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Is the US facing an increased domestic terrorism threat while Trump fights a war 7,000 miles away in Iran?

Shraddha Pandey
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Is the US facing an increased domestic terrorism threat while Trump fights a war 7,000 miles away in Iran?

There have been many Islamic terror attacks targeting Jewish people in the West, particularly in the US, since the Israel-Palestine war broke out in October 2023. However, there has been a fresh wave of Islamic terror attacks in the US amidst the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran.

Michigan synagogue, Old Dominion University, to Texas University: Islamic terror attacks surge in the US ever since Israel and the US launched attacks on Iran

On 12th March 2026, a vehicle-ramming attack was carried out by a rifle-armed Islamic jihadi named Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a Lebanese-born naturalised American citizen, at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township near Detroit, Michigan.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials called the attack a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community”. There were over 140 children present at an attached preschool when the attack was carried out.

On the same day, an ISIS-inspired attack occurred at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. The shooting was perpetrated by Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a 36-year-old naturalised US citizen who came from Sierra Leone. Jalloh killed one person and injured two before he was subdued by students present in the classroom.

 FBI Special Agent Dominique Evans said that 36-year-old Jalloh barged into a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) classroom at the Virginia college, shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’, before opening fire. ROTC instructor, Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, was killed in the shooting, while two people were injured. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case as an act of terrorism.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that the bureau is treating the shooting as “an act of terrorism”.

In another such incident, a deadly shooting outside a bar was reported in Austin, Texas. The authorities said that they are investigating the terrorism angle in the matter.

The shooting occurred around 1:59 a.m. outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, a popular bar in downtown Austin’s nightlife district. According to investigators, the suspect initially fired shots from an SUV before exiting the vehicle armed with a rifle and opening fire into the crowded area. Police officers responded swiftly and shot the gunman within about a minute of receiving the first emergency call.

The suspect was identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalised U.S. citizen originally from Senegal. Authorities said items recovered from the suspect’s vehicle and residence included an Iranian flag and extremist writings. The authorities said that Diagne was wearing a shirt with an Iranian flag design on it underneath a hoodie printed with “Property of Allah,”

As a result, federal investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force are examining whether the attack may have been motivated by extremist ideology or whether the suspect had been self-radicalised. Besides those killed, fourteen others were injured in the shooting, several of them students.

On 7th March, two ISIS-inspired suspects hurled homemade explosive devices outside the residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani near Gracie Mansion. The accused were identified as 18-year-old Emir Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi, who are US citizens from Pennsylvania. The duo was attempting to detonate an improvised explosive device at an ‘anti-Islam’ protest and a counterprotest near Mamdani’s residence.

US wants to eradicate the Iranian “existential threat” to Israel, while a Jihadi threat looms in its own backyard

Ironically, America under President Donald Trump is engaged in eliminating the alleged ‘existential threat’, a nuclear threat, posed by the Ayatollah regime in Iran against the world’s only Jewish state of Israel, yet the phantom of that very same threat looms right in America’s own backyard. Shootings, arson, and a monumental surge in antisemitic incidents in the US have been reported quite frequently since Israel launched a full-fledged military offensive against the Palestinian Islamic terror group Hamas in October 2023. However, these attacks have found a renewed intensity since the day Israel and the US eliminated Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran.

While Donald Trump has been keeping busy with directing US military operations thousands of miles away in Iran, and boasting disputable successes of Operation Epic Fury, during media interactions, the home front is unravelling under a mounting wave of Islamic terrorism.

Recently, it was reported that US intelligence intercepted encrypted communications originating from Iran on 9th March, which have been interpreted as potential “operational triggers” for activating sleeper cells in the US and other countries, hinting at Iran’s strategy of asymmetric warfare. These Islamic terror attacks in the US are occurring even as there was intelligence input that Jewish synagogues could be targeted by jihadists. Clearly, while in Trump’s mind and rhetoric, the US has won the war against Iran, his administration appears to be failing even at the domestic counterterrorism front.

It seems that the ongoing conflict has not only disrupted global energy supplies via Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but also triggered the Jihadi sleeper cells, who, just as parasites, sustain themselves at the expense of their host, exploit American laws to gain citizenship, only to curse the host country and carry out terror attacks against Kafirs.

The US, however, should have known this better, since its wars abroad have always bred new enemies. The Iraq War birthed ISIS, and now the Iran War will also give rise to new militant groups and unite existing Islamist enemies. The US may neutralise the nuclear threat in Iran through its airstrikes. However, no number of airstrikes can eliminate a decentralised and isolated terror threat America is now grappling with, while Israel watches helplessly.

LPG, LNG, and the host of other oil products that run the world: Read the differences and how India acquires them

Raju Das
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LPG, LNG, and the host of other oil products that run the world: Read the differences and how India acquires them

The ongoing war in the Middle East has raised concerns about the availability of fossil fuel, and several countries are already facing a shortage of fuel like petrol, diesel and LPG. In India, while there is no shortage of most petrochemical items, there have been some shortages of LPG. The government has decided to restrict the sale of LPG to commercial establishments, to ensure that domestic customers are not hampered.

The primary reason for this shortage is that India is dependent on imports for all petrochemical products, including LPG. There are two sources of fossil fuel: crude oil and Natural Gas. While most oil wells produce both oil and gas, some wells produce only gas. These two energy sources are converted to various petroleum products by oil refineries.

LNG vs LPG

During these times, there are lots of talks about LNG and LPG supply. Both of them are gaseous fuels that are transported and stored in liquid form, but they differ fundamentally in composition and origin. Natural Gas is one of the two primary fossil fuels, the other being crude oil. Various petrochemical products are produced from both gas and oil.

Natural Gas in its normal form can’t be stored or transported via tankers in large quantities, as only a small quantity will fit even in a giant tanker. Therefore, Natural Gas is compressed by cooling it to 161°C, at which temperature it becomes liquid. This is Liquefied Natural Gas or LNG, which can be stored in tanks and transported on LNG tankers in large volumes. Therefore, LNG is not a specific petroleum product; it is Natural Gas liquefied by cooling it. Like Crude Oil, Natural Gas is also refined to produce various hydrocarbon products.

LPG or Liquefied Petroleum Gas is one of the products derived from both crude oil and natural gas. LPG is a mixture of propane and butane gases, and both of them are byproducts of natural gas processing and petroleum refining. Like LNG, this Petroleum gas is also liquefied by compressing for storage, hence it is called Liquefied Petroleum Gas. However, LPG requires much less compression to become liquid.

Most of LNG is methane; the proportion of propane and butane is less, and therefore production of LPG from LNG is less. The majority of LPG comes from crude oil, which contains the entire spectrum of hydrocarbons.

LPG is mainly used as cooking gas in India, but it is also used in small industrial furnaces, heating systems, agricultural drying, and as a petrochemical feedstock in certain industries. LNG, on the other hand, has various uses. After it is regasified at specialised terminals, it becomes natural gas that can be transported through pipelines. In India, natural gas derived from LNG is widely used for electricity generation, fertiliser production, city gas distribution networks, and compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles.

