FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 15 No. 143 | BHOPAL | WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 5, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Sports NAQVI’S NO-SHOW AT DUBAI CONFERENCE P.12 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL WORLD INDIA, ISRAEL TO SHARE, CO-DEVELOP DEFENCE TECH PTI India and Israel on Tuesday signed a defence pact that will facilitate sharing of advanced technologies and promote codevelopment and co-production of key weapon systems and military hardware, in a major move to further bolster their already robust strategic ties. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Tel Aviv following a meeting of India-Israel joint working group (JWG) on defence cooperation. The MoU on defence cooperation was signed to provide a "unified vision and policy direction to deepen the already strong defence cooperation between the two countries," the defence ministry said. "India-Israel defence partnership is long-standing based on deep mutual trust and shared security interests," it fp Briefs NEW DELHI/KOLKATA SIR begins in 12 states, UTs Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' list commenced in nine states and three Union territories on Tuesday, amid objections from several parties with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee leading the antiSIR offensive in West Bengal with a rally in Kolkata and alleging "silent, invisible rigging" through the exercise.Besides Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC), the electoral roll cleanup exercise is also being opposed by the ruling DMK and its allies in Tamil Nadu which approached the Supreme Court on Monday on the issue. See Nation NEW DELHI Online gaming: SC seeks Centre reply The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Union government to file a detailed affidavit in response to a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. The Act, which imposes a blanket ban on "online money games" and restricts banking, advertising, and other related services, has drawn significant opposition from various online gaming companies. NEW DELHI ‘Awareness on POCSO needed’ The POCSO act is being being misused in cases of marital discord and consensual relationships between adolescents, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday while stressing the need to spread awareness in boys and men about its legal provisions. See Nation said. The ministry said a wide range of areas for cooperation have been identified in the MoU that will benefit both countries. "Important fields include strategic dialogues of mutual interest, training, defence industrial cooperation, and capabilities including science and technology, research and development and technological innovation, artificial intelligence and cyber security cooperation," the ministry said in a readout. "The MoU will enable the sharing of advanced technology and would promote codevelopment and co-production," it said. The JWG reviewed the ongoing defence cooperation initiatives and agreed that both the nations have benefited from each other's strengths, the ministry said. 4Continued on | P8 Boost to anti-terror cooperation, trade PTI NEW DELHI India and Israel on Tuesday explored ways to build a global approach of "zero tolerance" to combat terrorism and enhance cooperation in areas of trade, infrastructure and connectivity even as New Delhi hoped that the US-brokered Gaza peace plan will bring durable peace to the region. The issues figured in talks between External Affairs Min- ister S Jaishankar and his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar that came as the two sides are looking at the possibility of a visit to India by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the next couple of months. It is learnt that the implementation of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) came up for discussion in the context of boosting regional connectivity. 4Continued on | P8 PUNE INDORE NASHIK Ban on sharing of WhatsApp data with Meta lifted PTI Our Staff Reporter In a partial relief to WhatsApp, the appellate tribunal NCLAT on Tuesday set aside a section of a Competition Commission of India (CCI) order that had banned the instant messaging app from sharing data with Meta Platforms for advertising purposes for five years, but retained a Rs 213-crore penalty on the social media platform. Modifying the order passed by the CCI on November 18, 2024, the NCLAT set aside directions in para 247.1 of the 158-page-long order. However, the two-member bench upheld the breach of Section 4(2)(a)(i) and 4(2)(c) as "WhatsApp's 2021 policy constituted abuse of dominance by WhatsApp" and created a situation of market denial. NCLAT said that imposition of unfair or discriminatory conditions on users, through a "take it or leave it" policy, WhatsApp forced users into accepting expansive data sharing as a condition to using WhatsApp, without offering an effective opt-out. PTI DGCA plans free air ticket cancellation within 48 hrs FP Online NEW DELHI In a major relief for air travelers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has proposed new rules allowing passengers to cancel or modify flight tickets for free within 48 hours of booking. According to news agency PTI, airlines will soon be required to offer a 'Look-in Option' giving travelers a 48hour window during which they can cancel or change their bookings without paying any additional fee. However, if a passenger decides to switch to another flight, they will have to pay the prevailing fare for that new flight at the time of modification. This move aims to bring transparency and flexibility to the ticket