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Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary, Shipping and Waterways Ministry, and Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Petroleum & Natural Gas Ministry, (right) addressing the media at Inter Ministerial Briefing on Recent Development in West Asia at National Media Centre, in New Delhi on March 18, 2026. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma Addressing looming concerns about India’s energy supplies stranded in vessels at the blocked Strait of Hormuz amidst the escalating tensions in West Asia, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary at the Ministry of Shipping and Waterways told reporters in the daily inter-ministerial briefing Wednesday that Indian-flagged tankers presently in the region that opens into the Persian…

A surge in global oil prices triggered by escalating tensions in West Asia is beginning to ripple through India’s domestic energy economy, disrupting cooking gas supplies and accelerating a shift toward electric alternatives.Brent crude has climbed over $100/bbl in recent weeks amid fears of supply disruptions through key shipping routes, raising concerns for India, which depends on imports for the bulk of its energy needs. The impact is now being felt at the household level, with tighter availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and rising costs for commercial users.India’s annual LPG consumption doubled between 2011-12 and 2024-25, rising from nearly…

Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth ₹4,741.22 crore on March 17, 2026, according to exchange data. FIle | Photo Credit: PTI Stock market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended nearly 1% higher on Wednesday (March 18, 2026), extending their winning run to the third day in a row, amid a slight drop in crude oil prices and a firm trend in global peers.A rally in IT stocks also led to the optimistic trend in the domestic markets.The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 633.29 points or 0.83% to settle at 76,704.13. During the day, it soared 929.38 points or 1.22% to 77,000.22.The…

Image used for representational purposes. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The rupee slumped 23 paise to close at a record low of 92.63 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday (March 18, 2026), weighed down by a stronger greenback and sustained FII outflows.Elevated crude oil prices in global markets amid intensifying conflict in West Asia further dampened sentiments, forex traders said.At the interbank foreign exchange, the local unit opened at 92.42 against the greenback and traded in the range of 92.41-92.48 for most of the session before losing ground at the fag end to close at its record low of…

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan. File. | Photo Credit: IMRAN NISSAR Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan expressed optimism in Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer replicating his last season’s form and leadership, adding that while there is a spot for him in the Indian T20I set-up, the right-hander is a “proven cricketer” who does not need to use the Indian Premier League (IPL) to present his case for a return to T20I team.Punjab Kings, the last season’s runners-up, will start their IPL campaign against 2022 champions Gujarat Titans on March 31 at New Chandigarh. After a brilliant run last year,…

Polly Umrigar in action against Australia in the 1959 Kanpur Test. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES Columnists are sometimes carried along by the rush of events, often feeling obliged to comment on the here-and-now. Thus, the progress from the build-up to the T20 World Cup to its unfolding to the final, to the post-mortem of the event. And when that’s over, the IPL gets similar treatment. Occasionally, however, it is rewarding to look back rather than forward, and place today in the context of yesterday.March 28, for example, is a significant date this year. It sees the start of…

Image for representational purposes only. | Photo Credit: PTI The Union Government has written to State governments and Union Territories urging them that pending applications for laying of city gas distribution pipelines (CGD) be given deemed approval and new applications be accorded approval within twenty-four hours, Sujata Sharma, Joint-Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) told reporters here in an inter-ministerial briefing here Tuesday (March 17, 2026).  Additionally, Ms. Sharma informed that the Union Govt has also urged that the respective governments waive off road restoration and permission charges and relax working conditions, among other things.  “The [Union] Government has written to governments of States and union territories requesting them that all…

Stronger and sharper: Jayawardene says Rohit is much fitter and very committed. | Photo Credit: X@mipaltan Rohit Sharma may not have featured in T20 cricket for nearly a year, but as he gears up for another Indian Premier League season, Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene is expecting a “newer version” of the veteran opener.“He (Rohit) has done a lot of work behind the scenes. He had a lot of skill work done in the last week. He joined us on the first day of our training camp. He looked very good in the nets. This is a newer version…

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance noted “flaws in planning” by Niti Aayog when it comes to its finances. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance pulled up the Ministry of Planning for not “planning” its finances better. The committee found that despite spending less than half of the budget allocated to it, the Ministry was allocated ever-higher amounts over the past three financial years. In its latest report tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (March 17, 2026), the committee called for “more realistic” planning and financial management by the Ministry. The government’s nodal think-tank,…

Trust in continuity: Ponting and Shreyas have backed the core of the crew that drove Punjab Kings to the summit clash last season. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO: VIJAY SONEJI No leader from the Punjab Kings dynasty has conquered the Indian Premier League. Which is why Shreyas Iyer, the current chief of the PBKS army, had rallied his troops with a war cry moments after losing the final battle in the previous IPL tussle.“The job is still half done. We have to lift the trophy next year,” Shreyas had said after being beaten to the crown by Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar.With…