FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 15 No. 259 | BHOPAL | TUESDAY | MARCH 3, 2026 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Nation ‘No Hindu refugee will be deported from Bengal’ P.8 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN MONEY PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Need assistance, not sympathy P.6 Mfg PMI rises to 4-mth high of 56.9 in Feb Cinema Karishma’s triumph at Busan P.14 GRIM SITUATION | Iran’s top national security official Ali Larijani vowed ‘we will not negotiate with the US’; price of oil has risen sharply 3 US F-15E JETS DOWNED IN ‘FRIENDLY FIRE’ CENTCOM confirms all six crew safe; regional strikes disrupt oil facilities, air travel and civilian life Over the past 72 hours, the scale and intensity of attacks by both sides have escalated, with Iran-backed Hezbollah also entering the conflict. The war has disrupted civilian life across the region. Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs, was shut for several hours, affecting Asia-Europe flight operations. Agencies NEW DELHI Three F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were shot down in separate “friendly fire” incidents by Kuwaiti air defences, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday evening. CENTCOM is directing the joint US-Israel military operations against Iran. “All six aircrew, two per aircraft, ejected safely, have been recovered and are in stable condition,” CENTCOM said in a statement, thanking Kuwaiti defence forces for their support. Kuwait had earlier reported that several US military aircraft had crashed. Videos circulating on social media showed one of the F-15E jets spiralling down with flames visible from the rear before the pilots ejected. Meanwhile, US President Donald fp Briefs NEW DELHI EPFO fixes 8.25% interest rate Limited flights resume Mourners take cover while air-raid sirens warn of incoming missiles launched by Iran toward Israel during the funeral of Sarah Elimelech and her daughter Ronit who were killed in an Iranian missile attack, in Beit Shemesh, Israel on Monday and (right) a man with Iranian flag looks at damaged Gandhi Hospital, which was hit on Sunday during ongoing joint US-Israeli military campaign in Tehran on Tuesday Trump said he would not rule out deploying ground troops in Iran if required. In an interview with the New York Post, Trump said he did not subscribe to the usual assurance of “no boots on the ground”, adding that he would keep options open. The conflict intensified across the region. Loud explosions were reported near a nuclear facility and an air base in Isfahan in central Iran, according to Iranian news outlets quoted by Reuters. On Monday morning, IRGC acting independently: Iran FM Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is acting independently following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the US-Israel offensive. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Araghchi said the strike on an Oman port “was not our choice” and that military units were operating on general instructions issued earlier. The IRGC, founded in 1979 after the Iranian Revolution, functions separately from Iran’s regular army and reports to the Supreme Leader. Araghchi’s remarks suggest the force is currently operating without direct central command, even as Tehran seeks to ease Gulf tensions. blasts were heard across major Gulf cities as Tehran continued retaliatory strikes. Explosions were also reported in Jerusalem after the Israeli military said it had identified missiles launched from Iran and activated air raid sirens. Saudi Aramco temporarily shut its Ras Tanura oil refinery after it was struck by Iranian drones. The attack on one of Agri cabinet okays Rs 27,500 cr for devpt, irrigation projects Our Staff Reporter Admin approval of Rs 2067 cr for 2 irrigation projects BHOPAL Retirement fund body EPFO, for the third year in a row, fixed the interest rate on employees' provident fund deposits at 8.25 per cent for 2025-26, a labour ministry statement said on Monday. In February last year, the EPFO had retained the rate of interest at 8.25 per cent for 2024-25. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in 2024 increased the interest rate marginally to 8.25 per cent for 2023-24, from 8.15 per cent in 2022-23. NEW DELHI Industrial growth at 4.8% The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) recorded a 4.8 per cent year-onyear growth in January, supported by 4.8 per cent growth in manufacturing sector and 5.1 per cent growth in electricity sector, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said on Monday. The Quick Estimates of IIP stands at 169.4 against 161.6 in January 2025. Earlier, India’s industrial production surged by 7.8 per cent in December 2025. The first agriculture cabinet approved Rs 27,500 crores for different projects related to agriculture development, animal husbandry, irrigation, fisheries, horticulture and cooperatives on Monday. Approval was given for continuance of several schemes for the next five years. The cabinet was held in Nagarwali village of Badwani district. Most of the cabinet decisions are about farmer-related schemes amounting to Rs 25,678 crore. MP Integrated Fisheries Policy 2026 approved: The cabinet okayed the MP Integrated Fisheries Policy 2026. A sum of Rs 3000 crore will be invested under it for the next three years and around 20,000 jobs will be created. A budget- To increase ground water level in 33 