Daily Briefing: Trump tariffs — where things stand

🚨 Big Story

How have the US President Donald Trump-imposed tariffs impacted India’s trade? The September data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Wednesday gives us the first look. Here are some notable points:

• India’s goods exports to the US declined by 12 per cent in September compared to the same month last year.
• The impact on labour-intensive sectors has begun to show, as textile, jute and handicraft exports dipped between 5-13 per cent.
• The total exports, however, registered a 6.74 per cent growth, buttressed by gains in the UAE and Chinese markets.

Read the full report here.

Sticking point: Indian negotiators are in Washington this week, and Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal has assured that they are looking to finalise a win-win solution in the bilateral trade deal with the US. One of the sticking points in ongoing discussions has been India’s purchase of Russian oil (for which it attracted a 25 per cent penalty on top of the reciprocal charges). On Wednesday, Trump told reporters that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would stop buying oil from Russia. New Delhi has not confirmed this development.

A push: This round of negotiations comes at a time when both India and the US share concerns over China’s clampdown on the export of rare earth minerals. Experts believe that Washington has been forced to rethink its strategy with allies amid its trade war with Beijing, which could spur the India-US trade deal over the finish line.

What are rare earth minerals? Why are they such a big deal? Read Anil Sasi’s explainer.

🗳️ Decision 2025

Bihar polls are around the corner, and all may not be well in the NDA camp. Nitish Kumar’s confidante, Upendra Kushwaha, admitted as such, recalling the Chief Minister’s fury over some JD(U)’s stronghold seats being handed to the Chirag Paswan-led LJP (RV). Nitish’s distrust of Chirag may go back to the early 2000s, when differences between Nitish and Chirag’s father, Ram Vilas Paswan, emerged. Moreover, many in the JD(U) believe that Chirag was propped up by the BJP in 2020 to cut into the party’s votes. Read Santosh Singh’s fascinating analysis of the new, yet old, Nitish-Paswan rivalry.

However, in an interview with The Indian Express, JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha played down the tension. “I keep seeing news that Nitish is angry… A narrative has been built where no truth exists.”

Meanwhile, the final voters’ list published after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) indicates that the women-to-men voter ratio has fallen in Bihar for the first time in 15 years. There are now 892 women for every 1,000 men. Notably, women form a critical vote bank in the state. Here’s how parties view the gender ratio.

📰 From the Front Page

Unusual: In August, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the transfer of Madhya Pradesh High Court judge Justice Atul Sreedharan to the Chhattisgarh High Court. He has now been recommended for a transfer to the Allahabad High Court. While the Collegium has reconsidered its decisions in the past, this time it made an unusual admission, that it had changed its recommendation after the government “sought reconsideration”.

Case files: The mystery around the suicide cases of Haryana police officers has deepened. First, IGP Y Puran Kumar was found dead, having left behind a “final note” accusing senior officers of harassment and caste-based discrimination. Then, ASI Sandeep Kumar Lather allegedly died by suicide, leaving behind another final note, levelling serious allegations of corruption against Puran Kumar. Speaking to The Indian Express, Sandeep’s friends recount his final hours, and what he had told them about the IGP’s suicide case.

🎧 For more on the case, tune into today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode.

📌 Must Read

Clarification: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) introduced a host of changes to its withdrawal rules, which are expected to take effect in the next few months. However, it faced backlash over its decision to increase the minimum time period required to withdraw the final pension in case of unemployment from the existing two months to 12 months. The EPFO has issued a statement, clarifying the rules regarding premature final settlement. Read.

Solving crime: In April this year, Kruthika M Reddy, a 29-year-old dermatologist, was declared dead at a Bengaluru hospital. Her family and doctors assumed she died of natural causes as she was being treated for gastritis by her surgeon husband, Mahendra Reddy G S. However, Kruthika’s older sister sought more answers, prompting a post-mortem. Results proved her right. Traces of Propofol, an anaesthetic used in surgeries, were found in Kruthika’s organs. What happened to Kruthika? This is her story.

⏳ And Finally…

Girl boss, girl math, girl dinner — internet culture is obsessed with ‘the girl’, transforming her into a cultural archetype where perceived feminine traits turn into hashtags. But lately, the ‘girl’ trends have turned more toxic, with ‘women ☕’ becoming a way to criticise, and parodies of the “pick me” girl flooding the internet to shame young girls. At the same time, the manosphere is spreading its brand of misogyny into corners of the internet. As safe online spaces for women shrink, will private sanctuaries like the girl group chat remain the last solace? I leave you with the latest Fresh Take.

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta

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