RBSE 5th and 8th results 2026 released

RBSE Class 5th and 8th result 2026: The Rajasthan Board has declared the Class 5 and Class 8 results 2026 today, March 24, following completion of the evaluation process. The results have been released online, allowing students to access their provisional scorecards through official portals.A total of more than 26 lakh students appeared for the examinations this year. The results include detailed performance data, pass percentages and supplementary figures for both classes.Class 5 result sees high pass percentageFor Class 5, a total of 13,68,947 students appeared in the examination conducted across 18,621 centres. Out of these, 13,23,936 students have passed, taking the overall pass percentage to 97.75 per cent.The pass percentage among boys stood at 97.59 per cent, while girls recorded a higher pass percentage of 97.94 per cent, marking a difference of 0.35 per cent. A total of 30,640 students have been placed in the supplementary category.Class 8 performance and statisticsIn Class 8, the examination was conducted at 10,056 centres, with 12,86,220 students appearing. Of these, 12,45,735 students have passed, resulting in an overall pass percentage of 97.01 per cent.The pass percentage for boys was recorded at 96.52 per cent, while girls achieved 97.57 per cent, showing a difference of 1.05 per cent. A total of 38,276 students have been placed in the supplementary category.Where and how to check resultsStudents can check their results on official websites including rajshaladarpan.rajasthan.gov.in, rajpsp.nic.in, rajshaladarpan.nic.in, rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in and rajresults.nic.in.To access the scorecard, students need to enter details such as class, roll number, district, application number or school NIC-SD code or PSP code, along with captcha verification. The result will display subject-wise marks, total score and qualifying status.• Direct link to check and download the Rajasthan Board Class 5th and 8th result 2026Passing criteria and next stepsStudents are required to secure at least 33 per cent marks in each subject and overall to qualify. For Class 8, the board follows a grading system, where a grade of ‘D’ or above is considered a pass.Students placed in the supplementary category will be given an opportunity to appear for re-examinations. Those who qualify will be promoted to the next academic level, with Class 5 students moving to Class 6 and Class 8 students advancing to Class 9.Grading system and qualifying marksThe Rajasthan Board follows a grading system for Class 8 students, categorising performance into different grade levels. Students must secure at least 33 per cent in each subject and overall to qualify. A grade of ‘D’ or above is considered a pass.Students placed in the supplementary category will be given another opportunity to improve their performance through re-examinations conducted by the board.Previous year performance and next stepsIn the previous academic session, the Class 5 pass percentage stood at around 97.30 per cent, while Class 8 recorded approximately 95.72 per cent. Over 13.3 lakh students appeared for Class 5, with more than 12.9 lakh clearing the examination.Students who qualify will be promoted to the next academic level, with Class 5 students moving to Class 6 and Class 8 students advancing to Class 9. In case of discrepancies in the marksheet, students can contact their respective schools or board authorities for correction.

US president Donald Trump spoke with Pakistan army chief Asim Munir earlier this week as Islamabad is attempting to position itself as a key mediator in the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict. Meanwhile, Pakistani prime minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a separate call with Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday, according to officials familiar with the discussions.The talks coincided with Trump’s announcement of a five-day suspension of his threat to strike Iran’s power plants, following what he described as “very good and productive” conversations with Tehran aimed at ending the war. The White House, however, cautioned that no formal negotiations are underway and nothing is concrete as of yet. “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the United States will not negotiate through the news media,” it said. While Trump’s posts on Truth Social temporarily pushed oil prices down, it remains unclear if Pakistan’s mediation efforts were directly linked to the market movement. Analysts note that the conflict and stalled diplomatic channels continue to keep the region on edge.

Pakistan offers Islamabad as potential venue

Two officials familiar with the talks told Financial Times Pakistan has offered its capital as a venue for discussions between senior US figures, including US vice president JD Vance, Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and Iranian officials.“While sharing with the Iranian President the diplomatic outreach efforts of Pakistan’s leadership, the prime minister assured the Iranian leadership that Pakistan would continue to play a constructive role in facilitating peace,” Pakistan said in a readout of the call.

Regional powers engage behind the scenes

Other regional players are also working to de-escalate tensions. Turkey, which had been involved in mediation before the war, has held talks with Iranian officials and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff to secure a temporary ceasefire. Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar spoke with Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Monday, while Egypt’s foreign minister Badr Abdelatty held separate conversations with his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts over the weekend.Iran, however, denied direct negotiations with the US. “Over the past few days, messages were received via certain friendly states conveying the US request for negotiations to end the war,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told official news agency IRNA, according to FT.“Appropriate responses were given [to those initiatives] in accordance with the country’s fundamental positions.” He added that Iran’s stance on the Strait of Hormuz and its conditions for ending the conflict remain unchanged.

