DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2025, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 14 PAGES BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY ON AGENDA: UPGRADING INDIA-CHINA BILATERAL ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP US tariffs looming, India looks at easing non-trade barriers, relaxing Chinese FDI Dialling down of border tensions has yielded space to promote trade, say officials SANDEEP SINGH & ANIL SASI MUMBAI, NEW DELHI, MARCH 23 Ex-minister Chandrasekhar set to be next chief of BJP’s Kerala unit Immediatechallengewillbe thelocalbodypollsinOctober LIZ MATHEW NEW DELHI, MARCH 23 THE BJP has decided to appoint former Union IT Minister and technocrat-turned-politician Rajeev Chandrasekhar as the next president of its Kerala unit. The BJP’s core committee made the decision at a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Sundaythatwasattendedbythe party's Kerala in-charge Prakash Javadekar and co-in-charge AparjitaSarangi,aLokSabhaMP. The decision was unanimous,” said a source. Chandrasekhar’s name is expected to be announced officiallyatapartyconclavethatwill be held at the Uday Palace Convention Centre in Kowdiar, Thiruvananthapuram, on Monday. Union Minister and senior BJP leader Pralhad Joshi, whoisinchargeof theparty’sorganisational elections in Kerala, is expected to make the announcement at the meeting. “I am pleasantly surprised anddeeplyhonouredthatallmy colleagues in the Kerala BJP considered me worthy of being the party president,” Chandrasekhar, 60, told The Indian Express after the core committee meeting. Chandrasekhar impressed party leaders with his performanceinlastyear'sLokSabhaelections that he lost narrowly to Congress’s Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram by a narrow margin of 16,000 votes. Chandrasekhar put up a fight CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 EXPLAINED ECONOMICS TRUMP AND A WEAKER DOLLAR PAGE 10 WITH SOME dialling down of tensionsbetweenIndiaandChina along the line of control, policy makersaremoreopentoupgrading bilateral economic relation- INDIA-CHINA BILATERAL TRADE Year India’s export Change to China in % India’s import Change from China in % (Figures in USD billion) Trade deficit Total trade Change in % 2020 18.95 10.69% 58.71 -14.1% 39.76 77.66 -9.14% 2021 23.05 21.64% 87.65 49.29% 64.6 110.7 42.54% 2022 15.15 -34.27% 102.63 17.09% 87.48 117.78 6.4% 2023 16.23 7.13% 99.59 -2.96% 83.36 115.82 -1.66% 2024* 8.46 -9.23% 50.35 -9.02% 41.89 58.81 *Jan-Jul -9.05% Source: Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Embassy of India in Beijing shipsnow.Itisbeingviewedasan opportune time, particularly when US President Donald TrumpispushingIndiatothecorner on reducing tariffs and forc- ing it to agree to terms set by Washington,especiallyontariffs. According to sources aware of developments,discussionsare on between departments to di- lute or neutralise some of the restrictions on trade and investmentsthatwereputinplacefive years ago after clashes between CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E EXPLAINED THE WORLD TURKEY COURT JAILS ISTANBUL MAYOR PENDING TRIAL ON GRAFT CHARGES ISRAELI STRIKE KILLS HAMAS LEADER PAGE 11 `5.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 Signal ● to US THERE IS a growing view in India that entering into a visibly closer dialogue with China on normalising business relations could send out a signal to the US and likely act as a potential hedge. Talks are on to consider diluting some of the restrictions on trade and investments put in place five years ago after Galwan clashes in 2020. J&J offered payout for faulty implant victims — with key omission, reveals new book F-1 visa denials surge to 10-year high, US rejects 41% of foreign student applicants ABHINAYAHARIGOVIND NEWDELHI,MARCH23 STUDENT VISA denials by the United States (US) soared to a decade-high last fiscal year (October 2023 to September 2024)with41%ofF-1visaapplications from across all countries turneddown—almostdoublethe rejection rate of the 2014 fiscal year — shows an analysis of State Department data by The Indian Express. In 2023-24, (the US government's fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30), the USreceivedatotalof6.79lakhapplications for F-1 visas, of which 2.79lakh(41%)weredenied.This is an increase from 2022-23, when2.53lakhapplications(36%) Approved Denied Total Rejectionrate 2024 4.01 lakh 2.79 lakh 6.79 lakh 41% 2023 4.45 lakh 2.53 lakh 6.99 lakh 36% 2022 4.11 lakh 2.21 lakh 6.32 lakh 35% 2021 3.58 lakh 88,583 4.46 lakh 20% 2020 1.11 lakh 50,490 1.62 lakh 31% 2019 3.64 lakh 1.24 lakh 4.88 lakh 25% 2018 3.63 lakh 1.95 lakh 5.58 lakh 35% 2017 3.94 lakh 2.15 lakh 6.09 lakh 35% 2016 4.72 lakh 2.47 lakh 7.18 lakh 34% 2015 6.44 lakh 2.12 lakh 8.56 lakh 25% 2014 5.96 lakh 1.73 lakh 7.69 lakh 23% US Dept of State-Bureau of Consular Affairs 2024 Sambhal