A fresh assessment by the US intelligence community says recent nuclear tensions between India and Pakistan were brought down after intervention by US President Donald Trump. But the report also makes it clear that the region is far from stable.

The 2026 Annual Threat Assessment notes that even if both countries seem unwilling to slide back into open conflict, the risk has not gone away. The bigger worry, it says, is that terrorist groups could still trigger a fresh crisis at any time.

Past attacks, present risks

The report points to the April 2025 terror attack near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir as a reminder of how quickly things can spiral. That attack left 26 people dead after gunmen came down from the hills and opened fire on tourists in Baisaran Valley.

Such incidents, the assessment says, show how fragile the situation remains between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

“President Trump’s intervention de-escalated the most recent nuclear tensions, and we assess that neither country seeks to return to open conflict,” said the report, while cautioning that “conditions exist for terrorist actors to continue to create catalysts for crises.”

Wider security concerns in the region

The assessment also looks beyond India-Pakistan ties. It says, “ISIS-K maintains a foothold in the region and aspires to conduct external attacks.” At the same time, the Taliban has acted against the group and may have stopped some plots.

There are also concerns about Pakistan’s missile programme. The report says Islamabad is working on more advanced systems, which could eventually allow it to hit targets beyond South Asia.

Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban are another flashpoint. The report refers to ongoing clashes and says the situation is unlikely to settle unless the Taliban cuts links with militant groups that target Pakistan.

After the Pahalgam attack, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ on the night of May 6 and 7, striking nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. More than 100 militants were killed in the operation, including members of Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.

The recent declaration of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025 final results on 6 March has once again triggered a nationwide media frenzy over the “toppers’ journeys”. Social media erupts with motivational taglines, videos, and memes celebrating their success and struggles. Families and communities distribute sweets, treating the achievement as a collective social triumph rather than a personal one.

Toppers’ stories are portrayed with the grandeur of Olympic medal wins or major sporting accomplishments yet these successes, if truly achievements in a broader sense, remain deeply personal and have limited tangible social impact. Without delving into precise numbers, the 2025 results selected 948 candidates from a pool of roughly 10 lakh applicants. In a previous article in the Indian Express, I had examined how the civil services have become synonymous with prestige in India, often overshadowing other vital professions. Building on that critique, the 2025 results provide a fresh lens to examine the over-glorification of both the exam and the services it feeds into.

This is not to diminish the hard work of the selected candidates. Rather, it challenges the dominant societal narrative: UPSC toppers are frequently portrayed as demigods. Media profiles dissect their “strategies” from daily routines to book lists as if cracking the exam unlocks the secrets of life itself. This narrative ignores the significant role of randomness and privilege embedded in the process. Many toppers, such as those with medical or engineering backgrounds emerge from stable, privileged educational ecosystems. The exam inherently favours candidates with access to quality coaching, strong English proficiency, and the financial and temporal resources for multiple attempts.

For average aspirants from rural areas or economically weaker sections, the odds remain heavily stacked against them. The 2025 results tell the same familiar story, yet the relentless emphasis on “inspirational” narratives glosses over these systemic barriers. We celebrate the rare exceptions while millions of aspirants burn out in isolation, grappling with severe mental health crises. Reports from coaching hubs like Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar consistently highlight alarming rates of depression and suicide. Yet the glorification machine rolls on unabated.

The examination structure itself perpetuates a built-in hierarchical system that undervalues true talent, efficiency, and domain expertise. A candidate who scores a mere fraction of a mark higher than others is elevated to a position of superiority that lasts for decades. This hierarchy often overrides humanity, knowledge, and practical skills: a person with minimal understanding of a domain can issue commands to those with far superior expertise. Even more troubling is the service allocation process, which largely disregards competency and relies instead on accidental performance in a single exam cycle.

This not only harms the lives of those who will be governed but also discourages genuine future governance talent. The 2025 batch will enter a system where debates on lateral entry and reforms continue, yet core issues such as accountability, innovation, and performance remain unaddressed. Over-glorification breeds unrealistic expectations: new recruits anticipate a hero’s welcomes, only to confront the daily grind of paperwork, political pressures, and frequent transfers. This mismatch fosters cynicism and inefficiency. The economic costs are equally stark.

Lakhs of young people devote their prime years to UPSC preparation, forgoing skill development in high-growth fields such as AI, sustainability, or entrepreneurship. India’s demographic dividend risks becoming a liability when talent is funneled into a single, hypercompetitive exam that selects barely 0.1 per cent of applicants. The 2025 results underscore this skew: many toppers hail from IITs or NLUs, diverting valuable technical and intellectual capital from innovation and the private sector into administration. Imagine the potential impact if that talent were channeled elsewhere. This year also saw several individuals falsely claiming to have cleared the exam and around 6–7 candidates publicly celebrating successes they never achieved.

These incidents highlight the immense public pressure and allure of UP SC glorification. A major structural flaw attracting widespread attention is the role of the District Magistrate, who consolidates enormous power with minimal accountability. A generalist with limited domain expertise or practical experience commands entire departments at the district level, often leading to inefficiencies and poor decision-making. This over-accumulation of power invites misuse, as accountability mechanisms remain weak. Ultimately, we must confront and reform this colonial era system, which has failed to adapt to contemporary realities.

It neither produces true domain experts nor effectively trains a modern workforce. One of the boldest moves this government has taken was Lateral Entry but due to systematic resistance of the bureaucracy and opposition of certain political groups, it could not translate into reality as it should have. The over emphasis on conservative bureaucracy often stops the growth of other systems. We need a more robust module which can take the place of the UPSC.

(The writer is director of the Center of Policy Research and Governance.)

Across the country, young Indians are flocking to concerts that blend devotional bhajans with contemporary rhythms and songs. The popularity of “bhajan clubbing” is not a passing cultural fad. Rather, it conf irms a long- standing dimension of Indian society: religious practice is ubiquitous, and youngsters have merely adapted rather than giving up on faith and practice. We analyze data from a nationally representative survey to demonstrate that young Hindus, including Gen Z, remain highly religious. For years now, a familiar claim has circulated in public debates: as India becomes more educated, urban, and economically mobile, younger generations are drifting away from religion.

