Chhattisgarh: 21 Naxals surrender in Kanker; hand over 18 weapons, including AK-47s
Kanker (PTI): As many as 21 Maoist cadres surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Sunday after handing over 18 weapons to authorities, a police official said.
They laid down arms under the 'Poona Margem: Rehabilitation through Reintegration' initiative started by Bastar Range police, the official added.
"The 21 includes Division Committee Secretary Mukesh. Thirteen are women ultras. The 21 comprise four divisional committee members, nine area committee members and eight part of the outlawed movement's lower rungs. They all belong to the Kuemari/Kiskodo Area Committee of the Keshkal Division (North Sub-Zonal Bureau) of the Communist Party of India (Maoist)," the official said.
Legal procedures are being carried out for the rehabilitation and reintegration of these 21 cadres into society, he added.
Speaking on the development, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said youth misled by the false ideology of Maoism have now started understanding that the path of development, not guns, is the right option for the future.
"The 'Puna Margem' has ended the anti-people Maoist ideology and established peace in Bastar. Today, under 'Puna Margem - Rehabilitation to Regeneration' initiative in Kanker district, 21 Naxalites renounced the path of violence and surrendered. This is significant proof of the success of our 'Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy- 2025' and 'Niyad Nella Naar Scheme', which is bringing a new wave of trust and change to Naxal-affected areas," he said on X.
Sai said his government, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has won the trust of the people of Bastar, due to which Maoist organizations are steadily weakening and a large number of them are abandoning the path of violence.
Asserting that his government was fully committed to the rehabilitation and revival of the surrendered Naxalites, the CM said the backbone of Naxalism has been broken in the Bastar region, which is rapidly moving towards peace and development.
"Our double-engine government is committed to making the country Naxal-free by March 31, 2026," he added.
Earlier, on October 17, a total of 210 Naxalites, including Central Committee Member Rupesh alias Satish, carrying a cumulative reward of Rs 9.18 crore had surrendered in Jagdalpur in Bastar district. They also handed over 153 weapons.
On October 2, as many as 103 Naxalites, 49 of them carrying a collective bounty of more than Rs 1.06 crore, had surrendered in Bijapur district of Bastar region.
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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.
