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Journalism of Courage
Good morning,
I am not a morning person by any measure. I find comfort in nights. A part of it is fuelled by a child-like fascination for the stars, the moon and beyond. Many others like me have turned this intrigue into adventures. A cohort of youngsters is travelling across India in search of darker skies (least light polluted), which allow the naked eye to view the galaxy in all its glory. This growing trend of ‘star parties’, as they are called, has even fuelled tourism to Ladakh and the higher reaches of Uttarakhand.
On that note, let’s get to today’s edition.
Indian authorities are working hard to secure concessions on US reciprocal tariffs expected to come into effect on April 2. Formal talks on that front are expected to begin today, with officials drawing up the “terms of reference” based on inputs from all ministries.
Give and take: Ahead of the negotiations, Delhi has already signalled its willingness to ease tariffs on American goods. Reports suggest this may include 55 per cent of US imports, currently subject to 5 to 30 per cent duties. India also plans to do away with the “equalisation levy” on online advertisements, colloquially known as the ‘Google tax’.
Ray of hope: The good news is that the other side has also signalled an accommodating stance. On Monday, US President Donald Trump hinted that many countries may get a “break” from the reciprocal tariffs.
Red line: India, however, has a few red lines. For instance, the US may push for greater access to data amid India’s strict data localisation norms. Indian data must be stored locally and so far, authorities have resisted altering this stance. There is also concern over Trump’s latest threat—25 per cent additional taxes on India and China for importing Venezuelan oil. While the share of oil imports from Venezuela has dipped, heightened taxes may pose a challenge to India’s diversification strategy for crude oil.
The Election Commission (EC) has plans to link Aadhaar numbers with voter IDs to weed out duplicates. Can it be made mandatory for voters to share their Aadhaar details? Nope. The EC wants to stick to its stand in court, that this would be a “voluntary” exercise. But it may have found a workaround. While voters can decline to share their Aadhaar details, they may be required to appear in person before to Electoral Registration Officer to explain why.
Back in limelight: The discovery of wads of currency notes at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma has reignited debate over the scrapped National Judicial Appointments Commission Act (NJAC). On Tuesday, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar invited the floor leaders of all parties to discuss the matter. Some leaders felt it was to gauge the mood of the parties on NJAC, which was passed by Parliament in 2014 but struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015.
Also read: the police’s account of the events that transpired shortly after the blaze at Justice Varma’s house.
Talks on: Things are heating up in Tamil Nadu ahead of next year’s Assembly polls. Running out of viable alternatives, AIADMK may return to the NDA fold. Earlier, the AIADMK had aligned with the BJP in 2016 following its supremo J Jayalalithaa’s demise. However, the parties had a fallout in 2023.
Old template: Comedian Kunal Kamra isn’t the first one to use the ‘traitor’ jibe against Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde. But his recent stand-up act ignited a fierce reaction from Sena workers, who vandalised the show’s venue. My colleague Shubhangi Khapre reasons why the Sena resorted to its old-style aggressive street politics.
Redefining life: There is a common refrain that artificial intelligence (AI) will take away jobs. For Professor Shravan Hanasoge, this presents a moment to reflect: In a post-labour world, if people no longer need to work to live, what do they live for?
Glass courts at iconic venues, from the Pyramids of Giza to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, have pulled squash into the public eye. It has even secured a spot in the 2028 Olympics. The squash spectacle has now hit India, which is hosting its first-ever Professional Squash Association tournament this week. While the sport is having its moment in the sun, there are still challenges to its appeal.
Lastly, Jay Mazoomdaar joins the ‘3 Things’ podcast team to talk about his latest investigation into a shadowy syndicate of tiger poachers. Tune in!
That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta
