DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA ● REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2025, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 U.S. OFFICIALS TO COME TO INDIA IN AUGUST FOR NEXT ROUND OF TALKS ON TRADE PACT Trump hits India with 25% tariff plus a Russia penalty India: Studying implications, will take all steps to secure our national interest ln two weeks, a crucial test for India smartphone success story BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY SIDDHARTH UPASANI NEW DELHI, JULY 30 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SOUMYARENDRA BARIK NEW DELHI, JULY 30 US President Donald Trump, accompanied by grandchildren Spencer and Chloe, disembarks from Air Force One as he returns from Scotland, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Reuters THIRD TEST AT LORD’S 31/07/2025 94 122 150 65 ARREST OF NUNS Conversion row: Woman ‘coerced to give adverse statement’ JAYPRAKASH S NAIDU RAIPUR, JULY 30 AMID A storm over the arrest of twoKeralanunsonallegationsof forcible conversion and trafficking in Chhattisgarh, one of the women they are accused of targeting has told The Indian Express thatshewascoercedtogiveanadverse statement against them. The nuns, Preeti Marry and VandanaFrancis,andanotherperson,SukhmanMandavi,werearrestedlastFridayattheDurgrailway station in Chhattisgarh. The CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Team India raises red flag after umpires give 30-overs-old substitute ball after 10 overs EXPRESSIN ENGLAND SANDEEP DWIVEDI LONDON, JULY 30 INDIA’S TEAM management is not happy with the ball-change protocol during the ongoing Test series in England and has conveyed its concerns to the ICC matchreferee.Themanagement also believes that England got preferential treatment when it cametochoosingballsatthestart of the crucial third Test of the series at Lord's earlier this month. The Indian Express has learnt that during England’s first inningsatLord’s,whenthesecond new ball went out of shape after 10overs,thereplacement turned out to be 30-35 overs old. The protocol states the replacement needs to be as old as the original Bumrah bagged 3 wickets before ball went out of shape but it is learnt that the umpires toldtheteamtherewasnoballin stock that was 10 overs old. The Indians feel that since they got a softer and older replacement for a harder ball, which had been swinging and getting seam movement in the first10overs,itputthematadisadvantage in the Test that England eventually won by 22 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the series. The fourth Test ended in a tense draw with the last match starting Thursday. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 10% 15% 15% UK US PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s announcement of a 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports along withapenaltyforprocuringmilitary equipment and energy from Russia comes barely a day before the intended deadline to conclude agreements. It has key consequences. One, it puts India at a disad- gotiations towards a deal which could have a favourable tariff rate and potential waivers on secondary tariffs, which include the tariff on account of Russian oil imports and the proposed 10 per cent BRICS tariff. Though Trump did not specify the rate of penalty for India on account of Russian oil and defence imports, earlier statements made by Trump indicate that it Japan NEW DELHI, JULY 30 vantage in comparison to competitors. Two, it put the onus back on the Indian side to fasttrack its negotiations for an interim deal with the US. Indications are that theouterlimitforadeal, currently pegged at around October from New Delhi’s perspective, might need to be brought forward. What complicates the equation for India is that the Chinese are at an advanced stage of ne- EU AANCHAL MAGAZINE & ANIL SASI Indonesia Road to October pact gets tougher, shrinks room to drive a better deal TARIFFS AS PER INTERIM DEALS Philippines KEY UNKNOWN: WHAT’S THE PENALTY 20% 19% 19% FAILED FOREIGN POLICY: OPP UNFORTUNATE, SAYS INDIA INC PAGES 11, 15 Vietnam* EVENASIndiaandtheUSnegotiate a trade agreement, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announceda25percenttariff on IndiangoodsfromAugust1,with an additional but unspecified “penalty” for its defence and energy imports from Russia. Inapostonsocialmediaplatform Truth Social, Trump said India has “the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country”. India’s Commerce and Industry Ministry said the government had taken note of Trump’sstatementandis“studying its implications”. “India and the US have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balancedandmutuallybeneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months. We remain committedtothatobjective.The governmentattachestheutmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs,” the ministry said in a statement. Thegovernmentwilltake“all stepsnecessarytosecureournational interest, as has been the case with other trade agreements including the latest Comprehensive Economic and *(40% for transshipment) PRESIDENT DONALD Trump’s announcement on Wednesday of a25percenttariff rateonIndia fromAugust1hastriggeredconcerns in the government that electronicsexportstotheUnited States, particularly the growing