Daily Briefing: Trump’s twin threats to India

On that note, let’s get to today’s edition.

Big Story

As India engages with the caller medication successful Washington DC, the absorption is connected 2 cardinal themes: tariffs and immigration.

Huddle: On his inauguration day, Trump had warned of an overhaul of the commercialized system, stopping abbreviated of hiking tariffs for the clip being. Given this, India’s Commerce and Industry Ministry has begun inter-ministerial talks to sermon the adjacent people of action. As uncertainty looms, officials are preparing for some antagonistic and affirmative outcomes of immoderate US action.

Deadline: On Tuesday, Trump reiterated his tendency for broader duties. He acceptable a February 1 deadline for 25 per cent tariffs against long-standing commercialized partners Canada and Mexico, and 10 per cent for China. While helium was mum connected India, officials present are preparing for the Trade Policy Forum (TPF) that is owed with the US.

Tariffs, with a twist: Ashutosh Varshney opines that Trump looks astatine tariffs arsenic a “political tool” which tin beryllium utilized to change the behaviour of overseas countries that bash not hold with his policies. For instance, Trump threatened to enforce tariffs connected Russian imports, informing President Vladimir Putin to extremity the “ridiculous war” successful Ukraine. Ditto with China, should they not greenlight the TikTok merchantability to the US.

Balancing act: Varshney further argues that portion India has a anticipation of “cutting a bilateral deal” connected tariffs, it whitethorn not beryllium truthful casual connected different front: immigration. The recently confirmed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated arsenic specified successful his first meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. While Rubio flagged “irregular migration”, Jaishankar said India has been “open to morganatic return” if “we are definite that they are our citizens”. The Minister besides underscored the request for amended mobility betwixt the 2 countries, sharing India’s concerns implicit agelong waiting times for US visas.

Only successful Express

Executives astatine the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) are raking successful rather a bill. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has recovered that the NCRTC gave its executives benefits worthy a whopping Rs 39 crore for conveyance expenses and outgo for unit engaged astatine their residences for authoritative work. While the CAG says that the payments interruption the authorities guidelines, the NCRTC contends that the rules don’t use to it. The auditor, of course, isn’t convinced.

From the Front Page

Probe: Actor Saif Ali Khan is backmost location aft surviving a brutal weapon onslaught astatine his residence. The mystery, however, deepens implicit his attacker’s motives down the failed robbery. Mohd Shariful Islam’s father says he was “astonished” astatine his son’s actions arsenic they “do not person immoderate fiscal problems”.

Tragic: Spooked by rumours of occurrence connected board, respective passengers jumped retired of the Mumbai-bound Pushpak Express yesterday. At slightest 12 of them were tragically mowed down by different bid connected the adjacent track.

Must Read

In flux: The caller deadline for the completion of the Ram Temple is present March 30, 2025. Meanwhile, the officials are trying to support gait with the expanding footfall successful the Ayodhya city, rising to 2.5 lakh connected immoderate days. But a batch has changed successful the metropolis successful the twelvemonth since the consecration of the temple. Take a look.

Style icon: Congress has a caller trademark, the achromatic T-shirt, courtesy of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. The Congress leader, however, isn’t the archetypal to premix authorities and fashion. For long, politicians person associated themselves with definite styles, colours oregon fabrics. Here’s a acceptable reckoner connected India’s rainbow politics.

And Finally…

There’s thing amended than crispy straight-cut deep-fried potatoes, oregon arsenic they are popularly known, French Fries. There is thing French astir these fries though, particularly successful respective countries successful Southeast Asia, the Middle East and adjacent Japan. These countries import their French Fries from India! How? Well, a palmy exemplary of contract farming has helped the Indian French Fries spell global.

Before you go, tune successful to today’s occurrence of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, wherever we speech astir Trump’s bid connected birthright citizenship, the ineligible factors down the decease penalty, and the value of the latest archaeological findings successful Odisha’s Ratnagiri.

That’s each for contiguous folks. Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta

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