Sources of oil and gas for India

India obtains these fuels from a combination of domestic production and imports. Domestic crude oil is produced mainly from offshore fields such as Mumbai High and from onshore basins in Assam and Gujarat, but domestic production meets only a small share of the country’s total demand. The majority of crude oil is imported from countries such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Russia.

India’s LNG imports are also significant because domestic natural gas production cannot meet demand. Qatar is the largest LNG supplier to India, accounting for a substantial share of imports, with additional supplies coming from the United Arab Emirates and other exporters. A large portion of India’s LNG imports transit the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime energy chokepoints now blocked by the ongoing war.

Similarly, India produces some LPG domestically through its refineries and gas processing plants, but domestic production is insufficient to meet demand. The country consumes roughly 31 million tonnes of LPG annually, while domestic production is only about 13 million tonnes, making India heavily dependent on imports. Major suppliers include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, although India has recently begun diversifying imports to the United States and other suppliers.

LPG production within India accounts for about 40 per cent, while the remaining 60 per cent is imported.

Why only LPG shortage

Now the question arises, if LPG is produced from crude oil and LNG, why is there a shortage of LPG in the country while there seems to be no problem with the availability of other fuels like petrol and diesel?

The explanation lies in the nature of refinery configurations and the limited infrastructure for LPG handling. Refineries are engineered for specific crude slates and cannot easily alter the fixed yield percentages of products extracted from each barrel. The proportions of different products that can be extracted from crude oil are largely determined by refinery configuration and the chemistry of the crude itself. It is therefore difficult to rapidly increase LPG production without altering refinery units, a process that requires major investment and long construction timelines.

Propane and butane streams emerge in limited volumes, and boosting them significantly requires diverting intermediates otherwise destined for petrochemicals or expensive hardware changes that take years to implement. Even then, there is a maximum limit that can be extracted from a barrel of crude.

Consequently, even when abundant crude keeps refineries running at or above 100 per cent capacity and generates ample petrol and diesel for transport and agriculture, LPG output stays constrained.

Another reason relates to supply chains and storage. LPG must be stored in pressurised tanks and transported in specialised carriers and cylinders, which limits how much can be stockpiled. In contrast, other naturally liquid petroleum products can be stored in normal tanks. As no pressurisation is required, storage capacities can be increased easily.

The entire system for LPG is optimised for continuous operational flow, unlike strategic reserves of crude oil and auto fuels that cover two months of demand.

Fighter jets, Stratotanker crashing, billion-dollar radars blown up: How US military has lost high-value assets despite its ’superiority’ flexing in a war nobody wanted

Sanghamitra
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Fighter jets, Stratotanker crashing, billion-dollar radars blown up: How US military has lost high-value assets despite its ’superiority’ flexing in a war nobody wanted

On March 12, the US Central Command confirmed that one of their KC-135 Stratotankers, the ‘flying gas station’ aerial refuelling aircraft, has been lost after a collision in the friendly skies over Iraq. Iranian sources have claimed it as a hit, but US insists it was a collision with another KC-135 Stratotanker, not a hit.

Be it a hit or a freak collision, the bottom line is that a giant refuelling aircraft worth over 40 million USD was lost in a collision. Just hours ago, CENTCOM was flaunting the very same Stratotankers, sharing images of an impressive refuelling exercise where one of those flying gas stations was filling up a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet midair.

This is not the worst loss the US military has suffered while fighting a war they started, thousands of miles away from their own country. 

After starting the Operation Epic Fury, where the US has been bombing Iran from its aircraft carriers and military bases in the Gulf nations, billions and billions of tax payer dollars have been blown off so far. The USA lost three F-15E Strike Eagles to friendly fire, though the pilots managed to eject and were safe. 

In the early days of Operation Epic Fury, Iran blew up the US’s AN/FPS-132 early-warning radar at Al Udeid base, Qatar. That was worth over $1.1 billion. In subsequent hits, Iran has reportedly hit and damaged several THAAD systems too, though the US has never officially confirmed them. 

At least 11 MQ-9 Reaper drones have been reported hit by Iranian attacks so far. MQ-9 Reapers cost $30 million each. That is over $330 million lost in just Reaper drones.

Here is a tentative list of all the aircraft and MQ-9 Reaper drones lost by the US in 2025 and 2026, including the Alaska incident where an F-35A Lightning II went down. Note that the US has also lost several MQ-9 Reapers to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Their exact numbers are unknown and unconfirmed.

Model / Asset NameDate of IncidentLocationEstimated Value
KC-135R StratotankerMarch 12, 2026Western Iraq$39.6 million
F/A-18E Super HornetApril 28, 2025Red Sea (USS Harry S. Truman)$68 million
F/A-18F Super HornetEarly May 2025Red Sea (USS Harry S. Truman)$68 million
F-15E Strike EagleMarch 2, 2026Over Kuwait$94 million each ($282 million for 3, approx)
F-35A Lightning IIJanuary 28, 2025Eielson AFB, Alaska$100 million+
F/A-18F Super HornetOctober 26, 2025South China Sea (USS Nimitz)$68 million
MH-60R SeahawkOctober 26, 2025South China Sea (USS Nimitz)$40 million
MQ-9 ReaperFebruary–March 2026Iran attacks (Operation Epic Fury)$32 million each ($352 million approx total for 11)

Radar systems in the Gulf

An Iranian strike hit and heavily damaged the US Space Force’s AN/FPS-132 (Block 5) Upgraded Early Warning Radar, located near Al-Khor, approximately 95 km north of Al Udeid Air Base, in the early days of Operation Epic Fury. This was a shocking loss of a highly advanced asset that had cost over 1.1 billion dollars back in 2013. After initial claims by the Iranian sources, the hit was confirmed by Planet Labs satellite imagery. The IRGC claimed complete destruction. However, Qatari and US sources confirmed the strike caused major damage.

Planet Labs imagery confirming damage to AN-FPS-132 radar in Qatar

This ultra-high-frequency phased-array system, one of only six worldwide, provides 5,000 km ballistic-missile detection and tracking for the entire region. Its loss sharply reduces CENTCOM’s long-range sensor coverage, compresses missile-defence reaction timelines across the Persian Gulf, and degrades support for allied THAAD and Patriot batteries. Replacement is estimated to take 5–8 years due to the system’s rarity and complexity.

Unsurprisingly, after the loss of the AN/FPS-132 Early-Warning Radar, there were reports of multiple THAAD systems being hit. As per reports, Iran has struck at least three AN/TPY-2 X-band radars, the core sensors of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) batteries, though the US has confirmed damage to only one. 

Destroyed AN/TPY-2 radar in Jordan, image via Defence Security Asia

US Army’s AN/TPY-2 at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan was hit and completely destroyed by Iran between March 1 and 2. This was confirmed with satellite imagery by multiple independent sources. Additionally, in UAE’s Al Ruwais and Saudi Arabia, Iran has reportedly managed to strike the core AN/TPY-2 radars of the THAAD batteries, essentialy damaging the degrade the entire layered missile-defense network in the Gulf, because without these radars fully functional, the THAAD systems cannot detect, track, or cue interceptors. 

Loss of AN/TPY-2 radars makes the US rely on short-supply Patriot systems. Additionally, only very few AN/TPY-2 radars exist globally, with no immediate spares, meaning that their redeployment or replacement will take years and weaken defences elsewhere.

Aircraft loss from carriers at sea

In April May 2025, the US Navy lost two F-18 Super Hornets in the Red Sea from its aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman. On April 28, one F/A-18F Super Hornet, worth over 65 million USD, fell off in the Red Sea, along with its towing gear and the tow tractor, while the carrier was turning to evade attack from the Houthis. Days later, another Super Hornet went overboard because the arrestment wire failed to stop it. 

On October 26, 2025, a F/A-18F Super Hornet and a SeaHawk helicopter went down in the South China Sea during routine flying ops just 30 minutes apart. They were both flying from the USS Nimitz. The crew ejected safely, and the aircraft was also later lifted off from the sea depth.

US military’s Hollywood-style superiority vs realities of distant wars in distant lands

The US military’s fabled superiority, endlessly amplified by Hollywood spectacles like Top Gun, video-game franchises, and decades of pop-culture narratives portraying invincible stealth fighters, carrier strike groups, and precision dominance, clashes sharply with the sobering ledger of distant wars.

The consistent loss of dozens of high-value assets, in addition to the loss of personnel lives, illustrates how even America’s most sophisticated assets remain vulnerable to saturation missile barrages, friendly-fire incidents, and operational friction thousands of miles from home.

This pattern repeats the 2021 Afghanistan debacle, when the hurried nighttime abandonment of Bagram Air Base left behind roughly $7.1 billion in tanks, helicopters, armoured vehicles, small arms, and aircraft that fell intact into Taliban hands, an indelible image of retreat that no amount of Hollywood propaganda can airbrush away.

What is baffling is the strange disconnect between the US political posturing and the staggering costs of endless wars in distant lands. The current war with Iran could have been avoided. US aggression in attacking a country thousands of miles away from their shores is choking the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial bridge to global trade, risking millions of people living in the Gulf nations, and destroying infrastructure at an alarming scale. The war started by the US administration is also causing Asian nations like India, Singapore, China, Japan and others to face a supply crunch of fossil fuels, sending markets into crisis and putting healthy economies into peril. However, neither acknowledgement nor remedy is coming from the White House.

The gap between political posturing and the raw arithmetic of strategic and asset loss is also surprising. Washington briefings and news soundbites still frame every engagement as a triumphant assertion of “global leadership,” with officials gloating over dominance, real and imaginary, while conveniently ignoring the multi-billion-dollar holes punched in forward-deployed capabilities, holes that will take years and further taxpayer billions to patch.

Trump and Hegseth have been making big claims, tall promises. But the loss of strategic assets and the global cost of this war with Iran is starting to hurt the whole world. This cannot and should not be allowed to go on. US diplomacy and pressure might force the Gulf nations to endure Iranian missiles on their land, but the economic wounds that are being inflicted on India, China and other Asian nations by risking crucial supply chains is bound to incite some response. Sooner or later, nations around the world, especially Asian powers, are going to step up and ask the US to back off and stop the war. 

Exclusive: JNU ‘scholar’, once charged for sedition in Manipur, is now a faculty member at Jamia Millia Islamia

OpIndia Staff
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Exclusive: JNU ‘scholar’, once charged for sedition in Manipur, is now a faculty member at Jamia Millia Islamia

Jamia Millia Islamia has come under the scanner over the recruitment of a controversial man named Chingiz Khan as a faculty member.

The public research university, which is often in the news for the wrong reasons, has now roped in the former JNU ‘scholar’ charged with sedition in April 2020.

Chingiz Khan has recently been appointed as an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Comparative Religions And Civilizations (CCRC) in Jamia Millia Islamia.

Google Scholar profile of Chingiz Khan

While questions remain about the manner of his appointment, it is interesting to note that Khan had co-authored a research paper with Jamia’s Vice Chancellor, Mazhar Asif, in July 2025.

Coincidentally, the paper was titled ‘Tracing the Historical Roots of Muslims Settlement and Migration in Northeast India: A Case Study of Assam and Manipur.

Screengrab of the research paper

Arrest for sedition

In April 2020, the controversial JNU ‘scholar’ was arrested for sedition. He was later booked on charges of promoting enmity, public mischief and criminal conspiracy.

Chingiz Khan had reportedly written a malicious article falsely claiming ‘systematic persecution of Pangal Muslims in Manipur’. Having said that, he was successful in getting bail within 7 days.

At that time, the Chinese Communist Party-funded NewsClick, Islamist propaganda outlet Maktoob Media and AISA (the student wing of the CPI (ML) Liberation) threw their weight behind him.

They had dubbed his arrest a ‘communal witch-hunt’. Former President of JNUSU even posted a tweet in support of Chingiz Khan.

The same controversial man is now teaching at the Centre for Comparative Religions And Civilizations (CCRC) in Jamia Millia Islamia.

TMC moves proposal to ‘impeach’ Chief Election Commissioner before West Bengal election: Read a Bengali’s perspective on how Mamata has mastered the art of political drama and public theatrics

Dibakar Dutta
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TMC moves proposal to ‘impeach’ Chief Election Commissioner before West Bengal election: Read a Bengali’s perspective on how Mamata has mastered the art of political drama and public theatrics

With the West Bengal election just around the corner, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has floated a proposal to remove Gyanesh Kumar as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The Mamata Banerjee-led political party has received support from the likes of Congress, Samajwadi Party and other allies to bring about an impeachment motion against the CEC under Article 324 of the Indian Constitution.

To this effect, TMC has secured the signatures of 120 MPs and 60 MPs on notices meant to be submitted in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, respectively.

Two tools in the arsenal of Mamata Banerjee

But why now? And don’t the Opposition parties, including TMC, know that this ‘impeachment motion’ will not yield any favourable result? After all, the antics of removing Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla just failed a day earlier.

And herein lies the electoral strategy of Mamata Banerjee, which centres around political drama and public theatrics. As a Bengali, I have seen this pan out multiple times over the political career of the TMC supremo.

Whenever she felt cornered in her career or experienced a sudden stagnancy in her ambitious pursuits, Mamata knew that a public spectacle would bring back the spotlight on her.

You may recall how she used election conspiracy theory and an ill-managed protest march against the CPIM to gain political clout in July 1993. And ironically, it was about making the voting process transparent.

Nonetheless, street fights, public drama and a disruptive style of protests on populist issues have, after all, been her hallmark.

And these have funnelled her career in the right direction, especially considering how the TMC supremo weaponised the Nandigram and Singur episodes to her advantage.

Mamata was successful in convincing the local Bengalis that the economic development brought about by both these projects was somehow ‘bad’ for them.

And by strategically misleading people on such political issues repeatedly, she was indeed successful in gaining power in West Bengal.

The political reality of 2026

Unlike the elections of the past, Mamata Banerjee is faced with a never-before-seen resistance from the people of West Bengal.

The middle-class Bengalis who once sang her praises for giving out economic handouts each month are increasingly questioning her incompetence.

Raging issues such as unemployment, corruption, rampant appeasement politics, lack of safety and security for the majority Hindu community have put the TMC dispensation on the back foot in West Bengal.

With no comeback in sight, Mamata is relying on her age-old strategy of political drama and public theatrics yet again.

This time, she is playing on the fears and ignorance of common people in the electoral process of the country.

With a well-thought-out plan, TMC is running a campaign to convince Bengalis that the Election Commission is an ‘outsider villain’ eyeing to strip them of their voting rights.

At the same time, a counter strategy is employed to portray Mamata as the ‘Banglar meye’ (the daughter of Bengal) fighting for the indigenous rights against external forces.

The political challenge in the run-up to the 2026 West Bengal Vidhan Sabha election is formidable. Mamata and her party cannot afford to leave anything to chance.

And thus, a systematic and strategic targeting of the Election Commission of India, its CEC Gyanesh Kumar and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is underway.

Systematic and strategic targeting of SIR and ECI

As soon as the SIR exercise was announced, Mamata Banerjee announced a ‘protest rally’ on 4th November last year with her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. She vowed to create ‘war rooms’ and asked her party members to do ‘man-to-man marking’ of BLOs.

A few days later, she dubbed the SIR exercise a ‘super emergency’ and even directed the ECI to halt it completely. Mamata alleged that it was done intentionally to keep government officials busy and prevent the smooth functioning of the West Bengal government for 3 months.

She also likened SIR to ‘votebandi’ and reiterated unverified claims, which linked SIR to suicides. “So many people have died, not a single condolence message by the Election Commission. You can send me to jail or cut my throat but don’t cut the name of a single genuine voter,” she alleged.

In November 2025, Mamata Banerjee expressed her ‘love for Bangladesh’ while disputing the fact that the purpose of SIR is to remove Bangladeshi nationals from the electoral rolls of West Bengal. She made a bizarre claim, “If your name gets deleted, the central government should also be deleted.”

The TMC supremo also warned about creating anarchy in the country over the SIR exercise in West Bengal. She threatened, “Elections were held in Bihar. Bihar opposition leaders were ‘bechara’; they couldn’t understand the BJP’s game. We understand their game, and we won’t let their game succeed in Bengal. If they try to touch Bengal, we will shake the entire country…“

A month later, she assured everyone that no one would be deported to Bangladesh. Mamata Banerjee also encouraged violence against the Election Commission. She urged the women of West Bengal to fight ECI officials with ‘kitchen tools.’

The West Bengal CM laid out the strategy, “Mothers and sisters, if your names are struck off, you have the tools, right? The tools you use during cooking. You have strength, right? You won’t let it pass if your names are cut, right? The women will fight in the front, and the men will be behind them.“

In December 2025, Mamata claimed that the SIR exercise was a ‘huge scam’, which was somehow being conducted with the help of artificial intelligence. She also alleged that the people of West Bengal were being ‘tortured’ for SIR.

A month later, the West Bengal CM went on an unhinged tirade against the Election Commission and alleged that the election body would have deleted the name of Rabindranath Tagore from the voter list, had he been alive.

She also spread animosity by claiming that the Election Commission was specially targeting the women voters in West Bengal and deleting their names from the electoral rolls through the SIR exercise.

In the meantime, propaganda media portals (friendly to the TMC dispensation) attributed multiple deaths in the state to the SIR exercise. The unverified claims bore resemblance to tactics employed to create mass hysteria during the 2016 demonetisation exercise.

If this was not enough, motivated political ‘activists’ alleged that the West Bengal SIR would cause the largest disenfranchisement of voters in history. To this effect, multiple petitions challenging the SIR exercise were also filed before the Supreme Court.

How Gyanesh Kumar is becoming the eyesore for the TMC

The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal has rattled the TMC ecosystem, starting from the party’s Supreme Leader to the hooligan at the grassroots level.

And the outcome is rather expected. The Election Commission of India deleted a whopping 58,20,899 names from the electoral rolls of the State on account of death, absence, shift, and duplication.

At the same time, a list of 60 lakh ‘doubtful voters’ has been finalised, and their status is now being adjudicated by judicial officers. This certainly creates hurdles for the ruling Mamata government.

In the good old days, Bangladeshi citizens could contest the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha election on a TMC ticket. Bangladeshi nationals, close to the party, could reside and vote in West Bengal. Illegal Bangladeshi nationals even had the opportunity to avail ‘Imam bhata‘ and show allegiance by casting a vote in favour of the government.

In the past, TMC netas have gone on record, promising to help Bangladeshis get voting rights in West Bengal. The SIR has inevitably decimated these nefarious plans of the ruling dispensation.

It doesn’t need a genius to understand why the man at the helm of affairs, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, has suddenly become an eyesore for the TMC. And it is not limited to the SIR alone.

Recently, during a press conference, Kumar informed that 100% webcasting will be done at all polling stations in West Bengal. This automatically disrupts the sinister agenda of local TMC goons to capture polling booths or steal ballots.

The Chief Election Commissioner did not mince words when assuring a violence-free election in a State, which is infamous for political killings.

“No violence will be tolerated. There will be mandatory, absolute non-partisan conduct by every polling personnel throughout the entire election process,” he made it crystal clear

This reminds me of a popular Bengali proverb ‘যত দোষ নন্দ ঘোষ’, which roughly translates to ‘All fault lies with Nanda Ghosh.’

Gyanesh Kumar is the sacrificial ‘Nanda Ghosh’ of Bengal whom the TMC loves to blame for derailing the party’s potential election malpractices and putting a stop to its culture of violence and intimidation.

The final gambit

Given the abrupt cessation of possible fraudulent practices, the TMC has launched its offensive against the Election Commission and the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar.

Weaponising political drama and public theatrics ahead of the West Bengal election, Mamata Banerjee announced a sit-in protest on 6th March at Kolkata’s Esplanade to protest the deletion of illegal voters from the electoral rolls.

During the demonstration, her party members made outrageous remarks in a desperate attempt to guilt-trip the average Bengali voter.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra brazened out, “I am telling everyone that you cannot be a Bengali if you don’t support TMC. Those who don’t support TMC have no right to identify as a Bengali.”

If this was not enough, Mamata Banerjee took the matter into her own hands and delivered a chilling warning –

“We exist, that is why all of you are safe. If we were not here, when a certain community comes together as a group and surrounds you, they would finish you off in one second,” she cautioned.

After putting up the drama for about 114 hours, the TMC supremo called off her ‘dharna’ and proclaimed it a ‘success.’

Having realised that it had no bearing on SIR, she attempted to create a new public spectacle – An attempt to ‘impeach’ CEC Gyanesh Kumar, knowing well that it would be in vain.

Conclusion

As a Bengali, I am habituated to her political antics. There is nothing that can truly surprise me. After all, this has been her playbook all along.

But we must never make the mistake of underestimating Mamata Banerjee. She may get miraculously ‘hurt’ just before the election, as was witnessed during the 2021 Vidhan Sabha and 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

A wheelchair bound TMC supremo may emerge before the public, dogwhitsling with slogans such as ‘Khela Hobe’ and pitting Bengalis against so-called ‘outsiders’. But, we must call out her bluff!

The ‘silent’ majority must pledge to change the political fate of West Bengal and put an end to the reign of political drama and public theatrics in the State, once and for all.

Perplexity launches its ‘always-on AI assistant’ Personal Computer: All you need to know about the persistent digital proxy

Shraddha Pandey
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Perplexity launches its ‘always-on AI assistant’ Personal Computer: All you need to know about the persistent digital proxy

Perplexity, known for its AI-powered search engine, has leapt into advanced AI agents with the launch of a new AI system called Personal Computer. The company said in an announcement on 11th March 2026, that Personal Computer operates as an “always-on digital assistant” helping users with tasks like research, writing emails, and creating reports.

“Always-on digital assistant”: How the Perplexity Personal Computer works

The company says that Personal Computer builds directly on Perplexity Computer as it merges cloud-based capabilities with local hardware, for what it describes as a persistent, always-on AI experience.

Contrary to what the name ‘Personal Computer’ might make one think, it is not a traditional PC hardware product; rather, it is an AI Operating System that reimagines the personal computer as more of an autonomous digital worker or an AI employee, a “proxy” of users, requiring their approval. Perplexity’s Personal Computer runs continuously on hardware like a Mac mini, accessing local files, applications, and sessions without requiring the user’s main device to be powered on.

The users can manage it from any device, including a phone or a laptop, through Perplexity’s secure servers. Personal Computer combines Perplexity Computer’s multi-agent workflows with Perplexity’s Comet Assistant for local tasks.

“A traditional operating system takes instructions. An AI operating system takes objectives. Personal Computer gives Perplexity Computer and the Comet Assistant always-on, local access to your machine’s files, apps, and sessions through a continuously running compact desktop. It’s a persistent digital proxy of you. Controllable from any device, anywhere. Every sensitive action requires your approval. Every action is logged. There is a kill switch,” Perplexity said.

Perplexity had opened a waitlist for users interested in getting their hands on the company’s fresh technological advancement. The pricing details regarding the Personal Computer are yet to be announced.

Sharing a demonstration video on X, the official handle of Perplexity wrote, “Announcing Personal Computer. Personal Computer is an always-on, local merge with Perplexity Computer that works for you 24/7. It’s personal, secure, and works across your files, apps, and sessions through a continuously running Mac mini.”

Personal Computer is different from Perplexity Computer launched in February 2026

It is essential to note that the newly announced Personal Computer is separate from Perplexity Computer, which was launched on 25th February 2026.  Perplexity Computer is a cloud-based, general-purpose AI system which unities multiple AI models and tools into one platform, moving beyond simple chatbots. Going beyond the simple tasks of answering questions, Perplexity Computer creates and executes complex workflows.

Personal Computer and ‘always-on AI assistant’ framing is cool, but privacy remains a concern among people

Perplexity’s Personal Computer has perplexed people about privacy. While Perplexity asserts that a Personal Computer is secure and includes user-controlled safeguards, sensitive user data may not be fully safe. The system runs on the user’s hardware; however, it routes several tasks and heavy AI processing via Perplexity’s secure servers, meaning that sensitive user data, including files, sessions, apps, emails, etc., may leave the device for processing. Many opine that, contrary to “personal” computing framing, it is actually “managed” computing with a local endpoint.

Several people are also comparing Perplexity’s Personal Computer with OpenClaw.

Since Personal Computer is designed to function as a persistent digital proxy, it requires ongoing access to a user’s local files, apps, and sessions, creating a high-stakes permission model. Here, one misconfiguration, or any policy change, may expose years of professional or personal or both types of data.

Kharg Island is Iran’s ‘spare heart’: Read why the US and Israel hesitate to strike this tiny island in the Persian Gulf

विशेषता
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Kharg Island is Iran’s ‘spare heart’: Read why the US and Israel hesitate to strike this tiny island in the Persian Gulf

As tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel continue to rise, a tiny island in the Persian Gulf has quietly become one of the most strategically important places on the planet. Kharg Island, a small coral island only a few kilometres wide, sits roughly 25 kilometres off the coast of Iran’s Bushehr province. Despite its size, it plays a huge role in Iran’s economy and the global energy market.

Nearly 90 % of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through this island. There are oil Pipelines from Iran’s major oil fields, including Ahvaz, Maroun and Gachsaran, that transport crude oil to Kharg Island, where it is stored in massive tanks before being shipped across the world. Because of this, it is said that Kharg Island is the “treasury” of Iran, the place where the lifeline of Iran’s economy flows.

Now, as the conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel has entered its second week, Kharg Island has become an important topic in military and political discussions. However, attacking Kharg Island could have consequences that go beyond military implications.

Why Kharg Island matters so much

Kharg Island is more than just an oil port. It is essentially the control centre of Iran’s oil exports and a major pillar of the country’s economy. The island contains huge storage tanks that have the capacity to store as much as 30 million barrels of crude oil. From the island, oil tankers carry crude oil to markets for sale across Asia and other parts of the world.

Even though Iran has faced strict international sanctions for years, the country still earned around $78 billion from crude oil sales in 2024. Most of this money was earned through the crude oil sold from the Kharg Island. This money funds government operations, economic programs and also supports Iran’s military projects, including missile and drone development.

Experts say that if the island’s oil terminals were destroyed, Iran’s ability to export oil would collapse overnight. Without that income, the country would struggle to finance many of its operations, including those linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Former Pentagon adviser Michael Rubin indicated that attacking the Kharg Island would be similar to cutting off the Iranian government’s financial lifeline.

In recent days, Iran has been reported to have increased crude oil shipments from the Kharg Island to almost 4 million barrels per day. This is believed to be a strategy by Iran to raise as much money as it can for the war.

The Strategic weak point in Iran’s system

Military planners often describe Kharg Island as Iran’s most important and vulnerable point. Because so much of Iran’s oil trade passes through this single location, damaging the island could deal a severe economic blow to the country.

This is why some Israeli leaders believe the island should be targeted. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has openly suggested that destroying Kharg could cause the Iranian regime to weaken quickly because it would lose its primary source of income.

The military strategists have also warned that attacking Kharg Island would carry serious risks. Iran considers the island one of its most critical assets, and any attack on it could trigger a much wider conflict across the Middle East.

A target that the US have avoided for decades

The importance of Kharg Island is no new information. American presidents have been well aware of its importance for decades, but none has dared to attack it directly.

During the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979, American President Jimmy Carter was advised to capture Kharg Island to force the Iranian government to release American hostages. However, Jimmy Carter later declined the idea. His advisors were worried that the move could lead to a huge war in the Persian Gulf region.

In the 1980s, during the Iran-Iraq War, Kharg Island was attacked several times by the Iraqi army under Saddam Hussein’s leadership. Iraq launched air strikes on the island, causing significant damage to its oil terminals. But Iran managed to repair the damage and resume oil exports within days.

This history demonstrated how determined Iran is to keep the island operational, even during wartime.

Later, when Iran placed naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz during the Reagan administration, the United States carried out military strikes on several Iranian naval targets. Again, Kharg Island was not attacked.

Over time, Kharg gained a reputation as a sensitive target that many countries prefer to avoid because the consequences of an attack may get out of control.

