Wednesday, February 25, 2026 | Vol. 69 No. 121 | 31 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 GAMES NATION Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand briefs PM on steps to restore peace in the state SIR REVISION | SC nod to civil judges from neighbouring states as otherwise the electoral exercise would take at least 80 days ‘Bengal can seek help from Odisha, J’khand’ FPJ News Service NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed judicial officers from Odisha and Jharkhand to be deployed for adjudicating claims and objections in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, noting that the exercise would take at least 80 days if handled only by judges available in the state. Taking note of a communication from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court highlighting the scale of the exercise, the Bench said that with 50 lakh cases under the “logical discrepancy” and unmapped categories and only 250 judicial officers available, “even if one officer decides 250 matters a day, it will take at least 80 days to complete the process,” Live Law and Bar & Bench report. The Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi expanded the pool of judicial officers who can be assigned the work, observing that TMC CLAIMS WIN, BJP SLAMS DIDI Both Trinamool Congress and BJP hailed the SC order. Calling it another resounding victory for "Bengal's Maa-Mati-Manush", TMC said on X: "EC's arrogant stranglehold on Bengal's SIR process has been decisively snapped." Blaming TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, BJP said the SC order means the "highest court in the country has no faith in the Bengal administration." “further clarifications are needed to increase the catchment area of judicial officers.” In addition to district judges and additional district judges, including retired officers, the Court permitted the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to draw from Civil Judges Cinema Is Priyanka’s Hollywood film The Bluff worth it? Indian team’s think-tank will have a lot to ponder ahead of their clash against Zimbabwe (Senior Division) and Civil Judges (Junior Division) with at least three years of experience. “If the High Court Chief Justice feels that further human resource is needed, he may approach Chief Justices of neighbouring states - Orissa and Jharkhand High Court to draw serving and retired judicial officers of those states in similar rank who shall be entrusted to complete the verification work in West Bengal. Travel, boarding, lodging of such officers shall be borne by the Election Commission of India,” the Court ordered. Earlier, Justice Bagchi pointed out that many ECI-appointed officers had little knowledge of the Bengali language, creating a practical barrier to accurate verification. The Chief Justices of the Jharkhand and Orissa High Courts were requested to “sympathetically and urgently” consider any such request made by the Calcutta High Court. When Kalyan Bandhopadhyay raised language concerns, the Bench noted Jharkhand and Odisha regions were historically part of undivided Bengal. The Court said SIR verification must consider October 24 and June notifications, plus its September 8, 2025 and January 19, 2026 orders. 4Contd on | nation Edit The data, the narrative, the erosion of public reason Canada set to revoke Rana’s citizenship God’s own country gets a new name: Keralam Agncies NEW DELHI PTI TORONTO Ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to India, the Canadian government is pushing to revoke the citizenship of a Pakistan-born businessman, Tahawwur Rana Hussain, accused of playing a key role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Rana, 64, is a Pakistan-born Canadian national and close associate of one of the main conspirators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, David Coleman Headley, alias Daood Gilani, a US citizen. Documents obtained by Global News show that immigration officials have notified Rana that they intend to strip him of the Canadian citizenship he acquired in 2001. He immigrated to Canada in 1997 and was later convicted in the US of plotting to attack staff at a Danish newspaper. The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal of the Kerala government to change the name of the state to “Keralam”, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at its first meeting held at Seva Teerth, the new PMO complex. “The Union Cabinet, chaired by the prime minister, approved the proposal for alterating the name of state of Kerala as ‘Keralam’,” Vaishnaw said. After the approval of the Union Cabinet, the president of India will refer a Bill, namely the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala for expressing its views under the Kerala Assembly had passed a resolution on June 24, 2024, to alter the name proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution of India. After receipt of the views of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, the government of India will obtain the recommenda- Palazhi Ashok Kumar A bitter boardroom rupture at India’s most revered conglomerate raises profound questions about ambition, discipline and institutional unity. In the sanctum of Bombay House, where continuity is normally consecrated in silence, dissent spoke aloud. What was intended as a coronation became a confrontation. The deferral of Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran’s extension SHIRTLESS PROTEST IYC prez held on rioting charge FPJ News Service MUMBAI Uday Bhanu Chib, national president of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), was arrested on Tuesday by the Delhi Police after nearly 15 hours of questioning in connection with the controversial shirtless protest staged during the recent India AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam. Delhi Police have added fresh charges of rioting under Sections 191(1) and 192 of the BNS, which deal with rioting and provocation intended to cause a riot. With this, the total number of arrests made in the case has risen to eight. Addressing a press conference, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime and Police Management & Media Cell) Devesh Chandra Srivastava described the accused as “aggressive elements” and alleged that the incident was part of a premeditated attempt to breach security during the international event. “On February 20, while the India AI Impact Summit was underway at Bharat Mandapam, a premeditated attempt was made to breach the security cordon in the presence of dignitaries, delegates and visitors,” Srivastava said. 4Contd on | nation has ruptured the illusion of seamless governance at the Tata Group and revealed an institution wrestling with the cost of its own audacity. The board of Tata Sons on Tuesday postponed a decision on extending the tenure of its chairman, N Chandrasekaran (Chandra), after sharp disagreements erupted over strategy, capital discipline and mounting losses at newer ventures. The meeting, expected to be a routine endorsement well ahead of Chandra’s term end- ing in 2027, instead descended into a rare display of institutional fracture. Senior leaders were split over whether the group’s aggressive expansion— particularly in aviation, electronics and consumer platforms—had outpaced its financial safeguards. The strongest objections are understood to have come from Noel Tata, who placed before the board a set of conditions that would need to be satisfied before any reappointment could be contemplated. These included a firm commitment against listing the holding company, strict avoidance of leverage, curbs on capital deployment into high-risk projects, and the urgent containment of losses arising from ANIL DESHMUKH CASE HC RELIEF Urvi Mahajani 4Contd on | nation acquisitions such as Air India. When several directors proposed that the matter be put to a vote, Chandrasekaran is said to have urged postponement, warning that the Tata Group could function only if Tata Sons and the Tata Trusts were united in decision-making. The extension was therefore deferred to allow what was described as wider consultation and consensus — language that thinly veils a deeper rupture. 4Contd on | nation DGCA tightens safety screws US tariff roils FPJ News Service MUMBAI Aviation watchdog DGCA on Tuesday announced a slew of safety measures for nonscheduled flight operators, including mandatory public disclosure of aircraft maintenance history and the introduction of a safety ranking mechanism, following recent plane crashes. A day after a plane operated by a non-scheduled operator (NSOP) crashed in Jharkhand, killing all seven on board, DGCA convened a meeting with such operators. It was held to address the recent surge in aviation incidents and emphasise the urgent need for heightened safety across the sector, DGCA said in a statement. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation LEARJETS GROUNDED T he DGCA has grounded select Learjet 40/45 aircraft operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd after a special safety audit found multiple violations, following the crash of Ajit Pawar’s aircraft on January 28. The aviation regulator carried out the audit after the Learjet 45 accident at Baramati involving aircraft VT-SSK, which belonged to the same operator. The inspection team identified lapses in safety compliance and maintenance procedures, prompting immediate regulatory action. "Following the accident of LearJet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK) of VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd on 28.01.2026 at Baramati, DGCA ordered the special safety audit of the organisa- tion. The multi-disciplinary audit team observed several non-compliances of approved procedures in the organisation in the area of airworthiness, air safety, and flight operations," DGCA said in a statement. "In view of the non-compliances observed and considering the gaps in maintenance procedures, DGCA decided to initiate the corrective measures by immediately grounding Learjet 40/45 aircraft with registration VT-VRA, VT-VRS, VTVRV, and VT-TRI till continued airworthiness standards are restored." The regulator has also asked VSR Ventures to submit a detailed root cause analysis of the lapses. world markets FPJ News Service MUMBAI Fresh tariff turmoil gripped global markets on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump imposed a new 15 per cent duty on imported goods, days after the US supreme court struck down his earlier emergency levies. The White House said the new tariffs were necessary to address the “large and serious United States balance-of-payments deficits”, signalling that Trump remains determined to pursue his aggressive trade agenda despite the legal setback. The fresh duty, initially set at 10 per cent came into effect on Tuesday and will remain in place for 150 days unless extended by Congress. 