This is a narrative borrowed largely from Western societies, where modernization coincided with declining religious participation, and was then loosely applied to India. Contrary to this familiar Western reality, our analysis shows that young Indians report relatively high levels of religiosity. We analyze data from a nationally representative survey – India Political and Social Attitudes Study – conducted by us among 7,382 respondents across 18 states in 2025. We asked respondents how often they engage in religious practices ranging from daily rituals to weekly observance and festival participation, including both public and private activities. In this article, we restrict our analysis to the 6,187 Hindu respondents in the sample.

As the country’s largest religious group with diverse forms of practice, Hindus offer a useful lens to examine generational change in religious life. We find that a substantial proportion of young Hindus actively participate in religious life. The reported levels of regular religious observance among GenZ Hindus (those aged between 18 and 28 in 2025) are only marginally lower than older cohorts. A majority of Gen Z respondents (55 per cent) reported that they prayed daily, and around half (48 per cent) reported visiting a temple at least once a week.

These figures are only marginally lower than the overall proportion across cohorts: 59 per cent of Hindu respondents reported praying daily, and 52 per cent pray at a temple at least once a week. The marginally lower levels among the youth should not be misconstrued as disengagement. Only a minuscule minority reported ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ undertaking various religious activities. Beyond private activities, young Indians are also engaging in socially embedded forms of participation. About three of ten (29 per cent) Gen Z respondents said they attend a religious gathering such as a Katha, Bhajan or Sangat at least once a month. This is why the enthusiasm for Bhajan Clubbing should not be viewed merely as a passing trend.

The secularization theory predicts that religious practice will decline due to modernization forces such as urbanization, upward economic mobility, and expansion in education. Contrary to this expectation, we find that a relatively similar proportion of college and non-college-educated youngsters actively engage in religious practice. For example, college-educated Indians (53 per cent) are slightly more likely to pray at a temple at least once a week than those with lower levels of education (45 per cent). Similarly, college education does not reduce attendance at public religious gatherings. It is evident that modern education and religious life coexist in contemporary India. Urbanization shows a comparable pattern.

Urban youth were at least as likely-and in some cases slightly more likely-to report engagement in religious practice. A majority of urban Gen Z respondents report visiting temples at least once a week (55 per cent), compared to 44 per cent among rural youth. The gap is even wider for socially embedded participation: nearly four in ten urban youth (39 per cent) attend religious gatherings such as kathas or bhajans each month, versus just one in four rural youth (24 per cent). Rather than crowding religion out of everyday life, urban environments appear to provide new social spaces and opportunities for collective religious participation.

Finally, religious participation among the youth is not confined to particular social groups. Across General, OBC, SC, and ST respondents, engagement remains widespread, even though frequency and modes of participation vary somewhat. Religion in India continues to function as a shared social institution rather than a shrinking remnant of tradition. Taken together, these findings challenge the common assumption that modernization naturally produces secularization. India’s trajectory looks very different from the Western historical experience that often dominates sociological thinking. Rather than abandoning religion, young Indians-including collegeeducated and those from urban areas – continue to embrace religion.

The Secularization myth persists partly because it offers a simple story: development replaces tradition. But social change is rarely so linear. The IPSAS evidence suggests that modern India is not becoming less religious. Young Hindus still gather in temples, enthusiastically celebrate festivals, engage in both public and private religious activities, and maintain strong religious identities. Borrowed historical templates cannot provide an accurate understanding of Indian society and belief structures. Moreover, it requires shedding commonly used binaries and adopting nuance. In this case, our survey suggests that modernity is not erasing faith. The enthusiastic embrace of Bhajan Clubbing is therefore not an anomaly. It is a visible expression of an enduring religious impulse finding new cultural forms. The medium has changed; the commitment endures.

(The writers are, respectively, a sociologist and researcher at University of Maryland, College Park, and a doctoral candidate in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley.)

Shortly after midnight in the city of Cuttack, flames reportedly spread through a trauma intensive care unit at SCB Medical College and Hospital, killing 12 patients who could neither run nor resist the smoke filling their ward. The tragedy, which also injured medical staff attempting rescues, was not simply a freak accident. It is another grim reminder that in many Indian hospitals, life-saving spaces can quickly become death traps. The danger is structural.

Intensive care units depend on a dense web of electrical equipment ~ ventilators, monitors, infusion pumps and air-conditioning ~ often operating around the clock. Add oxygen lines, old wiring and overcrowded wards, and the risk of fire multiplies dramatically. When an emergency erupts in such an environment, evacuation becomes painfully slow because the patients inside are unconscious, immobile or dependent on machines. This vulnerability has been exposed repeatedly across India. Fires in hospital ICUs and neonatal units in states such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan over the past decade have killed patients who were already fighting for survival.

Each disaster is followed by familiar rituals: compensation announcements, administrative inquiries and promises of stricter oversight. Yet the cycle keeps repeating. One reason is the chronic gap between regulation and enforcement. India’s hospital infrastructure is governed by rules on fire exits, electrical load management and emergency preparedness. In practice, however, compliance checks are sporadic and often treated as paperwork exercises rather than rigorous inspections. Government hospitals in particular struggle with overcrowding and ageing infrastructure, while private facilities sometimes prioritise expansion over safety upgrades. Responsibility ultimately lies with both state governments and hospital administrators.

In Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has ordered a judicial inquiry into the Cuttack fire. Investigations may identify a short circuit or technical fault, but the deeper issue is institutional complacency. Electrical systems in high-risk areas like ICUs require constant auditing, modern circuit protection and dedicated maintenance teams. These are not luxuries; they are basic safeguards. Equally crucial is emergency preparedness. Fire drills in many hospitals exist only on paper. Staff members are rarely trained to move ventilated patients quickly, cut oxygen lines safely or coordinate with fire services during a crisis. When seconds matter, such gaps can determine whether patients survive or suffocate. India’s healthcare system is expanding rapidly, from new medical colleges to upgraded district hospitals.

