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 Sensex, Nifty jump over 1 pc after 3-day losing streak Page 10 BRIEFLY Rajya Sabha polls for 37 seats across 10 states: New Delhi: Voting for the biennial elections to 37 seats in the Rajya Sabha took place on Monday, with polling scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and counting of votes beginning at 5:00 p.m. the same day, according to the ECI. The ECI has put in place a detailed schedule to ensure the smooth conduct of the electoral process. Elections are being held to fill 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states. The seat distribution includes seven seats from Maharashtra, six from Tamil Nadu, five each from Bihar and West Bengal, four from Odisha, three from Assam, two seats each from Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Haryana, and one seat from Himachal Pradesh. These seats are falling vacant as the terms of the sitting members from these states are set to expire in April, prompting the biennial elections to fill the vacancies in the Upper House. Ramesh slams govt ‘silence’ on US-Israel actions in Iran Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka claim their first titles at Indian Wells Page 5 Trump wants help in securing Strait of Hormuz Page 12 NATION Page 9 Talks with Iran ensured safe passage for Indian ships: EAM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 16 March E xternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has hailed India’s direct talks with Iran as the most effective way to restart shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amidst the ongoing war in West Asia. In an interview to the Financial Times, Jaishankar, who is currently on a visit to Brussels, pointed out that negotiations between New Delhi and Tehran which helped two Indian-flagged gas tankers to pass through the Strait on Saturday were an example of what diplomacy could bring. “I am at the moment engaged in talking to them and my talking has yielded some results. This is ongoing. If it is yielding results for me, I would naturally continue to look at it. Certainly, from India’s perspective, it is better that we reason and we Tuesday, 17 March 2026 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS | co-ordinate and we get a solution than we don’t. So if that sort of allows other people to engage, I think the world is better off for it,” he said. Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said last week the country’s military would continue to block the narrow waterway, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas used to transit. France and Italy are among European countries that have opened talks with Tehran about a possible diplomatic solution that would allow for energy shipments to restart. Asked if European countries could ape India’s arrangement with Iran, Jaishankar said, ‘’each relationship frankly, in a way stands on its own merits. So now, it’s very hard for me to compare this with some other relationship which may or may not have these. I’d be happy to share with [EU capitals] what we are doing…I know many of them have had conversations [with Tehran] as well.’’ The Indian minister said there was no “ blanket arrangement” with Iran for Indian-flagged ships and that “every ship movement is an individual happening”. He denied that Iran had received anything in exchange, and cited a “history of dealing’’ between the two countries. “It’s not an exchange issue,” he said, adding, “India and Iran have a relationship. And this is a conflict that we regard as something very unfortunate. These are still early days. We have many more ships there. So while this is a welcome development, there is continuing conversation because there is continued work on that.” India flags ‘selective targeting’ after US body urges sanctions on R&AW, RSS: New Delhi: The Centre on Monday reacted strongly after a United States federal government commission recommended that India be designated a “Country of Particular Concern” for alleged religious freedom violations and called for targeted sanctions on the external intelligence agency, the R&AW & RSS. Responding to the report, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “We have taken note of the latest report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). We categorically reject its motivated and biased characterisation of India. For several years now, USCIRF has persisted in presenting a distorted and selective picture of India, relying on questionable sources and ideological narratives rather than objective facts.” ECI issues strict directives for Model Code of Conduct STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 16 March The Election Commission of India on Monday issued comprehensive instructions to ensure the strict enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct following the announcement of Assembly elections in five states and a Union Territory, along with bye-elections in six other states. After announcing the election schedule on March 15 for the legislative assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Puducherry, the Commission confirmed that official notifications were published in the gazettes of Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry on Monday. “With the election schedule announcement, the Model Code of Conduct is now immediately in effect in the concerned States and UT,” the Commission stated in a press release. The provisions also apply to the Central Government concerning policy decisions and announcements affecting these poll-bound regions. The Commission directed Chief Secretaries and Chief Electoral Officers of the respective states and UT to ensure rigorous compliance with the code. Authorities have been instructed to promptly remove political defacement from government, public, and private properties and prevent misuse of official vehicles or government accommodations by political parties, candidates, or others involved in election activities. Additionally, the Commission emphasized a ban on advertisements funded by public money during the Model Code of Conduct period. “Strict adherence to instructions on removing defacement and preventing misuse of official resources must be ensured,” it said. Highlighting citizens’ rights, the Commission underscored the importance of respecting privacy during elections. Demonstrations or picketing outside private residences are prohibited, and political flags, banners, or posters cannot be displayed on private property without the owner's consent.