Ambedkar College professor slapped by ABVP leader on campus; DUTA seeks action
New Delhi (PTI): A DU teacher was allegedly slapped and assaulted by DUSU joint secretary Deepika Jha and other members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Thursday, a group of faculty members said.
A video, purported to be of the incident, surfaced online, showing a teacher being assaulted by a group of students inside Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar College in the presence of the police.
Several Delhi University teachers condemned the incident, calling it an attack on the dignity of educators.
A professor, requesting anonymity, said that a National Students' Union of India candidate who had won a college council election was allegedly thrashed by the members of the RSS-backed ABVP.
According to a statement by the Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF), the teacher, Sujit Kumar, who is the convenor of the college's disciplinary committee, was looking into similar incidents of campus violence involving students from different groups when he was assaulted.
Jha, in a statement, said she was in the college to address complaints of "misbehavior and physical assault" raised by students against Kumar.
She said Kumar "threatened" and used "abusive language" against her in the principal's room. She also accused him of reeking of alcohol.
"His repeated threats, constant staring, and indecent remarks made it quite evident that the said professor, Sujit Kumar, had once again come to the college under the influence of alcohol. In that moment of distress and anger, I reacted impulsively, for which I sincerely express regret," Jha said.
The Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) has written to the university vice-chancellor, demanding an inquiry into the matter.
"We are deeply shocked to learn that a senior teacher at B.R. Ambedkar College has been slapped and assaulted by a group of students inside the college premises while performing his duty. The violence in any form is completely unacceptable in a democratic institution. This is an assault on the dignity of a teacher," the association said in a letter.
It added, "We request you to enquire into the whole incident and take immediate and exemplary action against those involved. Stringent action will send a clear message against indiscipline and lawlessness."
Rudrashish Chakraborty, associate professor at Kirori Mal College, termed what happened at the college "shocking" but "hardly surprising."
"It is part of a series of lumpen acts by ABVP not only in DU but across the country, enabled by the active patronage of the DU administration, which has given ABVP a free hand to run riot across the University," he said.
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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.
