Stock market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled in early trade on Thursday after a three-day rally following a sharp jump in crude oil prices and weak global trends.. Stock market numbers are displayed as traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on March 12, 2026 in New York City. (Getty Images via AFP). Moreover, unabated foreign fund outflows also dented market sentiments, analysts said.. The 30-share BSE Sensex tanked 1,953.21 points, or 2.54 per cent, to 74,750.92 in opening trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 580.05 points, or 2.43 per cent, to 23,197.75.. From the 30-Sensex firms, HDFC Bank declined over 3 per cent as in a sudden move, Atanu Chakraborty resigned as chairman of the country’s second biggest lender, citing ethical concerns.. Larsen & Toubro, Axis Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, Eternal and Bajaj Finance were also among the major laggards.. Also Read | PhonePe IPO put on hold as Iran war rattles stock market. NTPC and Power Grid were the only gainers.. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, jumped 3.77 per cent to USD 111.4 per barrel.. “Brent crude has shot up to USD 111. This is bad news for oil and gas importers like India. If Brent remains above USD 110 for an extended period of time, that will have negative implications for India’s macros,” V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Ltd, said.. The market has been exceedingly volatile in response to developments on the war front and crude prices, he added.. In Asian markets, South Korea’s benchmark Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index were trading significantly lower.. The US market ended sharply lower on Wednesday.. “Sentiment has weakened significantly following a sharp surge in crude oil prices, as escalating tensions in the Middle East and reported attacks on key energy infrastructure have intensified concerns over supply disruptions,” Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth tech firm, said.. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹2,714.35 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs), however, bought stocks worth ₹3,253.03 crore.. Continued FII selling reflects a clear risk-off approach, with sustained capital outflows weighing on market stability, Ponmudi added.. On Wednesday, the Sensex jumped 633.29 points, or 0.83 per cent, to settle at 76,704.13. The Nifty surged 196.65 points, or 0.83 per cent, to end at 23,777.80. 

 HDFC Bank’s newly appointed interim chairman Keki Mistry on Thursday sought to reassure investors and stakeholders that the bank remains stable and that there are no material concerns following the sudden resignation of part-time chairman Atanu Chakraborty over differences on “values and ethics”.. Keki Mistry has been appointed as the HDFC Bank interim chairman (Mint). In his first remarks after taking charge, Mistry said the board remains committed to maintaining confidence in the country’s largest private-sector lender.. “The board remains committed to safeguarding investor confidence,” Mistry said, adding that the bank wanted to assure all stakeholders that there were “no material matters at this point of time”.. HDFC Bank’s chief executive also emphasised continuity in the lender’s operations. “We will continue to ensure that trust in the bank is maintained,” the CEO said.. The reassurance came after Atanu Chakraborty stepped down with immediate effect, citing ethical concerns in a resignation letter dated March 17.. “Certain happenings and practices within the bank, that I have observed over last two years, are not in congruence with my personal values and ethics,” Chakraborty wrote in the letter to the board, without elaborating on the issues.. In a regulatory filing late Wednesday night, HDFC Bank said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had approved the appointment of board member and HDFC group veteran Mistry as interim part-time chairman for three months starting March 19.. Atanu Chakraborty, a former bureaucrat, had served as the bank’s part-time chairman since April 2021 and was reappointed in May 2024 for a term running until May 2027. During his tenure, HDFC Bank completed its landmark merger with Housing Development Finance Corp. (HDFC Ltd), creating one of the world’s largest financial services groups.. In his resignation letter, Chakraborty described the merger as a “momentous event” for the institution but noted that the full benefits of the integration were yet to be realised.. The unexpected departure rattled investors, with HDFC Bank’s US-listed shares falling about 8 per cent after the announcement. Its Mumbai-listed shares had earlier closed marginally lower before the news was disclosed. 

 Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress will fight 95 of Kerala’s 140 seats, two more than it did in 2021, as part of a seat-sharing arrangement within the United Democratic Front (UDF) that was finalised on Wednesday after hectic consultations at the AICC headquarters in Delhi.. Thiruvananthapuram: Election posters of candidates and leaders displayed on a wall ahead of the Kerala Legislative Assembly election, in Thiruvananthapuram, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (PTI). As per the seat-sharing formula revealed by Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will contest 27 seats, unchanged from the last time.. PJ Joseph-led Kerala Congress (KC) was allotted eight seats, two less than in 2021. Ettumanoor and Idukki constituencies, fought by KC last time, will be taken over by the Congress as part of a one-time arrangement, Satheesan said.. Additionally, the Congress will take over Thrikkaripur seat from KC, while giving the party Kanhangad seat. “Unlike previous years, the seat sharing discussions were very smooth this time. The release of lists got delayed, not due to any tussles over seats,” Satheesan said.. Also Read | Kerala polls: BJP releases 1st candidates list; Rajeev Chandrasekhar named from Nemom. The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), led by Shibu Baby John, was allotted five seats. Instead of the Mattannur seat in Kannur district that it traditionally fights, the RSP opted for Payyannur where it will support the candidature of Communist Party of India (Marxist) rebel V Kunhikrishnan, who raised allegations of misappropriation of party funds against his former party. The Mattannur seat will go to the Congress.. Other allies who get one seat each include Kerala Congress (Jacob) in Piravom, Communist Marxist Party (CMP) in Thiruvananthapuram, Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) in Vatakara, Mani C Kappen-led party in Pala and PV Anvar (Trinamool Congress) in Beypore.. The IUML will finalise its nominees in two seats by Thursday. With that, the UDF, which hopes to dislodge the Left Democratic Front after a decade, will have declared all its candidates.. Kerala goes to the polls on April 9. The ruling LDF has already declared 137 candidates and the third force, the Bharatiya Janata Party, has released 71 names.. Among the battleground seats are Palakkad, Nemom, Vattiyoorkavu, Peravoor and Manjeshwar.. In the ruling LDF, the CPI (M) dominates with 86 seats, followed by the CPI’s 25. Smaller allies hold limited but strategic spots: KC(M) with 12, RJD with 3 JD(S) and NCP with 3 each, INL with three seats, and one seat apiece for LJD, NSC, KC(B), Cong(S), and JKC.. On Wednesday, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the CPI(M) announced more candidates for the upcoming polls.. The RJD – an ally of the Congress at the national level and in Bihar but fighting in Kerala as part of the LDF – revealed three candidates. The CPI(M) unveiled four names as independents.. The RJD, led by MV Sreyams Kumar, decided to field 

