NEW DELHI: A political row has erupted over the recent International Santhal Conclave in West Bengal after the state government changed the venue for the event at the last minute. The controversy intensified after President Droupadi Murmu, who was scheduled to attend the event, publicly expressed displeasure over the decision and also noted the absence of chief minister Mamata Banerjee and other ministers during her visit.President Murmu said authorities informed her that the venue was shifted because the original location was congested. However, she questioned the reasoning, saying the new venue made it difficult for members of the Santhal community to attend the gathering.Later, Murmu visited the original venue and challenged the claim made by authorities. “When I came here I found the field was big enough to accommodate 5 lakh people,” she said, adding that she felt very sad about the last-minute change in location.Addressing the International Santhal Council, the president also suggested that attempts were being made to prevent the community from progressing. “Someone doesn’t want Santhal to get united, to progress, to get educated…someone doesn’t want Santhal to become strong. However, I know Santhals have scarifised their lives for the nation.”Murmu, who herself belongs to the Santhal community, also said that the community’s contribution to India’s freedom struggle has not received proper recognition. “I know how much the Santals have contributed to the country’s freedom struggle. But the names of Santal legends have not deliberately been included in history,” she said, while stressing the need for education for Santhal children.The issue quickly escalated into a political confrontation between the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the BJP-led central leadership.

‘BJP using President to malign Bengal’: Mamata

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee questioned Murmu’s concern for tribal issues and accused the BJP of politicising the matter. “Why don’t you protest when atrocities are committed against tribals. Why don’t you protest when it happens in Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh?… First do something for them, then say anything,” Banerjee said.“Don’t play politics at the time of the election, as per the BJP’s advice,” she added, further alleging that the BJP was using the president to target the state government. “BJP has stooped so low that it is using President Droupadi Murmu to malign West Bengal,” Banerjee said.The controversy also drew sharp reactions from several BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

‘Shameful and unprecedented’: PM Modi

PM Modi criticised the West Bengal government, calling the episode “shameful and unprecedented.” “Everyone who believes in democracy and the empowerment of tribal communities is disheartened. The pain and anguish expressed by Rashtrapati Ji, who herself hails from a tribal community, has caused immense sadness in the minds of the people of India. The TMC Government of West Bengal has truly crossed all limits. Their administration is responsible for this insult to the President,” he said in a post on X.“It is equally unfortunate that a subject as important as Santhal culture is treated so casually by the West Bengal Government. The office of the President is above politics and the sanctity of this office should always be respected. One hopes better sense prevails among the West Bengal Government and TMC,” he added.

‘New lows in TMC’s anarchic conduct’: Amit Shah

Union home minister Amit Shah also attacked the Mamata government over the incident. “The Trinamool government of West Bengal has sunk to new lows today through their anarchic conduct. By showing utter disregard for protocol, they have insulted the President of India. This incident has laid bare the deep rot within the Trinamool government.”He added, “A government that tramples on citizens’ constitutional rights at will does not hesitate to dishonour the nation’s highest constitutional office—the President. This affront to the President at an event organised by our tribal brothers and sisters is an insult to our nation and the values of our constitutional democracy. Every citizen who believes in democracy today is deeply hurt and anguished.”

‘Raises questions about conduct’: Dharmendra Pradhan

Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan also criticised the arrangements made during the president’s visit. “When the President is compelled to express disappointment over the arrangements made, it raises serious questions about the conduct and preparedness of the authorities responsible. The sanctity of constitutional offices must remain above politics,” he said.Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi also condemned the developments, saying they had hurt the sentiments of the tribal community. “Such actions raise serious concerns and convey an unfortunate message when an event, where the Hon’ble President herself was to grace the occasion as the Chief Guest, is subjected to such disruptions,” he said.Calling the episode insensitive, Majhi added: “As a member of the Santal community, this hurtful action of the TMC govt of West Bengal also created a deeper sense of anguish and hurt within me, and the entire Odia populace.”The controversy has now turned into a broader political battle between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress, with both sides accusing each other of politicising the issue involving tribal communities and the office of the President.

Veer Nari Lt Col Randhawa

CHANDIGARH: On June 17, 1997, Ravinder Jit Randhawa’s life lay shattered – her husband, Major Sukhwinder Jeet Singh Randhawa (Kirti Chakra, posthumous), had sacrificed his life fighting terrorists in Kashmir. Barely 15 months later, she graduated from Officers Training Academy, Chennai, as a lieutenant, wearing the same olive green as her husband.Lt Col Randhawa (retd) turned out to be India’s first Veer Nari (war widow) to become an officer. She served 24 years and continues to inspire women to join the military.On the eve of Int’l Women’s Day, TOI spoke with her and another trailblazer, Major Priya Jhingan (retd), who has the pride of being Lady Cadet 001. The two rewrote history in the armed forces. Their journeys broke barriers and helped open doors for women across entry streams in the Army.

A promise keptLt Col Randhawa’s decision to join the Army after a deeply personal loss broke institutional barriers, with the Army relaxing age and marital status restrictions: “After a loss like ours, the ground beneath your feet disappears. Becoming a commissioned officer gave me purpose.”She said her upbringing in Punjab, with its deep respect for soldiers, and the desire to honour her husband’s legacy strengthened her resolve. “I draw immense strength from my mother.”She recalled how ex-Army chief Gen VP Malik and his wife Dr Ranjana Malik had a key role in her donning the olive green. It was only after her request to Gen Malik, who wrote to govt, that the Army opened the gates for Veer Naaris. “Indian armed forces became the first in the world to take such a step. It reflects the spirit of women’s representation and empowerment.”Her message to women: “Life can push you to unimaginable extremes. But if you believe in yourself, no challenge is insurmountable.”In letter and spiritMajor Jhingan’s journey into the Army began with a simple yet bold act. As a school student, she wrote to then Chief of Army Staff, Gen Sunith Francis Rodrigues, urging him to allow women to join the forces.“In Class X, I came across an advertisement inviting young men to join the Army. I realised I met every qualification mentioned, except one: I was not a ‘young man’.”Her determination paid off. In 1992, Jhingan joined the first batch of 25 women officers at OTA, Chennai, earning the distinction of Lady Cadet 001. “For me, it was never about being the first. It was about ensuring the doors opened for many more young women who dreamed of wearing the uniform,” she said. “I was not there to compete with men or prove I was better than men. I was there to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them in serving the nation.“

EC expects the revision exercise to be completed on time, paving the way for the publication of the final electoral roll on April 10

LUCKNOW: Total number of registered voters in UP, India’s most populous state, is set to surpass the 13-crore mark, with a substantial surge in new applications filed during the 2026 SIR of voter rolls.The figure, however, is 2.4 crore less than what it was on Oct 27, 2025, when SIR was announced. In total, 3.26 crore voters were issued notices for verification during the SIR.

The first set of notices was issued on Jan 14, and hearings began on Jan 21. “As of March 6, 100% of notices had been generated and 93.8%, about 3.06 crore, had been served. Hearings have been completed for 2.8 crore voters, representing 85.8% of the cases, with the remaining hearings scheduled to conclude by March 27,” said the state’s chief electoral officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa.The EC expects the revision exercise to be completed on time, paving the way for the publication of the final electoral roll on April 10.Providing details of deletions, the CEO said that 44,952 names had been removed from the rolls till March 6. Of these, 27,118 deletions were due to voter migration, where voters enrolled in a new constituency and their names were removed from the previous one.Another 10,014 deletions were self-initiated through Form 7, while 7,820 deletions resulted from objections filed by others. Among these, 5,153 names were removed due to voter’s death, 1,728 due to shifting of residence, and 932 because of duplicate enrollment.Rinwa added that 2,73,188 Form 7 applications remain pending at various stages of verification and action.Form 8, used for corrections, shifting of address within a constituency, replacement of voter ID cards, or marking persons with disabilities, also saw high engagement. Between Jan 6 and Mar 6, 16.33 lakh Form 8 applications were filed. When counted from Oct 27, 2025, the total Form 8 applications rose to 22.55 lakh.

NEW DELHI: At a time when India is struggling to ensure children can read and do basic arithmetic by Class III – a core goal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 – Haryana has reported a sharp turnaround in govt school-level learning outcomes (grade-level competencies). A statewide “census-style” assessment, exclusively accessed by TOI, showed the share of high-performing govt schools rising from 7% in Sept to 53% in Dec last year after a targeted remediation drive addressing foundational literacy and numeracy gaps.Haryana’s initiative marks a move from sample-based assessments to a “census-style diagnostic approach” that measures the competency of every child individually. The exercise covered over 4.35 lakh students across nearly 8,600 govt primary schools, using a digital teacher-led assessment system under NIPUN (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) Haryana mission.The first assessment conducted in Sept 2025 revealed significant learning gaps across the system. Most schools were classified in Category C (the lowest), where fewer than half the students had achieved grade-level competencies.Following the diagnosis, districts designed their own 45-day remediation strategies, grouping students by competency and targeting specific learning gaps. Peer-learning approaches were also used to support weaker students. “Every district made their own strategy for 45 days which also included category A students helping lower category students as all the students were already mapped,” NIPUN Haryana programme officer Pramod Kumar said.The state repeated the assessment in Dec 2025 using same teachers who conducted first round. “Data made a completely significant shift showing unimaginable progress,” the official said.Learning gains were visible across literacy and numeracy. Class II literacy rose from 46.5% to 67%, while Class III literacy increased from 44.2% to 61.4%. Numeracy performance also improved, with Class II scores rising from 63.7% to 78.8% and Class III numeracy improving from 50.5% to 71%. The results translated into a major shift in school performance categories. Number of Category A schools increased from 621 to 4,545, while Category C schools fell from 6,385 to 1,973.Officials said the next phase will focus on sustaining the gains and expanding the programme. The state plans to extend the NIPUN model to Classes IV and V, with around seven lakh students expected to be assessed this year.The shift is significant against the backdrop of India’s persistent foundational learning challenge. National learning surveys have shown only gradual improvements in basic reading and arithmetic. For instance, the proportion of Class III children in govt schools able to read a Grade II-level text increased from 16.3% in 2022 to 23.4% in 2024, while proficiency in basic subtraction rose from 20.2% to 27.6% during same period.

NEW DELHI: At a time when parents are worried about the downside of screen addiction among adolescents, legal experts including former CJI Ranjan Gogoi appreciated the intent behind proposed move by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to ban social media access to children below certain age but doubted the pertinence and effectiveness of legislative or executive intervention.TOI spoke to a spectrum of other experts – former attorney general Mukul Rohatgi, and senior advocates A M Singhvi, Rakesh Dwivedi, and Devadatt Kamat – on the problem, efficacy of a law enacted by a state to prevent children below certain age from accessing social media platforms when telecommunication and information technology fall squarely within the law making domain of Centre and the possible ways and means to pull the children off the social media quagmire.Gogoi, with grandchildren of impressionable age, spoke more like a wise elderly head of a family than a legal expert: “Social media is here to stay. Instead of banning children from accessing it, it would be better to educate them about its constructive usage. Older generation must teach them its benefits because it provides instant reach to a vast knowledge base. Why should children be deprived of its tremendous benefits?”When pointed out that Australia has banned under-16s from accessing Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads, Gogoi said, “We have very different social values and structures compared to Australia. We do not have to follow other countries blindly. Our strong social bonds and parental relations would be helpful in guiding the children to use social media beneficially.”Rohatgi was sceptical about the working and implementation of states enacting different laws prescribing different age limits for children to access social media: “Telecommunication and IT are central subjects. States should not enact laws individually. It will create confusion. It should be left to govt which can bring a legislation in Parliament to address the issue pan-India.”Singhvi said in principle the objective behind the proposed regulatory framework is laudable and desirable. “Across political spectrum, suffering parents, teachers and elders will endorse the deleterious impact of unlimited social media access on impressionable young minds.”What should be the mechanism to regulate it? Singhvi said, “As always both God and Devil reside in the details. The real test will depend on proper implementation without harassment and unrelated ulterior acts.” Dwivedi said, “The ban should not be absolute as children too have a fundamental right to communication and information. The ban should be on putrid content being placed on social media without adequate safeguards to prevent children from accessing such undesirable content.”Kamat, with two children of impressionable age, said mental health of the next generation should be safeguarded from the deleterious impact of unlimited access to social media. He said though communication is exclusively within the legislative competence of Centre, states can bring in regulatory mechanisms under the broad subject of health.

NEW DELHI: Domestic cooking gas will cost Rs 60 more per cylinder from Saturday while commercial LPG price rose by Rs 114.5, amid pressure on global energy markets and rising costs due to the West Asia conflict, reports Atul Mathur.The 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder now costs Rs 913 in the capital.Officials said there will be no revision in the retail price of petrol and diesel, as oil marketing companies (OMCs) have enough cushion to absorb the rise in global crude prices.LPG cylinder price was last hiked by Rs 50 in April 2025The price of a 19-kg commercial cylinder is Rs 1,883. Ujjwala beneficiaries, who receive a subsidy of Rs 300 per cylinder directly in their bank accounts, will now pay Rs 613 per bottle. The price was last increased by Rs 50 last April. Prices of commercial cylinders, used by hotels and restaurants, are revised monthly based on international fuel costs. They were last hiked by Rs 28 per 19-kg cylinder on March 1 and have risen by Rs 302.5 in the last three months from Rs 1,580.5 in Dec 2025. The development comes a day after the government invoked emergency powers under the Emergency Commodities Act of 1955 and directed refiners to increase production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for domestic customers due to supply constraints arising from the ongoing West Asia conflict. India imports over 60% of its LPG requirement and nearly 85-90% of shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently disrupted, curtailing energy flows from the region and triggering a spike in global oil and gas prices. India has over 33.3 crore LPG consumers, including 10.5 crore Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries who get a subsidy of Rs 300 per cylinder. In 2024-25, the country consumed 31.3 million tonne of LPG, of which only 12.8 million tonne were produced domestically.Officials said the govt has always tried to shield households from international volatility. Domestic LPG prices are linked to international benchmarks such as the Saudi Contract Price (CP). Even as the Saudi CP benchmark rose 16% between Nov 2025 and Feb 2026, domestic LPG prices remained unchanged. Despite the latest revision, domestic LPG prices remain below the market-determined price of Rs 987 for a 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi in March 2026, they said.Officials said the three state-owned OMCs — Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum — absorbed losses of around Rs 39,000 crore in 2024-25 to protect domestic LPG consumers. Govt compensated Rs 30,000 crore to them.“The impact of the hike translates to about 80 paise per day for a family of four, or just 20 paise per person, assuming an average consumption of 4-5 cylinders per household annually,” a govt official said, adding that LPG in India remains cheaper than in many countries. A cylinder costs Rs 1,207 in Kathmandu, Rs 1,241 in Sri Lanka and Rs 1,046 in Pakistan, the official said. Retail petrol and diesel prices were last revised in April 2022. OMCs absorb losses when crude prices are high and make profits when rates are low.