March 25, 1985

Between appointments, and sometimes even during them, Governor Cuomo these days keeps poking into Room 202 of the Capitol. He hovers behind craftsmen working on the fireplace and runs his hand over the marble window frames. ''Can you blame me?'' the Governor asked. ''It's beautiful.''

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, in a notable break with past policies, has proposed a sweeping program to cut taxes for businesses and wealthy individuals and reduce government regulation of key parts of the economy. The Prime Minister's program bears more than a passing resemblance to some of President Reagan's ''supply side'' initiatives. Consciously or not, Mr. Gandhi seems to have borrowed a page from Mr. Reagan's textbook in an effort to shake up the Indian economy. The program, introduced in his Government's budget last week, has drawn praise from several quarters, including some associated with the political opposition.

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 1985 International Steps to protect white residents near a black township in South Africa's Eastern Cape were taken by army and police units. A protective ring was thrown around white residential areas near Kwanobuhle, where five black people were hacked and burned to death in revenge for killings Saturday. Three more blacks were reported killed by police fire. The three died when a police patrol fired on crowds setting fire to a liquor store. That brought to 29 the number of people killed since the police opened fire on a crowd of blacks in Langa Township on Thursday. (Page A1, Col. 5.) The most reliable United States ally in the Persian Gulf since the Iranian revolution is now Oman, according to Western, Omani and other Arab officials. This development, the officials said, has largely been the result of the influence of about 20 American, British and Arab advisers on the Oman's reclusive and absolute ruler, Sultan Qabus bin Said. Oman has become a base for Western intelligence operations, military maneuvers and logistical preparations for any defense of the oil-rich Persian Gulf. (A1:3.)

The Government will start new air- traffic procedures next month to help prevent a repetition of the record flight delays last summer. The changes by the Federal Aviation Administration include alterations in routes and procedures for planes flying to the New York area from the Southwest; acceleration of a program to resolve bottlenecks in the airways as they start to develop, and the relaxing of restrictions on the distances maintained between planes in the air. The changes will start going into effect after the expiration next Sunday of an agreement the airlines made last fall to adjust rush-hour schedules to reduce congestion. New schedules for this year's heavy travel season go into effect with daylight saving time on April 28, with traffic forecast to increase 6 to 10 percent. Assurances From Airlines The airlines have assured the Government they have no intention of reverting to the excessive bunching of flights that contributed to last year's snarls. This assurance, plus the plans for improved procedures, have generated moderate optimism among Government and industry officials that delays will be down significantly this year, provided the weather cooperates.

A group of powerful liberal and centrist Democrats in the House of Representatives have sent a private letter to Mikhail S. Gorbachev warning that the Soviet Union must comply with existing arms control treaties or risk the most ''serious consequences for the future of arms control.'' The main purpose of the letter to the Soviet leader, several of the signers said, was to send a message to Moscow that arms control advocates as well as critics will insist that existing arms limitation pacts be honored before future ones can be negotiated. The highly unusual form of communication specifically stated that prospects for a limit on space-based defenses, which is widely seen as Moscow's major goal in the arms control talks in Geneva, ''would become much more difficult'' without strict treaty compliance. Twenty-three Representatives signed the letter, including three powerful House members who will deal with future arms treaties: Dante B. Fascell of Florida, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee; Joseph P. Addabbo of Queens, chairman of the Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on defense; and Les Aspin of Wisconsin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee.