The Ideas Page: When the state pays for babies — some lessons from Sikkim 7 TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2026 JOURNALISM of COURAGE AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES ₹5.00 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 MINISTRY SETS UP PANEL TO REvIEw INDUSTRY DEMANDS; SENSEx DOwN 1.7%, RUPEE LOSES 58 PAISE TO US DOLLAR Oil tops $100 a barrel, gas shortage fear grips restaurants, tiles industry Irannames Khameneison asSupreme Leader,China backsdecision Govt prioritises cooking gas supply for households, sets 25-day inter-booking period; no hike in fuel prices: Officials Sukalp Sharma business as Usual New Delhi, March 9 WITHINTERNATIONALcrude oil prices surging to over $100 barrel due to the ongoing conflictinWestAsia,gasshortageis slowlyhittingcommercialusers ofcookinggasorLPG,especially restaurants, in big cities like Mumbai,Chennai,Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, and industrial users of LNG and propane-LPG suchastileandceramicmakers in Morbi, Gujarat. Refiners and fuel retailers havebeenaskedbythegovernment to prioritise domestic LPG supply to households over commercial users, which has led to some tightness in certain pockets. Further, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry said supplies from imported LPG are being prioritised to essentialsectorssuchashospitals and educational institutions. The government has also raised the minimum waiting period for booking a LPG cylinder to 25 days from 21 days to avoid hoarding and black marketing. Further, to review the representations for LPG supply to restaurants, hotels and other industries, it has set up a committee of three executive directorsofoilmarketingcompanies. Despite crude oil topping $100 a barrel, the highest in three-and-a-half years, the officials said there were no plans happening today lTHE SUPREME COURT will take up a fresh plea filed by some persons whose names have been deleted from the electoral rolls by the Election Commission during the SIR in West Bengal. lTHE CBSE wILL REvIEw the situation in West Asia for conducting the Class 12 board exams. The Board has postponed the exams in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE amid the Iran conflict. By EP UNNY LATEST l AS WAR RAGES, TOLL SO FAR: 1,230 DEAD IN IRAN, 397 IN LEBANON, 11 IN ISRAEL l TURKEY SUMMONS IRAN ENVOY AS SECOND MISSILE ENTERS ITS AIRSPACE l PAKISTAN TO CLOSE SCHOOLS TO CUT ENERGY MOREREPORTS,PAGES11,12,13,14 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks in Rajya Sabha on Monday. ANI Jaishankar: India wants dialogue, diaspora safety, energy security Tells Rajya Sabha that India agreed to request for 3 Iranian ships to dock Anonna Dutt & Shubhajit Roy New Delhi, March 9 toincreaseretailpricesofpetrol and diesel for the time being. This is in line with the government’s policy to keep pump prices stable notwithstanding the volatility in international energy markets, they said. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 STATING THAT the unfolding conflict in West Asia has led to “numerous casualties, including at the leadership level in Iran”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday outlined in the Rajya Sabha three TRACK THESE AND MORE ON www.INDIANExPrEss.cOm GujArAT Mahender Singh Manral New Delhi, March 9 TMC learnt to have taken initiative, backed motion against Birla in return CEC Gyanesh Kumar with ECs Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi during a meeting in Kolkata, Monday. ANI REPORTS, PAGE 9 Manoj C G pAGE 3 RS 1 cR TAX dUE, bUS dEpoT offIcE SEALEd IN VAdodARA broad messages of the Government: it favours a return to dialogue, views the security of the Indian diaspora as a priority, and considers energy security paramount. Inasuomotustatement“on thesituationinWestAsia”,amid protestsandslogan-shoutingby the Opposition which demanded a “full-fledged” dis- cussionontheissue,Jaishankar also said that nearly 67,000 Indian nationals have returned from the region since the war began on February 28. Referring to the sinking of an Iranian ship off the coast of Sri Lanka, he said Iran had requested permission on February 28 for “three ships” in the region to dock at Indian ports. The request was granted on March 1, he said. “We believe that this was the right thing to do and the Iranian Foreign »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Parisa Hafezi & Maayan Lubell Dubai, Jerusalem, March 9 IRANNAMEDMojtabaKhameneitosucceedhisslainfatheras supremeleaderonMonday,signalling that hardliners remain firmly in charge and appearing to close off any path