DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2025, PUNE, LATE CITY, 22 PAGES 72 100 122 72 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY Clarify if there’s certain bias in suspecting Bengali-speakers to be foreigners, SC tells Govt Govt clears free medical treatment for officer cadets disabled during training Can tap ex-servicemen scheme to get care in military, empanelled hospitals AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA NEW DELHI, AUGUST 29 THEMINISTRYof Defence(MoD) onFridaysanctionedthegrantof free medical facilities under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) to officer cadets who are medically dischargedfor sufferingvaryingdegrees of disabilities during military training. The decision comes as a huge relief for these cadets who were noteligibleforECHSbenefitssofar. Asperrules,theyarenotentitledto thestatusofex-servicemen(ESM) since their disabilities took place during training before they were commissioned as officers. Under theECHS,allsuchcadetswillnow be able to avail free treatment at militaryfacilities,ECHSpolyclinics andempanelledhospitals. While a decision on this has been in the pipeline, the development comes just over a fortnight after The Indian Express published reports on the plight of these cadets who were dis- EXPRESS IMPACT GDP surprise: Services Victory... strengthens our pushes up Q1 growth to faith in fairness: Chorus in families of the affected 5-quarter high of 7.8% AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA NEW DELHI, AUGUST 29 Order follows The Indian Express report flagged by Supreme Court charged from the country's top military training institutes on medical grounds — and have since been battling severe disability with shattered dreams and poor benefits. As reported by The Indian ExpressonAugust11,allthatthese CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 WELCOMINGTHEgovernment's decision to extend ECHS benefits, officer cadets who were medically boarded out of military training institutions after suffering disabilities during training said the move would go a long way in reducing their monthly medical expenditure. They, however, pointed out that the larger battle remains — getting disability pension and exservicemen status. “This is a huge step for all cadets. Private medical facilities (non-empanelled ones) are expensive, with exorbitant prices for medical tests and medicines, andmanyof themaredifficult to trust,” said Bharati Joshi, mother of former NDA cadet Kishan Kulakarni (25) who has been bedridden since July 2020, with his medical report showing more than 90 per cent nerve damage in the brain. “Take Kishan’s case. Since he has been bedridden, we have to call the ambulance for a simple checkup. Moreover, medicines and checkups are expensive. We have full trust in the forces and their medical facilities. This will be of huge benefit to the cadets,” said Joshi, a former school teacher and single mother who is taking care of Kulakarni all by herself. “It comes as a relief after a long wait. It will make my life somewhateasier,helpingmeaccess medical facilities through a government scheme and reducing my monthly expenditure on treatment,”saidShubhamGupta (33), who suffered a spinal cord injury at the National Defence Academy (NDA) that left him paralysed from the neck down. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ANANTHAKRISHNAN G CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 EXPRESS NETWORK PUTIN TO VISIT INDIA IN DECEMBER: KREMLIN PAGE 9 PAGE 1 ANCHOR Downside risk due to tariffs, but hopeful will be resolved: CEA SIDDHARTH UPASANI NEW DELHI, AUGUST 29 STRONG SERVICES sector activity helped GDP growth comfortably beat expectations for the second quarter in a row, rising to afive-quarterhighof 7.8percent forApril-June2025,accordingto data released by the statistics ministry on Friday. It is more than the January-March 2025 growth rate of 7.4 per cent, and first quarter 2024-25 growth rate of 6.5 per cent. The rapid growth in the first quarter of the current financial year further consolidates India’s position as the world’s fastest growing large economy amid a particularly turbulent time that has seen the US tariff war buffet global economic prospects and push policymakers into a tight spot. On August 27, Indian goods into the US started facing a 50 per cent tariff, with President Donald Trump having an- E ● All engines firing ALL SECTORS, from manufacturing to services, fired the economy in the first quarter of 2025-26. Services growth rate was at a 2-year high, farm sector expanded 3.7%, and manufacturing 7.7%. If the US trade talks work, the momentum will continue. nounced a doubling of the levy earlier in the month, blaming it on New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian arms and oil. Earlierthismonth,onAugust 6,theReserveBankof India(RBI) hadforecastGDPgrowthtoedge lower at 6.5 per cent in AprilJune. While economists from outside the central bank also expected growth to come in below the 7.4 per cent recorded in January-March,theybroadlysaw the figure closer to 7 per cent. Addressing reporters in a briefing,Chief EconomicAdvisor V Anantha Nageswaran expressed optimism about the government’sgrowthforecastof 6.3-6.8 per cent GDP growth for thecurrentfinancialyeardespite the concerns caused by the 50 per cent US tariff. “Obviously,thereissomeuncertainty with respect to the durationof theperiodforwhichthe additional tariff related to Russian crude oil purchase would last. But in general, the conversations are going on and there is an expectation that we willseesomekindof aresolution in the not-so-distant future… Of course,thedownsideriskisthere incasethetariff impasseremains for a longer period. But we are CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 RUPEE CRASHES PAGE 17 Opposition states back GST rate cut, but seek compensation for losses Patel, who fell out with Govt as RBI chief, now picked for IMF AANCHAL MAGAZINE NEW DELHI, AUGUST 29 THE SUPREME Court Friday asked the Centre to respond to a petition which alleged that Bengali-speakingmigrantworkers from West Bengal were being detained by authorities in various states on the suspicion of being Bangladeshi citizens. The bench of Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, while acknowledging that there is a problem of illegal infiltration in the country, asked the Centre to clarify whether authorities are using a “particular language” as a “presumption of the speaker being a foreigner.” Justice Bagchi said, “We would like you to clarify if certain bias in respect of the exercise of power by authorities, as sought to be demonstrated by this petition, namely the use of a particular language as a presumption of being a foreigner, whether at all this is correct.” Thebenchwashearingaplea by the West Bengal Migrant Workers Welfare Board and its chairman TMC MP Samirul Islam,seekingtorestrainauthorities from allegedly detaining Bengali-speaking migrant labourersonthesuspicionof being Bangladeshis and pushing them into Bangladesh without any authority determining their citizenship status. Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate Prashant Bhushan said the Calcutta High Court had adjourned hearing on a habeas corpus petition filed by a woman whowaspushedoutonsuspicion AGRI STEADY, MANUFACTURING RISES EXPLAINED 30/08/2025 `7.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 SIDDHARTH UPASANI NEW DELHI, AUGUST 29 Maratha Kranti Morcha activists outside the CSMT railway station in Mumbai on Friday. Akash Patil MARATHA PROTEST REACHES MUMBAI Will sacrifice life, but won’t leave Mumbai till our demands are met, says Jarange Patil Won’tbuckleunderpressureonunreasonabledemanddoinginjusticetoOBCs: CM SHUBHANGI KHAPRE & VALLABH OZARKAR MUMBAI, AUGUST 29 MARATHA RESERVATION activist Manoj Jarange Patil began his freshindefinitehunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai Friday morning, reiterating his demand for quota benefits for the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and vowing not to withdrawtheagitationuntiltheirdemands,includinggrantingKunbi status to Marathas, are met. Addressing the huge gatheringatAzadMaidan,Jarangesaid, “I am willing to sacrifice my life but won’t leave Mumbai till we get Kunbi status. Whether they jail me or shoot me, I will not back off this time. This is a final battle and we will leave only af- Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Friday. Ganesh Shirsekar ter our demands are met.” Thousands from across the state marched in Mumbai, holding saffron flags, wearing saffron scarves and chanting “Ek Maratha, Lakh Maratha” on Friday, disrupting traffic and forcing the Mumbai Police to block several roads. While the state government opened the door for dialogue, it warnedJarangePatiltonotcross the “Laxman Rekha”. Chief MinisterDevendraFadnavissaid, “While the state government is committed to the socio-economicupliftmentof Marathas,it cannotbuckleunderpressureon unreasonable demands that would lead to injusticetotheOBCs.” As Opposition parties Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP) came out in support of JarangePatil,theyblamedthegovernmentfortheunrest,addingto thepressureontheMahayutiadministration led by Fadnavis. Fadnaviscriticisedhispoliticalrivalsandsaid,“Bynoweverybody knows who is firing from Manoj JarangePatil’sshoulder.Suchpoliticalplotswillnotwork.Norwill they benefit electorally.” Without naming parties, he said, “The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray should show us at least one decision taken for Maratha interest during its twoand-a-half year tenure.” DeputyChiefMinisterEknath Shinde clarified the Mahayuti government’sstanceonreservation, stating that any reservation for the Maratha community will be implemented strictly within thelegalframework andwillnot come at the expense of existing quotas for Other Backward Classes (OBC). CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 FULL COVERAGE PAGE 8 EIGHT OPPOSITION-ruled “likeminded” states — Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal — which met in New Delhi on Friday said they explicitly and unambiguously supported the Centre’s GST rate rationalisation proposal, but were concerned about revenue loss. In a joint statement, the states projected revenue loss of between Rs 85,000 crore and Rs 2 lakh crore a year and sought “protection of revenue interest and fiscal stability in a federal structure”. They said states should be compensated for revenue loss — anything lower than 14percentrevenuegrowth—for a minimum five years. States were also worried if benefits of rate rationalisation will actually reach the common people or lead to “windfall profits” for just a few companies. In his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the GST reforms, to be implemented before Diwali, would lower the tax burden for the common man, small entrepreneurs and MSMEs. The Centre’s proposal onGST reformsproposesreplacingmultiple slabs — 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent — with a broad two-slab structure — 5 per cent and 18 per cent — in addition to a 40 per cent special rate for sin and demerit goods. It was first discussed in the meetings of the Groups of Ministers (GoMs) in Delhi on August 20-21 and will now be taken up for discussion in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW DELHI, AUGUST 29 THE GOVERNMENT has named former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel as Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), nearly four months after it cut short Krishnamurthy Subramanian’s three-year term. “TheAppointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Dr Urjit Patel,Economist andFormerRBI Governor, to the post of Executive Director (ED) at the InternationalMonetaryFund,for a period of three years with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or until furtherorders,whicheverisearlier,” a government notification dated August 28 said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Amid US chill, warmth in Tokyo: 10-tn yen investment, digital ties We are launching economic security initiative: PM after talks with Ishiba SHUBHAJIT ROY & DIVYA A CANBERRA, NEW DELHI, AUGUST 29 CHARTING WHAT Prime Minister Narendra Modi called “aroadmapforthenextdecade”, India and Japan Friday agreed to raise the Japanese investment target in India to 10 trillion yen, launch initiatives on economic CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo on Friday. AP RELATEDREPORTS,P9 Global economy volatile, India and China must work to bring stability: Modi P9, 16 Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zamin restored, headed for Venice Film Festival ALAKA SAHANI MUMBAI, AUGUST 29 THE NEWLY restored 4K version of Bimal Roy-directed Do Bigha Zamin, which won the Prix International at the Cannes Film Festival in 1954, is headed to the ongoing Venice Film Festival for its world premiere. OnSeptember4,therestored movie’s premiere will be held at Sala Corinto, a skating track turned into a temporary theatre. Royisregardedasavisionary directorwhowasattheforefront of the Golden Age of Indian Cinema during the 1950s and 1960s. His illustrious filmography includes several acclaimed movies such as Parineeta (1953), Biraj Bahu (1954),Devdas (1955), Madhumati(1958),Sujata(1959) and Bandini (1963). The presentation of Do Bigha Zamin in Venice will be led by membersof theRoyfamily—his daughters Rinki Roy Bhattacharya and Aparajita Roy Sinha, his son Joy Bimal Roy — as well as Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director of the Film Heritage Foundation. The film was restored by the Criterion CollectionandJanusFilmsincollaboration with the Film Heritage Foundation at World premier of restored version of Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zamin on September 4 L’Immagine Ritrovata and Resillion, in association with the BimalRoy family. Apart from the premiere, the movie will have two more screenings. TheVeniceFilmFestivalisthe apt platform to showcase the restored Do Bigha Zamin since the movie holds a unique connec- tion with Italian cinema. “After watching Vittorio De Sica’s film Bicycle Thieves, our father hoped Indian cinema would follow its deeply moving humanist vision. Do Bigha Zamin is an unspoken autobiography of Bimal Roy who was cast off from his home in East Bengal in a similar episode as the hero, peasant, Sambhu Mahato (essayed by Bajraj Sahni). He never recovered from this cruel separation from his beloved birthplace. In the brief lifetime accorded to our father, he transformed the profile of Indian cinema and was able to stir collective con- sciousness with his cinematic parables," said Roy’s family in a joint statement. Channelling the realism and empathy of De Sica’s approach, Roy fashioned a poignant narrative centered on a farmer’s relentless struggle against dispossession by a landlord. With only three months to repay his debts, the farmer ventures to the city with his young son, resorting to strenuous labour as a rickshaw puller while his child becomes a shoeshine boy. Amidst the harsh realities of urban life, the father and son forge new bonds within the slums. Despite their tireless efforts, they ultimately fall short, losing their land to industrialisation. After starting filmmaking career in Kolkata, Roy established his own production banner Bimal Roy Production Company and made his Hindi directorial debut with Do Bigha Zamin. Gulzar, who started his film career as Roy’s assistant, said, “It’s amazing that Do Bigha Zamin is restored and will be shown in Venice... Not many know that Do Bigha Zamin is from a poem by Rabindranath Tagore. The script was by Salil Choudhury.” Pune