villages of Varla tehsil and 53 villages of Pansemal tehsil of Badwani, a sum of Rs 2068 crore was approved for two irrigation projects. CM Mohan Yadav attends Bhagoria Utsav in Barwani district ary provision of Rs 18.50 crore was made under the policy. National Horticulture Mission to continue for next 5 years: The cabinet approved Rs 1150 crore for continuing the National Horticulture Mission for the next 5 years. Under this, work to increase agriculture sector capacity will be done. Rs 1,375 cr for micro food entrepreneur upgradation Scheme- The cabinet earmarked Rs 1,375 crore for Micro Food Entrepreneur Upgradation Scheme for the next five years. Under this, upgradation of existing micro food processing industries will be STATE GOVT HIKES DA BY 3% FOR STAFF, PENSIONERS Total DA will rise to 58%, adding an annual financial burden of Rs 1,500 crore on state exchequer Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Giving a Holi bonanza, the state government on Monday decided to increase the Dearness Allowance (DA) of government servants by 3%. With this, total DA will rise to 58%, adding an annual financial burden of Rs 1,500 crore on state exchequer. Akin to central employees, government staff will receive 58% DA in their April 2026 salary, to be paid in May. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav shared the news on his X handle, stating that arrears from July 2025 to March 2026 will be paid in six equal instalments starting in May. The 58% DA will also be given to pensioners for January–February 2026. The Chief Minister said that the government is committed to welfare of all sections of society. 7.5L employees, 4.5L pensioners to benefit There are 7.5 lakh employees and 4.5 lakh pensioners in the state. Sudhir Nayak, state president of Mantralaya Adhikari Karamchari Sangh, welcomed the government’s decision ahead of the festival of colours, noting that employee DA had been pending since July. Two lives lost inside manhole Mishap took place while an IMC vehicle was dewatering chamber Our Staff Reporter INDORE Two sanitation workers of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) died after allegedly inhaling toxic gases while dewatering a drainage chamber in the Rajendra Nagar police Saudi Arabia’s key refining hubs heightened fears of wider disruption to regional energy infrastructure amid an already strained global oil market. station area on Monday evening. The workers were reportedly operating without safety gear. On receiving information, senior police officials, State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF) teams, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav and the IMC Commissioner, Kshitij Singhal, rushed to the spot. According to DCP (Zone-1) Krishan Lalchandani, the incident occurred around 6.30pm in front of the Choithram Mandi gate. 4Continued on | P8 done and new food processing units will be established. Likewise, approval was given for continuation of 20 projects of farmer welfare and agriculture development for the next five years. In this regard, Rs 3502 crore have been sanctioned. Moreover, Rs 1975 crore was sanctioned for continuation of Cooperative Bank s Share Capital Scheme for the next five years. 4Continued on | P8 Spl court misread facts: CBI on order discharging Kejri PTI NEW DELHI Challenging the special court order discharging former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and others in the excise policy case, the CBI has submitted to the Delhi High Court that the order was based "on a selective reading of the prosecution case, disregarding the material showing the culpability of the accused", and was "patently illegal". In its 974-page petition before the high court, the CBI said the Special Judge essentially conducted a mini-trial and "spent 4 months' time 4Continued on | P8 Air travel across the United Arab Emirates began resuming on Monday evening after days of disruption caused by escalating Israel-Iran tensions. Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports are set to operate limited services, offering relief to thousands stranded by Gulf airspace closures. IndiGo, AI to run relief flights- IndiGo will operate 10 special flights from Jeddah on March 3 to bring stranded passengers back to India, the government said. An Air India Express flight from Muscat to Tiruchirappally will depart at 10:25 local time. Flights to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE remain suspended until 23:59 IST on March 3, 2026. Modi dials Bibi, Saudi Crown Prince, Bahrain King PM Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss the West Asia situation and conveyed India's concerns. During his telephonic conversation with Netanyahu, Modi emphasised the safety of civilians as a priority. Modi also spoke to the King of Bahrain and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and condemned the recent attacks on the two countries in violation of their sovereignty and territorial integrity, asserting that India stands in solidarity with their people in this difficult hour 6th SHIP HIT IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ Iran’s state-run media claimed a sixth ship was targeted in the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has declared shut following US and Israel air strikes that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military officers. Iran said no vessel may transit the vital oil route. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported two more ships struck on Monday, including a tanker near Muscat and another near Mina Saqr, UAE. FIRST INDIAN CASUALTY An Indian crew member was killed after a bomb-carrying drone boat struck the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker MKD VYOM in the Gulf of Oman on Monday, Oman authorities said. The attack occurred off the coast of Muscat. State-run Oman News Agency confirmed the death, identifying the victim as an Indian national. Earlier, Reuters reported that a projectile hit the tanker on Sunday. Vessel manager V.Ships Asia said the explosion caused a fire and killed a crew member who was in the engine room. The source of the attack was not immediately known. Investors lose Rs 6.59 lakh cr as markets tumble Around 80 people from MP stranded in Gulf PTI BHOPAL Our Staff Reporter NEW DELHI Equity investors became poorer by Rs 6.59 lakh crore on Monday as markets faced a massive drubbing amid rising tensions in West Asia that weighed heavily on sentiments. The 30-share BSE Sensex tanked 2,743.46 points or 3.37 per cent to 78,543.73 in early trade. It later ended at 80,238.85, down 1,048.34 points or 1.29 per cent. The market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies eroded by Rs 6,59,978.08 crore to Rs 4,56,90,693.19 crore (USD 5 trillion). Indian equities witnessed a sharp decline as escalating tensions in West Asia triggered a pronounced risk-off response. 4See also | Money Around 80 people from Madhya Pradesh are stranded in Middle East countries as return flights remain suspended amid the ongoing Iran-US conflict. So far, no family member has approached the police seeking assistance. Information received from across the state, especially Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur and Gwalior, indicates that several residents are stuck at airports while attempting to return home. Many had advanced their travel plans due to continuing US strikes and retaliatory action by Iranian forces. Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) A Sai Manohar said police have learned that around 80 residents of the state are currently in different Middle East nations. “As of now, all of them are safe, but they are facing Police on alert, visible on roads He said the Chief Minister has directed officials to take Shia community leaders into confidence. Police officers will meet such leaders and extend necessary support. The police force across the state has been instructed to remain alert round the clock. Superintendents of Police have been directed to deploy adequate personnel in their districts and ensure visible patrolling to maintain law and order. difficulties,” he said. Manohar added that none of the families of those stranded has formally sought police help so far. He said the police would coordinate with any family approaching them for assistance. India, Canada reset ties; target $50 billion trade by 2030 Seal $2.6bn uranium deal Ashwin Ahmad NEW DELHI Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s official visit to India from February 27 to March 2 marked a significant reset in bilateral ties. On Monday, Carney and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks aimed at restoring strategic direction to the relationship. Several memoranda of understanding were signed across artificial intelligence, defence, critical minerals, healthcare and people-to-people exchanges. Both sides set a target of $50 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 and finalised the Terms of Reference for negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Prime Minister Modi welcomed Canada’s entry into the International Solar Alliance and announced the launch of an India-Canada Defence Dialogue to strengthen defence industry cooperation, maritime domain awareness and military exchanges. 4Continued on | P8 ‘judicial misconduct’ SC flags trial court citing AI-generated ‘non-existent’ verdicts PTI NEW DELHI Artificial judgments will have real consequences, the Supreme Court has warned, coming down hard on a trial court relying on fake, AIgenerated verdicts in its decision-making process. Orders based on fictitious judgments will not just be seen as an error in decisionmaking but will amount to judicial misconduct, the top court has said in a warning that comes at a time when the use of AI (artificial intelligence) is spreading to official work where it is not authorised. A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe has said it will examine the matter in detail and issued a notice to Attorney General R Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and the Bar Council of India. The court has also appointed senior advocate Shyam Divan to assist it in the matter. "We take cognisance of the trial court deploying AIgenerated non-existing, fake or synthetic alleged judgments and seek to examine its consequences and accountability as it has a direct bearing on the integrity of the adjudicatory process," the bench said. "At the outset, we must declare that a decision based on such non-existent and fake alleged judgments is not an error in the decision making. It would be a misconduct and legal con- sequence shall follow. It is compelling that we examine this issue in more detail," the bench said in its February 27 order. The issue cropped up before the apex court while it was hearing a plea challenging a January order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court that came on a suit filed for an injunction. 4Continued on | P8