to a swift end to war in the Middle East. The prospect that the disruption to global energy supplies — already one of the most severe in history — could last longer than previously expectedsentoilpricessurgingin record leaps and global stock markets into a nosedive. Khamenei, 56, a Shi’ite cleric with a power base among »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Brendan Dabhi Ahmedabad, March 9 ASTHEIranconflictenteredits 10th day on Monday, a fuel shortage caused by the shutting down of the Strait of Hormuz led to nearly a quarter of the tile industry units halting production. Therehasbeena50percent curtailment in the supply of natural gas to the ceramics industryinGujarat’sMorbi—the epicentre of the sector in India — due to fuel shortages caused by the blockade of the Strait of HormuzenforcedbyIranamid the ongoing war with the United States and Israel. This comes in light of the already diminished propane supplies that are said to have A ceramic unit in Gujarat’s Morbi, a region that accounts for nearly 90 per cent of India’s ceramic manufacturing business. EXPRESS caused a shutdown of a number of ceramic units dependent on the fuel, which mainly comes from Qatar and other Gulf nations. The Indian Express first reported on the looming crisis on March 3. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MHA: Statutory bodies cannot seek Look Out Circulars directly Opposition lines up motion seeking CEC impeachment lIN THE AFC wOMEN’S Asian Cup, the Indian football team will take on Chinese Taipei and look to register their first win of the tournament in Australia. Match starts at 2:30 pm IST. Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has been declared unacceptable by President Trump. REUTERS As Iran conflict enters 10th day, a fourth of ceramic units in Morbi shut amid fuel shortage New Delhi, March 9 A DAY before the Lok Sabha is likely to take up an Oppositionsponsored resolution seeking SpeakerOmBirla’sremoval,the united Opposition on Monday moved to open yet another political front against the governmentinParliamentbydeciding to submit a notice on impeaching Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The Opposition has been contemplating the move for thepastfewmonths,itislearnt. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 INAsignificantmodificationto its guidelines for Look Out Circulars (LOCs), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has specified that statutory bodies with nocriminaljurisdictioncannot issue direct requests to the Bureau of Immigration to prevent any Indian or foreigner from leaving the country, The Indian Express has learnt. The MHA has underlined that all suchrequestshavetoberouted through a law enforcement agency. “Whenever such an order/ request is received, the BoI (Bureau of Immigration) shall immediately return the order/ request to such bodies, informing that such bodies are not authorised to open the LOC and that they may forward theorder/ request to the law enforcementagencyconcerned... who are authorised to the open the LOC,” the MHA said in a communication sent to all law enforcement agencies last month. It listed the National CommissionforWomen(NCW),National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) “or any other tribunal having no criminal jurisdiction” among such statutory bodies. The earlier guidelines did not bar these bodies from making such requests to the BoI. They, however, specified that “such requests along with full necessaryfactsshallbebrought to the notice of law enforcement agencies like the police”. “The superintendent of police concerned will then make the request for issuance of an LOC uponanassessmentofthesituation, and strictly in terms of the procedure outlined for the purpose. The immigration/ emigration authorities will strictly go by the communication received from the officers authorised to open LOCs,” they said. Nearly a year after tender, Rs 1,600-crore gravitational wave observatory in limbo E. Tender floated in April 2025, yet to be awarded Soham Shah Pune, March 9 THE CONSTRUCTION of a major gravitational wave observatory in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, one of the country's biggest science pro- jects,remainsinlimbowiththe ever, maintained that the proRs 1,600-crore work tender ject would be completed as floated in April last year yet to scheduled within the next four be awarded, acyears. “In the prescording to records ent scenario, the YOur rIGhT accessed by The project is set to be Indian Express completed by its under the RTI Act. original deadline AN EXPRESS RTI Responding to of 2030,” it said. APPLICATION an RTI query by The showpiece this newspaper, Laser InterferomtheDirectorateofConstruction eter Gravitational Wave ObServices and Estate Manage- servatory (LIGO) is designed to ment of the Department of work in sync with two similar Atomic Energy (DAE), how»CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 to know The MHA has also updated the LOC proforma to include three standardised options — “detainandinformoriginator”, “preventdepartureandinform originator”, and “see remarks for action”. “Intelligence agencies such as the IB, R&AW, CBI, NIA, and State ATS units may use the ‘see remarks’ category only for counter-terrorism purposes,” it said. Under the revised guidelines, in case of a court order »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NATION pAGE 11 ExPlAINED Why LIGo matters The ability to detect gravitational waves gives scientists a new vision to track cosmic events that light or other electromagnetic waves are not able to capture. The LIGO is designed to work in sync with two similar facilities in the United States. HISToRIAN KNpANIKKAR dIESAT90 AcAdEMIcSTRESS TRIGGERIN3of5 SUIcIdESoNbITS’ GoAcAMpUS l COMPENSATION ANNOUNCED ON FEBRUARY 12, THREE YEARS AFTER SHE WAS RUN OVER BY A POLICE VEHICLE IN SEATTLE A death in the US, Rs 260-crore settlement, and family plunged into limelight Nikhila Henry The compensation was announced on February 12 this year. MEGHANA KANDULA is all of In January 2023, Jaahnavi 24, but her life is stuck in limbo, Kandula — then a 23-year-old she says. Memories of her sister student who was pursuing a Jaahnavi Kandula haunt her. master’s degree in information But what she cannot really en- systems at the Seattle campus dure are the prying glances and of Northeastern University — questions from neighbours, was fatally struck down, while relatives and friends who con- crossing a street, by a speeding sider her the heir to policevehicledriven PAGE 1 a fortune — $29 milby officer Kevin lion or Rs 260 crore Dave, who was reto be precise — sponding to a drug which Seattle City awarded the overdose call. Kandulas for compensating Davewasdrivingat74miles the wrongful death of Jaahnavi per hour on Dexter Avenue, three years ago. which was a 25 miles-per-hour Adoni, Kurnool, March 9 anchor zone. On the night of the accident, officer Daniel Auderer, whowascalledintoadminister a drug recognition test to Dave, wasallegedlycapturedonbody camera joking about Kandula’s death. He allegedly told Seattle Police Officers Guild president Mike Solan that Kandula’s life was “of limited value”, that she was “an ordinary person”, and that the city should “just write a cheque”. The Seattle police department fired both Dave and Auderer. “It was the first time that I heard of racism – when my sister was killed. Would they have laughed about an Ameri- Jaahnavi Kandula was pursuing a Master’s in Information Systems at the Seattle campus of Northeastern University. NIKHILA HENRY can being killed in a road accident?”Meghanasaid,sittingon a beige sofa in her modest maternal home in Adoni in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district.Theentrancetothishome has a sign which says “Jaahnavi’s Smriti Aavas”. A GoFundMe campaign run by Jaahnavi’s friends and wellwishers paid for this house, where Meghana, their mother, G Vijayalakshmi, and her grandparents, G Suri Babu and G Uma Devi, now live. Insidetheone-storeyhome, their mother’s cries were audible. Meghana said, “My mother is an independent woman, and Jaahnavi and I learnt a lot from her.” It was the mother who brought up the two girls after being separated from her husband, Srikanth Kandula.Srikanth,whousedto be a railway police constable, died of a cardiac arrest just two days before the Seattle settlement was announced. “He was estranged, but he was still family,” Meghana said. In seeking justice for Jaahnavi, they were together. They sued the Seattle Police Department and the city of Seattle together. But the money will be transferred to just the mother,nowthatthefatherhas passed away. Meghana’s maternal uncle, Gundapuneedi Naveen Chowdari, said, “The money will not bring her back, but it has fixed accountability.” Chowdari kept tabs on all that transpired in the US after Jaahnavi’s death through friends and relatives. Jaahnavi left for the US on a student exchange programme in 2021 after the family took a Rs 60 lakh education loan. Her closest friends and family said they are now struggling to keep their lives private. “Rumours are flying that we havealreadygotthemoneyand »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad