NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||1st. APRIL2026

 

NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||1st. APRIL2026

WEDNESDAY| VOL—V/2026/APRIL

OPINIONATED, FOR FREE CIRCULATION.

“उद्धरेदात्मनाऽत्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्।

आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः”॥

📖 Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 6, Verse 5)

💡 Persons should lift themselves by their own efforts, not degrade themselves.

Because you are your own best friend and your own worst enemy.

 

INDIA: (GOI, SWARAJYA, VISHWAMITRA, HINDU POST, INDIA TODAY).

India’s Census 2027 begins Phase 1 from April 1, 2026, marking the first fully digital census. Learn about the state-wise schedule, key features, phases, and how this massive data exercise will shape governance and policy planning.

The Centre will introduce the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha to formally recognize Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Three Panchayats of Tripura have won top honours in the Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Nanaji Deshmukh Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar 2025. Sepahijala district has been ranked the best District Panchayat in the country. Kanchabari Gram Panchayat topped in the Health-Friendly category, while Baikunthapur secured third place in the Women-Friendly category. The winners will receive financial assistance ranging from fifty lakh to five crore rupees.

Punjab will procure 132 Lakh Metric Ton (LMT) Wheat against the target of 122 LMT during the procurement season starting from today. The Minimum Support Price for wheat has been fixed at 2585 rupees Per Quintal.

In Assam, home voting for elderly voters above 85 years of age and persons with disabilities has commenced.

IRAN WAR:31/032026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that goals of degrading Iran’s military capabilities had mostly been achieved. The White House press secretary declined to confirm yesterday that fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz was a “core” objective, while the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump told aides he was willing to end the war even if the strait remained mostly closed. Even so, Trump on social media yesterday threatened destruction of Iranian civilian infrastructure if it was not reopened.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters today that negotiations with Iran are “very real” and “gaining strength.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tells Al Jazeera that he has no faith in talks with the US, and says that while he has had messages from Washington, no negotiations are under way.

NATO air defenses shot down an incoming Iranian missile over Turkey yesterday for the fourth time this month, Ankara said. Iran also attacked a water desalination facility in Kuwait, killing one worker, and an oil tanker off the coast of Dubai.

IRGC said on Tuesday they will target US companies in the ⁠region ​as of April 1 in retaliation for ​attacks ​on Iran, ⁠state media reported, according to Reuters. The 18 companies listed ‌in the IRGC’s threat included Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel, IBM, Tesla ⁠and ⁠Boeing.

US-Israel war on Iran entered its second month. American forces struck a major ammunition depot in Isfahan using 2,000-pound bunker-buster bombs, according to  The Wall Street Journal.  Regional tensions escalated with fresh strikes, tanker attacks, Reuters reported.

The strike in Isfahan, a key Iranian military hub, reportedly triggered secondary explosions.

 Blasts were reported in Tehran with temporary power cuts in parts of the capital.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the conflict is “beyond the halfway point” in terms of military objectives, clarifying it does not refer to timeline.

The Lebanese group said its fighters were engaged in “fierce clashes” with invading Israeli troops near the town of Chama in southern Lebanon and that battles were continuing.

Argentina designates Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, a statement released by the presidential office and reported by the Reuters news agency.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday confirmed the killing  of a brigadier general  in a US-Israeli airstrike. Commander-in-chief Ahmad Vahidi issued a message of condolences for Jamshid Eshaghi, the head of the budget and financial affairs.

WORLD: (REUTER, AP, AFP, BLOOMBERG, CNN, WP)

While the Iran war’s precise effects on the global economy remain uncertain, “all roads lead to higher prices and slower growth,” economists from the IMF wrote yesterday.

European allies, including Spain, France and Switzerland, have imposed restrictions on US military operations against Iran, closing their airspace to US warplanes and blocking access to joint bases.

Spain has barred the use of Naval Station Rota and the Moron airbase, both key hubs for Middle East operations, while Switzerland has suspended weapons exports to the US worth roughly $120m annually. The moves have drawn sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that Washington will re-examine the value of NATO once the conflict ends.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was nominated for the country’s presidency as parliament began voting yesterday to elect the country’s next leader. He has been sanctioned by multiple Western countries for leading a coup in 2021.

Israel passed a law yesterday making hangings the default punishment for Palestinians convicted in military courts of lethal militant attacks. Experts said it is unlikely Jewish Israelis will face the same penalty for deadly attacks against Palestinians. France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom (UK) called the law “de facto discriminatory” ahead of its passage, and its opponents inside Israel filed legal petitions against it at the Supreme Court.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said yesterday it would resume processing asylum applications from “non-high-risk” countries, continuing to exclude applicants from multiple countries in Africa and the Middle East.

Germany and Syria will coordinate to speed the return of Syrian refugees living in Germany, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said yesterday during a visit by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Both leaders said Syrians who wish to stay in Germany would be allowed to, but Merz said that 80 percent of Syrians in Germany are expected to repatriate in the next three years.

Moscow expelled a British diplomat yesterday as accused of economic espionage. UK foreign ministry called it  “completely unacceptable” and predicated on “baseless accusations.”

Both Russia and Ukraine are trying to leverage the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran to their own advantage.

It is questionable, whether PAKISTAN is  ‘MEDIATING, OR DOUBLE DEALING?’ It’s 6 Tankers came out of HORMUZ on TROT! They went to China also.

MISHAPS:

At least nine people, mostly women, were killed and several injured in a stampede at the Sheetala Mata temple in Bihar's Nalanda district on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The incident occurred in Magadha village during morning prayers, as a result of massive overcrowding and inadequate security. A probe is initiated. Bihar government announced ₹6 lakh ex-gratia for the families of the deceased, with an additional ₹2 lakh from the PM Relief Fund.

WILD LIFE:

Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) in Maharashtra’s Gondia district will assume control over its notified buffer area from April 1, marking a significant step in strengthening wildlife conservation and habitat management.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY:

 Andhra Pradesh is set to achieve a major technological milestone with the launch of India’s first quantum computer on April 14, 2026, in Amaravati.

*Pakistan's 'Zombie' Jets Strategy*: Pakistan Air Force is exploring the conversion of retired F-7 fighters into high-speed kamikaze ("zombie") assets to saturate or target the Indian S-400 batteries.

CLIMATE:

IMD has issued an orange alert for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds over Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Vidarbha.

CRIME & PUNISHMENT:

In Chhattisgarh, thirty-three Maoists surrendered yesterday in the Bastar division. Among them are seventeen women Maoists.

ED summoned Shantanu Sinha Biswas, Deputy Commissioner of the Special Branch, Kolkata Police, in connection with a PMLA case and the coal scam. He has been directed to appear before the agency on April 6 at 11 am in New Delhi.

DAS KAPITAL:

Indian Share Market: -

 *BSE SENSEX*71,947.55 −1,635.67 (2.22%)🔻

 *NIFTY* 22,331.40 −488.20 (2.14%)🔻

BULLIONS:

 *GOLD* : ₹ 15,100/ 01gm (24 krt)

 *SILVER* : ₹ 2,45,000/KG

Currency Exchange Rates:

*Euro* : ₹107/-*USD*  ₹ 92/-  *China¥* : ₹ 13/-

WHAT IS NEXT:

Today, French President Emmanuel Macron begins a visit to Japan.

Today, EU lawmakers begin a visit to China.

Today, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visits South Korea.

Tomorrow, the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in a case about birthright citizenship in Washington, DC.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman is preparing for a significant diplomatic engagement in New Delhi on 7 April, where he will meet with senior Indian officials including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

 

THE END.