Is the American dream becoming more distant? A US lawmaker has introduced a bill to end the H1-B visa programme, whose biggest recipients are Indians. We talk about all this and more in our weekly wrap
India’s neighbours, Pakistan and Bangladesh, continue to keep the country on its toes. No, we are not talking about the T20 World Cup drama.
Ties with Pakistan have been strained since Operation Sindoor. Amid the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, India has accelerated work on a major hydroelectric project on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir. This has made Islamabad nervous; it has claimed that New Delhi is violating international treaty obligations, calling it a “dewatering policy”. India has dismissed the concerns.
The relationship between New Delhi and Dhaka has also seen its downs post-Hasina. Now the country has a new leader,
Tarique Rahman, and we will have to wait and watch if he works toward easing the strain.
Like India, Bangladesh, too, signed a trade agreement with the US. The tariff on imports has been slashed to 19 per cent, and the US has granted zero duty on Bangladeshi textiles made from American cotton. The duties on Indian imports have come down to 18 per cent, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said that India will also receive the same benefits on textile exports, amid
concern in the industry.
In the coming week, India is expected to sign its biggest trade deal yet. The proposal includes the purchase of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France for the Indian Air Force, of which 18 will be procured from Dassault Aviation, and 96 will be homegrown. India has approved the proposal worth Rs 3.25 lakh crore for the acquisition ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s official visit to New Delhi.
The other news from the Capital is about PM Modi’s new office, Seva Teerth. The PMO has moved into the newly built complex from South Block, which has been the epicentre of India’s governance for 78 years.
We talk about all this and more in our weekly wrap.
1. Pakistan is complaining about India once again. This time, it has been rattled by New Delhi’s decision to fast-track the Rs 5,129-crore Sawalkote hydroelectric project on the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the first plan to receive a go-ahead from the Narendra Modi government after the Indus Waters Treaty was put in abeyance. But why is India making this big move, and what are Pakistan’s concerns?
We explain.
2. On Monday (February 9), Bangladesh negotiated a trade deal with the US. This was a week after Donald Trump announced a pact with India. While India’s tariffs on exports to the US were reduced to 18 per cent, its neighbour’s were cut to 19 per cent. We compare the two agreements and tell you
who got a better deal.
3. Talking about deals, India is all set to make its biggest military buy. Ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit next week, the government has approved the purchase of Rafale jets. India will procure 114 Rafale aircraft, with 18 supplied by manufacturer Dassault, and the remaining 96 made domestically.
This explainer gets into the details.
4. IT stocks continue to be hammered. The trend started last week after the launch of Anthropic’s AI tool. This week, the IT index declined for three straight days, starting on Wednesday (February 11) and ending with a five per cent fall on Friday (February 13).
What should investors do?
5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moved offices. The Prime Minister’s Office now functions from a new address, marking the end of nearly eight decades of operations from South Block in New Delhi. Seva Teerth is part of the Central Vista Development project. Here’s a
sneak peek into the new PMO.
6. Our last two stories are about Indians in the US and the American dream. The Trump administration has been cracking down on immigrants and tightening visa norms. Amid this, a US lawmaker has proposed to end the H1-B visa programme, which benefits thousands of Indians.
Greg Steube, a US representative and a member of the Republican Party, has introduced legislation that aims to eliminate the H-1B visa scheme. Titled the Ending Exploitative Imported Labour Exemptions (Exile) Act, the proposal seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to abolish the programme.
We tell you all about it.
7. This is a heartbreaking tale of an Indian woman from Andhra Pradesh. Jaahnavi Kandula was 23 and studying in Seattle when she was run over by a police car in January 2023. The handling of the case caused outrage among the Indian community, with footage showing the officers joking about the student’s death. Now, three years on, Seattle has reached a $29 million (Rs 262 crore) settlement with her family.
We explain the case.
These are the big stories from and about India that you should not miss. You can find more such
explainers here.
PS: Today is Valentine’s Day. It’s ironical but break-ups have become big business. Take a look.
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