WON'T END CAMPAIGN UNTIL UKRAINE STOPS FIGHTING: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered an ominous warning Sunday, telling Ukraine the 'military operation' that has killed hundreds (potentially thousands) already would only stop if Kyiv laid down arms and met all of the Kremlin's demands. Putin's thinly-veiled threat was part of a telephone call with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, to whom he said Ukraine would be better advised to adopt a 'constructive' approach to the third round of peace talks.

Putin, whose comments were published in a Kremlin readout of the call, said his 'special operation' in Ukraine - denounced today by Pope Francis as a 'war' that had led 'rivers of tears and blood' - was going according to plan and to schedule.

"It was underlined the suspension of the special operation is only possible if Kyiv stops… and carries out well-known Russian demands," the Kremlin said.

OPERATION GANGA PROOF OF OUR GROWING INFLUENCE IN WORLD: PM MODI

The fact that India succeeded in evacuating its nationals amid the war in Ukraine is proof of the country’s growing influence in the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

“You have seen how, under Operation Ganga, India is bringing its citizens safely out of the war zone. Many big countries are facing difficulties in doing so. But it is due to India’s increasing influence that we have brought thousands of students back to their motherland,” Modi said at the commemoration ceremony of the Golden Jubilee of Symbiosis University.

More than 15,900 Indians have been brought back since the special evacuation flights began on February 22, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in an official release on Sunday. Eleven special civilian flights had brought back 2,135 Indians on Sunday, the release said.

Modi, who also inaugurated the Symbiosis Aarogya Dham, a project for the integrated development of various institutions to provide healthcare services as well as academic programmes, at the university’s campus in Lavale, told students that their generation was fortunate that it did not have to burdened by the “defensive and dependent psychology” of “earlier times”.

But if there has been this change in the country, the credit goes to the youth of India,” he said. “Start-up India, Stand-up India, Make in India, and Aatmanirbhar Bharat represent your aspirations. India is innovating, improving, and also influencing the whole world,” he said.

EVACUATING STUDENTS FROM SUMY REMAINS A CHALLENGE

Sumy, lying about 350 km east of Kyiv and 180 km northwest of Kharkiv, is now at the centre of India’s evacuation efforts from the war zone. About 700 Indians, mostly students of medical colleges at Sumy State University, are stranded in this city in Ukraine’s northeast.

There has been no respite from shelling in the city. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russian forces were trying to block and keep encircled Sumy, along with Kharkiv and several other cities, the Associated Press reported.

Several hundred Indian students — all in their late teens and early 20s — are trapped in their underground shelters, waiting to be rescued.

Sumy is right in the middle of a conflict zone, with no break in the fighting. It’s been 11 days since the war began. It is very cold, snowy, and windy. (At 6 pm local time on Sunday, the temperature was minus 1 degree Celsius.) It is a difficult situation for those who are stranded without proper heating and water.

The border with Russia is about 60 km away, not easy to cover on foot in this weather even under normal circumstances. Right now, bombs and shells are falling in the region, and combatants are firing at each other.

“The main challenge remains the ongoing shelling there, violence, and the lack of transportation options. I think even more than transportation, it is about having a secure and safe way to get them (Indian students) out while they are not under threat,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

The Indian government is in touch with both the Russians and Ukrainians, seeking a halt to hostilities so that these Indians can be evacuated.

There was a glimmer of hope after Russia and Ukraine announced a ceasefire on Saturday — they called it a “regime of silence” — and humanitarian corridors for civilians to leave the southern cities of Mariupol (on the Sea of Azov) and Volnovakha to its north in Donetsk oblast.

But that ceasefire was not observed on the ground.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / March 7

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Sunday 4,362

Active Cases 54,118 (-5,324)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,15,102 (51)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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WESTERN LEADERS RELUCTANT TO IMPOSE A NO-FLY ZONE OVER UKRAINE

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and others have called for NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine to counter the threat from Russian military aircraft. For now, NATO leaders have said they aren’t willing, fearful such a move could drag them into a broader war with Russia.

No-fly zones can allow countries to take action without committing large numbers of ground troops, relying instead on a comparatively small number of aircraft and supporting infrastructure. But enforcing such restrictions can also involve a significant use of force, including destroying anti-air defenses or shooting down aircraft.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia has warned that any nation that tried to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine would in effect be “participating in the armed conflict,” raising the threat of Russian retaliation. NATO’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, said Friday that its members had rejected a no-fly zone out of fears it could lead to “a full-fledged war in Europe.”

Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s leader, has said that NATO’s refusal to take such a step has given Russia a “green light” to continue the war.

HAVE SEEN ‘VERY CREDIBLE’ REPORTS THAT RUSSIA COMMITTED WAR CRIMES: BLINKEN

Washington has seen “very credible reports” that Russia has committed war crimes during its invasion of Ukraine, particularly in attacking civilians, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Sunday. He added that Washington was documenting these reports to support appropriate organisations in their potential war crimes investigation. He also hailed the resilience of the Ukrainian people and said President Putin was “destined to lose” the war that has already claimed hundreds of lives, including civilians. “We’ve seen very credible reports of deliberate attacks on civilians, which would constitute a war crime,” Blinken said.

Blinken was speaking from Moldova, where he was expected to provide reassurances for the small country, and where he earlier said the US was “working actively” with Poland on a deal that would supply Ukraine with fighter jets to battle Moscow’s invading forces. Russia has come under intense criticism for its assault on Ukrainian cities and Western governments say have included attacks on schools, hospitals and residential blocks.

OVER 4,000 DETAINED AT ANTI-WAR RALLIES IN RUSSIA

Despite the threat of years long prison terms, thousands of Russians joined anti-war rallies across the country on Sunday in a striking show of the pent-up anger in Russian society about President Vladimir Putin. Police detained over 4,300 people on Sunday at Russia-wide protests against invasion of Ukraine, according to a protest monitoring group. Russia’s interior ministry said earlier police had detained around 3,500 people, including 1,700 in Moscow, 750 in St Petersburg and 1,061 in other cities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed directly to Russians on Sunday to take to the streets in protest against the Kremlin’s invasion of his country or risk their own poverty and repression. “Citizens of Russia! For you, this is a struggle not only for peace in Ukraine! This is a fight for your country,” Zelensky said in a televised address, switching from Ukrainian to Russian. “If you keep silent now, only your poverty will speak for you later. And only repression will answer,” he said. Like the Ukrainian people, Russians now face achoice “between life and slavery”, Zelensky said.

MUSK TO SEND MORE STARLINK TERMINALS TO UKRAINE: ZELENSKYY

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Elon Musk promised the country another batch of Starlink satellite terminals to help keep internet communication working as the country fights Russia’s invasion. In a Twitter post on Saturday, Zelenskyy said he spoke with Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and another delivery of Starlink systems will arrive next week “for destroyed cities.” “I’m grateful to him for supporting Ukraine with words and deeds,” he added.

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NELSON MANDELA FOUNDATION REDFLAGS RACISM AGAINST STUDENTS STRANDED IN UKRAINE

Students from India and several other nations have experienced “disturbing” racism while attempting to flee war-hit Ukraine, the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) has said.

Referring to the many videos in which coloured students from the Indian subcontinent and Africa were pushed away from trains and buses in Kyiv and Kharkiv, the NMF said this once again illustrated a common global phenomenon in which the “sufferings of white people in conflict situations habitually receive more attention and care”.

GRENADE ATTACK IN HEART OF SRINAGAR KILLS ONE, INJURES 24

A civilian was killed and 24 people including a police official were injured Sunday in a grenade attack in the heart of Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar city.

The attack took place at around 4.20 pm in the busy Amira Kadal area that also sees a popular Sunday street market.

“As of now, one person has succumbed to injuries. One of our personnel is also injured; however, the majority of those injured are civilians,” said Central Kashmir DIG Sujit Kumar.

He added that no outfit had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Kashmir IGP Vijay Kumar said: “Police is working for identification and arrest of involved terror criminal and would smash this grenade-throwing module too at the earliest. Police got some vital clues and investigation is rigorously going on in the right direction.”

EX-NSE HEAD CHITRA RAMAKRISHNA ARRESTED IN 'HIMALAYAN YOGI' SCANDAL

Former NSE Chief Executive Chitra Ramkrishna, accused of grave lapses at India's largest stock market including sharing confidential information with an individual she dubbed a "Himalayan yogi", has been arrested by the CBI.

The arrest came just a day after a Delhi Court dismissed her request for a pre-arrest bail plea and pulled up the CBI for inaction and being "lackadaisical" in the probe against her over the last four years.

Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal also observed that market regulator SEBI has been "too kind" to the accused, that she faced serious charges and her sustained custodial interrogation would be required to dig out the truth.

Last month, the mysterious "Himalayan yogi" who allegedly influenced Ms Ramkrishna's decisions was outed as Anand Subramanian, also a former officer at the stock exchange arrested in a market manipulation case.

His controversial appointment was one of the decisions that Chitra Ramkrishna took under the so-called yogi's influence, SEBI had said in a report.

BSF TROOPER OPENS FIRE ON COLLEAGUES; FIVE KILLED

Five BSF personnel were killed on Sunday at a battalion headquarters near the Pakistan border in Punjab’s Amritsar after one of them allegedly opened fire at his colleagues with his service weapon before succumbing to bullet injuries himself.

The BSF described the incident at the 144 Battalion HQ in Khasa as a case of fratricide and ordered a court of inquiry while the local police registered a case. BSF IG (Punjab) Asif Jalal said the incident is being investigated. “We have called the police, which will also investigate,” he said.

BSF sources said Constable Satteppa S K opened fire around 9.45 am, killing four of hios colleagues.

Satteppa also fired at the vehicle of the officiating commandant of 144 Battalion, Satish Mishra, who escaped unhurt.

INDIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS ABROAD JOIN FORCES TO HELP PEERS STRANDED IN WAR-TORN UKRAINE

Need a cab for four people in Kyiv. Do we know someone in Poland who can drop food packets at the border? A group is starting from Kharkiv, any updates on trains?

Thousands of such messages keep pouring in WhatsApp, Telegram, and social media groups created by Indian medical students abroad who have volunteered to help their peers stranded in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

The volunteering students are studying in China, Uzbekistan, and the Philippines. While many of them are helping from their university campuses, the others are those who had returned to India in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and are attending online classes.

As soon as the news of Indian students being stranded in war-hit Ukraine spread, these volunteers sprung into action. "We were connected with some of the medical students in different countries since we went to coaching institutions together before leaving India. We also had multiple groups on Whatsapp and Telegram to exchange updates, notes, and other information on Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), which we are supposed to write to practice in India," says a student of China's Harbin Medical University.

DAINIK BHASKAR SAYS NO MORE REFERENCE TO WOMAN’S SKIN TONE IN ITS MATRIMONIAL ADS

One of India’s most circulated Hindi-language newspapers, Dainik Bhaskar, has said that it will no longer publish matrimonial advertisements that mention details of a woman’s skin tone or colour complexion.

“Bhaskar group has decided that the newspaper will refrain from publishing descriptions containing words like ‘white’, ‘wheatish’, or ‘fair’ in matrimonial advertisements. We need to stand against such colourism to be a progressive society,” Dainik Bhaskar’s Managing Director Sudhir Agarwal released a statement on Twitter.

“Every daughter has a unique personality and ability which go beyond her complexion. The social initiative by Bhaskar is being done with the intention to create this awareness,” the tweet, in Hindi, mentioned.

The tweet, that has now gone viral, has met with warm responses from Twitterati. Many Twitter users welcomed Dainik Bhaskar’s announcement to ban such words in its advertisements.

