Dalits won’t back IAS, IPS careers if Kumar's family denied justice: Paswan
Chandigarh (PTI): Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Tuesday asserted that the family of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who allegedly committed suicide, will get justice and also said if no action is taken in the matter, then no Dalit family will ever encourage its children to become IAS or IPS officers.
Paswan on Tuesday met the family of Kumar at his residence here to express condolences.
Kumar (52), a 2001-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, allegedly shot himself dead on October 7.
Addressing the media here, Paswan dubbed the incident as painful, and said it has exposed those social evils which showed that people are victimised on the basis of caste and religion even in the 21st century.
Not only for the society, it is a matter of concern for the whole country, he said.
"On one hand, we are presenting India as a power on the world stage, today we are going to the moon. We are doing big work, while on the other hand, in our country, one officer is victimised in such a way that in the end, he lost his life," said Paswan, who is the national president of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas).
It shows that some people are spreading the "poison of casteism" in the entire society, he said.
"I assure the family from the government side that the family's demand will be fulfilled soon. Through this, a message should go across the society and I understand with full responsibility that if no action is taken in the matter then no other Dalit family will ever encourage its children to become IAS or IPS officers," Paswan said.
He said whosoever is guilty, irrespective of the positions they hold, strictest action will be taken against them.
"This is my family. Amneet ji is my sister... this family is not alone, I will also fight along with it," said Paswan.
In an eight-page final note purportedly left behind by him, Kumar accused eight senior IPS officers, including Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and now transferred Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya, of "blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities".
The IPS officer's wife -- senior IAS officer Amneet P Kumar -- has demanded that Kapur and Bijarniya be named in the FIR for allegedly abetting her husband's suicide. The officer's family, which is also seeking their arrest, has refused to give consent for a postmortem and cremation until its demands are addressed.
The Haryana government on Tuesday sent DGP Kapur on leave amid the opposition's attack on the BJP dispensation over the issue.
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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.
