A look at the top developments of the day:

  1. Over 670 Indian citizens evacuated from Ukraine’s Sumy city in three flights: The Union government has not made any official statement if the evacuation process from Ukraine has been completed, but these three flights that took off from Poland’s Rzeszow city are considered among the last ones, according to PTI.
  2. ‘Technical malfunction led to accidental firing’, says India after its missile crashes in Pakistan: An inquiry has been ordered into the matter. On Thursday, Islamabad had told India’s charge d’affaires that a high-speed projectile crashed in Pakistan’s Khanewal district, damaging civilian property.
  3. Army major dies, pilot injured in helicopter crash in J&K’s Bandipora district: The condition of the injured officer is critical but stable. He has been admitted to the intensive care unit. The deceased, identified as 29-year-old Major Sankalp Yadav, was the co-pilot of the Army’s Cheetah helicopter.
  4. J&K journalist Fahad Shah booked under UAPA for second time in 37 days, says his lawyer: The counsel also said that ‘The Kashmir Walla’ editor has been remanded to five-day police custody in a Srinagar case filed against the news portal.
  5. At 40.7 lakh, India had the highest number of excess Covid deaths till December 2021, says Lancet study: The study analysed the divergence between all-cause deaths reported during pandemic years and in normal years across 191 countries. According to study, eight states in India had mortality rates exceeding 200 deaths per one lakh people – a level only exceeded by 50 other countries in the world.
  6. Bhagwant Mann to take oath as Punjab chief minister on March 16: The chief minister-elect has invited Aam Aadmi Party’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal to the swearing-in ceremony. On Thursday, Mann had announced that his oath-taking ceremony will be held in Nawanshahr district’s Khatkarkalan, the ancestral village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
  7. Rising fuel costs will hurt Indian economy, says IMF managing director: Kristalina Georgieva said the government should shield vulnerable populations from the rise in prices. After Russia invaded Ukraine, oil prices increased exponentially, reaching a 14-year high last week. Higher costs are detrimental to India as it imports 85% of its crude oil.
  8. Delhi HC issues notice on Sharjeel Imam’s appeal against sedition charges on him: A trial court has charged the student leader under the provisions of the UAPA and the sedition law, in a case related to making alleged inflammatory speeches.
  9. Fight under leadership of Mamata Banerjee, TMC tells Congress after poll results: The Congress managed to win only 55 of the 690 Assembly seats spread across five states. Referring to the Samajwadi Party winning 111 seats in Uttar Pradesh, Banerjee alleged that there had been “loot” of electronic voting machines and “malpractices”.
  10. ‘We showed BJP’s seats can be reduced’: Akhilesh Yadav on UP poll results: The Bharatiya Janata Party won 255 seats in the state’s 403-member Assembly, and the Samajwadi Party secured 111.