Pragyan 2025: NIT Trichy gears up for 21st edition of techno-managerial fest
Tiruchirappalli: Pragyan, the annual international techno-managerial fest of NIT Trichy, is set to return for its 21st edition with the theme ‘Panoptica: Break The Code.’ Certified with ISO 9001 and 20121, the fest is known for its diverse range of events, workshops, guest lectures, and competitions, attracting participants from across the country.
Pragyan hosts an OpenHouse, a two-day event where students showcase projects developed during the academic year. This initiative provides an opportunity for students to present their innovations to faculty and investors, paving the way for real-world implementation.
Ingenium, a national-level technical contest, fosters creativity and innovation, bringing together aspiring minds to explore advancements in various fields. Meanwhile, Sangam, the fest’s flagship hardware hackathon, enables NIT Trichy students to devise practical solutions to real-life problems.
The fest features multiple events categorized under seven clusters, covering management, coding, hardware, robotics, and more. Workshops conducted by industry giants like Linux, Samsung, and Mercedes provide hands-on experience to participants.
Pragyan also hosts guest lectures by leading industry figures who share insights and experiences with attendees. The flagship debate, Crossfire, is a major attraction, featuring discussions on socio-economic issues with participation from prominent political personalities and seasoned moderators.
As part of its outreach efforts, Pragyan produces content through the Pragyan Blog and Podcast on Medium and Spotify, serving as a platform for academic discussions and creative expression. The Pragyan Social Responsibility team conducts initiatives like Techids, offering workshops to young students, introducing them to the world of technology.
Infotainment remains a highlight of Pragyan, with fire and light shows, aerial stunts, and professional performances. These cultural and entertainment events provide a balance to the fest’s techno-managerial focus, drawing significant participation from the student community.
With Pragyan 2025 just days away, expectations are high as NIT Trichy prepares to host yet another edition of the prestigious fest, promising a platform for learning, innovation, and celebration.
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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.
