FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 199 | BHOPAL | WEDNESDAY | DECEMBER 31, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports THE CROWN & THE COMEBACKS P.14 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY India’s growth story built on credibility, stability: PM IANS India world’s 4th largest economy, surpasses Japan Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that India’s growth story is being shaped by credibility, stability, and long-term confidence, driven by a series of sustained reforms across sectors ranging from labour laws and trade agreements to logistics, energy, and market reforms. In a post on X, the Prime Minister referred to Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s write-up on "Reform Express 2025", which reflects the "quiet but consistent work of governance that has helped clear long-pending bottlenecks week after week". PM Modi said these steady reforms are laying a strong foundation for India’s future growth. "Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri writes on Reform Express 2025. He reflects on the quiet, cumulative work of governance that cleared bottlenecks week after week," he said." From labour laws and trade agreements to logistics, energy fp Briefs FLORIDA Israel Peace Prize for Don US President Donald Trump will be awarded Israel's highest civilian honour, the Israel Prize for Peace, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday, following a bilateral meeting between the two leaders in Florida. Netanyahu said the Israeli government has decided to confer the Israel Prize for Peace on Trump, marking the first time in 80 years the award will be given to a non-Israeli citizen. BENGALURU Dhruv takes flight Marking a milestone in the country's indigenous aerospace manufacturing, the next generation, multi-role civil helicopter Dhruv NG, billed as an alternative to imported light twin-engine helicopters, made its maiden flight on Tuesday here. Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu flagged off the HAL-made helicopter and called it a symbol of the country's capability. Steady reforms are laying a strong foundation for India’s future growth Narendra Modi Prime Minister India has surpassed Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy with a size of USD 4.18 trillion, and is poised to overtake Germany to become the thirdlargest by 2030, the government has said. With continuing good growth numbers, India is also the world's fastest-growing major economy. India's real GDP grew 8.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2025-26, up from 7.8 per cent in the first quarter and 7.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal. "With GDP valued at USD 4.18 trillion, India has surpassed Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy, and is poised to displace Germany from the third rank in the next 2.5 to 3 years with a projected GDP of USD 7.3 trillion by 2030," according to a government release providing a snapshot of reforms in 2025 and market reforms, India's growth story is being built on credibility, stability and longterm confidence," he added. In his article, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Puri highlighted how the PM Modi government’s reform push is improving ease of doing business and strengthening investor confidence. Puri had described “Reform Express 2025” as the cumulative impact of consistent governance, where obstacles are addressed regularly rather than through sudden, disruptive changes. He had said that in an uncertain global environment marked by political instability, the steady leadership of Narendra Modi stands out.Puri had pointed out that key steps such as modern labour codes, major trade agreements, the Securities Market Code Bill and the Indian Ports Act 2025 are creating a solid base for longterm economic expansion. Deeply concerned: Modi over targeting of Putin’s residence ED attaches RTO, clerk’s properties worth Rs 3.38 cr IANS NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Tuesday that he is "deeply concerned" by reports of the targeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin's residence, and stressed that the ongoing diplomatic efforts are the most viable path towards ending hostilities and achieving peace. "Deeply concerned by reports of the targeting of the residence of the President of the Russian Federation. Ongoing diplomatic efforts offer the most viable path toward ending hostilities and achieving peace. We urge all concerned to remain focused on these efforts and to avoid any actions that could undermine them," PM Modi posted on X.PM Modi's statement comes after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of launching unmanned aerial vehicles at the state residence of Putin in the early hours of December 29. 4Continued on | P8 Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bhopal zonal office, had provisionally attached immovable properties valued at Rs. 3.38 crore belonging to regional transport officer (RTO) Santosh Paul and senior clerk in the state transport department Rekha Paul, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, said officials on Tuesday. The ED initiated investigation based on an FIR registered against them by the Economic Offences Wing, Bhopal under the Prevention of Corruption Act, for accumulating assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. During the investigation, it was revealed that these public servants had acquired movable and immovable assets sig- He also said that the SHANTI Bill is a major step towards modernising India’s civil nuclear framework.According to the minister, these reforms follow a clear pattern of cleaning up outdated laws, decriminalising minor offences, modernising labour compliance, strengthening market oversight, digitising trade processes, improving logistics, and reducing risks in longterm energy investments. nificantly exceeding their lawful income during the check period. The ED investigation revealed that with a verified lawful income of Rs. 73.26 lakh, Santosh Paul and Rekha Paul had