continue Our Staff Reporter INDORE The No helmet, no petrol rule will continue in the city as Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court has denied giving interim relief to the petitioners who had challenged the district collector’s order in this connection. A division bench comprising Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Binod Kumar Dwivedi observed, “Prima facie, the impugned order dated 30.07.2025 has been passed in exercise of power under Section 163(2) of Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for effective implementation of HC does not grant relief to petitioners against collector’s order Section 129 and 194-D of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and that too after the meeting held on 29.07.2025 in compliance of the direction issued by Supreme Court Committee on the issue of road safety hence, at this stage, no case for interim relief is made out.” Earlier, HC on Monday voiced support for a directive issued by the Indore district collector, which prohibits the sale of petrol to two-wheeler riders not wearing helmets. The court said that the move is not for anyone's pleasure but is aimed at protecting lives on the road. 4Continued on | P8 Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL School Education Minister Rao Udai Pratap Singh has given wrong information to the House about the drinking Rao Udai water facility Pratap in schools in Singh the state. In reply to a written question put up by legislator Sujit Mer Singh, the minister said drinking water was available in all schools. On the contrary, according to a report of the Government of India, drinking water is not available in 5,761 schools in the state. According to a report of the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) of the Ministry of Education, there are 92, 439 government schools, but 86,678 schools have just functional drinking water facilities. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), potable water is not available in 29.3% of schools in the state. An ASER report of 2024 says drinking water is not available in 18% of schools. Similarly, 11.3% of schools have water, but there is no pot- Two women who died on Tuesday during stampede identified Rajesh Moudgil Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seats of Sikhs, on Wed- ACCORDING to UDISE report, 5,761 schools do not have potable water SIMILARLY, ASER report says there is no drinking water in 29.3% of schools able water. The condition of the govrnment schools is awful, and it has come to light several times. When the minister was asked to inform the House about the toilets in schools, he skipped a reply. There are 30% of schools in the state where there are no toilets, or if there are any, they are not usable. In a reply, the minister admitted that all the schools did not have boundary walls and gates. The government is keeping an eye on the midday meal being distributed among students, the minister said. But the reports about midday meals received from schools depicted a grim picture. Law student stabbed to death after tiff over refuelling bike Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL 4Continued on | P8 Three devotees died during Kawad Yatra in Kubereshwar Dham in Sehore district on Wednesday because of sudden illness, official sources said. After the three devotees fell ill at three different places, they were taken to the district hospital where they were declared dead. They were identified as Chaturbhai, Ishwar Singh Yadav, and Dileep Sihari, residents of Panchwal in Gujarat, Rohtak in Haryana and Raipur in Chhattisgarh, respectively. They were caught in the crowd and died due to sudden illness, sources said. Their Traffic gridlock on Indore-Bhopal highway Kawad Yatra caused a major traffic gridlock on Indore-Bhopal highway on Wednesday. The jam, which began Tuesday night, continued throughout Wednesday. Thousands of vehicles were stuck in the gridlock. Although the district administration banned plying heavy vehicles on the Indore-Bhopal highway because of Kawad Yatra and diverted vehicles, thousands of cars and two-wheelers snarled up there. bodies have been kept in the mortuary. Two women died, and over 12 sustained injuries in a stam- pede that occurred on Tuesday. 4Continued on | P8 Akal Takht declares Punjab edu min ‘tankhaiya’ CHANDIGARH CMD Symbiotec Pharmalab P Ltd SEHORE 4Continued on | P8 nesday declared Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains “tankhaiya” (guilty of religious misconduct) in connection with a controversial song and dance performance at the commemoration event of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s 350th martyrdom held last month in Srinagar. Anil Satwani, Min gives wrong info on drinking water in schools offgrid Bains directed to clean footwears, perform ‘sewa’ India will sustain the tariff hike by USA if its stands almost same with its competitive countires, but definiately face to major jolt if unilatraly the tariff on pharma goods is hiked much-much high. ASSEMBLY FP News Service BHOPAL walkout and accusing the government of passing financial burden onpeople. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Three die of illness during Kawad Yatra in Sehore The monsoon session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly was adjourned sine die on Wednesday evening, marking the end of a short yet significant legislative period. During the session, the House passed several key bills, including Supplementary Budget, Jan Vishvas Bill, Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill and Indian Stamp (MP Amendment) Bill, among others. The session began on August 2 and was originally scheduled to run till August 8, but concluded early. 200. Agreements involving immovable property but not giving possession, earlier charged at Rs 1,000, will now require Rs 5,000. Development and construction bonds of Rs 50 lakh, which previously needed Rs 500 stamp duty, will now need Rs 1,000. Madhya Pradesh has taken a big step forward in India’s export story. In 2024–25, the state jumped four places— from 15th to 11th—in the national export rankings, marking its highest position ever. It’s not just about the impressive export total of `66,218 crore. In 2024–25 fiscal, MP achieved a milestone, recording highest-ever exports worth `66,218 crore, surpassing last fiscal’s `65,255 crore. This uptick reflects broader growth trends across high-value sectors such as pharmaceuticals, engineering goods and agricultural produce Suvidh Shah, Asst DG FIEO FRESH SALVO | Expressing dissatisfaction with trade relationship, US Prez Donald Trump again accuses India of fuelling Russian war machine in Ukraine WASHINGTON exports also surged, showcasing the state's growing strength in diversified export categories. MP leaps to 11th spot Bains has been directed to perform a series of acts of “sewa” (community service) as part of the sentence (tankha) granted by the five Sikh high priests led by Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, which included a bare- foot pilgrimage from Golden Temple to Gurdwara Guru Ke Mahal, about half a km away and a visit Baba Bakala, a holy town about 40 km from Amritsar and Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Delhi. Bains has also been di- rected to do two-day community service, including cleaning of footwears and sweeping the premises of Anandpur Sahib as a part of the atonement to offer “deg” of Rs 1,100 and participate in “ardas” seeking forgiveness. It may be recalled that the Akal Takht had on July 26 summoned to appear and explain before the five Singh Sahiban (Sikh clergy) - education minister Bains and language department director, Jaswant Singh Zafar, whose department organised the said controversial event held in Srinagar, J&K, on July 24. A 22-year-old law student from Indore was stabbed to death by three unidentified assailants outside a petrol pump near Minal Gate No. 3 in Ayodhya Nagar, in the wee hours on Wednesday. While primary investigations indicate that the attack was a fallout of a tiff over fill- Victim, visiting from Indore, was accompanied by friend ing petrol in the bike, the exact motive behind the murder can be ascertained only after the arrest of the culprits, police said. According to reports, Sanskar Baghel was pursuing a BA LLB from a private college in Indore and had come to Bhopal for a visit. He was staying with a friend, Anmol, in the Ayodhya Nagar area. On Wednesday, around 5 am, the duo left for the railway station and stopped at a petrol pump to refuel their bike. 4Continued on | P8