FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 165 | BHOPAL | THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 27, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports Virat Kohli arrives for ODI series P.12 Rs 7,280-cr push for rare earth magnet manufacturing IANS NEW DELHI The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a landmark Rs 7,280-crore scheme to promote the manufacturing of sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPMs) in India. This first-of-its-kind initiative aims to set up an integrated domestic capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes per annum, helping India move toward self-reliance in a strategically critical sector currently dominated by imports. REPMs are among the strongest permanent magnets in the world and are essential for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, aerospace, defence, advanced electronics and consumer technology. The Cabinet note states that India’s demand for REPMs is expected to double by 2030, driven by rapid growth in clean energy and electric mobility. The scheme includes Rs 6,450 crore in sales-linked incentives for five years and Rs 750 crore as capital subsidy. Capacity will be allocated to up to five shortlisted beneficiaries through a global competitive bidding process. The programme timeline spans seven years—two for setup and five for incentive disbursement. The government said the scheme would boost employment, strengthen the domestic supply chain and play a major role in India’s Net Zero 2070 mission, aligning with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. IAS OFFICER VERMA SHOW CAUSED ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY Angry students of the Vellore Institute of Technology in Sehore set vehicles and cars parked on the campus afire and vandalised the institute properties late Tuesday night. They also clashed with the security guards. The incident occurred after 32 of students fell ill consuming contaminated water supplied on the college campus in the Ko t ha r i village on the Scan & Watch I n d o re Bhopal highway under Ashta police station. A team of police and administrative officers, led by sub-divisional magistrate Nitin Tale and sub-divisional officer of police Akash Amalkar, rushed to the spot and convinced the students to call off the protest. After the protest ended, the management announced the closure of the institute for five days. The students said many of them were suffering from jaundice because of the contaminated water, but the management did not pay any heed to their complaints. 4Continued on | P8 Forty-one armed Maoists, including 12 women, surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district under government rehabilitation schemes. JITU SLAMS GOVT Agencies NEW DELHI Going once, going twice, sold! Number plate 'HR88B8888' is officially India's costliest car registration number sold for Rs 1.17 crore on Wednesday in Haryana. Haryana holds online auctions for VIP or fancy number plates weekly. Between Friday 5 pm and Monday 9 am, bidders can apply for the number of their choice. 4Continued on | P8 Ah’bad to host centenary CWG IANS GLASGOW Ahmedabad has officially been awarded hosting rights for the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030 — only the second time in history the Games will be held in India after New Delhi 2010. The announcement backed by delegates from 74 member nations sparked jubilant celebrations as Garba dancers and dhol drummers turned the assembly hall into a colourful showcase of India’s cultural power. See Sports pg On Constitution Day, Modi calls for duty-driven citizenship in open letter Students protest at VIT in Sehore late on Tuesday night and (right) vehicles set afire Fake news of deaths fuelled anger: Registrar The registrar of the institute, KK Nayar, said an RO water facility was available. Samples of water and food are regularly taken, Nayar said, adding that there was fake news of deaths of some students on social media, which caused resentment among the students. 3-MEMBER TEAM TO PROBE The MP Private University Regularity Commission has set up a three-member committee to probe the incident of violence by students on VIT campus after the reports of illness caused by polluted water. Principal of the Government Government Hamidia Arts and Commerce College Anil Shivani will head the committee. The other members are Sanjay Dikshit of Motilal Nehru Vigyan Mahavidyalaya and Dr Lokendra Dave of the Indira Gandhi Medical College. Agencies STUDENTS’ HEALTH TOP PRIORITY: KRISHNA GAUR Minister of state for minority welfare and in charge of Sehore, Krishna Gaur, took feedback from the collector Balaguru K and SP Deepak Kumar Shukla on the incidents that followed after several students of VIT fell ill consuming contaminated water. She asked the officials and management of VIT