Friday, December 5, 2025 | Vol. 69 No. 52 | 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 GAMES NATION 3,258 Indians deported by the US in 2025, EAM S Jaishankar informs the Rajya Sabha FRIEND PUTIN ARRIVES | In a special gesture, Modi receives Russian Prez at Delhi airport Eagle has landed Cinema Yami Gautam questions ‘monster’ marketing trend Joe Root posts first Ashes century in Australia to overshadow Mitchell Starc’s six wickets Edit BJP emerges stronger after Bihar, Oppn remains split Maha legally validates digital land records Kalpesh Mhamunkar MUMBAI In a sweeping policy shift set to overhaul land record access across Maharashtra, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday announced that digitally signed 7/12 extracts, 8-A records and Property Cards (Ferfar) will now enjoy full legal validity statewide. The Revenue Department has issued formal directives to all district collectors mandating universal acceptance of these digital documents across government and private institutions. Calling the move a “historic digital revolution,” Bawankule said the decision ends decades of bureaucratic delays, corruption and dependence on manually signed records. Citizens, he stressed, will no longer need to queue at revenue offices or rely on intermediaries to obtain basic land documents. The digitally certified land records are to be accepted by banks, courts, revenue offices, government departments and private entities, including loan and registration authorities “This is a proud moment for Maharashtra,” he said. “By removing dependency on manual signatures and stamps, we are ending decades-old harassment at the grassroots. Farmers and landowners will no longer have to stand in queues or pay middlemen. A transparent, affordable and instant solution is now available 24×7 at their fingertips. This is our commitment towards ease of living, ease of doing farming and ease of doing business.” Under the new system, citizens can download official copies of 7/12, 8-A and Ferfar records through the state portal Mahabhumi for just Rs 15. Each document will feature a secure digital signature, a unique 16-digit verification code and a scannable QR code, ensuring full traceability and eliminating the scope for forgery. 4Contd on | nation States told to deploy Big B a voter More IndiGo chaos: more to back BLOs in Jhansi? 550 flights affected FPJ News Service NEW DELHI Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening for a tightly choreographed 27-hour visit aimed at recalibrating India– Russia ties at a moment of profound geopolitical strain. PM Narendra Modi broke protocol to personally receive him at Palam Air Force Station, greeting him with an unmistakably warm embrace before the two leaders drove off in the same vehicle — a gesture underscoring their intent to project steadiness and continuity in a world marked by shifting alliances and escalating uncertainty. Modi took to X to frame the FPJ News Service visit in deliberately warm, personal terms. He posted that he was “delighted to welcome my friend Putin” and noting that their interactions would continue “later this evening and tomorrow”. He added that India–Russia friendship remained a “time-tested relationship” that had “consistently benefitted people of both nations”, signaling New Delhi’s intent to project continuity even as the global strategic environment grows more Scan & Watch volatile. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation NEW DELHI The SC on Thursday asked all States where the SIR process is underway to deploy additional staff for the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, after taking note of the difficult working conditions faced by Booth Level Officers (BLOs). A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the move was necessary to reduce the long working hours of those currently engaged in SIR work. The Court also made it clear that if any BLO seeks exemption from duty for specific reasons, the State government Biswajeet Banerjee SC says move necessary to reduce long working hours of those engaged in SIR work LUCKNOW Dhairya Gajara MUMBAI must consider the request on a case-by-case basis and replace the person with another worker. “State is obligated to provide the workforce in case there is a need to increase the same,” the order stated. Further, the Bench said that anyone seeking relief not covered in the order can approach the Court, Bar & Bench reports. A surprising case has surfaced during the ongoing SIR of the electoral roll in Jhansi. Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s name has been found in the voter list for the city, along with that of his father, the late poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Both are recorded at House No. 54 in the Kachiyana area outside the Orchha Gate. According to official records, Amitabh Bachchan is shown to have voted in 2003. His age is listed as 76. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation Operational disruptions at IndiGo continued for a third consecutive day on Thursday, resulting in the cancellation and delay of around 550 domestic and international flights creating massive chaos at India’s major airports. The DGCA has intervened and asked the airline to submit a mitigation plan. While thousands of flyers have been left stranded, the airline has aggravated the situation by failing to provide any answers to its passengers. The major Indian aviation chaos continued for the third day, with the situation getting worse rather than showing any signs of improvement. India's IndiGo on Thursday informed DGCA that it will reduce flights from Dec 8 and stable flight operations will be fully restored by Feb 10, 2026 largest domestic carrier, IndiGo, is facing a severe crisis due to the acute shortage of pilots and cabin crew, exacerbated by the full implementation of the revised flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms, mandating increased rest periods and tighter duty windows for flying Scan & Watch staff. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | city, nation ACID ATTACKS HCs directed to yield details in four weeks PTI NEW DELHI Terming the slow pace of trials in acid attack cases as a “mockery of the system”, the SC on Thursday asked all HCs to file details of related pending cases in four weeks. It asked the Centre to consider amending the law through legislation or an ordinance so that acid attack survivors are formally included within the definition of persons with disabilities, enabling them to access welfare schemes. 4Contd on | nation US enhances vetting for H1B visa applicants Agencies NEW YORK/WASHINGTON The US has tightened screening measures for H1B visa applicants, issuing new orders to expand scope of background checks. The State Department on Wednesday asked all H1B visa applicants, along with their H4 dependents, to ensure privacy settings on their social media accounts are set to “public” from Dec 15. 4Contd on | nation