Modern tech met old-fashioned oaths at the 12-century Puri Jagannath Temple. 15 people took at least six hours to complete the inventory of valuables utilised for daily rituals at the Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) of the temple. The Bhandar, which reopened on July 14, 2024, after 46 years, contains gold, diamonds, pearls, and gemstones, donated by the erstwhile royals of Puri and devotees over the centuries. The Odisha government has decided to 3D map the jewellery, allowing devotees to better understand the valuables stored inside. However, temple chief administrator Arvind Padhee informed that those who were part of the process have taken an oath not to reveal details of the valuables.
With that, let’s move on to the top stories from today’s edition:
- Oppn flags Pak’s mediation efforts in US-Iran war
- Vocabulary of Bengal elections
- Pradeep Sangwan’s IPL stint
🚨 Big Story
Iran on Wednesday rejected the United States’ 15-point peace proposal to end the war in West Asia, issuing its own five-point ceasefire proposal. The country called for war reparations and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran’s state media reported. In its five demands, Iran has asked for guaranteed payment for war damage and reparations, an end to aggression and assassinations, guarantees preventing the recurrence of war against Tehran, the end of war on Iran and other resistance groups in the region, as well as global recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
Disruption: As the energy shock waves from the West Asia war deepen, Indian manufacturers, ranging from steel, aluminium, textiles and alcoholic beverages, are beginning to report operational disruptions. These disruptions come amid surging freight rates, stuck shipments, gas shortages and payment issues. This originates, either directly or indirectly, from the trade disruption caused due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. With cargo stuck at different stages of the supply chain, the sector is grappling with uncertainty, with the potential of a hike in the cost of operations and limited production hours.
Panic: As panic buying of petrol and diesel was reported in some parts of India, the government and oil marketing companies (OMCs) on Wednesday assured that there is no shortage of the two automobile fuels, with sufficient stocks available across India. They also urged citizens not to fall prey to rumours doing the rounds online and avoid panic buying. The war has hit LPG supplies the hardest, while supplies of crude oil—from which petrol and diesel are produced—have been the least impacted. India has ramped up crude oil imports from non-West Asia sources, particularly Russia, to cover the shortfall.
Not a dalal nation: In the much-awaited all-party meeting called by the Centre on Wednesday, the Opposition inquired if Pakistan’s role as a mediator between the US and Iran was a setback for India. To this, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar responded that Pakistan had been playing that role since 1981. At least two leaders quoted him saying India cannot be “a dalal” (broker) nation running after countries and asking if its services were needed. The EAM also told the leaders that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear to US President Donald Trump that India wanted to see the war coming to an end because it was “affecting everyone”.
⚡ Only in Express
The upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal appear to be polarising the electorate on communal lines, however, this time, with an altered vocabulary. Familiar themes including “minority appeasement,” “infiltration” continue to feature in speeches and posters across the state, in addition to newly-introduced Special Intensive Revision (SIR). BJP’s rhetorical strategy now suggests measured moderation without dilution of its core polarising pitch, in contrast to the far more overt, high-decibel communal mobilisation of 2021. My colleague Deeptiman Tiwary writes: “Amit Shah’s language has shifted towards a more policy-framed articulation of similar concerns — declaring that the days of “appeasement politics” in Bengal are over while criticising the West Bengal government for not cooperating on border fencing. The emphasis is less incendiary, but the underlying themes remain intact.”
📰 From the Front Page
In Bengal, two days after the Election Commission said it had prepared its first Supplementary List of voters after adjudication, there is no clarity on who and how many have been deleted. With EC officials, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and her opponent Suvendu Adhikari, touting different numbers, EC’s silence has proven to deepen the confusion. Moreover, while the EC declared that it would put up lists of “deletions” and “inclusions” at polling booths, it hasn’t done so. The Indian Express visits houses of 11 whose names have been deleted, in the few booths where Supplementary Lists have been put up after adjudication.
Leap: India’s educational institutions in Engineering, Management Studies and Marketing, namely the Indian School of Mines (IIT-ISM) in Dhanbad and the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), followed closely by IIT Kharagpur, have emerged as the top-ranked Indian institutions in the QS Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings by Subject 2026. IIT-ISM Dhanbad ranked 21 in ‘Engineering – Mineral and Mining’, while IIM Ahmedabad ranked 21 in two subjects – Business and Management Studies and Marketing. In the broad ‘Engineering and Technology’ category, five IITs feature in the global top 100, but have seen a drop in the rankings compared to last year.
📌 Must Read
Landmines: Pakistan has emerged as a key interlocutor between the US and Iran, as US President Donald Trump looks for a way to exit the war in West Asia. The country has pitched Islamabad as the venue for potential face-to-face talks between senior Iranian and US figures as early as this week. Its diplomatic outreach has intensified in recent days as the conflict engulfed the energy infrastructure in the Gulf region. Pakistan trying its hand at mediation is not new; however, these circumstances are. We discuss the history of Pakistan’s mediation efforts and what’s different this time around in this explainer.
In our Opinion section today, Shashi Tharoor discusses the significance of the Kerala LDF cabinet’s U-turn to support the traditional ban on women below the age of 50 from entering the Sabarimala temple. This reversal, he says, merits revisiting the broader tensions that defined this saga. Delving into the “delicate, often precarious relationship between constitutional morality and the sanctity of religious tradition,” Tharoor writes: “Sabarimala is not a simple matter of gender equality in the secular sphere; it is a matter of the specific, localised sanctity of a deity in a particular manifestation. It is an issue that leaves instinctive liberals torn, forcing us to weigh the abstract elegance of legal rights against the profound, visceral reality of faith.”
⏳ And Finally…
In our new series, Nostalgia: The Other IPL, we take you through the stories of young cricketers from small towns across India who enter the world of the Indian Premier League (IPL) every April. Today, my colleague Devendra Pandey delves into the journey of left-arm pacer Pradeep Sangwan – from a scooter to a Mercedes – as he was picked by Delhi Daredevils. Sangwan bore his own way of reading batsmen. The boy who couldn’t believe he was bowling to his idol, Adam Gilchrist, had just bowled him. “The IPL gave the players everything at once — the money, the stars, the pressure, the fear. What it didn’t give them was time to understand any of it.”
🎧 Lastly, tune in to today’s episode of our 3 Things podcast, where we discuss the Transgender Amendment Bill that has triggered protests across India; Centre’s preparations for the fallout of the West Asia war; as well as liquor-smuggling to Gujarat via the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway by bootleggers.
That’s all for today. Have a wonderful day!
Until next time,
Ariba
Business As Usual by E P Unny
Top news on March 26, 2026. 
Business As Usual by E P Unny
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