THE SUNDAY Vol. 37 No. 17 | Sunday, January 18, 2026 32 Pages | `5 & for Pune `7 | Reg. No. MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 46955/1988 M.p.c.s. office Mumbai-400001 FREE PRESS JOURNAL INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation WEEKEND Weekend Millennials, Gen Z react to MTV and iconic TV channels shutting down GLOVES ARE OFF | Prime Minister, in campaign mode in West Bengal, says illegal immigration has altered demographic balance, fuelled riots, and thrived under ‘Patronage Raj’ Modi hammers Mamata with infiltration charge ANI FPJ News Service MALDA Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made infiltration the central theme of his attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal, alleging that large-scale illegal migration had altered the state’s demographic balance, fuelled riots and thrived under the ruling party’s “patronage and syndicate raj”. Addressing a mega rally in the Muslim-majority district of Malda, ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections due in about three months, Modi said infiltration posed “a very big challenge” for the state and claimed that even developed and prosperous countries were taking firm action to identify and remove illegal migrants. “There are developed and prosperous countries in the world which have no shortage of money, yet they are removing infiltrators. It is equally necessary to remove infiltrators from West Bengal,” he said, asserting that a BJP government would take “big action” to crack down Toll relief on Atal Setu for another year Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI People tell me that in several places, even the spoken language is beginning to change. Differences are emerging in language and dialect. Due to the increasing population of infiltrators, riots have started occurring in many areas of West Bengal, including Malda and Murshidabad. PM Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with students in train coach of newly flagged off Vande Bharat sleeper train connecting Howrah and Guwahati, in Malda on Saturday. on infiltrators and stop illegal migration once voted to power. Claiming that the impact of infiltration was visible on the ground, the Prime Minister said the demographic balance had changed in many parts of the state. “People tell me that in several places, even the spoken language is beginning to change. Differences are emerging in language and dialect. Due to the increasing population of infiltrators, riots have started occurring in many areas of West Bengal, including Malda and Murshidabad,” he said. 4Contd on | Nation 4See also | Nation Sunday Read Brinda Miller walks us through the journey of Kala Ghoda Arts Festival DGCA slaps IndiGo with `22 cr fine PTI US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that he stopped fighting between India and Pakistan, saying the move saved millions of lives and describing it as an “honour”. Addressing an event in Florida on Friday, Trump said the United States had brokered several peace deals in less than a year. He claimed that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had credited him with saving at least 10 million lives by stopping the Indo-Pak conflict. “In less than a year, we made eight peace deals and ended the war in Gaza. We have peace in the Middle East. Nobody thought that was going to be possible,” Trump said. He also asserted that Washington helped defuse tensions between the two nucleararmed neighbours. “We stopped India and Pakistan from fighting, two nuclear nations… The Pakistani Prime Minister said ‘Donald Trump saved at least 10 million people’. And it was amazing, and it’s an honour,” he said. 4Contd on | Nation We stopped India and Pakistan from fighting, two nuclear nations… The Pakistani Prime Minister said ‘Donald Trump saved at least 10 million people’. And it was amazing, and it’s an honour. Donald Trump US, Pak army exercise Islamabad: Amid broader signs of re-engagement American and Pakistani troops have concluded a two week joint training exercise titled “Inspired Gambit 2026” at Pakistan’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre in Pabbi. “Training exercises like this between the US and Pakistan strengthen our long-standing defence ties,” Dawn reported on Saturday, quoting a statement issued by the US Central Command (Centcom). Militaryto-military ties between Pakistan and the United States appear to be strengthening, marked by renewed joint training, major defence sales and unusually warm rhetoric from President Donald Trump towards Pakistan’s military leadership. Associated Press Sharks could struggle to feed themselves efficiently in the future as ocean acidification damages their teeth, potentially affecting shark populations and the stability of marine ecosystems, according to a new study. Sharks are known for their powerful jaws, which carry several rows of teeth. As teeth are lost, new ones move forward quickly to replace them. But researchers have found that rapidly acidifying oceans are damaging shark teeth and could increase tooth loss faster than replacement, leaving sharks at a dis- “Sharks with bad teeth could struggle to feed themselves efficiently,” the study warned, adding that this could have wider consequences for marine ecosystems. advantage. “Sharks with bad teeth could struggle to feed themselves efficiently,” the study warned, adding that this could have wider consequences for marine ecosystems. Ocean acidification occurs when the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, triggering chemical reactions that lower seawater pH levels. Scientists project Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI In a move to enforce accountability in the aviation sector, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has slapped a Rs 22.2 crore fine on IndiGo following a massive operational meltdown in December. The regulator has also ordered the removal of a senior official from any accountable position and issued formal warnings to several top executives, including CEO Pieter Elbers. The penalty ranks among the largest financial sanctions ever imposed on an Indian carrier. The Rs 22.2 crore fine penalises IndiGo for failing to implement Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, with the regulator treating the relaxation granted until February 10 as non-compliance. Beyond the fine, the DGCA has ordered the immediate removal of Jason Herter from his position as Senior Vice President, Operations Control Centre (OCC), citing “gross negligence” in managing the OCC. 4Contd on | Nation 4Contd on | Nation Dhairya Gajara MUMBAI Trump offers mediation over River Nile FPJ News Service WASHINGTON U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday offered to mediate the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over Nile River waters, saying he was ready to restart U.S. involvement in the talks. “I am ready to restart U.S. mediation between Egypt and Ethiopia to responsibly resolve the question of ‘The Nile Water Sharing’ once and for all,” Trump wrote in a letter to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The dispute centres on Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, inaugurated on September 9, which has angered downstream Egypt. Ethiopia sees the $5 billion dam as vital to its economic ambitions. Egypt says the dam violates international treaties and could cause droughts and flooding, claims Ethiopia rejects. Egypt and Sudan welcomed Trump's offer to mediate Nile River dam dispute.  The devil gets its due Ketan Narottam Tanna MUMBAI Spare a thought for the much-maligned Electronic Voting Machine. After years of being accused of electoral witchcraft, the EVM has finally had its moment in the sun—courtesy the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation results. If it were human, it would be blushing. Deeply. Perhaps even wiping away a tear. For once, not a single political party blamed its victory or defeat on the EVM. No anguished cries of “vote chori”. No dramatic allegations of machines being possessed, hijacked or spirited away in the dead of night. Silence. Glorious, deafening silence. This is a first. For years, the EVM has been the most convenient punching bag in Indian politics. Whenever results failed to flatter a party or a personality, the machine was wheeled out as the chief villain—despite repeated explanations by the Election Commission of India that the device has no internet access, no Bluetooth, no secret hotline to political headquarters, and no capacity for midnight mischief. Vote chori. EVM chori. Rinse. Repeat. Then came the BMC verdict—and something rather awkward happened. 4Contd on | Nation SC flags student suicide crisis FPJ News Service MUMBAI The Supreme Court of India recently said it was “deeply saddened and disturbed” by the rising number of student suicides in higher educational institutions (HEIs) and issued a comprehensive set of interim directions to address the crisis and correct institutional failures. The directions follow the Court’s March 24, 2025 order constituting a National Task Force (NTF) to examine mental health concerns and prevent student suicides in HEIs. The Task Force is chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice S. Ravindra Bhat. The Court was hearing a petition filed by the parents of 45,000 quarters for cops okayed Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI The Court noted that suicide is among the leading causes of death for young people in the 15-29 age group. Referring to data from the National Crime Records Bureau, it recorded that over 13,000 student suicides were reported in 2022, and observed that these figures likely represent only “the tip of a much larger iceberg of student distress”. two students of the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, who allegedly died by suicide due to caste-based discrimination and academic pressure. In its interim report, the NTF identified multiple causes of student distress, including entrenched social inequalities, intense academic pressure, ragging, financial stress and the large-scale privatisation of institutional spaces. Noting that suicide is among the leading causes of death in the 15–29 age group, the Court cited National Crime Records Bureau data showing that over 13,000 student suicides were reported in 2022. It observed that these numbers likely represent “only the tip of a much larger iceberg of student distress”. 4Contd on | Nation FROM KHADKI TO GAZA Padma Shri Ajay Banga on Gaza ‘peace board’ FPJ News Service MUMBAI that by the year 2300, average ocean pH could fall from about 8.1 today to 7.3, a shift the researchers said would have “profound implications for marine organisms”. To examine the effects of acidification, researchers placed 60 freshly shed shark teeth in artificial seawater tanks. One tank matched the current average ocean pH of 8.1, while the other reflected the projected future pH of 7.3. The teeth had been naturally discarded by six male and four female blacktip reef sharks and were collected safely from a German aquarium. The State Cabinet has approved an ambitious police housing project under which nearly 45,000 government quarters will be constructed for the Mumbai Police. Titled the Police Housing Township, the project will be developed across existing police colonies spread throughout the city. The decision was taken at the State Cabinet meeting held on Saturday, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The project, estimated to cost ₹20,000 crore, will be funded through a mix of government support and loans. The state government will contribute 30 per cent of the total cost, while the remaining 70 per cent will be raised through loans from financial institutions. The Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) has been appointed as the nodal agency to implement the project. 4Contd on | Nation 4Contd on | Nation Ocean acidification will weaken sharks’ teeth WASHINGTON Mumbai mayor game on Hectic political manoeuvring is expected in the coming days as suspense deepens over the election of the new mayor of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has expressed hope that his party could secure the mayor’s post, even as Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde moved swiftly to sequester his newly elected corporators at a five-star hotel. “If God is willing, we will have our mayor in the BMC,” Thackeray said. Almost simultaneously, Shinde shifted his corporators to the Taj Lands End hotel in Bandra, a move that caught political observers off guard. The development is particularly intriguing as Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction is allied with the BJP and, together, they command a comfortable majority in the civic body. Political circles, however, are abuzz with speculation that Shinde—known as a tough negotiator—may be pressing for the mayor’s post for his party, especially with the birth centenary year of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray beginning on January 23. ‘SAVED 10 MILLION LIVES IN INDO-PAK CONFLICT’ NEW YORK/WASHINGTON Motorists using Atal Setu will continue to enjoy concessional rates for another year, the state cabinet decided in a meeting on Saturday. Motorists get a 50 per cent concession on the toll for using the Atal Behari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, which connects Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The 21 KM bridge has become an important link to the newly opened Navi Mumbai International Airport. An approval was also given to include in the notification the provision for complete exemption from toll charges on the Atal Setu for electric motor cars and buses. The State Cabinet had decided to provide a 50 per cent concession for the use of the Atal Setu, constructed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in its meeting on January 4, 2024. In accordance with that decision, approval was given to levy tolls from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026. Along with this, the toll rates for a single journey for other vehicles have also been fixed. Play&Pause Art in full bloom How AI, memes, and reels are making politics cool again The White House on Friday announced the constitution of the Executive Board of the “Board of Peace”, a high-level body that will oversee the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan aimed at ending the Gaza conflict and guiding the territory’s redevelopment. President Trump will chair the Board of Peace. Its Executive Board includes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Apollo Global Management chief executive Marc Rowan, US Deputy National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel, and World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. Born on November 10, 1959, in Khadki (Kirkee) in Pune, Banga grew up in a Sikh family; his father was an officer in the Indian Army. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He became a US citizen in 2007. His international honours include the Padma Shri awarded by the Government of India in 2016 and Singapore’s Public Service Star in 2022. The White House said each Executive Board member will oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilisation and long-term recovery, including governance capacitybuilding, reconstruction, investment attraction, regional relations and largescale funding. Additional board members are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. 4Contd on | Nation