classic cracker academy

09/03/2026

06/03/2026

BengalTeachers
Scam:ED to File
Final Chargesheet
Raghav Ohri
New Delhi:The EnforcementDirectorate(ED)is readying its final prosecution complaint (equivalent to chargesheet) in the teachers re-cruitment corruption case. The federal agency will file its final prosecution complaint after quizzing former West Bengal education mini-ster Partha Chatterjee and his alleged close ai-de Arpita Mukherjee, people in the know told ET. The two have been summoned by the agen-cyfor questioning.
When asked about the reason for fresh sum-mons issued to the duo, an official on the condi-tion of anonymity said that fresh references to Chatterjee and Mukherjee have been discove-red in several alleged incriminating docu-mentsrelatingtotheteachers recruitment cor-
ruptioncase.Theduo
will be questioned se-parately, he added.
Chatterjee was ar-
rested in July 2022 in
the School Service
Commission tea-
chers recruitment
corruption case in
West Bengal. Arpita
Mukherjee was also
arrested after heaps
of cash and orna-
ments were allegedly recovered from her apart-ment. Besides ED, the Central Bureau of Inves-tigation (CBI) is also investigating the SSC re-cruitmentcorruption case.
Last September, the Calcutta High Court had granted bail to Chatterjee. Despite the order, Chatterjee was not released immediately due toa SupremeCourtorder;, which said that Chat-terjee be released only after the trial court completes theexamination of material witnes-ses within two months.
A division bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and NK Singh had ordered that the statements must be recorded within two months. The top Court had noted that Chatter-jee had been in jail for nearly three years and hiscontinued incarceration would be tantamo-unt to travesty of justice.

05/03/2026

DURING VIRTUAL INAUGURATION OF VANGON'S SARSOBEIKMAN LITERARV CENTRE
India Backs Myanmar-led'
Peace Process: Jaishankar
Says country at confluence of India's three key foreign policy
priorities -'Neighbourhood First', Act East' and MAHASAGAR
PTI
New Delhi: India supports a Myanmar-led and Myanmar-owned peace process that can deliver lasting peace and deve.lopment for all in the Southe-ast Asian country, external af fairs minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.
Theexternalaffairs minister
also highlighted the impor-
acoupon February1, 2021.The military-backed party secu-red a victory in Myanmar's re-centgeneralelection.
Jaishankar was speaking
virtually at the inauguration
of the Sarsobeikman Literary
SJAISHANKAR
External affairs minister
Ourmultifaceted enga-
gementincludes politi-
in peace and harmony, India has regularly shared its expe-riences in federalism and constitutionalism with stake-holders in Myanmar, "he said.“We support an inclusive, Myanmar-led and Myanmar-owned peace process, that can deliverlasting peace and deve lopment for all in Myanmar,”he added.
Jaishankar said the Sarsobe-
ikman Centre will support the
tance India attaches to its ties with Myanmar saying the co-untry lies at the confluence of New Delhi's three key foreign policy priorities: ‘Neighbo-urhood First', ActEast', and MAHASAGAR(Mutualand
Holistic Advancement for
Security and Growth
Across Regions).
Myanmar is one of Indi-a's strategic neighbours and it shares a1, 640-kilome-ter-long border with a num-
ber of northeastern states in-
cluding militancy-hit Naga-
cal, trade, securitvand
cultural cooperation
Centre building
in the heart of
Yangon.The
building has
been construc-
ted with New
Delhi's assi-
stance.
*As the
world's largest
democracy with
1,4billon people
living toget-
conservation and study of
classical and folk literatures
of Myanmar, as well as trans-lation, archival work, creative writing, and scholarly ex-changes.
“Myanmar lies at the conflu-ence of our three key foreign policy priorities — Neighbo-urhood First, Act East, and MAHASAGAR including the Indo-Pacific,"he said.
“Our multifaceted engage-
ment includes political, trade, security andcultural coopera-tion, When it comes to deve-
landand Manipur.
The country has be-
en witnessing wi-
despread vio-
lent protests af-
ter the military
seized power in
her lopment cooperation, our en-gagement with Myanmar has been people-centric and de-mand-driven, aimed towards strengthening local economi-es and improving lives, ” the minister said.

