tadepalligudem l thursday l august 07, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at at 5.5% with a ‘neutral’ stance The six-member Monetary Policy Committee, headed by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, decided to maintain the repurchase rate at current level GDP growth forecast retained at 6.5% UPI not free, someone is paying costs: Guv RBI maintained India’s GDP growth forecast at 6.5% for FY26. “Despite a challenging external environment, economy is navigating a steady growth path with price stability. Monetary policy has appropriately used the policy space created by the benign inflation outlook to support growth without compromising on the primary objective of price stability,” Malhotra said ■ ■ RBI also revised its inflation forecast lower by 60 bps to 3.1% Malhotra said while the popular Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is free for users, someone is covering the operational expenses. UPI payment services cannot remain free forever but it’s for the government to decide who should foot the bill, RBI guv added | P10 19.47 BN UPI TRANSACTIONS WORTH `25.08 lakh RECORDED IN jULY, ACCORDING TO NPCI DATA CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI SCO summit Modi set to visit China this month J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi IN a major diplomatic move aimed at recalibrating ties with China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Tianjin, China from August 31 to September 1 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. This marks his first trip to the country since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash that strained IndiaChina relations. The PM is likely to travel to Japan first for a bilateral meeting. From there, he will fly to China, sources said. This will be Modi’s first visit to China since 2019. His last direct interaction with Chinese President Xi Jinping took place on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan in October 2024, where both leaders acknowledged the need to stabilise Narendra Modi ties and prioritise peace along the Line of Actual Control. “Maintaining peace and tranquillity over the border should remain our priority Modi had ,” told Xi during that meeting. Xi, in turn, had emphasised the need for “more communication and cooperation”. The upcoming SCO summit will be held against a complex geopolitical backdrop. India faces intense pressure from the US and other Western partners over its oil trade with Russia. The summit is expected to focus on terrorism, regional security, and economic cooperation among its 10 member states, including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and newly joined Belarus. DOUBLE TRUMP-LE It is extremely unfortunate that the US should impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest Trump slaps additional 25% tariff on Indian products, taking the total to 50%; new levy to kick in from Aug 27; Ministry of External Affairs terms it unfair, unjustified DIPAK M O N DAL & JAYA N TH JACO B @ New Delhi US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order to double the tariff on Indian goods, taking it to 50%, in response to New Delhi’s ‘continued purchase of Russian oil’. The additional 25% tariff will kick in from August 27, while the 25% tariff on Indian products announced earlier is scheduled to take effect from August 7. “India is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil. Accordingly, and as consistent with applicable law, articles of India imported into the customs territory of the United States shall be subject to an additional ad valorem rate of duty of 25%,” the executive order read. The order says any other country importing Russian crude directly or indirectly might face a similar fate. However, India seems to have been singled as it has been handed the highest tariff. No other country apart from Bra, zil, has got a 50% tariff burden. The tariff on China, which imported $62.6 billion worth of Russian oil in 2024 compared with India’s $52.7 billion, is only 34%. The Trump administration, however, justified the tariffs as part of its broader response t o Ru s s i a ’s a c t i o n s i n Ukraine. India reacted sharply to the tariff action, calling it “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.” The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India’s energy imports were driven by market realities and national interest. “The United States has in recent days targeted India’s oil imports from Russia. We have already made clear our position… our imports are based on market factors and aimed at ensuring energy security for 1.4 billion Indians,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, adding: “India will take all necessary steps to protect its national interests.” The additional tariff would not be applicable on goods categorised under Annexure II of April 2, 2025. These goods include metals like steel, copper and other base metals, semiconductor, pharma, etc. However, this puts India in a disadvantageous position as many ASEAN and Asian economies have much lower tariffs of 15-20%. Analysts expect the higher tariff would result in Indian exports to the US, which is the biggest buyer of Indian goods accounting for 20% goods exports, falling by a massive 40-50% in FY26. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal New Delhi’s diplomacy in action Tariff on India is the peak US levy on any country in the world. The tariff on China, a bigger importer of Russian oil, is just 34% No idea about US imports from Russia, says Trump US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was not aware of the fact that the US was importing a number of products including uranium and fertilisers from Russia. “I don’t know anything about it. I have to check, but we’ll get back to you then,” he said in response to a question by a reporter about the US imports of fertilisers, uranium, and chemicals from Russia. “President, India says that the US imports Russian uranium, chemicals, fertilisers while criticising their (Indian) energy imports. Your response to that, sir?” the reporter had asked NSA Ajit Doval is currently in Russia to discuss defence cooperation and energy ties. Doval’s visit will be followed by a broader diplomatic engagement with foreign minister S Jaishankar’s visit in the third week of August Goods in transit exempt The executive order says all Indian imports will face a 25% ad valorem tariff on top of existing duties. The new tariff will take effect after 21 days, on August 27. Goods already in transit before that date will be exempt, if they reach US before September 17 `0.99/acre: LIFT Policy to attract IT Investments E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada 34 All over in 34 seconds secs was all the swollen Khirganga river took to swallow Dharali (pic) in Uttarkashi 140+ people evacuated so far, 15 of them residents of Dharali 230 families resided in Dharali. Most of them were away at a mela in Mukhwa. It saved their lives 9 Army personnel still missing in Harsil village First draft treaty text by Friday, ‘scope’ remains contentious in closed-door talks TNIE in Switzerland S V Krishna Chaitanya @ geneva A first consolidated draft