 The Supreme Court has held that the percentage of disability cannot be treated as determinative of a candidate’s capability or suitability for public employment, underlining that the State carries a positive obligation to ensure equal opportunity and provide reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities.. Disability percentage can’t determine capability for public employment: Supreme Court. A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta made the observation while ordering the Himachal Pradesh government to appoint a lawyer with 90% permanent locomotor disability as an assistant district attorney (ADA), setting aside the state’s decision to deny him the post despite his success in the selection process.. The court also imposed costs of ₹5 lakh on the state, noting that the candidate, Prabhu Kumar, had been “unjustly denied appointment” despite being meritorious and was forced to undergo prolonged litigation.. “The percentage of disability, by itself, cannot be treated as determinative of a candidate’s capability or suitability for public employment,” held the bench in a judgment released on Tuesday, emphasising that the statutory framework under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 mandates the State to ensure equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation.. Kumar, a practising advocate since 2015, had applied for the ADA post pursuant to a 2018 advertisement issued by the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission. While he cleared the written examination and interview, and was recommended for appointment, the state refused to appoint him on the ground that his disability — assessed at 90% — exceeded the prescribed upper limit of 60% mentioned in the recruitment notification.. The Supreme Court found this stipulation fundamentally flawed. It held that while the RPwD Act defines a minimum threshold of 40% disability for availing reservation benefits, it does not permit the State to impose an upper ceiling that excludes candidates with higher degrees of disability. By prescribing a 60% cap, the state had effectively “rewritten the statutory definition” to the detriment of those the law seeks to protect, the court observed.. The bench was categorical that such a restriction had no rational nexus with the duties of an assistant district attorney, which primarily require legal acumen, analytical ability and mental agility rather than physical capacity. It also noted that Kumar had been practising law for nearly a decade without impediment, demonstrating that a higher degree of disability did not compromise professional competence.. In a significant reiteration of disability rights jurisprudence, the court stressed that the principle of “reasonable accommodation” lies at the heart of the 2016 law and cannot be ignored by administrative authorities. It held that the State must make “necessary and appropriate modifications” to ensure that persons with disabilities can enjoy their rights on an 

 The Kerala High Court in Kochi has ruled that defaming a woman’s character without basis amounts to a “pernicious form of social violence.” It further noted that a society’s greater emphasis on a woman’s image over her accomplishments “reveals its own intellectual poverty.” These remarks by Justice C S Dias were made while dismissing an FIR against Malayalam actor Shwetha Menon, accused of sharing or broadcasting obscene content from her previous films and ads. The court endorsed the actor’s argument that the complaint was lodged solely to prevent her candidacy for President of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, right before nomination withdrawals. “The complaint’s timing clearly points to its malicious and harassing intent,” the court stated, granting her request to quash the FIR. It concluded that, after reviewing the complaint, FIR, evidence, and applicable laws, no offenses were established, and the claims were driven by a hidden agenda to damage Menon’s reputation. “Defaming a woman’s character without foundation is a destructive type of social violence, as the words are easily spoken, but the lasting stigma is often irreversible. It is commonly observed that when a woman achieves prominence in public life, rivals may resort to attacks beyond reason, logic, or merit to undermine her.” The court, in its March 11 order, described social shaming as a commonly used weapon. It added that advanced societies judge individuals by their deeds and contributions, whereas backward ones rely on defamation, character attacks, and moral vigilantism. “A society that prioritizes a woman’s reputation over her accomplishments reveals its own intellectual deficiency,” the court observed. It clarified that women’s empowerment does not require portraying them as flawless saints, but rather honoring their unique identities, ambitions, and achievements with respect and equity. “Any society that permits the defamation of a woman driven by jealousy or spite is inherently unjust,” the High Court stated. In August of the previous year, the High Court had halted proceedings related to the FIR, noting initial merit in the actor’s argument that authorities should have obtained a police report and conducted an inquiry before launching an investigation. The FIR, filed under Section 67 of the IT Act and sections of the Immoral Traffic Act, targeted the actor. The court ruled that the complaint’s “broad and baseless claims, lacking evidence or initial proof,” failed to substantiate the charged offenses. The actor, Menon, was competing for the president’s role in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) when the FIR was registered; she was subsequently elected president. In her petition, Menon asserted that the accusations were malicious, the alleged crimes did not apply, and the complaint surfaced right after her nomination for AMMA president. Complainant Martin Menachery claimed that Menon’s participation in a condom ad years earlier and roles in films lik