violence: Head of mosque panel arrested AMIT SHARMA & MANISH SAHU DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW Army personnel and others during the ‘World’s Highest Snow Marathon’ at Sissu in Lahaul and Spiti on Sunday. ANI PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEW YORK, MARCH 23 AN INDIAN-ORIGIN woman has been charged with allegedly murdering her 11-year-old son after a three-day vacation to Disneyland. Saritha Ramaraju, 48, has been charged with one felony count of murder for slitting her son's throat, killing the boy after they went on a vacation to Disneyland during a custody visit. She has also been charged withonefelonyenhancementof personaluseof aweapon,aknife. She faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life if convictedonallcharges,astatement from the Office of the District CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Year It’s not about NEP...can you teach enough children one language properly in UP, Bihar? PALANIVEL THIAGA RAJAN Indian-origin woman slits 11-year-old son’s throat after taking him How a Nigerian student is taking the on trip to Disneyland Attorney, Orange County, California said Friday. Ramaraju, who moved out of California after divorcing the boy's father in 2018, was staying with her son at a motel in Santa Ana for a custody visit. During the visit, she bought three-day passes to Disneyland for herself and her son. On March 19, the day Ramaraju was scheduled to check out of the motel and return the boy to his father, she called 911 at 9.12 am to report that she had killed her son and taken pills to kill herself. Santa Ana police arrived at the motel and found the young boy dead on the bed in a room among Disneyland souvenirs. ofatotalof6.99lakhwereturned down. While the US State Departmentdidnotsharedataon the country-wise refusal rate for F-1 visas, The Indian Express had reportedonDecember9lastyear that the number of student visas issued to Indians in the first nine monthsof2024haddecreasedby 38% as compared to the corresponding period in 2023. Accordingtothedata,thepercentageofstudentvisadenialsincreased even as the absolute number of applications from across all countries dipped over the last decade. During this period,thetotalnumberof applicationspeakedat8.56lakhin201415, but saw a steady dip in the next few years, till it hit a low of VISA APPLICATIONS OVER A DECADE Files:TheIndianSecretsofaGlobal ANONNA DUTT Giant (Juggernaut), authored by NEW DELHI, MARCH 23 The Indian Express National HealthEditor,KaunainSheriff M. EVEN AS nearly 4,000 patients According to the book, J&J’s awaitjusticefromtheDelhiHigh proposal was rejected by the Court in the form of compensa- Government.Overamonthlater, tion from Johnson & the Government put Johnson (J&J) over forward its own profaulty hip implants posalbasedontheexthat severely imtent of disability, and paired their health, held the company lithe pharma giant able to pay amounts hadproposedapayranging from Rs 30 out formula to the lakh to Rs 1.2 crore. Governmentduring This prompted J&J to aclosed-doormeetapproach the court, ing over five years where the matter is ago. That plan was The book by The currentlybeingheard. shot down — it did Indian Express The new book is not take into acNational Health based on a series of counttheseverityof Editor, Kaunain investigative reports a patient’s disability Sheriff M that was published caused by the imfrom August 2018 in plant. The Indian Express on This undisclosed episode in J&J’s ASR hip implants. These rethe“ASRimplantscandal”,which ports revealed the key findings has resonated in pharma mar- of aGovernmentcommittee:J&J kets across the world over the failed to inform the national regpastdecade,hasbeenbroughtto ulator about the exact number light in The Johnson & Johnson CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CUSTODY DISPUTE WITH HIS FATHER IN U.S. 2023-24 US STATE DEPARTMENT DATA TAMIL NADU MINISTER FOR IT AND DIGITAL SERVICES PAGE 9 Gujarat University floor with his music SANDE GONA AHMEDABAD, MARCH 23 THOUSANDS OF miles away from his home in Nigeria, a 22year-old artist is carving his own space on the Gujarat University campus in Ahmedabad, where he is enrolled as a student. DanielJasperEmmanuel,better known by his stage name Amazing JP, is not just another university student chasing a degree; he’s a songwriter, singer, guitarist, and performing artist whose melodies are capturing hearts far from home. Emmanuel’s love for music was not always welcomed, as he Daniel Jasper Emmanuel is better known by his stage name Amazing JP was born into a family that prioritised academics over artistic pursuits. His journey began quietly in 2015 when he joined a teens’ band at his local church in Nigeria. It was here that he first discovered the magic of melodies, learning the foundations of music. However,itwasn’tuntil2018, whenhegothisfirstacousticguitar, that