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Covid spike: Nirmala Sitharaman says second wave won’t impact industry in recovery mode

Sitharaman said Budget proposals with regard to disinvestment and setting up of Development Finance Institution (DFI) are on course. The government has set a disinvestment target of Rs 1.75 lakh crore for the current year;

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Nirmala-Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said the second wave of the pandemic will not affect the institutional reforms, including the disinvestment plans outlined in the Budget, although the focus right now was to take steps towards meeting the immediate requirement of saving lives.


Speaking at a webinar, organised by The Indian Express and Financial Times, the Finance Minister said the situation in 2020 when a nationwide lockdown was announced and the situation now are very different. Sitharaman said, the government has been taking steps to deal with the second wave of COVID-19 with regard to supply of medicines and oxygen.

Sitharaman said the second wave has been challenging on many grounds, including supply of medicines and oxygen, the government has been taking decisions, including on imports of medical oxygen and boosting supply of medicines. She said India was importing medical oxygen to meet the immediate challenge and had the testing capacity and vaccines to tackle the second wave.

She said Budget proposals with regard to disinvestment and setting up of Development Finance Institution (DFI) are on course. The government has set a disinvestment target of Rs 1.75 lakh crore for the current year; BPCL, Air India, Shipping Corporation are among the key strategic sale proposals under process.

Quoting the Prime Minister, Sitharaman said there will not be a country-wide lockdown comparable to 2020. A fresh wave of infections has led to localised containments in some parts of the country, affecting the movement of people and goods.

Sithraman said, there are numbers and the surge in certain pockets that is so significant — as in Delhi — the Centre’s week-long lockdown would affects the movement of goods and also, the industry suffer because the movement of raw materials would get affected.

She said that there are part lockdowns but hopefully it will be lifted once the infection chain is broken. In the context of lockdown not really having been imposed, however, lives being in difficulty because of the pandemic. the government would focus on these life saving Covid safety measures such as supply of medicines and oxygen.

The minister said it was too early to say if the restrictions are going to affect India beyond this week. India registered over 3.14 lakh new coronavirus cases in a day, the highest-ever single-day count recorded in any country, taking the the total tally of Covid-19 cases in the country to 1,59,30,965, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. A total of 3,14,835 fresh infections were registered in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll increased to 1,84,657 with a record 2,104 new fatalities.

kicking off Thursday’s discussion on ‘India’s Quest for Economic Power’ as the keynote speaker, she said at this stage, the focus is to address the immediate requirements for saving lives and also making sure that vaccination is ramped up.

Read Also: Arvind Kejriwal’s televised discussion with PM Modi sparks controversy, his office says sorry later

The first part of the series organised under the broad theme ‘India’s Place in the Post-Pandemic World’ began Thursday, wherein policy, business and finance leaders from India and overseas discussed the challenges and opportunities for India in its quest for economic poweer

India News

Donald Trump praises Modi as 25% vehicle tariff kicks in — what’s next for India-US trade ?

Trump labels India’s tariffs “brutal” yet praises Modi as a “great friend” — a contradiction that exposes confusion in US trade strategy.

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By Mohammad Javed Rasheedi

US President Donald Trump has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed confidence in India-US trade ties, even as his administration moves forward with a 25% import tariff on all vehicles, effective April 2.

Calling India “one of the highest tariffing nations in the world,” Trump noted the issue remains central to trade negotiations. However, he also stressed the strength of his personal rapport with PM Modi, saying: “He is a very smart man and a great friend of mine.”

Trump added that his recent discussions with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone well and expressed optimism, saying: “I think it’s going to work out very well between India and our country.”

Trump, who has long criticized India’s trade practices, reiterated that the country remains one of the highest tariff-imposing nations. His declaration of “reciprocal tariffs” suggests countries like India should brace for economic pushback. “They charge us, we charge them,” Trump said recently.

But despite the aggressive rhetoric, Trump’s remarks about PM Modi paint a completely different picture — one of camaraderie, not confrontation. “We had very good talks. I think it’s going to work out very well between India and our country,” he added.

The vehicle tariff, which Trump announced earlier this week, is expected to impact nearly half of all vehicles sold in the US, including those built abroad by American companies. The move is part of the administration’s broader push for “reciprocal tariffs”, with Trump asserting: “They charge us, we charge them.”

Praise, pressure, and political convenience?

Trump’s warm words for Modi come just weeks after the Indian PM visited Washington DC in February. The two leaders launched “Mission 500”, a goal to double India-US trade to $500 billion by 2030. But while the mission sounds ambitious, it’s unclear how it aligns with a 25% import duty on a key sector like automobiles.

Critics argue that Trump’s approach — praising allies while penalizing them economically — reflects a broader pattern of political double-speak. On one hand, the US demands fairer access to foreign markets. On the other, it escalates trade tensions through blanket tariffs.

Vehicle tariffs: protection or provocation?

The new tariff, set to hit half of all vehicles sold in the US — including American-made cars assembled abroad — has already raised concerns among automakers and trade analysts. If India chooses to respond, the so-called “good talks” Trump refers to could quickly turn sour.

While the White House pitches the move as pro-jobs and pro-fairness, its timing — coupled with contradictory praise — raises doubt about the coherence of US trade policy, especially toward close allies like India.

The US and India have long had friction over tariff imbalances, but the tone from both sides remains constructive, with trade fairness, national security, and job creation identified as shared goals.

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Kunal Kamra in legal trouble over gaddar jibe, skips third police summon

Kunal Kamra faces multiple FIRs and political backlash over his joke on Eknath Shinde. He hasn’t responded to police summons yet.

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Kunal Kamra controversy

Stand-up Comedian Kunal Kamra lands into fresh legal trouble over his satirical remarks on Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, with three FIRs filed against him at Mumbai’s Khar police station. The controversy has snowballed into multiple legal complaints, venue vandalism, and strong political backlash, while the comedian maintains that humour is his constitutional right.

Complaints were lodged by the Jalgaon Mayor, a Nashik hotelier, and a businessman, after Kamra allegedly referred to Shinde as a gaddar during one of his stand-up show.

Despite being summoned three times, including one for March 31, Kamra has not appeared for questioning.

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court granted interim anticipatory bail till April 7, after Kamra cited threats and harassment following his performance.

Amid political outrage, Yuva Sena workers vandalised the Habitat comedy venue where the show was recorded. Kamra defended the venue, saying it cannot be blamed for his content. He further clarified that the venue is not responsible for his material and that he alone is accountable for his words.

Yuva Sena is the youth wing of Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction.

In a statement and on X, Kamra slammed the media as vultures accusing them of being a miscommunication arm of the ruling party. “Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a public figure doesn’t change my right to say it,” Kamra said, defending his right to satire.

However, Kamra refuses to apologise, but says he’s ready to cooperate — just not in person, yet.

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Eid-ul-Fitr 2025: Will India celebrate on March 31 or April 1 ?

Eid-ul-Fitr 2025 may be celebrated on different dates depending on local moon sighting. Predictions suggest March 30–April 1 as likely dates.

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Eid 2025, when is Eid, Eid-ul-Fitr date, Eid moon sighting 2025, Ramadan 2025

As the holy month of Ramadan enters its final stretch, anticipation is building across the globe for Eid-ul-Fitr 2025, the grand festival that marks the end of fasting and spiritual reflection. But just like every year, the big question remains — when will Eid be celebrated?

The answer isn’t a fixed calendar date — it depends on something far more celestial: the sighting of the new crescent moon, which signals the beginning of the Islamic month of Shawwal.

According to Islamic tradition and astronomical calculations, Eid-ul-Fitr 2025 is expected to fall on either March 30 or 31 in Saudi Arabia, and March 31 or April 1 in India, depending on the visibility of the moon after sunset.

Why does the date vary across countries?

Islamic months are based on the lunar calendar, and the appearance of a young waxing crescent moon is essential to declare the end of Ramadan. As per Islamic Shariah, a new lunar month starts only after the moon is sighted with the naked eye under favorable weather conditions. If the moon isn’t sighted, Ramadan is extended to 30 days.

What does the science say?

This year, the astronomical conjunction — when the moon transitions from invisibility to reappearance — is expected to occur on March 29, 2025, at 16:27 IST. Using the Babylonian Criterion, which requires the crescent to be at least 24 hours old and visible for a minimum of 48 minutes after sunset, predictions have been made across various cities in the Indian subcontinent and Middle East.

Observation teams, relying on astronomy and optical science, will make the final confirmation based on local visibility — making it possible for Eid to be observed on different days in different regions, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, USA, and India.

A celebration rooted in the moon and unity

Eid-ul-Fitr is much more than a holiday. It is a celebration of unity, generosity, and gratitude observed by Muslims across the world — regardless of borders or backgrounds. From bustling city streets in India to serene deserts of the Middle East, from American suburbs to London’s multicultural neighborhoods, Muslims everywhere eagerly await the crescent moon’s sighting to begin their joyous day of Eid.

So, while the dates may differ slightly, the spirit of Eid remains beautifully shared.

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