kozhikode l saturday l march 21, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION 129 space debris from INDIA sats, most in low earth orbit aiming for zero debris creation by 2030 As of March, 129 space debris originating from Indian satellite missions are in orbit, mostly from PSLV rockets, Parliament was informed expert studies in place for mission The management of space debris has become a concern. According to a written reply in Parliament by the Centre, the debris includes 23 defunct satellites in low earth orbit and 26 in geostationary orbit. In addition, there are rocket debris from PSLV (40), GSLV (4) and LVM3 (3). It is in this backdrop that India is aiming for zero debris creation by 2030 ■ ■ As a step to achieve zero debris mission, ISRO has institutionalised the process to ensure extra fuel margins for both spacecraft and launch vehicles, during mission design and project initialisation phase Studies are being undertaken for robotic arm, rendezvous and proximity operations that are precursors to active debris removal 35,000 trackable debris objects are currently in space worldwide CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Steepest single-day New National Dental Commission rupee dive in 4 years formed to reform dental education Import costs may soar as currency falls 82 paise over Wasia tension B E N N K O CHUV E E D A N @ Mumbai The rupee on Friday logged its steepest single-day decline in four years, closing at a record low of 93.71 against the dollar, down 82 paise, as escalating tensions in West Asia kept crude oil prices elevated. The currency opened at 93.15 and remained under pressure through the session. During intraday trading, it weakened 1.1% to touch 93.7350 (down 103 paise), breaching its previous record low of 92.63 hit earlier this week. The rupee eventually settled at 93.71, marking a weekly decline of about 1.3%— the sharpest since late 2022. With this, the rupee has earned the dubious distinction of being the worst-performing currency in Asia, depreciating over 5.5% so far this year. Over the past year, the currency has weakened by around 8% against the dollar compared with an average annual fall of 4.2% in recent years. The continued slide poses risks to India’s macroeconomic goals, including its ambition to become a $5-trillion economy . A weaker rupee raises the cost of imports across the board, not just crude oil. India imports nearly 85% of its crude oil and over 60% of its natural gas requirements, making it particularly vulnerable to currency depreciation. According to RBI estimates, a $10 per barrel rise in crude prices typically pushes up inflation by about 30 basis points. Crude is currently trading above $110 per barrel. For the domestic economy, the impact of a prolonged conflict extends beyond currency weakness. The combination of ‘Re may breach 95-mark’ Rupee vs Dollar 92.28 (+2p) 92.25 (-24p) 92.30 (-5p) 92.40 (-12p) 92.89 (-49p) day 21 93.71* (-82p) March 12 March 13 March 16 March 17 March 18 March 20 *Provisional (Inverted Scale) Premium petrol, industrial diesel prices raised The West Asia war has begun to affect petrol and diesel prices, with OMCs raising premium petrol prices by up to I2.35 per litre from Friday. The latest hike applies only to premium variants such as BPCL’s Speed, HPCL’s Power fuel and Indian Oil’s XP95, while regular petrol prices remain unchanged. OMCs have also raised bulk diesel prices for industrial users by I22 per litre. In Delhi, bulk diesel prices have increased from I87.67 to I109.59 per litre a depreciating rupee and elevated crude prices could fuel imported inflation, especially in fuel and commodities, raise input costs for businesses, and increase the burden on consumers—prompting monetary policy action by RBI. With no signs of ease in the West Asia conflict, the rupee remains vulnerable. Several global brokerages, including Goldman Sachs and UBS, expect the Indian currency to weaken further and breach the 95-mark in the near term A sustained spike in oil prices could also dampen growth in one of the world’s largest oilimporting economies. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have already pulled out over $8 billion from Indian equities this month—the highest outflow since January 2025—adding further pressure on the rupee. In 2025, FPIs had sold equities worth $18.9 billion. Domestic equity markets, however, showed resilience. After a sharp fall of 3% on Thursday benchmark indices Sensex , and Nifty recovered modestly on Friday rising 0.5%. , With Iran-US tensions simmering, concerns over crude supply disruptions are mounting. Officials in Saudi Arabia have warned that oil prices could touch $180 per barrel if the war goes on till late April, raising fears of a prolonged energy shock. CJI recuses from hearing plea on panel picking CEC 37-year-old woman dies 2 months after 7th delivery at home U d ayan K i s h o r e @ New Delhi 11. After the child’s death, she came to her maternal A 37-year-old woman, who home, and that was when we gave birth to her seventh knew about the incident. She child at home without any was very weak then,” said medical supervision around Anees, a relative. “A complaint was lodged two months ago, died on Friday. Muhseena, who had with the Chavakkad police been suffering from compli- after we came to know about cations ever since the deliv- the baby’s death. But an FIR ery, died while under treat- was registered only after ment at the Government court intervention,” he said. “Around five days Medical College ago, she called her Hospital in Fourth loss sister and sought Thrissur. T h e d e l ive r y Muhseena’s relatives help, following