03/03/2026

MANUFACTURING WEIGHS ON NUMBERS
lIPGrowth Slows
to3-mthLowof
4.8% in January
Our Bureau
tricity. Unfavourable base ef-fects also weighed on the num-bers,
New Delhi;India's industrial The Index of Industrial Pro
production growth slowed to duction (IIP) had expanded
4.8% in January from 8% in 5.2% inJanuary 2025.
December, marking its wea-For the 10-month period till
kest year-on-year pace in three the end of January, industrial
months, official data released production growth stood at
onMondav showed.4%,slightly lower than the
The deceleration was broad-4.2% recorded for the same pe
based and was seen across mi-riod in FY25.“Sector-wise data
ning, manufacturing and elec-showed broad-based modera-tion, with slower growth in manufacturing leading the de-
Slowing Pace
INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT GROWTH
Jan;
4.8%
yoy
Dec:
8%
IIPHAD EXPANDED
5.2% IN JAN2025
celeration in headline, ”said Aastha Gudwani, India chief economistatBarclays.
Gudwani said the slowdown
in the manufacturing sector
shaved off 277 basis points from headline growth.
Economists expect growth to
rebound to 5-6% in February, supported by afavourable base effect.
Data showed that manufactu-ringoutputgrowth in January eased to a three-month low of 4.8% compared with 8.4% in December
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION CROWTH
FY26 (till Jan):
Slowed
to4%
Year
Ago:
4.2%
Economists expect
growth to rebound to
around 5-6% in Feb
· Mfg output growth
eased to a 3-month low of 4.8% in Jan from 8.4% in Dec
Aditi Nayar; chief economist at ICRA, attributed this to an adverse base as well as some slowdowninoutputexpansion after the festive season ramp-up and subsequentrestocking amid prevailing tariff-related uncertainties
In the manufacturing sector, the top contributors to growth were basic metals (13.2% y-o-y growth), motor vehicles, trai-lers and semi-trailers (10.9%)and other non-metallic mine ral products(9.9%).
IIWIWIWIWIWIWI1I1I1三

02/03/2026

Return to Your Senses
culfStates Warn Tehran
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates stepped up their criti-cism of Iran's strikes across the Gulf
“Return to your senses, to your surroundings, and deal with your neighbours with reason and re sponsibility before the circle of isolation and escalation widens, ”Anwar Gargash, a senior foreign policy advisor to the UAE's Presi-dent, Mohammed bin Zayed, said onX.
“Your war is not with your neigh-bors, and through this escalation, you confirm the narrative of those who see Iran as the region'sprima-ry source of danger, " Gargash po-inted out.
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry also condemnedthestrikes, saying Iran's attacks—a response to US-Israeli strikes that started on Sa-turday—needed a “firm" interna-tional response. Qatar described an Iranian attack on the port of Dugmin Omanas“cowardiy"
The statements on Sunday signal Iran's growing isolation as it las-hes out against the American and Israeli bombardment by striking targets in Israel and neighboring Arab states.
The UAE's main cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi have faced hund-reds of missiles and drone attacks from Iran since Saturday morning.Most have been intercepted and there are few reports of casualties.But they are causing panic among residents and pose a huge threat to
Arafi Named Member
of Council tolead Iran
Dubai:Iran hasselected a
66-vear-old clericto join the three-member lea-dership council that will governthe country until a newsupremeleader is selected.
Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi
has been amemberof
both constitutional watch-
dogGuardian Counciland
the Assemblyof Experts
that will choosethe next
leader. He washand picked
by lateSupreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as
amemberof the Guardian
Council in 2019.
Arafi joins President Ma-soud Pezeshkian and head ofjudiciarycleric Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeheion the council.AP
the UAE's economy and status as a stable financial, logistics and tou-rism hub.wed to step up its retaliation. US
There was little sign of a let up President Donald Trump said “he-
fromeither Iranor the US and Isra-avy and pinpoint bombing”will
el on Sunday. After Supreme Lea-continue “uninterrupted throug-
der Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was hout the week or as long as neces-
confirmeddead inastrike, Iran vo-sary:" Bloomberg