Yet expansion without safety discipline merely enlarges the scale of potential tragedy. Hospitals are supposed to be sanctuaries where the sick seek protection from danger outside. When those spaces themselves become hazardous, public trust in the healthcare system erodes. The deaths in Cuttack should therefore not fade into another statistic in India’s long list of hospital fires. If this tragedy leads to a nationwide overhaul of electrical safety, fire audits and emergency training in critical care units, the victims may yet force a long overdue reform. Otherwise, the next ICU fire is not a question of if, but when.

When the film industry gathers for its annual night of self-congratulation, the ceremony is usually remembered for glamour, spectacle and predictable triumphs. Yet the latest Academy Awards told a different story. The victories of filmmakers such as Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryan Coogler signaled not merely a celebration of cinema, but a subtle shift in Hollywood’s cultural mood. For decades, Anderson was regarded as one of America’s most respected directors without an Oscar to his name.

From Boogie Nights to The Master, his films were admired by critics but rarely rewarded by the Academy. His eventual sweep with One Battle After Another therefore carried symbolic weight. It was less about a single film’s triumph than about an institution finally acknowledging the endurance of a filmmaker who had quietly shaped modern American cinema. A similar sense of overdue recognition marked the awards given to Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan for Sinners. Coogler had already proven his cultural reach through films like Fruitvale Station and Black Panther. Jordan had built a career that straddled independent drama and blockbuster franchises.

Their success suggested that Hollywood’s gatekeepers are gradually catching up with a generation of artists who had already won the audience long ago. But the significance of the ceremony extended beyond individual careers. The evening unfolded against a turbulent backdrop: wars dominating international headlines, renewed debates over immigration in the United States, and an entertainment industry wrestling with the disruptive power of artificial intelligence. The Oscars stage has always doubled as a platform for cultural commentary, and this year was no exception. References to war, political leadership and the moral responsibility of artists surfaced repeatedly in acceptance speeches and presentations.

In that sense, the awards functioned as a snapshot of Hollywood’s anxieties. The film industry remains a global cultural force, yet it is increasingly aware of the fragility of its own ecosystem. Writers, actors and technicians have spent the past two years debating how algorithms and generative AI might reshape creative labour. When presenters emphasised that animation and filmmaking are human crafts rather than “prompts,” the message was unmistakable: Hollywood is defending the value of human creativity at a moment when technology threatens to commodify it.

There was another layer to the ceremony’s symbolism. Alongside the emergence of new winners came tributes to older legends such as Robert Redford and Diane Keaton. The contrast felt deliberate. One generation of storytellers is leaving the stage while another steps forward, carrying the industry’s evolving values with it. Taken together, the night suggested that Hollywood is entering a transitional era. The Academy is recognising voices it once overlooked, confronting technological uncertainty, and responding to a world whose political tensions increasingly seep into art. For an institution long accused of living in its own bubble, that may be the most meaningful change of all.

As American representatives negotiated with their Iranian counterparts in Geneva, an armada of US warships, led by USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest warship, sailed towards the Middle-East. The scenario in February 2026 was uncannily similar to the one in June 2025, when talks on nuclear disarmament had lulled Iran into complacency, catching it unawares when Israel, and later the US, attacked it. However, Iran was much better prepared for the 28 February US and Israeli onslaught – it gave back almost as good as it received.

Iran’s supreme leader of 36 years, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with Iran’s top political and military leadership, were all killed in an Israeli missile attack; bomb attacks destroyed Iran’s navy and grounded its air force; diminished its missile capability and arms industry; the Iranian debacle was capped by the sinking of its warship, near the coast of Sri Lanka. Along with military targets, US and Israeli bombs hit hospitals and residences in Iran, leading to around 1200 civilian deaths; the nadir was reached, when a US Tomhawk missile hit a school, snuffing out the life of 138 innocent Irani schoolchildren. Iran has retaliated by targeting US bases in the Middle-East, and attacking Israel and other Arab countries. Even though most Iranian missiles and drones were successfully intercepted, yet some crucial targets were hit, including US bases in the Middle-East, particularly Qatar, and Saudi Arabian oil installations.

Falling debris from missiles damaged malls and luxury hotels across the Arabian peninsula, and two Iranian missiles were intercepted in Turkish air space. Iran, on its part, has denied targeting Turkey or other Arab countries. Interestingly, just before the invasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was on a State visit to Israel, where he confabulated with the Israeli Prime Minister, and also addressed the Israeli Parliament (Knesset). Modi’s hosts admitted that before launching their strikes, they had to wait for the Indian leader’s departure. There has been considerable collateral damage. Iran has blockaded the Straits of Hormuz that connect the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

The Straits are 167 kilometres long, and a mere 39 kilometres across at their narrowest. Almost 20 per cent of the world’s oil, and 20 per cent of global LNG transits through this tiny corridor. The Iranian blockade has resulted in an immediate spike in oil prices, with crude touching US$120 per barrel on 9 March. Should the blockade continue, a global oil and LNG shortage is inevitable. As of today, gas prices have risen sharply in India, and gas shortages have hit restaurants, catering and other establishments – even gas-fired crematoriums have shut down in several Indian cities. Share markets are falling round the globe; the Sensex fell from 82,419 on 26 February to 77,510 on 9 March, with investors losing Rs.22 lakh crore in the process.

The South Korean share index fell by 12 per cent in a single day, and the US share market is falling daily. Dubai airport has been hit more than once, and airlines are intermittently cancelling flights, to and from the Gulf. Countries like India have deployed planes to evacuate their citizens from Gulf countries. Shipping costs have escalated sharply, as marine insurers are cancelling ongoing contracts, due to the enhanced war risk. As exports to the Gulf region become undeliverable, returned export consignments are piling up in Indian ports. Chipmaking is suffering in South Korea because helium gas from Qatar, is not available. Just before the US launched its murderous assault, a survey by the Economist and YouGov found that only 27 per cent Americans supported a strike on Iran.

Approval ratings spike once a war starts, but an NBC News survey, has found that 54 per cent of respondents disapproved of President Trump’s handling of the situation in Iran. This is to be expected, as there is no clear objective behind the US invasion of Iran. Many reasons have been offered by Trump and his cabinet; in the beginning the ostensible rationale for the strike was destruction of Iran’s nuclear weapons and missiles, which does not wash, because after the June war, Trump had victoriously declared that Operation Midnight Hammer had obliterated Iran’s nuclear programme. More recently, in an interview with Fox News on 22 February, Steve Witkoff, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, had claimed that Iran was only a week away from producing industrial-grade bomb-making uranium, only to be contradicted by Trump, two days later, who said that Iran’s nuclear programme had been “ blown to smithereens.”

More importantly, even before the war started, Oman, which mediated in the Geneva talks, between US and Iran, had said that there had been an unprecedented breakthrough in nuclear negotiations, with Iran having agreed to zero stockpiling of uranium, and converting existing enriched material into fuel. Earlier this year, in the wake of murderous repression of protests by the Iranian regime, Trump had assured protestors that help was at hand, and that he would punish Ali Khamenei, the Iranian Supreme Leader. Khamenei is dead, but the war goes on with increased ferocity. Lately, Trump is taking the Israeli line that Operation Epic Fury was a pre-emptive strike on Iran, as Iran was about to attack Israel and the US. Thus, it is difficult to find a clear motive for the US attack on Iran, which may be the reason that the American public is not enamoured of Trump’s misadventure.

Trump is hard put to explain the reason for attacking Iran to the US public; he delivered the longest State of the Union address in history on 24 February, covering an array of his policies on the US economy, crime, trade, immigration and foreign policy ~ but mentioned Iran only in passing. Perhaps, the rationale for the American-Israeli invasion lies in realpolitik. The “axis of resistance” of terrorist organizations ~ Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen ~ built by the Iranian regime, were a permanent thorn in the flesh of Arab governments, but particularly Israel. After smashing Hamas, the Americans and Israelis are targeting both Hezbollah and Iran, simultaneously.

There are two more important, though unstated reasons for the American belligerence; first are Iran’s oil reserves, which the US would like to control, and second is the US desire to crush Iran militarily, so that Israel is the unchallenged boss of the Middle-East ~ ready to protect US interests against everyone. As the Iran war enters a decisive phase, no country stands with Iran ~ even its clients and steadfast supporters, China and Russia, only mouth platitudes. Supposedly neutral countries like India have kept mum. Apparently, no country wants to draw Trump’s ire, the buzz being that a statement in support of Iran will serve no purpose except that of antagonising Trump.

Israel is a country which ploughs a lonely furrow, and does not let international law stand in the way of how it achieves its goals. Also, Israel does not mind using its vast arsenal on the least provocation, and has full US financial and military support for whatever it does. In this backdrop, the entire world should ponder what could be done to stop the unnecessary bloodshed, and certain economic ruin for the world economy. On Trump’s part, he may mull over what Benjamin Franklin, statesman, polymath and one of the Founding Fathers of the USA, wrote to his friend, US Representative Josiah Quincy: “May we never see another War! for in my Opinion there never was a good War, or a bad Peace.”

(The writer is a retired Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-Tax)

The US-Israel-Iran conflict that began on February 28 has now spread far beyond direct strikes between the main rivals, with Gulf states openly reacting to the fallout. On Thursday, Qatar moved sharply against Iran’s embassy staff, while Saudi Arabia said stopping attacks on countries outside the conflict was now its immediate priority.

The latest developments also point to a wider regional strain on security and energy infrastructure. Even as Washington told lawmakers that Iran’s capabilities have been badly damaged, US officials also made it clear that Tehran remains dangerous, resilient and capable of rebuilding over time.

Live Updates

If you thought the Pawan Kalyan-Ranveer Singh face-offs were over, think again! The Telugu superstar and Bollywood’s firecracker are all set to clash at the box office once more. On March 19, 2026, fans finally get to see ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ and ‘Dhurandhar 2’ hitting theaters on the same day. And, this marks their third direct showdown over 15 years.

For decades, the curious trend of these two stars sharing big release windows has fascinated trade analysts and movie buffs alike. It’s a peek into how films from different industries compete, and how audiences pick sides when regional power meets Bollywood glamour.

Clash no. 1: Panjaa vs Ladies vs Ricky Bahl

The saga started on December 9, 2011. Pawan Kalyan’s stylish action thriller ‘Panjaa’ directed by Vishnuvardhan hit screens alongside Ranveer Singh’s sophomore effort ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’.

‘Panjaa’ was massive project with budget of ₹33 crore. And it opened to roaring crowds with 85-95% occupancy across theaters worldwide. Weekdays saw slight dip to 60-75%. But the buzz remained strong.

Meanwhile, ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’ quietly made its mark, ending its run with a gross of ₹49.40 crore worldwide and a net of ₹32.97 crore.

Also Read: Big relief for ‘Dhurandhar 2’: Madras High Court blocks ISPs and cable operators from unauthorised broadcast

Today, ‘Panjaa’ is remembered for its cult status and technical brilliance. ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’ earned “Average” tag at box office. That first clash set the tone that Pawan Kalyan dominated Telugu heartlands and Ranveer Singh made a steady impression in Hindi markets.

Clash no. almost 2: Agnyaathavaasi vs Padmaavat

Although not a same-day face-off, January 2018 saw Pawan Kalyan’s Agnyaathavaasi and Ranveer Singh’s Padmaavat competing for audience attention in the same month.

The release window created a frenzy for screens and box office space and proved that whether day-and-date or not, the stars’ films always make waves when schedules collide.