Experts remain skeptical

Analysts caution that early-stage backchannel messaging does not guarantee a breakthrough. Sanam Vakil from Chatham House told FT, “It’s positive to play out what a compromise and agreement might look like, but I don’t see a willingness on either side to compromise. I don’t think Trump can walk away from this crisis of his making. And I just don’t see Iran caving. They feel they have the upper hand and the leverage, this is again about their survival and the conditions that will assure their survival.”Past mediation efforts, often facilitated by Oman and Qatar, stalled after the US and Israel launched the war just two days following a round of talks between the Trump administration and Iranian officials in Geneva. Officials said senior Pakistani officials have been back-channeling communications between Tehran and US envoys, ensuring ongoing dialogue.

Pakistan’s dilemma

Pakistan’s position is strengthened by its geopolitical standing. It hosts no US military bases and has largely been spared Iranian missile and drone strikes, making it an intermediary for both sides. Islamabad also has the world’s second-largest Shia population after Iran and maintains close ties with Gulf states, including a defence pact with Saudi Arabia.The defence pact with Riyadh is another contention for Islamabad to deal with. According to the pact it supposedly considers attack on one as attack on all, similar to Nato’s article 5, but the specifics of the deal remain vague. Ever since the war in the Middle East began Islamabad has pursued cautious diplomacy, condemning the strikes on Iran, while simultaneously urging de-escalation. But analysts warn it cannot remain insulated from competing pressures.However, the country remains highly dependent on oil and gas imports from the Gulf, making stability in the region crucial. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei even acknowledged Pakistan in a message for the Iranian New Year, saying he has a special feeling toward the people of Pakistan.While Trump has paused immediate military threats and Iran maintains a firm stance, Pakistan’s mediation efforts illustrate the limited channels available for conflict de-escalation.

Indian Railways refund and cancellation rules

New refund rules 2026: Indian Railways has announced a new set of refund rules for confirmed train tickets. As per the new rules, if a passenger chooses to cancel a confirmed train ticket within 24 to 72 hours of the scheduled departure, there will be 25% deduction in the train ticket fare. If the cancellation is made within 8 hours then no refund will be issued on the ticket.

New Cancellation & Refund Rules 2026: Top points to know

1. For a confirmed ticket, if the cancellation is made more than 72 hours before departure, then you will get the maximum refund possible, with only the minimum flat cancellation fee per passenger applicable2. If you cancel the confirmed ticket, in the 72 hours to 24 hours window before the train departure, there will be a standard penalty window (25% of the fare subject to the minimum charge)3. Between 24 hours up to 8 hours before the departure, if the train ticket is cancelled then 50% of the fare will be deducted subject to the minimum charge4. If you cancel your confirmed train ticket less than 8 hours before the departure of the train, NO REFUND will be permitted.

Refund rules for PRS counter tickets and e-tickets have also changed.

In the meantime, last year Indian Railways made several changes to its train ticket booking system as well. For example, effective October 1, 2025, Indian Railways introduced a rule mandating Aadhaar authentication for passengers booking reserved tickets under the general quota via the IRCTC website or mobile application during the first 15 minutes of the booking window.The move was intended to ensure that genuine users benefit from the reservation system while curbing misuse by unauthorised entities.The introduction of this measure followed closely on the heels of Indian Railways making Aadhaar authentication compulsory for Tatkal bookings from July 1, 2025.Those booking tickets under the Tatkal scheme are required to complete Aadhaar verification and can do so only through the IRCTC website or its mobile application.The guidelines also outlined restrictions for authorised railway ticketing agents in relation to Tatkal reservations.Such agents are barred from booking Tatkal tickets on the first day during the initial 30 minutes of the booking window. This restriction applies from 10:00 am to 10:30 am for air-conditioned classes and from 11:00 am to 11:30 am for non-air-conditioned classes.

Experts have cautioned that the ongoing Middle East conflict will impact India’s growth story. (AI image)

In the first signs of the impact of the US-Iran war on the Indian economy, the private sector recorded its slowest expansion in more than three years in March, according to the latest HSBC PMI survey. Rising prices linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran have weighed on domestic demand. However, despite the subdued conditions at home, export orders climbed to an all-time high, according to a survey released on Tuesday.The figures point to a loss of economic momentum in the closing month of the fiscal year for one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies. They also underline the potential downside risks to both India’s growth outlook and the global economy stemming from tensions in the Middle East.Economic growth in India had already moderated last quarter, with GDP expanding at 7.8%, down from 8.4% in the quarter before, amid softer government expenditure and a slowdown in private investment.

US-Iran war impact: What indicators suggest

Experts have cautioned that the ongoing Middle East conflict will impact India’s growth story by feeding into inflation, current account deficit, fiscal deficit, rupee depreciation, and eventually hitting growth – though the exact impact would depend on the length of the war.Also Read | Fragile footing: How India, China face sizeable economic damage prospects from US-Iran war; outlook has grown more dauntingThe flash India Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global for HSBC, fell to 56.5 in March. This was significantly below the Reuters poll median estimate of 59.0 and lower than February’s final reading of 58.9, which had been expected to remain largely unchanged.Although the index stayed above the 50-mark that separates growth from contraction, the decline marked the steepest slowdown in a year and a half, indicating a clear easing in business activity.The manufacturing sector was hit the hardest, with its PMI dropping to a four-and-a-half-year low of 53.8 from 56.9. Heightened uncertainty and volatility linked to the Middle East conflict weighed on sentiment, leading to the weakest pace of factory output growth since August 2021.The services sector, which makes up the largest share of India’s GDP, also showed signs of slowing, with its PMI slipping to 57.2 from 58.1.Factory activity was scaled back as gas shortages, triggered by the conflict in Iran, disrupted production. The indices, which gauge business sentiment in the economy, are derived from preliminary survey data and may be subject to revision when the final PMI numbers are released next month.Also Read | PM Modi on Middle East war; lists key steps taken on oil & LPG – warns of lasting falloutPrice pressures escalated significantly during the period, as the cost of inputs such as oil, energy, food items, aluminium, steel and chemicals increased at the fastest rate since June 2022. At the same time, companies raised their selling prices to the highest level seen in seven months.“Cost pressures intensified, but companies are absorbing part of the increase by squeezing margins,” said HSBC’s chief India economist Pranjul Bhandari.India, the world’s third-largest importer of oil, depends on overseas sources for about 90% of its crude requirements and nearly half of its natural gas. This reliance leaves the country highly vulnerable to fluctuations in global energy prices, particularly as Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz. Since the onset of the conflict, oil prices have surged by more than 40%.In response to the situation, the government introduced emergency steps and rationed gas supplies, giving priority to household consumption after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial channel for India’s energy imports. The resulting supply crunch has affected a wide range of industries, including fertiliser and aluminium manufacturing as well as helium supplies used in semiconductor production, increasing the likelihood of a sustained drag on economic growth.The shortage also forced several hotels, restaurants and gas-dependent industrial units across the country to temporarily halt operations.According to HSBC, the rise in manufacturing output in March was the weakest since August 2021. The manufacturing sector bore the brunt of the slowdown, with companies citing the Middle East conflict, volatile market conditions and rising inflation as key factors weighing on growth.Businesses absorbed a significant portion of the higher input costs, while pricing pressures were more pronounced in the services sector. Even so, private sector firms continued to add employees, though the pace of hiring remained modest, HSBC noted.This spike in oil prices is likely to drive inflation higher from its pre-war level of 3.21% and could weigh on economic growth.

Supreme Court (File photo)

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday held that the denial of Permanent Commission (PC) to women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers in the armed forces stemmed from a flawed and discriminatory evaluation system, particularly in the way their performance was assessed.A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh, while delivering its verdict, observed that the Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) of women officers were often assessed casually, undermining their chances of securing PC.“ACRs of appellants were written with presumption that they will not undergo career progression. Adversely affected overall merit,” the bench noted as per Live Law.“Model was rational, non-discriminatory and implemented as 1 time measure. Failure of respondents to disclose evaluation criteria etc. has adversely impacted officers,” the bench futher said.The ruling comes after a prolonged legal battle in which women officers challenged the criteria used to evaluate them, arguing that it placed them at a disadvantage compared to their male counterparts.During earlier hearings, the Centre had denied allegations of bias. It also submitted that following its 2022 approval, women officers are now being inducted through the National Defence Academy, and those completing training will be granted PC directly.While reserving its verdict earlier, the bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant was informed by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati that structural changes had already been initiated to address gender disparities in the forces.The court, however, remained critical of the evaluation process. During hearings, it questioned why women and men were assessed differently despite undergoing the same training and assignments.“How can there be two criteria based on gender? Is there a different format for evaluating SSC women officers and male officers? Is this format different for SSC officers and those in permanent commission?” the bench had asked.Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for 13 women officers, argued that their ACRs were graded casually and, in some cases, frozen before they became eligible for PC in 2020. In contrast, male officers continued to be assessed with PC in mind.She pointed to the service records of officers such as Lt Col Vanita Padhi, Lt Col Chandni Mishra and Lt Col Geeta Sharma, who had served in United Nations missions, high-altitude areas and counter-insurgency operations. Despite holding key operational roles, including ‘criteria appointments’ in difficult areas, their contributions were not fully recognised in their evaluation reports, unlike similar postings held by male officers.The court noted that such differential treatment could violate constitutional guarantees of equality under Articles 14 and 15, and may reflect entrenched biases within the system. Guruswamy also submitted that several women officers were denied pension and medical benefits proportionate to their service conditions.The petitioners relied on the Supreme Court’s 2020 judgment, which had directed the Army to grant PC to women officers and held that excluding them from command roles was unjustified and hindered career progression.Since then, the court has passed multiple orders expanding the scope of PC for women across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.The matter had also involved submissions from serving and retired officers, as the court examined similar concerns across different branches of the armed forces.

