SAIL beefs up Indian Navy’s INS Arnala with special steel

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New Delhi, June 18 (IANS): Government-owned Maharatna company Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has supplied the entire requirement of special steel for India’s first indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), ‘INS Arnala’, which was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Wednesday.

This represents a major step forward towards the country’s self-reliance in the defence sector and import substitution. “Partnering India’s march towards defence indigenisation, SAIL has supplied the entire special steel for this project. This marks yet another impressive milestone in SAIL’s journey to support India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative and help the nation lessen its import dependence,” the company said in a statement.

The Navy said the commissioning of INS Arnala not only reinforces India’s defence capability but also highlights the triumph of indigenous design, engineering, and manufacturing.

SAIL had also catered to the entire requirement of special steel for the other seven ASW-SWC corvettes being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).

Besides, SAIL had also supplied special steel in the past to INS Vikrant, INS Vindyagiri, INS Nilgiri, and INS Surat, among other major defence projects.

SAIL reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 1,251 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, which represents an 11.1 per cent increase compared to the corresponding figure of Rs ₹1,125.68 crore in the same quarter of the previous year.

On a sequential basis, the steel giant posted a significant jump in net profit from Rs 141.69 crore in Q3FY25.

The surge in profit can be attributed to improved performance across key steel plants and a decrease in input costs.

“Amidst challenges posed by international tariffs and import pressures, which were present in the last quarter of FY25, our robust performance reflects our ability to navigate complexities while strengthening our position. The supporting government policies augur well for domestic steel demand, and as we move forward, SAIL remains focused on innovation, cost optimisation and planned future expansion in line with National Steel Policy,” SAIL Chairman and MD Amarendu Prakash said.

–IANS

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Kerala man who swallowed suspected drug packets in police custody dies

Kozhikode, March 8 (IANS) A youth with a history of drug trafficking died on Saturday morning while undergoing treatment at the state-run Medical College Hospital here.

Shanid, a resident of Kozhikode district, was taken into custody by local police from Thamarassery on Friday night.

Upon spotting the police team, he attempted to flee but was soon overpowered. During the chase, he was seen swallowing two small plastic packets containing a white substance.

While in custody, Shanid informed the police that the packets contained MDMA. Following this, he was taken to a local hospital, where doctors referred him to Kozhikode Medical College for further treatment.

Radiological tests confirmed the presence of two packets in his stomach. Despite receiving medical attention, his condition deteriorated, and he passed away on Saturday.

The police have registered a case of unnatural death and are awaiting the postmortem report.

Shanid had been previously apprehended for drug-related offenses. His death comes at a time when Kozhikode is emerging as a hub for drug trafficking. While Kochi remains the primary centre for the drug trade in Kerala, Kozhikode’s proximity to Wayanad — bordering both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka — has made it a critical transit point.

Wayanad and Kozhikode, both popular tourist destinations, have witnessed a rise in the availability and use of both synthetic and non-synthetic drugs, particularly among visitors from neighbouring states.

In a related incident on Saturday, a young man and his girlfriend were taken into custody from a lodge in Kannur after being found in possession of drugs.

Meanwhile, an Excise official on patrol duty in Kalpetta, Wayanad, was seriously injured when a vehicle, instead of stopping when signaled, rammed into him and fled. The official, Jaymon, sustained severe injuries. Later, police and excise officials arrested the suspect, Haider, who also had a prior record of drug trafficking.

–IANS

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JU crisis: Former SFI state secretary in Bengal summoned for interrogation

Kolkata, March 8 (IANS) The Kolkata Police have summoned CPI(M)’s youth leader and former state secretary of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Srijan Bhattacharya, for interrogation regarding the March 1 ruckus at Jadavpur University.

The incident left two students severely injured and hospitalised after they were allegedly and deliberately hit by the vehicle of West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu.

Bhattacharya has been asked to appear at the Jadavpur Police Station on Saturday evening with all available video footage and photographs related to the incident.

Earlier, while addressing the media, he had presented some pictures and video clips to support SFI’s claim that the students were injured after being hit by the Minister’s car.

Confirming the police summons, Bhattacharya stated that he would fully cooperate with the investigation.

However, he asserted that he was not present at Jadavpur University on the day of the incident and had only collected photos and videos from social media.

“I will hand over copies of the footage to the investigating officials. But I feel this summons is an attempt to exert political pressure, as the accused persons from the other side have not been questioned even once,” he told reporters on Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, Indranuj Roy, the first-year Jadavpur University student who was seriously injured in the incident, is expected to be discharged from the hospital later in the day.

The clash erupted on March 1 when the Minister’s vehicle entered the university campus and was allegedly stopped by protesting students demanding immediate elections for the students’ council.

A scuffle followed, and the agitating students claimed that Basu’s vehicle deliberately hit two of them, leading to serious injuries.

Amid the chaos, the Minister also sustained minor injuries and fell ill. He was taken to the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College & Hospital and discharged later.

–IANS

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MP presents Rs 4.21 lakh crore budget, up 15 pc from last year

Bhopal, March 12 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented a Rs 4.21 lakh crore budget in the state Assembly on Wednesday.

This is Rs 48,954 crore more than the previous year’s budget of Rs 3.75 lakh crore.

Keeping the estimated fiscal deficit at 4 per cent of GSDP, this budget is focused on the target of doubling the budget size and GSDP of the state by the year 2029-30.

The state Finance Minister made a provision of Rs 5,220 crore under the Chief Minister Kisan Kalyan Yojana, while the Minister said a provision of Rs 2,001 crore has been made under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance scheme).

The Finance Minister proposed an allocation of Rs 18,669 crore for the Ladli Behna scheme and Rs 1,193 crore under the Ladli Laxmi Yojna, while an amount of Rs 17,136 crore was proposed to be allocated for the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Minister Devda said his government focused more on good governance. He said, “Our government has decided that the allowances currently payable to the government servants will be revised in accordance with the relevant levels of the Seventh Pay Commission from April 1, 2025.”

Similarly, the Minister said a provision of Rs 1,000 crore under the Chief Minister Krishak Faral Uparjan Rahayata Yojana and an equal amount has been earmarked for the payment of bonuses on crop procurement from farmers at the support price.

Making another announcement for agriculture and allied activities, the Minister said an amount of Rs 850 crore has been made under the Chief Minister Krishak Unnati Yojana, and a provision of Rs 505 crore under Gau Samvardhan and Animal Conservation has also been made. As several thousand cows are protected in various cowsheds, an amount of Rs 40 per cow is given to the cowsheds across the state, which has been doubled from the past year.

To fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolution of Developed India 2047, the Finance Minister said, “Our government has also kept the vision of Developed Madhya Pradesh 2047; this budget of the state is moving towards achieving that resolution.”

Announcing the size of the economy of the state, the Minister said the economy of the state has to be made 2 trillion dollars (about Rs 250 lakh crore) by the year 2047.

“This budget is a draft to implement the ‘GYAN’ (Gareeb, Yuva, Annadata and Nari) mantra of PM Modi in the form of a vision on the land of Madhya Pradesh…This budget will strengthen the happiness and prosperity of villages, poor, youth, food providers, women and farmers,” the Minister said.

On other social sector allocation, Minister Devda announced a provision of Rs 7,132 crore under Atal Griha Jyoti Yojana, another provision of Rs 5,299 crore under reimbursement for free electricity supply to 5 HP agricultural pumps and one light connection by state electricity board, a provision of Rs 700 crore under the Mukhyamantri Jan Kalyan (Sambal) Yojana, an amount of Rs 1,277 crore is earmarked under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat).

The estimated revenue receipts of the state are Rs 2,90,879 crore, which includes the state’s own tax amount of Rs 1,09,157 crore, the state’s share in central taxes of Rs 1,11,662 crore, non-tax revenue of Rs 21,399 crore and grants-in-aid received from the Center of Rs 48,661 crore. In the year 2025-26, the state’s own tax revenue is estimated to increase by 7 per cent as compared to the budget estimate of the year 2024-25. In the year 2025-26, the capital outlay is estimated to increase by about 31 per cent as compared to the budget estimate of the year 2024-25.

–IANS

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