The Hindu Morning Digest: March 17, 2026

Naval warships escort Indian vessels from the Gulf of Oman

The Indian Navy has deployed warships to escort Indian-flagged merchant vessels transiting through the Persian Gulf region, according to official sources. Three Indian Navy ships have escorted the Indian-flagged merchant ships Shivalik, Nanda Devi, and Jag Laadki from Gulf of Oman after they crossed the Strait of Hormuz. The warships ensured the safe transit of vessels through vulnerable waters.

India ‘engaged’ with U.S. on trade deal, says Commerce Secretary as officials warn of delays

India remains engaged with the U.S. on a trade deal, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said. Sources in the government, however, said that India will now sign a trade deal with the U.S. only once that country has settled its “tariff architecture” and has clarified the country-wise tariff rates. This comes against the backdrop of two trade-related investigations the U.S. is carrying out that could potentially see additional tariffs being levied on a number of countries, including India. 

Shutdown, protest rallies in Ladakh over Statehood, Sixth Schedule demands

Protest rallies were held in Ladakh, marking the first instance since violence erupted in September last year, on the call of the socio-political groupings of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and the Leh Apex Body (LAB) to press for Statehood status and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. Hundreds of locals marched from Singay Namgyal Chowk up to Leh Polo Ground in Leh town. In Kargil, protesters held a rally in the town that was attended by hundreds of locals. The KDA and the LAB had called for shutdown on March 16 in Ladakh.

Israel doesn’t seek ‘perpetual war’ with Iran, says Envoy, suggests diplomatic options remain

Israel is not seeking a “perpetual war” with Iran, and would discuss a diplomatic way out of the war if Iran “changes course”, said Reuven Azar, Israel’s Ambassador to India. He, however, denied that Israel’s goals had changed due to Tehran’s retaliatory strikes. Addressing a press conference here as the war in West Asia entered its third week, Mr. Azar said there was no timeline on ending the war, but that the U.S. and Israel, which jointly launched the war with strikes killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khameini on February 28, had anticipated it lasting a “few weeks”.

Address attacks on Hindu temples in the U.S., MEA says

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in its latest report has presented a “distorted and selective picture of India”, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Instead of criticising India based on “ideological narratives”, the Commission should highlight incidents of vandalism targeting Hindu temples in the United States, the MEA’s official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Fuel crisis is man-made, Opposition says, targeting Centre’s foreign policy

Questioning the allocation of ₹57,381 crore for the Economic Stabilisation Fund, proposed by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Appropriation Bill to address possible supply chain difficulties due to the conflict in West Asia, the Opposition said the crisis was “man-made”. Participating in the discussion on the Bill, senior Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil said that, since Independence, India had been committed to remaining non-aligned.

Deve Gowda writes to Sonia Gandhi over ‘chaos’ in Parliament

Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Deve Gowda has written to Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, expressing concern over “chaos” in and around Parliament, and raising questions on the conduct of the Leader of the Opposition in leading protests that have disrupted proceedings during the ongoing Budget Session. In a letter dated March 16, Mr. Deve Gowda said he had been “greatly disturbed by a certain chaos that has been unthinkingly introduced inside Parliament and in its larger premises, primarily by the Opposition parties.”

Political slugfest erupts in Delhi over Election Commission’s move to transfer Chief Secretary, DGP in poll-bound Bengal

The Election Commission of India’s (ECI) move to transfer West Bengal’s Chief Secretary and DGP soon after the announcement of Assembly poll dates triggered a political slugfest. While the opposition parties accused the poll panel of acting at the behest of the BJP at the Centre, the saffron party hit back, alleging that the opposition was attempting to malign constitutional institutions.

Consensus reached to revoke suspension of eight Opposition MPs

The suspension of eight Opposition MPs from the Lok Sabha is likely to be revoked on Tuesday (March 17, 2026), after the government and Opposition parties reached a consensus on the issue at a meeting of floor leaders convened by Speaker Om Birla. Sources said that parties agreed that members would not cross over into the Well of the House to confront those on the other side, throw papers at the Speaker’s podium or protest at the desk of the secretary general.

Wholesale price inflation at 11-month high of 2.13%; higher crude prices to push WPI higher

Wholesale price inflation rose to a 11-month high of 2.13% in February, driven by an uptick in prices of food and non-food articles, even though vegetable prices eased on a month-on-month basis, government data showed. This is the fourth straight month of rise in Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation. It was 1.81% in January and 2.45% in February last year.

