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 Naval Ripples Trump says Iran war may end soon, warns of tough response to Hormuz closure bid Page 6 Page 9 BRIEFLY Two killed in Meghalaya mob violence, curfew imposed: Shillong: Two persons were killed and several others injured after police opened fire to disperse an unruly mob of several hundred people that set shops on fire and allegedly attacked police personnel at Chibinang town in the Phulbari plains belt of West Garo Hills district in Meghalaya, an official said on Tuesday. Curfew was imposed within the jurisdiction of West Garo Hills district from 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, and Internet services suspended in all five districts of Garo Hills have been suspended for 48 hours from 10 a.m. to curb the spread of fake news and misinformation after the incident. The Army has staged a flag march in the plain belt areas of West Garo Hills in view of the prevailing tense law and order situation in the area. Page 4 IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers resigns months after airline’s worst-ever crisis: New Delhi: Pieter Elbers has resigned as the CEO of IndiGo, the country’s largest airline operated by InterGlobe Aviation Limited, following the low-cost carrier’s worst-ever flight crisis in December last year, it was informed on Tuesday. In a filing to exchanges, the airline said that Rahul Bhatia, Managing Director of InterGlobe Aviation, has taken charge of the airline’s management on an interim basis. “With immediate effect, Pieter Elbers will be stepping down as IndiGo CEO. The Board of Directors would like to thank Pieter for his contribution and service to the organisation and wishes him well in his future endeavours,” the low-cost airline said. (Page 10) NATION SC bats for UCC to address personal law complexities Lakshya Sen credits mental discipline for All England success Page 5 Page 12 LS debates no-trust against Birla; BJP, Oppn trade charges VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 10 March T he Lok Sabha on Tuesday began discussion on a resolution seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla after Congress MP Mohammad Jawed formally moved the motion in the House. Signed by 118 Opposition MPs, though the motion accuses the Speaker of “partisan” conduct and cites instances where Opposition leaders were allegedly not allowed to speak, the debate soon turned into a sparring match between the BJP-led government and the INDIA bloc, with liberal references against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and accusations flying from all sides. While the Opposition lacks the numbers, the motion and the debate is widely seen as Wednesday, 11 March 2026 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL | an attempt to send a broader political messaging by the Opposition, and also the ruling party. Defending Mr Birla, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju (photo) said there was “no cure” for those who believed they were above the authority of the Speaker, an apparent reference to Mr Gandhi. The discussion itself began on a contentious note, with Opposition members questioning the validity of proceedings being conducted by someone nominated by the very Speaker against whom the motion had been moved. BJP MP Jagdambika Pal was at that time presiding over the proceedings. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi first raised the issue, followed by Congress leaders K. C. Venugopal and Gaurav Gogoi. On this Home Minister Amit Shah intervened, arguing that the Speaker’s office cannot remain vacant. “The word ‘preside’ refers to conducting the proceedings of the House. Even when elections for the Speaker take place, the functioning of the office continues.” Mr Shah said. The Home Minister is also expected to reply to the debate. Opposition leaders also pointed out that during the three previous occasions when resolutions were moved against a Lok Sabha Speaker, the Deputy Speaker had presided over the proceedings. The current government, however, has not appointed one. When Mr Gogoi criticised Mr Rijiju, saying that he would be remembered as the Parliamentary Affairs Minister who interrupted the Opposition the most, Mr Shah said he agreed with Mr Gogoi ~ that Mr Rijiju had indeed interrupted the most ~ adding that the country had never seen such an “irresponsible Opposition”. Govt invokes Essential Commodities Act to secure domestic gas supply STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 10 March Amid rising pressure on global fuel supplies due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the Union Government has invoked the Essential Commodities Act (EC Act) to safeguard India’s domestic energy market and ensure the uninterrupted availability of cooking gas. According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the government has issued a control order directing refineries and petrochemical units to maximise the production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and divert key hydrocarbon streams to the LPG pool. The move aims to maintain a steady supply of cooking gas across the country. The ministry said that invoking the EC Act establishes a clear priority framework for natural gas distribution in order to manage the current supply constraints. Under the new mandate, domestic piped natural gas (PNG) for households and compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles will receive 100 per cent assured supply. Other sectors, however, will face calibrated supply limits based on their average consumption over the past six months. Industrial and commercial natural gas consumers will receive 80 per cent of their six-month average supply, while fertiliser plants have been allocated 70 per cent of their previous supply levels as part of the government’s resource rebalancing strategy. To facilitate the shift in supply priorities, the Petroleum Ministry confirmed a 35 per cent reduction in natural gas allocation to refineries and petrochemical plants. The measures come as India navigates supply challenges triggered by geopolitical tensions in West Asia. India typically sources around 30 per cent of its natural gas through the Strait of Hormuz, making the route critical for the country’s energy imports. To offset the current shortfall, the ministry said India is actively procuring natural gas through alternative trade routes to maintain national energy security. CEC non-committal on poll phases in WB SC: Will not tolerate questioning of decisions of STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 10 March Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday remained non-committal about the number of phases in which the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal will be conducted, stating that the final decision will be taken after a detailed assessment of the law and order situation in the state. Addressing reporters in the city on Tuesday, Mr Kumar said the Election Commission would carefully review the ground situation before announcing the poll schedule. “The phases of election will be decided on the basis of the law-and-order situation in the state. We will review the situation and then take a call,” he said. Mr Kumar told reporters that the Commission had reviewed the overall law and order situation in the state and found it to be “relatively satisfactory.” When asked whether the Commission would proceed with announcing elections while nearly 60 lakh cases related to voter verification remain under adjudication, Mr Kumar said the process is being carried out under judicial supervision. “The process of adjudication is happening under the supervision of the Supreme Court of India and is being conducted by the Calcutta High Court. Judicial officers are carrying out the verification, and we will work according to the instructions of the Supreme Court. Names will be included in the electoral rolls once they are verified by the judicial officers,” he said. Reiterating the Commission’s commitment to an inclusive electoral process, Mr Kumar said that every eligible voter would be ensured a place in the electoral rolls. “No legitimate voter’s name will be left out,” he said. judicial officers involved in Bengal SIR exercise PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 10 March Taking strong exception to doubts being raised regarding the credibility of judicial officers involved in the adjudication of claims and objection relating to nearly 50 lakh names figuring in the “logical discrepancy” and “unmapped” category, the Supreme Court on Tuesday sad that it will not tolerate attempts to question the decisions of the judicial officers. Berating the applications pointing to the pendency of the claims before the judicial officers, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed the Election Commission of India and the West Bengal government to provide full logistical support and necessary facilities in the conduct of the SIR. Don’t even dare to question the Judicial Officers. What more sacrifice do you want from them? They are working overtime to hear the cases of deleted voters from West Bengal! I will not tolerate this! SURYA KANT CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA “Don't even dare to question the Judicial Officers. What more sacrifice do you want from them? They are working overtime to hear the cases of deleted voters from West Bengal! I will not tolerate this!" the Chief Justice Surya Kant said. Addressing the concern over the absence of an independent appellate mechanism to appeal against exclusions from the electoral rolls, the court today requested the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to constitute an appellate tribunal of former Chief Justices or judges to hear appeals against decisions taken during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The court also requested the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to fix the honorarium to be paid the judges manning the appellate tribunals. The court also requested the Chief Justice to fix the honorarium to be paid to the former judicial officers involved in the adjudication of claims and objections relating to names fighting in the logical discrepancy and unmapped categories. category. The court said that the payment of all the honorarium will be born by the Election Commission of India. There are 200 judicial officers who have come to Bengal from the neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand. Earlier by its 24 February order, while permitting the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publish the final electoral roll on 28 February, the Supreme Court had said that supplementary voter lists to be published later, after adjudication of claims and objections relating to persons in the “logical discrepancy” and “unmapped” categories, would be treated as part of the final electoral roll published on 28 February 2026. BCCI announces `131 crore reward Defence Forces Vision 2047 aims to boost integration, for T20 WC-winning Indian team indigenisation & operational capabilities TRIDIB BAPARNASH New Delhi, 10 March Following India’s successful defence of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup title, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced a cash reward of Rs 131 crore for the victorious squad. “The Board congratulates the players, support staff and selectors once again on this historic achievement and wishes them continued success in the future,” the BCCI said in a statement. India sealed the title with a commanding 96-run victory over New Zealand in the title clash, played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Batting first, India piled up 255 for 5, powered by half-centuries from their top-order trio of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. In response, New Zealand’s chase never gathered momentum as India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah produced a decisive spell, claiming 4 for 15 from his four overs to seal a comprehensive win. The triumph marked India’s third T20 World Cup crown, the most by any team in the tournament’s history. West Indies (2012, 2016) and England (2010, 2022) are the only other sides to have lifted the title more than once. India also became the first team to successfully defend the men’s T20 World Cup title, with no previous defending champion even reaching the final. The victory also made them the first side to win the tournament on home soil. The Indian men’s team currently hold both the ICC Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup titles, and will have the opportunity to add the ICC Cricket World Cup crown to their cabinet when the next edition takes place next year. UNITED NEWS OF INDIA New Delhi, 10 March The government on Tuesday unveiled ‘Defence Forces Vision 2047: A Roadmap for a Future-Ready Indian Military’, a comprehensive document outlining the long-term transformation of India’s armed forces into a modern, integrated and technologically advanced military. The blueprint, prepared by the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, lays out the strategic framework for enhancing jointness among the services, accelerating indigenisation and strengthening operational capabilities to meet emerging security challenges in the coming decades. The document was released by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in South Block. In a statement issued here, the Ministry of Defence stated that the vision document outlines the strategic reforms, capability enhancements and organisational changes required within the defence forces to effectively address the evolving geostrategic, technological & security environment. It envisages the transformation of the military into an integrated, multi-domain and agile force capable of deterring adversaries, responding across the full spectrum of conflict and protecting expanding strategic interests, amid the rapidly changing global and regional dynamics. A central pillar of the vision is the emphasis on jointness and synergy among the Services, promoting greater coordination in planning, operations and capability development. The document also highlights the importance of innovation, advanced technologies and modern training framework to build a force that is adaptable to future warfare challenges. Another key focus area is 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence, encouraging the development and adoption of indigenous technologies and solutions tailored to the country’s unique security requirements. Strengthening domestic defence manufacturing and technological capabilities is expected to enhance operational readiness while contributing to national growth. The vision document adopts a calibrated roadmap with clearly prioritised capability goals across short-term, mid-term and long-term timelines. This structured approach will guide the development of critical military capabilities, institutional reforms and strategic partnerships required to build a world class defence force. Recognising the complexity of future security challenges, the vision document underscores the need for a whole-of-nation approach, integrating military strength with diplomatic, technological and economic power to ensure national security. Through sustained reforms, innovation and national commitment, it aims to ensure that by the centenary of India’s independence, the nation's military stand as a globally-respected, technologically-advanced and combat-ready military, contributing to a strong and resilient Viksit Bharat. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, Vice Chief of the Army Staff Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh and other senior officials were present on the occasion.