bhubaneswar l saturday l march 21, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l jeypore EDITION maximum space debris from pslv rockets, most in low earth orbit As of March, 129 space debris originating from Indian satellite missions are in orbit, mostly from PSLV rockets, Parliament was informed bullish on zero debris creation by 2030 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 rupee dive in 4 years Import costs may soar as currency falls 82 paise over Wasia tension B E N N K OCH U V 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 Express Read Raymond boss injured during Maldives trip 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. 8 killed as bus jumps median in Salem Salem: Eight persons, including a baby and a pregnant woman, were killed after a driver lost control of government bus due to a suspected brake failure, and the vehicle veered into the opposite lane and mowed down two oncoming vehicles on the Coimbatore-Salem NH on Friday | P5 ‘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 `2.35 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 `22 per litre. In Delhi, bulk diesel prices have increased from `87.67 to `109.59 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 U d aya n K i s h o r e @ New Delhi 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, c i t i n g “ c o n fl i c t o f 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. RS cross-voting: BJD MLAs defy show cause, warn legal action against party E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar In an open show of defiance, the six BJD MLAs on Friday rejected show cause notices issued to them for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections, terming the action illegal and challenging the party leadership. According to party sources, the six MLAs Chakramani Kanhar, Naba Kishore Mallick, Souvic Biswal, Subasini Jena, Ramakanta Bhoi and Devi Ranjan Tripathy, who are said to have voted in favour of BJP-backed Independent candidate Dilip Ray in the March 16 Rajya Sabha polls, have, in their replies, described the no- tices as illegal, arbitrary, baseless and unconstitutional. They have also gone to the extent of threatening legal action against the party chief whip Pramila Mallick if the show cause notices are not withdrawn immediately. The six MLAs, in identical replies, have said the show cause notice on them violates the Supreme Court judgement on the matter and also goes against the Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines. Stating that party whip does not work in Rajya Sabha elections, the MLAs have said by issuing show cause on them the party chief whip has resorted to an illegal act. Referring to section 171 of Envoy-designate Vikram Doraiswami has a Chinese name, Wei Jiameng P r e s s T r u s t o f Ind 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 ambassador to China Wei Jiameng, and stands ready to provide every convenience for him to take up his post in China,” he said. According to Chinese scholars, the loose translation of the name in Mandarin is Wei, a common Chinese surname that phonetically matches “Vi” in Vikram. Long ago, Wei was a powerful state during the Warring States period in Chinese history. “Jia” stands for “auspicious o r p r a i s e w o r t hy ” , “Meng” means “alliance”. Broadly Jiameng Vikram Doraiswami , means auspicious/ praiseworthy ally the scholars said. , It can be said as “one who forms an excellent alliance”, according to one Chinese scholar, which carries diplomatic significance in the present context of India-China relations. Lin said China hopes that after assuming his duties, Doraiswami 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. grand spectacle Odisha sets Guinness World Record with 1,174 kg Pakhala s ud a r s a n m a h a r a n a @ Bhubaeswar Odisha on Friday created a history by preparing 1,174 kg of ‘Pakhala’ and securing the Guinness World Record for the ‘largest serving of fermented rice (Pakhala)’. The record was achieved by the Odisha Tourism during celebration of ‘Pakhala Parba’ event here on the day The fermented rice was . prepared using 850 kg of rice and presented with 326 varieties of Odia dishes, showcasing state’s rich culinary heritage and agricultural diversity The food was later . distributed to over 2,000 people from underprivileged communi- CM Mohan Charan Majhi, dy CMs KV Singh Deo & Pravati Parida relish Pakhala spread at Pakhala Parba in Bhubaneswar; The Guinness World Record certificate | Express ties as part of the ‘Pakhala Parba’. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who joined the celebration at Panthanivas in Bhubaneswar, along with deputy chief ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida and other officials, said, “This accomplishment reflects our commitment to promoting Odisha’s rich culinary heritage on the global stage. It is a proud moment for every Odia, as we take our timeless traditions from local to global, further strengthening Odisha’s identity as a hub of cultural and gastronomic excellence.” He said that Pakhala is not just food but an inseparable part of Odisha’s culture and tradition. He said that the main objective of observing ‘Pakhala Day’ is to promote Odia cuisine globally “In to. day’s g rowing influence of Western food culture, this day serves to unite Odias and ensure that traditional food is not forgotCONTINUED ON P5 ten,” he said. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the MLAs said whoever voluntarily interferes or attempts to interfere with the free exercise of any electoral right commits the offence of undue influence at an election. The BJD had accused them of “gross indiscipline” and “betrayal of trust”, stating that their actions, made evident through the mandatory display of ballots, led to the defeat of the party-backed candidate. Reacting to the MLAs’ response, Mallick said they should explain why they went against the collective decision of the party to vote for BJD’s second candidate Dr Dat- teswar Hota. Besides, the MLAs have also given statements against the party leadership thereby indulging in anti-party activities. Meanwhile, BJD’s disciplinary committee presided over by vice-president Debi Mishra met at Sankha Bhawan here and discussed the action to be taken ag ainst the MLAs. Mishra said the committee has decided that disciplinary action will have to be taken against the MLAs for going against the collective decision of the party and public utterances against the leadership. “T he recommendations have been submitted to the party president Naveen Patnaik,” he said. New National Dental Commission formed to reform dental education K a v i ta B a j e l i - D at 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 Com. mission 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 The three autonomous 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 conduct and registration 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.