said this was the which we took her was allegedly confourth child the to a private hospiducted by her huscouple had lost, as tal. She was in a band, an acupuncall deliveries very bad physical turist. She gave birth on January 6 happened at home. and mental condiThey alleged that tion. Certain parts at their home in her husband was of her body were Edakazhiyur, Chavakkad, but the adamant about her found wor m-ingiving birth to the fested,” he said. baby died three He alleged that days later, report- child at home under acupuncture Ibrahim and anedly due to lack of treatment. other person, Ruproper medical vay t h a Fa i z a l , care. Muhseena’s relatives al- were administering aculeged that her husband, Kal- puncture treatment to her. luvallappil Ibrahim, was ad- Muhseena was shifted to the amant about her giving birth government medical college to the child at home under hospital on Thursday after acupuncture treatment. It her condition worsened. When contacted, a family was the fourth child the couple had lost, as all deliveries member of Ibrahim refuted happened at home. The rela- all allegations. The Chatives alleged that Muhseena vakkad police have regisdidn’t undergo any antena- tered a case of unnatural tal examinations or get med- death. DMO Sreelekha said ical advice in any of the necessary steps will be taken after getting the postmortem pregnancies. “The baby died on January report. ● More on P6 Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Friday recused himself from hearing a batch of petitions challenging a 2023 law that removed the CJI from a committee mandated to appoint the chief election commissioner to the poll panel, citing “conflict of interest”. The court was hearing a batch of PILs challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act. The CJI said it would be appropriate for the case to be listed before a bench where no judge was in line to become the chief justice. Else, “I will be accused of conflict of interest,” the CJI said. The December 2023 law came months after a SC order that a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the CJI appoint election commissioners. The bench had said the system would remain in force till a law was enacted. Under the 2023 Act, however, the selection committee consists of the PM, a Union minister nominated by the PM and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. K a v i ta Ba j e l i - Dat t @ New Delhi IN a major reform aimed at improving the quality of dental education and aligning it with global standards, the Centre on Friday announced the constitution of the National Dental Commission (NDC). To support the functioning of the Commission, three autonomous bodies have also been constituted. The Commission will introduce essential and long-overdue regulatory reforms in dental education, and enhance access to affordable oral healthcare across the country . The notifications in this regard were issued on March 19. The NDC framework will now replace the Dental Council of India (DCI), which regulated dental education and profession throughout the country. The new Commission has come into effect from March 19. The Commission will frame regulations to implement the provisions of the Act; will conduct rating and assessment of dental institutions; evaluate human resources and promote dental research; frame guidelines for fee regulation in private dental colleges; and establish standards for community dental care, education, research, and professional ethics. “This historic reform marks a decisive shift towards a regulatory framework that is transparent, quality-driven, and accountable; replacing the earlier elected structure,” the Union Health Ministry said in a statement. Key mandate of NDC The commission will frame rules, conduct rating and assessment of dental institutions. It will evaluate human resources and promote dental research, frame guidelines for fee regulation in private dental colleges and establish standards for ethics T h e t h re e a u t o n o m o u s boards are — Undergraduate and Postgraduate Dental Education Board, which will oversee dental education; Dental Assessment and Rating Board, which will regulate accreditation and institutional assessment; and the Ethics and Dental Registration Board, which will govern professional con- ‘Rejected’ Sudhakaran becomes cynosure of all eyes in Kannur M P P r a s h an t h @ Kannur Kannur MP K Sudhakaran could not have asked for more. He took a flight to New Delhi with an ambition to contest in the assembly polls from his home turf, but had to return on F r i d ay m o r n i n g e m p t y handed. But soon the former Congress state president realised how important he is in UDF politics, at least in Kannur, though he was denied a ticket. Candidates from different constituencies made a beeline to his residence at Nadal near here, Assembly elections seeking his blessings and ensuring his support. They showered encomiums on the leader, who fought the Communists tooth and nail. The candidates returned after they got a promise that Sudhakaran would campaign for them in their constituencies. The first to arrive was former Kannur mayor T O Mohanan, who is the UDF candidate in the constituency where Sudhakaran himself wanted to contest. Without showing any displeasure outwardly, Sudhakaran welcomed the candidate. “The leader will be active in my campaign. We will fix a date convenient for him for the election convention,” Mohanan told reporters. Next in the queue was T K Govindan, a former CPM district secretariat member who is the UDF-supported independent candidate in Talipara- mba. Govindan is facing the threat of a Congress rebel who has said he will contest against the former CPM leader. Koyyam Jananardhanan, a KPCC member, has openly declared that the Congress leadership did not consult the local-level committees before deciding to support Govindan. Chandran Thillankari, the Congress candidate in Mattannur, and Abdul Kareem Cheleri and Jayanthi Rajan, IUML candidates in Azhikode and Koothuparamba, respectively, also visited Sudhakaran. It is no secret that Sudhakaran wanted some of his close associates to contest elections in Kannur district. But they did not figure in the final list of candidates. Naturally this has infuriated , the leader, who is known for his special affinity for those who stand with him. The candidates wanted to ensure that his ire does not spill over to their constituencies and upset their ap● More on P6 plecart. duct and re gistration of dentists. Dr Sanjay Tewari has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Commission, while Dr. Mousumi Goswami will be a part-time member. Dr Chandrashekhar Janakiram has been appointed as the president of the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Dental Education Board. Dr. Shailesh Madhav Lele will be the whole time member. Lt Gen (Retd) Nanda Kishore Sahoo is the president of the Dental Assessment and Rating Board while Dr Himanshu Aeran is a whole time member. Lt Gen (Retd) Tapas Kumar Bandyopadhyay has been appointed as the whole time member of the Ethics and Dental Registration Board. Arindam Modak will head the Secretariat as Secretary to the NDC. Raj, Gujarat CMs to accompany BJP candidates to submit papers E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kochi Chief ministers of BJP-ruled states will accompany senior leaders in Kerala to submit their nomination papers on Saturday . According to BJP leaders, Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma will accompany party candidates in Thiruvananthapuram to submit their papers. Gujarat CM Bhoopendar Patel will join Palakkad candidate Sobha Surendran, Thrissur candidate Padmaja Venugopal, Manalur candidate K K Aneesh Kumar and Nattika candidate C C Mukundan while submitting the papers. The BJP state leadership is trying to bring Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in the coming days. BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar will submit his nomination papers accompanied by Bhajanlal Sharma at the Labour Office in Vikas Bhavan at 11.30 am. E x p r e s s Re a d G O PI K A V A RRI E R @Thrissur HDFC Bank fires three senior executives Raymond boss injured during Maldives trip 109 held in Abu Dhabi for filming sites hit by Iran UP’s permanent DGP proposal rejected Mumbai: Within two days of its former non-executive chairman Atanu Chakraborty resigned over unspecified differences in “values and ethics”, HDFC Bank has fired 3 senior executives for their role in alleged mis-selling of Swiss bank Credit Suisse’s AT1 bonds, which were sold as safehaven assets in 2025. P12 Mumbai: Raymond Group CMD Gautam Hari Singhania suffered minor injuries in a speedboat accident in the Maldives and is currently recovering in Mumbai, his spokesperson said on Friday. According to a report from the Maldives, a speedboat carrying tourists capsized near V Felidhoo early on Friday. Abu Dhabi: Police in the UAE’s Abu Dhabi emirate said they arrested more than 109 people for filming and posting misinformation during the Middle East war. The arrests come as Gulf countries crack down on footage and posts related to Iran’s attacks during the conflict. Lucknow: The UPSC has returned the Uttar Pradesh government’s proposal for appointing a permanent DGP raising objections and asked it to submit a fresh proposal within the 3 months. Sources said the commission asked the state to prepare a new proposal in line with 2025 guidelines.P10 Stands for laudable ally Envoy-designate Vikram Doraiswami has an interesting Chinese name, Wei Jiameng P r e s s T r u s t o f In d i a @ Beijing India’s newly appointed Ambassador to China Vikram Doraiswami has a Chinese name: Wei Jiameng, which denotes auspicious or praiseworthy ally Doraiswami, a 1992-batch . IFS officer, was appointed India’s new envoy to China on Thursday . Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a media briefing on Friday that he noticed that the Indian envoy has chosen a Chinese name for himself: Wei Jiameng. “China welcomes India’s new history “Jia” stands for “auspi. ambassador to China Wei Jia- cious or praiseworthy”, “Meng” meng, and stands ready to pro- means “alliance”. Broadly Jia, vide every convenmeng means auspiience for him to take cious/praiseworthy up his post in China,” ally the scholars said. , he said. It can be said as “one According to Chiwho forms an excellent nese scholars, the alliance”, according to loose translation of one Chinese scholar, the name in Mandarin which carries diplois Wei, a common Chi- Vikram Doraiswami matic significance in nese sur name that the present context of phonetically matches “Vi” in India-China relations. Vikram. Long ago, Wei was a Lin said China hopes that afpowerful state during the War- ter assuming his duties, Doring States period in Chinese raiswami will make positive contributions to the sustained improvement and development of China-India ties. Doraiswami’s appointment evoked considerable interest in the Chinese official media and the strategic community. A Mandarin speaker, he served both in Hong Kong and Beijing in his early career as a diplomat. He served as Third Secretary in Hong Kong, where he earned an elective diploma in Chinese from the New Asia Yale-in-Asia Language School before moving to Beijing in 1996 for a four-year tenure.