Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar share dais at Satara event, second time in a week
Pune, Apr 12 (PTI): NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar shared the dais at an event in Satara on Saturday.
This was the second time this week that the two leaders were seen together.
Sharad Pawar on Thursday attended the engagement ceremony of Ajit Pawar’s younger son Jay Pawar near Pune.
Pawar senior and his nephew Ajit, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), are on opposite sides of the political divide in Maharashtra since the latter rebelled against his uncle in 2023 and joined the then BJP-Shiv Sena government.
In a social media post after the Satara event, Sharad Pawar said the meeting of the Managing Council of Rayat Shikshan Sanstha was held on Saturday at Chhatrapati Shivaji College.
“During the meeting, the council decided to launch a monthly magazine titled Rayat. The aim is to include diverse and informative articles on topics like education, science, technology, health, literature, sports, social issues, art, culture, and global affairs, and to ensure wide dissemination of this content,” he said.
Besides, it was also decided to start courses on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, IoT, Robotics, and 3D Printing, he said.
“It has been decided to start a ‘Center of Excellence’ in Satara. It was also decided to undertake many such visionary initiatives. I, as the president of the organisation, thank all the members of the Managing Council for their cooperation,” he added.
रयत शिक्षण संस्थेच्या मॅनेजिंग कौन्सिलची बैठक आज 'छत्रपती शिवाजी कॅालेज, सातारा' येथे पार पडली. या बैठकीत संस्थेने 'रयत' मासिक सुरू करण्याचा निर्णय घेतला. जेणेकरून शिक्षण, विज्ञान, तंत्रज्ञान, आरोग्य, साहित्य, क्रीडा, सामाजिक, कला, संस्कृती, जागतिक घडामोडी वगैरे वैविध्यपूर्ण व… pic.twitter.com/ZmyBEFLcWH
— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) April 12, 2025
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