smartphone exports — which currentlyattractnocustomsduty — could be affected. A senior government official said a review meeting on Section 232oftheUSTradeExpansionAct of 1962 is coming up in two weeks, after which there will be more clarity on whether smartphoneexportscouldbeimpacted. In 2018, the US had imposed an additionaltariffof25percentand 10 per cent on steel and aluminum respectively, globally underthesameprovision,whichhad impacted Indian exports. While smartphones are India’s top export to the US by value, Trump has threatened a 25 per cent tariff on Indianmade Apple iPhones, which account for the bulk of mobile phone exports to the country. Days after he announced reciprocal tariffs on a number of countriesinApril,theUS administration had exempted phones, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Maharashtra revokes decision on EWS quota in pvt medical colleges PALLAVI SMART MUMBAI, JULY 30 IN ANOTHER rollback by the Maharashtra government, the medical education department on Wednesday withdrew its decision to implement the 10 per cent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota in private medicalcolleges.Thegovernment stated that the reservation will only be applicable if the Central GovernmentorrespectiveCouncil increases the number of seats to compensate for the reservation impact on other category seats. The decision comes just a month after the state government revoked the three-language policy on June 29, following a major uproar. Theorderissuedbythestate’s medical education department on Wednesday, with regards to EWSreservationclauseintheinformation brochure of the state medical admission, stated, “For MBBS/BDS/BAMS/BHMS and BUMS courses, this reservation will be applicable only if Central Government/respectivecouncil increased existing seats. For courses other than MBBS/BDS/ BAMS/BHMSandBUMScourses, 10% EWS reservation will be applicable on available seats.” Principal secretary of medical education department, DheerajKumar, said,“Aftercareful examination and various court orders, including those of Supreme Court and High Court, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 UNSC report names The Resistance Front, cites Pahalgam terror attack SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, JULY 30 IN A first, The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba that had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, has found mention in a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report monitoring sanctions on terror outfits. 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THE RJD MP’S usWaterTreaty wasnotlinkedtoDonald Trump. “I have spent Rajya corrected.TheInd it isbeing held mentasthespeci Targeting the being the on FULL SPEECH continued in from the Chinese by US President the special disguns trained Service, only amid objections Op Sindoor in is being corrected, whichkepttheir asking it to Foreign Ambassador, Jaishankar said, across. Intervening PakistanirrevoSabha Wednesday. andChina tion Sindoor,he inabeyanceuntil government, the benches Kumar Jha said p’s longest-serving Gurus'. 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Will history on April 22 nahi huyi (Listen to second Sardar the 26/11 Mumbai nor- mein civilians in Pahalgam morallyinferior is a Congress pain” of the judge Shah as saying “there became “collective he asked. “Timehascome Shivraj Patil?” said: “We country,Jhasaid: to apologise On Trump, Brittas Trump is the entire House such incifor for all our PM to say to the nation to the want …Themoment should say dents… We are sorry, we do speakingrubbishall support.” will we you say, we people that MP Kapil Sibal tory…IamsayIndependent notlearnfromhis not have “that not one inIndia does deing this for everyone, is said that said that we can It many resources he added, dividual or party… inputs...if Pakistan,” which, support there were intelligence what ac- stroy technological there were indications, we are receives ngtheIndianAir trigger?... fromChina.Quotisaid,“InOctober tions did they day…” Jha said. clueless to this country’s “uni- Forcechief,Sibal Marshal Amar Air Chief Jhahailedthe of 2024, ssedthedeclinin the aftermath it PreetSinghaddre fied front” IndianAirForce but cautioned ingstrengthofthe hadreached31, Pahalgam, utilised to “shield squadrons,which should not be 1965.” also urged He the lowest since Union the government”. of “full-fledged” Sibal also criticised VIKAS PATHAK Shah for “an restoration underlining Minister Amit Minister & NIKHIL GHANEKAR statehoodtoJ&K,change” in how Home Chief 30 inviting J&K NEW DELHI, JULY unprecedented reacted to the not a security reAbdullah to Amit the people there “Kashmir isnot Omar before the Minister on view meeting that was atUNION HOME Pahalgamattack. Rajya Sabha attack land… the people Shah told just a piece of down PahalgamJ&K L-G Manoj Sinha. that the Congress Amit have also laid tended by Wednesday of Kashmir of the Shiv Sena Pakistan-occuHome Minister heyhaveagovSanjay Raut PTI BJP Union had given away theirlives…butt responsibilShahquit.