The Editorial Page: A war lesson — the road to energy security runs on electricity 8 TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2026 JOURNALISM of COURAGE KOLKATA, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES ₹6.00 (₹12 in North East states, ₹20 in Andaman) 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 IsRAEL LAUNCHEs NEW WAVE OF ATTACks ON TEHRAN; IRAN THREATENs TO CUT ALL GULF ROUTEs BY LAYING sEA MINEs Trump Twist: Good talks with Iran, 5-day pause on striking energy infra Dialogue and diplomacy only solution, Hormuz blockage unacceptable: PM Deeptiman Tiwary New Delhi, March 23 LEADING WITH a strong diplomatic pitch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told the Lok Sabha that India is “consistentlyworking”tobring down tensions in West Asia, stressing that “dialogue and diplomacyistheonlysolution”to the ongoing conflict that has now entered its fourth week. He said he has personally spoken to leaders across West Asia in two rounds of calls, urging them to de-escalate and end hostilities. “India has opposed attacks on civilians and infrastructure linked to energy and transport. Attacks on commercial ships and blockage of the Strait of Hormuz is unacceptable,” he said, adding that New Delhi is actively engaging Rubble being cleared from a residential building that was hit in a US-Israeli strike, in Tehran on Monday. AP Iran Speaker denies talks; Trump says ‘major points of agreement’, Hormuz may be ‘jointly controlled’ lAfter Trump announced to pause strikes on Iran’s energy sites, oil prices plunged around 8%. Global markets also recovered sharply, with US stock futures gaining around 1.3% lUS Central Command said Gram slattery, Maayan Lubell & Alexander Cornwell Business as Usual By EP UNNY Washington, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, March 23 USPRESIDENTDonaldTrump said on Monday he had given orders to postpone for five days the attacks he had threatened against Iranian power plants, and said the US was in talks with Tehran about ending the US-Israeli war on Iran. However, Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf,mootedtobetheleader representing Iran in contacts with the US, posted on social media that no talks had been held with the US. As reciprocal airstrikes continued, financial markets had broadly welcomed the reports of efforts to negotiate an end to the war. Even after Qalibaf's comments, the Brent crude oil benchmark was down around 8% to about $103 a barrel. Iran has effectively closed the key Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefiednatural gas flows. TrumpwroteearlyintheUS the campaign against Iran was ‘ahead or on plan’ even as Tehran and Tel Aviv continued their attacks lUAE to Saudi Arabia to Kuwait and Bahrain, Gulf countries said they intercepted incoming Iranian projectiles Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in the Lok Sabha, Monday. PTI partners to ensure safe maritime corridors. PositioningIndia’sstanceas rooted in “humanity and peace”, Modi said the country isencouragingallsidestomove towards a peaceful resolution at the earliest, warning that threats to civilian lives are “not in the interest of humanity”. Even as he foregrounded diplomacy, Modi acknowledged »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NATION JAISHANKARSPEAKS TORUBIOON‘ENERGY SECURITYCONCERNS’ PAGE 5 Atri Mitra Kolkata, March 23 THE ELECTION Commission (EC) on Monday evening transferred 73 Returning Officers (ROs)inWestBengal,including that of the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, from where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari. Among those transferred, a majority of them were officers, belonging to the West Bengal Civil Services (WBCS). Amongthosetransferred,13 officers are from North 24 Parganas, 10 from South 24 ParganasandPurbaMedinipureach, fourfromMalda,Murshidabad, Kolkata North each, three officers from Nadia, Howrah, Hoogly, Paschim Medinipur, PaschimBardhamaneach,two from Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur,KolkataSouth,Bankura each, and one each from Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Dakshin Dinajpur, Purulia and Purba Bardhaman. According to EC’s order, the stateChiefElectoralOfficerhad proposed the transfers “for free and fair election”. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 military strikes on Iran’s Russia-built nuclear power plant could trigger ‘irreparable’ consequences lIsraeli minister calls for annexation of southern Lebanon, up to the Litani River. lThe death toll from the war rose to more than 1,500 people in Iran, over 1,000 people in Lebanon, 15 people in Israel and 13 US military personnel, as well as a number of civilians on land and sea in the Gulf region shubhajit Roy New Delhi, March 23 PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi’s statement in Lok Sabha on the war in West Asia, which marks its fourth week, contained five important diplomatic takeaways —fromhighlightingthe economic fallout to indicating a calibrated approach aimed at safeguarding India’s interests. First, he described the situation in West Asia as “concerning”. His choice of Parliament as the platform underscored the gravity of the crisis and its impactonpeople’slives.Noting the time-frame of the conflict, E. Munir speaks to Trump, Pak bid to play ‘lead mediator’on Iran:Report shubhajit Roy New Delhi, March 23 Pakistan’s Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. AP FILE Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif also held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Monday. Pakistan’s leading English daily, Dawn, also reported that Pakistan, along with Turkiye which has persisted for “more than three weeks”, he pointed to the strain it has placed on global supply chains. Second, he drew attention to the economic fallout of the war,sayingitisadverselyaffecting the global economy and everyday life. EmphasisingIndia’s“extensive trade relations” with “countries at war and affected by war”, in a reference to nations in West Asia and the Gulf, he flagged the broader economic implications. In this context, he referred to the Strait of Hormuz, which isanimportantrouteforIndia’s andEgypt,isengagedin“active back-channel diplomacy” to “bridgethegapbetween”theUS and Iran, an official confirmed to the newspaper Monday. The official said that this also involved US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. A “strategic synergy” between Ankara, CairoandIslamabadhadestablished a “vital diplomatic conduit, demonstrating that regional cooperation is the most effective antidote to escalation,” the Dawn report said. The conversation between »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Happening today lDELHI CM REkHA GUPTA, who also holds the Finance portfolio, will present her second Budget. It will focus on industrial growth, investment and job creation, she has said. lDENMARk WILL ELECTits new Parliament, with opinion polls showing a slim lead for PM Mette Frederiksen’s centre-left bloc, boosted by her defiant stand against Trump on Greenland. lUNION HEALTH MINIsTER J P Nadda will flag off a ‘TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan – 100 Days Campaign’. TRACK THESE AND MORE ON www.INDIANExPrEss.cOm EC releases SIR supplementary list, no clarity on deletion numbers Atri Mitra Kolkata, March 23 MINUTES BEFORE midnight on Monday, the Election Commissionpublishedthefirstsupplementaryvoters'listafterSIR adjudications in poll-bound West Bengal. However, the suspense over deleted names continued as the poll panel did not specify how many voters were dropped and how many were included in the rolls. According to the EC, so far 29 lakh cases have been adjudicated by judicial officers, deputed by the Supreme Court, out of over 60 lakh pending cases. An EC source said, electors can check whether their names are there in the supplementarylistornotbygivinghis or her Assembly constituency, booth number and other details on the ECI website or ECInet application. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 DEcIsION 2026 WEST BENGAL POLL TERRAIN: WHERE COMING FIGHT MAY BE WON OR LOST lThe Kremlin said any US IsLAMABAD POssIBLE VENUE FOR TALks: FINANCIAL TIMEs PAKISTAN IS positioning itself asthe“leadmediator”tryingto “brokeranend”totheUS-Israel war against Iran, with Pakistan’s Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir speaking to US President Donald Trump Sunday, UK-based daily Financial Times reported Monday. Pakistan has pitched Islamabad as a possible venue for talksasearlyasthisweekinvolving senior figures from the Trump administration and Iran, the report said. Pakistan’s Prime Minister »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Five takeaways: From The War DAY 24 economic concerns to diplomatic tightrope MORE REPORTs, PAGEs 12,13, 14 morning on his Truth Social platform that the US and Iran had had “very good and productive”conversationsoverthe past two days about a “complete and total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East”. “Based on the tenor and tone of these in depth, detailed and constructive conversations, which will continue throughout the week, I have instructed the department of war topostponeanyandallmilitary that the conflict has triggered “unprecedentedchallenges”for India — spanning economic pressures,nationalsecurityrisks and humanitarian concerns — given the country’s deep trade ties with the region and its reliance on it for energy supplies. “The region fulfills a large part of our energy needs and is a key trade route. Around 1 crore Indians live and work in the Gulf,” he said, underlining the scale of exposure. He noted that commercial shipping routes in the region also employasignificantnumberofIndians,heighteningNewDelhi’s concerns. Detailing the government’s response, Modi said over 3 lakh Indians have returned home safely since the conflict began, including more than 1,000 EC’s another round of transfers in Bengal: 73 