FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 237 | BHOPAL | MONDAY | FEBRUARY 9, 2026 | Pages 12 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY Sports THE GAME OF THRONES IS ON! P.10 Trade breakthrough redefines scale of India–US commerce UJJAIN PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK Cinema Actor Sunil Thapa passes away P.12 ‘No double standards, no compromise on terrorism’ On the third day of the 10-day ‘Shiv-Navratri Festival’ at Mahakaleshwar Temple, the presiding deity was adorned as ‘Sheshnaag’ in Ujjain on Sunday FP Photo fp Briefs NEW DELHI Seychelles Prez arrives Seychelles President Patrick Herminie on Sunday arrived in New Delhi after concluding his engagements in Chennai and Mumbai. Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel welcomed Hermine at the airport. In a statement shared on X, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: "President Dr. Patrick Herminie of Seychelles arrived in New Delhi after productive engagements in Chennai and Mumbai, where he met key stakeholders, including in the fields of governance, industry, coastal management and health sector". JAISALMER Fire breaks out in train A fire broke out in a moving train in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer on Sunday, causing widespread panic, officials said, adding that no casualties have been reported so far and that the blaze was swiftly contained. The fire erupted beneath a coach of the Swarn Nagari Express, which was travelling from Delhi to Jaisalmer.The incident occurred near Jetha Chandan Railway Station in Jaisalmer. RAIPUR ‘LWE-free India by March’ Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that Maoist ideology is the main reason for Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in the country, asserting that this destructive ideology has ruined the lives of three generations of tribals living across several states, including Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. He added that the BJP-led government has resolved to make the country Naxal-free by March 31, 2026. NEW DELHI PM congratulates Japan’s Takaichi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated his Japanese counterpart, Sanae Takaichi, on her "landmark victory" in the snap elections, and expressed confidence in the India-Japan friendship to "greater heights". 6 pacts signed KUALA LUMPUR Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India's stance on terrorism is firm -- "no double standards and no compromise" -- and also stressed that New Delhi will continue to expand cooperation with Malaysia in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and maritime security. Addressing a joint press meet with his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, in Kuala Lumpur, PM Modi said, "First of all, I thank my friend, Anwar Ibrahim, for this warm welcome. Last year, I was not able come to Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit, but I had promised my dear friend that I would soon visit Malaysia. For my first foreign visit of 2026, I have come to Malaysia." Highlighting the "special" India-Malaysia relations, he said, "We are maritime neighbours. For centuries, there have been deep ties between people of our two nations. Today, Malaysia is the second biggest nation in the world that has an Indian-origin population. Our civilisations are connected to shared cultural heritage and democratic values." He credited the Malaysian PM for his "significant contributions" in providing a "new pace" to the India-Malaysia ties PM Narendra Modi with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur Sunday. Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday called PM Narendra Modi a "true friend" with whom he had a "trustworthy" exchange. Ibrahim said, "We consider this meeting and these exchanges very vital, very strategic and critical to advance and enhance relations between India and Malaysia... We had long-standing relations since 1957, but we have elevated it to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024," and highlighted the "deep historical ties, strong people-to-people linkages, and ever-expanding economic cooperation" in our partnership," PM Modi said. The Prime Minister further mentioned that the security cooperation between the two nations will be further enhanced by strengthening the cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and maritime security. "We will also make defence cooperation more comprehensive," he said. Along with 364 BAMS seats vacant in MP, SC refuses to lower cut-off Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The Supreme Court has refused to reduce NEET UG qualifying cut-off for 2025–26 BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) admissions, rejecting a plea by private colleges to lower standards to fill vacant seats. At present, around 364 seats remain unfilled in Madhya Pradesh. Across the country, there are 43,626 UG Ayurveda seats, including 3,480 in the state. SC said that lowering cut-off would compromise educational quality, as academic sessions have already commenced. A bench comprising SC says lowering cut-off would compromise educational quality, as academic sessions have commenced Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe stated that the selection and appointment process for 2025–26 should now be concluded. The court considered a cut-off change inappropriate despite concern about vacant seats. SC concurred with the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), noting that lowering the cut-off India gains in-orbit spying capability would undermine training standards. The ruling highlighted that classes for 2025–26 session have already begun, and the academic year is nearing its end, making any reduction impractical. NCISM maintained that a minimum qualification is essential for admission to AYUSH courses, i.e., the qualifying NEET UG percentile marks. The petition was filed by NRI Institute of Ayurveda and others. Respondents included the Union of India, NCISM New Delhi, Medical Assessment and Rating Board for Indian System of Medicine, Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University, and Directorate of AYUSH. 