The Ideas Page: Long delays, burdened courts — we need a national mission for negotiated justice 13 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2026 Journalism of Courage NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 22 PAGES ₹7.00 (₹8 RAIPuR, ₹15 SRINAGAR) l www.indianexpress.com DA I LY F R O M : A H M E DA B A D , C H A N D I GA R H , D E L H I , J A I P u R , KO L K ATA , L u C K N O W , M u M B A I , N AG P u R , PAT N A , P u N E , VA D O DA R A Harish Rana, first in country to get passive euthanasia nod, dies Vidheesha Kuntamalla & Ankita Upadhyay New Delhi, March 24 HARISH RANA, the first person in India to be granted permission for passive euthanasia by the Supreme Court, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi Tuesday. “Mr Harish Rana passed away at 4.10 pm on 24th March 2026 at AIIMS, New Delhi. He was under the care of a dedicated team of doctors and was admitted to the Palliative Oncology Unit (IRCH) led by Dr (Prof ) Seema Mishra, HoD, THE BIG PIcTURE Harish Rana had been in coma since 2013. He was 31. EXPRESS Onco-Anaesthesia. AIIMS extends its heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time,” the media cell of AIIMS said in an official statement. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PAgE 15 Kochi Biennale head resigned after sexual harassment allegation New Delhi, March 24 THE RESIGNATION of artist Bose Krishnamachari from the posts of president of KochiMuziris Biennale (KMB) and member of the Board of Trustees of Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) in January followed a complaint of sexual harassment against him, The Trump dials Modi, both say keeping Hormuz open vital UStodeploy eliteairborne troops,PakPM saysreadyto hostIrantalks India supports de-escalation, restoration of peace at the earliest: PM SIvA’S ANgSt Vandana Kalra INTERESTS, OBJECTIVES CONVERGE ON MOST fUNDAMENTAL ISSUES: COLBY Indian Express has learnt. Krishnamachari is the cofounderofKMBandco-curator of its first edition in 2012. One of the country's most prestigious art events, the Biennale's sixth edition opened on December 12 last year and is on until March 31. When contacted by this newspaper, Venu Vasudevan, »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Shubhajit Roy Ariba Shahid, Rami Ayyub & Alexander Cornwell New Delhi, March 24 A DAY after he paused for five days his threat of striking Iran’s energy sites and announced initiation of talks behind the scenes with Tehran, US President Donald Trump called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday and discussed the situation in West Asia “including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open”. This was their first phone conversation since the start of the war on February 28 when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Modi, in a post on X, said, “Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchangeofviewsonthesituation inWestAsia.Indiasupportsdeescalation 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 touchregardingeffortstowards »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 morE rEPortS, P 9, 16, 18 Islamabad, Jerusalem, March 24 An Indian Navy warship escorts two Indian-flagged LPG vessels, Jag Vasant and Pine Gas, which transited through the Strait of Hormuz. PTI War hits rice bowl: MP’s basmati exports to West Asia are stalled Anand Mohan J Bhopal, March 24 WHEN THERE was no war, the rice mills of Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district would hum through the night in March. The Pusa basmati, longgrained, fragrant, destined for thedinnertablesofTehranand Riyadh, would tumble through milling machines in the industrialclustersofMandideep,Satlapur and Obedullaganj, getting sorted into cream and Business as Usual By EP UNNY »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PAKISTAN’S PRIME Minister said Tuesday he was willing to host talks between the US and Iran on ending the war in the Gulf, a day after President DonaldTrumppostponedthreatsto bomb Iranian power plants, sayingtherehadbeen“productive” talks. However, the US was expected to deploy thousands of troops from the elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with themattertoldReutersTuesday, adding to the massive military buildup in the region and fuellingfearsofaprolongedconflict. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Happening today lThe Government has called an all-party meet on the West Asia crisis. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to chair it. In Assam’s tea belts, BJP sits pretty amid outreach to workers DECISION 2026 ASSAM Sukrita Baruah Dibrugarh, March 24 KUTHARTI BHUMIJ keeps his “digitallandpatta”,alargecardboard certificate, in a cupboard inhisbrother’shouse.Thepatta was recently handed over to Bhumij, a worker at Dinjoy Tea Estate in Dibrugarh, by Prime MinisterNarendraModi,which has virtually turned him into a celebrity in the labour lines — residential quarters of tea garden workers adjoining the Workers at Sealkotee Tea Estate in Dibrugarh. SuKRITA BARuAH plantations — where he lives. Healsoseemstohavebecomea symbol of hope and aspirations formanyteaworkersinthearea. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 morE rEPortS, P 8 TUNE YOUR EQUITY-DEBT MIX TO MARKET CONDITIONS BALANCED ADVANTAGE FUNDS Zindagi ke liye SIP Benefits of Balanced Advantage Funds Investment across equity and debt instruments Dynamic Asset Allocation based on market conditions Aims to manage volatility over time An Investor Education and Awareness Initiative SCAN TO LEARN MORE SIP - Systematic Investment Plan | Visit https://www.hdfcfund.com/information/key-know-how to know more about the process to complete a one-time Know Your Customer (KYC) requirement to invest in Mutual Funds. Investors should only deal with registered Mutual Funds, details of which can be verified on the SEBI website (www.sebi.gov.in/intermediaries.html). For any queries, complaints & grievance redressal, investors may reach out to the AMCs and / or Investor Relations Officers. 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