Monday 31 `1,40,000 cr march, 2025 is vodafone’s agr dues as of december 31, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard equity issuance process to take 30 days X.com/TheMornStandard Despite the increase in government’s stake, the promoters – Vodafone Inc and Aditya Birla Group — will continue to have operational control of the joint venture company t r u mp sa y s force not ruled out for greenland Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen scolded the Trump administration for its “tone” in criticising Denmark and Greenland. Page 09 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS l New Delhi l J8.00 AFSPA extended in Manipur for 6 mths from Apr 1 M AYAN K SIN G H @ New Delhi Rescuers on the job at the Sky Villa Condo that collapsed in Friday’s earthquake in Mandalay in Myanmar on Sunday | AP @ New Delhi THE Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which gives armed forces operating in disturbed areas sweeping powers and immunity from prosecution, was on Sunday extended for six months across Manipur, except 13 police stations, in view of the prevailing law and order situation. The law has also been extended to eight districts in Nagaland and 21 police station areas in five other districts of the state for six months, according to a notification issued by the Union home ministry . The law was simultaneously extended to Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts and three police station areas in Namsai district in Arunachal Pradesh for six months beginning April 1. Manipur has been under President’s rule since February 13 after Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who was heading a BJPled government, resigned on February 9 following ethnic violence that claimed more than 260 lives since May 2023. Police station areas in Manipur where the AFSPA will not be in force are: Imphal, Lamphal, City, Singjamei, Patsoi, Wangoi in Imphal West district, Porompat, Heingang, Irilbung in Imphal East district, Thoubal in Thoubal district and Bishnupur and Nam- Naval ships deployed Security personnel conduct a search operation near Imphal West in Manipur | PTI Calls for withdrawal There have been demands for the complete withdrawal of the law from the Northeast.Manipuri activist Irom Chanu Sharmila fought against the law by remaining on hunger strike for 16 years, before ending it in 2016 bol in Bishnupur district and Kakching in Kakching district. In Nagaland, Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek and Peren districts in Nagaland have been brought under AFSPA from April 1, 2025, unless withdrawn earlier. In Arunachal Pradesh , Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district have been brought under the law. Health facilities destroyed INS Karmuk is an indigenous missile Corvette and LCU is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment and advanced systems. Apart from other operations, the ship can be deployed for amphibious operations and disaster relief An initial report on earthquake relief efforts issued Saturday by the UN noted the severe damage or destruction of many health facilities, and warned that a ‘severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts’ S U D HIR S U RYAWANSHI & RA J E SH K U M AR THA K U R @ Mumbai/New Delhi prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters—his first visit to the Nagpur-based organisation after becoming prime minister 11 years ago. The visit comes months after reports of friction between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological parent RSS. Modi visited the memorial of RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, accompanied by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and paid floral tributes. He also laid the foundation stone of Madhav Netralaya PM Narendra Modi with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat during the foundation stone laying of Madhav Netralaya in Nagpur | pti Premium Centre, a new extension building of Madhav Netralaya Eye Institute & Research Centre, named after late RSS chief Madhavrao Golwalkar. Speaking at the function, Modi lauded the Sangh, calling Two persons were killed and two others sustained injuries after a car crashed into a tree in west Delhi’s Naraina in the early hours of Sunday, police said. The cause of the accident is not known, the police said, adding that the investigation is underway | P3 @ Chennai Starting next academic year, students in Classes 6 to 9 in Tamil Nadu will learn the basics of computer science, artificial intelligence (AI), coding, and online tools as part of their curriculum. The State Council for Educational Research and Training is in the final stage of preparing the syllabus with expert inputs and will soon begin training teachers. J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was “pissed off ” at Russian President Vladimir Putin and warned he would impose secondary tariffs of 25% to 50% on buyers of Russian oil if Moscow blocks his efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The threat, if it materialises, could have wider ramifications for both India and global market stability . Speaking to NBC News, Trump also threatened Iran with bombing and secondary tariffs if Tehran failed to reach an agreement with Washington