FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLII No. 183 | INDORE | TUESDAY | DECEMBER 9, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION DAY www.freepressjournal.in Sports Gill, Hardik return as India begin WC prep P.13 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE MONEY Costs of veg, non-veg thalis dip 13% in Nov UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit An inferno foretold P.6 Cinema BB 19 Winner Gaurav Khanna... P.12 17K SCHOOLS NEVER INSPECTED IN 8 MONTHS Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL There are 17,000 such schools in the state, which have not been inspected in this financial year. The School Education Department has prepared a report, according to which, out of 87,943 schools, 70,967 have been inspected at least once. On the other hand, there are 16,967 schools which are left to the mercy of God. Nobody has ever inspected these schools. Neither the collectors nor the district education of- fp Briefs RAJNANDGAON 12 Naxals surrender Maoist Central Committee (MCC) member Ramdher alias Deu Majji, his wife, and 10 other Naxalites surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district on Monday, officials said. The surrendered cadres, including six women, carried a collective bounty of Rs 2.95 crore. They handed over 10 weapons. TOKYO 7.6 quake hits Japan A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan on Monday, triggering a tsunami of up to 40 centimetres in coastal communities in the region, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said. The agency said the magnitude quake struck just east of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan's main Honshu island, and just south of Hokkaido island. ficers have ever visited these schools. Nor have the other officials ever found time to go there. The Human Resources Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, who was in Bhopal on Sunday, directed the state government to pay attention to the schools and children. In terms of inspection of the schools, Satna district is the worst of all other schools in the state. As many as 1,675 schools in the district have not been inspected. None of the officials have ever visited these schools to know how the children are The sky is not the limit; it's just the beginning, says Air India in a hiring advertisement calling pilots to apply for a career in the Tata group company. The airline that the Tata group bought back from the government in October 2021 said it is looking to hire pilots for its fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 - the backbone of the short- to medium-haul market. The otherwise vanilla hiring ad that would interest only genuine pilots received huge attention from users on social media. being taught there and in which condition the schools are functioning. In this regard, Chhatarpur comes next to Satna. There are All schools in Harda and Vidisha have been checked, but in terms of inspection of schools, condition of Satna is worst 1,488 schools in Chhatarpur, which have never been inspected. In terms of inspection of schools, the situation in Sidhi, Chhindwara, Sagar, Shahdol, Rewa, Dhar, and Alirajpur is not better than other districts. But in terms of inspection of schools, the situation in Harda district is the best of all other places in the state because the number of CONG BACKSTABBED VANDE MATARAM: PM Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar It was never anti-Islam: Rajnath NEW DELHI A special committee of Parliament began deliberations on Monday on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, triggering a charged political confrontation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Congress over the song’s historical treatment. The discussion, intended as a commemorative exercise, quickly descended into a fierce exchange over what the Prime Minister termed a “betrayal” of the national song by the Congress under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru. Opening the debate in the Lok Sabha, Modi said Congress compromised on Vande Mataram and surrendered before the Muslim League. Congress did a 'tukde-tukde' of Vande Mataram," he said. He accused the Congress of having bowed to “appeasement politics” in 1937 when it allegedly trun- Fed jitters sink market mood FP News Service Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the time had come for an unbiased evaluation of "Vande Mataram" and asserted that the entire song and the "Anand Math" book were never anti-Islam, but reflected the popular sentiments against the Nawab of Bengal and British imperialism ‘Don’t selectively target travelling Indians’ MUMBAI Ashwin Ahmad Indian equities tumbled on Monday as anxiety over the US Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy announcement prompted investors to cut exposure and retreat to safety. A cocktail of fragile global cues, a weakening rupee and persistent foreign portfolio outflows deepened the riskoff undertone, dragging benchmark indices sharply lower. The BSE Sensex slid nearly 610 points to close at 85,102.69. The NSE Nifty lost 225.90 points to finish at 25,960.55. Selling pressure was broadbased, with frontline stocks bearing the brunt. Bharat Electronics, Eternal, Trent, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finance, Adani Ports, Bajaj Finserv, SBI, PowerGrid, Asian Paints, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Titan, NTPC, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Larsen & Toubro and Bharti Airtel were among the key laggards. NEW DELHI MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday urged China to ensure that Indian nationals travelling to or transiting through Chinese airports are not “selectively targeted, arbitrarily detained or harassed.” He said India expected Beijing to respect regulations governing international air travel. “MEA would advise Indian nationals to exercise due discretion while travelling to China or transiting through the country,” he added. Responding to questions on India-China relations, Jaiswal said talks were continuing, and the relationship was “gradually moving in a positive direction,” adding that India wished to maintain that momentum. On terrorism, Jaiswal said India had taken note of and welcomed recent steps by the UK government to crack down INDIA TELLS CHINA Agencies Actor Dileep cleared in actress sexual assault case Not taking IndiGo fiasco lightly: Govt FP News Service ERUNAKULAM on Khalistani separatists. The UK Treasury last week froze the assets of British Sikh businessman Gurpreet Singh Rehal, linked to the Panjab Warriors sports investment firm, after suspecting him of involvement with organisations engaged in terrorism in India. The Treasury also announced an asset freeze against the Babbar Akali Lehar for promoting and supporting the Babbar Khalsa. “We welcome the steps that have been taken by the UK government to sanction anti-India extremist entities, which strengthen the global fight against terrorism and extremism and help curb illicit financial flows and transnational crime networks,” Jaiswal said. A Kerala court on Monday acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep in the 2017 abduction and sexual assault case involving a wellknown actress, while convicting six others, including the main accused Sunil NS, also known as Pulsar Suni. The verdict in State of Kerala v. Sunil NS @ Pulsar Suni was delivered by Ernakulam Principal District and Sessions Court Judge Honey M Varghese in a packed courtroom. The judge held that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Dileep conspired or orchestrated the abduction and assault, leading to his exoneration and three others Charlie Thomas, Sanilkumar alias Mesthiri Sanil, and Sarath G Nair. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Singh booked a one-way flight to New Delhi, telling a travel agent his grandfather was very sick. Singh told his wife he was going out ‘for a couple of days’, but never contacted his family again for more than four years. His family eventually lost their home. Police announced a record $1 million reward for information on Singh. Weeks later, he was taken into custody in New Delhi. mal shelter volunteer, was out for a Sunday afternoon walk with her dog on Wan- getti Beach in October 2018 when she was attacked. She was stabbed at least 26 times. Her father discovered her half-buried body in the sand dunes along the well- Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Satna police have arrested Anil Bagri, brother of Urban Development and Housing Minister of State Pratima Bagri, in connection with a ganja smuggling case late Sunday night, officials said on Monday. Earlier, on December 3, minister’s brother-in-law, Shailendra Singh, was also arrested by Uttar Pradesh police in a similar case. Rampur Bhaghelan police station in-charge Sandeep Chaturvedi said the police received a tip-off that Pankaj Baghel, from a nearby village, was in possession of a large quantity of ganja. Acting on the information, police raided his house on Sunday and recovered 46 kilogrammes of ganja. When asked about the source, Pankaj revealed that the consignment had been delivered 4Continued on | P8 Indian-origin nurse convicted for Queensland slaying SYDNEY PM likely to attend virtually Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL/SATNA 4Continued on | P8 Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the government of highlighting the matter in view of the coming assembly election in Bengal and evading the real issues. She also accused PM Narendra Modi of "selectively" quoting Jawaharlal Nehru, and suggested that the BJP list out the insults for Nehru, set aside a time to debate it, and close the chapter. "Let us use the precious time of this Parliament for the job people have elected us for," she said. The Wayanad MP also questioned why parliament should have a debate on Vande Mataram. There is no scope for a debate on the issue, since the song is "alive in every part of the country," she asserted having endorsed it as suited for the national anthem as early as 1905. Modi claimed that the Muslim League’s intensifying opposition to the song had led Jinnah to raise slogans against it from Lucknow on 15 October 1937. “Instead of firmly countering these baseless objections, Nehru—then the Con- Bhopal Metro to be inaugurated on Dec 21: CM Brother-in-law was held by UP police on similar charges gress president—began questioning the song himself,” the Prime Minister alleged. He cited a letter Nehru wrote to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, suggesting that the song’s Anand Math background “may provoke Muslims”. Understand chronology: Priyanka cated portions of Vande Mataram under pressure from the Muslim League and Mohammed Ali Jinnah. He said the song, which had energised the freedom movement and carried “the cultural energy of thousands of years”, was reduced to a political compromise, despite Mahatma Gandhi MoS Bagri’s bro in jail for ganja smuggling Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday announced that the Bhopal Metro would be inaugurated on December 21. The chief minister made the announcement while talking to reporters in Khajuraho.  Sources said that the Metro project will be inaugurated in the presence of Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be attending the programme virtually.  A few days back, the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) issued a ‘No Objection offgrid Rajwinder Singh, a former nurse who fled Australia and hid in India for years, has been found guilty of the brutal murder of 24year-old Toyah Cordingley, a case that shocked Queensland and triggered a long and complex international manhunt. Cordingley, a popular health store worker and ani- schools in the district is less than that of other areas. There are 661 schools in Harda, which have been inspected either by the collector or any other officer. Although the number of schools in Vidisha and Gwalior is more than that of other schools, in terms of inspection, the performance of these districts has been better than other places. Vidisha has 1,983 schools, all of which have been inspected. Similarly, all 1,441 schools in Gwalior have been checked. PM ON SONG | Modi accuses Nehru of appeasement politics over the 150-year-old anthem NEW DELHI Air India begins hiring Representative pic known coastal stretch between Cairns and Port Douglas, the BBC and Australian Broadcasting Corporation report. Singh, 41, originally from Punjab and living in Innisfail at the time, fled the country the very next morning. He left behind his wife, three children, and his parents, all of whom were financially dependent on him. The sudden disappearance raised immediate suspicion. 4Continued on | P8 scheduling disruption linked to the enforcement of stricter NEW DELHI & MUMBAI Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms soon exposed IndiGo’s operational meltdown deeper cracks. According to snowballed into a political and Civil Aviation Minister Ram aviation sector flashpoint Mohan Naidu, the crisis on Monday, with the govwas not triggered by ernment vowing “very FDTL itself but by Instrict action” as disdiGo’s “crew rostering ruptions entered their Scan & Watch and internal planning seventh straight day. Desystems.” spite the airline regaining some He told the Rajya Sabha stability, operating around that the DGCA had held thor1,800 flights with an improved ough consultations before fion-time performance of 91%, nalising the new guidelines, the scale of cancellations, chaos which came into effect on Noat airports, and public outrage vember 1. Importantly, IndiGo has forced theCentre to con- raised no issues during a Defront what it now calls a sys- cember 1 meeting with the temic failure within India’s 4Continued on | P8 largest airline. What began as a Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar & Dhairya Gajara Bhavna to receive Vikram Award as HC lifts stay ‘Why are you talking nonsense?’ Minister Pratima Bagri, who was in Khajuraho to attend official programmes, lost her cool when media persons asked about her brother’s arrest in a ganja smuggling case. “Why are you people talking nonsense?” she said before walking away. Journalists continued to seek her reaction, but she did not respond by Anil Bagri in his SUV. Police seized the vehicle and arrested Anil under the NDPS Act. Anil told police that his brother-in-law, Shailendra Singh, had instructed him to deliver the consignment to Pankaj. Shailendra Singh, currently in jail custody of Banda police in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested on December 3 in a ganja smuggling case. Pankaj and Anil were produced before court on Monday, which sent them to Satna jail until further orders. IndiGo seeks more time IndiGo has sought more time from the DGCA to submit a detailed explanation for the massive nationwide disruption, even as the regulator said it would take action “in due course”. According to the DGCA, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and the airline’s chief operating officer have submitted their preliminary responses to the show-cause notices. The airline said it is “profusely apologetic,” attributing the chaos to a “compounding effect of multiple factors” that 4Continued on | P8 Thailand hits Cambodia in fresh flare-up Our Staff Reporter AP BHOPAL BANGKOK Mountaineer Bhavna Dehariya will soon be honoured with Vikram Award at an official ceremony, after the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday dismissed a petition challenging her selection and upheld the state government’s decision. Justice Pranay Verma said the state government’s choice for 2023 Adventure Sports category was in accordance with rules and contained no errors. Advocate Anunay Srivastava, representing Bhavna, shared this information, while Deputy Advocate General Shrey Raj Saxena argued the case on behalf of the state. The petition had been filed by Madhusudan Patidar, who Thailand launched airstrikes along the disputed border with Cambodia on Monday as both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire that halted fighting earlier this year. Longstanding border disputes erupted into five days of combat in July that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. US President Donald Trump pushed the Southeast Asian neighbours to sign a truce agreement in Oc- Scan & Watch tober, but tensions have continued to simmer. claimed he was senior to Bhavna and deserved the award. However, the court noted that Patidar’s Everest ascent in 2017 fell outside the five-year eligibility period specified in the Madhya Pradesh Awards Rules, 2021. Rule 5 states that only achievements from the previous five years are considered valid in the adventure sports category. Speaking to Free Press, Bhavna said she had faith in judiciary. “Finally, I got justice. I am elated,” she said, adding, “It is victory of truth.” 4Continued on | P8