What are India’s chances of winning the T20 World Cup? Can the reigning champions still qualify for the semifinals? My colleague Shankar Narayan explains that their fate hinges on how the remaining Super 8 matches unfold. “With the Group 1 table still open, results involving South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe will ultimately determine who progresses to the last four. While various mathematical combinations are possible, India’s chances improve significantly if they take care of their own results,” Narayan writes, as he delves into four scenarios underlining how India could keep their semifinals hopes alive this cricket season.NCERT pulls out new Class 8 textbookPM Modi in IsraelExpress Investigation into NGT orders Big StoryA day after The Indian Express reported the inclusion of a section on “corruption in the judiciary” in the new Social Science textbook for Class 8 published by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant Wednesday took serious exception to the content and said he “will not allow anyone on earth to play with the integrity and to defame the institution”. The Supreme Court also registered a suo motu case “In Re: Social Science Textbook For Grade – 8 (Part – 2) Published By NCERT and Ancillary Issues” in the matter. It will be taken up by a bench comprising the CJI at 10.30 am on Thursday.‘Unintentional’: Following The Indian Express report, the NCERT Tuesday stopped the sale of its new Class 8 Social Science textbook. According to a statement, the NCERT expressed regret for the “inclusion of inappropriate material” in the textbook and said these portions would be “rewritten”. It also said that the “error” was “purely unintentional”, it holds the judiciary in the “highest esteem” and there was “no intent” to “diminish the authority of any constitutional body”.After CJI’s criticism on Wednesday, those who had bought the Class 8 social science textbook from the NCERT counter on Monday were contacted and asked to return the copy, citing an “issue” with it. “A total of 38 copies were sold on Monday. Sixteen have been returned. In three cases, there was no contact number and details were sought from the bank based on UPI IDs,” a staffer informed, adding that “there’s an order from the Ministry to take the book back”.Story continues below this adExclusive: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is set to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023 recommendations on introducing a third language — other than two Indian languages — to students in Class 6, from 2026-27 session onward. Official sources said English will be considered a “foreign” language. The NEP states that at least two of the three languages should be “native to India”. Read our Exclusive here.⚡ Only in ExpressA landmark 2021 judgement by the Supreme Court had regarded the National Green Tribunal (NGT) as a “specialized” protector tasked with fostering environmental justice and equity. However, an investigation by The Indian Express of over 100,000 NGT orders since 2020 reveals a deepening asymmetry. In matters of environmental and forest clearances (EC/FC), the Tribunal has ruled in favour of project developers in four out of every five cases — either by upholding a contested clearance or staying its denial. Between 2020 and 2025, of the 329 appeals filed by citizens and activists against the grant of clearances by the Government, only in 20% (65 cases), did the NGT rule in favour of the appeal.As the Tribunal’s appellate jurisdiction covers all government orders, it is worth looking at the members who make up the body. The NGT currently functions at half of its prescribed minimum strength of 20 with only four judicial and six expert members. As many as nine of 13 expert members were part of the decision-making process for granting green clearances at the highest level of the government during their stint in the Environment ministry and state forest departments since 2016. From the Front PageIndia-Israel ties: In a significant formulation before Israeli parliamentarians in the Knesset, Prime Minister Narendra Modi backed the Gaza peace initiative, saying it holds the promise of a “just and durable peace” for all people of the region, including by “addressing the Palestine issue”. His remarks arrive as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is holding in Gaza after two years of intense fighting. In his speech, heard by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi spoke of “India’s connection to this land… written in blood and sacrifice”.Story continues below this adPenalty: The US Department of Commerce has imposed a 126 per cent tariff on Indian solar products after two Adani Group companies, Mundra Solar Energy and Mundra Solar PV, withdrew from the investigation proceedings, a preliminary anti-subsidy investigation report reviewed by The Indian Express showed. These companies were ‘mandatory respondents’ in the proceedings, therefore, their non-cooperation triggered ‘Adverse Facts Available’ penalty – the toughest methodology used by the US Department of Commerce. The order has now resulted in steep tariffs being slapped on the sector. Must ReadIn our Opinion section today, Sugata Srinivasaraju dives deeper into the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s strategy for his party, which she explains, asserts his own moral righteousness and strength. Srinivasaraju writes: “Besides physical disruption of parliament, Congress has constantly characterised those in the top tier of the Union government, and the BJP leadership, as morally inferior, if not degenerate. In the process, Rahul Gandhi has sought a saintly halo for himself and his party. He does this often with the entitled charm that his dynasty allows him to exude, without perhaps realising that such a halo grows only in gardens of quietude and serenity, not amidst the chaos of power-seeking and plenitude of hypocrisies.”Reality check: US President Donald Trump doubled down on his economic policy agenda in his latest State of the Union (SOTU) address, saying that the US “is back, bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before” and asserted that “the golden age of America is upon us”. But, is it really? Our expert columnist Udit Misra looks into the four broad categories of the US economy – affordability & welfare, economic output & growth, employment, and tariffs – and where do they stand?TN’s new party: For nearly three decades, V K Sasikala stood just outside the frame, never taking the stage. However, this Tuesday, at Kottaimedu near Pasumpon in Ramanathapuram district, she finally did. Expelled from the AIADMK and politically silent for nine years, she introduced a new political party — and unveiled its flag. Describing it as a symbol of continuity, Sasikala said the proposed party would follow the ideological path of the Dravidian stalwarts and function as a “movement” committed to the welfare of the marginalised. Who is V K Sasikala, the manager of invisible levers of power during Jayalalithaa’s reign?⏳ And Finally…Story continues below this adCops vs cops: Drama and confrontation unfolded between the Special Cell of the Delhi Police and Himachal Pradesh Police on Wednesday night after the latter accused the former of kidnapping three individuals picked up by the Delhi police personnel in connection with the shirtless protest by the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) at the AI Impact Summit in the capital on February 20. Around 15 personnel of the Delhi Police were held at the Shoghi police post on the Chandigarh-Shimla highway last night, along with the 3 individuals. The extraordinary standoff between the two forces continued till the last reports came in. Lastly, don’t forget to tune in to today’s episode of our 3 Things podcast, where we talk about scammers allegedly diverting funds from government schemes in Rajasthan towards illegal beneficiaries. We also deep dive into the ricin-linked bioterror investigation that’s now handed over to the NIA, besides discussing why NCERT has drawn its new Class 8 Social Science textbook.That’s all for today. Have a wonderful day!Until tomorrow,Ariba Business As Usual by E P Unny