FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 14 No. 85 | BHOPAL | SUNDAY | SEPTEMBER 8, 2024 | Pages 16 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Cinema Rajiv opens up about his arranged marriage with Aarti and more fp Briefs AIZAWL 33K pigs culled Over 12,200 pigs were killed and over 21,000 pigs culled as the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) continued in Mizoram for over past seven months, officials said on Monday. Mizoram Animal Husbandry and Veterinary (AHV) Department officials said due to the outbreak of ASF, a large number of farmers across the state incurred huge losses. KHANDWA 5 injured in wolf attack Five of a family members from Khandwa district were injured after they were attacked by a wolf, officials said.The incident took place at 2:30 a.m. on Friday in Malgaon village in tribaldominated Khalwa tehsil, nearly 20 km from the district headquarters, Harsud Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Sandeep Vaskale told the media. (Details on District Page) PESHAWAR Four suicide bombers killed Security forces thwarted a deadly attack on a Frontier Corps unit headquarters and killed four suicide bombers in northwestern Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Saturday. All four terrorists were killed when they attacked the Mohmand Rifles Headquarters in Ghalanai town of Mohmand district bordering Afghanistan on Friday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Army, said. KORBA Killer jumbo kills woman A 65-year-old woman from Chhattisgarh's Korba district became the fifth victim of a savage attack by a wild elephant which had trampled four persons to death in separate incidents in the area over the last month, officials said on Saturday. Van overturns, 3 dead, 20 hurt FP News Service RATLAM Three persons lost their lives and more than 20 others were injured in a tragic accident that occurred near Dholavad Ghat in Ratlam district that falls under Raoti police station area on Saturday morning. Incident occurred when a pickup van, which was overloaded, lost control and fell into a ditch. The mishap claimed the lives of three individuals, including a 15-year-old, and left more than 20 others injured. The vehicle, carrying labourers from Khedi Khurd panchayat, started sliding backwards while negotiating a steep incline due to overloading and fell into the ditch. 4Continued on | P6 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE UJJAIN PRESS PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK Rinaa Shah has defied stereotypes to prove her mettle in a maledominated world Variety Prasoon Joshi talks about penning the script for Rajadhiraaj FIRST-OF-ITS KIND | After years of denial, General Asim Munir in his Defence Day speech mentioned Kargil along with three wars with India Pak Army chief admits direct role in Kargil war ISLAMABAD In what is being seen as a firstof-its kind confession by the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir has admitted Pakistani military's direct role in the 1999 Kargil war against India. During his Defence Day speech on Friday, Munir mentioned Kargil along with the three wars with India while paying homage to what he termed as "sacrifices rendered through martyrdom" by soldiers of the Pakistan Armed forces. "Certainly Pakistani nation is a powerful and brave nation, which understands the value of freedom and knows how to 1948, 1965, 1971, the Kargil war between Pakistan and India, or the war in Siachen, thousands sacrificed their lives and were martyred for the safety and security of the country General Syed Asim Munir The statement is being seen as a first-ofits-kind confession by a sitting Army Chief on the direct role of country's military in the Kargil war, a position Islamabad has refrained from taking for the past 25 years. So far, Pakistan had denied involvement in the 1999 war and claimed that it was an action taken by freedom fighters of Kashmir sustain it. 1948, 1965, 1971, the Kargil war between Pakistan and India, or the war in Siachen, thousands sacrificed their lives and were martyred for the safety and security of the country," he told the gathering at the GHQ. Munir's statement is being seen as a first-of-its-kind confession by a sitting Army Chief on the direct role of country's military in the Kargil war, a position Islamabad has refrained from taking for the past 25 years. So far, Pakistan had denied its involvement in the 1999 war and claimed that it was an action taken by "freedom fighters" of Kashmir. Former Army Chief General Pervaiz Musharraf always claimed that the Kargil operation was a successful localized action. Centre sacks Puja Khedkar from IAS with immediate effect After Diggi’s ‘napunsak’ jibe, VD challenges his potency NEW DELHI The central government has discharged Puja Khedkar, former probationary civil servant, from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, official sources said on Saturday. Khedkar has been accused of cheating and wrongly availing Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota benefits to ensure her selection in the service. She has denied all allegations. The central government, vide order dated September 6, 2024, discharged Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service under Rule 12 of IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954, with immediate effect, the sources said. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh’s 'napunsak' (impotent) jibe at state BJP chief and Khajuraho MP VD Sharma triggered a political storm on Saturday. Responding to Sharma's accusation that he has “strong connections with terrorist organisations”, the veteran Congress leader said, “If V.D. Sharma thinks I am a supporter of terrorist organisations, 'toh mujhe unki napunsakta pe nirasha hoti hai' (I regret his impotency).” The Congress veteran made the remarks while addressing a joint press conference at the CPI-M office in Bhopal on Saturday, where he also said that the literacy rates among Muslims, Scheduled Castes (SC), and Scheduled Tribes (ST) were at par. 4Continued on | P6 4Continued on | P6 Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL PTI 4 killed, 6 injured in Vidisha road accident Were returning from Bageshwardham Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Four persons from Rajasthan were killed and six others injured when their SUV rammed into a truck in Vidisha on Saturday, police said. They were returning from Bageshwardham in Lateri block under Vidisha district. The accident occurred around 4 am on Biaora-Bina highway under Lateri police station limits, a police official said. The deceased were identified as Kishanlal Lodha (60), Vinod Kumar Mali (34), Vardi Bai Lodha (70) and Rajbai Bheel (48), the official said. Vidisha SP Deepak Kumar Shukla informed Free Press, “A group of 10 persons, including seven women, were from Jhalawad in Rajasthan.” 4Continued on | P6 E-paper World Ukraine shoots down scores of Russian drones WEEKEND IANS MUMBAI CM announces Prof’s death by swine ` 1crore for flu gives jitters to DAVV martyred Prez is scheduled The questions which jawan’s parents to attend varsity require answers Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL/ CHHATARPUR Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced Rs 1 crore for parents of army jawan Pradeep Patel who died in a road accident in Sikkim’s Pakyong recently. The body of martyr jawan Pradeep Patel was brought to Khajuraho airport from where it was taken to his native village Hardua in Katni district. CM Mohan Yadav paid tribute to martyr jawan Pradeep Patel at Khajuraho airport. After paying the tribute, CM said that government has decided to pay Rs 1 crore to parents of martyr jawan. He added that whether it is a peace time or war time, army personnel discharge their duty with full dedication. A Guard of Honour was given to the martyr jawan during his last rites. It was on September 5 that four army personnel including Madhya Pradesh’s Pradeep Patel lost their lives in road accident in Sikkim’s Pakyong. Their car went off the road and fell into a valley. convocation on September 19 Our Staff Reporter INDORE In a worrisome development for Indore, the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, claimed the first casualty of 2024 within Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya campus, where President Draupadi Murmu is scheduled to attend convocation on September 19. The victim, Prof Vijay Babu Gupta, head of the School of Data Science and Forecasting, passed away on Saturday evening after battling swine flu for a week. Gupta had first shown symptoms of the disease shortly after his department hosted an international conference on August 23 and 24. The meet was attended by a few people from Mexico as well. NEW DELHI The Swachh Bharat Mission, a national cleanliness programme, launched in 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, may have reduced infant mortality through the construction of toilets and improved sanitation, a new study published in Nature journal suggests. The study conducted by the US-based International Food Policy Research Insti- Will district administration take suo-moto cognizance of this serious development on UTD campus? He was diagnosed with H1N1, which has sparked concerns among the campus community, especially those who attended the event or interacted with him in last few days. The news of his death caused unease across the campus, with several individuals isolating themselves and others reporting symptoms of the deadly disease. 4Continued on | P6 While the news of death of Prof Gupta, with swine flu, was making rounds in the city, the health officials expressed unawareness about the same. “We have not been notified by the hospital yet. There are total 13 positive cases in Indore since January and there are only three active cases at present,” Dr Anshul Mishra, district epidemiologist said. Meanwhile, doctors of Suyash Hospital said that Gupta was suffering from co-morbidities including sleep apnoea, hypertension, and others. He was admitted to the hospital for the last seven days. Singh wants to snatch SC/ST rights for Muslims Six killed in fresh Manipur ments on me. I challenge Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL BJP’s state unit president VD Sharma has challenged former chief minister Digvijaya Singh’s potency after Singh called Sharma ‘impotent.’ Singh wants to snatch the right to reservation from the SC/ST category and give it to Muslims, Sharma said. “If I protest against Singh’s statement, I am ready to accept his com- Singh’s potency for his efforts to snatch the rights of SC/ST category,” Sharma said. According to Sharma, he respects Singh, but the language he used is not suitable to his stature. The word Singh has used indicates his improper mental state, which is unfortunate, Sharma said. Former prime minister of the Congress said the Muslims had the first right on the country’s resources, Sharma said. 4Continued on | P6 Digvijaya wants to be Jinnah: Rameshwar Reacting to ex-CM Digvijaya Singh’s satement on less Muslim representation in jobs than SC/ST category, BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma said that Singh wanted to become Jinnah. He wanted to know from Singh how many Muslims were given jobs during the Congress rule. violence, 3 bunkers destroyed Agencies IMPHAL/KOLKATA Six people were killed in fresh violence in Manipur's Jiribam district on Saturday, police said. Security forces, on the other hand, destroyed three bunkers of militants in Churachandpur district on Friday after the insurgents launched rocket attacks in adjoining Bishnupur that killed one person and injured six others. On Saturday, one person was shot dead in his sleep while four others were killed in subsequent exchange of fire between people of two warring communities in Jiribam district, a police officer said. Militants entered the house of the person who lived alone at an isolated location around Closed shops at a market after six people were killed in fresh violence in Manipur’s Jiribam district, on Saturday 5 km from the district administration headquarters and shot him dead in his sleep, he said. After the killing, a heavy exchange of fire took place between people of the warring communities in the hills Hemant, Faggan, Rameshwar eye VD’s chair Lobbying for the post of BJP’s state unit president intensifies among leaders Nitendra Sharma BHOPAL Lobbying for the post of the BJP’s state unit president has intensified as the dates for party’s organisational election are nearing. Apart from some senior leaders, a few others have also become active to get party’s top job in the state. The way BJP appointed Mohan Yadav as chief minister and selected VD Sharma as mant Khandelwal and Rameshwar Sharma from B h o p a l (Huzur seat), and an MP Faggan Singh Kulaste, Hemant Khandelwal from Mandla and Rameshwar Sharma Faggan Kuthe president of the party’s laste have thrown their hat state unit sidelining several into the ring. leaders has given confidence Nevertheless, it is yet to be to many politicians to vie for decided whether Sharma will the post. get another term or not. Legislators from Betul HeSeeing the possibilities of Sharma getting some other assignments, all these leaders are contending for the post. Besides the names of former ministers Narottam Mishra and Arvind Bhadoria, the names of these three leaders are doing the rounds for the job. Khandewal has the support of the RSS and organisational general secretary Hitanand Sharma. 4Continued on | P6 offgrid tute was published in Nature, a leading scientific journal in the world, and estimates that 60,000-70,000 infant deaths a year were averted by the construction of toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). The study investigated the association between the initiative and infant mortality rate and the Under Five Mortality Rate (UFMR) in India. Data was analysed from thirty-five states and 640 districts spanning 10 years (2011-2020). Will university take guidance from the powersthat-be for hosting the event? Health dept unaware, total positive cases 13 Swachh Mission saves 70K infants life a year: Nature Agencies Will university go for test of staffers and students before holding the convocation? The study says "Toilet access and child mortality have a historically robust inverse association in India. Toilets constructed increased dramatically across India following the implementation of SBM in 2014," adding that "The post-Swachh Bharat Mission period in India exhibited accelerated reductions in infant and child mortality compared to the pre-SBM years." "In 2003, toilet coverage remained relatively low across districts, with less than 40% coverage on average. This coverage showed minimal improvement from 2003 to 2008, and some districts even witnessed a decline in access. However, by 2015, toilet coverage had substantially improved nationwide. In 2020, the majority of districts boasted toilet coverage exceeding 60%," the study said. The results suggested that on average, improving district-level toilet access by 10 percentage points corresponded to a lowering of death rates in infants by 0.9 points and those in under-5 by 1.1 points. The study's observational data strongly support the notion that improved sanitation practices in India lead to reductions in child mortality, growth faltering, and incidence of diarrheal disease. 4Continued on | P6 around 7 km from the district administration headquarters, leading to the deaths of four armed persons, including three hills-based militants, the officer said. 4Continued on | P6 Cancellation of appointment of 289 B.Ed teachers put on hold Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The cancellation of appointments of 289 primary teachers hired based on their B.Ed, has been halted. CPI Shilpa Gupta has directed that since the matter is in court, the teachers should not be removed from their jobs or schools. They will continue to work in their institution until a final decision. On 29 August, the directorate of Public Instruction issued an order to terminate their jobs, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling. The appointments of 289 primary teachers in Madhya Pradesh who hold a B.Ed. degree were earlier cancelled following a Supreme Court order. The Supreme Court, in its ruling on August 11, 2023, nullified the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) notification dated June 28, 2018, which had previously recognized B.Ed. as a valid qualification for primary teachers. The High Court in Jabalpur had also ruled on May 3, 2024, that only those B.Ed.-qualified primary teachers appointed before August 11, 2023, would be considered valid.