text of the global plastics treaty is expected to emerge by Friday as the contact groups work around the clock to bridge entrenched differences. But behind closed doors, the definition of the treaty’s “scope” —particularly the interpretation of the “full life cycle of plastics” — remains a flashpoint in negotiations, according to sources privy to Contact Group 1 (CG1) discussions. Speaking to this newspaper, on the sidelines of an informal meeting with Indian industry representatives on Wednesday , Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), maintained a diplomatic stand when asked whether the definition of the full life cycle was being revisited amid mounting tensions. He replied: “Negotiations are going. You have seen what’s happening in the contact group... My job as Chair is to keep the negotiations on track... What the text will say on August 14 is up to the members.” The Chair said he had requested a compiled text by Friday to serve as a working draft, while maintaining momentum in the contact groups. “We are still negotiating. The idea is to assemble a text with provisions that have a high level of convergence, while continuing informal work on the more difficult issues,” he said, emphasising that the treaty must be forward-looking, credible, and flexible. The stocktake, expected after the release of the draft, will help negotiators assess how far they have come and identify the remaining areas of divergence. The ambiguity over the scope of the treaty stems from a fundamental disagreement: what constitutes the full life cycle of plastics? In a bid to emerge as a major IT hub, the Andhra Pradesh government is offering an attractive incentive - land at a mere 0.99 rupees per acre across the state. The State Cabinet, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, approved the AP Land Incentive for Tech Hub (LIFT) Policy (4.0) 2024-2029, leveraging the state’s land bank to attract prominent companies. This policy was formulated to utilize the infrastructure and talent in Andhra Pradesh, keeping in mind the need for new economic centers after the loss of Hyderabad city following the state’s bifurcation. Given the increasing congestion and costs in Tier-1 cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Gurgaon, this costbased attraction strate g y aims to attract prominent companies by choosing land as a development driver, eliminating relocation costs and associated risks. The policy outlines specific rules for financial investment P4 institutions.  SC seeks detailed ECI response on 65 lakh deletions E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on allegations that it failed to disclose details of 65 lakh voters removed from Bihar’s electoral rolls during a Special Intensive Revision (SIR). A bench of justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N K Singh issued a notice on an application filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for ADR, claimed the ECI had not made public the names or reasons behind the deletions in the draft roll published on August 1. “The draft roll says 65 lakh voters’ names have been omitted. They have not given a list of those names. They say people are dead, have migrated... They should disclose who the 65 lakh,” Bhushan submitted. He also questioned whether the deletions were made with proper oversight from Booth Level Officers (BLOs). Responding, ECI’s counsel Reply by Saturday Bhushan contested the ECI’s claim, stating: “They have not conveyed [the data]. Even if some parties have received it, the reasons for deletions were not shared.” The court directed the ECI to file its detailed reply by Saturday claimed the draft rolls had indeed been shared with political party representatives as per the laid down procedure. Justice Kant reminded the ECI of its obligation under its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and asked for transparency “If you have supplied [the . list], please give a list of parties to whom you have, so that Bhushan’s client can collect information from those authorised representatives,” he said. YSRCP Govt threats cast shadow Singapore reluctant to invest in Amaravati E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The Andhra Pradesh government’s efforts to revive Amaravati’s development took a significant step forward, with Singapore agreeing to maintain cordial relations with the State and participate in the Investors Summit in Visakhapatnam. However, the Singapore government’s reluctance to participate in Amaravati’s development stems from the previous YSRCP government’s actions, which threatened Singapore Ministers against being part of the project. Despite this, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is learnt to have informed his Cabinet colleagues that Singapore is willing to extend coopCM Naidu eration in various sectors. According to reliable sources, Naidu explained the developments that took place during his recent visit to Singapore and suggested that a Minister visit Singapore to study their policies. When the ongoing liquor case was discussed, Naidu stated that the case was under investigation and arrests would be P4 made based on the inquiry  . e xp r e s s r e a d Naipunyam portal: Unlocking Opportunities Violence erupts in Pulivendula Vijayawada: HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh announced the launch of Naipunyam, a new job and skill development portal. The portal, set to go live on September 1, aims to bridge the gap between skilled youth and employers | P3 Kadapa: Violence broke out during the ZPTC byeelection campaign in Pulivendula Rural mandal on Wednesday, with YSR Congress Party leaders clashing with Telugu Desam Party activists in Nalagondavaripalle village | P4 Pregnant Women Hostels Delivering Hope, Ensuring Safety of Tribal Mothers S r een u B a b u Pat i v a d a @ Parvathipuram-Manyam Pregnant Women Hostels (PWHs) run by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) have become a boon for tribal women in the Manyam district, providing them with safe delivery services. The Parvathipuram and Seethampeta ITDA authorities operate three PWHs with 106 beds at the Youth Training Centre premises in Salur, Gummalaxmipuram, and Seethampeta mandal headquarters. Since their inception, these hostels have facilitated at least 4,450 deliveries, including 3,704 Pregnant women from various parts of Parvathipuram agency in the PWH | EXPRESS normal deliveries. The concept of PWHs was introduced by Parvathipuram ITDA Project Officer Laxmi Sha in 2018 to increase hospital deliveries in tribal areas and reduce mother and infant mortality rates. The hostels provide pregnant women with food, accommoda- tion, medication, and medical care, shifting them from hilly areas and remote agency hamlets two months before their delivery date. The hostels also offer nutritional food, exercise, yoga, meditation, entertainment, and round-the-clock intensive care to ensure safe delivery . These hostels have yielded good results, providing medical services to tribal women and reducing the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). Thousands of pregnant women in Parvathipuram ITDA limits h ave u t i l i z e d t h e P W H P4 services.