UPROAR OVER RISING FUEL PRICES, AS PARLIAMENT REOPENS FOR SECOND PART OF BUDGET SESSION

The opposition’s persistent protest over rising fuel prices led to adjournment of both Houses of Parliament without transacting any legislative business on Monday. Both Houses met yesterday for the first time in the second part of Budget Session.

Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that that there has been nearly 820 per cent increase in the prices of petrol and around 258 per cent in excise duty after 2014. He said the central government has made a “profit” of Rs 21 lakh crore in the last six years from tax and cess on petroleum products.

The ongoing session could be adjourned on March 26 after several political party leaders urged the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to curtail the session in the wake of state elections commencing from March 27. Nearly 145 MPs have written to the Lok Sabha Speaker at separate times to seek session curtailment so have leaders of Trinamool Congress, DMK, Left parties and Congress. The session is otherwise scheduled to end on April 8.

SC FOR  FRESH LOOK AT 50% QUOTA CAP

Nearly three decades after it capped reservations at 50 per cent in the Mandal Commission case, the Supreme Court on Monday decided to examine whether that historic verdict by a nine-judge Constitution Bench needed to be referred to a larger Bench in view of the changes that have since taken place in law and society.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, which was hearing petitions on a Maharashtra law providing quotas for Marathas in jobs and admissions in the state, issued notice to all states seeking their views.

The Maratha quota law has taken the total reservation in Maharashtra beyond the 50 per cent ceiling imposed by the Supreme Court. Applying the Indra Sawhney judgment, which allows deviation from the 50 per cent rule only in extraordinary situations, a three-judge Bench of the top court had on September 10 disapproved of the law, saying “the State of Maharashtra has not shown any extraordinary situation for providing reservations to Marathas in excess of 50 per cent”.

DON’T PATRONISE US: FINANCE MINISTER’S WOMEN’S DAY MESSAGE

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday delivered a powerful message on the occasion of International Women’s Day saying men must stop patronising women and terms of engagement between genders should not vary just because someone wears a saree and another suits and pants.

Addressing an event chaired by LS Speaker Om Birla to mark the day today, Sitharaman called upon everyone to discourage the use of disparaging anti-women references in various Indian languages.

“It is necessary for us to organise ourselves and stand up for the use of the right language for both formal and informal engagement,” said the FM. As someone who breached a male bastion to lead the Finance Ministry, Sitharaman said the terms of engagement for men and women leaders should not vary. “I don’t want anyone to be more accommodative of me because I am a woman. I am an MP, you are an MP. Let us all be MPs. Similarly talk to me like you would talk to male ministers,” said the minister.

INDIA READY TO APPEAL CAIRN'S $1.2 BILLION ARBITRATION AWARD THIS WEEK

A day after British oil firm Cairn Energy pressed for honouring the over $1.4-billion international award on a tax dispute, finance ministry officials said New Delhi was preparing to appeal at The Hague this week. The Union government has finalised the grounds for appeal against the award and is in the final leg of discussions with the Dutch counsels, according to officials.

Based on the appeal, India will apply for a stay on the enforcement of the award at a lower Dutch court. It will also contest the enforcement in eight other jurisdictions including the US, UK, Canada and France. Getting a stay may take another three to four months after the appeal.

The energy major has been building pressure on India to honour the December 21 arbitration award and has filed a case in the US, the UK, Netherlands, Canada, France, Singapore, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Cayman Islands. While courts in five countries, including the US, Canada and the UK, have given recognition to the arbitration, the oil major has also started the process to register the award in Singapore, Japan, the UAE and Cayman Islands. This will allow the company to petition for seizing of Indian government assets such as aircraft, ships, bank accounts, etc, in those jurisdictions, to recover the award dues.

“We are ready to file an appeal, based on which we will try to get a stay on the enforcement of the award and contest the case in other jurisdictions,” said a government official.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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US BRINGS DELHI TO TALKS TABLE FOR AFGHAN PEACE PLAN

India is finally at the table with five other countries to decide on the roadmap for peace in Afghanistan after six months of hectic behind-the-scenes diplomacy. This mechanism has been suggested by Washington even as Moscow is learnt to have suggested a plan that kept New Delhi out.

New Delhi, for long on the sidelines, reportedly reached out to all key players in Afghanistan and other countries to make its way to the negotiating table.

According to reports, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent a letter last week to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah. In it, he proposed a regional conference under the UN auspices with foreign ministers of US, India, Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran to discuss a “unified approach” on Afghanistan.

The letter presented a four-point strategy to the Afghan government seeking an end to war in Afghanistan. There was also a chilling message in the letter for the Afghan leaders — that the absence of a peace deal may allow the Taliban to make “rapid territorial gains”.

HARRY AND MEGHAN INTERVIEW SPARKS SHOCK, ANGER AND MEMES ON TWITTER

A TV interview of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry has set Twitter alight, with shock and expressions of support, as well as anger from their critics and some tongue-in-cheek commentary on one of the most-watched media events of the year so far.

Markle told Oprah Winfrey in an interview aired Sunday on CBS that she contemplated suicide after joining the British royal family and raised allegations of racism, including official concern about the skin color of their child.

The explosive statements prompted messages of support, as well as barbs against the monarchy.

And while a number of users, including some British media figures, accused the couple of boosting their public image at the expense of the monarchy and of baseless claims, others pointed out that the explosive allegations would be a serious blow to the institution.

Hashtags about the interview were quickly propelled to the top of the Twitter trends list, with many posting memes and quips.

With the interview airing during prime time in America, Twitter users in the United States got to take the first shot in the battle of snarky comments with those in Britain.

"ONCE AGAIN AMERICA WILL DEFEAT THE BRITISH MONARCHY BY SPILLING TEA," tweeted academic Gabrielle Cornish, referring to the 1773 protest in Boston when anti-colonial demonstrators destroyed tea shipments from Britain as calls grew for American independence.

Writer George M. Johnson wrote: "Oprah just woke up one day and was like 'you know what, I'm bored. Lemme take down the British monarchy'."

THE REST

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4 FIREMEN, 2 COPS AMONG 7 DEAD IN KOLKATA RAILWAYS BUILDING FIRE

At least seven people were killed in an inferno in a multi-storeyed New Koilaghat building on Strand Road in Kolkata. The building houses the zonal offices of Eastern and South Eastern Railways on Monday.

Out of them, four were firefighters, one assistant sub-inspector posted at the Hare Street police station and one RPF personnel, Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Basu said. The seventh victim is yet to be identified, he said.

The fire broke out in the 13th floor of the sprawling building at around 6.10 pm Monday.

UTTARAKHAND: DISQUIET WITHIN RULING BJP

Simmering disquiet within the ruling BJP in Uttarakhand has surfaced once again with Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat cancelling his scheduled programmes for Monday and leaving for Delhi to meet top party leaders, triggering speculation of a change in state leadership.

Rawat was reportedly called to meet J P Nadda at his residence in the evening after the BJP president held two rounds of meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Currently, the names in the race to replace Rawat are Ajay Bhatt, Dhan Singh Rawat and Anil Baluni.

The party sources said that Rawat tried to call some of the party’s MLAs to the national capital to meet the central leadership. But he was asked not to organise “any show of strength” and that a meeting of MLAs could be convened in the state capital.

DAY NOT FAR WHEN COUNTRY WILL BE NAMED AFTER MODI, SAYS MAMATA BANERJEE

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “spreading lies and canards” against the TMC government, and said voters, this time, would witness ‘Didi versus BJP’ fight in all 294 constituencies of the poll-bound state.

“They (BJP leaders) will come to Bengal only during elections and spread canards and lies. He is lecturing us on women’s safety. What is the situation of women in BJP-ruled states? What is the situation in Modi’s favourite Gujarat?”

She said Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah should shift focus on BJP-ruled states, including ‘model state’ Gujarat, “where, media reports suggest, four rapes and two killings have been recorded every day over the past two years.”

“The prime minister has named a stadium after him. He has put his photographs on COVID-19 vaccination certificates. A day will come when the country will be named after him,” Banerjee, who led a rally in Kolkata on the occasion of International Women’s Day, stated.

INDIAN MUJAHIDEEN MAN ARIZ KHAN CONVICTED IN BATLA HOUSE ENCOUNTER CASE

A Delhi court on Monday convicted Ariz Khan, an alleged Indian Mujahideen terrorist, in a case related to the 2008 Batla House encounter.

Ariz was arrested in February 2018, a decade after allegedly being on the run after the encounter at L-18 in Batla House.

Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav said Ariz, along with his associates, intentionally murdered encounter specialist and Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma and caused hurt to Head Constables Balwant Singh and Rajbir Singh. “Ariz Khan is held guilty and convicted under the Indian Penal Code and Section 27 of the Arms Act,” the judge said.

The court will hear the arguments on the point of sentencing on March 15.

On September 19 in 2008, the Special Cell of Delhi Police carried out an encounter in Jamia Nagar’s Batla House, in which two suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorists died.

The suspected IM operatives were said to have been involved in the serial bomb blasts that took place in Delhi six days before the encounter.

Encounter specialist and Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, who spearheaded the police action, was killed during the operation.

COMPLETE MISREPORTING OF RAPE HEARING LAST WEEK: CJI

Apparently upset over the controversy over his remarks during the hearing of the anticipatory bail plea of a rape accused last week, Chief Justice of India S A Bobde Monday said there was “complete misreporting” of what he actually said and that the court “has given highest respect to womanhood”.

The remarks come in the wake of recent criticism against the Supreme Court during a March 1 hearing, in which it had purportedly asked a rape accused whether he would marry the girl who had complained against him. Both the accused and the complainant girl in the case were minors when the alleged crime was committed.

Several women’s rights activists, eminent citizens, intellectuals, writers and artistes had penned an open letter to the CJI, demanding an apology and retraction of the remarks.

On Monday, the CJI sought to clarify that his query “will you marry her” to the accused in the March 1 hearing was in the context of that particular case. The petitioner rape accused in that case was accused by the girl of reneging on his promise to marry her. “…we never gave a suggestion that you should marry. We had asked, are you going to marry?” the CJI said.

Advocate V K Biju, appearing in another case, was thanking the Court for being considerate to his client when the CJI recalled last week’s developments.

“Good to hear this. We have heard the opposite in the last two weeks”, the CJI told the counsel.

“You asked a question in a different context. You were quoted out of context”, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta weighed in.

Advocate Biju suggested that there should be some mechanism to deal with such issues but the CJI did not seem to agree and said “our reputation is always at the hands of the Bar”.

SOME CHANGES FOR OCIs UNDER GOVT’S NEW WORK PERMIT RULES

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on 4 March notified new rules for Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), giving legal teeth to the November 2019 guidelines it had issued regarding the benefits enjoyed by OCI cardholders.

While the fresh notification extends some additional benefits to OCIs in terms of admission to professional institutions, it prohibits them from undertaking certain activities without prior permission of the Foreigners Regional Registration Officers (FRRO).

Under the new notification, special permission is required for “missionary, Tablighi, mountaineering or journalistic” activities. The previous three notifications did not specify the requirement for such a permission. Prior permission will also be needed if an OCI cardholder wants to visit any place that falls within the protected or restricted or prohibited areas within India as notified by the Central government of any competent authority.

India does not allow dual citizenship and OCI is the closest it comes to. OCI is akin to a lifelong visa to live and work in India. Unlike visitors on other long-term visas such as work permits and student visas, OCI cardholders do not have to register with the local FRRO.

ON WOMEN’S DAY, BURGER KING GRILLED OVER ITS POST ‘WOMEN BELONG IN THE KITCHEN’

Burger King was on Women’s Day grilled for posting a statement “Women belong in the kitchen”.

Soon, the tweet created a flutter on social media -  Burger King was flayed heavily over its comment, but, the American fast food chain said it was a part of their campaign for gender equality.

In Burger King’s marketing, it was swiftly followed by a far more enlightened caveat: “If they want to, of course.” The burger purveyor went on to note the dearth of female chefs and framed its scholarships as a way to increase the number of women in the profession.

Though some defended the company’s attempt at humor, the fast-food chain got trolled heavily.

BEZOS’ BILLIONAIRE EX-WIFE MARRIES TEACHER

MacKenzie Scott, the billionaire philanthropist and the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has remarried.

The marriage to Dan Jewett, a science teacher at the school attended by her kids, was mentioned in a post on the website for the philanthropic organisation The Giving Pledge, in which Jewett said he would be signing on to Scott’s commitment to give away most of her wealth. Scott, 50, is the world’s 22nd-richest person worth some $53 billion, according to Forbes. Her 2019 divorce from Bezos after 25 years of marriage left her with a 4% stake in Amazon.

The Giving Pledge campaign was set up in 2010 by US tycoon Warren Buffett together with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda to encourage the world’s super-rich to give away most of their wealth.

BAJRANG PUNIA DEFENDS TITLE WITH LATE MOVE; REGAINS NO. 1 RANK

Olympics-bound Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia pulled off a two-pointer in the last 30 seconds of the gold medal bout to defend his title at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event. The result also propelled Bajrang back to world No. 1.

Up against Mongolia’s Tulga Tumur Ochir, Bajrang was trailing 0-2 till the final moments of the 65kg final but managed to level the scores, 30 seconds from the final whistle. Since the last scoring point came from the Indian, he was declared the winner on Sunday night.

INDIA-NZ WTC FINAL IN SOUTHAMPTON: GANGULY

India will play their inaugural World Test Championship final against New Zealand at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl Stadium on June 18-22, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly confirmed yesterday. Initially, the final was supposed to be held at the Lord’s in London, but Southampton, with a five-star facility inside the stadium, will make it easier for both the ICC and the England and Wales Cricket Board to create a bio-bubble for the two teams. Southampton, with its slowish track, puts India on an even keel with New Zealand as spinners will come into the game at the venue.

THIRD MAN TO THE FORE

The third man among the Big Three of men’s tennis, Novak Djokovic today set a new landmark of 311 weeks as world No. 1, surpassing Roger Federer. Now Djokovic has his eye on getting past his great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who both have 20 Grand Slam titles.

The 33-year-old Djokovic, winner of 18 Majors, has time on his side, with Federer turning 40 in August and Nadal turning 35 in June.

“Now that I’ve become the historic No. 1, I’m relieved,” said Djokovic after sweeping to a ninth Australian Open last month, which ensured that he would break Federer’s record. “Now, I’m going to be able to focus mainly on the Grand Slams,” he added.

INDICATORS

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Nasdaq 12,609 (-311) Dow 31,802 (+306), S&P 3,821 (-21)

US$-Rs. 73.22 GBP-Rs. 101.25, Euro-Rs. 86.97, UAE Dhm-Rs.19.93, Can$-Rs. 57.81, Aus$- Rs. 56.17

GBP 0.72 /US$, Euro 0.84 /US$, Jap.Yen 108.63 /US$, Aus$ 1.30 /US$, Sing 1.34 /US$, Bang Taka 83.31 /US$, Can$ 1.26 /US$, Mal Ring 4.09 /US$,

Pak Re 156.57 /US$, Phil Peso 48.62 /US$, Russian Rouble 74.37 /US$, NZ$ 1.40 /US$, Thai Baht 30.70 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 27.62 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 53,520

Dollar Index 92.39 Brent Crude 68.53  BDI 1,829

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,688 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,468 / 4,368, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 66,500

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer. - Albert Einstein

OFF TRACK

A lady is being examined by a doctor and within a few minutes, screeching could be heard from the room, and then she burst out as if running for her life.

After much effort a nurse finally managed to calm her down enough to get her story.

The nurse barged into the office of the Doctor and screamed, “Shame on you Doc, Mrs. Smith is 82 years old, and you told her she’s pregnant.”

The Doctor continued writing calmly and barely looking up said, “Does she still have the hiccups?”