4Continued on | P8 Very excited to invite India to join Pax Silica: US PTI NEW YORK Online Report In a significant milestone for India's growing private space sector, Ahmedabadbased Azista Industries Private Limited through its aerospace vertical has demonstrated a new indigenous capability to image objects in orbit from another satellite, a first for an Indian private sector and a key step toward strengthening India's space situational awareness. Using its 80-kilogram Earth-observation satellite AFR, Azista successfully captured images of the International Space Station (ISS), a large and relatively easy-to-track orbital object, during two carefully planned experiments on February 3. While the ISS is among the most visible and cooperative targets in low-Earth orbit, the achievement marks an important beginning for India's private sector in a domain that is increasingly strategic and PM Narendra Modi and Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday oversaw the signing of six major agreements between India and Malaysia, as both nations moved to further strengthen cultural, economic and strategic cooperation during bilateral engagements in Kuala Lumpur. The agreements were finalised following comprehensive discussions between the two leaders ‘True friend, full of trust and understanding’ in the past few years. "Our cooperation in energy, infrastructure and manufacturing has strengthened. Mutual investment has also increased in the digital economy, biotech and IT. Tourism and people-topeople ties have also deepened. By drawing inspiration from these achievements, we have decided to bring in unprecedented speed and depth closely watched globally. Azista conducted two independent imaging attempts under challenging near-horizon and sunlit conditions. The first pass was executed at a distance of approximately 300 kilometres, followed by a second at about 245 kilometres. In both attempts, the AFR satellites' sensor was precisely tasked to track the fast-moving ISS, capturing a total of 15 distinct frames with an imaging sampling of around 2.2 metres. According to the company, both attempts achieved 100 per cent success, validating its tracking algorithms and electro-optical imaging precision. The US has said it is "very excited" to have extended an invitation to India to join the Pax Silica initiative on supply chain security and will be soon signing with the Indian Government, underlining there is "very positive momentum" in relations with New Delhi. Highlighting the "great relationship" between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Washington also stressed that India is probably the only other country on Earth to be able to "rival China" in terms of the sheer volume of its human talent. "We are very excited to have extended an invitation for India to join" Pax Silica, and "I'll be travelling to India in just a couple weeks for a major signing with the Indian Government," Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg told reporters on Friday. 4Continued on | P8 E-paper Edit Mayor Tawde’s dilemma P.6 INDIA-MALAYSIA TIES | Modi stresses expanding cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, maritime security IANS MUMBAI AI and digital technologies, he said that India and Malaysia will further advance the partnership in semiconductor, health and food security. "The CEO forum organised today has thrown open new opportunities for trade and investment. We will pave a path to economic transformation through strategic trust," he said. 4Continued on | P8 Will be easy to purchase $500 bn US goods: Goyal PTI NEW DELHI India will have no difficulty in purchasing goods worth USD 500 billion from the US over the next five years, as envisaged under the bilateral trade pact, and in fact, this is an "extremely" conservative number for a country which aspires to become a USD 30 trillion economy, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday. "My sense is we need at least a 100 billion dollar plus only for the aviation sector, in addition to oil, LNG, LPG, and crude oil," Goyal said in an interview with PTI Videos. Ac c o rd ing to a joint s t ate m e n t issued by both sides on Saturday on the framework for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement, India has expressed its intention to purchase USD 500 billion of US energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals, technology products and coking coal over the next five years. The Commerce and Industry Minister said that Indian goods facing 18 per cent tariffs will still have a competitive advantage in US markets compared to products from China and other competitor countries, which face higher levies. 4Continued on | P8 High Court CJs stress courtroom justice, warn against media trials Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The Conference for High Court Chief Justices addressed issues of media trials, emphasising that justice must be delivered in court to protect presumption of innocence. The National Judicial Academy India concluded its twoday Conference for Chief Justices of High Courts, centering on building a unified, efficient and people-centric judiciary. Under the guidance of Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant and senior Supreme Court judges, the summit focused on institutionalising administration and formulating a National Judicial Policy to transform judicial governance from a traditional model into a strategic, data-driven system. This aims to equip High Courts to navigate modern legal complexities while maintaining institutional integrity nationwide. A strategic roadmap was envisioned to tackle case backlogs by streamlining procedures and prioritizing trials for offences punishable by up to 7 years. Stale or unnecessary litigations filed by the State were also deliberated. By curbing the State s role as a frequent litigant and promoting reforms through digital innovation and linguistic inclusivity, the Conference reaffirmed a commitment to creating a modern, accessible, uniform and citizencentric justice system.