Returning Officers replaced ahead of polls PAGES 3, 6 For women’s quota, Govt looks at higher LS strength based on Census 2011 816 in LS, 273 for women; plans to keep same proportion of states in increase, addressing south’s delimitation fears Liz Mathew the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam told The Indian Express thatoneproposalwastoraisethe THE GOVERNMENT has sug- numberofLokSabhaseatsto816 gested an increase in the from 543, after delimitation number of Lok Sabha seats, based on Census 2011. Of these, while maintaining the existing around 270 seats could be reproportion among states, and served for women, said the MP VidhanSabhaconstituenciesas who did not wish to be named. Shah met afirststeptowards leadersoftheBJD, implementingthe ExPrEss YSRCP, NCP (SP), women’s reservaShiv Sena (UBT) tion Act. In talks and AIMIM in the with Opposition Parliament buildparties to evolve a consensus on this, the govern- ing,andisexpectedtoalsohold ment has suggested the in- talks with the Congress, TMC, crease on the basis of Census DMK and SP. Sources said the govern2011–thusdelinkingitfromthe ment may convene an all-party ongoing Census. AnOppositionpartyMPwho meeting for this Tuesday, with was present at a meeting on acallonthechangestobetaken Monday chaired by Union after that. Home Minister Amit Shah on »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 New Delhi, March 23 exclusive l TOOL HAS ALSO PROVED CRUCIAL IN TRACING MISSING CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY AT CROWDED STATIONS One face, 463 cameras: Facial recognition fights crime on Mumbai rly platforms Mohamed Thaver ognitionSystem(FRS),linkedto 463 of the 3,675 CCTV cameras in the Mumbai Division of the TWO MEN who harassed and RailwayProtectionForce(RPF), stalked a Portuguese tourist covering 114 stations from were arrested last month; a 14- ChurchgatetoSuratinthenorth year-old boy from Goregaon and up to Jalgaon in the east. whowentmissingwastracedin Accordingtoofficials,WestRajasthan weeks ago; the man ern Railway was the first diviwho stabbed a Mumbai profes- sion in the country’s rail netsor was arrested work to install FRS PAGE 1 within two days in linkedtoCCTVcamJanuary; and, nearly eras.“Fromlastyear, a year ago, the althey are being inleged attacker of actor Saif Ali stalledinotherdivisionsaswell Khanwasnabbeddaysafterthe — eventually, the entire nethunt had hit a deadend. work will be covered. We get reAllofthesesuccessfulpolice quests for assistance from poinvestigations were aided by lice forces across the country one crucial tool: the Facial Rec- and Central agencies,” a WestMumbai, March 23 anchor ern Railway official said. SourcessaidMumbaiPolice units,whichoperateover5,000 cameras,arealsolinkingFRSto their network. In the case of the Portuguese tourist, who uploaded a videoshowingtwomenharassing her for a photograph at Dhobi Ghat near Mahalaxmi railway station on February 23, police initially drew a blank after scanning their own cameranetwork.Investigatorsthen took screenshots from the video and approached the RPF, whichquicklygenerateda“hit” on the FRS. The system found the accused on CCTV footage from l TrAcKINGAFAcE l Railway force uploads photo in system. l System scans stored faceprints to match & alert. l Checks past footage for other locations, frequency of sightings. A CCTV camera installed at the Andheri railway station in Mumbai. SANKHADEEP BANERJEE February 13 at the Marine Lines station. Police then used their own camera network outside the station to track the two men — one of whom had fled to Bihar by then. The FRS identifies individuals based on facial features such as the distance between the eyes, forehead, nose, ears and cheekbones, converting them into data to create a unique numerical “faceprint”. The FRS-equipped CCTV cameras are connected to soft- Kolkata ware available at Mumbai CentralorRPFpolicestationsalong the division. If a person on the watchlist passes any of these cameras, the software immediately issues an alert, triggering a chain of actions (see box). Inadditiontophotographsof accused persons uploaded after incidents,imagesofsuspectsare also fed into the system. In 2024 alone, over 10,000 photographs of individuals being tracked by agencies such as the NIA and CBI were uploaded. “So, even if the person may not have been spotted till then, oncethepersonenterstheplatform, we get a hit on the sys- tem,” the official said. Another key feature of the system is its ability to map patterns in an individual’s movements, which helps investigators track suspects. In the case of a professor from NM College who was stabbedonJanuary24atMalad railway station, RPF obtained footage of the accused, Omkar Shinde, and fed it into the FRS. The system revealed a pattern: Shinde boarded a train every morning from Malad at a fixed time and returned via Marine Lines in the evening. This helped police arrest him. “At timesyoumayknowtheperson »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2