National

India Has Not Yet Encountered Reciprocal Tariffs from the US, States Government

Published

1 year ago

March 21, 2025

On Friday, the Union Government clarified that while the United States has introduced additional tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from all nations without exceptions, India is currently not subject to any specific or reciprocal tariffs.

In a written response to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada, mentioned that the government is actively assessing the implications of these imposed duties, which mark an increase from previous tariffs.

“The United States released a Memorandum on Reciprocal Trade and Tariffs on February 13, 2025, instructing the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to evaluate potential damages caused by non-reciprocal trade agreements adopted by its trading partners. They are expected to present a report with thorough proposed solutions, which could lead to potential actions under US law,” Prasada explained.

He emphasized that, as of now, there are no country-specific or reciprocal tariffs on India. Nonetheless, additional tariffs on steel and aluminium affect all countries without any exemptions. “The consequences of these heightened duties are being closely monitored, especially since prior exemptions granted to certain major exporting countries are now ineffective,” he added.

Notably, the Indian government continues to engage with the US to foster and enhance bilateral trade. Prasada highlighted that both countries aim to more than double trade to $500 billion by 2030 as part of the “Mission 500” initiative, which seeks to lower tariff and non-tariff barriers, boost market access, and improve supply chain integration.

This development follows former President Donald Trump’s consistent critiques of India’s tariff policies. Trump has previously described India as one of the highest tariff-imposing countries, cautioning that reciprocal tariffs may be instituted starting April 2.

In a recent interview with US-based Breitbart News, Trump stated: “I have a very good relationship with India, but my only concern is that they are one of the highest tariff-imposing nations in the world. I believe they will probably lower those tariffs significantly, but starting April 2, we will be charging them the same tariffs they impose on us.”

National

Delhi Techie Found Dead During Honeymoon Trip

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

Namma Kudla

National: A 27-year-old IT professional from Delhi was found dead at a homestay in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. The woman, P Radha Gayatri, had gone on a honeymoon trip with her husband.

According to police, the couple checked into a homestay on June 14. Her husband said they had consumed alcohol and went to sleep late at night.

The next morning, he found Gayatri unconscious on the floor. Police said she was lying in a pool of urine, and blood was coming from her nose. She was declared dead at the scene.

The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Police are investigating the case and waiting for the autopsy report to determine the cause of death.

National

Pakistan Ranked World’s Most Polluted Country in 2025

Published

5 days ago

June 13, 2026

Namma Kudla

Islamabad: Pakistan has been ranked as the most polluted country in the world in 2025, according to a new report released by Swiss air quality monitoring company IQ Air.

The report found that Pakistan’s average PM2.5 pollution level was 13 times higher than the safe limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). PM2.5 refers to tiny harmful particles in the air that can enter the lungs and cause serious health problems.

IQ Air said that only 13 countries and territories met the WHO air quality guideline of less than 5 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air in 2025. This was an improvement from seven countries in 2024.

The report also revealed that 130 out of 143 monitored countries and territories failed to meet the WHO standard.

Bangladesh was ranked as the second most polluted country, while Tajikistan secured the third position. Chad, which was the most polluted country in 2024, ranked fourth in 2025.

Experts said that Chad’s lower ranking may be linked to missing pollution data. In March 2025, the United States ended a global air quality monitoring program due to budget cuts. The program had collected pollution data from US embassies and consulates around the world.

Christi Chester Schroeder, the lead author of the report, said that the loss of data makes it difficult to know the true pollution levels in some countries.

Because of data shortages, Burundi, Turkmenistan and Togo were not included in the 2025 report.

The report also identified Loni in India as the world’s most polluted city. The city recorded an average PM2.5 level of 112.5 micrograms per cubic meter. Hotan in China ranked second with 109.6 micrograms.

According to the report, the 25 most polluted cities in the world were all located in India, Pakistan and China.

Only 14 percent of cities worldwide met the WHO air quality standard in 2025. This was lower than the 17 percent recorded in the previous year.

The report noted that large wildfires in Canada increased air pollution levels across the United States and even affected parts of Europe.

Countries that met the WHO air quality guideline in 2025 included Australia, Iceland, Estonia and Panama.

Meanwhile, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia reported significant improvements in air quality. Experts said wetter and windier La Niña weather conditions helped reduce pollution levels in these countries.

Mongolia also recorded a 31 percent drop in average PM2.5 levels during the year.

Overall, 75 countries reported lower pollution levels in 2025, while 54 countries experienced an increase in air pollution, according to the IQ Air report

National

Indian Air Force AN-32 Transport Aircraft Crashes

Published

5 days ago

June 13, 2026

Namma Kudla

Dispur: An Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport aircraft crashed at the Air Force Station in Jorhat, Assam, on Saturday. The aircraft caught fire after the crash.

According to reports, the AN-32 aircraft went down within the premises of the air base. A fire broke out immediately after the accident.

Rescue and firefighting teams rushed to the spot and launched an operation to control the flames. The fire was brought under control after their prompt response.

The exact cause of the crash is not known yet. Authorities are investigating the incident.

So far, there have been no reports of any deaths or injuries. The Indian Air Force has confirmed the accident and said that more details will be shared after a complete assessment of the situation.

Further information is awaited.