Thursday, October 2, 2025 | Vol. 68 No. 308 | 32 Pages Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation NATION Russian President Vladimir Putin set to visit India in early December GAMES Cinema Anya Singh calls Shah Rukh Khan a ‘wonderful dad’ India start favourites against struggling West Indies in Test Series CENTENARY CELEBRATION | PM Modi flags demographic manipulation, infiltration as new major challenges, lauds Sangh for formulating ‘concrete roadmap to counter them’ ‘RSS a symbol of patriotism and service’ Edit The RSS: A hundred years of selfless service to the nation RBI flags concerns over tricky economic calculus Palazhi Ashok Kumar MUMBAI The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday flagged concerns over tricky economic calculus, US President Donald Trump’s tit-for-tat tariffs, and escalating global trade wars. The apex bank said, India is not ignoring geopolitical realities, and trade-related uncertainties are unfolding every moment. There has been a sig- Key Takeways ■ Holds key interest rate steady at 5.5% ■ Revises GDP growth for FY26 to 6.8% from 6.5% nificant moderation in inflation. The prevailing global uncertainties and tariff-related developments are likely to decelerate domestic economic growth in the second half of FY25-26 and beyond. Meanwhile, the RBI kept its policy rate unchanged, signalling room to lower rates in December as it continues to evaluate the impact of tax cuts and reciprocal US tariffs on the economy. The current macroeconomic conditions and the outlook opened up policy space for further supporting growth. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | money Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh as a symbol of “patriotism and service” averring that since its foundation a century ago its work has rested on the goal of nation-building, a clear path of personal development and the vibrant practice of the Shakha which remains “a ground of inspiration, where the journey from 'me' to 'we' begins”. Addressing the centenary celebrations of the RSS at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Modi said the founding of RSS a 100 years ago was not a coincidence but rather a “restoration of an ancient tradition spanning thousands of years, wherein national consciousness manifests in new forms to meet the challenges of each era.” The PM also spoke about the modern-day challenges of “economic dependence on other nations, conspiracies to disrupt national unity, and demographic manipulation”. He said the Sangh has not only identified these but also “formulated a concrete roadmap to confront them”. Modi said social harmony today faces a grave challenge from demographic manipulation and infiltration as these impact internal security and Maha shops open 24x7 Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI SRK richest global film entertainer FPJ News Service MUMBAI ollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan has entered the billionaire club with a net worth of ₹12,490 crore ($1.4 billion), topping the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025 as the world’s richest entertainer. He surpasses Taylor Swift ($1.3b), Arnold Schwarzenegger ($1.2b), and Jerry Seinfeld ($1.2b). Khan’s fortune spans films, Red Chillies Entertainment, IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders, endorsements, and luxury real estate including Mannat in Mumbai, properties in London and Dubai. Other Bollywood entrants include Juhi Chawla, Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar and Amitabh Bachchan. B future peace and noted that this is what led him to announce the Demography Mission from the Red Fort in his Independence Day speech. The Prime Minister, who had following imposition of bilateral and additional tariffs by the United States, called upon the society to adopt the mantra of “swadeshi” as a collective resolve, also sought the support of the Sangh in ensuring the success of the “Vocal for Local” campaign. Modi also drew on the significance of the Rs 100 coin and a commemorative postage stamp he released to mark the occasion. He said the Rs 100 coin features the national emblem on one side and the image of Bharat Mata in Varad Mudra with a lion, being sa- luted by swayamsevaks, on the other. “This is possibly the first time in independent India’s history that Bharat Mata’s image has appeared on Indian currency,” the PM said, adding that the coin also bears the Sangh’s guiding motto: “Rashtraya swaha, idam rashtraya, idam na mama.” Similarly, he said, the commemorative postage stamp reflects the “unwavering dedication of RSS swayamsevaks who continue to serve the nation and empower society” by depicting the Republic Day parade of 1963 in which the RSS swayamsevaks had participated with great pride, marching in rhythm to patriotic tunes. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation ‘NATIONAL ANTHEM FORCED @ GUNPOINT’ M Saleem Pandit From GST utsav to 24x7 shopping utsav, Maharashtra has rolled out another festive bonanza. A new state labour department circular issued on October 1 allows commercial establishments across the state to operate round the clock — a long-standing demand from businesses and consumers alike. The circular removes years of confusion, stating clearly that except for establishments where liquor is served or sold, all others — from shopping malls and multiplexes to restaurants, shops and complexes — can remain open 24x7. The announcement comes just ahead of Dussehra, bringing cheer to both operators and shoppers in the runup to Diwali and Christmas. India adds billionaires weekly in 2025: Hurun SRINAGAR PDP President Mehbooba Mufti has accused the BJP of coercing Kashmiris into standing for the national anthem, alleging that it is being enforced “at gunpoint.” Her remarks came after around fifteen spectators were arrested at the TRC football ground during the Police Martyrs Football Tournament on Tuesday evening for not standing while the anthem was played. The event, held at the Synthetic Turf Football Ground and attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, featured a live band performance of the anthem. According to sources, police from the Kothibagh station detained the individuals who remained seated. Families of those detained, however, maintained it was a misunderstanding rather than deliberate disrespect. One parent explained that the anthem was not clearly audible from their seats, which caused the unintentional lapse. Mufti stressed that standing for the national anthem is important, but argued that respect should come naturally rather than through pressure. She recalled that in earlier times, people would rise on their own in schools or cinema halls when the anthem was played, but now they were being made to do so. She also raised concerns over reports that the Muslim Educational Trust school grounds might be converted into a martyrs’ memorial. Mufti urged the authorities to preserve the space for community activities and emphasised the need to safeguard such grounds for the youth to engage in sports and social gatherings. She said there was adequate land available elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir for memorials, and the police, whose role is to protect the community, should consider alternative sites. Mufti reiterated that preserving public spaces was vital to prevent young people from drifting into negative activities and insisted that community spaces should remain accessible. India’s billionaire club is expanding at a record pace, with the country adding more than one billionaire every week this year, a new report revealed on Wednesday. The M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025 shows India now boasts 350 billionaires — six times higher than when the list was first published 13 years ago. The 14th edition of the list features 1,687 individuals with wealth exceeding ₹1,000 The unveiling of Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated “actress” touted as the next Scarlett Johansson, has ignited a storm in Hollywood. Created by Eline Van der Velden and her studio Particle6, Tilly’s arrival has been met with both fascination and fury, sparking fierce debate about the future of cinema. A studio behind AI actress Tilly Norwood is in talks with Hollywood executives and agents for her representation, Variety reported. If signed, Norwood would be among the first AI performers to secure professional representation. “When we first launched Tilly, people were like, ‘What’s that?’ Now we’re going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months,” said Van der Velde, founder of Xicoia, at the Zurich Summit. The backlash began almost instantly, with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) issuing a strongly worded statement: “To be clear, ‘Tilly Nor- wood’ is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers 4Contd on | nation ukesh Ambani has regained his crown as India’s richest, overtaking Gautam Adani in the Hurun 2025 list. The Reliance Industries chief leads with ₹9.55 lakh crore, ahead of Adani’s ₹8.15 lakh crore. For the first time, a woman has broken into the top three — Roshni Nadar Malhotra, 44, HCL Technologies chairperson, ranks third with ₹2.84 lakh crore, making her India’s richest woman and the youngest among the top 10. The Bajaj family, led by Niraj Bajaj, logged the biggest gains, adding ₹69,875 crore to reach ₹2.33 lakh crore. Among debutants, Aravind Srinivas (31), founder of Perplexity, entered with ₹21,190 crore, while Zepto cofounders Kaivalya Vohra (22) and Aadit Palicha (23) became the youngest listers. Mumbai dominates with 451 names, followed by Delhi (223) and Bengaluru (116). M Ladki Bahin KYC rules tightened Kalpesh Mhamunkar MUMBAI The Maharashtra government has tightened norms for its flagship Ladki Bahin Scheme, making it compulsory for women beneficiaries to furnish the Aadhaar details of either their father or husband during the e-KYC process. Officials say this will close loopholes in income verification and prevent misuse of funds. The decision follows largescale irregularities uncovered during a state-wide audit. The scheme attracted massive public response but also saw rampant abuse. According to official figures, 26.34 lakh bogus beneficiaries have already been struck off the rolls, including men and even government employees who should never have qualified for assistance meant solely for women. 4Contd on | nation Meet Tilly Norwood, AI actress, a rage in H’wood Deeksha Pandey to ₹9,850 crore from ₹10,320 crore last year, weighed down by global tariff issues and geopolitical tensions. India’s richest are not only wealthier but also younger. The entry bar for the top 10 has jumped to ₹1.83 lakh crore from ₹1.63 lakh crore last year. Their average age has fallen to 69, three years younger than before. Remarkably, the top 10 together hold wealth equal to 28% of the rest of the list combined. Ambani reclaims title offgrid MUMBAI crore, including 284 new entrants. The total number has grown by 148 over last year and surged by 859 in just five years. “Together, the listers added wealth at the rate of ₹1,991 crore every single day,” the report stated. The combined wealth of all listers stands at ₹167 lakh crore, a 5% rise from 2024. To put it in context, this figure is larger than Spain’s GDP and equals nearly half of India’s GDP. Yet the average wealth per person dipped slightly, falling - without permission or compensation. It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we’ve seen, audiences aren’t interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience. It doesn’t solve any ‘problem’ - it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.” 4Contd on | nation Pak disowns Trump’s Gaza plan FPJ News Service MUMBAI Facing mounting criticism at home, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has stepped back from his earlier endorsement of the Gaza peace proposal announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, describing it as “not our document.” According to The Dawn, Dar told a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday that the 20point plan unveiled by Trump had been released unilaterally by Washington. “The document has been issued by the U.S. This is not our document, which we sent to them. There are some key areas that we want covered… If they are not covered, they will be covered,” he remarked. 4Contd on | nation