Tuesday, February 17, 2026 | Vol. 69 No. 114 | 30 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 l E-paper edition is not a replica of the print edition LEGAL VIEW Move HC on Sarma remarks, says SC FPJ News Service NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain petitions seeking action against Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma over remarks allegedly targeting Muslims, and directed the petitioners to approach the Gauhati High Court instead. A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi said the issues raised can be effectively adjudicated by the jurisdictional HC, Live Law and Bar & FPJ News Service The Supreme Court on Monday declined to stay the amendment made to the Right to Information (RTI) Act through the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, which bars disclosure of personal information even on grounds of larger public interest. The Court said it would refer the matter to a larger bench and decide the issue at the earliest. A Bench of Chief Justice of SC declines to stay DPDP Act amendment to RTI India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said the case involves a sensitive and complex issue concerning the balance between competing fundamental rights, Live Law and Bar & Bench report. 4Contd on | nation ‘Don’t trust anyone’ FPJ News Service NEW DELHI In a courtroom more accustomed to parsing constitutional morality, India’s Supreme Court on Monday delivered a dose of what sounded like grandmotherly wisdom: don’t trust anyone before marriage — especially in matters of the heart and body. Hearing the bail plea of a man accused of rape on the false promise of marriage, a bench of Justice BV Naga- FPJ News Service The Delhi HC on Monday made strong oral observations on protecting the country’s reputation internationally while hearing a plea filed by UK-based author and journalist Amrit Wilson challenging the cancellation of her Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card reported Live Law . Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav directed the Central Government to file its submissions in response to W PM Modi with Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd chairman Akash Ambani at the AI Impact Expo in New Delhi on Monday. Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India has played and will continue to play a very important role in global artificial intelligence (AI) transformation, citing the country’s vast population of 1.4 billion people, vibrant digital public infrastructure, thriving startup ecosystem and emergence as a hub of cutting-edge research. Addressing the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam, Modi said India’s progress in the field of AI reflects both its ambition and its sense of responsibility. He said this progress has positioned the country at the forefront of technological advancement. Addressing leaders in the field, top industrialists, innovators, policymakers, researchers and technology enthusiasts, the Prime Minister noted that the theme of the Summit was Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya (Welfare for All, Happiness for All).” He said it was a matter of pride for India that people from across the globe had come to attend the summit. The Prime Minister said the occasion also demonstrated India’s rapid progress in science and technology. He recited a shloka from Chanakya Niti Darpan “dāne tapasi śaurye vā vijñāne vinaye naye” – to stress on the need to not feel pride in charity, valour and spiritual knowledge because the world is rich in gems and jewels (people) who possess these qualities. Modi said“AI today is trans- forming several sectors, including healthcare, education, agriculture, governance and enterprise.” He added that the Summit would enrich global discourse on various aspects of AI, including innovation, collaboration and responsible use. Expressing confidence about the outcomes of the event, the Prime Minister said they would help shape a future that is “progressive, innovative and opportunity-driven.” 4See also | money, nation SC strikes note of caution on physical relationship before marriage rathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan remarked that a man and a woman remain “strangers” before marriage, and therefore should exercise caution before entering into physical relationships reported Live Law . 4Contd on | nation Govt to respond to plea against OCI card cancellation Wilson’s petition and listed the matter for further hearing in August. During the proceedings, the judge remarked that “we should not be such a tolerant State that we allow our own country to be criticised or maligned at international platform.” 4Contd on | nation hen Emmanuel Macron, 48, and Narendra Modi, 75, first met in 2017, few would have guessed the level of personal chemistry between the starkly different personalities, one a charismatic intellectual and the other a street-smart crowdpuller, that would go on to shape France-India ties. When a young Macron was elected France’s youngest President in 2017, Modi made a detour to France from his Germany trip to personally greet the then 39year-old leader. The two leaders will once again display their camaraderie during Macron’s visit to India from February 17 to 19. They will meet in Mumbai on Tuesday. Since Modi and Macron assumed office in 2014 and 2017 respectively, the two leaders have met a record Minorities Commission wants First board exam probe into spate of certificates Suspicion raised mandatory: CBSE over an estimated CLARIFICATION FOR CLASS 10 STUDENTS Manoj Ramakrishnan MUMBAI Can’t allow India to be maligned: HC MUMBAI Modi and Macron: Friends, in lock-step Bench report. “We see no reason to entertain this here and thus we relegate the petitioners to the jurisdictional HC. We request the HC Chief Justice to prioritise the hearing since the counsel have cited urgency in the matter,” the SC ordered. 4Contd on | nation By invitation Roshan Bourget Paris Top court refuses to entertain pleas on Assam CM’s ‘hate speech’ Data law case to be sent to larger bench NEW DELHI AI: ‘India in lead role’ PTI NEW DELHI The CBSE has made it mandatory for Class 10 students to appear in the first board examination under its twoexam policy starting from 2026, clarifying that those who fail to attempt at least three subjects in the first edition will be placed in the “essential repeat” category. The clarification comes after the board received requests seeking permission for students who are unable to appear in the first board exam to instead take the second exam. “It is mandatory to appear in the first board examination. All passed and eligible students will be allowed to improve their performance in any of the three subjects out of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages,” CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said. “If a student has not appeared in three or more subjects in the first examination, then he or she will not be allowed to appear in the second examination.” 4Contd on | nation Raising suspicions over the large number of linguistic minority status certificates issued to educational institutions on the day Deputy Chief Minister and Minority Affairs Minister Ajit Pawar died and in the days following, the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission has requested Sunetra Pawar, the current Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Minorities, to immediately suspend the documents issued during this period. Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28. Wasim Khwajabhai Burhan, 75 certificates issued while state was mourning the death of Ajit Pawar, who held the portfolio member of the Commission, which has the powers of a civil court, said that an estimated 75 certificates were issued to institutions claiming to be run by linguistic minorities such as Kannadigas, Urdu, and Telugu, besides caste minorities, including Lingayats. "The certificates were issued in suspicious circumstances while the state was mourning the death of a senior minister who was heading the minorities ministry. This is a very serious matter that has come to light. The Minority Development Department at Mantralaya should not have issued these certificates so fast," said Burhan. Burhan added that proposals for obtaining minority status certificates of various educational and social institutions in the state were pending with the department for the last few years. MUMBAI In a sea of over 13 lakh aspirants, Mumbai’s Madhav Viradiya has achieved what every engineering hopeful dreams of — a flawless 100 percentile in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main January 2026 session. One of only 12 students nationwide to attain the perfect score, Madhav is the sole topper from Mumbai and Maharashtra, according to the merit list re- leased by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Monday. Soft-spoken and clearheaded, Madhav credits his father’s advice for keeping him grounded through the gruelling preparation. “He always told me to focus on my work and not the results. I followed that,” he said. His next goal is to secure admission to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and pursue a B.Tech degree. Now in Class 12, Madhav had been preparing for JEE Ad- vanced for the past two years, treating JEE Main as part of the larger journey. “Since JEE Main is a subset of Advanced, I did not prepare for it separately for most of the time,” he said. In the month leading up to the January attempt, he revised previous years’ papers and focused on practising multiple-choice questions, particularly in Chemistry. His daily routine was rigorous but disciplined. Coaching classes occupied his afternoons from 1 pm to 5 pm, while mornings and evenings were reserved for self-study, adding up to nearly 10 hours of preparation daily. “Most of the conceptual learning happened during coaching, while revision and practice were done at 4Contd on | nation `184 cr FEMA penalty levied on NewsClick FPJ News Service MUMBAI home,” he explained. To maintain balance, Madhav consciously limited social media and extracurricular distractions. Cricket during lunch breaks provided his only regular breather. “It helped me stay refreshed,” he said. Managing board examinations alongside JEE preparation required careful planning. After completing his practical exams in January, he shifted focus to board revision. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has imposed a penalty of Rs 184 crore under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) on news portal NewsClick and its editor-inchief Prabir Purkayastha, official sources said on Monday. According to the order, PPK NewsClick Studio Private Limited, which owns the portal, has been fined Rs 120 crore, while Purkayastha faces a penalty of Rs 64 crore for alleged violations. The agency found the company and its editor-in-chief to be in contravention of FEMA provisions on two counts — alleged misrepresentation of foreign direct investment (FDI) funds and misdeclaration related to services and exports. A response from NewsClick on the penalty was awaited at the time of reporting. The case dates back to September 2021, when the ED conducted searches at the portal’s premises in Saidulajab in south Delhi as part of a money-laundering investigation. The agency subsequently recorded statements from more than 25 individuals, including Purkayastha. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation Mumbai’s Madhav scores 100 percentile in JEE Simple Vishwakarma and Shreya Jachak number of times. While the Indian PM has visited France eight times, six of those during Macron’s tenure, the French President will have visited India four times, all during Modi’s tenure. What has perhaps defined the relationship between the two nations is their shared doctrine of strategic autonomy. In a chaotic world where both India and France must navigate the complexities of a multi-aligned foreign policy and the persistent tensions arising from US-China rivalry, this shared doctrine has only brought the two nations closer. Cooperation in the sphere of defence remains the heavyweight pillar of the Franco-Indian Scan & Watch partnership. 9-judge Bench to hear submissions by March 14, 2026, Bar & Bench reports. “We may advert to order The Supreme Court on Mon- dated Feb 10, 2020, framing day said a nine-judge Consti- the seven questions to be detution Bench will begin termined by the nine-judges hearing the Sabarimala ref- bench. With a view to erence case from April 7, answer the questions that re2026, even as the Central mained pending, we direct government told parties to file SABARIMALA the Court that it their written is supporting the submissions on REFERENCE review petitions or before March challenging the 2018 verdict 14, 2026,” the Court said in its allowing entry of women of order. all ages to the temple. The Court also fixed a deA Bench of Chief Justice of tailed schedule for hearings, India Surya Kant and Jus- which are set to conclude on tices Joymalya Bagchi and April 22. Vipul M Pancholi directed all parties to file their written 4Contd on | nation FPJ News Service NEW DELHI ‘They came, they saw, they collapsed’ FPJ News Service MUMBAI Pakistani newspaper The Dawn was at its acidic best on Monday following Pakistan’s defeat to India in the T20 clash on Sunday night. “As noted, after the hullabaloo over the boycott and subsequent ‘un-boycott’, and loud claims of a moral victory in the ICC’s morally ambiguous corridors, there was genuine expectation that Pakistan’s cricketing bravado off the field would translate into defiance on it. It did not.” “They came, they saw, they collapsed. Frankly, watching an India–Pakistan match these days requires a blindfold — if only to spare oneself the tedium. There is no thrill left, only squandered chances and mounting frustration. Fans have had enough. Many even wished Pakistan had stuck to the boycott — at least Sunday evening would have been spared. Or better still, stopped playing India altogether,” reported The Dawn. On a Sunday night, no less. Peace might have been prefer- Pakistan media skewers men in green over the T20 clash in Colombo able. Instead, in what The Dawn described as a night stripped of theatre, India posted 175 and bowled Pakistan out for 114, sealing a comprehensive 61-run victory in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash in Colombo on Sunday. “There are nights when Pak- istan versus India feels like theatre: breathless, chaotic, hanging by a thread,” the Dawn report said. “And then there are nights like the one in Colombo… No controversy to dissect, no umpiring debate to hide behind, no ‘if only’ moments to cling to. Just a gulf.” Dawn called it a “shocking and sobering statistic” that India have now defeated Pakistan in 11 consecutive World T20 matches. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | edit, games