FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | Monday, 16 March 2026 SPORTS PERSPECTIVE EDITORIAL Salt March and the birth of mass disobedience WORLD Tariff Leverage Page 6 ‘If Sanju gets going, he can win you the game in the first 6 overs’ Sinners, One Battle... face-off looms at the Academy Awards Page 7 Page 9 Page 12 Single phase polls for 4 states/UT, West Bengal to vote in two phases VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 15 March C hief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday announced the schedule for Assembly elections in four states ~ West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Kerala ~ and the Union Territory of Puducherry, assuring “inducement-free and violence-free” polls while stressing the importance of “pure electoral rolls”. Describing them as the bedrock of any democracy, Mr Kumar said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls conducted under Article 326 of the Constitution ensures that no eligible voter is excluded and no ineligible person is included. “The Election Commission of India is constitutionally bound by Article 326 to include electors above 18 years of age who are citizens of India and ordinarily resident in the concerned Assembly constituency. The Commission undertakes this responsibility through the Special Intensive Revision. With regard to political statements made by leaders or parties, the Commission does not wish to engage in such dialogues,” he said, addressing the media. West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases, on 23 and 29 April. The other states and the Union Territory will have single-phase elections. Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will Jaishankar to visit Brussels to discuss next steps in implementation of India-EU FTA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 15 March External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar is on an official visit to Brussels on 15-16 March at the invitation of European Union (EU) High Representative and Vice President Ms Kaja Kallas to interact with Foreign Ministers of the 27 EU member states at the Foreign Affairs Council Meeting. During the visit, Mr Jaishankar will also hold meetings with the leadership of the European Union, and his counterparts from Belgium and other EU member states. Coming as it does soon after the historic 16th India-EU Summit, the Indian minister’s visit is expected to further deepen India’s Strategic Partnership with the European Union, the Ministry of External Affairs said. The visit will provide an opportunity to Jaishankar to discuss with EU member vote on 9 April, and Tamil Nadu on 23 April. Mr Kumar said the counting of votes for all 824 seats across the four states and one Union Territory will be conducted on 4 May. As many as 17.4 crore voters are eligible to participate to elect 824 MLAs at 2.19 lakh polling stations in these four states and one UT. Mr Kumar said clear directions had been issued to enforcement agencies to ensure that the elections are conducted in a free, fair and peaceful manner. District collectors and superintendents of police have been instructed to act with complete impartiality and strictly enforce the rule of law. Election observers will visit the poll-bound states, and their details will be made public. Authorities have also been directed to monitor social media closely to curb the spread of fake news and take necessary action where required. CBSE cancels Class 12 board exams in the Middle East amid the Iran-Israel-US war UNITED NEWS OF INDIA New Delhi, 15 March DURING THE VISIT, MR JAISHANKAR WILL ALSO HOLD MEETINGS WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, AND HIS COUNTERPARTS FROM BELGIUM AND OTHER EU MEMBER STATES. nations the next steps in the implementation of India-EU Free Trade Agreement on which the two sides have concluded negotiations. The agreement will now undergo legal scrubbing, translation into 24blanguages, and ratification by the EU Council, the European Parliament, and India. It is expected to come into force in January 2027. Mr Jaishankar is also expected to discuss with EU officials the situation arising from the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Sunday cancelled the Class 12 board examinations for students in several Middle Eastern countries. In an official order dated 15 March, the board said: “All examinations of Class XII scheduled from 16 March to 10 April 2026 stand cancelled in case of students from Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.” The board added that examinations which had earlier been postponed would also stand cancelled. “Examinations which were earlier postponed vide circulars dated 1 March, 3 March, 5 March, 7 March and 9 March shall also stand cancelled,” the notice said. CM Rekha Gupta: My goal is to make daily life easier for people SIDDHARTHA RAI New Delhi, 15 March Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said her government is pushing aggressively for electric mobility and expanding the electric bus fleet as part of the measures to deal with air pollution and appealed to the people to participate in the overall development of the national capital by following traffic rules, supporting environmental initiatives, conserving water and electricity and keeping neighbourhoods clean. In a wide-ranging interview with The Statesman, Ms Gupta also came down heavily on her predecessor and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal, calling him a master of marketing. She was alluding to the “public spectacle” Mr Kejriwal created after a Delhi court gave him relief in the liquor policy scam. “Kejriwal is an expert of marketing who knows how to mislead the people. If you were not corrupt, why would you scrap the liquor policy after uproar? Why did you not stand by it and defend it? Our law is not blind to facts. He was granted relief and then another court stayed that,” the CM said. Commenting on the Uttam Nagar Holi murder case, Ms Regarding the decision to conduct the West Bengal election in just two phases ~ down from eight phases in 2021 ~ Mr Kumar said the Commission held detailed deliberations before finalising the schedule. “In our considered opinion, it was necessary to reduce the number of phases to a level that is administratively feasible and convenient for voters and officials,” he said. On the issue of police officers allegedly involved in violence during previous elections, the CEC said the Commission had sought details and would take action in accordance with the law. Regarding the supplementary electoral list, Mr Kumar said that, in accordance with Supreme Court directions, judicial officers working under the supervision of the Calcutta High Court would prepare the list. Names included in the Gupta said her government would continue its zero-tolerance policy against heinous crimes. “We believe in empowering our officials to take appropriate action, though within the bounds and ambit of law. When crimes shock the conscience of the society, the administrative machinery must roll out and discharge its lawful duty”. Asked to identify one policy success that she wants the people to judge her tenure by, Ms Gupta said, ‘’If five years from now Delhi becomes visibly cleaner, better connected and more efficiently governed, I would consider that a success.’’ • Full interview: Page 2 THE BOARD ADDED THAT EXAMINATIONS WHICH HAD EARLIER BEEN POSTPONED WOULD ALSO STAND CANCELLED. CBSE said the modality for declaration of results for students in these Gulf countries would be announced in due course. Earlier, in an order issued on 9 March, the board had postponed the 12 March examination to 16 March, citing the mental stress faced by students and the prevailing uncertainties in the region. It had also said that a further review of the situation would be undertaken on March 14 before taking a final decision on the conduct of the Class 12 board examinations in the conflict-affected region. supplementary list would be added to the existing electoral rolls as and when they are finalised. While for the BJP, the contests are an opportunity to consolidate power in Assam and expand further beyond the Hindi heartland, for Opposition parties, these elections are a do-or-die. For the INDIA bloc, the stakes are the highest given that two key players ~ the TMC and the DMK ~ are in power in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, respectively. The states have sent a significant number of MPs to the Lok Sabha and the results can influence the future trajectory of the Opposition alliance. The elections will be specifically watched for the three Opposition chief ministers ~ Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, M K Stalin in Tamil Nadu and Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala. Bypolls in 6 states to be held in two phases on 9 and 23 April STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 15 March The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced that by-elections will be held in eight assembly constituencies across six states ~ Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Tripura ~ in two phases. The first phase, covering constituencies in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura, will have polling on 9 April, while the second phase in Gujarat and Maharashtra will take place on 23 April. Counting of votes for all constituencies is scheduled for 4 May, and the election process will conclude by 6 May. According to the schedule, the date of issue of the gazette notification for Assembly Constituencies in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland and Tripura will be 16 March (Monday). The last date for filing nominations will be 23 March (Monday), while scrutiny of nominations will take place on 24 March (Tuesday). According to the details shared, the constituencies where by-polls will be conducted include 21-Ponda in Goa after the death of Ravi Naik, and 111-Umreth in Gujarat following the death of Govindbhai Raijibhai Parmar. In Karnataka, by-elections will be held in two seats, 24-Bagalkot after the death of Meti Hullappa Yamanappa (HY Meti) and 107-Davanagere South following the death of Shamanur Shivashankarappa. In Maharashtra, the seats of 223-Rahuri and 201-Baramati have fallen vacant after the deaths of Shivaji Bhanudas Kardile and Ajit Anataro Pawar, respectively. Meanwhile, 28-Koridang (ST) in Nagaland became vacant after the death of Imkong L Imchen, while 56-Dharmanagar in Tripura fell vacant following the death of Biswa Bandhu Sen. LPG panic buying may be easing: Govt STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 15 March Panic b uying of LP G cylinders may be easing, the government said on Sunday, as it reiterated that it has taken several steps to ensure stable availability of petroleum products and LPG across the country in the wake of the West Asia crisis and advised citizens not to panic. The government said LPG bookings have dropped to about 77 lakh from 88.8 lakh earlier, suggesting the rush for cylinders may be slowing. Online bookings have also risen to around 87 per cent. Domestic refineries are operating at high capacity and maintaining adequate crude oil inventories, the government said in an official Press statement released on behalf of the inter-ministerial committee dealing with the situation arising from the conflict in West Asia. Oil marketing companies have reported no dry-outs at fuel outlets or LP G distributorships, it added. The statement also encouraged consumers to avoid panic bookings, use digital booking platforms, and avoid unnecessary visits to LPG distributors. “The government remains committed to maintaining adequate LPG availability for households and essential sectors,’’ the statement said. Priority sectors continue to receive protected gas supplies, including 100 per cent supply to PNG and CNG, while supplies to industrial and commercial consumers are being regulated at about 80 per cent, it added. The supply pressure comes as the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route between Iran and Oman, remains closed due to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Another Indian ship heads for home from Gulf New Delhi: Indian-flag vessel Jag Laadki, carrying about 80,800 metric tonnes of Murban crude oil, sailed safely from the UAE’s Fujairah port on Sunday for India, the Ministry of Shipping and Ports said. The vessel and all Indian seafarers onboard are safe, according to a statement issued by the ministry. All Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no shipping incident involving Indian seafarers has been reported in the past 24 hours, it added. Two Indian-flag LPG carriers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, carrying about 92,712 MT of LPG, which had crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, are on the way to India and are scheduled to reach Mundra Port on Monday and Kandla Port on Tuesday, respectively. The Iran-US war: What it could cost India JAYANTA ROY CHOWDHURY New Delhi, 15 March What will be the real cost of the Iran-US conflict on the Indian economy? The war in one of India’s key export regions which accounts for a sixth of its exports and about USD 50 billion in remittances has already started creating black holes in Indian balance sheets. “Gas-burning factories across Gujarat, Maharashtra and several other states have fallen idle. The entire secondary steel sector has been hit,” said Pankaj Chadha, chairman of EEPC India. “First, there is not enough gas available to smelt iron into steel. Second, the scrap that we used to import for melting down is no longer arriving. Then the export orders are in jeopardy. Containers are lying empty all over the place.” The shipping squeeze, where sending containers through the Straits of Hormuz has become impossible, not to speak of the crude and gas shortage and its inflationary impact is liable to hit the Indian economy for billions of dollars in just the week gone by. “It’s all up in the air, we really do not know how much it will cost us, a mere bystander in the war,” said Prof Biswajit Dhar, former WTO Chair at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT). Industry experts believe the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region could cost India between USD 2-3 billion in electronics exports alone. Up to USD 4 billion in monthly shipments are at risk due to rising freight costs and logistics delays. “The conflict threatens $50 billion in remittances, creates potential for skyrocketing oil prices, and disrupts key trade routes, putting Indian electronics, garments, and agricultural exports like rice and tea are at severe risk,” said Dhar. India receives USD138 billion in annual remittances, with roughly 38 per cent (about USD 50 billion) coming from Gulf nations, which is now threatened.India’s basket of crude for the month of March now costs USD 101.25 a barrel. While Brent crude prices have shot up in the spot market to USD 103.86, the month’s highest. “The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime corridor connecting the Gulf to our energy markets, has today effectively become a geopolitical fault line,” said Commodore Ranjit Rai, former Director of Naval Intelligence and a security analyst.Shipping disruptions are adding further strain. Insurance costs for tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz have climbed sharply as insurers factor in heightened war risk. • Turn to Page 10