eye THE SUNDAY EXPRESS MAGAZINE More Than Sushi KOLKATA,LATECITY AUGUST24,2025 Ramen bars, kawaii-themed cafés: India is in the middle of a Japanese dining boom 14+4PAGES,`7.00 (`12 IN NORTH EAST STATES, ` 20 IN ANDAMAN) THE WORLD ‘NO U.S. PRESIDENT CONDUCTED FOREIGN POLICY SO PUBLICLY’ TRUMP TROOP SURGE IN WASHINGTON SPARKS TENSIONS NEW STRIKES BY ISRAEL AROUND GAZA KILL 25 Tariff unjustified&unfair...Indiaredlines onfarmers:ExternalAffairsMinister WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM JaishankarhitsoutatTrumptariff,says India-US talksstillon,‘linesnotcut’ PAGE 10 DIVYA A EXPRESS NETWORK DAYS AFTER he targeted President Donald Trump's administration from Moscow over the additional tariff on India for Russian oil purchase, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday reiterated that the US tariff was “unjustified and unfair”, and said it was being wrongly “presented as an oil issue”. He also underlined that India has certain “red lines” and would not compromise on protecting the interests of its farmers and small producers. Jaishankar,however,saidtalks on the India-US trade deal were ongoingdespitetensions.“Weare two big countries, we need to haveconversations...andthelines are not cut, people are talking to eachother,andwewillseewhere that goes,” he said. Earlier, the US negotiators’ visit to India, scheduledforthesecondhalfofAugust, was “halted” for now. Speaking at The Economic ‘ILLEGAL’ BETTING: KARNATAKA CONG MLA ARRESTED GUJARAT HIGH COURT REVOKES REMISSION OF TADA CONVICT IN CONGRESS MLA’S 1989 MURDER PAGE 4 NEW DELHI, AUGUST 23 LED KARNATAKA COPS ON 2-WEEK SEARCH Sanitation worker who made claims of secret burials at Dharmasthala held Part of efforts to find truth behind allegations, says state Home Minister The sanitation worker (wearing mask) at the site of an alleged burial at Dharmasthala earlier this month. PTI File EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE BENGALURU, AUGUST 23 A FORMER sanitation worker at the temple town of Dharmasthala, who claimed to havecarriedoutdozensof secret burials of bodies there between 1995 and 2014, has been arrested by a Special Investigation Team of the Karnataka police for allegedly providing false information after SIT searches for bodies yielded no results. The former sanitation worker, C N Chinnaiah, 45, was arrested on Saturday morning. Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara confirmed the arrest and stated that it was part of effortstofindthetruthbehind theallegationsof "secretburials" in Dharmasthala. The arrest of the former sanitationworker,wholedtheSITon a two-week search of the bodies in forests around Dharmasthala between July 29 and August 12, comes at a time when the opposition BJP in Karnataka has proposed a state-wide protest over what it calls the anti-Hindu stance of the Congress government because of the probe. Several aspects of the “secret burials” investigation, which began in July, have been unravellingoverthelastcoupleof weeks CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ‘Tariff being presented as oil issue’ Times World Leaders Forum 2025, Jaishankar said: “We have not had a US President who has conductedforeignpolicyaspublicly as the current one. That itself is a departure that's not limited to India... President Trump’s way of dealing with the world is averymajordeparture…theapplicationof tariffsinthismanner even for trade is novel.... the application of tariffs on non-trade is even more so”. Trump has announced 50 per cent tariff on Indian products, the highest on any country globally. While 25 per cent tariff has already come into effect, the levy of another 25 per cent – overenergyimportsfromRussia – is supposed to be enforced from August 27. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Trump names key White House aide as envoy to India with regional role SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, AUGUST 23 SEVEN MONTHS after assuming office for a second term, US President Donald Trump has nominated a key member of his White House team, Sergio Gor, as the new US ambassador to India. Gor will also be Trump's Special Envoy for South and CentralAsianAffairs,indicatinga Sergio Gor is a key member of the US President’s White House team. X/SergioGor wider role. The 38-year-old's nomination comes at a critical juncture when bilateral ties have nosedived after the Trump administration imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, mainly citing the purchaseof Russianoil.Gor'sappointment, subject to confirmation by the US Senate, would mean that a trusted Trump aide will be stationed in Delhi, giving CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Tariff fallout: India suspends most postal services to US from August 25 RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, AUGUST 23 THE DEPARTMENT of Posts, under the Ministry of Communications, on Saturday decided to temporarily suspend the booking of all types of US-bound postal articles with effect from August 25, except letters, documents and gift items up to $100 in value, an official statement said. This comes after the US, on July 30, withdrew the duty-free deminimisexemptionforgoods valued up to $800 from August 29. This means that all international postal items destined for the US, regardless of their value, willbesubjecttocustomsduties under the US tariff framework. “The Department of Posts has decided to temporarily suspend booking of all types of postal articles destined for the US with effect from August 25, 2025, except letters/ documents CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 TWO VILLAGES AS PHASE-2 DEADLINE NEARS One village gets papers in order, another asks: ‘Why are they making us do this?’ SANTOSH SINGH PURNIA, AUGUST 23 IN HIS white kurta and dhoti, Biranchi Paswan, 75, looks every bit a politician. Nephew of Bihar’s first Dalit Chief Minister Bhola Paswan Shastri, Biranchi, a small farmer, has never dabbled in politics, but the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has given him a cause. Thesedays,hehasbeenrallyingpeopleinBairgachhi,avillage that’s barely six km from Purnia town and the ancestral base of his famous uncle, to ensure that every elector whose name has made it to the draft roll submits her documents to one of the three Booth Level Officers (ECappointed BLOs) in the village. WHAT WILL NOT COUNTINBIHAR Voters submit their documents to a BLO at Bairgacchi in Araria district of Bihar. Santosh Singh Aspartof thesecondphaseof the SIR, electors have time until September 1 to raise claims and objections to the draft roll (publishedonAugust1)andtoupload oneof the11EC-mandatedidentity documents in order to make it to the final draft roll. Of the 2,200 electors in Bairgachhi, most are from the Scheduled Caste Paswan community, followed by sizeable numbers from the Extremely Backward Classes and the Muslim population. The village is part of Dhamdaha Assembly segment represented by JD(U)'s Lesi Singh, also a minister in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 FOUR-PAGE PULLOUT Negotiations soon on GE engine for Tejas Mk 2, Safran to power AMCA US Congress cleared deal in Aug 2023, but talks ongoing for last two years AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA NEW DELHI, AUGUST 23 TWO YEARS after state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and US defence major General Electric (GE) Aerospace signed a pact to jointly produce fighter jet engines, the two sides will begin commercial negotiations on the deal shortly, The Indian Express has learnt. Additionally, the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO)hasfinalised FrenchmajorSafrantojoinhands with the Bengaluru-based Gas Turbine Research Establishment to manufacture an advanced jet engine in India which will power India’sindigenousfifthgeneration Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Officials familiar with developments on the HAL-GE pact said the aim is to conclude commercial negotiations within the next three months and finalise the deal to co-produce the F414 engines, which will power the Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 jets for the IAF. In June 2023, GE Aerospace signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HAL to produce fighter jet engines. The announcement of the pact E EXPLAINED DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA Key to fighter jet ● squadron INDIA HAS been making efforts to produce combat jet engines by partnering with a global engine manufacturer and in this light, the HAL-GE pact was seen as historic. However, the delay in materialising this deal would have a cascading effect on India’s LCA Mk 2 programme, which is critical for building its fighter jet squadron strength over the next decade. hadcomeduringPrimeMinister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US. The final deal was expected to be signed soon after approval from the US Congress and finalisationof commercialterms.The US Congress cleared the engine deal in August 2023, but negotiationshavebeenongoingforthe last two years. Officials said while GE Aerospacehadagreedtotransfer CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 After ED, CBI moves against Anil Ambani with ‘`2,929-cr bank fraud’ case MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL NEW DELHI, AUGUST 23 THE CENTRAL Bureau of Investigation(CBI)Saturdayfiled a case against industrialist Anil Ambaniandconductedsearches athisresidenceandthepremises of Reliance Communications in connectionwithanallegedbank fraudwhich,theagencyclaimed, caused a loss of over Rs 2,929 crore to State Bank of India (SBI). The CBI obtained the search warrants from a Mumbai court Selectively singledout... deniesall charges:His spokesperson Friday. “The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a criminalcaseonAugust21against M/sRelianceCommunicationLtd (RCOM),Mumbai,itsDirectorAnil D Ambani, unknown public servantsandunknownothersonthe allegations of defrauding the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Screen Awards 2025 set to go digital with YouTube tie-up Prof in new role: IIT-Kharagpur’s first dean of student well-being EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE VIDHEESHA KUNTAMALLA MUMBAI, AUGUST 23 ADOPTING A digital-first approach, The Indian Express Group is bringing back the prestigious Screen Awards this year in collaboration with YouTube, offeringopenaccesstoglobalaudiences. For the first time ever, Bollywood’s biggest stars will share the spotlight with YouTube’s most influential creators, who will be woven into every leg of this three-month- long festival — from red carpet andbehind-the-scenescontent to creator-led storytelling and fan engagement. ThewinnerswillbechosenbytheScreenAcademy,an independent, not-for-profit body of acclaimed filmmakers, artists and cultural voices. Speaking on the collaboration, Gunjan Soni, Managing Director — India,YouTubesaid:“We arethrilledtobethedigital home for the ScreenAwards,bring- ing a cultural icon to its next chapter. YouTube is where billions of fans connect with the entertainment they love, and we’re excited for them to experience one of cinema’s biggest nights in an immersive way. By bridging Bollywood’s biggest stars with YouTube’s most influential | creators,wearebuilding an engaged community for an iconic event and unlocking CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW DELHI, AUGUST 23 A FEW years ago, a doctoral student on the verge of dropping out was sent to Professor Arun Chakraborty at the Indian Institute of TechnologyKharagpur. Colleagues warned him that the youth may never finish his research. Within weeks, Chakraborty had turned thetide.Thestudentbeganmaking progress, and soon enough, his first paper appeared in a re- Professor Arun Chakraborty INSIDE POST-PANDEMIC, COUNSELLING ROOMS AT IITs ARE BUSIER THAN EVER PAGE 8 spected journal. “Itwasjustalittlebitof inspiration and motivation,” recalls Chakraborty, a professor at IITKharagpur’s Centre for Oceans, Rivers, Atmosphere and Land Sciences (CORAL). “When they know they can trust you, they can do wonders.” Thatbelief —inlisteningfirst, in trust as the foundation of teaching — has marked his years at IIT-Kharagpur since 2006 when he joined as assistant professor. Students have come to him not just with academic CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Spotted by Dhanraj, India women team goalkeeper puts Gujarat on hockey map PAGE 1 ANCHOR MIHIR VASAVDA MUMBAI, AUGUST 23 THE TWO Ds synonymous with Surat — dhandho (business) and diamond — never interested BansariSolanki.Growingup,she wanted to be an engineer like her father. “Aeronautics,” she smiles. Sport — hockey, specifically — was not even an afterthought. Until, after a few twists of fate, she was spotted and mentored by the legendary India forward Dhanraj Pillay, then nurtured by Olympian Romeo James to become one of India’s finest goalkeepers currently. A decade after her seemingly improbable journey began, Solanki has put Gujarat, a state with little-to-no tradition in the sport, on the world hockey map. According to hockey historian K Arumugam, the 24-yearold,whoispartof theIndiateam for next month’s Asia Cup in Hangzhou, China, is the first woman from the western state to represent the country. She is alsothefirstfromGujarat--male orfemale--toplayforIndiaafter Vadodara-born Gobind Savant, who played as a left-half in the silver medal-winning team at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. Vadodara has been central to Solanki’s rise as well. She started playing “for fun” after a teacher introduced the sport at her school. That fun turned into sort of an obsession as Solanki watched the Hockey India League (HIL) matches on television. By the time she entered her teens, she was completely smitten, and when she heard about the academy Pillay Bansari Solanki (2nd from right) with other goalkeepers and Dutchman Dennis van de Pol, the goalkeeping coach. Express had started in Vadodara, she packed her bags and moved to thecitytwohoursnorthof Surat. “In Gujarat, there was no hockey at all,” Solanki tells The Indian Express. “I started playing just for fun at my school. Then, Dhanraj Pillay Sir came to Gujarat and he provided me with the platform.” Solanki accidentally became a goalkeeper. Playing for her school team, she started as a defender. However, for one of the matches, the team was without a goalkeeper. “I was a little tall and fat, so the coach told me, ‘you become our goalkeeper',” Solanki laughs. Ironically, one of the world’s fiercest goal-scorers, who made a career by outwitting the goalkeepers, became her guru. Pillay remembersSolankias“thehardworkinggirlwhoaskedthemost number of questions”. The Sports Authority of Gujarat had appointed the former India captain as the executive director and chief coach of its newly-established hockey programme. “In that role, I travelled to different corners of Gujarattoscoutplayersandheld selection trials. That’s how I came across Bansari, who ap- peared at a selection trial in Vadodara,” Pillay says. “Her parents fully supported her,whichwasessentialbecause Gujarat had no hockey history. She was hardworking, which is alwaysacoach’sdelight.Andshe was curious, always asking the right questions. We had 35 girls and 35 boys, and Bansari emerged as one of the finest players in that group,” he says. One time, Pillay recalls, his protege penned an “emotional tribute” for him. Solankiremembers her early years training under Pillay CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Kolkata