accumulated assets and made expenditures of approximately Rs. 4.80 crore. This resulted in disproportionate assets amounting to around Rs. 4.06 crore. Further examination uncovered structured and repeated cash deposits in their bank accounts just before loan EMI payments, suggesting the placement and integration of unaccounted cash into the banking system. The attached properties include residential houses, residential plots, agricultural land and commercial shops located in Jabalpur district, which have been provisionally attached as Proceeds of Crime. HC notice to govt on all women faculty hiring in nursing colleges Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The principal bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court in Jabalpur has issued notice to the state government on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed about recruitment of all women faculty in nursing colleges in the state. Law Students’ Union president Vishal Baghel filed the PRESS PUNE PIL challenging advertisement for only women faculty. The petition argued that reserving the entire recruitment process for only one class or gender was a violation of constitutional principles. The high court has taken note of the matter and issued a notice to the state government, demanding a response. The court asked under what rule these positions were re- served exclusively for women, completely excluding men from the process. A total of 286 faculty positions were filled in government nursing colleges in Madhya Pradesh and all the selected candidates were women. The petitioner argued that full reservation was against the right to equality. The high court has scheduled the next hearing on January 5. INDORE NASHIK Another Hindu man shot in Bangladesh Agencies DHAKA An Ansar member named Bajendra Biswas (40) was killed after being shot by a colleague in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh. The accused Ansar member, Noman Mia, has been arrested, RTV Online reported. "Yes, the incident is confirmed", Monindra Nath, Acting Secretary General of Bangladesh Hindu Buddah Christian Unity Council told ANI over the phone. "The incident took place on Monday (29 December) at around 6:30 pm at Sultana Sweaters Limited factory in the Mehrabari area of the upazila", the report said. "The deceased Ansar member Bajendra Biswas was the son of Probitra Biswas of Kadirpur village under Sylhet Sadar upazila. The accused, Noman Mia, is the son of Lutfar Rahman of Baluturi Bazar area under Taherpur Police Station in Sunamganj district," it added. "At the time of the incident, Ansar members Noman Mia and Bajendra Das were sitting together. During that time, a shot was fired from the shotgun in Noman Mia's possession, seriously injuring Bajendra Das in his left thigh", the report said. Cinemas are an artistic expression and India does not restrict it, government sources said on Tuesday as Salman Khan's "Battle of Galwan", based on the 2020 clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley, found itself in the news after its 1.12 minute teaser. The big budget drama has - expectedly -- drawn criti- cism from China's Global Times which claimed the movie to be a cinematic exaggeration and said it distorted facts. The film, directed by Apoorva Lakhia, has Salman playing the role of Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, who laid down his life along with 19 other soldiers of the 16 Bihar Regiment in the 2020 battle while defending Indian territory. He was posthumously given India's second-highest wartime gallantry award, the Maha Vir Chakra. A teaser of the film was released on Salman's 60th birthday on Saturday. It shows the actor's Army officer and group of Indian soldiers ready to charge at the Tap water turns toxic in Indore: 3 dead, 100 ill Rs 2L ex gratia for kin of deceased; free treatment for affected people Our Staff Reporter INDORE A major drinking water contamination at Bhagirathpura has turned deadly after a leak in the main pipeline caused drainage water to mix into household supply. Health officials have confirmed only three deaths and over 100 people hospitalised across the city. However, hospitals and local sources have put the number of deaths at seven with 150 sick. The leak was traced under a public toilet near a police outpost, close to a police outpost, near a police outpost, strengthening suspicion that sewer water entered the drinking pipeline directly. The incident occurred in the constituency of Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, triggering administrative and political attention only after deaths were reported. Hospitals confirmed three deaths, including 75-year-old Nandlal Pal, admitted with severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Families insist the deaths were caused by drinking tap water, telling hospital staff, “Their condition worsened only after consuming tap water.” Acting on orders of Municipal Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav, repair work was started immediately. The water supply has been stopped and officials said it will resume only after the area is cleaned, chlorinated and lab reports confirm safety. More than 70 samples have been collected and sent to the lab. Results are awaited. RMO Dr Satish Nema said doctors from various city PHCs were assigned postmortem duty by CMHO, but the doctor assigned for Tuesday refused to perform autopsies, and duty doctor Dr Pushpraj Singh did not arrive. Dr Nema arranged for Dr Raj Garg to perform the postmortem and said a showcause notice will be issued to the assigned doctor, asking, “why he did not report for duty.” A letter signed by six doctors requesting exemption from post-mortem duty surfaced on social media, addressed to CMHO, saying they want exemption to perform their main responsibilities. Collector Shivam Verma reviewed arrangements at MY Hospital, while health teams are going door-to-door, distributing ORS packets, chlorine tablets, providing treatment support and advising people to drink only boiled water. 4Continued on | P8 B’desh’s first woman PM Khaleda Zia dies PTI EAM to attend funeral in Dhaka DHAKA Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first woman prime minister who restored democracy after a span of military rule and dominated the country's politics for decades, died on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. She was 80. Zia's demise came less than six weeks before Bangladesh will vote in the parliamentary elections for the first time after a massive student-led uprising led to the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina-led govern- Act on obscene, unlawful content: Centre warns online platforms PTI NEW DELHI The Centre has warned online platforms, mainly social media firms, of legal consequences if they fail to act on obscene, vulgar, pornographic, paedophilic and other forms of unlawful content. In an advisory dated December 29, 2025, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) asked social media firms to immediately review their compliance framework and act against obscene and unlawful content on their platform, failing which they may face prosecution under the law of the land. "Intermediaries, including social media intermediaries, are reminded that they are statutorily obligated under 4Continued on | P8 ‘Battle of Galwan’ sparks India-China war of words PTI E-paper Cinema Keeping it simple P.12 offgrid NEW DELHI MUMBAI Edit SC ensured none is above the law P.6 Gold loans shine in credit mix, up 4X in 3 yrs REFORM PUSH | Growth driven by series of sustained reforms ranging from labour laws to trade agreements, says Modi NEW DELHI UJJAIN PLA army members running towards them with the song "Mera Bharat Desh Mahaan Hai" playing in the backdrop. The teaser, which begins with a voice over by Salman's character saying, "Soldiers, remember, if you get hurt, treat it like a medal and if you see death, salute it", has already got over 60 million views across different social media platforms. 4Continued on | P8 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the funeral of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka on Wednesday ment. Zia and Hasina were political rivals. "My mother is no more," Zia's elder son and Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) acting Chairman Tarique Rahman said early in the morning. Zia was a three-time prime minister and held the position of chairperson of BNP. Her personal physician, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, said she breathed her last early on Tuesday while receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. Soon, automated fair collection for Indore, Bhopal Metro trains Cost of implementation around Rs 186 cr Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL With the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (MPMRC) signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Bhopal and Indore Metro trains will soon be operating with an automated fare collection system.  The implementation cost of the fare collection system with DMRC is almost equal to that of the previous contract which was given to Turkish company Asis Guard. Asis Guard’s contract was cancelled due to security concerns following Operation Sindoor. The company had bagged a Rs 186-crore contract to implement the automated fare collection system for both the Metro projects in the state. Until the automated system becomes functional, Bhopal and Indore Metro trains will run through a manual ticketing system. MPMRC Managing Director S Krishna Chaitanya told the Free Press that he sees the possibility of the automated ticketing system work getting completed within two months or a little later. The automated fare collection system will also have an online ticketing facility. Sources said a DMRC team is expected to arrive over the next few days to facilitate the implementation of the automated fare collection system. Zia's family members, including her elder son Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman, and their daughter Zaima, were present at the hospital. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was also at the hospital. Bangladesh's interim government Chief Muhammad Yunus described former prime minister Zia as a "great guardian" whose role in the country's democratic journey would be "remembered forever". 4Continued on | P8 Prez returns TN varsity amendment bill PTI CHENNAI President Droupadi Murmu has returned the Tamil Nadu University of Madras Amendment Bill, seeking to empower the state government to appoint its vice chancellor, an official source said on Tuesday. The TN Assembly, which passed the bill in April 2022, had sent it for presidential assent, aiming to take control of the 168-year-old university which has been managing the affairs without a vice chancellor for over two years. The bill sought to amend the University of Madras Act by transferring the power to appoint and remove the VC from the governor, now serving as ex-officio chancellor of the varsity, to the state government by replacing "chancellor" with "government" in the Act. 4Continued on | P8 28-DAY DIGITAL ARREST: Retd prof, wife lose Rs 1.34 cr FP News Service RATLAM A retired professor and his wife from Ratlam were kept under digital arrest for 28 days, during which fraudsters swindled Rs 1.34 crore from their bank accounts. The scam was exposed when their son returned from Canada. SP Amit Kumar revealed details during a press conference on Tuesday evening. The ordeal began on No- The ordeal began on Nov 15. The scam exposed when their son returned from Canada vember 15, when the professor received a call through a mobile app. The caller accused him of money laundering, claiming Rs 247 crore had been deposited in a Canara Bank account in Mumbai linked to his Aadhaar card. The scammers threatened him with immediate arrest and showed a fake courtroom on WhatsApp video call with officers in police uniform. Terrified, the professor revealed information about his three bank accounts and mentioned that his son is in Canada. The miscreants even threatened to prevent his son's return to India. 4Continued on | P8