NEW DELHI DAILY - 24 MARCH 2026
PM Modi Addresses Rajya Sabha on West Asia Crisis, Announces Rs 70,000 Crore Shipbuilding Allocation; Supreme Court Rules SC Status Limited to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists; India Mediates Alongside Egypt, Turkiye in US-Iran Talks
PM Modi chairs CCS meeting on West Asia; Goldman Sachs cuts India growth forecast to 5.9 percent
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired Cabinet Committee on Security meeting reviewing West Asia situation, assured adequate energy supplies despite gas shortages halving urea production. Goldman Sachs cut India 2026 growth forecast to 5.9 percent amid energy shock.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chairs meeting on Middle East conflict as India engages in back-channel diplomacy
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired meeting with CDS and service chiefs on Middle East conflict. India along with Egypt and Turkiye engaged in active back-channel diplomacy between US and Iran through Special Envoy Brian Hook.
Indian rupee hits record low at 93.84 per dollar amid Middle East conflict volatility
Indian rupee fell to record low of 93.84 against US dollar on Tuesday, with escalating Middle East conflict stoking worries over sustained energy supply disruptions and financial market volatility.
DRIVING THE DAY
SUMMARY: Prime Minister Modi on 24 March addressed the Rajya Sabha on the West Asia conflict, announcing the government has allocated Rs 70,000 crore (~USD 7.5 billion) for shipbuilding under the Make in India initiative as disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz crisis intensify, per News18. The Supreme Court on 24 March ruled that only Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists can claim Scheduled Caste status, holding that conversion to Christianity or any other faith beyond those three religions results in loss of SC community membership, according to News18 and The Hindu. India, alongside Egypt and Turkiye, is engaged in active back-channel diplomacy to bridge the gap between the US and Iran, an administration official confirmed on 24 March to Dawn, with Foreign Minister Jaishankar and Deputy Prime Minister Dar holding separate calls with Iranian counterparts while the White House remained informed. The government on 24 March convened an all-party meeting for 25 March to discuss the West Asia crisis, The Hindu reported, as two additional LPG carriers—Pine Gas and Jag Vasant—successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz on 24 March and are expected to reach Indian ports within two days, News18 said.
