IAS officer who issued notices against Muslim entry ban in villages after Nuh violence, transferred
Haryana: The Haryana government has recently executed a reshuffle of its Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, involving the transfer of 16 officials. Among them is Mohammad Imran Raza, who previously served as the Deputy Commissioner of Rewari. Notably, Raza had gained attention for issuing showcause notices to numerous sarpanches and panchayat members in relation to the passing of resolutions that prohibited the entry of Muslims into their villages following a bout of violence in Nuh.
Mohammad Imran Raza, who assumed the role of Deputy Commissioner in Rewari this past April, has been reassigned as the Deputy Commissioner of Jind. Earlier, Raza had confirmed the issuance of showcause notices under Section 51 of the Haryana Gram Panchayati Raj Act. This section pertains to the suspension and removal of sarpanches or panchayat members.
According to official statements from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, these changes in assignments are part of routine transfer and postings of both IAS and Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officers.
As part of the reshuffle, Sushil Sarwan, an Indian Administrative Service officer, will assume the position of Deputy Commissioner in Panchkula, succeeding Priyanka Soni. Additionally, Sarwan will concurrently hold the role of Chief Administrator for the Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board in Panchkula.
Manoj Kumar, an IAS officer from the 2012 batch, will replace Rahul Hooda as the Deputy Commissioner of Yamunanagar. Rahul Hooda has been transferred to the role of Deputy Commissioner in Rewari. Further changes include Mandeep Kaur becoming the Deputy Commissioner of Charkhi Dadri, while Manoj Kumar, an IAS officer from the 2014 batch, will serve as the Deputy Commissioner of Sonepat. Lastly, Prashant Panwar will assume the role of Deputy Commissioner in Fatehabad.
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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.
