The Ideas Page: In LDF’s change of heart on Sabarimala, a lesson for religious reform 13 THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2026 Journalism of Courage NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 26 PAGES ₹7.00 (₹8 RAIPUR, ₹15 SRINAGAR) l www.indianexpress.com DA I LY F R O M : A H M E DA B A D , C H A N D I GA R H , D E L H I , j A I P U R , KO L K ATA , L U C K N O W , M U M B A I , N AG P U R , PAT N A , P U N E , VA D O DA R A Happening today lTHREE-TIME FIFA World Cup holders Italy are attempting to make it to the 2026 edition but face a spirited Northern Ireland attempting to make their own history. Italy need to beat them to keep their hopes alive in the World Cup qualifying playoffs after missing the 2018 and 2022 editions of the tournament. TRACK THESE AND MORE ON www.INDIANExPrEss.cOm business as Usual By EP UNNY U.S. IN NEGOTIATIONS, VANCE AND RUBIO PART OF TEAM: TRUMP Sanctions relief to n-plan rollback: Iran receives US proposals via Pak Iran silent, state TV claims plan rejected; Egyptian official says deal ‘comprehensive’ 20 INtErvIEwS IN 3 dAyS, vIjAyAN opENS Up IN mEdIA bLItz pAGE 8 lAddresses sanctions relief: Pak officials lSeeks rollback of Iran’s nuclear programme Jon Gambrell, David Rising, Munir Ahmed & Aamer Madhani IRAN HAS received an Americanplantopausethewarinthe Middle East, officials said Wednesday — a proposal sent even as Washington deploys paratroopers and more Marines to the region. Tehran did not confirm receiving the plan and publicly dismissedthediplomaticeffort. Iranian state television’s English-languagebroadcaster,Press TV, quoted an anonymous official as saying Iran had rejected America’s ceasefire proposal. “Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met,” Press TVquotedtheofficialassaying. The official added Tehran will continue its “heavy blows” across the Mideast. Two officials from Pakistan, whichdeliveredtheplantoIran, described the 15-point proposal broadly, saying it addressed sanctions relief, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear programme, lRestricts Iran’s support for armed groups Pratyush Deep & Ravi Dutta Mishra lPlaces limits on missiles with Tehran Dubai, March 25 DEcIsION2026 E. Disruptionhits chemicals,steel, aluminium, textile,breweries THE15-POINT PlAN,BrOADlY »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 New Delhi, March 25 lCalls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz Iranian drones hit Kuwait International Airport, Wednesday. PTI ALL-PARTY MEETING ON WEST ASIA CRISIS Opp flags Pak mediation, Govt says India not a ‘dalal’ (broker) nation Manoj C G New Delhi, March 25 ADAYafterUSPresidentDonald TrumpcalledupPrimeMinister Narendra Modi and discussed the situation in West Asia, the government Wednesday informedanall-partymeetingthat Modi made it clear to Trump that India wanted to see the war comingtoanendbecauseitwas “affecting everyone”. When Opposition leaders enquired if Pakistan’s role as a mediator between the US and »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress MP Mukul Wasnik after the all-party meeting on West Asia crisis, Wednesday. PTI AS THE energy shock waves fromthewarinWestAsiatravel deeper, Indian manufacturers, rangingfromsteel,aluminium, textilesandevenalcoholicbeverages, are beginning to report operational disruptions on account of surging freight rates, stuck shipments, gas shortages and payment issues. Much of this originates, either directly or indirectly, from the trade disruption caused due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The Indian manufacturing sector is grappling with uncertainty due to cargo stuck at different stages of the supply chain, which could raise the cost of operations and even limit production hours. A Mumbai-headquartered leading textile brand told The Indian Express that they were facing a severe shortage of raw materials and were only left with 30 days of stock as the West Asia conflict had delayed their import cargo. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SIR adjudication: EC silent on deletions, voter anxiety deepens in West Bengal Mamata says 8 lakh deleted; rival Suvendu pegs it at 14 lakh Atri Mitra & Ravik Bhattacharya Bhangar, Kolkata, March 25 STANDING OUTSIDE her house,43-year-oldRashidaBibi ofTaraHadiavillageinBhangar says she is clueless about what to do now. While all her family RAVIK BHATTACHARYA Rashida Bibi, whose name was removed post-adjudication from rolls, at her Bhangar home members figure in the voter list preparedaftertheSpecialIntensive Revision in West Bengal, »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 IIT Kharagpur, IIM-A leap in QS world varsity ranks; ISM tops mining IIT Kharagpur up 23 ranks; IIT Delhi & IIT Bombay slip on employer score Abhinaya Harigovind New Delhi, March 25 REFLECTING STRIDES made bythecountry’seducationalinstitutionsinengineering,management studies and marketing, the Indian School of Mines (IIT-ISM) Dhanbad and the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), followed closely by IIT Kharagpur, have emerged as the top-ranked Indian institutions in the QS Quacquarelli Symonds World UniversityRankingsbySubject 2026, released Wednesday. IIT-ISM Dhanbad ranked 21 in ‘Engineering – Mineral and Mining’,whileIIMAhmedabad ranked 21 in two subjects — Business and Management StudiesandMarketing.IIT-ISM Dhanbad was the highestranked Indian institution last year as well, ranking 20 in mineral and mining engineering. Atthe22ndpositionthisyear, IIT Kharagpur has jumped 23 rankscomparedtolastyear’s45 inminingandmineralengineering category, breaking into the global top 25 for the subject. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2