Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for May 13, 2025. If you missed the May 12, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here FRONT PAGE Terror & talks, trade can’t go together; water & blood can’t flow together: PM Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: • General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations • General Studies III: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security What’s the ongoing story: Underscoring that terror and trade could not go hand in hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that while the present age wasn’t one of war, it was also not one of terrorism. “Our greatest strength is our unity against all forms of terrorism. This is certainly not the era of war but this is also not the era of terrorism. Zero tolerance against terrorism is the guarantee for a better world.” Key Points to Ponder: • What are the key takeaways from PM Modi’s speech? • “This is certainly not the era of war but this is also not the era of terrorism”—Decode • Operation Sindoor—What you know so far? • In the context of diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan, what message did Prime Minister Modi convey when he said that "talks and terror cannot go together"? • How India's air defense systems performed well amid the recent escalation with Pakistan? Key Takeaways: Here are ten takeaways from Modi’s address: • Operation Sindoor not over— Calling Operation Sindoor "an unwavering commitment to justice," PM Modi said that by the time Pakistan's Director General of Military Affairs contacted its counterpart on May 10, Indian armed forces had destroyed the infrastructure of terrorism on a large scale, also eliminating terrorists in the process. • Nuclear blackmail won’t work—PM Modi also sought to clear the air on alleged attempts at nuclear sabre-rattling. Setting out India's response to terror going forward, Modi said India will give a befitting reply to terrorist act on "our terms". • 'Water and blood can't flow together'̦—The PM clearly laid out the fact that encouraging terrorism will destroy Pakistan one day and that if it wants to survive, Islamabad needs to destroy its terror infrastructure. • Global universities of terror' hit—India retaliated to the Pahalgam attack by hitting 9 terror sites in Pakistan and PoK. Modi said that when India's missiles and drones attacked terrorist bases in Pakistan, "not only the buildings of terrorist organisations but their courage also was shaken badly". • No difference between terrorists and their patrons—Spelling out India's new doctrine in dealing with terror, the PM said that India will not differentiate between the government sponsoring terrorism and the masterminds of terrorism. • Salute to armed forces, spy network, scientists—Starting his much-anticipated public address, the PM recalled the strength and patience of the country. On behalf of all Indians, Modi saluted the "valiant forces of India, the armed forces, our intelligence agencies, and our scientists". • Pahalgam attack attempt to break India's unity—Prime Minister Narendra Modi said terrorists showed the "very gruesome face of terror and cruelty" in Pahalgam, killing 26 people in front of their family and their children on the basis of their religion. • Cost of wiping Sindoor—Modi said the government gave full freedom to the Indian forces to wipe out the terrorists in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. "And today every terrorist, every terror organisation knows the consequence of wiping out the sindoor of our sisters and daughters." • Over 100 terrorists killed—The precision strikes of the Indian Armed Forces killed over 100 terrorists. • Necessary to use power when needed—Recalling that the "path of peace also goes through power," Modi said that for every Indian to be able to live in peace, and fulfill the dream of Viksit Bharat (developed India), it is very necessary for the country to be powerful. Do You Know: According to Neerja Chowdhury, • What worked was the evocatively named Operation Sindoor that captured both the national sentiment after the April 22 Pahalgam killings, as well as what the government intended its response to be. Unlike previous terrorist strikes in the recent past — on paramilitary forces and soldiers in Pulwama (2019) and Uri (2016), and Mumbai, the financial centre (2008) — the attack on tourists visiting the meadow of Baisaran in Pahalgam in south Kashmir, at one level, was an act aimed at women. • The terrorists made it a point to kill only men after ascertaining their religion. They shot them point blank in front of women and children, forever wiping their “sindoor”, the vermilion powder many Hindu women apply in their hair parting and which, for many, is more than a visual marker of their marital status. The sindoor is accepted all over India as the foundation of family life and holds deep cultural resonance. • The sindoor found a mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on Monday night, when he said that “every terrorist, every terror organisation knows the consequence of wiping out the sindoor of our sisters and daughters”. • As Operation Sindoor was initiated, the