India meandered to victory against Zimbabwe at the T20 World Cup 2026 match on Thursday by 72 runs, even though the bowling performance was not as frightening as the batting. However, if India’s batting performance was near-perfect, the team’s bowling was ridden with imperfections. Now, any error in line and length could mean severe punishment for India in its much-awaited match against the power-hitters of West Indies on Sunday. T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted to reporters, “We could have been more clinical with the ball, but a win is a win. We need to tighten screws ahead of the West Indies game. From the bowling point of view, we could have been smarter. When we are in such situations, we need to be courageous.”With that, let’s move on to the top stories from today’s edition:SC imposes ban on NCERT bookIndia and Israel elevate tiesExpress Investigation into Ramdev aide’s firm Big Story In a major setback to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for introducing a section on “corruption in the judiciary” in its Class 8 social science textbook, the Supreme Court has imposed a “complete blanket ban” on further publication, reprinting or digital dissemination of the book. Calling it a “calculated move to undermine and demean the dignity of judiciary,” the Chief Justice of India said the book’s contents warranted a “deeper probe”. In its order, the apex court stated that the text of the book “unfortunately fails to acknowledge the imperative role of the judiciary, which it undertakes in upholding constitutional morality and the basic structure doctrine, which are the lifeblood of the Indian citizenry’s public existence”.Prime Minister Narendra Modi too took a strong exception to the inclusion of the section in the book, asking Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to find out who was responsible for this and who should be held accountable. At the Cabinet meeting, Modi also asked why Class 8 students were being taught such chapters and who was monitoring the content in textbooks. According to government sources, the PM was unhappy about the episode and insisted that someone needed to be held accountable for what had happened.In our Opinion section today, Prashant Bhushan dives deeper into judicial corruption in the country amid the ongoing NCERT row. Bhushan writes: “The more the judiciary tries to suppress discussion or restrict access to information, the more distrust is likely to grow in the minds of citizens. As the judiciary is not above scrutiny and is accountable to the people, there is no doubt in my mind that the inclusion of references to judicial corruption and delays in the NCERT curriculum is in keeping with the constitutional values of transparency and accountability that surely must pervade the judiciary above all other institutions in the country.”⚡ Only in ExpressStory continues below this adDocuments accessed by The Indian Express under the Right to Information Act reveal that the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), which allocated land to a firm owned by Patanjali co-founder Acharya Balkrishna, has been unable to get it vacated despite it being overdue for almost 20 months. The UTDB had allocated the land in June 2023 for a one-year pilot project in adventure tourism. Despite several reminders and warnings, it came to light in September 2025 that the land allocated didn’t belong to the Uttarakhand government in the first place. And that the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department had written to UTDB claiming ownership of the Bairagi Camp land in Haridwar. Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the firm Rajas Aerosports and Adventure denied encroaching upon or illegally occupying any land, saying the firm is “awaiting formal clarification and a reasoned decision from the (Uttarakhand) Government”. From the Front PageIndia and Israel Thursday elevated their ties to a “Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity,” signing 17 pacts after talks between PM Modi and his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. The signing of the pacts wraps up what the Israeli PM called an “extraordinarily productive” and “extraordinarily moving” visit by the Indian PM. One of the major outcomes of the bilateral meet focused on “technological” partnership, which includes an MoU on AI and the establishment of the Indo-Israel Cyber Centre of Excellence in India. From defence, economic cooperation, to global peace, here’s what the pacts entail.“People think I’m African,” says India’s trailblazer judoka, Rohit Majgul. Being hurled with racist slurs since his teenage years, Majgul went on to make his mark. After being named the championship’s best judoka then, he made himself a promise: “He told us, ‘There will be a day when people will want to take a photo with me’,” says his cousin. Seven years later, the 21-year-old became the first athlete from the Siddi community to qualify for this year’s Commonwealth and Asian Games. Here’s Majgul’s story.The Maharashtra government has prepared the first draft of an anti-conversion law, which aims to address alleged forced religious conversions. Leaders of the ruling Mahayuti coalition have often described the issue as “love jihad”. Drafting of the Bill is still underway and there will likely be further discussions between the Home, and Law and Judiciary departments before it is finalised. The Supreme Court this week decided to examine the validity of anti-religious conversion laws enacted by 12 states, even as Christian groups submitted that these statutes “incentivise” vigilante groups to commit acts of violence against minorities. Must ReadStory continues below this ad欄Dosti, once again: Canadian Prime Minister Carney Mark’s arrival in India today will mark a significant moment for the bilateral relationship that has gone through an arc of downs and ups over the last two-and-half years. Since the diplomatic fallout in 2023 over the killing of pro-Khalistani separatist Hardeep Nijjar, both countries have put in a tremendous amount of heavy-lifting to build back the relationship. And as US President Donald Trump upends the world with his trade policies, this relationship assumes more importance than ever. Here’s how India and Canada are mending their frayed ties.Interview: “I’m hoping that the (India-US) trade deal, giving a big fillip to external demand, can be the catalyst for a broad private capex cycle by reducing not only tariffs but also uncertainty.”Prachi Mishra, Professor of Economics, Director and Head of the Isaac Centre for Public Policy at Ashoka University, spoke to my colleague Siddharth Upasani, on the Budget 2026-27, the new fiscal anchor and boosting private capex. Here’s the full interview.✍️ In our Opinion columns today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pens down a heartfelt message for Israel following his recent visit to the country. Referring to it as a land to which he has “always felt drawn,” he called for strengthening the ties between the two nations in these uncertain times. Modi writes: “Our shared ideals are the deep foundations that give strength to our modern partnership. We are democracies shaped by history and focused on the future. Our strong partnership not only serves national interests but also contributes to global stability and prosperity.”⏳ And Finally…Story continues below this ad✈️ The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has released revised rules governing airfare refunds in the event of ticket cancellations by passengers. Compared to the old rules, the refund timeline for tickets booked through travel agents has been shortened, the no-charge cancellation and amendment window has been extended, and a new clause on refunds in the event of cancellation due to a medical emergency has been introduced. The rules will come into effect from March 26 this year. Sukalp Sharma explains. Lastly, tune in to today’s episode of our 3 Things podcast, where we discuss PM’s anguish over mention of ‘judicial corruption’ in NCERT Social Science textbook; AI prospects in healthcare; as well as concerns raised by TMC MP on role of EC’s micro-observers for Special Intensive Revision exercise in West Bengal.That’s all for today. Have a wonderful day!Until next time,Ariba Business As Usual by E P Unny