his passion truly took flight. Self-taught through YouTube tutorials, he started composing original songs, pouring his emotions into lyrics that resonatedwithlove,heartbreak, and self-acceptance. In Ahmedabad, despite the geographical and cultural distance, his influences remained deeplyrootedintheartistshead- mires, the likes of Ed Sheeran, Passenger, and Johnny Drille, whose musical abilities inspired him to refine his own craft and voice. On February 14, Valentine’s Day, Emmanuel hosted his firstever solo concert dubbed “The Amazing Space” at Studio Raag, aprivatelyownedmusicconcert hosting space in Ahmedabad. Several Nigerians in the city, along with others, got onto the stage grooving to Emmanuel’s music that evening. According to him, the Valentine’s Day concert could launchaseriesof futureconcerts under the Amazing Space title. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MEERUT, LUCKNOW, MARCH 23 POLICE IN Sambhal on Sunday arrested Zafar Ali, chairman of the Shahi Jama Masjid managing committee, for allegedly playing an “incendiary role” in the violence that erupted on November 24 over a court-ordered survey of the mosque. Sambhal SP Krishna Kumar said, “We had gathered evidence thatheplayedanincendiaryrole during the violence last year. He waspickedupbythepolicefrom his house in Sambhal on Sunday morningandwasinterrogatedat Kotwali police station by senior policemenbeforebeingarrested.” Ahead of the arrest, personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) were deployed in strength around the mosqueandnearAli’sresidence. Thehouseisjust100metresfrom the mosque in Sambhal town. Ali had previously been detained by police on November 25, 2024, a day after the violence outside the mosque, but was released after questioning. The 16th-century mosque has been at the centre of tensions after a petition claimed that it was the site of an ancient Hindu temple. According to the SP, Ali had allegedlyinformed“miscreants” about the survey team’s visits to the mosque on November CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 This teen archer’s target: Beat the odds, inspire others to beat her PAGE 1 ANCHOR PRITISH RAJ NEW DELHI, MARCH 23 SHEETAL DEVI is only one of two armless athletes to win a medal at the Paralympics. The story of this 18-year-old archer from Jammu, however, is not just aboutbeatingtheoddsandwinning medals. She is also inspiring others in similar or more challenging circumstances to take up the bow — and be as good as her. On Sunday, Sheetal edged past17-year-oldPayalNaginthe final to win gold in the 2025 Khelo India Para Games. But then,haditnotbeenforSheetal's exploits at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, where she won bronze, Payal would not have taken up the sport at all. HailingfromBalangir,atown inOdisha,Payallostallfourlimbs in an electrocution incident at the age of five. Shifted to an or- phanageasayoungchild,shedid not know anything about parasports, or even what a bow and arrow looked like — until a cry for help on social media caught the attention of Sheetal’s coach, Kuldeep Vedwan. “I had no idea what archery was when I was in Balangir. Kuldeep sir talked to me on video call for the first time and then showed me videos of Sheetal-didi. When I saw those, I thought I could also do something like this. Kuldeep sir gave me further motivation and said Payal (left) and Sheetal after their event at Khelo India Para Games on Sunday. SAI Media that you can also play at Paralympics,” Payal said. Sheetal was born with phocomelia, a rare congenital disorder, resulting in the absence of arms. Vedwan developed a mechanism for her to take up archery;shepicksthebowusing her legs and then uses her mouth to fix the latch attached tohershouldertoaimandshoot. At the same academy, Payal was taught the basics of the sport using the same mechanism but with prosthetic legs. “I sawSheetaldidipickingthebow with both her legs and thought how would I do it as I don’t have legs. But then the prosthetic legs came in and I practiced on them to pick the bow,” Payal said. Payal was an instant success on the national circuit. In her first-ever tournament, the ParaArchery National Championships in Jaipur earlier this year, she beat Sheetal to win gold. On Sunday, it was Sheetal’s turn to come out on top. “Payal played very well and I am not surprised that she has come so far in just two years,” Sheetal said. Kuldeep is bullish about Payal’s chances at international level. “The world has only seen armless archers but now it is time for everyone to witness an archer without any limbs. We want to go ahead and compete in international tournaments as I think Payal is ready for that level,”hesaid,speakingaheadof the final. Asked how it feels to inspire others to take up the sport , Sheetal said, “It feels good. I am glad Payal took up the sport. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad