The Ideas Page: Long delays, burdened courts — we need a national mission for negotiated justice 9 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2026 Journalism of Courage MuMBAI, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES ₹5.00 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 REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 Harish Rana, first in country to get passive euthanasia nod, dies Vidheesha Kuntamalla & Ankita Upadhyay New Delhi, March 24 HARISH RANA, the first person in India to be granted permission for passive euthanasia by the Supreme Court, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi Tuesday. “Mr Harish Rana passed away at 4.10 pm on 24th March 2026 at AIIMS, New Delhi. He was under the care of a dedicated team of doctors and was admitted to the Palliative Oncology Unit (IRCH) led by Dr (Prof ) Seema Mishra, HoD, 140 168 210 62 THE BIG PIcTURE SIvA’S ANgSt pAgE 13 INTERESTS, OBJECTIVES CONVERGE ON MOST fUNDAMENTAL ISSUES: COLBY Trump dials Modi, both say keeping Hormuz open vital UStodeploy eliteairborne troops,PakPM saysreadyto hostIrantalks India supports de-escalation, restoration of peace at the earliest: PM Harish Rana had been in coma since 2013. He was 31. EXPRESS Onco-Anaesthesia. AIIMS extends its heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time,” the media cell of AIIMS said in an official statement. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 KochiBiennale headresigned afterallegationof sexualharassment Vandana Kalra New Delhi, March 24 THE RESIGNATION of artist Bose Krishnamachari from the posts of president of KochiMuziris Biennale (KMB) and member of the Board of Trustees of Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) in January followed a complaint of sexual harassment against him, The Indian Express has learnt. Krishnamachari is the cofounderofKMBandco-curator ofitsfirsteditionin2012.Oneof »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Shubhajit Roy Ariba Shahid, Rami Ayyub & Alexander Cornwell New Delhi, March 24 A DAY after he paused for five days his threat of striking Iran’s energy sites and announced initiation of talks behind the scenes with Tehran, US President Donald Trump called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday and discussed the situation in West Asia “including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open”. This was their first phone conversation since the start of the war on February 28 when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Modi, in a post on X, said, “Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchangeofviewsonthesituation inWestAsia.Indiasupportsdeescalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world. We agreed to stay in touchregardingeffortstowards »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MorE rEportS, p 10, 16, 17 Islamabad, Jerusalem, March 24 An Indian Navy warship escorts two Indian-flagged LPG vessels, Jag Vasant and Pine Gas, which transited through the Strait of Hormuz. PTI War hits rice bowl: MP’s basmati exports to West Asia are stalled Anand Mohan J Bhopal, March 24 WHEN THERE was no war, the rice mills of Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district would hum through the night in March. The Pusa basmati, longgrained, fragrant, destined for thedinnertablesofTehranand Riyadh, would tumble through milling machines in the industrialclustersofMandideep,Satlapur and Obedullaganj, getting sorted into cream and business as Usual By EP UNNY »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PAKISTAN’S PRIME Minister said Tuesday he was willing to host talks between the US and Iran on ending the war in the Gulf, a day after President DonaldTrumppostponedthreatsto bomb Iranian power plants, sayingtherehadbeen“productive” talks. However, the US was expected to deploy thousands of troops from the elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with themattertoldReutersTuesday, adding to the massive military buildup in the region and fuellingfearsofaprolongedconflict. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Happening today lThe Government has called an all-party meet on the West Asia crisis. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to chair it. Nashik ‘godman’ under scanner for possible human sacrifice: Police Vallabh Ozarkar Mumbai, March 24 THE PROBE against self-styled godman Ashokkumar Eknath Kharat alias ‘Captain’ is widening,withpolicenowexamining whether he committed human sacrifice,afterallegedritualsinvolving fear tactics, use of animals and recovery of a firearm surfaced during court proceedings in a case that has already drawn five FIRs of sexual assault and exploitation. The prosecution submitted inthecourtthatcustodialinterrogation was necessary as the accused may have committed similar offences against other women, and that investigators need to identify additional vic- Ashok Kharat is taken to a Nashik court on Tuesday. YATISH BHANu CM:WILLprobE offICIALS’LINk toCrIMES pAgE4 tims, collect and analyse digital evidence, examine financial transactions, and verify »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 TUNE YOUR EQUITY-DEBT MIX TO MARKET CONDITIONS BALANCED ADVANTAGE FUNDS Zindagi ke liye SIP Benefits of Balanced Advantage Funds Investment across equity and debt instruments Dynamic Asset Allocation based on market conditions Aims to manage volatility over time An Investor Education and Awareness Initiative SCAN TO LEARN MORE SIP - Systematic Investment Plan | Visit https://www.hdfcfund.com/information/key-know-how to know more about the process to complete a one-time Know Your Customer (KYC) requirement to invest in Mutual Funds. 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