Preparations for holding polls to local bodies to be completed in 2 weeks: Govt to HC
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government has informed the High Court that the preparation for conducting elections to local bodies including Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Zilla Panchayats and Taluk Panchayats will be completed in two weeks. The Government’s submission before the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale came during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by the State Election Commission (SEC).
The SEC has challenged an Amendment by which the State Government withdrew its power to redraw the constituencies and prepare the reservation list. A new delimitation panel was created by the State to conduct this exercise.
Considering the government's submission to complete the exercise within two weeks, the bench disposed of the PIL. The HC, however, clarified that the SEC was at liberty to approach the court again if it faced any difficulty from the government in completing the task.
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Advocate General K Shashikiran Shetty, who appeared for the State, informed the bench that the delimitation exercise for the local bodies would be completed today (December 19) and a notification would be issued soon. He also submitted that a draft notification for reservation of seats in these constituencies would be issued within two weeks. Objections to these lists would be considered within two weeks thereafter. The HC, while recording these submissions, directed the State to file a detailed memo and disposed of the PIL.
The SEC had made preparations for the ZP-TP polls in Karnataka in April and May 2021. It had completed the delimitation exercise on constituencies and the final list of voters was also published. The reservation draft was also announced by the SEC. However, before the SEC could announce the election schedule, the then State Government amended the Karnataka Panchayat Raj and Gram Swaraj Act.
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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.