4Contd on | nation MUMBAI tions are redundant, as one is now looking at a new West Asia post the Iran attack, which he believes will happen. “Today we are in a completely new world order—one which I call the order of uncertainty. The Arab world is in total disarray, the Global South is in total disarray, and the Western alliance is in total disarray. So there will be fresh alignments, where the past does not matter at all.” Coming to India, he adds: “The PM’s own engagement is part of this fresh alignment. And to my mind, the most important alignment that India is looking at is the alignment with the UAE and Israel.” The Bombay High Court has set aside money laundering proceedings initiated against Nagpur-based lawyer Kishore Pessulal Dewani in connection with the alleged corruption and kickbacks case involving former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh. Justice Ashwin Bhobe ruled that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) failed to demonstrate any link between Dewani’s property dealings and the alleged proceeds of crime said to have arisen from the corruption case against Deshmukh and others. Dewani had moved the High Court challenging a September 16, 2021, order of a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which had taken cognisance of the ED’s prosecution complaint and issued process against him. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation SMOOTH RIDE: Netanyahu and Modi in 2017 Ashwin Ahmad NEW DELHI PM Narendra Modi’s February 25-26 visit to Israel has caused varied reactions within India’s strategic community. It comes during political unrest within Israel and a possible attack on Iran by the US. Some analysts wonder if it is best time to visit and whether the PM is going too far in his outreach to Israel. During the visit, Modi is expected to address the Knesset – a first for any Indian PM – raising questions as to whether India is deviating from its traditional policy of balance in West Asia. Former ambassador and West Asia expert Talmiz Ahmad believes these ques- 31,000 women remain untraced Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI In 2024 and 2025, state police recorded 1,17,369 missing women, of whom 86,228 were traced, the state Assembly was informed on Tuesday. The figures show that 31,141 women remain untraced. In a written reply, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also heads the Home Department, said 23,429 of the missing were minors. Of these, 18,770 were traced, while 4,659 remain untraced. Of the 93,940 adult women reported missing during the two years, 67,458 Toilet troubles plague USS Gerald R Ford Deeksha Pandey MUMBAI A costly and persistent plumbing problem is haunting the US’ newest and most expensive aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford even as it deploys towards Iran. Newly obtained documents reveal mounting frustration among the crew over repeated failures in the ship’s toilet system, a problem that has persisted since the carrier’s first deployment in 2023, NPR reports. Such is the dire situation that the shortage of toilets has led to queues of up to 45 minutes daily. Frequent tussles between sailors and hull technicians, responsible for plumbing and repair operations, have complicated matters. Technicians are working 19 hours a day to clear the mess. The Ford-class carrier ($13 billion warship), the most expensive ship ever built by the US Navy, has been deployed for seven months, since June. But on board the vessel, which carries about 4,600 sailors, the crew is grappling with a sewage system that has been breaking down with striking frequency. A Navy official said the system, which uses vacuum technology to transport waste from roughly 650 toilets on board, has experienced issues during the deployment, averaging about one maintenance call a day. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation India in pivot mode as PM visits Israel? DEWANI GETS CHANDRA’S THIRD TERM HITS TATA WALL MUMBAI tion of the president for the introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to alter the name of Kerala to “Keralam” in Parliament, an official release said. The Legislative Assembly of Kerala had passed a resolution on June 24, 2024, to alter the name of Kerala to “Keralam”. Maharashtra House was told in ’24 and ’25, police recorded 1,17,369 missing women, of whom 86,228 were traced were traced, leaving 26,482 untraced. The question was raised by Mangesh Kudalkar (Shiv Sena), Prashant Thakur (BJP), Vijay Wadettiwar (Congress), Jitendra Awhad (NCP-SP), and 32 other members. According to official data, 45,662 women were reported 4Contd on | nation French put curbs on US envoy Charles Kushner Agencies PARIS As the most expensive US warship ($13 bn) deploys towards Iran, such is the dire situation that shortage of toilets has led to queues of up to 45 minutes daily missing in 2024, of whom 30,877 were traced. In 2025, 48,278 women were reported missing, with 36,581 traced so far. Among minors, 11,313 girls went missing in 2024 and 12,113 in 2025, of whom 8,475 and 10,295, respectively, were traced. The data further show that 4,989 adolescents aged 15 to 18 went missing over the two years from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and the districts of Raigad, Nagpur, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Of them, 4,813, or 96 per cent, were traced. The US ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been barred from meeting members of the French government after he failed to appear at the Foreign Affairs ministry earlier on Monday, where he had been summoned over comments on the killing of a French far-right activist last week, diplomatic sources said. “Following the publication by the US Embassy of comments on a tragedy that occurred in France and concerns only our national public debate, which we refuse to allow to be exploited ambassador Charles Kushner was summoned today to the ministry. He did not show up,” the source said, Reuters reports. 4Contd on | nation