Daily Briefing: China’s Foreign Minister to meet Jaishankar, Doval; India abstains on Russia-backed resolution in UNSC

Amid the West’s sanctions on Russia triggered by the war in Ukraine, trade and industry are increasingly complaining about blockages in funds transfers and credits during routine transactions between Indian and Russian banks. India is considering alternatives like connecting to the financial messaging system of the Bank of Russia or putting in place a Rupee-Rouble trade arrangement based on the exchange rate with a third currency.

India abstained on a resolution pushed by Russia in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine — the resolution was perceived to be critical of Ukraine. Hours later, Delhi again abstained on a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia. The move reflects Delhi’s attempt to portray its neutrality.

Only in the Express

In Ukraine’s Lviv, the Powder Tower, a 16th-century relic, was reclaimed for war when Russia invaded the country – not by the army or the government but by a group of feisty volunteers. Around 100 volunteers reach the building every day to make camouflage nets for the forces. “Ukraine must fight till the end, Ukraine must fight for its freedom,” says a coordinator for the volunteers.

From the Front Page

Filippo Osella, 65, a renowned anthropologist and sociologist from the UK, was denied entry and deported to his country as he landed in Thiruvananthapuram. A specialist in Kerala society, who has conducted extensive research in the state, said that he was denied entry by Indian authorities without any explanation. An officer at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) said, “He was denied entry as per orders from higher officials. No reason can be revealed.”

Must Read

What sparked the wave of violence in West Bengal’s Birbhum district? On the surface, the retaliatory killings were prompted by the murder of Bhadu Sheikh, the 38-year-old TMC deputy pradhan of Barsal Gram Panchayat, a resident of Bagtui village. But a closer look shows that there is more to the story — it illustrates how deep the politics-crime nexus has entrenched itself in rural Bengal allegedly feeding on the patronage of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Across Universities in Maharashtra, a strange new trend is being observed — pass percentages have shot up during the pandemic, when examinations were being held online. Teachers and officials are now questioning the integrity of online exams. The Indian Express assessed exam data from three universities in Maharashtra — some recorded as much as a 72 per cent jump in pass percentages between 2018 and 2021. And this trend is likely to be mirrored across the country as exams moved online during the pandemic.

Harish Damodaran writes on how AAP can fix Punjab’s farms: “Fixing Punjab’s agriculture calls for an approach that is practical, not sanctimonious, and takes its farmers along rather than viewing them as “perpetrators”. The Punjab farmer has fed India in times of need. We can trust in her more than god to make India atmanirbhar in pulses and edible oil.”

There are a startling number of vacancies in the IAS, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out during the Lok Sabha proceedings on Wednesday. At present, there are 5,231 IAS officers in the country — 1,515 (22.45 per cent) fewer than the sanctioned strength of 6,746. A total of 3,787 officers were direct recruits to the IAS, while 1,444 were promotees. How are the numbers of IAS officers decided, and what is the reason for the large number of vacancies? We explain.

And Finally

Stage by stage, like a man approaching the vanaprastham, MS Dhoni is renouncing his responsibilities. Seven years after he quit Test cricket, two years after he forsook the national colours forever, he stepped down as the captain of Chennai Super Kings. Now, by strict definition, he remains a player, a wicket-keeper batsman. Only that for legions of his devout fans, he will remain forever their captain.

🤫 Delhi Confidential: After a year’s gap, PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’, an interaction with selected students, parents and teachers on handling exam stress, is set to be held offline again. This time, it will be held at Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium on April 1.

🎧 In today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, we talk about the violence in West Bengal’s Birbhum. We also discuss atrocities against Dalits in Rajasthan. Finally, we go over the latest on Ukraine.

Until tomorrow,

Rahel Philipose and Sonal Gupta

Business As Usual by EP Unny