Days after two Indian-flagged ships were allowed passage through the Strait of Hormuz, external affairs minister (EAM) S Jaishankar hailed the direct talks with Tehran and said it was the most effective way to resume shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.. S Jaishankar’s remarks came days after Iran allowed two India-flagged LPG carriers to ​sail through the ​Strait of Hormuz. (REUTERS/File). In an interview with Financial Times, Jaishankar said that his talks with Iranian officials have yielded results, adding that the communication continues. “If it is yielding results for me, I would naturally continue to look at it,” he said in the interview, noting that “many more” Indian-flagged ships are yet to cross the strait.. He reportedly clarified that every vessel moved through the key waterway individually and there was no “blanket arrangement” with Iran on the matter. He further clarified that Iran received nothing in exchange for the passage of the India-flagged vessels. He cited a “history of dealing with each other . . . which is the basis on which I engaged”, the FT report said.. His remarks came even as US President Donald Trump to send warships to protect the Strait of Hormuz and ensure that the key waterway, through which a fifth of world’s oil passes, remains operational.. Last week, Iran allowed two India-flagged LPG carriers to ​sail through the ​Strait of Hormuz, hours after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a telephonic conversation, the first since the Iran-US war began. The development also followed a conversation between Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi.. What is happening at the Strait of Hormuz?. The Strait of Hormuz has been impacted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with Iran targeting US and Israeli vessels, affecting the passage of vessels from several other countries, including India.. According to an earlier PTI report, about 22 Indian-flagged vessels remain stranded on the west side of the Persian Gulf region. However, four such vessels have so far crossed the war zone unharmed, as reported by HT earlier.. With tensions still continuing, Trump is trying to put pressure on the US’s allies to aid the passage of its vessels through the strait. “It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” Trump said, according to an AFP report.. Also Read: Massive explosion near Dubai airport after Iran drone attack, ball of fire caught on cam. Notably, during the FT interview, Jaishankar also shared his take when asked whether European countries could replicate India’s arrangement. “Each relationship frankly, in a way stands on its own merits,” he said, adding that comparison would be difficult. However, the EAM said he would be happy to share India’s approach with EU capitals.. Also Read: Expert flags Trump’s Strait of Hormuz ‘blunder’ a 

 When Time magazine named Safeena Husain one of 16 Women of the Year 2026, she was standing outside at a Mumbai philanthropy conference, looking up at a sky so clear she could see the stars. “That almost never happens in Mumbai,” she told me later. “I felt so inspired.”. Safeena Husain. Making the impossible visible has been Safeena’s life’s work. For two decades, she has searched for the girls in India’s most forgotten villages, the ones with names like Maafi (forgive me for having a girl) and Missed Call (we asked God for a boy, but he missed the call).. I had known I would love Safeena Husain before I even met her.. As a mother of three girls — engineers, athletes, dreamers — I’ve felt deep gratitude to the women who made those futures possible. And Safeena Husain, founder of Educate Girls, is up there with the fighters.. We meet early this year at the Jaipur Literature Festival. Sitting across from me, Safeena looks elegant in a teal blue silk sari and long navy coat. She smiled when she saw me holding Every Last Girl, the book she is there to launch.. The book is full of heartbreaking stories. But it also offers hope, with many strategies to get girls into school. One innovative approach stages village plays dramatizing the life-and-death effects of illiteracy.. Safeena speaks with intensity and clarity. We talk about her childhood reading, the process of writing her book, and the impact of winning the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award. Here are edited excerpts of our conversation.. Safeena, are you a reader?. My parents divorced when I was young. My mother remarried, and my stepfather was an alcoholic. We lived in a one-room janta flat in Delhi. I was always in my own world, a girl with her nose in a book.. There used to be a mobile library outside Naoroji Nagar in Delhi that would come to our neighborhood, and I read a lot of books from there.. I read books with all sorts of titles, like Yahan Ka Vyapari, which I later realized was a translation of The Merchant of Venice. I read a lot of stuff, but I read it all in Hindi.. In Saket there was a sabzi mandi, and there was this place that rented comic books cheaply, and I read all those comic book digests—anything I could get my hands on.. You went from Hindi comic books to Nobel prize-winning Korean author Han Kang — how did that journey happen?. I shifted to reading in English, which was hard at first. I began with simpler books, like the Enid Blyton and Nancy Drew series. In high school, I moved to Oscar Wilde, G.B. Shaw, etc.. Now I’m discovering many female writers—books like The Vegetarian (Han Kang) and Butter (by Asako Yuzuki) . There’s incredible writing out there, like Bunny (Mona Awad), wildly imaginative, and Sally Rooney. I love these young women with fresh voices.. And now you are the author of a book? What prompted this decision to write?. I was in Oxford giving a talk when the moderator later told me, “So much has been written about you—I’ve 

 Individuals with dynastic and feudal mindset seek to confine even democratic institutions within their own limited spheres, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and also emphasised that “there exists a clear distinction between disagreement and disrespect.”. Days after the Opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion against Birla got defeated in the Lower House, Modi’s letter on Sunday underlined India’s abiding democratic values, the spirit of Parliament and the role of the Speaker and India’s strength in democratic institutions. (PTI). Days after the Opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion against Birla got defeated in the Lower House, Modi’s letter on Sunday underlined India’s abiding democratic values, the spirit of Parliament and the role of the Speaker and India’s strength in democratic institutions.. But the PM also hit back at the Opposition, which had moved five no-confidence motion against constitutional functionaries in last two years. “The nation is saddened to observe that certain individuals, harboring a dynastic and feudal mindset, seek to confine even democratic institutions within their own limited spheres. They find it difficult to readily accept the rise of any newcomer. Furthermore, they find it unacceptable that other public representatives in the House—particularly new and young Members of Parliament—should be accorded an equal opportunity to speak and advance. Such a mindset runs counter to the very spirit of democracy,” he added.. “Every citizen of the country who believes in democratic ideals felt that personal self-interest and a sense of arrogance were the driving forces behind the No-Confidence Motion brought against you. This situation saddened everyone who places their faith in democracy. This is not the first time that this Chair has had to face such circumstances,” Modi said, referring to incidents during the previous Lok Sabhas.. “Differences of opinion are inherent in a democracy. It is the diversity of ideas that infuses democracy with vitality. However, it is equally true that there exists a clear distinction between disagreement and disrespect. For all those who place their faith in democracy and its institutions, it is a matter of concern that political disagreement sometimes appears to morph into a disregard for parliamentary decorum. In such moments, the person presiding over the House faces a true test. The restraint, composure, and impartiality with which you have navigated these situations are truly commendable,” the PM said.. The PM praised Birla’s statement that no one in above the rules in the House and said the greatest strength of Indian democracy lies in its constitutional institutions. “Parliament serves as the supreme forum for these institutions. In this context, the responsibility of the Lok Sabha Speaker extends beyond merely conducting the proceedings; the Speaker also acts as the guardian of democratic traditions, p 

 The Election Commission on Sunday ordered immediate transfer of top Bengal officials, including the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary, hours after it announced the schedule for state elections.. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 15 announced the schedule for assembly polls in four states. (File Photo). The sweeping actions comes after the Election Commission announced the schedule of assembly elections for four states, including West Bengal, and one UT. Bengal goes to polling in two-phases on April 23 and 29, while the counting of votes will be done on May 4.. In the order released late on Sunday, the poll body said Dushyant Nariala, an IAS of 1993 batch, will be posted as Chief Secretary in the poll-bound Bengal. Nariala replaces Nandini Chakravorty who was appointed to the post on December 31, 2025.. Also Read: Election dates for Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry out | Check full schedule. The EC also announced the removal of Jagdish Prasad Meena, a 2004-batch IAS officer, as the Principal Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs in the state government. He will be replaced with Sanghamitra Ghosh, a 1997-batch officer.. The poll body said that the directions will be implemented with immediate effect and a compliance report regarding the joining of the above officers should be sent by 3pm on Monday, March 16.. The Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP in Bengal were quick to react to the poll body’s move. While the TMC took a swipe at EC, saying that it can trasfter officers to satisfy its boss, it cannot transfer Mamata from hearts of the people.. Also Read: Why West Bengal voting phases have been reduced to 2 from 8. “EC is only following orders to satisfy its boss. You can transfer officers but cannot transfer Mamata Banerjee from the hearts of the people,” TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty told Hindustan Times.. BJP, on the other hand, said that the Election Commission should ensure that no officials with links to the party should be part of the election machinery in the state.. “Around 250 of our workers and members were killed before, during and after the 2021 assembly polls. We urged ECI to ensure that no officer having links with the ruling party should be part of the election machinery,” Bengal BJP’s chief spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said. 

 The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia has issued an advisory for nationals in the Gulf country, advising the people to remain vigilant and adhere to safety guidelines of the Saudi government.. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued an advisory for Indian nationals on Sunday. (AP). The advisory comes even as Saudi Arabia said its air defences have intercepted and destroyed a drone over the Eastern Province.. “In view of the prevailing situation in the region and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, all Indian Nationals currently in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are advised to continue to remain vigilant, strictly adhere to the safety guidelines prevalent in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and follow advisories issued by the local authorities and the Embassy,” the embassy posted on X.. The advisory said the Indian Embassy in Saudi, consulates and visa services through VFS continue to function normally.. “The Embassy of India, Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah and its outsourced services through VFS, are continuing to function normally and will issue updates and advisories as and when necessary. Consular Camps are being undertaken on a regular basis,” the post added.. Indian and Saudi airlines continue operating as per regular schedules to Indian cities from Jeddah and Madinah, the advisory said.. “While Saudi carriers also continue to operate from Riyadh and Dammam to Indian destinations, Indian carriers have also resumed operations from Riyadh,” it added.. The latest advisory comes a week after the embassy issued an advisory for Indian nationals on similar lines on March 8.. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said he held a telephonic conversation with Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan.. “Had a telecon last night with FM Faisal bin Farhan of Saudi Arabia. Discussed ongoing developments related to the conflict in West Asia,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.. The Indian External Affairs Minister also spoke with the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and discussed the situation in West Asia.