India remains somewhat insulated from the energy crisis set off by the ongoing war in West Asia largely due to steps the government took over the last decade to diversify the country’s energy imports, officials aware of the matter said on Friday, adding that several other countries have been hit by shortages and rising prices.. The government has taken steps to protect India’s supply chains by safeguarding exports and ensuring uninterrupted imports of essential commodities (Representative photo). “India has worked to change its energy source mix while strongly promoting domestically generated renewable energy. If this crisis had hit India a decade ago, the impact would have been devastating because almost all our oil and gas came from the same volatile region, with no real alternatives in place,” one of the cited officials said on condition of anonymity.. To be sure, the government has taken steps to protect India’s supply chains by safeguarding exports and ensuring uninterrupted imports of essential commodities such as energy, fertilisers and edible oils from all available sources — including Russia — so that domestic consumers do not face shortages.. “Other countries are struggling. Japan, already burdened by record-high public debt, has become one of the most vulnerable economies. The UK has seen immediate price spikes leading to renewed inflation. Egypt and Turkey are facing fresh inflationary pressures. Singapore is dealing with sharp increases in electricity and petrol costs, while South Korea has resorted to imposing a fuel price cap for the first time in nearly three decades to stabilise its economy,” said a second official, who also asked not to be named.. Oil prices have remained volatile, keeping the global energy market on the edge since US forces launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28. At the centre of global concern lies the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical chokepoint, through which nearly one-fifth of global crude oil passes. The strait is vital for India’s energy supplies, but the current situation looks manageable, the officials added.. In a statement in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Hardeep Singh Puri said, “It should be noted that India was previously importing approximately 60% of its LPG requirements from Gulf countries such as Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait and 40% is produced domestically. Procurement has now been actively diversified, with cargoes being secured from the United States, Norway, Canada, Algeria, and Russia, in addition to available Gulf sources.” 

 The controversy over the now-withdrawn Class 8 social science textbook with a chapter on judicial corruption has highlighted inadequacies of the three-stage process followed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to approve new books that align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.. Book controversy reveals gaps in NCERT process. It also suggests gaps in the functioning of the 19-member apex National Syllabus and Teaching-Learning Material Committee (NSTC), which is expected to sign-off on the new books. HT’s reporting shows that the members did not explicitly approve the book, with many ignoring the draft of the text that was sent to them over WhatsApp and e-mail. It also shows that the section on judicial corruption in one of the chapters was explicitly flagged to the committee.. The preparation of the new textbooks in line with the National Curriculum Framework- School Education (NCF-SE) 2023 follows a three-stage process.. The first stage involves the Textbook Development Team or TDT –– a separate one for each subject in each class. This is made up of experts and forms the core group writing a textbook. In its affidavit to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, NCERT said the chapter on ‘The Role of Judiciary in Our Society’ was drafted by the relevant TDT, comprising professor Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar, and legal researcher and lawyer Alok Prasanna Kumar.. The second stage has the subject-wise Curricular Area Groups (CAGs). These oversee the TDTs and handle textbooks of several classes. Professor Danino also heads the CAG for various social sciences textbooks.. The third stage has NSTC which identifies experts and contributors for TDT and then gives final academic approval to new books, following which NCERT publishes and distributes the textbook.. According to the book development process, each chapter of a NCERT textbook is written by contributors and is finalised by the CAG of that particular subject. The draft of the chapters in the controversial social sciences textbook was placed before the 35-member CAG of social science in a hybrid meeting in September 2025 for finalisation before it could be presented to NSTC, HT learns.. “This meeting was attended by NCERT director Dinesh Prasad Saklani, along with other NCERT officials including those who happen to be members of the NSTC. Several members of the 13-member National Oversight Committee (NOC) whose job it is to ensure the book sticks to the curriculum framework, also attended the meeting,” a NCERT official said on condition of anonymity. “Saklani and few others raised concerns and objections to the controversial chapter on judicial corruption in this particular meeting. But, Danino and others did not accept the suggestions and objections citing academic freedom and other justifications.”. HT reached out to Danino who said that as the matter was subjudice, he would only be responding to everything in court.. An official in the Unio 

