DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2024, PUNE, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES `6.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 Modi Sarkar ki Guarantee Government of India Hamara Sankalp Viksit Bharat Construction of new, grand and divine Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple; Gift of development projects worth thousands of crores rupees to Shri Ayodhya Dham Scan for more information TRADE DIPLOMACY WITH CHINA 75 BUSINESS AS USUAL MFN rate (%) India Kenya Nepal Bangladesh China Canada Australia Vietnam 3.8 2.4 BY UNNY AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD Source: WTO MFN: Most-favoured-nation Tariffs up last 8 yrs; Commerce Ministry denies protectionism RAVI DUTT MISHRA & ANIL SASI NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 26 MULTIPLE WINGS IN the governmenthavestarted to red-flag the Centre’s moves to progressivelyhikecustomsduties,especially the more recent offensive targeted at imports of Chinese components and inputs. A section within the government is in favour of a more nuanced approach in using tariffs as a diplomatic tool, failing which there is apossibilityof thegainsof India’s manufacturing-focused thrust that include schemes such as Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) being squandered away. What cannot be missed is that China still accounts for 14 per cent of India’s imports with not just inputs for the domestic industry in sectors ranging from electronics to pharmaceuticals and textiles to leather, but also capital goods, being sourced from China. This, coupled with the fact that average tariffs in India have jumped to 18.1 per cent in 2022 from 13 per cent eight years ago in 2014, has made India uncompetitive visa-vis countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and Mexico. In fact, much of the protests from ministries have come after theindustrywarnedof thedetrimental impact of higher tariffs being used as a protectionism tool. The blockade targeting Chinese imports, which gained tractionacrossCentralministries and departments in the aftermathof theGalwanborderclash CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E E X P L A I NE D 188 9.6 151 Govt depts red-flag high duties to curb China imports, seek nuance in strategy 18.1 14.3 12.6 14.1 7.5 123 Why India Incwants ● lower duty WHILE INDIA Inc has mostly been at the forefront of pushing for protectionist measures including tariff and non-tariff barriers, it is the industry itself which wants the government to reduce duties on imports of capital goods and key inputs across sectors. Team India seal series win — and a faith in tomorrow’s Team India Jarange Patil withdraws indefinite hunger strike, targets Fadnavis again SANDIPG MANOJ MORE RANCHI,FEBRUARY26 AS BRIGHT young stars Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel scampered across the pitch to seal India’s five-wicket and 3-1 series victory over England, the home team dressing room spilled onto the ground. The symbolismof themomentcould not be lost. After a noon-time mini-collapse, India were totter- ing at 120-5 but Gill and Jurel tooktheteampastthefourth-innings target of 192 with an unbeaten partnership of 72 runs. Not known to chase down tricky totals in pressure situations, CONTINUEDONPAGE2 PUNE, FEBRUARY 26 MARATHAQUOTAactivistManoj Jarange Patil Monday withdrew hisindefinitehungerstrikewhich he had started 17 days ago. The move came a day after Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde cautioned Jarange Patil to not “cross his limits” after the latter alleged that Deputy Chief MinisterDevendraFadnaviswas CBC 22201/13/0299/2324 Virasat bhi, Vikas bhi conspiring to “eliminate” him. OnMonday,Jarangetargeted Fadnavis again alleging that he was bent upon repeating the Antarwali-Saraati type episode where the police had CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 HC dismisses 2 pleas of Gyanvapi panel, allows puja in southern cellar MANISH SAHU LUCKNOW, FEBRUARY 26 DISMISSING TWO appeals filed by the Anjuman Intezamia MasajidCommittee,whichmanages the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, the Allahabad High Court Monday said the move of thestategovernmentin1993restraining puja in the southern cellar of the mosque complex, adjacenttotheKashiVishwanath temple, was “illegal”. The mosque committee had filedappealschallengingtwoorders of the Varanasi District Judge’s court on January 17 and January 31. On January 17, the Outside the Gyanvapi mosque Monday. Anand Singh District Judge had appointed the Varanasi District Magistrate as receiver of the southern cellar, which the Hindu plaintiffs call “Vyasjikatehkhana”.Thesecond orderonJanuary31allowedpuja CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 RS polls today: UP, Karnataka, Himachal to see tight contests MAULSHREE SETH, AKRAM M & NAVJEEVAN GOPAL LUCKNOW, BENGALURU, CHANDIGARH, FEBRUARY 26 MOCK VOTING, dinners and back-channel dialogue, a complaint to the Election Commission(EC),andlegislators sequestered in a hotel. The stage is set for a high-octane Rajya Sabha election battle in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday. Thereare10UpperHousevacanciesfromUP,of whichtheBJP has the numbers to win seven unopposed and the Samajwadi Party (SP) can win three. But with the BJP fielding businessman-turned-politician Sanjay CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Pune
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