27/02/2026

SUSTAINABILITY RISKS
'Surye in To***co
Use Drag on Public
Health. Finance
EAC-PM calls for strengthening
taxation under multipronged plan
Our Bureau
New Delhi: Incidence of to***co consumption and ex-penditure have increased significantly between 2011-12and 2023-24 with a 55% surge in urban and 33% rise in rural households, posing serious implications for pub-lic health and fiscal sustainability, a working paper by the Economic AdvisoryCounciltothePM(EAC-PM)sa-id. The papersuggests amultiprongedstrategythatin-cludes rationalising and strengthening to***co taxa-tion across products, tighteningenforcement against illicit and surrogate sales, expanding targeted aware-ness campaigns, and integrating preventive counsel-ling within primary healthcaresystemsto curbtobac-coconsumption.
Curbing to***co con-
sumption is central to
safeguarding both po-
pulation health and the
long-term sustainabili-
ty of public finance, sa-id the paper written by EAC-PM member Sha-mika Ravi and Partha ProtimBarman, who is a young professional at the council.
Rising to***co con-
sumption implies hig
her morbidity, prema-
ture mortality and gre-ater long-term health.care demand, it said.According to the paper; per capita spending on to***co rose 58% in ru-ral India and77% in ur-ban areas between 2011-12 and 2023-24.
Strain on Schemesw 6
Growing Hazard
Addictive products crowd
out spending on education,
nutrition, health
To***co L India reports
consumption 1. 3million
up j5% in deaths
urban and
33%in
annually due
to to***co
rural areas
between
FY12 & FY24
133 million rural and
47 million urban households
use to***co

26/02/2026

No Double Standards
onTerrorism;Back
Gaza Peace Plan: Modi
Our Political BureaulANI
New Delhi:India, like Israel,.has an uncompromising poli-cy of zero tolerance for terro-rism, with no double stan-dards, and supports all efforts fordurablepeaceandregional stability, Prime Minister Na-rendra Modi said while add-ressing the IsraeliParliament on Wednesday.
Speakingtoagatheringof lea-
ders across political lines, the PM said India firmly supports the Gaza Peace Initiative and believes it holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all peopleof theregion.
Modi, who is the first Indian unlock the vast untapped po-
PM to address the IsraeliParli-ament, is scheduled to hold dis-cussions acrossa wide rangeof sectors during the state visit as
tential in our trade relations hip.'"he said.
The PM also referred to for-mats such as the India-Middle
the two countries seek to eleva-East-Europe Economic Corri-
tetheir strategicpartnership.
“Terrorism aims to destabili-
se societies, block development,
dor and the I2U2 framework between India, Israel, the UAE and the US, on which the two
and erode trust. Countering nations are workingclosely.
terrorism requires sustai-
ned and coordinated action,
because terror anywhere
ThePMmadeacaseforexpan-
ding bilateral engagement
across several sectors in the co
threatens peaceeverywhere.
That is why India supports all effortsthat contribute to durab-le peace and regional stability, ”
ming years,“Forthelastfew ye ars, India has been the fastest growing major economy in the world. Soon, we will be among
the PMsaid.the top three economies global
Terming the strong defence ly. At the same time, Israel is a
partnership between the two powerhouse of innovation and
countries of vital importance, technological leadership. This
the PM said both sides are com-creates a natural foundation
mitted to expanding trade, foraforward-looking partners-
strengthening investment hip, ” he said, adding that the
flows, and promoting joint in-friendship between India and
frastructuredevelopment.Israel remains a source of
“Our bilateralgoodstrade has strength inan uncertain world.
grown manifold in recent ye Earlier in the day, the PM was
ars. But it does not reflect the given a red-carpet welcome in
full scope of opportunity. That Tel Aviy, with his Israeli coun-
is why our teams are working ,terpart Benjamin Netanyahu
hard to negotiate an ambitious ; and wife Sara personally recei-
Free Trade Agreement. It will ving him at the airport.
DIG AT PM
Slipped Off to
lsrael After
myUDeal
Dare: Rahul
New Delhi: Congress
leader Rahul Gandhion
Wednesday tookaswipe
at Prime Minister Narend-ra Modi, sayingit has been more than 24 hourssince he challenged the PM to scrapthe India-USinterim trade deal and once again, he (Modi)has "quietly
slippedoff to lsrae!".InapostinHindionX.Gandhi said, "Narendra
Surrender'Modi, it's been more than 24 hourssincel challenged y
the US Trade
once again, )

26/02/2026

No Double Standards
onTerrorism;Back
Gaza Peace Plan: Modi
Our Political BureaulANI
New Delhi:India, like Israel,.has an uncompromising poli-cy of zero tolerance for terro-rism, with no double stan-dards, and supports all efforts fordurablepeaceandregional stability, Prime Minister Na-rendra Modi said while add-ressing the IsraeliParliament on Wednesday.
Speakingtoagatheringof lea-
ders across political lines, the PM said India firmly supports the Gaza Peace Initiative and believes it holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all peopleof theregion.
Modi, who is the first Indian unlock the vast untapped po-
PM to address the IsraeliParli-ament, is scheduled to hold dis-cussions acrossa wide rangeof sectors during the state visit as
tential in our trade relations hip.'"he said.
The PM also referred to for-mats such as the India-Middle
the two countries seek to eleva-East-Europe Economic Corri-
tetheir strategicpartnership.
“Terrorism aims to destabili-
se societies, block development,
dor and the I2U2 framework between India, Israel, the UAE and the US, on which the two
and erode trust. Countering nations are workingclosely.
terrorism requires sustai-
ned and coordinated action,
because terror anywhere
ThePMmadeacaseforexpan-
ding bilateral engagement
across several sectors in the co
threatens peaceeverywhere.
That is why India supports all effortsthat contribute to durab-le peace and regional stability, ”
ming years,“Forthelastfew ye ars, India has been the fastest growing major economy in the world. Soon, we will be among
the PMsaid.the top three economies global
Terming the strong defence ly. At the same time, Israel is a
partnership between the two powerhouse of innovation and
countries of vital importance, technological leadership. This
the PM said both sides are com-creates a natural foundation
mitted to expanding trade, foraforward-looking partners-
strengthening investment hip, ” he said, adding that the
flows, and promoting joint in-friendship between India and
frastructuredevelopment.Israel remains a source of
“Our bilateralgoodstrade has strength inan uncertain world.
grown manifold in recent ye Earlier in the day, the PM was
ars. But it does not reflect the given a red-carpet welcome in
full scope of opportunity. That Tel Aviy, with his Israeli coun-
is why our teams are working ,terpart Benjamin Netanyahu
hard to negotiate an ambitious ; and wife Sara personally recei-
Free Trade Agreement. It will ving him at the airport.
DIG AT PM
Slipped Off to
lsrael After
myUDeal
Dare: Rahul
New Delhi: Congress
leader Rahul Gandhion
Wednesday tookaswipe
at Prime Minister Narend-ra Modi, sayingit has been more than 24 hourssince he challenged the PM to scrapthe India-USinterim trade deal and once again, he (Modi)has "quietly
slippedoff to lsrae!".InapostinHindionX.Gandhi said, "Narendra
Surrender'Modi, it's been more than 24 hourssincel challenged y
the US Trade
once again, )
slipped off t
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII1I1I1I1I1II1I1I1III11IIIII11I111111m11I1三11

25/02/2026

ECI, SECS Agree to Sync Local, LS, State Poll Laws

Our Political Bureau

New Delhi: In a move that could ad-

vance a key recommendation of the Kovind panel on simultaneous poll-saligning elections across all three tiers, including local bodies, with Parliament and state assembliest he Election Commission on Tuesday passed a 'National Declaration' to work with State Election Commis-sions (SECs) to harmonise laws go-verning Panchayat and municipal elections with those for Parliament and state legislatures.

