DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2025, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 20 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 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 ON NH-848, CONNECTING VALSAD TO NASHIK HEADSTART - UNLOCK THE FUTURE BJP leaders sit on pothole-ridden stretch of highway to protest KAMAL SAIYED SURAT, JULY 30 GUJARAT HOPE PEOPLE FROM GUJARAT START VISITING J&K AGAIN, SAYS CM ABDULLAH ATS ARRESTS BENGALURU WOMAN IN CRACKDOWN ON ‘AL QAEDA MODULE’ PAGE 3 POTHOLES ON stretches of two national highways in Gujarat's Vadodara and Valsad — NH-48, connecting Ahmedabad to Mumbai, and NH 848, connecting Valsad to Nashik, — prompted BJP leaders on Tuesday to stage a protest against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Theleaderswerespottedsitting on the damaged road as part of their protest. The protest was led by Valsad district panchayat president and BJP leader, Manhar Patel, who reportedly ran late for an event owing to the bearing failure of his vehicle, while travelling on the pothole-laden roads. Earlier, three BJP MPs — Hemang Joshi from Vadodara, Dhaval Patel from Valsad and Hemant Vishnu Savara from Palghar in Maharashtra — had met Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, seek- BJP leaders during a protest, on Wednesday. Express ing his intervention into the matter. The travel time between Surat and Mumbai by NH-48 is six hours, but on account of damages caused to it since the onset of monsoon, it takes two additional hours to complete the journey through a “damaged” stretch in Valsad. The situation is similar on NH-848 where Manhar and other leaders staged the protest on Tuesday. NH-48 records a traffic of over 1.5 lakh vehicles on a dailybasis,accordingtoanNHAI official, but that is not the case 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- Japan NEW DELHI, JULY 30 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 EU AANCHAL MAGAZINE & ANIL SASI 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- 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 14, 18 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 SOUMYARENDRA BARIK *(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 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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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. 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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)was inacformer home ”about brokerBJP MP Dubey He targeted for “Yours(Congress Trumpwas“lying non-reactiveand ,requesting him lpressurethem between India Chidambaram tive,lukewarm, ” SpeakerOmBirla ulGandhi.“Shri tradedeal.Hewil the kind of minister P ing a ceasefire Minister that the three see Prime 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 SabhaMallikarjun the not looked terror attacks and Pahalgam courage of Indiraleader said that proclaimedthathi,thethenPrime DELHI, JULY 30 dyesterdaythat A LETTER written several shot in the head Indira Gandhi lateIndiraGandh had gallantly NEW porters:“Ihadsai peech,thecount “Yesterday, a three were Congress-led asked listed the Prime Minister India-Pakistan of India, should be shown. bytheendofmys gtheclaim)will same day Chidambaram bank theresponseof after these inrces Minister war despite diploLeaderof Opposition 50% courage the 1971 with "vote LOK SABHA UPA government despite hun- during been picked up by the Wednesday fought the (ofTrumprepeatin US President the question In1971,the Indiandefencefo 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 "capitulating" made Iron pressures from US this again and dreds of of Responding result- that will not be able to say 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 they say that he Operation Sindoor Thakur said te to know eporters at akistan during ’, that is why y added that ingaboutbrokerin andhi wr 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 Qaida]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 photographof the attack site. The claim of responsibility was repeated the following day.” “On 26 April, however, TRF retracted their claim. There was no further communication from TRF, and no other group claimed responsibility. Regionalrelations CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ARREST OF TWO KERALA NUNS IN CHHATTISGARH Faced coercion, police didn’t listen, says woman at centre of conversion row 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 targetinghastoldTheIndianExpress that she was coerced to give an adversestatementagainstthem. The nuns, Preeti Marry and Vandana Francis, and another person, Sukhman Mandavi, were arrested last Friday at the Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh. The FIR, registered under sections of the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, was based on a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal worker, who alleged that the accused forcibly converted three women from Narayanpur and were attempting to traffic them. But one of the three Narayanpur women told CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 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 THIRD TEST AT LORD’S 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 Bumrah bagged 3 wickets before ball went out of shape 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 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Dhankhar asked MHA for new bulletproof vehicles last Feb; put on hold, he went with regular Innova PAGE 1 ANCHOR MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL NEW DELHI, JULY 30 IN FEBRUARY last year, the VicePresident’s Secretariat sought new bulletproof vehicles for then Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, citing the age of his three high-security BMW cars. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) conveyed in June that a panel would be formed to look into it, but by November, his of- fice decided to opt for a nonbulletproof Innova, in which he has been travelling ever since, The Indian Express has learnt. Dhankhar announced on July 22 that he was stepping down from his post as VicePresident, 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), Ministry of Home Affairs, regarding the condition of his official vehicles. In his communication, the then deputy secretary in the V- Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President July 22. File 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 Ministry of Home Affairs wrote to the V-P’s Secretariat on June 12, 2024, that they were forming a board of officers to inspect the three vehicles in question. For this, they had nomi- nated six officers, including two from the NSG, and one from the CRPF, who have expertise in technical issues involved in bulletproof vehicles, the undersecretary 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 Vice President’s Officer on Special Duty (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 Commissioner of Police (security division) Jaspal Singh and Delhi Police spokesperson for a comment did not elicit a response. Ahmedabad