over its nuclear programme. In his first comments since Iran HARP r E E T BA J WA @ Chandigarh Rescue underway after Kamakhya Express derailed near Manguli station in Cuttack on Sunday | RASHMIRANJAN MOHAPATRA 1 dead, 15 hurt in Odisha train derailment Hem a n t K um a r R o u t @ Bhubaneswar One person was killed and at least 15 others were injured after 11 coaches of the 12251 Bengaluru-Kamakhya AC Superfast Express derailed near Nergundi in Cuttack, Odisha on Sunday . The accident occur red around 11.45 am when the train, en route from Bengaluru to Kamakhya in Assam, was negotiating a curve after crossing the Mahanadi river. Sources said a major tragedy was averted as the train was moving slowly when the accident, possibly caused by track issues, took place. The deceased was identified as Suvankar Roy (22) from West Bengal. The injured were rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, with three still under treatment, and one in critical condition. A Guwahati-bound passenger reported hearing a noise before the train vibrated and derailed. Police said Suvankar, who hailed from Alipurduar in Bengal, jumped off and died. Senior Railway officials visited the accident site and announced `5 lakh for the deceased’s kin and `2.5 lakh for the grievously injured. Train services on the busy Howrah-Vijaywada route were disrupted, with 21 trains being diverted. The Railways has ordered a probe. The accident comes two years after the Balasore tragedy that killed over 290 and injured 1,000. TN to include coding, AI in school syllabi for classes 6-9 Su b a s h i n i V i j aya kum a r it the ‘banyan tree’ of India’s immortal culture. He said the RSS provides a clear direction toward life’s purpose. “RSS volunteers are working selflessly in various spheres in different parts of the country. This large vatvruksh is not an ordinary one. RSS is synonymous to service,” he said. After his visit to the RSS headquarters, Modi paid a visit to Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur, where Dr B R Ambedkar embraced Buddhism. Later in the day, Modi travelled to Chhattisgarh, where he laid the foundation stone and inaugurated development projects worth more than `33,700 crore related to various sectors. P8 6 killed, 5 hurt as storm uproots tree in Himachal The family of army Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and retracted heir demand for a CBI probe. They will also meet Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, and said would continue to protest if justice is not served. Two killed in car accident in Delhi’s Naraina The Indian Navy on Sunday moved out two more warships towards Yangon city in Myanmar, carrying major relief material onboard to provide aid to the nation after the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28. This is following the deployment of two ships INS Satpura and Savitri from the Eastern Naval Command that set sail for Yangon on March 29 as part of the Navy’s immediate response. In a statement, a Naval spokesperson said, “Naval ships Karmuk and LCU-52 from the Andaman and Nicobar Command set sail for Yan- gon to assist in the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. Approximately 52 tonnes of relief material have been loaded on board, including HADR pallets consisting of essential clothing, drinking water, food, medicines, and emergency stores.” In the after math of the earthquake that left around 1,600 dead and thousands injured, the Indian government launched Operation Brahma for rendering assistance to Myanmar. So far, 137 tonnes of relief material have been delivered to Yangon in addition to rescue teams, specialised medical compliments and the ships to extend India’s help. Landslide hits kullu Col’s family withdraws CBI probe demand Forest officials found a dead tigress in the Dhela range of Ramnagar’s Corbett Tiger Reserve on Sunday. Speculation is rife that the tiger may have been killed by an elephant, as sources claim the presence of a herd of jumbos in the vicinity. | P8 issue price based on sebi regulations The country’s third largest telecom company informed stock exchanges that the government will receive 3,695 crore equity shares at a face value `10 per share. The move is part of the September 2021 telecom reforms package aimed at helping struggling firms. The issue price is based on SEBI regulations | P10 According to sources, the new curriculum, besides covering coding, machine learning and robotics, will also integrate online tools, such as GeoGebra (interactive math application) and PhET (Physics Education Technology) simulations, to help students understand math and science concepts that are already a part of the syllabus. These tools will be made available at the hi-tech labora- The Ministry of External Affairs-led HADR efforts are progressing in conjunction with the Integrated Defence Staff, the Army Air Force and , the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF). The Army also expanded its operations closer towards the quake-hit areas. The Army team, comprising 118 personnel including medical and communication units, airlanded at Naypyidaw airport at 11:30 pm (Myanmar time) on March 29. The operation is being led by the Commander of the 50 (I) Para Brigade. Mandalay located 160 miles , north of the current base, has been identified as the primary area of operations.  