The ECI hosted a roundtable confe-rence with SECs in New Delhi on Tu-esday, where, in the "national and constitutional interest", it proposed working out mutually acceptable mechanisms and legally viable frameworks to align with SECs across the country on "all possible election processes, including the sharing of ECINET, EVMS, electoral rolls and the world-class infrastruc-ture at IIIDEM," the poll panel said in a statement.

A joint team of legal and technical officers, led by EC officials, will now formulate a State/UT-wise "way for ward" and submit it to the poll panel within three months for a "best pos-sible decision in national interest".

The Ram Nath Kovind led High Le vel Committee has strongly backed simultaneous polls across all three

tiers with a two step process. The pa-nel has held that constitutional amendments will be required for synchronicity with local body polls. The panel has also held that a single electoral roll and electoral photo identity cards (EPIC) should be used in elections to all the three tiers of Government.

The ECI is to help draw up plans and estimates, in consultation with the SECs, for the de-ployment of manpo-wer, polling person-nel, security forces, EVMS/VVPATS for simultaneous elec-tions in all the three tiers of the Govern-ment, the Kovind pa-nel report says.

An EC-led team will drafta State-wise roadmap in three months for a decision in national interest

Chief Election Com-missioner Gyanesh Kumar in his inaugu-ral address also emp-hasised on the need for strengthe-ning 'institutional coordination' bet-ween the ECI and SECs and 'harmo-nised approaches' to further enhance the integrity and efficiency of electoral processes in the country.

Amid the ongoing SIR, the poll pa-

24/02/2026

India Asks Nationals in Iran to Leave by Any Available Means

آن که باد بکارد طوفان درو می کند

If you sow the wind you will reap the whirlwind

Iranian women walk past an anti-US billboard in Tehran-Reuters

Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury

New Delhi: India has advised its

nationals in Iran to depart by any available means of transport amid apprehensions of a possible US strike against the West Asian co-untry.

"In continuation of the advisory issued by the Government of India on 5 January 2026, and in view of the evolving situation in Iran, Indi an nationals who are currently in Iran-students, pilgrims, busines-spersons and tourists are advi-sed to leave Iran by available me ans of transport, including com-mercial flights," an advisory by the Indian Embassy in Tehran read.

The Embassy also reiterated its earlier January advisory, urging all Indian citizens and persons of Indian origin to exercise caution, avoid areas witnessing protests or demonstrations, remain in contact with the mission and monitor local media for updates.

It asked Indian nationals to keep their travel and immigration docu-ments, including passports and identification papers, readily ac cessible at all times, and to contact the Embassy for assistance if requ-ired. It also shared emergency con-tact numbers: +989128109115, +989128109109, +989128109102 and +989932179359.

Sources told ET that no evacuation flight is being planned by India at this moment. But the Indian Embas-sy in Tehran is all prepared to launch evacuation if the situation deteriorates and is keeping a cons-tant vigil on the evolving situation. There are around 9,000 Indian natio-nals in Iran including 3,000 students.

The Ministry of External Affairs had on February 14 urged Indian ci-tizens to avoid travel to Iran until further notice. In January, India had put on hold evacuation flights amid an improvement in the situa-tion in the region. Key Gulf states had then prevailed upon the US from attacking Iran.

However, over the past week Was-hington has increased its military presence around Iran, with US na-val assets deployed in the region. Reports said a US aircraft carrier was sighted near Gibraltar hea-ding towards West Asia, while another carrier is positioned in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman.

Iran, meanwhile, said it is prepa-red for any escalation, rejecting what it described as coercion and maintaining that diplomacy rema-ined the primary path forward. Ira-nian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said