DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2025, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY U.S. MARKETS BOUNCE BACK AFTER ANNOUNCEMENT Trump blinks with 90-day pause on tariffs but dials up China’s to 125% Before he moved, China hit back with 84% tariff, EU 25%; Treasury Secy says India among those willing to ‘sit at table’ ‘ORGANISATIONAL DEFICIENCIES IN AAP’S GUJARAT UNIT WERE IGNORED DUE TO FOCUS ON PUNJAB POLLS’ P4 RSS-linked college cites JNU affiliation, varsity says only MoU NIKHILA HENRY HYDERABAD, APRIL 9 A COLLEGE in Kerala with links to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which claims to be “India’s first JNU-affiliated journalism college”, is set to hold its first convocation on April 17. But while the institute, MahatmaGandhiCollegeofMass Communication(MAGCOM),has announced that JNU ViceChancellorSantishreeDhulipudi Panditwillbeinattendance,officials at JNU sought to distance themselves from the institute, saying it is “not recognised by or affiliated to” JNU and the central varsity “only signed an MoU for PGDiplomacourseswiththeaim of academic collaboration”. This contradicts information on JNU’s own website, where MAGCOM is listed as a “recognised research institution”. There are seven defence institutes and 23 research institutes on the list of recognised institutes, which the website describesassuch:“JNUhasgranted recognition and accreditation to the following prestigious institutions across the country. This has added to the true national character of the University. Representatives of these Institutions serve on various academic and statutory bodies of the JNU. Similarly, JNU faculty also participate in the academic bodies of these Institutions.” Pandit, the JNU V-C, did not respond to calls and messages seeking a comment. MAGCOM has as its official mentor the editor-in-chief of Kesari, an RSS-affiliated magazine launched in 1951, and functions out of Kesari Bhavan in Kerala’s Kozhikode. College director A K Anuraj toldTheIndianExpressthatitsPG Diploma in Mass Communication course was granted affiliation by JNU in 2024 through a process that lasted a year. An invitation sent out by organisers for the convocation reads,“India’sfirstJNU-affiliated journalism college is gearing up CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON, APRIL 9 FACING A global market meltdown, US President Donald Trump Wednesday abruptly backed down on his tariffs on most nations for 90 days, but raised the tax rate on Chinese imports to 125%. It was seemingly an attempt to narrow what had been an unprecedented trade war between the US and most of the world to a showdown between the US and China. The S&P 500 stock index jumped 8% after the announcement. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 2,665 points, or 7.1%,asof 2pmEasterntime,and theNasdaqcompositewas10.3% hours after Goyal tells exporters not to panic RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, APRIL 9 Decided to pause because more than 75 countries reached out for trade talks, says Trump. Reuters higher. But the precise details of Trump’s plans to ease tariffs on non-China trade partners were CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 EARLIER ANALYSIS EXPLAINED, PAGE 14 Stephen Miran heads US Council of Economic Advisers NEW DELHI, APRIL 9 E NOT MANY mayhaveheard of Stephen Miran. ● He is the man who US President Donald Trump selected as the chairman of his Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) — and also perhaps the most articulate defender of his INDIA’S STRATEGY of initiating talks for a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the US, along with its restraint in not retaliating against US tariffs, appears to have paid off, as US President Donald Trump Wednesday paused reciprocal tariffs on 75 countries, including India, while imposing a steep 125 per cent tariff on China in response to its retaliatory measures. The sharply high tariffs on China could provide a compara- policy of sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” that threaten to upend the existing international trading system and have triggered massive sell-off in stock markets across the globe. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 HITESH VYAS MUMBAI, APRIL 9 THE RESERVE Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) reduced the repo rate by 25basispoints(bps)to6percent Wednesday while the growth forecast for the current fiscal (FY2026) was lowered to 6.5 per cent from 6.7 per cent amid uncertainties arising from trade tive advantage for India, as businesses based in China may now look to shift operations to countries with lower tariff regimes, suchasIndia.However,concerns remain over the risk of dumping from the Chinese market into India. That said, the threat of reciprocaltariffsonIndiahasnotbeen ruled out. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, when asked whether the tariffs were always aboutChina,replieditwasabout “bad actors” and that Vietnam, Japan, South Korea and India could be next though he added, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra in Mumbai on Wednesday. Amit Chakravarty RELATEDREPORTS,PAGE16 wars following the reciprocal tariffs announced by the US. Announcing the monetary policy, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said the trade tariff related measures have exacerbateduncertaintiescloudingthe economic outlook across regions,posingnewheadwindsfor global growth and inflation. He warned that tariffs will impede domestic growth and CHINA (TIBET) BHUTAN NEPAL Meghalaya Bihar West Bengal Tripura Dhaka BANGLADESH BAY OF BENGAL RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, APRIL 9 DAYS AFTER Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, seeking “extension of the Chineseeconomy”,calledIndia's Northeast “landlocked”, New Delhi decided to terminate the transshipment facility for Bangladesh’s export cargo, a move that can disrupt Dhaka's trade with several countries. Thedecisionwasannounced late Tuesday night through a no- MYANMAR Mizoram tification issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Wednesday that the transshipment facility extended to Bangladesh had over a period of time resulted in significant congestion at India's airportsandports.“Logisticaldelays and higher costs were hindering our own exports and creating backlogs. The facility, therefore, has been withdrawn w.e.f. April 8, 2025. To clarify, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW DELHI, APRIL 9 INDIAN SECURITY agencies braced for the arrival Thursday of Tahawwur Rana, being extraditedfromtheUSnearly16years after his arrest for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. On Wednesday evening, the Nayayik Abhiraksha Vahini of Delhi Police was asked by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to send a jail van, along with pilot escorts, to the airport around 7 am Thursday, ahead of Rana’s arrival. The Delhi Police Special Cell has been placed on alert and SWATcommandoshavealready been deployed at the airport. A team of three senior officers of the NIA, along with three intelligenceofficials,reachedthe US Sunday to obtain custody of Rana, sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said. The source said the team obtained Rana’s custody and he would be reaching Delhi Thursday. It is likely that he will be placed under judicial custody in Tihar Jail. “The Nayayik Abhiraksha Vahini,whichferriesjailinmates Tahawwur Rana sent LeT scout Headley to Mumbai from prison to courts, has been askedtosenditspersonneltothe airport. Initially, it was told to send a team around 4 am, but that was later changed to 7 am,” the source said. “Ajailvanalongwithpilotescorts, comprising police personnel,havebeenaskedtoreachthe airport by 7 am. The South District police have made extra security deployment near the NIA headquarters in Pragati Vihar,” the source said. Also Wednesday, Union HomeMinisterAmitShahhelda meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Dovaltodiscussthepreparations. A source said Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri andNIADirectorSadanandDate werealsopresentatthemeeting. In the evening, Shah, speaking at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit,calledtheextraditionof CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD AHEAD OF TALKS IN OMAN, IRAN SAYS NOT SEEKING NUKES CHINA IS A THREAT TO PANAMA CANAL, SAYS U.S. PAGE 15 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE INDIA Assam Manipur MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL Among IAS transferred, VMC chief who ‘sidelined’ mayor, Collector accused of anti-Dalit remarks Due to congestion at ports, airports: MEA Siliguri corridor He will face trial and punishment, extradition big success of Govt: Shah CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 India hits back after Yunus N-E remark, halts transshipment facility for Dhaka Kathmandu TIHAR READIES CELL, PROSECUTOR NAMED Tahawwur Rana, extradited from US for his role in 26/11, India gets a breather, reaches Delhi today No knee-jerk this, meet POLICY STANCE NOW ‘ACCOMMODATIVE’ economist behind tariffs RBI cuts key rate by 25 basis points, growth projection lowered to 6.5% HARISH DAMODARAN EXPLAINED GUJARAT `5.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 VADODARA, APRIL 9 Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge with party leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and others at the AICC session in Ahmedabad, Wednesday. Bhupendra Rana MOREREPORTS,PAGE10 ‘Economic storm coming, where is PM?’ Rahul at AICC session MANOJ C G AHMEDABAD, APRIL 9 HAVING TARGETED the Narendra Modi government over its “weak-kneed and failed” foreign policy, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi Wednesday warned of a coming economic storm in the wake of the tariffs imposed by the US. Laterintheday,theUSissued a 90-day pause on the tariffs for all countries except China, imposing a 125% rate on it. AstheAICCsessionhereconcluded, Rahul and the Congress also gave unambiguous signals that the party is going to aggressively reach out to OBCs, Dalits andtribalsforanelectoralcomeback. Modi had succumbed to pressure from US President DonaldTrumpontheimposition of tariffs, Gandhi said. “Earlier, Narendra Modi hugged (Donald Trump) in the US… This time, did you see a photograph of him hugging?... President Trump, whom Modi calls his friend, ordered that there will be no hug- ging, this time we will impose new tariffs. He (Modi) hasn’t uttered a word. Aaj tak gayab hain (He remains missing). To ensure that people’s attention doesn't go towards this… they did drama in Parliament for two days.” He added: “But the truth is that an economic storm is approaching… Crores of people will suffer, unemployment is at a 50-year high. Where is Modi? Where is he hiding?” The AICC resolution asked “the ruling regime to undertake CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 DAYS AFTER Mayor Pinky Soni accused Vadodara Municipal Commissioner Dilip Rana of allegedly “sidelining” her from the Vishwamitri river project inspection, Gujarat government on Wednesday evening transferred the bureaucrat and appointed him to the post of Commissioner of Higher Education in Gandhinagar. Apart from Rana, the transfers include that of District Collector of Mahisagar, Neha Kumari, who has been surrounded by controversies after a purported video of her allegedly making anti-Dalit and anti-Adivasi remarks was made public in October last year. A total of 16 IAS officers have been transferred across the state. Officials said that the transfer order was a “routine” and Rana had “been disappointed” in his current posting following Soni's allegations, which had come just two days after he was involved in a heated spat with BJP municipal corporator Ashish Joshi in the General Board over cleaning a drainage line. Rana has been actively involved in the ongoing project of flood mitigation by desilting and dredging the Vishwamitri River in Vadodara. Rana, a 2007 batch IAS officer, will be replaced by Arun Mahesh Babu, currently serving as Managing Director of Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Limited in Mehsana. Kumari, meanwhile, has been transferred as Mission Director of the Gujarat State Electronics Mission in Gandhinagar while Vadodara city Deputy Municipal Commissioner Arpit Sagar will take charge as the Collector of Mahisagar. Ganga Singh, MD, Gujarat Medical Services Corporation Ltd, will take over as Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Vadodara, CONTINUEDONPAGE2 ‘Support caste census, not caste politics... also have MY (Mahila, Yuva) formula’ PAGE 1 ANCHOR EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, APRIL 9 UNION MINISTER of Food Processing Industries and Lok JanshaktiParty(RamVilas)president Chirag Paswan believes that a caste census would offer data to the government for tailoring various welfare schemes for people, but says that such data should not be made public as that could fuel casteism. It may sound paradoxical “that I don’t support caste politics but support caste census”, Paswan said at the Express Adda on Tuesday night, adding that caste is a harsh reality in the country. Underlining that both discrimination and various government schemes for people’s uplift were based on caste, he said the state governments should have the caste data but refrain from making it public. Paswan, 42, was in conversation with Anant Goenka, Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, and Vandita Mishra, National Opinion Editor, The Indian Express. Asserting that he believed in the concept of “Bihar First” and “BihariFirst”,Paswansaid,“Ialso have MY (Mahila and Yuva) formula. Out of my five MPs, two are women. I talk about 14 crore Biharis... The moment Biharis come out of Bihar and outside caste, they do so well in every field — media, corporates and Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan at Express Adda in New Delhi on Tuesday. Renuka Puri bureaucracy.” He said the need of the hour is to work for Bihar’s development — something that having thesameallianceinpowerinthe state and at the Centre, he said, should help achieve — expressing confidence that the incumbentNDAwouldreturntopower in Bihar by clinching the state Assembly polls later this year. Asked whether he was concerned about doles being handed out by various parties to come to power, Paswan said, “Of late,yes,itisaconcern.(Iam)not talking about cash, but as a taxpayer, I would say services are more important than putting money in banks. Education and health should be free. I hope after 2047, when we become a developednation,thesethingswill be used on services.” Defending the enactment of the amended Waqf law, the LJP(RV)chiefsaidtherewasatendency in some circles to spread distrustamongMuslims,beiton the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)oronArticle370.Heunderlined that while the CAA was to give citizenship to people from persecuted minorities in a few neighbouring countries, the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad