WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM What Age Cannot Tame These women are not trying to defy age but are leading engaged lives, and in doing so, are inviting us to full-bodied, potent, spirited experiences NEW DELHI, JANUARy 11, 2026 ARTS ETC LATE CITY 18+4 PAgES ₹7.00 Music for the Sleepless (₹8 RAIPUR, ₹15 SRINAgAR) D A I L Y F R O M : A H M E D A B A D , Happening today lROHIT SHARMA AND VIRAT Kohli will be back in action as India host New Zealand for a three-match ODI series. Match starts at 1.30 pm in Vadodara. lUNION HOME MINISTER Amit Shah is scheduled to visit pollbound Kerala to attend various events and meet party leaders. POlITIcs PAGE 6 SOmNATh SymBOl OF cIvIlISATIONAl cOuRAGE: Pm C H A N D I g A R H , New Delhi, January 10 THE ENFORCEMENT Directorate (ED) is likely to move the Supreme Court by late SaturdaynightorearlySunday,alleginginterferencebyWestBengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeeandheradministrationduringitssearchesonpoliticalconsultancy firm I-PAC in Kolkata. The West Bengal government, on its part, has filed a ca- j A I P U R , K O L K A T A , L U C K N O W , M U M B A I , N A g P U R , P A T N A , P U N E , V A D O D A R A MOVES COME AFTER LIFTING OF FLIGHT, BUSINESS VISA RESTRICTIONS India looks at ‘graded’ opening of economy to China, easing curbs Reciprocity from Beijing key factor, investment-related curbs on the table Aanchal Magazine New Delhi, January 10 A CAREFULLY “graded” opening up of the Indian economy toChinaisunderconsideration at the highest levels of government, with any easing contingent on calibrated give-andtake by Beijing, The Indian Express has learned. The discussion comes amid Row over searches on I-PAC: ED to move SC, Bengal govt files caveat Deeptiman Tiwary & Ananthakrishnan G D E L H I , veat before the top court, seeking that no order be passed in thematterwithouthearingit.A caveat is a precautionary measure in anticipation of a case, and ensures that no exparte order is passed. Both the ED and the Trinamool Congress have already filed petitions in the Calcutta High Court. On Friday, Justice Suvra Ghosh of the Calcutta High Court adjourned hearing on the petitions to January 14 »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 therapidlyshiftingglobaltrade landscape and the looming threat of heightened US tariffs. Officials say the approach under discussion would be incrementalratherthansweeping. Indiahasalreadyeasedthebusiness visa process for Chinese workers, and the government is now examining whether some investment-related restrictions could also be relaxed. E. EXPlAINED more options The call to warm up to China marks a practical rebalancing of foreign policy and trade options in the wake of the India-US chill. Despite the border stand-off, some low-hanging fruit has been addressed. Reciprocity from Beijing, easing of curbs in areas such as rare earth magnets is being seen as key to movement forward. EcONOmY PAGE 13 IN PRE-BudGET mEET wITh Fm, STATES FlAG lOSS IN REvENuE “It (easing of norms for China) is being worked upon. It will take time though. There has to be reciprocity. Earlier, flightswererestored,visaswere given, entry norms were eased as we had to allow technicians for stalled projects etc. So it will happen gradually,” said an official aware of the deliberations. Beijing has curbs on a range of exports in services. There has been substantial spadework. A high-level committee chaired by NITI Aayog memberRajivGaubahadearlier recommended withdrawing curbs on Chinese investments. Separately, the Economic Survey 2023-24 had made the case for attracting investment from Chinese companies to strengthen India’s export »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 J&K’S VAISHNO DEVI MEDICAL COLLEGE ‘Never discussed religion 25 TOP CEOs IN MERZ DELEGATION; WILL VISIT AHMEDABAD, BENGALURU in class’: Dreams paused German Chancellor Merz arrives tomorrow, as MBBS course spiked ‘first bilateral outside NATO, EU space’ Indian workers in Germany earn 20% more than German counterparts... migration partnership works: Ambassador Shubhajit Roy New Delhi, January 10 GERMANCHANCELLORFriedrichMerz’striptoIndiabeginning Monday is his first bilateral visit outside of NATO and the European Union, a “very strongsignal,”ofthedeepening bilateral relationship across sectors and its potential for the Minister Narendra Modi in future,GermanAmbassadorto Ahmedabad and visit the SaIndia Philipp Ackbarmati Ashram. ermann told The He will head to EXPREss Indian Express in Bengaluru on Jaanexclusiveinternuary 13 where he view Saturday. will visit the InMerz, whose delegation in- dian Institute of Science and cludes CEOs of 25 German the campus of German firm companies, will meet Prime Bosch. exclusive German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann. FILE Excerptsfromtheinterview in which Ackermann flagged »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Naveed Iqbal Srinagar, January 10 BILKISMANZOORfromcentral Kashmir’s Budgam neatly folded her white lab coat and packed it away along with her books, bedsheets and other belongings.Shewassettobecome thefirstdoctorinherfamilyafter joining the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence(SMVDIME)inKatra.Now forced to return home, she says the hardest thing will be seeing herparents,whohadsentherto college with much excitement and high hopes. The first batch of MBBS students left the campus after the NMC withdrew its nod to the college Underinstructionsfromthe staff at the institute to leave the campus by 2 pm on Friday, the first batch of MBBS students at »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2