On that note, let’s get to today’s edition. Our offices were shut in some cities yesterday. If you haven’t received a copy of the newspaper today, don’t worry; we got you!

Big Story

US President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff threats have India playing defence. On Thursday, the Indian government urged industry leaders to identify where American products could replace those from China and other countries.

Adapt: This comes as the latest bid by the government to stave off a full-blown trade war with the US. It has already lowered import duties on several American goods. Trade deals with the US, the UK and Europe are also in the works. Sectors like textiles and gems are open to adjusting tariffs to maintain market access. Meanwhile, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector is already feeling the pinch of Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminium which took effect this week.

Bright spot: As Trump’s tariffs hit suppliers in China, Mexico, and Canada, some Indian industries are seeing an uptick in US orders. It’s a silver lining in what could otherwise be a challenging trade landscape.

Only in Express

In an ongoing Express series, we trace the landmark cases that shaped the Republic. Today’s spotlight is on ‘State of Bombay vs Narasu Appa Mali’. This was the first time the Independent India was attempting social reform. The case, stemming from a man’s bigamous marriage, was a crucial turning point in India’s constitutional history. It opened up an important question, which the country continues to debate even now. Can religion be regulated by law?

From the Front Page

War over words: The Tamil Nadu government has replaced the logo of its Budget from a Devanagari rupee symbol to a Tamil letter. Coming amid the state’s ongoing clash with the Centre over “Hindi imposition”, the move did not go down well with the Union Finance Minister, who called it an “example of language and regional chauvinism”.

Mineral run: The government has kicked off its first tranche of auctions under the exploration license (EL) regime. This is the first time private players will get to explore blocks across states for mineral and rare earth elements, a job previously restricted to state-run entities.

Neat! India’s space fortunes are looking up. Two months after it successfully demonstrated docking capabilities, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has undocked the two satellites. The tech will be key to future missions.

Must Read

The American kisan: The number of farm families in the US makes up about 2 per cent of the total agricultural households in India. These numbers may be small, but these farmers receive significant support from the government. Crucially, America has a direct payment system to protect its farmers from low prices or revenue shortfalls. There might be lessons to learn for India here.

Dis/Agree: There are not many takers for the big screen experience in Karnataka. The state government has a plan. They have proposed a Rs 200 cap on ticket prices for theatre halls, eventually meant to benefit smaller Kannada films. The move has its fair share of supporters and detractors.

Chennai-based filmmaker Rajesh Rajamani says that the Karnataka government’s proposal is “an acknowledgement of the fact that low occupancy-rates are more detrimental than low ticket-prices”.

Author Srikar Raghavan, however, feels that revitalising the Kannada film industry requires a deeper cultural transformation.

And Finally…

For the past year, 66-year-old K S Rana was living the high life with VIP security and all the perks. Since 2018, he has had Vice Chancellor gigs at multiple universities. So, why the VIP treatment? Well, Rana had masterfully played the role of a senior diplomat. That is, until Tuesday. It all came crashing down when the Ghaziabad Police Commissioner was asked to roll out the red carpet for “Dr (Prof) K S Rana, High Commissioner of the Sultanate of Oman (Muscat).” The problem? Oman isn’t in the Commonwealth, so there’s no such thing as a “High Commissioner” for that country. Oops!

Before you go, don’t forget to tune in to the latest episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast. Today’s lineup: BJP’s hurdles in the South, a liquor scam in Chhattisgarh, and high security for Holi.

That’s all for today folks! Have a safe and happy Holi! Until next time,
Sonal Gupta

Business As Usual by EP Unny