 Iran has allowed two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers to ​sail through the ​Strait of Hormuz, Iranian officials said on Friday, a development expected to ease a ​cooking gas crisis ​in India.. FILE PHOTO: Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in UAE on March 11 (REUTERS). “The vessels have been permitted to move through the Strait of Hormuz,” said a person who declined to be identified, without giving details.. The move came hours after phone conversations between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian – their first since the start of the Iran-US conflict – and external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi.. Modi said he had discussed the “safety and security of Indian citizens” and the “need for uninterrupted flow of goods and energy” with Pezeshkian, describing them as India’s top priorities.. Earlier on Friday, Iranian ambassador Mohammad Fathali indicated that Indian vessels would be granted safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route that transports nearly 50% of India’s oil imports.. “We believe that Iran and India are friends. We have common interests, we have a common fate,” Fathali told reporters when he was asked if Indian vessels would be allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz.. “The Government of India, in this situation after the war, helped us in different fields,” he said, adding that positive developments regarding transit through the crucial waterway were expected in “two or three hours”.. People familiar with the matter said the Indian side continues to be in touch with Iran regarding safe passage for some two dozen Indian-flagged vessels currently located west of the Strait of Hormuz.. In a separate development, a crude tanker is expected to arrive in India on Saturday, carrying Saudi Arabian oil after sailing through the strait, people said. 

 The Supreme Court on Friday said that a law mandating menstrual leave may not be in the best interest of women, leaving it to the government to deliberate the issue while refusing to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) in this regard.. The Supreme Court of India. (PTI). Citing “practical realities” women may face in the job market if such leave were to be made mandatory by the court, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said, “You do not know the kind of mindset this can create in the workplace and job market. The moment you introduce a law, you cannot imagine the long term problem they may face.”. The court was hearing a PIL filed by a lawyer Shailendra Mani Tripathi, who said that there is no uniform policy across the country on this , with some institutions and companies providing menstrual leave as a matter of policy, and others not doing so.. Senior advocate MR Shamshad appearing for the petitioner said that states of Odisha and Karnataka have come up with a policy of menstrual leave while Kerala allows menstrual leave to students in the state universities, allowing them up to 60 days in a year. Both Odisha and Karnataka provide 12 paid leaves annually for women working in the government sector, and the Karnataka policy extends to the private sector as well.. “If it is voluntary, it is good. We are in agreement with you that affirmative action has to be recognised. But we have to look at the practical reality in the job market,” said the bench, also comprising justice Joymalya Bagchi.. “From a business point of view, will an employer be willing to allow a person to take leave for two to three days every month? In the judiciary too, they may not be assigned cases that require a long trial,” the court said.. Shamshad said that the petitioner had approached the court on past occasions as well. In his first petition decided on February 24, 2023, the top court allowed him to move a representation to the Union government. He complied with this order and again approached the court after a year, this time seeking a model policy on menstrual leave. This too was decided by the court on July 8, 2024 with a direction issued to the Union ministry of women and child development to hold consultation with all stakeholders, both at the Union and at the level of states, and consider framing a model policy for all .. The bench said it wondered what is stopping the government from “coming out with a policy framework.” Disposing Tripathi’s petition for the third time, the bench said, “It is not necessary for the petitioner to approach the court time and again. We have no doubt that the competent authority will earnestly consider our February 24, 2023 and July 8, 2024 orders on framing model policy for consideration by all stakeholders.” 

 Raipur: Chhattisgarh has secured the first position among bigger states in the February 2026 national ranking under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, marking a significant milestone in the field of women’s health, nutrition and empowerment, officials said on Wednesday.. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. (PTI). Chhattisgarh recorded 93.37 per cent enrollment, an approval rate of 83.87 per cent, and 93.95 per cent timely grievance redressal, reflecting the state’s efficient implementation of the scheme, an official release stated.. The proportion of cases pending for more than 30 days remained limited to 7.07 per cent, while the pending grievance rate stood at only 4.96 per cent, indicating effective monitoring and transparent service delivery, it said.. Notably, the state improved its position by six ranks compared to the previous month, emerging as the top-performing state in the country, it added.. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said the honour reflects the state’s sustained commitment to strengthening maternal welfare programmes.. Sai congratulated officials, employees, Anganwadi workers and field-level staff of the Women and Child Development Department, stressing that maternal and child health are the top priorities for the government.. He noted that the PMMVY plays a key role in promoting safe motherhood by providing financial assistance to pregnant women.. Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Rajwade described the achievement as a proud moment for Chhattisgarh.. She said that under the guidance of the chief minister, Chhattisgarh has effectively implemented women’s welfare programmes among the leading states, attributing the success to the coordinated efforts, commitment, and timely work of departmental officials, staff, and Anganwadi workers.. Rajwade informed that in the financial year 2025-26 to date, a total of 1,86,586 pregnant women have been enrolled under the PMMVY in Chhattisgarh, and an amount of ₹72,24,89,000 has been directly transferred to the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries.. The effective implementation of the PMMVY has strengthened maternal and child healthcare services in the state, with Chhattisgarh increasingly emerging as a model for other states across the country.. Under the scheme, a cash incentive of ₹5,000 in three instalments is paid directly to pregnant women and lactating mothers for the first living child of the family, subject to them fulfilling specific conditions, officials said.