August 6, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Assam Voter List
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 18 to 30, it is learnt. The Cabinet is also believed to have agreed to raise the strength of high court judges. The government will now bring a bill in Parliament to this effect. What was worrying the government was the accumulation of a large number of cases in high courts and the Supreme Court.
A conspiracy to cause disorder in Haryana and kill very important persons, including CM Bhajan Lal, family members of Gen R S Dayal, who led the military action in the Golden Temple last year, and the senior superintendent of police, Ludhiana, was unearthed by the Kurukshetra police following the arrest of five persons. One foreign-made .455 bore revolver, hand grenades, two guns and a large quantity of ammunition have been recovered.
The legendary Bob Marshall outclassed second seed Subhash Agrawal and Indian national champion Geet Sethi beat holder Michael Ferreira to set up a clash between experience and youth in the final of the 25th World Amateur Billiards Championship on August 6. The 75-year-old Marshall beat Agrawal in all departments of the game to record a convincing 2809-1872 win while Sethi forged ahead in the last hour to topple holder Ferreira 2513-2379.
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Private players like Reliance and Nayara Energy maintain longer-term Russian contracts but also face EU sanctions. Nayara is now under EU restrictions on export of refined products. India's alternatives if Russian crude disappears Last month, energy minister Hardeep Singh Puri affirmed India's ability to secure crude from other sources, pointing to diversification from 27 to 40 countries in recent months — including Brazil, Canada, and Guyana — along with higher volumes from OPEC members. However, analysts caution that replacing 1.8 to 2.0 million barrels per day of Russian oil quickly is difficult. Alternative sources are generally $4–5 per barrel more expensive and may not match the Urals-grade compatibility with Indian refinery output streams. Extended logistics and rigid contracts further complicate a fast switch. 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Brent crude has already responded to tariff threats, rising to around $68.60 per barrel on August 6. India's strategic dilemma grows sharper India sits at a critical crossroads: surrender to US pressure to cease Russian oil purchases or cling to an import strategy that shields domestic fuel prices but risks escalating trade retaliation. Although Indian officials claim there has been no instruction to cut imports and emphasise the long-term nature of contracts, the suspension of imports by public-sector refineries signals real operational shifts.