military, in a move of powerful symbolism, fielded two woman officers to brief the media: Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. This signalled the country’s multi-faith, pluralist credentials, contrary to what Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir spoke about in his April 16 speech: that it was not possible for Hindus and Muslims to co-exist. • Like the line of “sindoor”, the government has also drawn a new red line militarily, sending out the message that Pakistan would have a price to pay for terror attacks in the future and that the government would see them as an “act of war”. This is what ordinary Indians wanted — that an appropriate message be sent to Pakistan. Talk to ordinary people, and they do not want a prolonged war that would only lead to loss of lives and bring hardship on all. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍India, Pak DGMOs agree to reduce troops on borders 📍Address flags unity of nation, peace in strength and justice for women 📍Pak Air Force assets that India hit PM unveils new 3-point doctrine, frames it part of global war on terror Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: • General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations • General Studies III: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security What’s the ongoing story: WITH Uri and Balakot, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pushed at the frontiers of deterrence. After Operation Sindoor, the most intense military campaign since Kargil, he delineated India’s new doctrine against terrorism resting on three key elements: a response on India’s terms; no tolerance for terror that hides under “nuclear blackmail”; and no distinction between the terrorists, their leaders and a government that sponsors them. Key Points to Ponder: • India's new counter-terrorism doctrine—What you know about the same? • What is the primary focus of India's new counter-terrorism doctrine as announced by PM Modi? • India's counter-terrorism doctrine—Know its evolution • What is the significance of Operation Sindoor in India's counter-terrorism strategy? • How Operation Sindoor played a key role in shaping India's approach towards state-sponsored terrorism? • What was India’s Military Doctrine? How it is changed now? • What you know about ‘Act of War’? • What is India’s foreign policy now? • Do you think that India’s foreign policy has changed significantly, especially with India’s neighbour? • Article 51 of the Indian Constitution lays down some Directive Principles of State Policy on ‘Promotion of international peace and security’—How well did the Indian state live up to these principles? Key Takeaways: • Underlining that this is a “new normal”, this new policy is outlined to define Delhi’s approach that is qualitatively higher in aggression and also lowers the threshold for any future attacks. • “After the surgical strike and air strike, now Operation Sindoor is India’s policy against terrorism. Operation Sindoor has carved out a new benchmark in our fight against terrorism and has set up a new parameter and new normal.” • While India had given a “fitting reply” twice before — the surgical strike after Uri terror attack in September 2016 and the Balakot strike after the Pulwama terror attack in February 2019 — this is the first time, the Prime Minister has framed a response like the May 7 strikes on nine locations in response to April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. • This is also the first time Modi has called out Pakistan’s nuclear posturing evident in the way a meeting of the nuclear command authority was called and then cancelled. “India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail. India will strike precisely and decisively at the terrorist hideouts developing under the cover of nuclear blackmail,” he said. • “We will not differentiate between the government sponsoring terrorism and the masterminds of terrorism. During Operation Sindoor the world has again seen the ugly face of Pakistan, when top Pakistani army officers came to bid farewell to the slain terrorists. This is strong evidence of state-sponsored terrorism. We will continue to take decisive steps to protect India and our citizens from any threat,” he said, targeting the Pakistan’s establishment that has long used cross-border terrorism against India as an instrument of policy. This means that Pakistan military and government are not off-limits for any future retributive actions as well. Do You Know: • For Modi to name the terrorist headquarters of Jaish-e-Muhammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, is also something new, and he linked all of them to major terror attacks in the US and UK. This framed India’s war on terrorism as the latest in the global campaign that started with the one Americans and NATO forces had launched in Afghanistan after 9 • He flagged India’s capability and superiority in its offensive. “The world saw how Pakistan’s drones and missiles fell like straws…India’s strong air defence system destroyed them in the sky itself. Pakistan had prepared for an attack on the border, but India struck at the heart of Pakistan. India’s drones and missiles attacked with precision. They damaged those airbases of the Pakistani Air Forces, of which Pakistan was very proud.” • On the issue of who dialled the US with an SOS, he spelt out India’s objectives that were accomplished and India’s reason to pause military action for the moment. This is, in response to criticism, from some quarters from within his supporters on choosing to “prematurely” end the hostilities. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍PM unveils new doctrine, frames it part of global war on terror 📍The Jaishankar-Modi doctrine: Can India balance its foreign relations in a Cold War 2.0? First time, India names China as supplier of missiles used by Pak, shows remnants Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: • General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations • General Studies III: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security What’s the ongoing story: For the first time since it commenced Operation Sindoor and thwarted most of Pakistan’s aerial attacks, India Monday named China-supplied weapons in the Pakistani arsenal used against the Indian Armed Forces. Key Points to Ponder: • What is PL-15 long range missile? • Is China Pakistan's largest trading partner? • What is the military cooperation of Pakistan and China? • ‘The naming of China is a first in this round of India-Pakistan hostilities’—What does it mean? • What is the broader implication of China's military support to Pakistan as per India's recent disclosures? • How the use of foreign-supplied weaponry by Pakistan affects regional security and India's defense preparedness. • Know the role of indigenous defense systems like BrahMos and Akash in countering threats posed by foreign-supplied weapons. Key Takeaways: • Briefing the media, Air Marshal A K Bharti, Director General Air Operations, presented visual evidence of missile remnants. “You can see the pieces of it on the screen,” he said, showcasing debris of the PL-15 long range missile that fell inside Indian territory, including a relatively intact rear section recovered from Hoshiarpur, Punjab. • The Armed Forces intercepted and neutralised a range of high-tech foreign weapons used by Pakistan, including Chinese-origin PL-15 air-to-air missiles and Turkish Byker YIHA III Kamikaze drones. • The naming of China is a first in this round of India-Pakistan hostilities — all these years, New Delhi has closely tracked the expanding Sino-Pak military ties. • Sources said that China-Pakistan ties across domains — political, economic, nuclear and military — have been ongoing for decades, and Beijing has been supplying weapons to Rawalpindi. • The PL-15, developed by China’s Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC), is a long-range, radar-guided missile designed to engage high-value airborne targets at ranges exceeding 200 km. • The PL-15 is China’s standard active-radar-guided AAM, and it was intended to at least match the performance of the US-made AIM-120D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). • Its export version, the PL-15E, is reported to have a maximum range of 145 km and is integrated with Pakistan’s JF-17 Block III and J-10CE fighters. • The domestic version in use by the Chinese military has a reported range of between 300-500 km. Do You Know: • On April 26, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) released visuals of JF-17s armed with PL-15E and PL-10 missiles. Pakistan’s fleet includes an estimated 45-50 JF-17 Block IIIs and 20 J-10CEs — approximately 70 aircraft capable of deploying the PL-15E, according to Pakistan’s military. • The missile’s guidance system includes inertial navigation, Beidou satellite updates, a two-way datalink, and AESA radar terminal homing. • It features a dual-pulse solid rocket motor and can reach speeds exceeding Mach 5. The warhead, typically high-explosive fragmentation, weighs between 20 to 25 kg. The weapon may have been sourced directly from China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Both countries jointly manufacture the J-17 aircraft, the mainstay of the PAF. • The Indian military’s statement on the PL-15 is significant, coming two days after an understanding with Pakistan to stop all military actions. • For Delhi to single out Beijing sends a signal to the Chinese leadership on its role in the hostilities between India and Pakistan, at a time when China said it will play a constructive role to bring about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. • China and Pakistan had played a role in watering down the UN Security Council statement on the Pahalgam terror attack – it did not name The Resistance Front which had initially claimed responsibility for the terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Protracted conflict between India and Pakistan will mean tough choices for Russia and China Trump to reduce US drug price, Indian pharma braces for impact Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests. What’s the ongoing story: Global pharma companies could ramp up pressure on India to raise the prices of drugs in India and other developing markets, as US President Donald Trump’s new executive order is set to force companies to