“The (PoK) but the speaks in RS. has J&K) (UBT)demanded pied Kashmir back. Shah ernment which he said. Governor (of would bringit government to the ity without power…,” a resolu- (Lieutenant) ttherewasaseile,acHe was respondingon why hasacceptedtha is taking reSpecial Jha also proposed Nadda,meanwh Trump for questions lapse. Who reElection Commission’s Opposition’s once SabhaJP Congress of appeasing the curity tion condemning against the and who will taken back for brokering cused the politiMPs protest sponsibility PoK was not lacking the PTI seeking credit Opposition Nehru, J D Vance on the backfoot Pakistan and during Operation terrorism sign… Pandit Home Minister Pakistan was Vadra and otherat Parliament on Wednesday. ceasefire Sindoor. to act against clean, we are Priyanka Gandhi in Bihar, Trump? The during Operation walked out cal will 2004 and 2014 despite Sindoor. “Come Prime or Congress leader (SIR) of electoral rolls he said. The Opposition has to resign,” the between attacks. Dev asked with you Honourable speechover Intensive Revision he said. TMC’s Susmita from the FOR FULL COVERAGE early intoShah’s not replying to numerous said there was a clear Minister…” Brittas said Nadda the India abstained LOG ON TO a fiPrime Minister CPI (M)’s John in the way a new why that approved SS.COM Congress president government, BJP governthe debate. it an difference INDIANEXPRE of IMF meeting that for the Kharge called “celebration package to Pakistan. Narendra Modi-led terrorism Mallikarjun against normal meant did the nancial House. ment acted asked why insult to the will and leaderthat the failure”. He very due to political Shah responded leadership is Committee ship. “Poltical the poBusiness Advisory because it is 16-hourdebate haddecidedona government important, the leadership whichgivesorbut agreed that reply. litical the Army,” said Nadda. zero.” who would ders to of zero is also would decide wrote to rule) wasinacformer home ”about brokerBJP MP Dubey He targeted for “Yours(Congresson-reactiveand Trumpwas“lying ,requesting him lpressurethem between India Chidambaram tive,lukewarm,n” SpeakerOmBirla ulGandhi.“Shri tradedeal.Hewil the kind of minister P ing a ceasefire the three that see Prime Minister there and you finalised.” seeking evidence in Operation non-responsive. was important and Pakistan, should call him toreprimandRah ringhisspeech, it is VIKAS PATHAK 3 Nadda said trade deal that the terrorists killed incident was in Rajya the RahulGandhi,duof1971Warand Narendra Modi DELHI, JULY involved in the Pahalgam even 50% of He NEW SERVICE madeareference isgrandmother, Leader of Opposition Mahadev were said all that out, if “he has Gandhi”. at in isolation. KhargetoldreEXPRESS NEWS attack. He by former and not looked SabhaMallikarjun Pahalgam courage of Indiraleader said that proclaimedthathi,thethenPrime terror attacks the head the DELHI, JULY 30 dyesterdaythat A LETTER written a listed several were shot in Indira Gandhi lateIndiraGandh had gallantly NEW porters:“Ihadsai peech,thecount three “Yesterday, asked the Congress-led Prime Minister India-Pakistan of India, should be shown. bytheendofmys gtheclaim)will same day Chidambaram bank theresponseof after these inLeaderof Opposition 50% courage the 1971 forces Minister war despite diplowith "vote LOK SABHA UPA government despite hun- during been picked up by the Wednesday fought the (ofTrumprepeatin US President the question In1971,the Indiandefence dvariousother Gandhi said someone He said The war has Narendra the Rahul the Opposition sacrifices and Lady (a matic,politicalan to cidents. deaths in different increase to 30. politics" in mind. again, Prime Minister BJP to counter of "capitulating" made Iron pressures from this again and dreds of Responding result- that will not be able to say US taken and was declared Gandhi),” strategic kept saying of America, ethecourageto assertion that no action was kept ap- chargeagainstit Donald Trump, else speaks to Modi was lyto Mrs United States buttheydon'thav mein Chidambaram’s was not deci- blasts, “You reference Donald Trump President Bangladesh….” LoP Rahul Gandhi ANI is lying.... ‘Dal in the Lok Sabha. to ing in creation of trade continued. and did not to US the Operation Sindoor Parliament. Rahul President gtrucebetween say that he they Operation Sindoor Thakur said to know eporters at akistan wr te during ’, that is why y added that ingaboutbrokerin a Gandhi e, Shah sought target Shah, Nadda Cong: ‘You gave away PoK, BJP ’ will bring it back HOLDING OUT AGAINST BIHAR ROLL REVISIO ’s letter to Nixon BJP cites Indira‘Begged before US’ during ’71 war: not have faith in Army, her govt? Hits back at Rahul: Did she N as US Trump is lying PM will not say whole truth: Rahul tell President will PAGE 10 Accordingtothereportof the Monitoring Team (MT) of the UNSC 1267 [ISIS (Da’esh) & AlQaida]SanctionsCommittee,the entry under the Asia section reads: “On 22 April, five terrorists attacked a tourist spot in Pahalgam, in Jammu and Kashmir. Twenty-six civilians were killed. The attack was claimed that same day by The Resistance Front (TRF), who in parallel published a photograph CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ISRO-NASA satellite placed in orbit, to map Earth in detail ISRO’s launch vehicle GSLV-F16 carrying NISAR, the first joint India-US satellite, lifts off from Sriharikota, Wednesday. PTI ANONNA DUTT NEW DELHI, JULY 30 IN ITS most significant launch since the Moon-landing Chandrayaan-3 in 2023, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday placed NISAR satellite, a first-of-its-kind collaborative project between India and the US, into its intended orbit. NISAR, which stands for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, is the most powerful Earth observation satellite to be put in space, the result of over one decade of research and developmentbythespaceagencies of India and the US. The uniqueness of the satel- lite lies in the fact that it carries two Synthetic Aperture Radars (SARs) of different frequencies that are designed to work together to produce some of the most detailed images of the Earth ever captured from space. SARs are imaging equipment that use the non-visible microwave radiation to create pictures of the Earth from space. NeverbeforehavetwoSARsbeen mounted on a single satellite. The NISAR satellite flew on a GSLV rocket launched from SriharikotaWednesdayevening. Thesatellitewasdepositedinthe Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO), about 747 km from the Earth, within 19 minutes of the launch. This was the first time CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Mob enters house of Kargil War veteran’s kin in Pune, labels them Bangladeshis SOHAM SHAH PUNE, JULY 30 A MOB of 60-70 people entered the house of a Kargil War veteran’s relative in Chandan Nagar in Pune around midnight on July 26, called them Bangladeshis, and demanded identity proofs, accordingtothefamily.Themob also threatened them, said Shamshad Sheikh, a family memberwhorunsatrucktransport business. Policemen present there in plain clothes didnotstopthe harassment, Shaikh said, adding the family members were taken to the police station at night. Police said the operation was based on a tip-off about Bangladeshis,andsaidtheywere investigating the allegation of Hakimuddin, retired Kargil War veteran, is a resident of Uttar Pradesh the mob entering the house. The family submitted a written complaint to the Chandan Nagar police station. While DCP Somay Munde said that an FIR was in the process of being filed, howeverCommissionerof Police Amitesh Kumar said that an FIR had already been filed earlier. Sheikh said his uncle Hakimuddin, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, is a retired Kargil War veteran and several other members of his family have also served in the Indian Army. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Dhankhar asked for new bulletproof vehicles; put on hold, he went with Innova PAGE 1 ANCHOR MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL NEW DELHI, JULY 30 IN FEBRUARY last year, the VicePresident’s Secretariat sought newbulletproof vehiclesforthen V-PJagdeepDhankhar,citingthe age of his three high-security BMWcars.TheMinistryof Home Affairs (MHA) conveyed in June that a panel would be formed to lookintoit,butbyNovember,his office decided to opt for a nonbulletproof Innova, in which he hasbeentravellingeversince,The Indian Express has learnt. DhankharannouncedonJuly 22 that he was stepping down from his post as Vice-President, citing health reasons. According to sources, on February 28 last year, a letter was sent from the V-P’s Secretariat to the Additional Secretary (Police Modernisation Division), MHA, regarding the condition of his official vehicles. In his communication, the then Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President July 22. File deputy secretary in the V-P’s Secretariat wrote, “I have been directed to inform you that three bulletproof BMW High Security vehicles have been provided to the Hon’ble Vice President of India for using the same during his day-to-day movement. Out of the three vehicles, two vehicles have become more than six years old, while the third one is almost four years and five months old, which will also become more than five years old in the next couple of months.” “It has been further directed to get all three vehicles replaced with bulletproof high-security new vehicles. It is requested to get the process of replacement of three vehicles initiated at the earliest,” it states. According to sources, before this, a similar letter had been sent to the security division of Delhi Police, which clarified that procurement of vehicles is handled by the MHA. In response to the February 28 letter, an under-secretary in the MHA wrote to the V-P’s SecretariatonJune12,2024,that they were forming a board of of- ficers to inspect the three vehicles in question. For this, they had nominated six officers, including two from the NSG, and onefromtheCRPF,whohaveexpertise in technical issues involved in bulletproof vehicles, the under-secretary wrote. The Vice-President gets Zplus security cover provided by Delhi Police. On November 28, an internal communication issued by Delhi Police stated the V-P’s Secretariat had changed Dhankhar’s bulletproof vehicles since their “life term of five years” was over. The new vehicle was an Innova, while the spare vehicle was a Fortuner, and neither was bulletproof, it noted. It is learnt that the V-P’s OSD and Secretary were told these vehicles are not bulletproof and if required, such vehicles could be sought from Delhi Police, but this was turned down. Queries sent to the VicePresident’s Secretariat, an MHA spokesperson, the Special Commissionerof Police(security division) Jaspal Singh and Delhi Police spokesperson for a comment did not elicit a response.