INDIA NOW ABSTAINS FROM VOTING ON RUSSIAN RESOLUTION IN UN, SKIPS STATEMENT

India maintained its neutral stance on the Rusia-Ukraine situation by abstaining from a resolution brought by Russia on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The resolution was not adopted by the United Nations Security Council as it got 2 yes votes from Russia and China. India along with 12 other UNSC members skipped voting on the resolution that demanded: "civilians, including humanitarian personnel and persons in vulnerable situations, including women and children are fully protected, calls for negotiated ceasefire for enabling safe, rapid, voluntary and unhindered evacuation of civilians, and underscores the need for the parties concerned to agree on humanitarian pauses to this end.”

No countries voted against the resolution which, however, had no reference to the invasion.

Other security council members made statements after the vote on the resolution which India skipped.

‘WHY DID NEHRU…': NIRMALA SITHARAMAN QUESTIONS AS SHE RAKES UP KASHMIR ISSUE

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday accused India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru of internationalising the Kashmir issue by taking it to the United Nations. Speaking in Rajya Sabha Sitharaman said the issue should not have gone to the global forum as it was an internal issue.

Nehru had appealed to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) through a petition filed in January 1948 -- after the outbreak of the first war between India and Pakistan. Based on his petition, the council had established the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan to mediate between the two countries.

"This (Kashmir issue) is essentially an issue related to India. The Congress took the issue to the United Nations. Who took it up? Our first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Why? Because the British may have suggested something to him that the issue would not improve, and Nehru took it to the UN," the Union minister said.

Referring to Pakistan, Sitharaman said, "Till today, our neighbours are misusing it." Describing Kashmir as an integral part of India, Sitharaman said, "It is an issue that should not have gone to the global forum. This is essentially an Indian issue, we could have handled it. We are handling it now and showing the difference between the two governments."

OIC DENOUNCES TERRORISM, CALLS KASHMIR A JUST CAUSE

Muslim countries on Wednesday denounced terrorism in all its forms and manifestations while rejecting attempt to equate legitimate struggle for self-determination with terrorism.

The Islamabad Declaration was issued at the conclusion of the 48th session of the foreign minister of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation which was attended by the ministers and delegates from 57 Muslim states and international organisations.

The declaration articulates the resolve of OIC member states to support “our just causes such as Palestine, Kashmir and others”.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressing, the media along with the OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha, said that 140 resolutions were passed during the OIC meeting on challenges faced by the Muslim world.

WANG YI’S J&K REMARK: INDIA HITS BACK

At a time when New Delhi is still to confirm a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, India Wednesday “rejected” what it said were “uncalled for” comments he made while referring to Jammu and Kashmir at a meeting of the OIC in Islamabad. It reminded the leadership in Beijing that “India refrains from public judgement of their internal issues”. This has been conveyed in a demarche sent via diplomatic channels.

Wang Yi was invited for the first time to attend the exclusive club of Muslim nations.

Wang said: “On Kashmir, we have heard again today the calls of many of our Islamic friends. And China shares the same hope.”

This drew a sharp reaction from the Ministry of External Affairs. Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for the MEA, said: “We reject the uncalled reference to India by the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his speech at the Opening Ceremony (of the OIC meeting).”

“Matters related to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir are entirely the internal affairs of India. Other countries, including China, have no locus standi to comment. They should note that India refrains from public judgement of their internal issues,” Bagchi said.

India usually does not criticise China over its internal issues including those related to Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong, human rights violations and atrocities against Uyghurs in Xinjiang province. So, this is a stern message to Beijing from New Delhi.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / March 24

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Wednesday 1,778

Active Cases 22,427 (-660)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,16,672 (14)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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NATO BEEFS UP EASTERN FRONT IN EUROPE

Nato leaders are set to agree to station more forces in Eastern Europe to deter Russia from invading any member of their ranks and to send equipment to Ukraine to help it defend against chemical or biological attacks, the organisation’s top civilian official said on Wednesday.

Speaking on the eve of a series of Brussels summits focusing on the war in Ukraine, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said four new battlegroups, which usually number between 1,000-1,500 troops, are being set up in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.

Stoltenberg said the forces will remain in place “as long as necessary”. Nato currently has around 40,000 troops from several nations under its command, a number almost tenfold higher than it was a few months ago, military commanders say.

Stoltenberg said the Nato leaders are likely to agree to send more assistance to Ukraine, including equipment to help it defend itself against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian troops in several areas around Kyiv, the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said, vowing to defend every building rather than surrender the capital. Klitschko said there were battles raging on the northern and eastern outskirts of the city.

PUTIN WANTS ‘HOSTILE’ COUNTRIES TO PAY FOR RUSSIAN GAS IN ROUBLES

Russia will seek payment in roubles for gas sales to “unfriendly” countries, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, sending European gas prices soaring on concerns the move would exacerbate the region’s energy crunch.

With the financial noose tightening and the EU split on whether to sanction Russia’s energy sector, Putin hit back with a clear message — if you want our gas, buy our currency. “Russia will continue, to supply natural gas in accordance with volumes and prices. . . fixed in previously concluded contracts,” Putin said. “The changes will only affect the currency of payment, which will be changed to Russian roubles. ”

Russian gas accounts for some 40% of Europe’s total consumption and EU gas imports from Russia h ave fluctuated between 200 million to 800 million euros ($880 million) a day so far this year. The possibility a change of currency could throw that trade into disarray sent some European wholesale gas prices up to 30% higher on Wednesday. The Russian rouble briefly leapt to a three-week high past 95 against the dollar.

Meanwhile, Russian climate envoy Anatoly Chubais has stepped down and left the country, citing his opposition to President Putin’s war in Ukraine. He is the highest-level official to break with the Kremlin over the invasion.

THE REST

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SUCH INCIDENTS ARE MORE FREQUENT IN UP, GUJARAT, MP, BIHAR AND RAJASTHAN: MAMATA BANERJEE

Facing brickbat from various quarters, including the High Court and Raj Bhavan over the massacre in Birbhum district, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said the killings took place to divert attention from pressing issues like the rise in prices of petroleum products.

Eight people were burnt to death in the Rampurhat area of Birbhum on Tuesday after a mob set houses on fire following the killing of TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh. Sheikh was a resident of Bogtui village and his supporters allegedly went on a murderous rampage after his killing.

Mamata claimed that the macabre incident was orchestrated to defame West Bengal. ““Such things are done by those who are not in power just to harass the government and malign us……Not justifying the Birbhum killings, but such incidents are more frequent in UP, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan,” she said.

A senior police officer said at least 22 persons have been arrested so far in connection with the violence that claimed eight lives.

The Calcutta High Court took suo moto cognizance of the incident. It asked the state government to produce the case diary/report in the case before it by 2 pm on Thursday.

HOME MINISTRY TO END COVID CURBS FROM MARCH 31; FACE MASK, SOCIAL DISTANCING TO CONTINUE

In view of the continuous dip in coronavirus cases, the home ministry has decided to end its all Covid-19 containment measures from March 31, two years after their implementation following the outbreak of the pandemic.

However, wearing of face mask and maintaining social distancing norms will continue as earlier.

The central government had on March 24, 2020, issued for the first time orders and guidelines under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, for the containment of Covid-19 in the country and these have been modified on various occasions.

In a communication to the chief secretaries of all states, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said that over the last 24 months, significant capacities have been developed for various aspects of management of the pandemic, such as diagnostics, surveillance, contact tracing, treatment, vaccination, hospital infrastructure. Also, the general public now has a much higher level of awareness of Covid-appropriate behaviour, he said.

The states and Union territories have also developed their own capacities and systems and implemented their detailed specific plans for managing the pandemic, he said, adding that over the last seven weeks or so there has been a steep decline in the number of cases.

*/-+It is also worth mentioning that with the combined efforts, a total of 181.56 crore vaccine doses have been administered, he said.

”After taking into consideration the overall improvement in the situation and preparedness of the government to deal with the pandemic, National Disaster Management Authority has taken a decision that there may not be any further need to invoke the provisions of the DM Act for Covid containment measures,” the communication said.

However, the ministry of health and family welfare advisories on Covid containment measures, including on the use of face mask and hand hygiene, will continue to guide the overall national response to the pandemic, he said. The home secretary, however, said that in view of the nature of the disease, people still need to remain watchful of the situation.

AHIRS DEMND A REGIMENT IN ARMY

An ongoing agitation by members of the Ahir community disrupted traffic on a 6-kilometre stretch of the Delhi-Gurgaon highway on Wednesday. The protesters have been demanding an Ahir Regiment in the Indian Army.

The Ahirwal region, which includes the southern Haryana districts of Rewari, Mahendragarh, and Gurgaon, has traditionally contributed soldiers to the Indian Army in large numbers.

The community was brought into national limelight after the story of the bravery of the Ahir troops of Haryana in the Battle of Rezang La in 1962 was widely known. Most of the soldiers of C Company of the 13th Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment perished fighting the Chinese onslaught, but broke the enemy’s advance to Chushul.

Members of the community have long argued that the Ahirs deserve a full-fledged Infantry Regiment named after them, not just two battalions in the Kumaon Regiment and a fixed percentage in other regiments.

CONGRESS SLAMS AAP'S PUNJAB RAJYA SABHA PICKS

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced five nominees for the upcoming Rajya Sabha vacancies in Punjab. Given the AAP's strong majority in the Punjab Assembly, these five are almost certain to get elected to the upper house of Parliament. The five nominees are:

Cricketer Harbhajan Singh, AAP's Punjab in-charge and Delhi MLA Raghav Chadha, AAP strategist and former IIT academic Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Chancellor of Lovely Professional University, Ludhiana-based industrialist and philanthropist Sanjeev Arora.

The AAP is facing heat from the opposition, which has accused it of 'cheating' people by nominating 'non-Punjabis' and 'outsiders'.

“We welcome Harbhajan Singh's name, but not the other names. We will not tolerate anybody from outside Punjab," the Congress' Sukhpal Singh Khaira said. Navjot Singh Sidhu said four of the five picks for the Rajya Sabha were 'new batteries for .remote control in Delhi'.

Meanwhile, a day after the Union Cabinet approved a Bill to merge the municipal corporations of Delhi, CM Arvind Kejriwal said the Aam Aadmi Party would quit politics if the BJP conducted MCD elections on time and wins.

“Delaying MCD polls amounts to an affront to democracy,” Kejriwal said.

KARNATAKA HC: RAPE IS RAPE, EVEN IF MAN IS HUSBAND

In a ruling that could help shape the debate on marital rape, the Karnataka High Court Wednesday refused to quash rape charges filed by a wife against her husband, defying the exception in law, and, instead, called on lawmakers to hear the “voices of silence.”

“A man is a man; an act is an act; rape is a rape, be it performed by a man the ‘husband’ on the woman ‘wife’,” a single-judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna of the Karnataka High Court said. The “age-old…regressive” thought that “husbands are the rulers of their wives, their body, mind and soul should be effaced,” the court said.

While the court did not explicitly strike down the marital rape exception, it forced the married man to face trial for rape charges brought by his wife. The husband had moved the High Court after a trial court took cognisance of the offence under Section 376 (rape).

IPC Section 375 that defines rape carries a crucial exemption: “Sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under eighteen years of age, is not rape.”

INDIA TOPS $400-BILLION TARGET FOR GOODS EXPORTS

India has surpassed its merchandise export target of $400 billion set for FY2022. While topping $400 billion, exports have registered a 37 per cent increase compared to $292 billion in the previous fiscal and 21 per cent over the previous record high of exports of $330 billion set in FY2019, prior to the pandemic.

In a Twitter post, PM Narendra Modi said: “India set an ambitious target of USD 400 billion of goods exports and achieved this target for the first time ever. I congratulate our farmers, weavers, MSMEs, manufacturers, exporters for this success. This is a key milestone in our Aatmanirbhar Bharat journey.”

This is apart from approximately $250 billion worth of export of services.

Officials said a preliminary analysis showed that while commodity price hike had contributed to the rise in exports, many goods including auto components, motor vehicles, cereal preparations, buffalo meat, rice, carpets, processed fruits and juice also saw increases in overall export volumes despite stagnant or declining commodity prices.

Experts noted that another key factor driving the surge in exports is the pent-up global demand that was unmet during major waves of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A Sakthivel, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, said the achievement of $400 billion in exports was the fulfilment of a “dream” and that exporters could look to target merchandise export of $500 billion in the next fiscal.

WORLD NO 1 ASH BARTY RETIRES FROM TENNIS AT 25

Australia's world number one Ash Barty has retired at the age of 25 and at the peak of her game, citing the fulfilment of her tennis goals and fatigue with life on the Tour.

She quits less than two months after winning the Australian Open, her third Grand Slam singles triumph following Wimbledon in 2021 and the 2019 French Open.

"I know how much work it takes to bring the best out of yourself ... I don't have that in me anymore," she said in a video posted on her Instagram account on Wednesday. "I don't have the physical drive, the emotional want and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top level any more. I am spent."

It marks Barty's second retirement from the sport, having walked away from the game as a teenager in late-2014 after becoming disaffected by the Tour.

She returned in 2016 and rose rapidly up the rankings, earning global acclaim for her brilliant tennis and fans' affection for her unfailing good sportmanship and laid-back demeanour.

She spent a total of 121 weeks as world number one and appeared destined for more success in the game's biggest tournaments.

However, she never made any secret of her dislike for the touring life and her battles with homesickness.

Her retirement echoes Justine Henin's decision to quit in 2008 as a 25-year-old world number one with seven Grand Slam titles. Henin came out of retirement in 2010, inspired by fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters' comeback. 2005 US Open champion Clijsters retired in 2007 at the age of 23 but returned after a two-year hiatus to claim another three Grand Slam titles.

INDICATORS

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GBP 0.75 /US$, Euro 0.90 /US$, Jap.Yen 121.02 /US$, Aus$ 1.33 /US$, Sing 1.35 /US$, Bang Taka 84.45 /US$, Can$ 1.25 /US$, Mal Ring 4.21 /US$,

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Bitcoin - USD 42,876

Dollar Index 98.79 Brent Crude 122.97 BDI 2,575

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,939 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 5,167 / 4,735, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 71,900

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry. - Albert Einstein

OFF TRACK

A man scolded his son for being so unruly and the child rebelled against his father. He got some of his clothes, his teddy bear and his piggy bank and proudly announced, "I'm running away from home!"

The father calmly decided to look at the matter logically. "What if you get hungry?" he said.

"Then I'll come home and eat!" bravely declared the child.

"And what if you run out of money?"

"I will come home and get some!", readily replied the child.

The man then made a final attempt, "What if your clothes get dirty?"

"Then I'll come home and let mommy wash them," was the reply.

The man shook his head and exclaimed, "This kid is not running away from home, he's going off to college!!!"