booking and refund system, which has long been a The DGCA’s proposed rule will apply only to domestic flights booked at least 5 days before departure and international flights booked at least 15 days in advance. Once the 48-hour window expires, regular cancellation or modification fees will apply as per airline policy. This new rule is designed to give passengers enough flexibility for last-minute changes while ensuring that airlines can manage seat inventory effectively. The principal bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court in Jabalpur on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed byteachers against the mandatory e-attendance system, upholding the state’s policy. The court said there was no need to interfere in a system that ensured transparency. This ruling confirms that the e-attendance system will remain in force for government school teachers in Madhya Pradesh.  The ruling upholds the state’s e-attendance policy, meaning all government teachers will be An arbitrary order, says LoP Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL An old order of the Power Distribution Company on electricity supply to Krishi feeders reissued on Monday has raised a controversy. The Madhya Pradesh Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company issued the order saying if the power is supplied to the farmers for more than ten hours, the company will cut the salary of its officers and employees. According to the order, if the operator supplies electricity to the farmers for more than ten hours in a day, he will lose a day’s salary. If electricity is supplied for over ten hours in two days, the junior engineer will lose a day’s salary. Similarly, if electricity is supplied for more than ten hours for five days in a India's richest 1 per cent expanded its wealth by 62 per cent between 2000 to 2023, according to a report commissioned by the South African Presidency of the G20. The study, led by Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, warns that global inequality has reached "emergency" levels, threatening democracy, economic stability, and climate progress. The G20 Extraordinary Committee of Independent Experts on Global Inequality, which includes economists Jayati Ghosh, Winnie Byanyima, and Imraan Valodia, found that the top 1 per cent globally captured 41 per cent of all new wealth created between 2000 and 2024, while the bottom half of humanity received just 1 per cent. The report said the intercountry inequality, broadly measured, appears to have reduced because of the rise in per capita incomes in high-quality smartphones. The monthlycost of data packs and keeping mobile batteries charged were also challenges. Many schoolsfaced network connectivity issues. The app also experienced server errors and faceverification issues. The petitioners alleged that higher officials were forcing teachers to use the e-attendance appby threatening to withhold their salaries. They have demanded that attendance berecorded using biometric machines or the signature system in the employee register bemaintained as before. 4Continued on | P8 Helipad dug up before my arrival, CM says in Patna Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL ‘Excess supply poses feeder accident risk’ According to Kshitij Singhal, Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company, farmers are being provided electricity for 10 hours. Supplying electricity for more than the scheduled hours under the influence of anti-social elements increases the possibility of accidents on agricultural feeders. This also causes problems in the supply on domestic feeders. Moreover, it leads to technical and commercial losses, resulting in financial loss to the company. There is no shortage of electricity in the state Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said during a rally at Maner in Patna on Tuesday that the RJD had dug up the helipad before his arrival. Yadav told the crowd that the RJD might do whatever it wished, but nothing would come in his way of meeting the people of Patna. He said he was even ready to risk his life to meet the people. RJD candidate Bhai Virendra is contesting from Patna. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav was also in the capital of Bihar on Tuesday. The helipad was made for Tejashwi. At the same place, another helipad was to be made for the MP CM. After Tejashwi left, the RJD workers dug up the helipad, so the issue was raised. Yadav has been electioneering in Bihar, but such an issue has come up for the first time during the campaigning. No changes in limits of admin units from Jan 1 till March 31, 2027 ‘India set to become third-largest economy’ No changes can be made in the limits of administrative units of the state from January 1 till March 31, 2027 because the administrative boundaries will freeze from December 31 for Census 2027. In otherwords, changes in the administrative unitssuch as blocks, tehsils etccan be madeonlyby December 31, 2025. In the meantime, for the Census 2027 work,directives have been issued for preparation of population lists of villages, hamlets, smallhuman settlements, colonies and slums in wards of urban bodies. 4Continued on | P8 PTI NEW DELHI Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said India stands out as a fast-growing economy and will soon be the third-largest in the world. Delivering the Diamond Jubilee Valedictory Lecture at Delhi School of Economics (DSE) here, she said India is moving fast on so many different parameters, which are largely economic. "Of course, India and its population, India and its location have strategic significance, but India stands together today and stands tall and stands dis- Hinduja Group chairman passes away chairman of the globeLONDON spanning Hinduja Group conglomerate Gopichand P Hinduja, was unwell for the who acquired strugpast few weeks and gling truck-maker died in a London hosAshok Leyland and Gopichand pital, sources close to quickly turned it P Hinduja his family said. Born in around into one of 1940, Gopichand was India's most successful autothe second of the four Hinduja mobile companies, died in brothers who built the group London at the age of 85. into a global conglomerate, The billionaire patriarch of spanning automotive, energy, Britain's richest family and banking, and infrastructure. PTI India’s top 1% grew its wealth by 62% since 2000 PTI required to usethe system to mark their attendance. However, a petition of 27 aggrieved educators is still pending in the HC, challenging themandatory implementation of the ‘HamareShikshak’ (Our Teachers)app for electronicattendance marking. The next hearing is on November 7. The teachers said that many of them did not have More electricity to farmers will lead to salary cut: Power Co G20 report NEW DELHI Court said there was no need to interfere in system that ensured transparency are being taken for the treatment of the injured persons, the officials said. The visuals show a coach of the passenger train mounted onto a wagon of the goods train. Our Staff Reporter Who can avail benefit BHOPAL been shifted to Apollo Hospital and Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) hospital in Bilaspur. The condition of one of them is said to be critical, he added. The railway authorities have mobilised all resources at the spot, and required measures BHOPAL concern among passengers. HC rejects teachers’ plea, upholds e-attendance policy NEW DELHI BILASPUR trapped inside the wreckage and efforts are on to evacuate them," Bilaspur Collector Sanjay Agrawal told PTI. The goods train was also moving in the same direction as that of the passenger train, he said. The injured passengers have E-paper Cinema AGE IS JUST A NUMBER P.14 5 dead as passenger train hits goods train At least five persons were killed and 14 others injured after a passenger train collided with a goods train from behind near Bilaspur station in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, railway officials said. The incident took place around 4 pm when the MEMU (mainline electric multiple unit) passenger train was heading to Bilaspur from Gevra (in neighbouring Korba district), they said. When it was between Gatora and Bilaspur railway stations, the passenger train rammed into a goods train from behind, the officials said. "So far, five deaths have been confirmed in the accident. Four others are still MUMBAI Edit Tharoor in a spot yet again P.6 Mamdani emerges as front-runner BOOST TO TIES | MoU signed in Tel Aviv following a meeting of India-Israel joint working group on defence cooperation NEW DELHI UJJAIN some very populous countries like China and India, which brought down the share of high-income coun- tries in global GDP somewhat. The report said that between 2000 and 2023, the ri- chest 1 per cent increased their share of the wealth in over half of all countries, which contain 74 per cent of the global. "In India, the top 1% have grown their share of wealth by 62% over this period (2000-2023); this figure is 54% in China," the report said. "Extreme inequality is a choice. It is not inevitable and can be reversed with political will. 4Continued on | P8 month, the deputy general manager will lose a day’s salary. 4Continued on | P8 tinctly on its feet because of the economic strength of India," she said. "What is making us literally stand out is the fast movement from the tenth largest economy in 2014 to fifth and the fourth, and now sooner, probably to the third," she said. She emphasised that Indians should believe in themselves and the country's economic strength. "We, as Indians contributing to the economy, must have faith that we are achieving our goals through our own efforts. 4Continued on | P8 Courts halt deportation of Indian-origin man wrongly jailed for 43 yrs AP PHILADELPHIA Two separate courts have ordered immigration officials not to deport an Indian-origin man who spent four decades in prison before his murder conviction was overturned. Subramanyam Vedam, 64, is currently detained at a short-term holding centre in Alexandria, Louisiana, that's equipped with an airstrip for deportations. Vedam, a legal permanent resident known as "Subu," was transferred there from central Pennsylvania last week, relatives said. An immigration judge stayed his deportation on Thursday until the Bureau of Immigration Appeals decides whether to review his case. That could take several months. Vedam's lawyers also got a stay the same day in the US District Court in Pennsylvania, but said that the case may be on hold given the immigration court ruling. Vedam came to the US legally from India as an infant and grew up in State College, where his father taught at Penn State. He was serving a life sentence for a friend's 1980 death before his conviction was overturned this year. He was released from state prison on Oct. 3, only to be taken straight into immigration custody. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking to deport Vedam over his no-contest plea to charges of LSD delivery, filed when he was about 20. His lawyers argue that the four decades he wrongly spent in prison, where he earned degrees and tutored fellow inmates, should outweigh the drug case. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Monday that the reversal in the murder case does not negate the drug conviction. 4Continued on | P8