Trump has dashed India's hopes of using trade talks as a means to circumvent the tariff imbroglio. But all is not lost! India is exploring ways and means to navigate the new situation keeping domestic priorities as the benchmark, not retaliation.

WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI, Aug 8: Dealing another harsh, lightning blow to Indo-US trade, President Donald Trump has brought the ongoing trade talks under the scope of sanctions—effectively demolishing what India had been pinning its hopes on. He ruled out any further negotiations with India until the ongoing tariff dispute is resolved, dashing India's hope of a reprieve.

While everyone hoped that the August 27 red line for the penal tariff of 25% (called secondary sanction) imposed only on India on Wednesday to take effect (The revised first phase of tariff rates for all 70 countries took effect on Thursday) would provide reasonable window to complete the ongoing trade negotiations which in turn would ultimately resolve the tariff imbroglio itself, Trump on Thursday ruled out any further trade negotiations with India until the tariff dispute is resolved. He said: “No, not until we get it resolved.” That was closing the door on India.

(Meanwhile, it was reported India has frozen defence and aircraft purchases from the US and deepened economic ties with Russia, indicating that India is taking an uncompromising stand. But the Government denied the report.)

The 25% penalty was for India’s continued purchase of Russian oil against the sanctions. India had hoped that ongoing trade talks might offer a diplomatic way out of the tariff standoff.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump responded bluntly to a reporter’s question about the future of trade talks: “No, not until we get it resolved.” His statement came just hours after signing an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports, citing India’s continued purchase of Russian oil as a national security threat.

This penalty levy, combined with the previously announced 25% tariff, brings the total duty on Indian goods entering the US to a staggering 50%. The first tranche took effect (fo all) on August 7, while the Russia-related penalty (exclusively for India!), will kick in on August 27.

The White House justified the move by accusing India of indirectly funding Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, they are then selling it on the open market for big profits,” Trump wrote earlier on social media. “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine."

India has pushed back (on the non-sanction tariff) strongly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the MS Swaminathan Centenary International Conference, declared: “India will never compromise on the interests of farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers. I know we will have to pay a heavy price for it, and I am ready for it. India is ready for it.”

The Ministry of External Affairs echoed Modi’s stance, calling the tariffs “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” and emphasized that energy imports are driven by market needs and national energy security.

Trade negotiations

Until recently, India and the US had completed five rounds of trade negotiations, with a sixth round scheduled for August 25 in New Delhi. However, Trump’s latest move casts serious doubt on whether that meeting will proceed as planned. Sticking points over agriculture and dairy products on which India refuses to compromise, have been stalling progress.

Meanwhile, Moody’s has cautioned that India’s GDP growth could slow by 30 basis points when the full 50% tariff regime is implemented. It aso said that resilient domestic demand may absorb much of the shock.

The all-round impact scenario

The US is the largest importer of India's textile and apparel industry. That amounted to 28 per cent of total textiles and apparel exports valued at $36.61 billion in last fiscal.

Trump's 50 per cent tariff on imports from India should in fact aid India's self-reliance ambitions.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports drawing a scary picture of the post-tariff US speak of higher import taxes on dozens of countries that began Thursday night beginning to cause visible damage to the American economy.

But the Trump administration, like India, thinks it can circumvent the ramifications by infusing new investments to boost up manufacturing power.

The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.

Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.

• The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line provides Kashmir with all-weather connectivity and integrates the Valley with the rest of India.
• The saying 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' is now a dream come true.
• The Chenab bridge on the line, an engineering marvel, is the world's highest railway bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower. (Video: File)

A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924) (Today's headlines )

Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”

Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.

PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.

Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people. (Today's headlines )

"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...

Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.

Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.

As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.

The committee headed by justice Kurian Joseph will study Centre-State relations and make proposals to ensure foolproof separation of powers.

"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.

Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.

ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!

What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America! (Today's headlines )

PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).

In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.

THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.

The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.

Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See: New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)

ANALYSIS: "The standard operating procedure for deportations by aircraft used by ICE that is effective from 2012 provides for the use of restraints," says the Government. That means, it is taken for granted the US will set the standard for deportations. For another, the Government is more interested in comparing with what happened in 2012 under a different Government to justify its own compliance! No surprise, others are trampling upon us. (How we conduct ourselves inside decides, inherently, how we are treated outside) Thirdly, the Government blamed the gangs doing the business of human trafficking for the illegal migration. For all the crimes taking place in the country, let us blame the criminals! Funny! We will never move an inch forward! The mindset defines what we are.

Meanwhile, a UN-returned Congress leader Shashi Tharoor sounded like a layman when he said, "If they are citizens of India we have an obligation to take them back." Who said 'No'?. He should know that is not the issue now. Who will identify an undocumented person, and how?

The function was held indoors from 12 pm (10:30 pm IST) at the rotunda of the US Capitol building because of unusually intense cold and snow. Delivering his inaugural address, Trump remarked, “The golden age of America begins right now," and just hours later signed a slew of executive orders to redeem the election pledges.