WEDNESDAY 25 MARCH, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard L I B YA TOWS DRIFTING RUSSIAN TANKER Libyan authorities were towing a Russian tanker drifting in the Mediterranean for the past three weeks, after the vessel was damaged in a sea drone attack PAGE 9 Land-for-jobs scam: HC junks Lalu’s plea to quash CBI FIR U D AYA N K I S H O R E @ New Delhi THE Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea by RJD leader Lalu Prasad seeking to quash a CBI FIR in the alleged land-for-jobs scam, along with all proceedings arising from it. Lalu had argued that the CBI investigation failed to obtain prior sanction before registering the case. He relied on Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which requires government approval before probing corruption allegations linked to official decisions of public servants. Rejecting the plea, Justice Ravinder Dudeja held that Section 17A applies prospectively . Since the alleged offences occurred between 2004 and 2009 and the provision was introduced only in 2018, it could not be invoked in this case. The court said the petition lacked merit and clarified that the absence of prior approval did not invalidate the FIR, probe, or subsequent proceedings. Lalu had pointed to a 14-year delay, noting the FIR was filed in 2022 for alleged acts committed during his tenure as railway minister from 2004-2009. The case centres on allegations that appointments to Group D posts in the railways were made in exchange for land parcels transferred to Lalu’s family at nominal rates. The CBI said job seekers or their kin transferred land in Patna and elsewhere to his family and aides without any formal recruitment process, allegedly as part of a quid pro quo. RR FOR OVER `15,200 CR, RCB FOR `16,700 CR A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00  If both the deals are cleared, the owners are expected to take charge post the 19th edition of the league. While RR was bagged for $1.63 bn, RCB was purchased for just over $1.78 bn. While the former was picked by a consortium fronted by US-based entrepreneur, Kal Somani, the latter was fronted by a consortium led by Aditya Birla Group | P11 PAGES 12 PM: LEAST POSSIBLE IMPACT ON INDIA TRUMP LIKES PAK’S MEDIATION OFFER The PM underlined efforts to reduce dependence on a single source of energy. “The crisis has shaken the global economy. Continuous efforts are being made to ensure that India suffers the least possible impact” US President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed Pakistan’s offer to be the host to facilitate talks to end the West Asia conflict by re-sharing Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif’s post on the Truth Social platform Don dials Modi on de-escalation Both leaders discuss the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz secure and accessible to all J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi US President Donald Trump on Tuesday spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focusing on the urgent need to deescalate tensions in West Asia and keeping the critical global shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz open, safe and accessible for the whole world. “Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia. India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world. We agreed to stay in touch regarding efforts towards peace and stability,” Modi wrote on X. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, too, highlighted the maritime safety asDAY pect, saying “President Donald Trump j u s t s p o ke w i t h Prime Minister Modi. They discussed the ongoing situation in the Middle East, including the importance of keeping the Strait open.” The conversation is the first between Modi and Trump since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28. It comes amid rising tensions and sharply rising energy prices. On Monday External Affairs , 25 Pvt sector growth slips to 3.5-yr low as war impacts demand Serious consequences if crisis continues: PM Amid a deepening global energy crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the Rajya Sabha and said prolonged instability could lead to unavoidable and serious consequences. “If the global circumstances created by this war persist for a long time, serious consequences are inevitable. Therefore, India is accelerating the resilience-building measures it has undertaken in recent years,” he said. “During the great crisis of the pandemic, the Centre and the states together presented an excellent model of COVID management. We must continue to work in the same spirit”, he asserted Minister S Jaishankar had held conversation with US counterpart Marco Rubio. Washington has signalled cautious diplomatic engagement with Tehran. It has emerged that the US has engaged Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye in back-channel for looking at solutions for ending the war with Iran. India has also engaged directly with regional