Traders actually placed positions worth nearly half a billion dollars in the oil market roughly 15 minutes before Trump’s social media post. (AI image)

Did someone in the oil market know that US President Donald Trump is about to post an update on ‘productive talks with Iran’? Traders actually placed positions worth nearly half a billion dollars in the oil market roughly 15 minutes before Donald Trump’s social media post about “productive” talks with Iran. Minutes after the update from the US President a sharp fall in crude prices occurred and there was increased volatility across other assets.Around 6,200 futures contracts linked to Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude were traded between 6:49 a.m. and 6:50 a.m. New York time on Monday, according to a report in The Financial Times. This activity came shortly before Trump’s message on Truth Social stating that there had been “productive conversations” with Tehran in recent days aimed at ending the conflict. The total notional value of these trades was estimated at $580 million!At the same time, trading volumes in Brent and WTI surged, with a spike recorded just seconds before 6:50 a.m. Futures tied to the S&P 500 index also moved higher soon after the oil trades, with volumes rising significantly during that period.It remains unclear whether a single participant or multiple entities were responsible for the trades executed on Monday, the report said.Trump’s announcement at 7:04 a.m. led to a broad sell-off in global energy markets, while S&P 500 futures and European equities moved higher as investors reduced expectations of a prolonged Middle East conflict.Global markets have seen sharp swings amid concerns over the conflict in Iran, which started in late February. The impact has been particularly pronounced in Asian economies, which are highly vulnerable to any disruption in access to the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for energy supplies from the Middle East.In energy markets, benchmark US crude rose by $3.55 to $91.68 per barrel. Brent crude, the global benchmark, increased by $3.83 to $103.77 per barrel, reversing earlier losses recorded during the previous session on Wall Street.

‘Well-timed trades’: Not the first time!

The timing of these trades mirrors earlier instances in recent months where large and highly profitable bets were placed on prediction platform Polymarket ahead of US military actions involving Iran and Venezuela.“It’s hard to prove causality . . . but you have to wonder who would have been relatively aggressive at selling futures at that point, 15 minutes before Trump’s post,” a market strategist at a US broker told FT, referring to Monday’s trades.Market participants pointed out that this incident is among several instances in recent months where sizable trades have taken place shortly before official announcements from the US government.A trader at a leading hedge fund said energy consultants had observed multiple large block trades recently that appeared to be unusually timed. Another portfolio manager noted that a pattern of significant and well-timed transactions had led to a “level of frustration” among investors.“My gut from watching markets for the last 25 years is, this is really abnormal,” he added. “It’s Monday morning, there’s no important data today, there aren’t any Fed speakers you’d want to front run. It’s an unusually large trade for a day with no event risk . . . Somebody just got a lot richer.”White House spokesperson Kush Desai said, “The only focus of President Trump and Trump administration officials is doing what’s best for the American people.”He further said, “The White House does not tolerate any administration official illegally profiteering off of insider knowledge, and any implication that officials are engaged in such activity without evidence is baseless and irresponsible reporting.”Trump also signalled flexibility in his stance, leaving room for a possible shift in approach even as he highlighted the favourable response in energy markets to his earlier social media post about ongoing talks.“The price of oil will drop like a rock, as soon as a deal is done. I guess it already is today,” Trump said. “Now we have a very serious chance of making a deal. That doesn’t guarantee anything. I’m not guaranteeing anything. I’m not going to come out here in a week or two weeks, and have you all say, ‘Oh, you said…’ — I didn’t say anything.”In a post on X later on Monday, Iran’s parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf rejected claims that any talks had taken place between Washington and Tehran, prompting a retreat in global equities and renewed buying interest in energy markets.He said: “Fake news is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped.”A commodities trader noted that while the volume of oil futures sold was not particularly large compared to overall market activity, which had already been elevated even before the conflict, a notable movement was observed in TTF, the European gas benchmark, around the same time.Tim Skirrow, head of derivatives at Energy Aspects, said: “That is a larger than usual volume [in Brent and WTI] than I would expect at that time of day, but in the same breath it’s not excessively large. I find it a bit hard to join the dots here.”He further added that Brent futures and options markets had attracted “significant inflows” from funds in recent weeks. “Given the price reaction, it seems that nearly everyone was long. This is almost a necessary precursor for such a violent move.”