Author: Supriya Jena

The District Magistrate of Chamoli, Sandeep Tiwari, announced that the last body from the avalanche site was brought to Joshimath today. The Indian Army finished its search and rescue work in the Mana area of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, on Sunday. This was done to help the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers who were trapped after the avalanche on February 28.

Sandeep Tiwari told ANI, “The last body that we found yesterday has been brought to Joshimath today. We are finishing the legal formalities. I want to thank all the teams for completing this operation on time.” He thanked the Army, ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police), Air Force, NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), and SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) for their swift efforts in the rescue.

According to the Indian Army, 46 out of the 54 BRO workers were rescued and are getting medical help. Sadly, eight lives were lost in this tragic event. The Army shared on social media, “Despite our relentless efforts day and night, 8 lives could not be saved. We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones.”

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also expressed his sorrow for the families of the deceased BRO workers and hoped for a speedy recovery for the injured workers.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a meeting for the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) to celebrate World Wildlife Day. He announced that the count of Asiatic lions will take place in May this year. After enjoying a lion safari at Gir National Park in Gujarat, Modi went to the meeting in Sasan, which was also attended by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and other important members.

During the meeting, Modi laid the foundation stone for a new National Referral Centre for Wildlife in Junagadh. He also declared that a Centre of Excellence for managing conflicts between humans and wildlife will be set up in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Additionally, he revealed a book about river dolphins.

The NBWL, which helps the government protect wildlife, has 47 members, including military leaders and state representatives. Modi is the chairperson, while the Environment Minister is the vice-chairperson.

After his safari, Modi shared on X that the Asiatic lion population has been increasing thanks to everyone’s hard work. He praised the tribal communities and women around Gir for their efforts in protecting the lions’ habitat. Modi noted that over the last decade, populations of tigers, leopards, and rhinos have also grown, showing how much people value wildlife.

The government has approved over ₹2,900 crore for Project Lion, aimed at protecting Asiatic lions, which only exist in Gujarat. Currently, these lions live in nearly 30,000 square kilometers across 53 areas in 9 districts of Gujarat.

A National Referral Centre for Wildlife is being built on over 20 hectares in Junagadh. This center will include a high-tech monitoring station for tracking wildlife and a modern hospital to support conservation work. The state government has worked with the Railways to create safety plans to prevent lion accidents on train tracks in their area, and this effort has greatly reduced such accidents.

As part of his three-day visit to Gujarat, Modi also visited the Somnath temple and an animal rescue center called Vantara, where elephants and other animals get care and rehabilitation.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal unexpectedly traveled to the United States on Monday for urgent discussions about trade. This trip comes just weeks before President Donald Trump plans to impose new tariffs that could affect Indian exports.

Goyal’s visit follows canceled meetings and comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent trip to Washington, D.C. During that visit, India and the US agreed on a trade deal, aiming to boost bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.

Concerns About Trump’s Tariffs

Trump’s new tariffs, set to begin in early April, worry many Indian exporters, particularly those in industries like automobiles and agriculture. A report by Citi Research predicts India could lose up to $7 billion annually because of these tariffs.

During his trip, Goyal is looking for more information about these tariffs and their impact on India. He may also discuss possible concessions and ways to lower tariffs to improve trade between the two countries.

India is open to lowering tariffs on some industrial goods like cars and chemicals but is hesitant to reduce tariffs on agricultural products, which could hurt many farmers.

To ease trade tensions, India has already cut tariffs on certain items. For instance, taxes on high-end motorcycles have decreased from 50% to 30%, and tariffs on bourbon whiskey were reduced from 150% to 100%. India is also planning to boost its energy imports and buy more defense equipment from the US.

India’s trade with the US, its largest trading partner, has increased by 8% each year, reaching over $106 billion in the last ten months, resulting in a trade surplus for India. However, certain sectors like chemicals, metals, and food products could be hit hard by the possible new tariffs. If these tariffs are extended to more agricultural products, India could struggle with exports in areas like shrimp and dairy.

Dr. George P. Abraham, a well-known urologist, was discovered dead at his farmhouse in Nedumbassery, Kochi. Police reported that the 75-year-old surgeon’s body was found hanging. Dr. Abraham was a highly respected doctor who specialized in complicated urinary disorders. He worked at a leading private hospital in Kochi and had performed over 2,500 kidney transplants in his career.

Dr. Abraham was the third person in the world to conduct a living donor Laparoscopic Kidney Transplant and was the first to perform several advanced surgeries in Kerala, including the first cadaver transplant and 3D laparoscopic surgery. In total, he had completed around 15,000 endourological procedures, which are surgeries done inside the urinary tract.

He also treated more than 8,500 patients with a specific kidney stone surgery called PCNL and over 12,000 patients with Ureteroscopy and Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). His body has been taken to a private hospital in Angamaly for further investigation, and police are looking into the situation.

In a separate case, a 26-year-old trainee doctor was found dead in his hostel room at MJN Medical College and Hospital in Cooch Behar, West Bengal. The police have started an investigation under section 103 (murder) and are awaiting an autopsy result.

Additionally, on January 28, another doctor, Dr. Dinesh Gaur, was found murdered in Greater Noida. His body was discovered covered in blood in a room he was renting out. The police believe that a couple, who became his tenants just three days before the murder, might be involved. They are currently on the run.

In Bangladesh, the leader of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, has asked for careful recording of the alleged “atrocities” that happened under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s rule. Yunus talked about this during a meeting with UN officials, explaining that without good records, it’s hard to find the truth and deliver justice.

He highlighted serious issues like the violent response to protests at Shapla Chattar, police mistreatment after a controversial court ruling, and claims of police killings without trials. The UN officials said they are ready to help Bangladesh keep track of human rights violations.

UN Resident Coordinator Gwen Lewis mentioned that this effort is important for healing and finding the truth. Yunus praised a recent UN report on human rights abuses that followed major protests in July and August 2024, which led to a change in government and Hasina’s escape to India.

The discussion also covered the struggles of Rohingya refugees, with Lewis expressing worry about the decreasing help from other countries. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres plans to visit Bangladesh from March 13 to 16 to draw attention to the refugee crisis. Lewis pointed out that $15 million is needed each month to provide food and support for the Rohingya refugees.

On Monday, the temperature in Delhi dropped to 9.6°C, which is quite a bit cooler than usual—about 4°C below what we typically experience. This cold weather is thanks to clear skies and chilly winds coming from the northwest. For four days straight, the air quality in Delhi has been “moderate,” meaning it’s okay, but not perfect.

Just a few days ago, on February 27, Delhi saw a warm minimum temperature of 19.5°C—the hottest February night in 74 years! On Sunday, the temperature was 14.2°C at its lowest.

Due to the cold winds, we shouldn’t expect the maximum temperatures to get too high. On Sunday, it reached 27°C, and the day before that it was 28.6°C. Today, the temperature is expected to rise to between 28 and 30°C but will likely cool down a bit to around 25 to 28°C from Tuesday to Friday. Winds blowing at 20 to 30 km/h are also expected from Tuesday and Wednesday.

The minimum temperature will stay between 14 and 17°C throughout the week.

As for the air quality, the air quality index (AQI) was at 124 in the “moderate” range at 9 AM on Monday. Just a day earlier, it was 125. The Early Warning System for Delhi predicts strong winds will help keep air quality at a “moderate” level until at least Wednesday. It may remain between “moderate” and “poor” for the next six days.

Remember, AQI numbers work like this:
– 0-50 = Good
– 51-100 = Satisfactory
– 101-200 = Moderate
– 201-300 = Poor
– 301-400 = Very Poor
– Over 400 = Severe