leaders. Modi spoke over the weekend with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. Shortly after his call with Trump, PM Modi spoke to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake about the crisis due to the war. P7 & P9 E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Mumbai Re slumps 23 paise, hits new low The rupee on Tuesday dropped 23 paise to close at 93.76 against the US dollar as a stronger greenback, elevated global crude prices, and FPI outflows weighed on the local currency PRIVATE sector business activities, as measured by HSBC Flash India PMI Composite Output, fell to a three-and-a-half-year low in March amid a drastic drop in demand and a spike in costs due to the ongoing West Asia conflict. The index slipped to 56.5 in March, marking the weakest growth since October 2022. The composite PMI was 58.9 in February . HSBC attributed the poor show to the West Asia conflict, weaker domestic demand, market instability and , inflationary pressures. “Output growth eased across both manufacturing and services as the energy shock unfolds. Softer domestic demand weighed on new orders, which rose at the slowest pace in more than three years, despite a record surge in new export orders. Cost pressures intensified, but companies are absorbing part of the increase by squeezing margins,” said Pranjul Bhandari, chief economist at HSBC India. The slowdown was more pronounced in the manufacturing sector, where output growth eased amid global uncertainties. Factory output expanded at its slowest pace since August 2021. The manufacturing PMI dropped to 53.8 in March from 56.9 in February, a four-and-a-half-year low, while the manufacturing output index fell to 55.1. Services activity also moderated, with the business activity index easing to 57.2 from 58.1, marking the weakest growth since January 2025. On a positive note, data showed that exports remained strong, driven by robust demand from Asia, Europe, the US, and West Asia. `1.03L cr ‘Green Budget’ to boost infra, edu, health A N U P V E R M A A N D V I S M AY B A S U @ New Delhi CHIEF Minister Rekha Gupta presented her government’s second Budget in the Assembly on Tuesday, laying out a roadmap to transform the capital into a modern, inclusive, safe, and environmentally sustainable city The Budget outlay for . 2026-27 has been pegged at `1,03,700 crore, marking an increase of `3,700 crore over the previous year, which is an annual growth of 3.7%. This is the first time Delhi has presented a dedicated “Green Budget”, with 21.445 of the total outlay `22,236 crore earmarked for environmental protection and sustainable development. The Budget signals a shift in spending priorities. Capital expenditure has risen steeply to about `30,800 crore from `17,224 Bomb threat Hours before CM Rekha Gupta’s Budget presentation, the Assembly received a bomb threat on Tuesday morning, police said, adding that nothing suspicious was found after extensive seraches. P4 crore in 2025-26. This nearly 79% increase stands out against the overall slow growth in the total budget, while the fiscal deficit is projected to climb to `16,266 crore from `13,703 crore in the previous year. The revenue surplus also moderates slightly to about `9,091 crore from `9,661 crore earlier, indicating tighter fiscal space even as spending expands. Harish departs days after passive euthanasia order E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi HARISH Rana, the first person in India to be granted permission for passive euthanasia in a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court earlier this month, died on Tuesday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), days after his nutritional support was legally withdrawn. “Harish Rana passed away at 4.10 pm on March 24 at AIIMS, Delhi,” the hospital said. The Supreme Court had permitted passive euthanasia for Harish on March 11. He was moved to the palliative care unit of AIIMS’s Dr B R Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital on March 14. Subsequently, Harish’s nutritional support was gradually withdrawn. A specialised medical team headed by Dr Seema Mishra was constituted to implement the process. The 31-year-old had been in a coma for over 13 years after falling from the fourth floor of a building in 2013. Harish’s family expressed hope that the court’s decision could help others facing similar situations. Delhi’s own tax revenue is budgeted to rise to `74,000 crore from `68,700 crore in 2025-26. GST remains the largest source and increases from `41,000 crore to `43,500 crore. Stamp duty collections may jump from `9,000 crore to `11,000 crore. The Budget shows Central grants falling from about `12,096 crore to roughly `7,000 crore, while borrowings increasing to `16,700 crore. The largest share of the Budget at `19,326 crore (18.64%) has been allocated to education, followed by an expenditure of `13,034 crore (12.57%) on public health. Allocations of `12,613 crore (12.16%) have been earmarked for the transport, roads, and bridges sector, and `11,572 crore (11.16%) for the housing and urban development sector. A provision of Rs 10,537 crore (10.16%) has been made for the social security P3 . 26.63% 18.64% Others `27,618 cr Education `19,326 cr 8.68% Water Supply & Sanitation `9,000 cr ALLOCATIONS BY SECTORS Medical & Public Health `13,034 cr 12.16% 10.16% Transport & Roads `12,613 cr Social Security & Welfare `10,537 cr 11.16% `16,266 cr Fiscal deficit for 2026-27 `13,703 cr Fiscal deficit for 2025-26 12.57% Housing & Urban Development `11,572 cr City to get DITI Aayog, to be modelled on NITI Aayog 1.3 lakh Class IX girl students to get free bicycles Conversion to Christianity ends SC status: Top court U D AYA N K I S H O R E @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Tuesday held that only individuals belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist faiths can be considered members of a Scheduled Caste (SC), and conversion to any other faith will result in the person losing the SC status. “No person who professes a religion other than Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist shall be a member of Scheduled Caste. Conversion to any other religion results in immediate and complete loss of the Scheduled Caste status,” the court said, while THE LONG upholding an order of the Andhra ROAD BACK Pradesh High Court. The Supreme Court A bench of justices P K Mishra said to reclaim the and Manmohan passed the order on Scheduled Caste an appeal filed by Pastor Chinthada (SC) status, a Anand, who alleged that he faced person must prove caste discrimination from one Akkathey were la Ramireddy and others. Anand originally born into filed a complaint against Ramireddy a caste listed as under the SC/ST Act and the police SC, before they lodged an FIR. adopted other Ramireddy then approached the faith, give evidence Andhra Pradesh HC. The HC of reconversion, quashed the FIR on the ground that show they have Anand had lost his SC status upon renounced the conversion to Christianity and, other faith they therefore, cannot claim protection had adopted, and under the SC/ST Act. It had held demonstrate their that Anand holding an SC certificate original caste will not help his case since convercommunity has sion to Christianity, where caste disaccepted their tinctions do not exist, nullifies the reconversion. SC status. The Supreme Court upheld the HC order. “We have no hesitation in holding that the appellant (Anand), having ceased to be a member of the Madiga community upon his conversion to Christianity and , having failed to establish any subsequent reconversion, does not satisfy the mandatory Constitutional requirement for claiming the status of Scheduled Caste,” the bench ruled. IAF LAUNCHES 1ST HELI-DROPPED DRONE PROJECT The IAF has set in motion ‘Vayu Baan’ and issued a Request for Proposal, inviting bids from Indian vendors for the system’s design to strengthen indigenous capabilities in UAV warfare techs | P7 L PG S H O RTAG E Popular halwa goes missing from Tirunelveli election plate EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Tirunelveli THE storied halwa shops of Tirunelveli have started facing the heat of the LPG crisis as fuel shortage has forced some outlets to cut their production. While a few shops have increased the price of the sweet, others have shuttered their doors completely Shop owners, . who have already slashed production by nearly 50%, warn that the crisis is creating a “Covid lockdown-like scenario” for the industry . According to sources from the food safety department, shops in Tirunelveli produce Jobs of 50 workers at Santhi Sweets are at stake, the owner said | EXPRESS around 2,500kg to 3,000kg of halwa daily Some outlets even . sell their stock online. “This volume increases to over 5,000kg during festivals like Pongal, as a lot of locals purchase halwa for their friends and family in Chennai, Bengaluru and other cities,” an official added. Speaking to reporters, Siva Subramanian, owner of the 50year-old Santhi Sweets, said, “We usually produce 1,000 kg of halwa per day At least 70% . of the gas we buy is used for making halwa. We purchase eight to nine commercial LPG cylinders daily only for making halwa. Now, it has come down to three to four. Since the gas agency has told us that it would not be possible for it to continue supplying even these four cylinders, we are planning to close our shop on Wednesday or Thursday. We have already reduced halwa production by nearly half. We do not have the facility to use firewood in our production unit,” he added. He said over 50 workers may lose their jobs. “I paid salaries to my workers during the Covid lockdown in 2020. I will try to do the same this time as well till the situation in Gulf countries improves,” he added. ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS NO CLARITY ON ELIGIBLE VOTERS IN BENGAL I P8 MISSING WOMEN CANDIDATES IN KERALA ELECTIONS I P5