P9 Modi visits RSS headquarters Trump threatens tariffs for 1st time after becoming PM on buyers of Russian oil E x p r ess r ea d Tigress found dead in U’khand Corbett reserve PAGES 12 The Centre will convert Vodafone Idea’s outstanding auction spectrum dues of `36,950 cr into equity shares, upping its stake to 48.99% Navy mobilises two more warships with relief material for Myanmar Home ministry notification broadens law in parts of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh too Express news service l Govt’s stake in Vi now 49%; converts dues into equity tories in middle schools, and both the teachers and students will be trained to use them. The students will also be introduced to visual-based programming tools like Scratch and Blockly which will allow them to create animations, games, and interactive stories. As they progress, the students will learn Python and other programming languages, enabling them to write basic programs. Students will also explore the applications of AI and machine learning and lear n patter n recognition, among other concepts. The school education department held a meeting with industry experts to gather inputs for drafting the syllabus. Once finalised, interested math and science teachers will be trained in teaching the new subjects. The teachers’ feedback will be used to refine the syllabus to ensure effective classroom implementation, said officials. Six people, including three women, were killed and five others injured when a landslide caused by a huge tree uprooted during a storm struck them near the Manikaran Sahib gurdwara in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district. Approximately 20 pedestrians and a few parked vehicles were crushed by a tree that came crashing down from a mountain along with debris on the road. The injured were rushed to Jari Hospital for treatment. A roadside hawker, a car driver and three tourists were among those killed, eyewitnesses said. Kullu Additional District Magistrate Ashwani Kumar said that six people died and five others were injured after trees were uprooted near Manikaran Gurudwara parking in Kullu. “Police and rescue teams rushed the five injured to the local community hospital at Jari,” he added. A police team led by the Manikaran SHO reached the spot and coordinated rescue and re- rejected direct negotiations last week, he said that US and Iranian officials were in talks. Sources in New Delhi said the comments appeared to be more of a “negotiating” tactic. India has consistently said purchasing oil from Russia, its ally is a key , component of its oil buying strategy. Western sanctions on Russia resulted in discounted oil prices, causing India’s imports of Russian oil to surge dramatically, rising from less than 1% of its total crude oil imports before the Ukraine war to an astounding 40%. In March 2025, India’s crude oil imports exceeded 5 million barrels per day . Rajasthan Day to follow Hindu lunar calendar: Govt RA J E SH ASNANI @ Jaipur People gather near the site of accident after a tree fell on vehicles due to strong winds in Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh on Sunday | pti lief operations. Expressing grief over the loss of lives, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed the district administration to extend all possible assistance to the victims and their families. Earlier this week, the Meteorological Department issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds 40 to 50 kilometres per hour in the hill state’s Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, and Mandi districts. A cure for thirst Year after year, summers in the capital have left tens of thousands without a drop of drinking water; with a new govt in office, we assess if the city should again ready its buckets and brace for endless queues awaiting water tankers, or if some relief is in sight | P4 Rajasthan Day, traditionally celebrated on March 30 to mark the state’s formation in 1949, will now be observed based on the Hindu lunar calendar. The Rajasthan government has decided to align the celebration with the onset of ‘Pratipada of the Chaitra Shukla Paksha,’ meaning the date will change annually instead of remaining fixed on March 30. According to the BJP, this shift aims to integrate the celebration with Hindu culture and Indian traditions. However, the opposition views it as an attempt to further the RSS’s ideological agenda. The government says that the state was formed after consulting the auspicious timing of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada in Samvat 2006, which corresponded to March 30, 1949, in the Gregorian calendar. Over time, this link to the Hindu calendar was forgotten, and the foundation day continued to be observed on March 30 each year. Notably the , Navvarsh Samaroh Samiti, established in 1992 with inspiration from the RSS to promote the Indian New Year, advocated for change for 24 years. Recently, CM Bhajan Lal Sharma announced that Rajasthan Day would henceforth be celebrated on Chaitra Pratipada. However, the move has sparked controversy Senior so. ciologist Rajiv Gupta said, “This change is part of the broader agenda of making India a Hindu nation.”