7 min readNew DelhiMar 27, 2026 08:45 AM IST
First published on: Mar 27, 2026 at 08:44 AM IST
Good morning,
A village of around 1,700 people, with vehicles coming in and cars honking, turned silent on Sunday. The farmhouse inside the premises was locked, and a few villagers stood at a distance, watching, speaking in low tones, most conversations circling back to one name — Kharat. Self-styled ‘godman’ Ashokkumar Eknath Kharat, known as “Captain”, was arrested in a sexual exploitation case, with at least seven women accusing him of sexual assault under the influence of sedatives. Although not from Mirgaon, he came there only to buy land and build his temple complex. In Mirgaon, where villagers claim they largely kept their distance from an outsider who had set up camp among them, that distance has now turned into anger and resentment and a demand to bar his entry from the village.
With that, let’s move on to the top stories from today’s edition:
- War impacts India’s automobile industry
- Noida International Airport inauguration
- Al Falah probe report
🚨 Big Story
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot Thursday discussed “working jointly towards ensuring the security of the Strait of Hormuz”. The talks were held as foreign ministers of the G7 and partner countries met near Paris to explore “potential avenues for negotiation that could lead to a de-escalation of the conflict” in West Asia. Jaishankar, alluding to the impact of the war, in his speech later, also raised the “Global South’s concerns about energy challenges, fertiliser supplies and food security.” He also “highlighted the urgency of UNSC reforms, streamlining peacekeeping operations, and strengthening humanitarian supply chains.”
Deadline extension: United States President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 10 days, while pausing strikes on Iranian energy facilities until April 6. He said the US wants the strait reopened and broader issues, including Iran’s military and nuclear programme, addressed, however, there was no certainty that an agreement would be reached. The pause will likely delay further US action on energy infrastructure even as fighting continues across the region, including air strikes in Iran and Lebanon and missile exchanges involving Israel and Gulf countries.
Meeting today: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with the chief ministers of States, barring those going to polls, to discuss the fuel situation amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. This comes days after the government held an all-party meeting. The meeting is scheduled to be held around 6.30 pm. The Cabinet Secretariat will hold a separate video conference with the Chief Secretaries of the poll-bound States.
The paint shop impact: The gas crisis triggered by the West Asia war is hitting an unexpected segment of the automotive value chain — the paint shop. This has started to force auto majors to cut production schedules, since a vehicle cannot be delivered without the paint job. Its first impact is likely going to be on exports if the situation remains unchanged for the next few weeks, according to industry sources. Automakers also fear that their latest commercial vehicles could be grounded due to uncertainty in the availability of technical grade urea, a key component of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF).
⚡ Only in Express
Ready for take-off: PM Modi is set to inaugurate Phase 1 of Noida International Airport in Jewar on Saturday, the second international airport of the Delhi-NCR region, which will also serve parts of Western Uttar Pradesh. An investment of Rs 11,200 crore has been made in Phase 1 of the project, being developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. According to Noida Airport officials, the design of the airport is inspired by the culture and heritage of UP, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan. The most striking feature of the terminal building is its roof – “a sweeping, translucent white canopy that rises and falls gently” like the waves of the Yamuna, Ganga and Hindon rivers. Flights are expected to begin soon, even though no official timeline has been announced yet.
📰 From the Front Page
The Delhi Police has cited disclosure statements from at least eight former students of Al Falah University as central to their case against the Faridabad-based institution, stating the students were allegedly misled into enrolling by claims that the university was accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The Al Falah University came under scrutiny in the backdrop of the November 2025 Red Fort car blast case. Three doctors working at the Al-Falah School of Medical Sciences & Research Centre were named as accused in the terror module case, prompting the Government to order a forensic audit of the university’s records.
Ramnath Goenka Awards: A searing account of the long road to recovery after the Wayanad landslides; an investigation that uncovered a multi-state child trafficking racket targeting tribal families in Rajasthan; a deep dive into the shadowy surrogate mother market in the country; and an expose on the illegal sale of British-era bungalows in Pune’s cantonment areas. These are some of the stories that have won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards (20th edition), the country’s most prestigious journalism honour. The winners will receive the awards from Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, the chief guest at the ceremony in New Delhi on Friday.
📌 Must Read
In our Opinion section today, Jappandeep Kour and Amit Julka delve deeper into Iran’s political economy and its configuration of social forces, as it denies Trump’s claims of backchannel negotiations. They write: “… regardless of which side of Iran’s political spectrum one stands on, the writing on the wall is clear. Conventional military superiority cannot affect political change if the balance of social forces is not in favour of a new political outcome. Empires spending billions of dollars on shiny new toys that are too precious to lose should take heed.”
Muslim votes at stake: Amid the competing optics of development narrative and welfare politics, the BJP factor is likely to play a significant role in shaping how Muslims vote in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections. With Muslim votes at stake, following Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against the CPI(M), CM Pinarayi Vijayan hit back, accusing Gandhi and his party of being the BJP’s “B-team”. Vijayan and state Congress leader V D Satheesan also engaged in a war of words on social media. Shaju Philip explains: “If the Opposition party loses, the fear in sections of the minority community is that it may disintegrate and lead to the emergence of a stronger BJP. This could play a major role in deciding which way the Muslim votes swing.”
⏳ And Finally…
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned transgender women and DSD (Differences in Sex Development) athletes from competing in the female categories at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and beyond. IOC president Kirsty Coventry, announcing the decision, said it would ‘not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.’ The IOC also added that athletes wanting to compete in the female category at the Olympics would have to undergo a one-time SRY gene screening. This would also apply to biological females.
🎧 Lastly, tune in to today’s episode of our 3 Things podcast, where we talk about the campaigns by the Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. We also discuss the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, as well as a US case over Meta and YouTube designing addictive social media products.
That’s all for today. Have a wonderful day!
Until next time,
Ariba
Business As Usual by E P Unny
Top news on March 27, 2026 
Business As Usual by E P Unny
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