INDIA ASSURES LANKA OF CONTINUED COOPERATION

Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar met the Sri Lankan leadership in Colombo on Monday and assured them of “India’s continued cooperation and understanding” as the island nation deals with its worst economic crisis in decades.

Jaishankar, who is in Colombo to attend the Bimstec (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) ministers’ meeting and also for bilaterals at a time Sri Lanka is facing bankruptcy, interacted with the Rajapaksa triumvirate who hold the posts of President, Prime Minister and finance minister.

Reuters reported that the Rajapaksa government has sought an additional credit line of $1 billion from India to import essentials. There was no official word from either side. This is in addition to the $1-billion credit line already pledged by India.

Jaishankar’s ongoing tour — first to the Maldives and now to Sri Lanka — is part of the Narendra Modi government’s Indian Ocean outreach in pursuit of the Sagar (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policy. India is also trying to wean away the two capitals from China, which has expanded its footprint considerably in the region over the past decade.

MINORITY STATUS: CLARIFY WHICH MINISTRY WILL BE DEALING WITH ISSUE, ASKS SUPREME COURT

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to clarify as to which ministry would deal with the demand to declare Hindus as “minority” in states and union territories where they were numerically inferior after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sought to distance itself from it.

After recording the statement of MHA, a Bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul gave four weeks to the Centre to clarify as to which ministry should be dealing with the issue. The Bench posted the matter for further hearing on May 10. The MHA told the court that advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay's petition related to the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act, 2004 and the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, which came under the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Minority Affairs, respectively.

The Bench noted that the MHA has requested that the Ministry of Minority Affairs may deal with the matter in consultation with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Law and Justice and also protect the interest of MHA in the case.

BHARAT BANDH SHOWS UP IN KERALA, W BENGAL

Banking as well as public transport services were thrown out of gear in West Bengal and Kerala on Monday as thousands of workers began a two-day nationwide strike against various policies of the government.

The “Bharat Bandh” was near-total in Left-ruled Kerala and in some districts of TMC-ruled West Bengal. The response was good in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu too. In Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, the coal sector was affected the most.

All-India Bank Employees’ Association general secretary CH Venkatachalam said that services were affected in the eastern states.

Essential services like healthcare, power and fuel supplies were unaffected.

NOT HAPPY WITH HIKE IN HEALTH ALLOCATION, PARL PANEL TELLS GOVT

In its report to Parliament, the committee, noting the increase in government health expenditure as a percentage of GDP from 1.15 per cent in 2013-14 to 1.35 per cent in 2017-18 (latest data available), said, “We note the National Health Accounts data submitted by the ministry and that there has been a gradual increase in Government Health Expenditure (GHE) as a percentage of GDP ranging from 1.2 to 1.35. However, the committee is not happy with the slow trend of increase in the share of health budget.” The committee asked the government to urgently increase government health expenditure to 5 per cent of the GDP by 2025.

“Over the years, the committee has consistently urged the government to take cognizance of the dismal health infrastructure and increase the share of health budget. The National Health Policy, 2017, also speaks of increasing GHE to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2025,” the panel said lamenting low budgets despite Covid-19 impacts.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / March 29

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Monday 1,259

Active Cases 15,378 (-481)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,21,070 (14)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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READY TO DISCUSS NEUTRALITY, SAYS ZELENSKY; KREMLIN OFFERS LITTLE HOPE

As Russian and Ukrainian forces battled across Ukraine, diplomats from the two nations were scheduled to arrive in Turkey on Monday for talks, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying his country was “ready” to discuss adopting neutral status, while the Kremlin offered little hope for an agreement that would end five weeks of fighting. In an interview on Sunday with Russian journalists, Zelensky said that Ukraine was willing to discuss lifting restrictions on the Russian language and adopting a neutral geopolitical status.

But he insisted that any deal would need to be validated by a referendum to be held after Russian troops withdraw, and that other countries would need to provide his nation with security guarantees. “We are ready to go for this,” he said, but he pledged not to cede Ukrainian sovereignty and said Ukraine would not discuss two of Putin’s main, vaguely defined demands, the demilitarization and “de-Nazification” of the country he invaded on February 24. Zelensky’s glimmer of optimism contrasted with the grim assessment of diplomacy given by the Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, who said that weeks of meetings had made “no significant progress. ” Still, Peskov told reporters on Monday that the talks in Istanbul, the first in-person meeting between the two sides in more than two weeks, were important.

In the interview to Russian journalists, Zelensky offered a graphic description of what he claimed was the Kremlin’s disregard for both Ukrainian and Russian lives, to the point, he said, that the Russian army was slow to pick up the bodies of its fallen soldiers. “First they refused, then something else, then they proposed some sorts of bags to us,” Zelensky said, describing Ukraine’s efforts to hand over the bodies of Russian soldiers. “Listen, even when a dog or a cat dies, people don’t do this. ”

A Russian government statement notified the Russian news media “of the necessity to refrain from publishing this interview. ” Journalists based outside Russia published it anyway.

WON’T SUPPLY GAS FOR FREE, SAYS RUSSIA AS G7 NATIONS REFUSE TO PAY IN ROUBLES

Russia said on Monday it will not supply gas to Europe for free as it works out methods for accepting payments for its gas exports in roubles but G7 nations refused the demand. At a meeting of EU leaders on Friday, no common position emerged on Russia’s demand last week that “unfriendly” countries must pay in roubles, not euros, for its gas in the wake of the US and European allies teaming up on a series of sanctions aimed at Russia.

Concerns over security of supply were enhanced after the demand, with companies and EU nations scrambling to understand the ramifications. The Russian central bank, the government and Gazprom, which accounts for 40% of European gas imports, should present their proposals for rouble gas payments to President Putin by March 31. “We are not going to supply gas for free, this is clear,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call. “In our situation, this is hardly possible and appropriate to engage in charity (with European customers). ” Russia will take decisions in due course should European countries refuse to pay in the Russian currency, he added.

Meanwhile, energy ministers from the Group of Seven industrialised nations rejected the rouble payment demands.

NOW BIDEN CLARIFIES HIMSELF

US President Joe Biden said on Monday that his remark in Warsaw that Russian President Putin should be removed from power reflected his own moral outrage, not an administration policy shift. “I wasn’t then nor am I now articulating a policy change. I was expressing moral outrage that I felt and I make no apologies,” he said, noting that he had just visited with families displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden added that he was “not walking anything back” by clarifying the remark. Asked whether the remark would spur anegative response from Putin, Biden said, “I don’t care what he thinks. . . . He’s going to do what he’s going to do. ”

NO-TRUST MOTION AGAINST PAKISTAN PM IMRAN KHAN TABLED IN ASSEMBLY

A no-confidence motion was tabled Monday against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly. Leader of the Opposition and President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Shahbaz Sharif, introduced the motion in the lower house.

Deputy NA Speaker Qasim Suri said a discussion on the no-trust motion would take place on 31 March at 4 pm.

The law states that the no-trust resolution shall not be voted on before three days, or later than seven days, after it is moved in parliament.

The Pakistani National Assembly has a total strength of 342 members, with the majority mark being 172. Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party has a strength of 155, while four major allies Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) have another 20 among them.

Khan, however, is in a spot as three allies — MQM-P, PML-Q and BAP – are keeping cards close to their chest on the confidence motion. Some of his own men may vote in favour of the no-trust motion.

If Khan does not survive, he will join the long list of Pakistan premiers since 1947 – none of whom have completed a full term in office.

THE REST

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FISTS FLY IN BENGAL HOUSE OVER BIRBHUM KILLINGS, 5 BJP MLAS SUSPENDED

The Birbhum killings of last week triggered tumultuous scenes in the West Bengal Assembly on Monday with MLAs from the Opposition BJP and ruling TMC trading blows, leading to the suspension of five BJP legislators, including Leader of Opposition Suvendhu Adhikari and BJP chief whip Manoj Tigga.

Several MLAs from both sides were injured in the incident, including TMC’s Asit Mazumder who was admitted to hospital with a broken nose. The incident came on a day when the toll from the Birbhum incident rose to nine with another victim succumbing to burn injuries in hospital.

“This is an unwanted, unprecedented incident,” said Speaker Biman Banerjee, referring to the chaos on the last day of the Budget session after several BJP MLAs trooped to the well of the House demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the killings in Birbhum’s Bogtui village.

The five BJP MLAs, also including Sankar Ghosh, Narahari Mahato and Dipak Barman, have been suspended till the next session. Official sources said the Speaker would take a decision before the next session on whether the suspension would continue.

HOURS AFTER HIGH COURT ORDER, KERALA GOVT BARS STAFF FROM PARTICIPATING IN GENERAL STRIKE

Hours after the Kerala High Court directed it to issue orders barring public servants from participating in the 48-hour general strike, the state government declared on Monday that, during the strike, employees’ period of absence without valid reasons would be treated as dies non.

The order is a major setback for the trade unions affiliated to ruling CPM as well as Opposition Congress, which took active part in the first day of the general strike against the Centre’s policies. Offices across the state reported only thin attendance on Monday and all educational institutions remained closed.

The order issued by Chief Secretary VP Joy said that pay for the days on which the strike is taking place would be withheld from the salary for next month. No leave would be granted for employees and teachers on strike days except for unavoidable reasons. It said people indulging in violence during the strike days would be prosecuted. Provisional recruits who keep away from duty during the strike would be removed from service. The order directed the state transport corporation to ensure service to enable employees to reach offices.

KARNATAKA: TWO BJP LEGISLATORS SLAM CURBS ON MUSLIM TRADERS

In the first instance of dissent within, two legislators of the ruling BJP in Karnataka have termed as “wrong”, “undemocratic” and “madness” the restrictions being placed on Muslim traders from participating in temple festivals in parts of the state at the behest of pro-Hindutva groups.

The remarks by A H Vishwanath, an MLC, and Anil Benake, an MLA, came in the wake of some temples in Udupi and Shivamogga barring Muslim traders from participating in the festivals following demands by groups like VHP, Hindu Jagarana Vedike, Bajrang Dal and Sree Rama Sene. Such calls are now being raised in other parts of the state as well.

The BJP government has justified the curbs as the result of a rule introduced in 2002, during the Congress’s tenure, to bar non-Hindus from running shops in temple premises.

“This is all madness. No God or religion preaches these kinds of things. Religions are inclusive and not exclusive. The state government must intervene. I don’t know why the government is mum over this issue,” Vishwanath said in his home district of Mysuru on Sunday, adding that the move was “undemocratic”.

OPPN MUST STUDY WHY MODI KEEPS WINNING: NCP LEADER

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Majeed Memon on Monday asked Opposition leaders to introspect and understand what made PM Narendra Modi a winner “despite the fact that he is a polarising leader.”

Memon earlier took to Twitter to praise Modi,saying: “If Narendra Modi wins people’s mandate and is also shown as world’s most popular leader, there must be some qualities in him or good work he may have done...” He later clarified that non-BJP leaders needed to understand PM Modi’s politics and his personality better.

SHANGHAI KICKS OFF CHINA’S BIGGEST LOCKDOWN IN 2 YEARS

China began its most extensive Covid lockdown in two years on Monday to conduct mass testing and control a growing outbreak in Shanghai as questions are raised about the economic toll of its“zero-Covid” strategy.

Shanghai, China’s financial capital and largest city with 26 million people, had managed its smaller previous outbreaks with limited lockdowns of housing compounds and workplaces where the virus was spreading. But the citywide lockdown that will be conducted in two phases will be China’s most extensive since the central city of Wuhan, where the virus was first detected in late 2019, confined its 11 million people to their homes for 76 days in early 2020. Millions more have been kept in lockdown since then.

The snap lockdown, announced late on Sunday, will split the city into two to allow for “staggered” testing by healthcare workers in white hazmat suits.

WILL SMITH’S OSCAR NIGHT SLAP

International celebrities have reacted with shock, condemnation, and in some cases, praise, after actor Will Smith walked on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock during the Oscars in Los Angeles.

The altercation, which played out on live television in front a gobsmacked audience of fellow actors at the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday night, came after Rock joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, likening her to the movie character GI Jane.

Pinkett Smith, who has been married to Will Smith 1997, has spoken publicly about her struggles with alopecia, an autoimmune condition that results in hair loss, and her decision to shave her head.

After the attack, Smith returned to his seat, yelling at Rock, “Take my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth”.

“Wow, Will Smith just smacked the s*** outta me,” said a stunned Rock, who took a moment to collect himself before resuming presenting the nominees for best documentary feature.

Rock declined to press charges, according to US media. Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs later told the New York Post that the duo had squashed the bad blood, saying, “That’s over. I can confirm that”.

Later, during his acceptance speech while accepting the Best Actor Award, Smith apologised to the Academy and his “fellow nominees”, but did not reference Rock directly.

OSCARS 2022: THE KEY ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS

The 94th Academy Awards was held in the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, with deaf family drama “CODA” winning best picture honours, handing Hollywood’s top award to a streaming service for the first time.

From Will Smith slapping Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife to a film from Apple TV+ winning an Oscar for best picture, the 94th Academy Awards ceremony held in Los Angeles on Sunday, was packed with action and many firsts.

Deaf family drama “CODA”, a film from Apple TV+, won the best picture honours, handing Hollywood’s top award to a streaming service for the first time.

Best Director - Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog

Best actress - Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Best actor - Will Smith in King Richard

IPL MATCH 4: GUJARAT EDGE LUCKNOW IN BATTLE OF DEBUTANTS

Rahul Tewatia blasted an impactful 40 off 24 balls after Mohammad Shami's sensational new ball spell to set up a five-wicket win for Gujarat Titans against Lucknow Super Giants in the battle of IPL debutants in Mumbai on Monday.

Put in top bat first, Lucknow Super Giants recovered to a respectable 158/6 after Shami (3/25) blew away their top-order - they were down to 29/4 in the 5th over.

Titans, needing 68 off the last 30 balls, were up against it but Tewatia (40 not out), David Miller (30 off 21) and IPL debutant Abhinav Manohar (15 not out off 7) pulled off a memorable win for their team with two balls to spare.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

We ascribe beauty to that which is simple; which has no superfluous parts; which exactly answers its end; which stands related to all things; which is the mean of many extremes. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

OFF TRACK

Little Tim was in the garden filling in a hole when his neighbour peered over the fence.

Interested in what the cheeky-faced youngster was up to, he politely asked, "What are you up to there, Tim?"

"My goldfish died," replied Tim tearfully, without looking up, "and I've just buried him."

The neighbor was concerned, "That's an awfully big hole for a goldfish, isn't it?"

Tim patted down the last heap of earth then replied, "That's because he's inside your stupid cat."