Military hardware buy worth K2.38L cr cleared The Rajnath Singh-led defence ministry on Friday cleared a massive capital acquisition package meant for the Indian Air Force and the Army. The package includes 60 medium transport aircraft, five additional S-400 longrange air defence system squadrons and four squadrons of remotely piloted strike aircraft, artillery, ammunition and networked systems. The acquisition of 60 medium transport aircraft, pegged around I1 lakh crore will help replace ageing Soviet-origin AN-32 fleet. P9 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l saturday l march 28, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l late city EDITION 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 Modi kindles Team India spirit West Asia situation dynamic, needs constant monitoring to evolve adaptive strategies: PM Haryana election ticket for cash F.I.R hits COngress biggies e x press n e w s ser v ice @ New Delhi R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi Advisory to states States with citizens in West Asia should activate helplines, appoint nodal officers, and establish district-level support systems for affected families Engage continuously with industry and MSMEs to address concerns Coordination mechanisms needed at all levels, including regular reviews by Chief Secretaries and district-level monitoring for quick response to evolving situations Cabinet secretary presents overview of situation, outlines suggestions for the states Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday sought to kindle the spirit of Team India in the wake of the West Asia flare-up, in a virtual meeting with chief ministers of all states and Union territories except those facing polls. The Centre and the states should work harmoniously to ensure economic and trade stability energy , security strengthen industry and supply chains, , as also safeguard citizens’ interests, as they did during the Covid pandemic, he said. Modi emphasised the need for advance planning in the agriculture sector, particularly in monitoring fertiliser storage and distribution. “There is the need for robust coordination mechanisms at all levels to enable quick response to evolving situations,” the PM said. Placing special emphasis on border and coastal states, he highlighted the need to address emerging challenges related to shipping, essential supplies and maritime operations. Modi advised all participants to be on alert and cautioned against the spread of misinformation and rumours, underlining the importance of sharing accurate and credible information. He also urged the CMs to take strict action against hoarding and profiteering. Referring to the situation in West Asia, the PM observed that India has prior experience in handling similar global disruptions. He recalled the collective response during the Covid pandemic, when the Centre and states worked together as Team India to mitigate impacts on supply chains, trade, and daiday ly life. The same spirit of cooperation remains India’s greatest strength in navigating the current circumstances, he said. The present situation, he added, is dynamic and requires continuous monitoring and adaptive strategies. Modi informed the participants that an Inter-Ministerial Group has been operational since March 3, reviewing developments daily and taking timely decisions. Highlighting the critical role of states, the PM noted that effective implementation occurs at the state level. 28 State of the economy 74,904.91 Sensex dips 73,583.22 73,534.41 74,883.79 Previous close: 75,273.45 (-2.25%) Market cap: Market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies slumped H8.86 lakh cr to H422.15 lakh cr A8.86 lakh cr Erosion in investors’ wealth RUPEE NEARS 95/$ March 23 March 24 March 25 March 27 93.90 93.88 93.96 94.85 (-89 paise) COMMERCIAL LPG: Allocations raised from 50% to 70% Priority sectors for LPG allocation: Steel, automobile, textile, dye, chemicals, plastics Excise duty on petrol, diesel cut to help OMCs R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi AMID energy supply disruptions due to the Iran war, the Centre on Friday announced a `10 cut in central excise duty on petrol and diesel for domestic consumption and slapped fresh export levies on key petroleum products to ensure d o m e s t i c availability . According to the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, the special additional excise duty was `10 per litre on diesel and `13 per litre on petrol. So, the `10 cut brings down the special duty on petrol to `3 and diesel to zero. However, the duty cuts are unlikely to lower retail prices of petrol and diesel as the move is to ease the burden of oil marketing companies (OMCs) which have been absorbing the rise in global crude prices. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the excise duty cut would shield consumers from rising fuel prices. Brent crude prices have surged sharply since the conflict escalated, rising from $6570 per barrel to a peak of $119— an increase of 75%. As of Saturday 12.30am, the price stood at $112.50 per barrel. The finance ministry also imposed export duties on diesel at `21.5 per litre and on aviation turbine fuel at `29.5 per litre to discourage outbound shipments and prioritise domestic usage. Delhi Police have registered a first information report (FIR) in connection with an alleged ticket-for-money case against impor tant leaders of the Congress. It was alleged in the complaint that the money was demanded on the pretext of granting an election ticket in Haryana Assembly election in 2024. Media reports alleged that the case stems from a complaint filed by Suchitra, former general secretary of Haryana Mahila Congress. The FIR was Assembly elections HC questions EC role in curbing hate speech Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday asked the EC what action is taken when individuals make communal or hate remarks despite the model code of conduct being in force. The HC raised the query while hearing a plea seeking disqualification of NDA’s Guruvayur candidate B Gopalakrishnan over alleged communal remarks. P4 curious ‘X’ factor and the whys of it I P4 Red still in the pink, but it’s not all rosy I P5 18 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express lodged after Suchitra and her husband Gaurav appeared before investigators with their complaint where they claim that they paid as much as `7 crore to secure a party ticket for Suchitra. Among those named in the complaint were Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, MP Kodikunnil Suresh and Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra’s aide Shahab Khan, the reports said. Coming as it does ahead of the Kerala polls, the allegation could have a bearing in the state. The amount was reportedly given through multiple trans- actions, including bank transfers and cash payments. However, it was alleged that neither a ticket was provided nor was the money returned. Speaking to reporters, the complainant said he has provided all details to the Delhi Police. He also mentioned that while he was going to Delhi to protest, police stopped his vehicle and assured that all necessary action would be taken to address their grievances. According to police sources, the FIR was registered by North Avenue police station under relevant provisions of BNS. Refurbished Chinnaswamy Stadium set to welcome IPL s w aroop s w ami n atha n @ Bengaluru WHEN is a game more than just a game? The one at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday evening is one that has a lot riding on it. Sure, 40 overs separate two points from the holders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, or 2024 finalists, Sunrisers Hyderabad. But it doesn’t seem right to view the opener to the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 19th edition through the conventional prism of batters, bowlers, boundaries and team news. That feeling was reestablished after spending less than 30 minutes inside the city’s largest sporting arena. There was ongoing developmental work and infrastruc- ture was either coming up or existing infra was being upgraded. To supplement new changes, almost all of it to enhance safety and security measures following last year’s stampede outside the stadium gates, some 400450 AI cameras were installed. Any small inconvenience and the cameras will alert authorities. The paying public would now be brought inside before ticket verification. The tragedy which claimed 11 lives in June 2025 jolted the establishment. Since that awful day, RCB and KSCA have taken baby steps towards bringing cricket back in some way, shape or form to this historic venue. P13