Thursday, April 3, 2025 | 30 Pages | `5 & for State (+4 pages) `6 only Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Vol. 68 No. 154 | Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (July to December 2024) GAMES NATION Delhi government tightens pollution control measures; announces EV push LSG mentor Zaheer Khan has criticised the Lucknow pitch for lacking home advantage Cinema Kalki Koechlin talks summer fashion at LFW Edit Seventy Five years of bonhomie? AMERICA FIRST | 26% ‘discounted’ tariff on India; jobs and factories will come roaring back, usher in a golden age, says the President Trump liberates US, but world in chains FPJ News Service China 34%, EU 20% Japan 24%, South Korea 25%, Switzerland 31%, UK 10%, Taiwan 32% Malaysia 24%, Brazil 10%, Indonesia 32%, Vietnam 46%, Singapore 10%, Ukraine 10%, Venezuela 15% and Pakistan 58% WASHINGTON After weeks of hype and hoopla across the globe, US President Donald on Wednesday announced a flood of selfdescribed and country-specific reciprocal tariffs. The US will charge India 26% in ‘discounted’ reciprocal tariffs. Trump said new tariffs are a “declaration of economic independence”. Trump said “it’s one of the most important days” in American history as he is expected to sign an order instituting reciprocal tariffs on various countries. “It’s our declaration of economic independence,” Trump said at a Rose Garden event announcing the new measures. The president said the United States would use the money generated from tariffs to “reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt.” “Tariffs have been used by many countries for centuries, but they can act as a doubleedged sword. While they can help boost domestic industries, consumers can end up paying higher prices as a result. Trump confirmed his administration will impose 25% tariffs on auto imports starting Thursday at midnight. Trump, in his Rose Garden speech, said, “None of our companies are allowed to go into other countries.”“That’s why, effective at midnight, we will impose a 25% tariff on all foreign-made automobiles,” he said.Trump says “jobs and factories will come roaring back” and that the reciprocal tariffs will usher in a “golden age” for the country. “We will supercharge our domestic industrial base, we will pry open foreign markets and break down foreign trade barriers and ultimately more production at home will mean stronger competition and lower prices for consumers,” he said from the Rose Garden. Trump is promising what he calls “the Golden Age of America,” which he believes will see more jobs and domestic production ushering in a new age of domestic prosperity. “We will supercharge our domestic industrial base, we will open foreign markets and break down foreign trade barriers,” Trump said from the Rose Garden. “And ultimately more production at home will mean stronger competition and lower prices for consumers.. ... We’re gonna come back very strongly.” Trump said tariffs will not be ‘full reciprocal’ given non-monetary barriers. Trump said of his reciprocal tariff plan, “We will charge them approximately half of what they are and have been charging us.” “So, the tariffs will be not a full reciprocal,” he said.But that halved figure includes “the combined rate of all their tariffs, non-monetary barriers and other forms of cheating,” he said. The Trump’s “America First” slogan triggered a man-made tsunami of trade tariffs, hitting millions of people in his country and across the globe. Though the full and actual extent of global and country-specific deficit, damage and consumer pains are still emerging, trillions and trillions of trade deals have been cancelled and in-principle pacts annulled. “The possibility of current US trade partners from India and China looking to diversify their business and investment plans away from the US cannot be ruled out. Trump’s tariff threat has been a creating trade uncertainties since November. Trump had said,” many countries are ripping us off’. 4Contd on | nation Court upholds Patkar’s conviction FPJ News Service MUMBAI JAGUAR CRASHES A Jaguar fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed in Gujarat's Jamnagar on Wednesday evening. After the crash, a large cloud of smoke engulfed the entire area. In a video of the incident that surfaced online, several burning pieces and debris of the plane could be seen scattered on the ground. After the incident, locals gathered at the site and the pilot, who was injured, could be seen lying on the ground. The cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained. A Delhi court on Wednesday dismissed activist Medha Patkar’s appeal against her conviction in a defamation case filed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, bringing closure to a legal battle that began in 2000. Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh upheld a magisterial court’s 2023 verdict, stating Patkar was “rightly convicted” for publishing a “factually false and defamatory” press note against Saxena, then an NGO head in Gujarat, during a heated dispute over the Sardar Sarovar Dam project. The case dates back to No- Tesla shares climbed 5% on Wednesday after Politico reported that Elon Musk could soon step down from his position at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), allowing him to refocus on the struggling EV maker. The White House swiftly dismissed the report as “garbage.” Taking to X on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said "Elon Musk and President Trump have both publicly stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete," Earlier in the session, Tesla stock had plunged as much as 6.4% following weaker-thanexpected first-quarter vehicle deliveries. According to Politico, which cited sources close to Donald Trump, the former president remains pleased with Musk and the budget cuts enacted at DOGE. 4Contd on | nation Curbs on entry, stay, exit of foreigners FPJ News Service MUMBAI Tailpiece MUSK TO LEAVE DOGE? vember 24, 2000, when the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), led by Patkar, issued a press release accusing Saxena of financial misconduct, labe- ling him a “coward,” and alleging he “mortgaged Gujarat’s resources to foreign interests.” The note, published on NBA’s website narmada.org and later translated by  rediff.com, claimed Saxena donated a cheque to an NBA-linked group while opposing the dam—a claim the court later debunked as fabricated. In a scathing order, Judge Singh dismissed Patkar’s defense that the press note was an NBA collective effort and Parliament has approved the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, aimed at tightening immigration controls and regulating the entry, stay, and exit of foreigners. The Rajya Sabha passed the bill by voice vote on Wednesday, following its approval in the Lok Sabha on March 27. Opposition-proposed amendments were rejected. A key provision of the bill stipulates that individuals using forged passports or visas to enter, stay in, or exit India face up to seven years in prison and fines up to Rs10 lakh. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai defended the legislation, accusing the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of enabling il- legal immigration by facilitating voter registration and ration card access for undocumented migrants. This led to a walkout by opposition MPs. The bill mandates stringent tracking of foreigners, requiring hotels, universities, hospitals, and other institutions to report their presence. Rai emphasized that the bill was drafted after a three-year study and aims to elevate India's education system and economy to global standards. He also clarified that an Immigration Bureau will serve as the central agency for immigration matters, in line with international practices. Welcoming foreign students and researchers, Rai stressed the need to monitor individuals involved in anti-national activities. 4Contd on | nation Owaisi tears the bill AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP A Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday held a symbolic protest against the Waqf Bill, citing the example of Mahatma Gandhi. Participating in the debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, Owaisi cited the example of Mahatma Gandhi while he was in South Africa. "If you read history, you would see that he (Mahatma Gandhi) said about the laws of white South Africa, 'My conscience doesn't accept this,' and he tore it up. Like Gandhi, I am also tearing up this law. This is unconstitutional." LATE-NIGHT WAQF BILL VOTING Qubool hai: Lok Sabha Waqf property history started with two villages at the end of the 12th century and has now grown to 39 lakh acres. The combined land under Waqf boards in India has more than doubled in the last 12 years Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar AMIT SHAH NEW DELHI Minister of Home Affairs The Lok Sabha early on Thursday passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after over a 12-hour debate, which saw the ruling NDA strongly defending the legislation as beneficial for minorities, while the opposition describing it as “anti-Muslim”. The Bill was passed after all amendments moved by the opposition members were rejected by voice votes. It was passed after division of votes — 288 in favour and 232 against. In his reply to the debate, Union Minorities Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said there is no place in the world safer than India for minorities and they are safe because the majority is entirely secular. He said even minuscule minority communities like the Parsis are safe in India and all minorities here live with pride. “Some members have said that minorities are not safe in India. This statement is completely false. There is no place safer than India for minorities. I am also a minority and we all are living here without any fear and with pride,” he said after the debate on the Bill. Earlier on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha witnessed a charged debate over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, with ruling Bharatiya Janata Party FACTOID: The amount of land with the Waqf Boards in India would place it above 30 sovereign nations. “The law must serve justice, not vested interests” says Amit Shah. Accusations of fear-mongering and rights violations dominate debate (BJP) and opposition parties clashing over allegations of minority rights violations, historical mismanagement, and procedural irregularities. Introduced by Rijiju, the bill seeks to overhaul the governance of Islamic charitable endowments (Waqf properties), sparking sharp exchanges that underscored deeper tensions over religious autonomy, land rights, and federalism. Union Home Minister Amit Shah led the government’s defense, categorically asserting 4Contd on | nation PARLIAMENT ‘ESCAPED’ Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed that the Congress had made "questionable" changes to Waqf laws when in power, including the de-notification of "123 major buildings... given to the Waqf". The Congressled UPA government, he said, would have given the Parliament to the Waqf if not stopped. GURDWARA ‘WAQF’ TAG Temples and gurdwaras had been claimed as Waqf land despite no records of mosques in those areas. "Surendereshwar Temple in Tamil Nadu was declared Waqf... in Karnataka, thousands of acres of land... in Haryana, a Sikh gurudwara was also declared Waqf..." AFTER RLYS & DEFENCE Waqf boards control the third largest pool of properties in the country, after the Railways and Defence, but those belong to the nation. Waqf properties are private..." HC imposes Micro zoning for `25k cost on Ready Reckoner Anil Ambani Urvi Mahajani MUMBAI rates in Mumbai Kalpesh Mhamunkar The Bombay High Court has imposed a cost of Rs25,000 on industrialist Anil Ambani for seeking urgent hearing of his petition challenging a notice issued to him in April 2022 by the Income Tax department. A division bench of Justices MS Sonak and Jitendra Jain, on March 27, remarked that the facility to seek urgent hearing cannot be invoked by creating such artificial urgency. It added that the challenge was only to a show cause notice.  “This facility for urgent circulation cannot be invoked by creating such artificial urgency. Besides, the challenge is only to a show cause notice. The petitioner has moved the Court at the fag end, when the assessment is likely to be time-barred by 31 March 2025,” the bench remarked. The bench rejected Ambani’s application seeking urgent hearing of the petition and imposed a cost of 4Contd on | nation MUMBAI The Maharashtra government plans to introduce micro zoning to determine ready reckoner rates in Mumbai, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has announced. A meeting with all Mumbai MLAs has been scheduled for April 16 to draft a preliminary framework. With multiple redevelopment projects underway, concerns have risen over the uniform application of ready reckoner rates across all structures—including slums and chawls—despite their stark differences from high-rise buildings. To address this disparity, the government aims to implement micro zoning for fairer valuations. During the state legislature’s budget session, legislators Anil Parab, Sachin Ahir, and Pravin Darekar raised concerns about the current system. Minister Bawankule acknowledged that certain areas in Mumbai have been subjected to disproportionately high ready reckoner rates, which require revision based on city surveys. He emphasised that a one-size-fits-all approach is impractical and announced plans to use Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to set more appropriate rates, starting with Mumbai before expanding to the rest of the state. Currently, under MPD Act 34, excessive rates can be reduced by up to 40%, fixing them at 60% of the original amount. However, many legislators argue that even this adjustment remains unreasonably high. To ensure transparency and consensus, Bawankule assured that the April 16 meeting with Mumbai MLAs will finalize the micro zoning framework, paving the way for a more equitable system. In Mumbai, micro-zoning—a system that breaks down areas into smaller, more specific zones—plays a crucial role in determining Ready Reckoner Rates (RRR), the minimum property values used for stamp duty and other tax calculations. 4Contd on | nation offgrid This economist is breaking barriers at RBI KAMRA SATIRE IS FPJ News Service MUMBAI The appointment of Poonam Gupta as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) marks a significant shift in the institution’s leadership dynamics. A noted economist with an extensive career spanning the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and India’s leading policy think tanks, Gupta is the first woman to hold this position, breaking a long- standing glass ceiling at the central bank. Gupta steps into this critical role at a time when India’s economy faces multiple challenges. Growth has slowed to four-year lows, hovering around 6.5% for the fiscal year ending March 31, despite initial projections of 6.4%. Inflation remains a persistent concern, with the RBI navigating the delicate balance between monetary tightening and economic expansion. As Deputy Governor, Gupta will likely play a pivotal role in shaping India’s monetary policy framework, bringing her expertise in international finance and macroeconomic stability to bear on pressing domestic concerns. Her predecessor, Michael D. Patra, a career central banker, was deeply involved in monetary policy, financial market operations, and economic research. Gupta, in contrast, comes from outside the RBI’s traditional bureaucratic ecosystem, offering fresh perspectives on policy formulation. She is expected to take over the monetary policy portfolio, a crucial assignment given the upcoming rate decisions. The central bank is widely ex- pected to cut interest rates at its April 9 meeting, marking the shortest easing cycle on record, a shift that Gupta had previously critiqued in her writings. Gupta’s policy views suggest she will advocate for a recalibrated approach to inflation targeting. She has argued that the RBI’s inflation forecasts have often been off the mark, and monetary policy transmission remains weak. 4Contd on | nation UNDER EOW LENS Poonam Apraj MUMBAI Mumbai’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has become involved in the controversy surrounding comedian Kunal Kamra’s indirect jibes at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction has filed a written complaint with the EOW, demanding an investigation into the funding of Kamra’s show held in Khar. According to EOW sources, the complaint was submitted on Wednesday, alleging that Kamra may have been financially backed to defame Eknath Shinde. However, the EOW has not yet initiated an official inquiry into the matter. Meanwhile, Kunal Kamra has apologised to audience members who were summoned by the Mumbai Police for questioning regarding the show. Taking to X, 4Contd on | nation