India's Russian Oil imports

Hold at 1-8 million barrels per day

India's Russian crude oil imports held at 1.8 mn bpd in September as stronger Chinese buying curbed flows but West Asian suppliers filled the gap.

Lost volumes replenished by gulf nations

India imported 2.82 mn bpd of Russian crude oil in July, which slipped to 2.08 mn bpd in August, according to global commodities data and analytics firm Kpler. Iraq and Saudi made up for the drop in Russian volumes. Iraq supplied 505 bpd of crude this month, up from 163,000 bpd in August. Saudi volumes rose to 576,000 bpd in September from 347,000 bpd last month.

Giving up Russian crude will be pricey

The outlook of Russian supplies could become more complicated if the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 results in tougher restrictions on countries continuing to buy Russian oil.

The lead analyst at Kpler said India can technically replace Russian crude, although the shift would come at a higher cost.

2022 is when India became an important buyer of Russian crude.

Eight years of Ayushman Bharat

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY has transformed healthcare from a financial worry into a stronger safety net. With cashless hospitalisation and health cover of up to Rs.5 lakh per family every year, the scheme designed to protect families from the burden of exorbitant medical expenses.

And the impact adds up, literally every second.

* Rs.8,100 in hospital bills covered every second

* Rs.4.9 lakh saved every minute

* Rs.2.9 crore every hour

* Rs.70 crore

Behind every number is a family that could focus on recovery instead of worrying about how to pay the hospital bill. That is the scale of change when healthcare is treated as a priority and technology, public infrastructure and policy come together.

One clear vision : a healthier, more secure India.

Habits of happy people!

1. They don't show off

2. They talk less

3. They learn daily

4. They ignore nonsense

5. They help the less fortunate

6. They laugh more

My take

You can now appreciate as to how happy you are! Or are you happy at all?

What you must tell your daughter/sister.

It's important to tell your daughter/sister these 9 things :-

1. Don't stay overnight - at anyone's house.

2. Don't ride in a car - with someone you don't know well.

3. If you leave your drink - don't drink it again.

4. When eating out alone, add one more chopstick/utensil - It's a little trick for protection.

5. Don't accept gifts carelessly - from men carelessly.

6. Not everyone who seems weak - needs your help. 

7. If your friend is involved with a bad guy - don't join his circle.

8. Never let anyone pressure you into something - if it feels wrong, say no and leave.

9. Always tell someone you trust where you are - especially when meeting someone new or going

    somewhere unfamiliar.

The art of agreeing to disagree.

Disagreements are part of everyday life. Keeping things focused on the issue can stop a difference of opinion from becoming personal.

The next time you disagree with someone, take a deep breath and ask yourself the following questions :-

   (a) Stay relevant. Am I discussing the issue or attacking or defending a person?

   (b) Listen. Can I understand the other person's point even if I don't agree with it?

   (c) Respond. Can I say "I see it differently because...." rather than criticising the person?

   (d) Step back. Would returning to the conversation later help?

   (e) Repair. If someone was hurt does that also need to be addressed? 

Sisu : The courage to carry on.

Some things take time. A difficult project, a career setback on a long period of uncertainty cannot always be fixed by staying positive. The Finnish idea of sisu speaks to the strength needed to keep going when motivation runs out and the situation remains difficult.

There is no exact English equivalent  for sisu. It is often described as a blend of courage, perseverance and determination and has become closely associated with Finnish identity. But sisu is not about pretending that hardship does not hurt. It is about finding enough resolve to take the next step anyway.

This can be useful in everyday life. A daunting task becomes less intimidating when attention shifts from the final result to what can be done today. A setback need not be the end of an effort - sometimes it simply calls for patience.

Sisu does not mean pushing endlessly, either. Resting, asking for help or changing course may be wiser than stubbornly carrying on. Its real strength lies in knowing what is worth persisting with.

In a culture drawn to quick results, sisu reminds us that some things are achieved simply by refusing to give up on what matters. 

Himalayan warming threatens India's economy.

What's at stake?

20%              Share of India's GDP underpinned by the Himalayas

21.5%           Estimated Himalayan-linked economic activity

                      64.8 lakh crore of India's FY24 GDP

18% share   of India's land occupied by the Himalayan region

35% share   of India's disasters occurring in the Himalayan region

0.1%            Share of the estimated 40,000 Himalayan glaciers 

                     currently monitored; only 16-17 are in India

40%             of Indians - Water security underpinned by Himalayan

                     glaciers, springsheds and forests

3mn              + Springs - Around half have dried up or become 

                      seasonal in the Indian Himalayas

75%              Growth in built-up area across the Hindu Kush 

                      Himalaya between 2000 and 2020, 1.7 times

                      population growth

400 mn         India Himalayan region recorded 400 million+ visits

                      in 2025, roughly eight times its resident population