Good morning,

Two families, after losing each of their daughters, aged 18 and 20, to the side effects of the vaccines they were administered against COVID-19 in 2021, took their fight to the Supreme Court. Their experiences have now formed the basis of the case on which the apex court delivered its landmark judgment on March 10. It asked the Centre to formulate a no-fault compensation policy for people who experienced serious adverse effects following COVID-19 vaccination. The Bench also directed that the existing mechanism for monitoring adverse events continue to operate and that the data be regularly placed in the public domain. While the loss is irreparable for the two families, the order ensures that those who suffered injuries from COVID-19 vaccination can claim compensation without needing to prove negligence or liability.

With that, let’s move on to the top stories from today’s edition:

🚨 Big Story

Historic first: For more than a decade, the life of 32-year-old Harish Rana’s family has revolved around a single room in their house where Rana has been in a permanent vegetative state since he suffered severe head injuries after falling from the fourth floor of an apartment in Chandigarh in August 2013. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court permitted the withdrawal of artificial life support to Rana. The court also urged the Centre to bring a comprehensive law to address passive euthanasia. Justice Pardiwala praised Rana’s family for not leaving his side, calling it an “act of profound compassion and courage”

The SC order brought Rana’s family some relief, mixed with grief. “The house will feel empty, so will my heart… it will feel empty without my son,” Rana’s father said. Thanking the court for the order, the father urged, “Please don’t call it euthanasia… we are only placing our son in God’s lap.” “We approached the court once we recognised that our son’s condition was irreversible and incurable,” he added.

Between love and mercy: Directing the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to carry out a palliative end-of-life care plan for Harish Rana so that his final stage is managed with comfort and dignity, the Supreme Court observed: “Our decision today does not neatly fit within logic and reason alone. It sits in a space between love, loss, medicine and mercy. This decision is not about choosing death, but is rather one of not artificially prolonging life.” This is the first-ever Indian court order approving passive euthanasia. What does the Indian law say about euthanasia? Amaal Sheikh explains.

⚡ Only in Express

“This is the most important thing in our dressing room, nothing else matters. You can win 100 bilateral matches and no one will remember. But they will always remember this trophy.”

In his first interview since lifting the T20 World Cup trophy, India captain Suryakumar Yadav speaks to The Indian Express about the 18-month plan behind building a new culture from scratch. He also shares the tough conversations he had to have with his players to get the best out of them during the high-stakes knockout matches.

📰 From the Front Page

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who’s in Kerala ahead of the expected announcement of the schedule of the state Assembly elections, called the war in West Asia “a matter of concern for all”. Addressing an NDA convention in Ernakulam, Modi said “the expansion of the petroleum sector is essential” and “the current crisis has once again established” how important it is “for us to become atmanirbhar (self-reliant)”. Modi also accused the Congress of “deliberately making provocative and irresponsible statements” on the West Asia situation.

Surge: As crude oil supplies from West Asia suffer a halt due to severe disruption in vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz, India’s oil imports from Russia have surged in the first 11 days of March, according to trade sources and tanker data. As compared to around 800,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1 million bpd before the conflict, India’s Russian oil imports have now jumped to 1.5 million bpd, according to data from Kpler. The imports are likely to rise further if regular West Asian oil volumes through the Strait are not reinstated soon.

NCERT row: Even as the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) held the “textbook development team” (TDT) responsible for a section on “Corruption in the Judiciary” in its Social Science textbook for Class 8, the Supreme Court directed the Centre, States, Union Territories, universities and public institutions to “dissociate” from the team. Taking suo motu cognizance of the matter, the apex court said it was “disturbed” by the NCERT’s statement in its affidavit that the chapter “has been duly rewritten” and “the revised chapter shall be incorporated in the forthcoming academic session 2026-2027.”

📌 Must Read

‘Assassination bid’: A gunshot was fired from close range towards former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah late Wednesday night. Abdullah, who was attending a wedding in Greater Kailash area of Jammu, was not hit. While an official word from the police on the incident is awaited, Farooq’s son Omar Abdullah called it an assassination attempt, and said, “There are more questions than answers at the moment, including but not limited to how someone was able to get this close to a Z+ NSG-protected former CM.”

In Parliament: The Congress and other Opposition parties are making preparations to go after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government over the intensifying energy crisis, marked by shortages of oil and gas, amid the raging conflict between US-Israel and Iran. Congress leader Manish Tewari also called for a discussion on war’s fallout for the Indian diaspora in West Asia. According to sources, the Opposition MPs are expected to submit notices for adjournment motions and Zero Hour mentions to demand a thorough discussion on the issue.

In our Opinion section today, Shashi Tharoor shares insights on the evolving nature of trade relations between countries. As compared to being “gentle” during the era of globalisation, trade relations now thrive on interdependence and hence, geoeconomic vulnerability. He writes: “In the place of the globalised world, a more primal, dog-eat-dog protectionism has emerged. The marketplace is no longer a salon for integrating the world; it has become the front line of a zero-sum conflict. We are witnessing the “de-civilising” of the global economy, where the handshake has been replaced by the chokehold.”

⏳ And Finally…

As the longest-serving Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar steps down from his post after serving for 21 years, Neerja Chowdhury looks at what the future may hold for the government in the state. Chowdhury writes: “With the Lalu-Nitish era coming to an end, Bihar is likely to head towards a bipolar polity, with the BJP-helmed NDA pitted against an RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, squeezing others out of the picture. The Lalu-Nitish yug also universalised Mandal, making OBCs the flavour of the season; both Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi are espousing their rights with competing vigour.”

🎧 Lastly, tune in to today’s episode of our 3 Things podcast, where we discuss how the conflict in West Asia is disrupting fuel supply chains in India. We also delve into the case of a Sri Lankan Supreme Court judge moving an Indian court to remove allegedly defamatory articles online; as well as the CAG report on pollution of the Ganga river in Uttarakhand.

That’s all for today. Have a wonderful day!

Until next time,
Ariba