Opposition questions govt.’s plan to introduce Bill to codify deputation of IPS officers in Central Armed Police Forces

Opposition members questioned the government’s intention to introduce a Bill in the ongoing session of the Parliament to codify the deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), despite a Supreme Court ruling to progressively reduce IPS deputation up to the rank of Inspector General in the CAPF and grant them organised group stature. In this backdrop, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday met Ajay Malik, Assistant Commandant of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), who lost a leg in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast during an anti-Maoist operation in Jharkhand on March 1. 

In Brussels, Jaishankar discusses Iran with EU counterparts

On the second day of his Brussels visit, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and had discussions, including about the situation in West Asia and Ukraine. Mr. Jaishankar was invited to interact with Foreign Ministers from the 27-member bloc, during the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday (March 16, 2026), as per a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Opposition notice seeking CEC’s removal cites his public remarks against Rahul Gandhi 

The notice seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar cites concerns ranging from the selection process for the post to his public confrontation with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and reports of widespread deletion of voters in two constituencies in Karnataka, an Opposition leader said. The Opposition is yet to make the contents of the 10-page notice against Mr. Kumar public. The notice signed by 193 Opposition MPs — 130 in the Lok Sabha and 63 in the Rajya Sabha — has listed seven charges against the election panel chief, including “partisan and discriminatory conduct”, “obstruction of inquiries into electoral fraud” and “mass disenfranchisement”. 

Trump accuses Iran of using AI to spread disinformation

U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran of using artificial intelligence as a “disinformation weapon” to misrepresent its wartime successes and support. “AI can be very dangerous, ‌we have to be very careful with it,” Mr. Trump said to reporters on Air Force One shortly ⁠after he made a post on his Truth Social platform where he accused Western media outlets, without evidence, of ‘close coordination’ with Iran to spread AI-generated ‘fake ‌news’. The comments come amid renewed tensions between the Federal Communications Commission and broadcasters after Mr. Trump took aim at ‌media coverage of the U.S. and Israel’s war with ‌Iran. 

Government clears 23 institutions to set up ‘quantum labs’

Twenty-three academic institutions across India have been approved for setting up quantum teaching laboratories under the National Quantum Mission (NQM), with another 100 proposals currently being evaluated, according to details that emerged from the joint monthly meeting of Secretaries of the Science Ministries held in New Delhi. The NQM, approved with a ₹6003.65 crore budget (2023–2031), aims to develop 50–1,000 qubit quantum computers, satellite-based secure communication, and high-precision quantum sensors/materials. 

Sri Lanka announces 4-day week for public sector to cut fuel use

Sri Lanka announced a four-day working week — declaring Wednesdays off — for government institutions, schools, and universities, to conserve fuel as the escalating tensions in West Asia threaten a severe energy crisis. Addressing a media conference in Colombo, the Commissioner General of Essential Services also encouraged the private sector to consider the option as the island nation, like many others, braces for possible fuel shortages. All government functions will be put on hold temporarily, officials said.

Oscars 2026: Paul Thomas Anderson wins Best Director as ‘One Battle After Another’ bags Best Picture

Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson won the coveted Best Director honour at the 98^th Academy Awards for his dark comedy, One Battle After Another as the film also bagged the Oscar for Best Picture. During the ceremony, One Battle After Another emerged as the big winner with six awards. The other four being, Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn, Best Adapted Screenplay for Anderson, Best Casting for Cassandra Kulukundis and Best Editing for Andy Jurgensen.

Sahitya Akademi announces literary awards for 2025

The Sahitya Akademi announced its annual awards for 2025 in the 24 languages recognised by it, nearly three months after the process was abruptly put on hold following directives from the Union Ministry of Culture. Among the winners are former diplomat Navtej Sarna, awarded in English for his novel Crimson Spring; Hindi writer Mamta Kalia for her memoir Jeete Jee Allahabad; and in the literary criticism genre Tamil author Sa Tamilselvan for Thamiz SirukathaiyinThadangal.

Chinnaswamy Stadium confirmed to host IPL 2026; Karnataka government grants formal clearance

The Karnataka government officially cleared the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium for hosting IPL 2026 matches. The government’s decision follows the multi-department expert committee submitting its assessment report, stating that the stadium has undergone satisfactory upgrades. Now, with all decks cleared, the Chinnaswamy Stadium will witness its first major match after ten months of lull on March 28.

Published – March 17, 2026 06:26 am IST