Clash no. 2: Bro vs Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Fast forward to July 28, 2023. This one was bigger and more competitive. Pawan Kalyan’s fantasy drama ‘Bro’ went toe-to-toe with Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt’s romantic extravaganza ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’.

‘Bro’ earned a worldwide gross of ₹114 crore powered largely by loyal fans in Telugu-speaking states. It played across 14,095 shows. Meanwhile, ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ flexed its international muscle by grossing ₹357.50 crore worldwide with ₹175 crore from overseas markets, and massive 61,000+ shows globally.

The numbers made one thing clear that Pawan Kalyan’s appeal is unshakable in his core market while Ranveer Singh thrives in multiplexes and international circuits.

Clash no. 3: Ustaad Bhagat Singh vs Dhurandhar 2

Now, all eyes are on March 19, 2026. This is shaping up to be the biggest ticket war yet.

Pawan Kalyan returns with ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’, directed by Harish Shankar. Ranveer Singh answers with ‘Dhurandhar 2’, spy-action sequel helmed by Aditya Dhar.

Unlike earlier clashes, the pan-India release trend means the two films will directly compete for screens in major cities.

Gone are the days of mostly separate markets. Now, Telugu, Hindi, and regional audiences will all make their choices on the same day.

Dhurandhar 2 Advance Sales: ‘Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge’ has officially turned into frenzy. From special previews to the first day advance bookings, Ranveer Singh-starrer much-awaited action spectacle is already setting stage for a historic box office storm.

Even before official release, ‘Dhurandhar 2’ has created ripples across theaters. Paid previews on March 18 alone raked in a staggering ₹47.90 crore. Fans snapped up almost every block seat in major cities.

Also Read: Big relief for ‘Dhurandhar 2’: Madras High Court blocks ISPs and cable operators from unauthorised broadcast

The excitement is palpable especially in hotspots like Delhi-NCR and Mumbai where theaters are already reporting sold-out shows.

Day 1 advance sales: A record in the making

Advance bookings for Day 1 (March 19) have crossed ₹40.30 crore, with over 9.5 lakh tickets sold across 17,000+ shows.

That’s right. The first-day rush showed signs of a blockbuster opening.

Here’s a quick peek at the numbers without block seats:

– Hindi 2D: ₹38.25 crore, 9,30,710 tickets

– Hindi IMAX 2D: ₹1.25 crore, 15,238 tickets

– Telugu 2D: ₹1.39 crore, 96,205 tickets

– Tamil 2D: ₹72.85 lakh, 47,733 tickets

– Kannada 2D & Malayalam 2D: Smaller yet impressive grosses

Overall, the All-India Day 1 advance gross is ₹41.74 crore with over 10.95 lakh tickets booked.

The frenzy isn’t limited to India. Overseas pre-sales have already crossed ₹80 crore. This just adds to the blockbuster buzz.

Combine this with domestic sales. And the total opening weekend pre-sales are comfortably over ₹200 crore.

The buzz around ‘KD: The Devil’ has suddenly turned into a storm. The track, ‘Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke’, is now at the center of controversy, and drama is not slowing down anytime soon.

The song was released on March 15 in multiple languages. At first, it gained attention fast. Viewers shared it widely, and it quickly went viral. But the excitement did not last long.

Soon after its release, many social media users began criticising the lyrics and choreography. Several people described the content as suggestive. The online reactions grew louder by the hour, and discussions spread across platforms.

Also Read: ‘Choli Ke Peeche’ vs ‘Sarke Chunar’: Rakshitha slams backlash against ‘KD: The Devil’ song, calls out industry hypocrisy

Because of the intense backlash, the makers of ‘KD: The Devil’ reportedly removed the song from public view on YouTube. The video was shifted to private mode. Later, when users tried to access it, they saw an “unavailable” message instead of the video.

CBFC breaks silence with clear statement

As the debate grew, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) stepped forward with an official clarification. The board stated that it had not received any application to certify the song from ‘KD: The Devil’.

The CBFC made it clear that the song was never submitted for certification. According to the board, there is often confusion about content released on digital platforms. It emphasised that online content does not automatically come under its review process.

The Chairperson of the CBFC explained that material released directly on digital platforms does not require certification unless it is formally submitted for theatrical release. The board said it should not be held responsible for content that was never sent for examination.

The statement also mentioned that the organisation is committed to responsible evaluation of cinema, including the portrayal of women in films. At the same time, it highlighted that the board is frequently drawn into debates that fall outside its jurisdiction.

To avoid misunderstanding, the CBFC clarified that concerns related to the song should be directed to the creators and the respective digital platform, not the certification body.

Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt featured in the track

The song features Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt, which added more attention to the release. Their presence made the track even more visible in entertainment circles. However, the controversy soon shifted focus from stars to content itself.

The music for the song was composed by Arjun Janya. While the team had planned a strong digital launch, the unexpected backlash changed the situation completely.

Public figures and organisations join the debate

The controversy did not remain limited to online comments. Several organisations and public personalities also reacted to the issue. All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) expressed concern about the song’s presentation.

Well-known names such as Kangana Ranaut and Armaan Malik also voiced their opinions.

If you love edge-of-your-seat movies or thrillers, 2026 is already feeling like your year. From bloody horror-comedy to intense survival games, the lineup looks wild. Here are the upcoming thriller movies that are creating buzz everywhere.

March 20, 2026 – Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come

The excitement begins with a return to one of the most loved dark thrillers of recent years. ‘Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come’ is the direct sequel to the 2019 hit. Fans still remember how the first movie mixed horror, dark comedy, and creative kills in a way that felt fresh and fun.

The story continues with Grace, played again by Samara Weaving. In the original film, Grace married into a wealthy but very strange family. Soon after the wedding, she learned about their deadly tradition: a twisted game of hide-and-seek where survival was the goal. If the family caught her, she would not survive the night.

March 25, 2026 – Pretty Lethal

Just five days later, another thriller arrives. But this one skips theaters and goes straight to Amazon Prime Video.

‘Pretty Lethal’ brings together ballet and brutal survival in a surprising mix. The movie stars Uma Thurman as former ballet prodigy who now leads a gang. The story follows group of talented ballerinas traveling by bus to competition. Their journey takes dangerous turn when the bus breaks down in a remote area. That forces them to stay at a lonely inn.

April 24, 2026 – Over Your Dead Body

April brings mix of comedy and crime in ‘Over Your Dead Body’. This film stars Jason Segel and Samara Weaving as troubled couple who travel to remote cabin hoping to fix their relationship.

But instead of romance, they discover something shocking. Each partner planned to kill other. What was supposed to be a peaceful getaway turns into a messy fight for survival.

Jason Segel plays Dan, and Samara Weaving plays Lisa. Neither character is trained in violence, which leads to awkward and chaotic situations.

Director Jorma Taccone revealed that this movie is a remake of the 2021 Norwegian Netflix film ‘The Trip’. However, new version adds more gore and stronger comedy elements.

April 24, 2026 – Apex

April 24 is clearly a big day for thrillers, because ‘Apex’ also premieres around this time, heading straight to Netflix.

This movie stars Charlize Theron as Sasha, an adrenaline junkie who loves dangerous adventures. Her journey takes her into the Australian wilderness, where things quickly go wrong. There, she crosses paths with a dangerous opponent played by Taron Egerton.

The teaser trailer shows Egerton enjoying his villain role, even telling Theron’s character, “Run for your life.”

May 15, 2026 – Is God Is

The final movie on this list brings revenge to the center stage. ‘Is God Is’ tells the story of two sisters who are determined to get justice for their painful childhood.

The trailer shows a dramatic moment where their mother tells them to “Make your daddy dead.” It is revealed that their father set their mother on fire in front of them and then abandoned the family. The sisters have grown up carrying that trauma.

Kara Young plays one sister, known as “The Rough One,” while Mallori Johnson plays “The Quiet One.” Their personalities are very different, but they share one goal: revenge.

Whether you prefer psychological tension, survival drama, dark humour, or revenge stories, there is something here for you. And this is only the beginning of the year.

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It seems the buzz around ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ started even before the popcorn could be packed. Just a day before its grand release, the film found itself in a legal spotlight.

On Wednesday, the Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy of the Madras High Court passed an ad interim injunction stopping internet service providers and cable TV operators from illegally broadcasting or transmitting the film before its scheduled release on March 19, 2026.

Also Read: Technical glitch hits ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’; Malayalam and Kannada shows face major setback

The order came in a case titled Reliance Industries Limited vs BSNL. The Court acted on urgent applications filed by the film’s producer, Reliance Industries Limited, along with its media division Jio Studios. The producers said they needed immediate protection from possible copyright violations.

What the film is about

‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ is a Hindi-language spy action thriller directed by Aditya Dhar. The film stars Ranveer Singh in lead role as undercover operative navigating dangerous world of crime and politics.

The movie also features well-known actors Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, and Arjun Rampal. It is the sequel to 2025 blockbuster ‘Dhurandhar’.

The producers submitted the Central Board of Film Certification certificate in court and showing their official status as the film’s producer.

Fear of illegal streaming

In the commercial suit, Reliance argued that several intermediaries, including ISPs and cable operators, could unlawfully stream or transmit the film without permission. With release date so close, the company feared that piracy could cause serious damage.

Court agreed that if no temporary protection was given, film could suffer irreparable injury especially since its release was imminent.

At the same time, judge also noted that the business interests of respondents could be affected by such an order.

Balance and conditions

To maintain fairness, the Court added a condition. Reliance must indemnify the respondents for any potential loss caused by the injunction. Only under this condition did the Court grant the ad interim order.

The injunction will remain in force until April 15, 2026. The Court also issued notice to the respondents asking them to respond to the case.

The matter will be heard again on April 15.

It all sounds like a quiet rural project at first. But wait. Behind the scenes, there is a serious mission brewing. Samriddha Gram, an initiative connected with Patanjali, is talking about something that touches every home in India: milk. Yes, the same milk that fills morning cups of tea and children’s glasses. And the goal is bold: reduce milk adulteration across the country and make the system cleaner, smarter, and more honest.

In a country that produces the most milk in the world, the story is not just about quantity. It is about quality. And that is where the buzz begins.

Also Read: From resistance to respect: How women farmers trained by Patanjali became role models in organic agriculture

India’s milk story: Big production, big challenges

India is the top milk producer globally. That sounds like a proud headline. But the system behind it is complicated. Milk moves through production, collection, processing, delivery. Each step has its own problems.

According to a report from the National Dairy Development Board, 34% of milk goes to the unorganized sector. Only 20% reaches the organised sector. The remaining 46% is consumed locally. This uneven structure creates gaps. And where there are gaps, problems can sneak in. Some people exploit these loopholes for profit, even if it harms public health.

With rising milk production, quality checks have become more important than ever. Samriddha Gram says it wants to step in with systems and awareness to protect consumers.

What is going wrong for dairy farmers

The challenges do not end with milk quality. Dairy farmers themselves face many difficulties. There is lack of organised support systems. Government assistance is often not enough. Payments are delayed. Productivity of livestock remains low. Many farmers have limited education and low literacy levels. Awareness about modern dairy practices is also missing in many areas.

These issues affect not just farmers but entire milk chain. Samriddha Gram believes that strengthening farmers is the first step toward cleaner milk.

Technology enters the village

Here is where things get interesting. Samriddha Gram plans to use ERP technology, which stands for Enterprise Resource Planning. This system helps manage different parts of dairy operations in one organized digital platform.

Through the Patanjali Dairy ERP Application, farmers can improve efficiency, manage inventory, plan production better, monitor quality, handle finances, and track milk from farm to final product. Traceability becomes easier. That means if something goes wrong, it can be identified quickly. The idea is simple. Use technology to reduce mistakes and increase transparency.

It is like bringing a digital control room into rural dairy operations.

Training beyond the screen

Technology alone is not enough. So Samriddha Gram is also focusing on training. Both practical and classroom-style sessions will be conducted. Awareness campaigns will teach people how to identify low-quality milk and understand the dangers of adulteration.

The program will explain common adulterants such as water, urea, hydrogen peroxide, formalin, detergent. These substances can harm health. Many rural communities may not fully understand their risks. The initiative aims to change that.

Farmers will also learn simple physical and sensory checks to test milk. In addition, they will receive safe, portable, and cost-effective tools to detect specific adulterants at the farm level. The goal is to allow farmers to check quality before milk leaves their hands.

The campaign also encourages communities to work together against contamination and to stay alert about new adulteration methods. Regular updates will help them keep pace with changing risks.

Strong roots for strong dairy

The training does not stop at milk testing. It includes livestock management, disease prevention, breeding guidance, nutrition advice, and veterinary support. Healthy animals produce better milk. Better knowledge leads to better income.

Samriddha Gram Patanjali Training Centre also supports Self-Help Groups across India under National Rural Livelihoods Mission. These programs aim to build skills, improve income opportunities, support sustainable rural livelihoods.

The focus is on economic independence and community growth.

Bigger picture for rural India

Behind all the technical terms and training plans lies a simple message. Clean milk matters. Educated farmers matter. Organised systems matter. And rural communities deserve tools that protect both their income and their health.

Samriddha Gram is presenting itself as a bridge between tradition and technology. Between farms and software. Between local effort and national impact.

In two different villages, in two different states, two women quietly changed the direction of their lives, and the lives of many farmers around them. They did not wait for big support or easy money. They did not ask for permission, they simply began. Today, their farms are not just fields of crops, but examples of confidence, organic success, and community leadership.

These are stories of Hitesh Choudhary from Uttar Pradesh and Savita J Yelne from Maharashtra, two entrepreneurs who proved that organic farming can be a real career, not just a dream.

From traditional farming to new beginning in Amroha

Hitesh Choudhary lives in Chak Chaavi village in Amroha district, Uttar Pradesh. Her main goal was simple but strong; to increase farmers’ income through agriculture. In the beginning, she practiced traditional farming methods. She grew wheat, lemon grass, sugarcane, turmeric, mustard.

But she was always ready to learn something new. She believed farming could be improved with better ideas and techniques. Over time, she focused her energy on organic lemon grass cultivation. She also started maintaining nutritional kitchen gardens and learned how to prepare organic inputs. She did not keep this knowledge to herself. And, she began motivating and training other farmers about organic farming methods.

A major turning point came in 2018 when she attended Training of Trainers program organised by Patanjali Organic Research Institute in Haridwar. After this training, she fully shifted to organic and natural farming methods.

Today, Hitesh cultivates mustard, vegetables, lemon grass, wheat, sugarcane, turmeric, and guava on two acres of land. She has also converted large portions of land to organic cultivation. Her kitchen garden is not small or simple. It is filled with onion, potato, carrot, radish, spinach, coriander, cabbage, fenugreek, banana plants, papaya, brinjal, sweet potato, turnip, guava plants, arbi, bottle gourd, and luffa. The garden helps improve family nutrition and also shows other farmers how to grow diverse crops at home.

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Hitesh uses natural fertilizers and manures such as Beejamrut, Panchagavya, Jeevamrut, and Ghanjeevamrut. She prepares compost using cow dung and collects cow urine to make farming inputs. These natural methods have reduced her farming costs significantly. Because she prepares her own inputs, she saves a large amount of money on crop production.

She sells lemon grass oil, wheat, sugarcane, mustard, sorghum, and turmeric directly to customers and also in the mandi. The vegetables, cereals, and mustard grown in her farm are used for home consumption as well. By shifting to organic farming, she has doubled her income. Her financial growth is one of the strongest results of her efforts.

Her journey was not easy. At the beginning, she faced resistance from family and society. She did not receive financial support. She started her work with self-belief. Slowly, her results spoke louder than criticism. Today, she supports several self-help groups and farmer producer organizations in Amroha district.

Savita J Yelne: From one acre to a growing organic network

In Maharashtra, Savita J Yelne from Kanhapur village in Wardha district began her organic journey in 2008. She started on just one acre of land. Her training came from the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture based in Secunderabad, Telangana. Later, she also attended training programs conducted by the State Agriculture Department of Maharashtra. During an exposure visit, she saw the organic farm of Subhash Sharma, known as a “smart farmer” in Maharashtra. That visit inspired her further.

In 2012, she expanded her organic farming to six acres. Later, she purchased three more acres under organic cultivation. Over time, she converted about fifteen acres into fully organic farming and around fifty acres into fifty percent organic farming.

Savita is associated with the “Maharashtra Rajya Jeevan Unnati Abhiyan,” through which she trains women in Wardha district about organic farming. She is also a member of the Yogahaar programme of the Patanjali Organic Research Institute, a dedicated initiative for organic farming. She has been selected as a trainer farmer by the institute. And, she regularly shares her experience with new and interested farmers.

Because of her work, more than thirty nearby farmers have started growing organic food. Many of them grow for their own consumption, and some sell their surplus produce. Her influence has created a local shift toward healthier farming practices.

Savita began selling her produce outside her farm along the Wardha-Nagpur road. Her organic shop is located on the Wardha-Nagpur national highway. She sells seasonal vegetables, wheat flour, pulses, mustard, coriander and fenugreek seeds, and sugarcane juice.

She also does processing and value addition for wheat, sugarcane, mustard, and pigeon pea. During the summer months, especially May and June, she sells sugarcane juice from her outlet. She sells vegetables, processed chickpea, pigeon pea, turmeric powder, and papaya. Soybean and remaining pigeon pea are sold in the mandi at market rates. She does not charge extra prices for organic products. Customers appreciate this approach and prefer buying from her shop.

Savita has been honoured by taluka and district authorities for her innovative farming practices. These include compost use, vermicompost, nutrient management, mulching, and crop rotation. She runs her farm as an individual entrepreneur and manages operations with dedication.

During early stages, she also faced criticism. People questioned her decisions and mocked her efforts. She shared that society once considered her work unusual. However, as results improved, opinions changed. Now the same people are adopting organic farming methods. She has trained and motivated nearby farmers to follow organic practices.

The Indian rupee hit a record low of Rs 92.65 to the dollar at close of trading on Wednesday, as foreign investors kept pulling out of bourses and spiralling crude prices kept pushing up India’s foreign exchange outflow.

Analysts believe that if the Iran-US war in West Asia continues, the run away from emerging market bourses to the safe haven of the US dollar will continue, and the rupee could well touch Rs 95 to the dollar by the end of the month.

“The rupee breached the psychological barrier of Rs 92.50 today. Two reasons kept pulling the rupee down — FII pull out from our markets and the crude price rise,” Vikram Sahney, an independent merchant banker told UNI.

Foreign Institutional Investors have been selling off their stocks here through March. “It’s now crossed a staggering Rs 57,000 crore in outflow within this month. The peak was on March 13, when we saw FIIs pulling out a massive Rs 10,716 crore in one single day,” he said.

The International Energy Agency bid to stabilise crude prices by releasing more crude into the market, some 400 billion barrels, from its reserves, has also been a dismal failure. Since the war began, crude prices have risen by nearly 40 per cent.

“IEA’s actions and the actions of various central banks to prop up their currencies has been something like King Canute trying to stop the sea from coming in,” chuckled Sahney, adding that the only gainer has been the dollar and bullion which has strengthened as investors fled to the safe havens of the US dollar, treasury bonds and gold.

Concerns about the disruptions of crude movement through the crucial Strait of Hormuz continued as Israel hit targets within Iran to slay prominent war cabinet leaders there, while US allies shunned a plan to jointly patrol the Strait with Washington to ensure safe passge for tankers and cargo vessels.

As India relies heavily on imported oil, this surge has increased import costs, worsened the current account deficit, and heightened demand for dollars, further weakening the rupee.

Adding to the rupee’s woes, India’s trade deficit for February widened significantly to USD 27.1 billion in February from USD 14.4 billion a year ago.

A higher trade deficit generally means higher imports requiring selling domestic currency to buy foreign currency.

This in turn decreases demand for the local currency, pushing its value downwards.

In India’s case there was a steep decline in exports of petroleum products by 40 per cent even as India’s import bill went up to keep pace with the rise in the price of crude.

Sources said the RBI has through Indian banks intervened in the money market via dollar sales but couldn’t fully stem the fall. The Indian currency has declined more than 1.5 per cent since the Iran-US war began on February 28.

“We expect USD/INR potentially range-bound at 92-95 in the coming monthsif oil prices stay elevated due to conflict risks. At a pessimistic level we can even see it touch Rs 97.50 if oil hits USD 130/barrel or worsens,” the head of the forex floor of a nationalised bank, who did not wish to be named, said.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday announced that the state government will formally stake a claim of ₹1.44 lakh crore against the Rajasthan Government for unpaid water usage spanning several decades.

Addressing the media, the Chief Minister issued a firm ultimatum, stating that Rajasthan must either settle these historical dues or cease drawing water from Punjab’s reservoirs. He further called for an immediate and comprehensive review of the 1920 agreement that originally governed the water-sharing arrangement between the two states.

Elaborating on the technical and legal aspects of the dispute, Chief Minister Mann explained that under a British-era agreement signed in 1920 between the erstwhile Punjab, the state of Bikaner, and the British administration, Rajasthan had committed to paying for water on a per-acre basis.

While payments were consistently made until 1960, the process stalled following the Indus Waters Treaty. Despite this, Rajasthan has continued to draw approximately 18,000 cusecs of water through the Ferozepur Feeder without providing any financial compensation to Punjab for the past 66 years.

The Chief Minister highlighted a significant legal contradiction in Rajasthan’s current stance, pointing out that the neighboring state continues to draw water based on the 1920 pact but cites a 1960 arrangement to avoid making payments.

He clarified that while the 1960 arrangement omitted specific payment clauses, it notably failed to cancel the original 1920 agreement. “If we calculate the outstanding dues from 1960 to 2026, the total amount owed to Punjab stands at a staggering ₹1.44 lakh crore,” Sh. Mann asserted.

Criticising the inaction of previous state administrations, the Chief Minister noted that the original agreement mandated a formal review every 25 years, a provision that went unutilized for decades.

He stated that the Punjab Government has now officially written to the Rajasthan Government seeking a high-level meeting to resolve the impasse and has also appraised the Union Government of the situation.

He reiterated his administration’s resolve to pursue the matter at all appropriate forums, vowing to “leave no stone unturned” to recover the state’s rightful financial dues.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Wednesday condoled the killing of Iranian security chief Ali Larijani in US and Israeli strikes and warned that the “criminal murderers” will soon pay the price.

In a statement shared by Iran’s Tasnim news agency, Mojtaba Khamenei said that he received the news of Larijani’s death with “great regret”.

Calling the deceased Iranian security chief “an intelligent, committed individual”, Khamenei said that the fact he was assassinated shows the extent of his importance and hatred of enemies of Islam towards him.

“The assassination of such a figure undoubtedly shows the extent of his importance and the hatred of the enemies of Islam towards him,” the new Iranian Supreme Leader said.

He further warned that Iran will avenge Larijani and other martyrs

“The anti-Islamists should know that shedding this blood at the foot of the tree of the Islamic system only makes it stronger, and of course, every blood has a price that the criminal murderers of the martyrs must soon pay,” he added.

This is the second statement of Mojtaba Khamenei, who was chosen as the new Supreme Leader following the assassination of his father the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the Iran war.

The US and Israel have killed several of Iranian top leaders, with Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib being the latest.

Khatib was killed in Israeli strikes on Tuesday night, while Larijani was killed a day before. Both leaders were said to be close to late Ali Khamenei and the Iranian military.