WORLD Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | Vol. 69 No. 50 | 29 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 MONEY Rupee breaches 90-mark amid dollar demand, closes at unprecedented low of 89.96/$ OIL IMPORT DECLINE IS TEMPORARY: KREMLIN The Kremlin on Tuesday said the recent decline in India’s imports of Russian oil may last only “a brief period,” as Moscow prepares to boost supplies by using advanced technology to counter the impact of Western sanctions. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, speaking to Indian journalists via a video link organised by Russia’s Sputnik news agency, said Russia remains confident about sustaining energy ties with India. His remarks come ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to New Delhi starting Thursday, during which defence, energy cooperation and payment mechanisms are expected to dominate discussions. India’s crude purchases from Russia are set to fall this month to at least a three-year low, driven largely by pressure from US sanctions on Russian oil majors, including Rosneft. 4Contd on | nation Edit Large-scale defections put the opposition, Shinde on alert Not compulsory: Scindia Agencies Agencies Cinema Ranveer Singh issues apology over Kantara mimicry Rohit, Kohli hold the key as India look to wrap up ODI series against SA SANCHAR SAATHI ROW | After a storm of protests alleging the app was meant to snoop, Communications Minister clarifies that it is up to the user to delete the app NEW DELHI NEW DELHI GAMES A political storm intensified on Tuesday over the Centre’s move to mandate pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all new mobile handsets, even as multiple Opposition parties termed the directive unconstitutional, intrusive and a step toward turning India into a “surveillance state.” Ultimately, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that users are free to delete the app. Days after the Ministry of Communications asked smartphone makers to preload the state-run cybersecurity app and ensure its functionalities are not disabled, Scindia said the app remained entirely voluntary for users. He told reporters outside Parliament that “If you want to keep it on your phone, then keep it. If you want to delete it, then delete it. If you register it, then it will remain active. If you don’t register it, then it will remain inactive.” His remark came amid SIR debate on Dec 9 Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI Political semantics dominated Parliament on Tuesday as the Centre agreed to a detailed 10hour debate on electoral reforms on December 9 — but not specifically on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, as the Opposition had demanded. The debate has been formally listed under the broader rubric of “electoral reforms”, with SIR folded into it. After two days of protests that repeatedly stalled both Houses, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju posted the breakthrough on X: “It has been decided to hold dis- POLL REFORMS, NOT SIR: Discussions on the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram will be held on Dec 8, and on election reforms — including the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) — on Dec 9. cussion in Lok Sabha on 150th Anniversary of National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ on Monday, 8th Dec, and discussion on Election Reforms from 12 noon on Tuesday, 9th Scan & Watch December.” 4Contd on | nation FPJ IMPACT HC notice over Thane potholes T he Bombay High Court has issued notices to the state government, Thane Municipal Corporation, Public Works Department, MMRDA and the traffic police on a plea highlighting that over 18 deaths have occurred in Thane due to potholes. The notices were issued while hearing an application based on a news report by The Free Press Journal, which highlighted the poor condition of roads, including Ghodbunder Road, which witnessed an 11hour traffic jam. SEE CITY growing concerns after the November 28 directive that all newly manufactured or imported mobile phones must carry the app, and that companies should “make efforts” to push the app onto devices already in the market via software updates. Critics fear the app could be used to read user messages. The Congress called Sanchar Saathi a “snooping app,” while the government maintained it is crucial to curb cyber fraud and verify the authenticity of mobile devices. Scindia strongly denied any surveillance intent. “There is no snooping on the basis of this, nor is there any call monitoring,” he said, adding that some Opposition leaders were trying to “find an issue out of Scan & Watch nowhere.” 4Contd on | nation Census in 2 phases: listing, enumeration FPJ News Services MUMBAI The government on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that Census 2027 will be carried out in two phases, beginning with House Listing and Housing Census between April and September 2026, followed by Population Enumeration in February 2027. Responding to a question from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said Phase I will be conducted over a 30-day period, with states and Violence mars Maha local polls Union Territories free to choose the most convenient window within those six months. Population Enumeration, he said, will take place in February 2027 with the reference date fixed at 00:00 hours on March 1, 2027. However, in Ladakh, snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, and parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the exercise will be carried out earlier, in September 2026, with a reference date of 00:00 hours on October 1, 2026. 4Contd on | nation Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI Polling for the 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra witnessed clashes among political workers and allegations of cash-for-votes at several places, making it one of the most bitterly fought local elections in recent times. Approximately 60% polling was recorded by 5.30 PM, State Election Commission sources said. The poll panel said final figure was expected to be late as district officials were working to collate data. By 3:30 pm, 47.51% turnout was recorded. Voting, which began at 7.30 am, concluded at 5.30 pm, officials said. 4Contd on | city 4See also | city HC pauses results The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has postponed the counting of votes and declaration of results for Maharashtra’s Municipal Council, Nagar Parishad and Nagar Panchayat elections from December 3 to December 21. The court said that announcing results phase-wise could influence voting in the second phase. The court ruled that all results must be declared together. It also said the Model Code of Conduct will remain in force until results are announced, and no exit polls will be allowed.