to give top priority to the students health and close the institute for a few days. Country with stained record of bigotry: India on Pak’s Ayodhya remarks Agencies NEW DELHI A large number of villagers from adjoining areas gathered at Goharganj. Police made extensive arrangements to pre- Congress state president Jitu Patwari met family and the victim at AIIMS hospital, assuring all possible help from the party platform. HR88B8888: Costliest car plate at `1.17cr E-paper PM to citizens: Strengthen democracy through voting RAISEN RAPE CASE: Cops use lathis, tear gas to control protesters Raisen police resorted to lathicharge and fired tear gas shells at protesters moving towards the colony of a particular community on Wednesday. A six-year-old girl was raped on September 21 by accused Salman Khan in Goharganj police station area. Since then, villagers have been protesting for arrest of the accused, who remained at large till Wednesday evening, intensifying demonstrations. MUMBAI Cinema Bhumi’s Daldal first look revealed P.14 F P News Service Late on Wednesday night, state government issued show cause notice to IAS officer Santosh Kumar Verma over his controversial comment against Brahmin community. The comment comes under the category of indiscipline and misconduct, said the notice and asked why action should not be initiated against him for indiscipline. Verma has been given seven days’ time to reply. During AJAKS convention Verma said that reservation should continue till a Brahmin donated his girl to his son. Brahmins are up in arms against Verma terming his statement as an act to divide the society. Taking cognizance of the incident, the government issued the show cause notice to Verma who is currently posted as Deputy Secretary , Agriculture Development and farmer welfare department. 41 Maoists surrender NASHIK SEHORE Our Staff Reporter RAIPUR INDORE Edit Not where they claim to be P.6 MKTS SOAR AS FED, RBI RATE CUT HOPES BOOST SENTIMENT BHOPAL fp PUNE VIT students on rampage, set vehicles afire on campus Our Staff Reporter Briefs PRESS CAMPUS UNREST| Protest erupts at VIT Sehore after 32 students fall ill allegedly due to contaminated drinking water BHOPAL Earlier news on P3 UJJAIN Wednesday said Beijing’s actions are “unhelpful” to ongoing efforts to normalise ties. The remarks come in the wake of allegations by Pema Wangjom Thongdok, a UKbased Indian citizen, who claimed that her three-hour layover on November 21 turned into a traumatic ordeal after Chinese immigration officials declared her passport “invalid” solely because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace. India on Wednesday reacted strongly to Pakistan's remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising a saffron flag at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have seen the reported remarks and reject them with the contempt they deserve. As a country with a deeply stained record of bigotry, repression, and systemic mistreatment of its minorities. Pakistan has no moral standing to lecture others. Rather than delivering hypocritical homilies, Pakistan would do better to turn its gaze inwards and focus on its own abysmal human rights record." Pak had protested the raising of the saffron flag, labelling the move an attempt to increase pressure on minority communities in India and to erase Muslim heritage. The reference was to the Ram Temple having been built at the site of the demolished 16th century Babri Masjid. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 vent any untoward incident and ensure roads remained open. 4Continued on | P8 He said, When safety of girls is at stake across the state, simply removing an SP or TI isn t the answer. ‘No amount of denial will change reality’ Says MEA on China detaining Arunachal woman Agencies NEW DELHI A day after India rejected China’s explanation for the detention of an Indian national from Arunachal Pradesh at Shanghai airport, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday penned an open letter to the nation on the occasion of Constitution Day, recalling the adoption of the Constitution in 1949 and its continued influence in shaping India’s progress. He noted that the Government declared November 26 as Constitution Day in 2015 to honour the nation’s guiding document. Agencies NEW DELHI The Election Commission of India (ECI) told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that political parties are creating "a scare" about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being undertaken in the PLEAS AGAINST SIR States of Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing pleas against the validity of SIR and seeking deferment of the process. On the plea filed by the Kerala government to defer the SIR, the Court asked the ECI and the State Election Commission (SEC) to file its re- 2 cr Aadhaars deactivated IANS/NEW DELHI The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated more than 2 crore Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased individuals as part of a nationwide effort to keep database accurate and up to date, Ministry of Electronics & IT said on Wednesday. 4Continued on | P8 Italian man dresses up as dead mother to claim pension Agencies In a bizarre case that has stunned Italy, a 57-year-old man was arrested after allegedly disguising himself as his deceased mother for years to continue collecting her pension. The case, now being referred to as a real-life “Mrs. Doubtfire” scandal, came to light after officials noticed unusual physical traits during an identity renewal attempt. The man, whose name remains withheld, is believed to be the son of Graziella Dall’Oglio, who died in 2022 at age 82. Instead of reporting her death, he allegedly hid her body inside their home in Borgo Virgilio near Mantua. Police later discovered the mummified remains wrapped in bedsheets and a sleeping a brown wig to impersonate his mother. He reportedly continued withdrawing her survivor’s pension, worth around €53,000 (Rs 54.79 lakh) per year, and may have fraudulently collected millions over time. He also inherited income from family real estate and farmland. bag inside a laundry room. According to investiga- tors, the suspect dressed in skirts, blouses, lipstick and 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 ‘Constitution defines India’s identity’ President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said the Constitution is the foundation of India’s national identity and a guide to discard colonial thinking and embrace nationalism. Speaking at the Constitution Day event in Samvidhan Sadan, she said Parliament reflects citizens’ aspirations and now stands as an inspiration for democracies worldwide. She called the Constitution a symbol of national pride. Pol parties creating a scare: ECI to SC offgrid ROME Taking a subtle swipe at the previous Congress government, the Prime Minister said the Constitution did not re- ceive the recognition it deserved when it completed 60 years in 2010. He recalled organising a Samvidhan Gaurav Yatra in Gujarat, during which a copy of the Constitution was ceremonially placed on an elephant as a mark of respect. A key message of his letter focused on strengthening democracy by exercising the right to vote. sponse by December 1 and listed the case for hearing on December 2. "Let ECI, SEC file the counter in Kerala SIR case by December 1. List the case on December 2," the Court directed. The petitions challenging SIR in Tamil Nadu will be heard on December 4 while the challenge to the exercise in West Bengal will be heard on December 9. The Supreme Court has been hearing several petitions challenging the conduct of Special Intensive Revisions (SIR) of electoral rolls in various States. Earlier this month. the State of Kerala moved the top court, urging it to at least defer the SIR exercise till after the local body elections in the State are over. 4Continued on | P8 SC: Nation can bring back law evaders PTI NEW DELHI The country has a right to bring back offenders who are evading law, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday as it refused to entertain a plea by a man seeking withdrawal of a request made to the United Arab Emirates for his extradition. According to authorities, 153 cases are registered against petitioner Vijay Murlidhar Udhwani, who had travelled to Dubai in July 2022 and is alleged to be involved in organised illegal activities of bootlegging and other offences. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a plea filed by Udhwani, against whom a red corner notice was also issued, challenging an order of the Gujarat High Court. Gautam’s team buries India’s proud home record without a fight Men-in-blue suffer heaviest Test defeat by runs Agencies GUWAHATI Off-spinner Simon Harmer produced a magical 6-37 as South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, storming to a 408-run victory in the second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium and securing a commanding 2-0 series sweep on Wednesday. Chasing 549, India folded for 140 on Day 5, with only Ravindra Jadeja offering resistance with a fighting 54. The loss marks India’s second home Test whitewash in two years, following the 3-0 humiliation against New Zealand last year, and breaks their long-held fortress reputation at home. (Detail Report on Sports Page) ‘BCCI to decide my future’ Under intense pressure after India’s 0–2 Test series whitewash against South Africa, head coach Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday said that his future rests solely with the BCCI, while firmly reminding critics of the successes achieved during his tenure. “It is up to the BCCI to decide… Indian cricket is important, I'm not important.”