align US drug costs with cheapest ones abroad. Key Points to Ponder: • What exactly is US President Donald Trump’s new executive order regarding the pharma’s and drugs? • The Most favoured nation” (MFN) policy in Prescription drug and pharmaceutical—know in detail • What does Most Favoured Nation mean? • International trade experts said Trump’s executive order may offer immediate relief to American patients, but it is likely to trigger a global price recalibration—How? • What is the status of India’s generic drug industry? • What is the Priority Watch List watch list? • How Trump’s executive order can have significant bearing on drug manufacturing in India? Key Takeaways: • Trump said he would introduce a “most favoured nation” (MFN) policy whereby the US pays “the same price as the nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the World”. • “Prescription drug and pharmaceutical prices will be reduced, almost immediately, by 30 per cent to 80 per cent. Prices will rise throughout the world in order to equalise and, for the first time in many years, bring fairness to America. I will be instituting a Most Favoured Nation’s policy, whereby the United States will pay the same price as the nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the world,” Trump said in a social media post. • “For many years, the world has wondered why prescription drugs and pharmaceuticals in the United States are so much higher in price than in any other nation—sometimes being five to ten times more expensive than the same drug, manufactured in the exact same laboratory or plant, by the same company,” Trump said. • International trade experts said Trump’s executive order may offer immediate relief to American patients, but it is likely to trigger a global price recalibration—with pharmaceutical giants intensifying pressure on lower-cost markets like India to raise their prices as the low cost markets would determine prices in the lucrative US market. Do You Know: • India’s generic drug industry, which is not only a source of low-cost medicines in India but also in the US and UK, has long been a bone of contention for large pharma companies in developed countries. These companies argue that weak intellectual property rights in India leave them uncompetitive. Trump’s executive order follows the US placing the Indian patent regime on its “Priority Watch List” for intellectual property rights (IPR), which has a significant bearing on drug manufacturing. • Head of think tank Global Trade and Research Initiative (GTRI), Ajay Srivastava, said that Trump’s MFN pricing policy should be a wake-up call, as pharmaceutical companies facing tighter price controls in the West will be forced to redouble their efforts to raise prices in markets like India. • India’s pharmaceutical laws fully comply with the WTO’s Agreement on TRIPS. However, India has long resisted pressure to adopt “TRIPS-plus” provisions—additional patent protections often pushed by developed countries through Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). These include data exclusivity, automatic patent term extensions, patent linkage, broader patentability criteria, and evergreening practices, Srivastava said. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍This Word Means: Most Favoured Nation Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 1. Which of the following are the reasons for the occurrence of multi-drug resistance in microbial pathogens in India? (2019) 1. Genetic predisposition of some people 2. Taking incorrect doses of antibiotics to cure diseases 3. Using antibiotics in livestock farming 4. Multiple chronic diseases in some people Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 4 THE EDITORIAL PAGE Three’s a crowd Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations What’s the ongoing story: Sumit Ganguly Writes: Even though there are press reports that it has been violated, there is, at least in principle, a ceasefire in place between India and Pakistan. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the definition of ceasefire? • The 2025 India-Pakistan ceasefire—what you know about the same? • Why the 2025 India-Pakistan ceasefire being described as "fragile."? • What factors contribute to the fragility of the 2025 India-Pakistan ceasefire? • Examine the domestic political reactions within India to the 2025 ceasefire agreement. • What are the potential long-term impacts of the 2025 ceasefire on India-Pakistan relations, especially concerning the Kashmir issue? Key Takeaways: • President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States played a critical role in brokering the ceasefire and that Vice-President J D Vance and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had spoken at length with their Indian interlocutors, thereby helping to bring about the ceasefire. • Despite Rubio’s call for an India-Pakistan meeting at a neutral venue to start “constructive talks” that the United States was willing to facilitate, it is certain that India will not agree to any such arrangement where the US acts as mediator. This proposal, bluntly stated, is dead on arrival and reflects the lack of any appreciation on the part of the Trump