IPO MARKET GRINDS TO A HALT

The IPO market has come to a grinding halt due to sharp correction in the broader markets and uncertain outlook created by the Russia-Ukraine offensive. So far this year, only three companies have managed to launch their maiden share sales. In comparison, close to 10 companies were able to come out with their IPOs during the same period last year.

Investment bankers say it will be challenging to launch a single deal in March as large institutional investors have turned extremely risk-averse and don’t wish to commit any capital. This has quashed the plans of dozens of companies waiting in the wings to go public.

of that happening now look slim.

Before market conditions took a turn for the worse, companies were waiting for the mega LIC IPO to go through before launching their deals. The Rs 65,000-crore IPO of the insurance behemoth was initially planned in the second week of March. However, the ongoing market condition has put a question mark on LIC’s IPO as well.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: BIG TECH'S ROLE POSES STRATEGIC QUESTIONS FOR COUNTRIES

As the Russia-Ukraine war rages, geopolitical and technology experts are raising questions about a seemingly lopsided narrative on internet platforms like Twitter, Meta (formerly Facebook) and Google.

“In the US, Big Tech blocked free and open discussion on issues from the political to the scientific,” tweeted Brahma Chellaney, a strategic affairs analyst. “Now, to enforce a single narrative on Russia’s invasion, its censorship has gone global. Big Tech has aligned itself fully with the White House on this war.”

If Big Tech is pushing a single, pro-US narrative, Moscow, too, has hit back in equal measure — and not just through its misinformation campaigns. Russia’s communications regulator on Friday said that it had blocked Meta’s Facebook in response to what it said were restrictions on access to Russian media on its platform.

The apparent strength of one set of views over another is just one part of the problem. The bigger worry is that the likes of Google, Apple, Amazon and others have a disproportionately large grip on matters like e-commerce, navigation and digital payments, say experts.

Vishnu Prakash, a veteran diplomat and formerly India’s High Commissioner to Canada, reckons that conflicts of the future will be entirely non-contact, and will be waged on technological terrain. India needs to prepare itself for such an eventuality, he says.

Vivek Wadhwa, a Harvard scholar and technology entrepreneur, believes that countries have to move fast to protect their strategic interest in a conflict where the major tech companies might be at the opposite end. “I have been warning for the longest time that these platforms cannot be trusted. It is just a matter of time when they will flick the switch. For example, almost all communication in India will come to a grinding halt if WhatsApp shuts down tomorrow in the country,” he cautions.

INDIA WIN MOHALI TEST, IN 3 DAYS

Ravindra Jadeja stood tall with his all-round brilliance, complementing his unbeaten 175 in the first inning with nine wickets (5 in first innings, 4 in second), as India trounced Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs on Day 3 of the first Test, in Mohali, on Sunday.

Bowled out for 174 in the first innings, Sri Lanka, who lost 16 wickets on the day, were asked to follow on, and were dismissed for 178 in their second essay.

India lead the two-match series 1-0, and will like to gain full 24 points from the rubber by winning the Pink Ball Test in Bengaluru, starting March 12.

Jadeja (175 not out, 5/41 and 4/46) made the match his own while Ravichandran Ashwin (4/47 in 21 overs) also had a satisfying run, replacing Kapil Dev (434 in 131 Tests) as India's second-highest wicket-taker with 436 victims. He is now only behind Anil Kumble's 619 scalps.

One of the contemporary greats, Ashwin achieved the feat in his 85th Test match compared to Kapil's 131 games.

It was after 60 years that an Indian scored over 150 runs and took five wickets in an innings. Vinoo Mankad, in 1952 against England at Lord's, and Polly Umrigar, in 1962 versus the West Indies at Delhi, are the other performers of this rare feat.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots. - Victor Hugo

OFF TRACK

An insurance salesman was getting nowhere in his efforts to sell a policy to a farmer. "Look at it this way." he said finally. "How would your wife carry on if you should die?"

"Well . . . " drawled the weather-beaten man, "I don't reckon that'd be any concern of mine -- long as she behaves herself while I'm alive."