Fear of a regional energy war

One of the main reasons Kharg Island has remained untouched so far is the fear of retaliation. Iran has already given the message that if its oil infrastructure is attacked, it would respond by targeting the energy infrastructure of the entire region.

This could include the oil infrastructure of countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the rest of the Gulf countries. Such attacks could disrupt the energy supplies of the entire world and could continue for several months. Kharg Island is also close to the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the most important routes in the world.

Almost 20 % of the world’s oil shipments pass through this narrow waterway every day.

If the situation becomes volatile in the region around Kharg Island, the oil supply could be severely disrupted. Economists have already warned that if Kharg Island is severely damaged, the price of oil could increase manifold and could trigger an “energy tsunami.” Even minor military action in the vicinity of Kharg Island could push the entire world economy into instability.

Trump’s difficult strategic choice

For US President Donald Trump, Kharg Island represents both an opportunity and a major political risk.

Trump has always been vocal about his “maximum pressure policy” against Iran. He wants to weaken Iran economically in the hope of changing its foreign policy. Cutting off Iran’s oil revenue by targeting Kharg Island could achieve that goal.

Reports from Axios indicate that officials inside the Trump administration have discussed several options involving Kharg Island. These include launching a commando raid using special forces or even seizing control of the island temporarily.

The idea behind such plans is simple: if Iran loses its oil revenue, it may struggle to finance its military programs and continue its conflict with Israel.

The decision is not a simple one.

Domestic politics and rising fuel prices

The second major concern for Trump is the impact that it could have on the fuel prices of the world.

Experts from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies believe that an attack on Kharg Island could immediately push global oil prices up by at least $10 per barrel. There is also the fear that the prices could increase to as high as $100 per barrel if the war escalates.

For the American public, that would mean higher prices at gas stations across the country. With midterm elections approaching in the United States, rising fuel costs could damage Trump’s political support. The president faces a difficult balancing act. On one side, targeting Kharg Island could weaken Iran significantly. On the other hand, it could cause economic problems.

The Nuclear factor

Another dimension to the situation is added by Iran’s nuclear program.  According to reports, Iran currently possesses around 450 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 %.

The Trump administration is reportedly studying a broader strategy that could include securing Iran’s nuclear material along with crippling its oil exports. Some discussions reportedly involve a plan known as Operation Epic Fury, aimed at neutralising Iran’s nuclear stockpiles while also limiting its economic power.

Trump has publicly stated that “all options are open,” indicating that Washington has not ruled out any strategy, including a potential move against Kharg Island.

A tiny island with global consequences

Kharg Island remains untouched despite the rising conflict. While Israel has reportedly targeted fuel depots in Tehran and Alborz in recent days, Kharg Island has not been touched..

Many defence officials believe that Israel has deliberately avoided Kharg Island. This is because the US Department of Defence believes that if missiles were launched at Kharg Island, there would be unpredictable consequences.

If missiles were launched at Kharg Island, Iran might believe that it has nothing left to lose. This could result in an attack on oil facilities all over the Middle East.

For now, Kharg Island has become a powerful pressure point, not necessarily an attack target. This is because there are unpredictable consequences that could result from an attack on Kharg Island.

As the conflict continues, world leaders are watching closely. Whether Kharg Island remains a shield that continues to protect Iran’s economy or becomes the spark that triggers conflict remains to be seen.

Death penalty for a rape convict who ripped the vagina of a 5-year-old girl stayed, SC orders his psychological evaluation: Read what the top court said in its verdict

Aditi
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Death penalty for a rape convict who ripped the vagina of a 5-year-old girl stayed, SC orders his psychological evaluation: Read what the top court said in its verdict

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (10th March) stayed the death penalty of a man accused of raping and killing a 5-year-old girl in the Shahjahanabad area of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N. V. Anjaria allowed the leave to appeal from the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which upheld his conviction and approved the death penalty for him. The court stayed his death penalty till the consideration of his appeal by it.

While staying the death penalty till the consideration of the appeal by it, the top court directed the production of records of the case, the reports of Probation Officers, reports relating to the work performed by the convict, his behaviour inside the jail and a report on his psychological evaluation.

The accused had filed a petition before the Supreme Court requesting leave to appeal against the Madhya Pradesh High Court passed on January 22, 2026. In its judgment, the Division Bench of Justices Vivek Agarwal and Ramkumar Choubey dismissed the criminal appeal filed by the accused and upheld the decision of the trial court, a Special POSCO Court at Bhopal.

The trial court, in its judgment dated March 10, 2025, convicted the accused named Atul Nihale of raping and killing the 5-year-old victim and granted him a death penalty.

Observations of the High Court

Accused enlarged the victim’s vagins using a knife: HC

During the hearing of the appeal filed by the accused against his conviction and sentencing by the Special POCSO Court, the High Court examined all the material and evidence that was considered during the trial of the case. The High Court pointed out the barbaric manner in which the accused sexually exploited and murdered the innocent child. “This Court found that the appellant/accused has committed a heinous crime with a girl aged five years, who was unable to resist, and after gagging her mouth, appellant/accused used a knife meant for culinary tasks, for enlarging the entrance of the vagina, to penetrate,” the High Court noted in its judgment.

The barbarity of the act is dripping down from every ounce of evidence: HC

The High Court highlighted the unimaginable pain that the girl-child must have gone through before succumbing to her injuries, while the accused was violating her. “He caused as many as 10 injuries, including penetration in the pelvic region, a very serious cause of death. Use of a knife inside the vagina to enlarge it for easing penetration in an infant girl is a barbarous act of lusty mind. One can imagine the plight of a deceased girl child when she was sexually penetrated and how, in parts, she would have breathed her last, feeling the excruciating pain in a state of helplessness, ” the High Court stated in its judgment, adding that “this shows that a barbarity of act is dripping down from every ounce of evidence”.

While dismissing his plea, the High Court also took note of the criminal antecedents of the accused, who was previously convicted of an offence punishable under the Indian Penal Code and had five criminal cases pending against him.

The accused was not suffering from any mental disorder at the time of committing the crime: HC

The High examined the medical records of the accused and found that he was not suffering from any kind of mental disorder or illness, which could have affected his capacity to understand his actions. “It is evident from the record that the learned trial Court has examined Dr Rahul Sharma (CW-1) in this regard, who has categorically answered the questions put forth on behalf of the appellant/accused and clarified that during the examination, it appeared that the appellant/ accused was not in the state of bipolar mood disorder,” the High Court noted.

“In fact, it was not proved that the appellant/accused was suffering from any such mental disorder or illness that impaired his capacity to understand his actions. Furthermore, after evaluating the evidence, the trial court correctly observed that the appellant/accused remained in a fit state of mind and was quite able to defend,” the Court added.

Background of the case

The case arose from a complaint filed by the minor victim’s mother on September 24, 2024, at the Shahjahanabad Police Station in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, after her daughter went missing. On September 26, 2024, after two days of intensive search operation, the police noticed a foul smell coming from Flat F-2 of Block No.A-1, Bajpai Nagar, Eidgah Hills, Bhopal, which was occupied by the family of the accused.

When the police personnel tried to enter the flat to find out the source of the foul smell, they were resisted by the accused’s mother and sister. The cops forced their way into the house and started conducting a search, during which they found a white plastic tank kept in the bathroom containing the body of a girl-child. Several incriminating articles, including blood-stained clothes and a knife, were also recovered by the police from the flat. A case was registered by the police under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The parents of the victim identified the body of the girl. An autopsy of the body was conducted by a team of three doctors of the Forensic Department of All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Bhopal, which revealed sexual assault and homicidal death.

The forensic examination of the seized articles confirmed the involvement of the accused in the heinous crime beyond any doubt. Based on the evidence and the testimonies of witnesses, the accused was convicted by the Special POCSO Court under Sections 87,103, 238(a) of the BNS, along with Sections 65(2) of BNS r/w 5(m)/6 of POCSO Act, 64(2)(1) of BNS r/w 5(j)(i)/6 of POCSO Act, 64(2)(m) of BNS r/w 5(1)(6) of POCSO Act, snd 66 of BNS r/w 5(j)(iv)/6 of POCSO Act.

7-10 years of jail for illegal conversions, up to life for mass conversions: Read the provisions of the Anti-Conversion Bill cleared by the Chhattisgarh cabinet

Shriti Sagar
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7-10 years of jail for illegal conversions, up to life for mass conversions: Read the provisions of the Anti-Conversion Bill cleared by the Chhattisgarh cabinet

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Chhattisgarh has taken a significant step toward introducing a stricter law against religious conversions. On Tuesday, 10th March, the state cabinet approved the draft of a new legislation titled the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026. The proposed law aims to curb religious conversions carried out through force, inducement, fraud, misrepresentation, or undue influence.

The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting held late in the evening. With the cabinet clearing the draft, the government is now expected to introduce the bill in the state assembly, which is currently in session. The proposed law comes at a time when debates around religious conversions have intensified across several states.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma had earlier indicated that the state government was planning to bring a stronger anti-conversion law to address growing concerns.

Sharma had previously said that the new law would also include provisions to curb “changai sabhas”, which some groups have accused of being used as platforms for religious conversion.

VHP welcomes the government’s decision

The decision of the Chhattisgarh government was welcomed by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). On Wednesday, 11th March, the organisation expressed support for the proposed law and said it would help prevent illegal religious conversions in the state.

VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, “Due to the increasing incidents of religious conversion and ‘love jihad’, governments have decided to enact constitutionally valid laws in their respective state legislatures to prevent such conversions…the number of states (including Chhattisgarh) will now exceed 12, where strict punishment will be given against religious conversion and ‘love jihad’.”.

He added that the proposed legislation would help protect Hindus in the state from illegal activities of “conversion gangs” attempting to convert them and trap them in “love jihad”.

“At the same time, those running conversion gangs involved in love jihad, as well as anti-national elements, will now have to remain cautious. They will have to refrain from such a mindset,” he warned.

What the draft bill proposes

The proposed law is intended to make the process of conversion more transparent instead of restricting a person’s freedom of religion. The government has maintained that the purpose of the proposed law is not to prevent a person from choosing their religion but to ensure that conversion is by free will only.

As per the proposed law, if a person wants to convert their religion by free will, then a formal process has to be followed. The person has to give prior information to the District Magistrate (DM) before converting their religion. The information will be announced publicly.

After announcing the information, people will have a 30-day period to raise objections if they think that the conversion is being done under pressure, by inducement, or by fraudulent means. The objections will be looked into by the authorities before the conversion process is initiated.

The proposed law has also mentioned that “ghar wapsi” or returning to one’s original religion is not conversion.

Another important aspect of the legislation is that it provides a list of definitions of the methods that may be employed for the illegal conversion. These include inducement, coercion, misrepresentation, and misleading information. For the first time, the draft law provides provisions for conversions through digital media.

Strict punishment for illegal conversions

The draft law provides for the imposition of stringent punishment on those found guilty of the offence of illegal religious conversion. The offence will be cognizable and non-bailable.

The punishment provisions include:

  • General illegal religious conversion:
    7 to 10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹5 lakh.
  • Conversion of minors, women, or members of SC/ST/OBC communities:
    10 to 20 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹10 lakh.
  • Mass religious conversion:
    10 years to life imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹25 lakh.

To ensure effective enforcement, cases under the proposed law will be heard in special courts.

How the new law differs from the existing one

Chhattisgarh already has a law addressing religious conversions. The Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968, has been in force since the state’s formation in 2000.

According to a report by News18, the government believes that the existing law is outdated and does not fully address the situation. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said that social and technological changes have introduced new challenges that need to be fully addressed through stronger legal provisions. 

The new bill seeks to address some of these loopholes in the existing legislation by defining some of the terms used in religious conversions. These include inducement, coercion, mass conversion, and digital conversion.

Why was the law proposed?

The proposed legislation comes in the wake of repeated incidents of forced or induced religious conversions in the state. There have been several instances of religious conversions in the tribal-dominated regions of Bastar and Jashpur districts of the state. There have also been instances of conflicts between the people of the state and the converts on the matter of religious conversions.

One of the most recent incidents that attracted national attention was the arrest of two nuns from Kerala in the state of Chhattisgarh on charges of human trafficking and attempting to convert three tribal women. The case was registered on the complaint of a member of the Bajrang Dal. 

Apart from this case, there have been several FIRs and police complaints registered on the matter of religious conversions in recent months. 

The state government of Chhattisgarh claims that the motive of the proposed law is not to restrict religious freedoms. Instead, it is to prohibit illegal practices that take place through force, inducement, and deception. If the new law is approved in the assembly, it will become one of the more stringent anti-conversion laws in the country.

Supreme Court permits passive euthanasia for a patient for the first time in India: Read about the draft guidelines regarding the procedure and their challenges

Rukma Rathore
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Supreme Court permits passive euthanasia for a patient for the first time in India: Read about the draft guidelines regarding the procedure and their challenges

On 11th March (Wednesday), the Supreme Court authorised passive euthanasia for 32-year-old Harish Rana, who had been in a vegetative condition since August 2013 after falling from a building in Chandigarh. The decision, which was produced by a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan, allowed this method for the first time in the country.

Which regulations oversee passive euthanasia in India

No law in India tackles passive euthanasia, but the Union Health Ministry published “Draft Guidelines for Withdrawal of Life Support in Terminally Ill Patients” in September 2024, which was founded by specialists from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The stakeholders were asked to provide feedback and recommendations on the draft by 20th October of that year.

The instructions outlined the procedure hospitals must follow to withhold or withdraw treatment. They were based on directives from the Supreme Court in 2023. It outlined 4 parameters for a “considered decision in a patient’s best interests, to stop or discontinue ongoing life support in a terminally ill disease that is no longer likely to benefit the patient or is likely to harm in terms of causing suffering and loss of dignity.”

The criteria included the declaration of brainstem death in line with Transplantation of Human Organs Act, a medical prognosis and expert opinion indicating that the disease is in an advanced stage and cannot be expected to improve with aggressive treatment, recorded informed refusal by the patient or surrogate following an understanding of the prognosis, to maintain life support and adherence to the procedures mandated by the top court.

The doctor must decide whether the individual has a probability of recovering or living a happy life if treatment is continued. Afterwards, a primary medical board must evaluate the situation and come to a decision. The doctor and two experts on the subject with five or more years of experience constitute the panel.

The family must then be informed of the prognosis and asked if they would like any additional therapy. It must explain the sickness, available medical routes, alternate modes of care and the repercussions of both undergoing and not getting treatment. The medical team must reach a consensus and develop a coherent treatment plan.

The doctors and the family must lodge a request to a secondary medical board whenever they conclude that the measures should be terminated. It should consist of two subject matter experts with at least 5 years of expertise and a physician appointed by a district’s chief medical officer (CMO). A decision must be made by the board within 48 hours. While their consent is not necessary, hospitals must notify magistrates prior to ceasing treatment.

The key provisions in the draft

According to the document, a terminal illness is an incurable or irreversible condition that would inevitably result in death in the near future. This also included a severe traumatic brain injury that failed to display any signs of recovery following 72 hours.

The paperwork pointed out that life-sustaining treatments (LST) such as mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, dialysis, surgery, transfusions, parenteral nutrition, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are not anticipated to be beneficial for many of the hospice patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

It read, “In such circumstances, LSTs are non-beneficial and increase avoidable burdens and suffering to patients and therefore, are considered excessive and inappropriate. Additionally, they increase emotional stress and economic hardship to the family and moral distress to professional caregivers.”

The regulations outlined, “Withdrawal of LST in such patients is regarded as a standard of ICU care worldwide and upheld by several jurisdictions. Such decisions have medical, ethical and legal considerations. It may be considered that the above-mentioned also applies at the time of initiating Life support treatments to individuals with.”

They recommended reaching an informed decision not to undertake cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the case of an ensuing cardiac arrest if there is no reasonable chance of survival or substantial recovery. The draft noted that even if LST causes mortality, an adult who is capable of making healthcare choices might refuse it under the legal standards pronounced by the Supreme Court.

These principles emphasised that LST could be lawfully withheld or withdrawn from patients who cannot decide under certain circumstances, based on the fundamental rights to autonomy, privacy and dignity, alongside an Advance Medical Directive (AMD) that satisfies relevant conditions with legal binding.

AMD is a written statement that people with the potential to arrive at decisions prepare, outlining their preferences for medical treatment, or lack thereof, should they lose that capacity.

The reaction from the medical fraternity

The medical community did not approve of the effort, and Dr RV Asokan, the national president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) contesded that it placed them under pressure and exposed them to legal scrutiny.

He asserted, “Such clinical decisions have always been taken in good faith by doctors. The patient’s relatives are explained and given all information, taken into confidence in a given case and a decision is taken on merit in every single case. Putting it down in sort of guidelines and also alleging that inappropriate decisions have been taken or they have been prolonged is a misunderstanding of the situation.”

“First, the perception and assumption that unnecessary machines are used and lives are prolonged is wrong. It exposes the doctors to legal scrutiny. More so, what is left of a doctor-patient relationship, trying to define it in four corners of black and white documentation, which is legally scrutinised, is nothing but exposing the doctors to further stress,” Asokan argued.

He insisted that some things need to be reserved for family members, patients and doctors, depending on the circumstances and science. He further conveyed that the IMA would review the text and submit its opinions to have the rules revised.

The continuous challenges

Dhvani Mehta expressed that problems have persisted despite the apex court streamlining the procedure in 2023, reported The Indian Express. She is the co-founder of the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and one of the attorneys representing Harish Rana’s family. “It is still difficult to find doctors with a sufficient level of expertise and experience in all hospitals. And, when it comes to the secondary medical board, the process requires the CMO to send in the list of nominated doctors,” she added.

Mehta highlighted that very few states, including Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra, have started the process of compiling this list of physicians who have been nominated for the secondary medical board.

“It is easier to withdraw such life-sustaining measures after thoroughly counselling the family members in a government hospital. Many private hospitals, however, are afraid of litigation,” observed Dr Sushma Bhatnagar, former chief of the palliative care team at AIIMS, New Delhi. She currently works at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in the national capital and has established a similar procedure there.

Bhatnagar mentioned, “Patients and their family members understand the pain of prolonging life through such measures. What is required is clear communication that can help them understand that they have done everything. There is a lot of guilt that families face over such a decision.”

However, the process has been made easier by understanding the patient’s intentions through a living will. These enable such persons to prepare a legal document specifying the steps they want or would rather not have executed on them when they are no longer capable of making judgments.

The first living will clinic in a private hospital in northern India was established by Bhatnagar at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital. It gives patients the option to select the particular type of care they prefer, the gender they want to be recognised as and the ability to designate someone other than their family to handle medical choices on their behalf.

Supreme Court urges the centre to frame a law on euthanasia

The Supreme Court encouraged the government to introduce a law regarding the practice of euthanasia and/or the withdrawal of medical treatment because it is pertinent to the right to live with dignity, during the recent hearing. It brought attention to the delay on the critical subject of passive euthanasia despite its “pious hope” for the centre to make such a move 8 years ago.

The court charged that no rules had been formed and there was no protracted discussion on the matter, although two law commission studies and numerous bills were presented by private members in Parliament. It was remarked that the intervention was only meant to serve as a temporary constitutional bridge until Parliament fulfilled its obligation, not to replace legislative wisdom.

The bench stressed, “The prolonged absence of a comprehensive legislation on end-of-life care has compelled this Court, time and again, to step in to fill the vacuum, out of constitutional necessity rather than institutional choice. While the guidelines as laid down in Common Cause (supra) have served as an important interim safeguard to protect the right to live and die with dignity, they were never intended to operate as a permanent substitute for legislation.”

“Therefore, we urge the Union Government to consider enacting a comprehensive legislation on the subject in consonance with the vision of the Constitution Bench in Common Cause 2018 (supra). Such a legislation would provide more clarity, coherence and certainty to these pertinent, practical and emotionally charged issues,” the court announced.

A draft bill titled “Medical Treatment of Terminally-Ill Patients (Protection of Patients and Medical Practitioners Bill)” was released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2016. The public had been asked to provide input. However, no steps were taken upon completion of the consultative phase.

The right to die with dignity was acknowledged by the Supreme Court in 2018 as a fundamental right under Article 21 in the ongoing Common Cause petition. It devised thorough norms for the withdrawal and withholding of medical care in the absence of a statutory framework. On the other hand, former justice AK Sikri had voiced hope for the government to pass an appropriate statute at the time.

What is euthanasia

Euthanasia is the intentional taking of a patient’s life to stop their suffering. It has multiple different forms and is classified as voluntary, non-voluntary or involuntary. Active euthanasia is the practice of a doctor prescribing a deadly medication or injection to end the agony of a patient who has a minimal likelihood of survival. It is permitted in the United States, Canada, Australia and several regions of Europe, but not in India.

Passive euthanasia involves enabling a person to die spontaneously by withdrawing life-sustaining medical care. Treatments including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, ventilator support, chemotherapy, radiation, dialysis, or specialist diet could be refused by patients or their families.

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