administration about India’s unyielding stance on the matter. • The reasons for India’s unwillingness to accept any external intercession are complex. It stems from India’s experience with both multilateral and third-party interventions to resolve the Kashmir dispute. • Most Indians who pay the slightest heed to international affairs and more specifically the Kashmir dispute, are aware of the partisan role that the US played at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the wake of the first Kashmir war (1947-48). The United Kingdom had seized the opportunity to inveigle the US into adopting a pro-Pakistan stance at the UNSC. • The Harry Truman administration, which was neither especially interested nor particularly well-informed of post-Partition politics of the Subcontinent, had allowed the former colonial power to shape the terms of the debate at the UNSC. • India, which had somewhat naively agreed to refer the dispute to the United Nations on the advice of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last viceroy, quickly discovered that its legalistic arguments about a breach of international peace and security carried little weight. All Indian diplomacy could do was to stall the process until the United Nations lost interest in the subject in the early 1960s. Do You Know: • A ceasefire is an agreement between nations involved in a conflict that seeks to regulate the termination of all military activity “for a given length of time in a given area”, as defined by the book The Practical Guide to Humanitarian Law, by Françoise Bouchet-Saulnier. A ceasefire does not represent an end to hostilities. It represents a truce, that is, “a temporary suspension of hostilities,” in both international as well as non-international armed conflicts. They also “do not reflect a juridical end to the state of war,” as stated in the document. • A ceasefire in itself or a breach of a ceasefire does not have any legal consequences as the agreements are seen as a first step between conflict and peace. In times of conflict, humanitarian law remains concerned, mostly, with regulation of the “use of violence and the protection of civilians.” • The remedies for a breach of a ceasefire are detailed in the Regulations Respecting the Law and Customs of War on Land, also called the Hague Regulations, that were formulated in 1910. • According to the encyclopedia entry under the Oxford Public International Law, Article 36 of the Hague Regulations says that if an armistice or a ceasefire does not define its duration, then “the belligerent parties may resume operations at any time, provided that the enemy is warned within the time agreed upon.” Moreover, a serious breach of a truce by one of the involved parties gives the other a right to denounce it, and in urgent cases, to recommence hostilities immediately, the entry stated quoting Article 40 of the Regulations. • A violation of the ceasefire terms by “private persons acting on their own initiative” authorises the “injured party to demand the punishment of the offenders or, if necessary, compensation for the losses sustained,” Article 41 states. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍India-Pakistan ceasefire declaration: What exactly is a ‘ceasefire’ THE WORLD Kurdish militant group disbands, ending Turkey’s 40-yr insurgency Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests What’s the ongoing story: The PKK has said it will disband and stop its armed operations after more than 40 years of conflict. The announcement came on Monday after a congress was held in northern Iraq. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)? • Discuss the historical evolution of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from its inception to its disbandment in 2025. • Evaluate the impact of the PKK's disbandment on Turkey's internal security. • Discuss the role of international actors, including the United States and NATO, in facilitating or responding to the PKK's decision to disarm. • Who are Kurds? • Map Work-Kurdistan Key Takeaways: • “The PKK 12th Congress decided to dissolve the PKK’s organisational structure and end the armed struggle,” the group said in a statement reported by Firat News Agency, which is close to the PKK. A senior PKK official confirmed to the Reuters that fighting would stop “immediately.” However, they added that handing over weapons would depend on how the Turkish government handles issues like Kurdish rights and the future of PKK members. • The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is a Kurdish group that began an armed conflict with the Turkish government in 1984. It first aimed to form a separate Kurdish state, but later started asking for more rights and autonomy for Kurds in Turkey. The group is based in northern Iraq and is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. • The group’s jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, will guide the process, according to the statement. Ocalan has been in prison since 1999. He had called for the group to dissolve earlier this year. • It is unclear whether Turkey accepts Ocalan’s continued role in the peace process. The government has not shared details on how disarmament will take place. • Kurds make up around 20% of Turkey’s 86 million people. Much of the conflict has taken place in the country’s southeast, where the economy has also been affected by the fighting. Do You Know: • The Kurds are a major ethnic group who live in the mountainous geo-cultural region known as Kurdistan, which extends from south-eastern Turkey in the west to north-western Iran in the east, and from northern Iraq and northern Syria in the south to Armenia in the north. Sizable populations of Kurds live in the highlands of southern and eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, north-eastern Syria, north-western Iran, and in parts of south Armenia. But the Kurdish people are a minority in the populations of each of these countries taken as a whole. Small communities of Kurds live in Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, and eastern Iran as well. • While the Kurds are an ancient people — Kurdish nationalists claim a history that goes back 2,500 years — they became identifiable as a distinct community in the 7th century, when most tribes in the area adopted Islam. The majority today are Sunni Muslim, with a minority following Sufism and other mystical practices. • The Kurds speak a language that is related to Persian and Pashto, although local dialects differ. Kurmanji, which most Kurds in Turkey speak, uses the Latin script; the other widely spoken Kurdish dialect, Sorani, is written in the Arabic script. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: Who are the Kurds, and why is Turkey attacking them in Syria Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 2. Yom Kippur War was fought between which sides/ countries? (2008) (a) Turkey and Greece (b) Serbs and Croats (c) Israel, and Arab countries led by Egypt and Syria (d) Iran and Iraq EXPLAINED Why US & China have agreed to temporarily slash tariffs Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. What’s the ongoing story: After two days of high-level negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, the United States and China on Monday announced a 90-day pause in their trade war, suspending the high tariffs and non-tariff barriers that the two countries had put in place after April 2. Key Points to Ponder: • US-China tariff war—what you know so far? • What were the tariffs until now? • What is the situation now? • Why were tariffs placed in the first place? • Why has there been a truce? • Which country won the tariff war? • ‘The recent tariff hikes by the US on China reflect a continuation of protectionist trade policies’—Explain • Know the implications of such measures on the global trading system and India’s export sector. Key Takeaways: • In a joint statement, the US and China said they were committed to establishing “a mechanism to continue discussions about economic and trade relations”. • Since February 1, US President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on China for a variety of reasons. The first lot of tariffs was for the sale of fentanyl, an opioid that is responsible for thousands of deaths due to overdose in the US. On April 2, which Trump designated as “Liberation Day”, Washington imposed an additional 34% tariffs on China. • China responded with its own counter-tariffs, unlike most other countries. By April 10, the tariffs had reached a prohibitive level. The US had imposed 145% tariffs on China, and China had responded with 125% tariffs on US imports. At this 145% rate, the price of an $100-worth imported Chinese good in the US would rise to an eye-watering $245. • In addition to tariffs, China also imposed some non-tariff barriers on the US, such as export restrictions on rare earth minerals, and restrictions/investigations against multiple US companies. • After the truce, the base tariff rates have fallen to 10% for both countries. However, the US continues to levy a 20% tariff on account of fentanyl smuggling. Do You Know: • China has also suspended the non-tariff barriers it installed after April 2. • Explaining the rationale behind the tariffs, the US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer yet again pointed to the $1.2 trillion trade deficit on goods that the US had with the rest of the world. This essentially means that US consumers import goods worth $1.2 trillion more than what the consumers in the rest of the world import from the US. • The Trump administration sees a trade deficit negatively, saying it is proof of the fact that the rest of the world is “ripping off” the US. That is because, as Greer argues, while the US opens its markets to the rest of the world, other countries protect their companies, and subsidise them to take over the US market. • Greer said the trade deficit had ballooned more than 40% since the end of President Trump’s first term in 2020. He also underscored that merely talking and requesting other countries to open their markets had not helped over the decades, and that imposing high tariffs was the most logical way forward. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍US, China reach deal to temporarily slash tariffs; hit pause for 90 days PRELIMS ANSWER KEY 1.(b) 2.(c) For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
