NEW DELHI: A day after a joint statement on the India-US interim trade deal was released, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said it will “give new wings to dreams of farmers”, and rejected Congress’ criticism, saying the deal fully protects agriculture sector and farmers’ interests, with key farm products kept out. The minister also shared a detailed list of Indian farm produce that will be exported to the US at zero duty. The list of such produce also includes spices, tea, coffee, coconut, coconut oil, betel nut, cashew, vegetable wax, avocado, banana, guava, mango, kiwi, papaya, pineapple, mushroom, and some grains. On Congress’ claim that the agreement could turn India into a “dumping ground” for US goods, Chouhan, while rejecting the assertion, said opposition is creating unnecessary fear, and accused the party of failing to link farmers to global markets or ensuring economic stability despite governing the country for long. Addressing a press conference in Bhopal, Chouhan said the trade deal is an excellent example of diplomacy, development and dignity. “It is not just a commercial agreement but also a symbol of India’s growing global prestige. This deal will strengthen our economy while also providing it new direction,” the minister said. “The biggest concern was that our major grains should remain secure, and they have all been kept completely secure. No door has been opened for the US for major grains, major fruits and dairy products,” said Chouhan, allaying apprehensions in certain quarters about the deal’s adverse impact on farmers. He said several American agricultural products will not be able to enter the Indian market. “De-husked grains, flour, wheat, corn, rice, millet, potato, onion, peas, beans, cucumber, mushroom, pulses products, frozen vegetables, oranges, grapes, lemon, strawberry and mixed canned vegetables will not come to India,” he said. He further added that no dairy products – such as liquid milk, powder, cream, yogurt, buttermilk, butter, ghee, butter oil, paneer and cheese – will get entry into India. He said India will also not import black pepper, cloves, dry green chilli, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, asafoetida, ginger, turmeric, carom seeds, fenugreek, cassia, mustard, rye, husk and other powder spices from the US. “The meaning is clear – our spices and our farmers are completely secure,” he said. He also highlighted the reduced tariffs on Indian textiles compared to competing countries, which he said will boost exports and benefit cotton farmers.

JAMMU: A young BJP legislator in J&K Saturday drew rare praise from across the political aisle with her speech in the Assembly, which she confined strictly to budgetary issues in the otherwise highly polarised House.Devyani Singh Rana, 31, is the daughter of former Nagrota MLA Devender Rana, who died in 2024 after winning the assembly election. In Oct 2025, BJP fielded Devyani from Nagrota in the bypoll, which she won. After her father’s death, Devyani had joined BJP and was appointed vice-president of the J&K BJP Yuva Morcha in Jan 2025.While governing National Conference legislators focused on J&K’s special status, BJP used the debate to highlight what it described as developmental gains after the abrogation of Article 370.Devyani, however, flagged electricity shortages, raised concerns over the union territory’s growing climate vulnerabilities, education sector and transportation as members listened to her raptly for around 12 minutes.In her speech, she deprecated Rs 271-cr reduction in disaster management, relief and rehabilitation department allocation, saying the sharp cut comes in a year that saw unprecedented and intense rainfall that devastated large parts of rural Jammu.Referring to tragedies in her constituency, she cited the death of three-year-old Mahi in a landslide and 28-year-old Sheer Khan, who drowned in a river. “These names represent the lives lost in the Jammu division,” she said, calling for stronger flood and landslide management measures.About flash floods that hit Jammu last year, Rana said, people lost their lives, bridges were damaged, roads became unsafe and houses were destroyed. “Our children were stranded at home and in colleges. Apple trucks were stuck on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44), and our traders suffered losses,” she said. She called for more allocation in disaster management as Jammu and Kashmir, she said, is “earthquake-prone, landslide-prone and fire-prone.”Devyani also flagged under-spending in the social sectors. “If around Ra 193 crore is spent less on education, then how will the children of poor families be uplifted,” she said.She also pointed to a reduction of Rs 782.8 crore in power capital expenditure, saying it comes at a time when voltage remains unstable and transformers frequently fail.While welcoming the initiative of free bus travel for persons with disabilities, the MLA questioned its effective implementation. “Are these buses adequately equipped with ramps and access mechanisms? And when there have been documented cases of buses failing to stop even for women, what deterrent exists to ensure compliance?” she asked.As she ended her speech, members from the NC, BJP and PDP thumped their tables and crossed over to her seat to congratulate her.Devyani holds a degree in economics from the University of California. The eldest of three siblings — two sisters and a brother — she is a businesswoman who took over the management of the family business after her father’s death. “I feel humbled and very blessed by the response to my speech. We all work for the public good,” Devyani told TOI.She said since the ongoing Assembly session is the budget session, she preferred to focus on the budget only to identify problem areas that could be addressed in coming years. “I chose to speak in English because the budget across all quarters is presented and discussed in English,” she said.

NEW DELHI: Country’s apex highway builders organisation has sought PM Narendra Modi’s intervention to review the squeezed construction timelines for big highway projects on PPP, their overall bankability and modification in dispute redressal through arbitration.The National Highways Builders Federation (NHBF), in a letter addressed to the PM, has referred to a recently floated tender for a 200-km greenfield project on Public Private Partnership (PPP) in which a two-year construction period has been set.“Considering the scale of such projects and the scope of activities involving land availability, utility shifting, major and minor structures, interchanges, safety provisions and stringent quality standards, the industry apprehends that such timelines may pose significant execution challenges, even best efforts,” NHBF said.It has cited how the Delhi-Vadodara Greenfield Expressway, despite focused attention and continuous efforts by stakeholders, is yet to be completed even after more than five years from commencement. It has urged govt to set realistic construction timelines to ensure quality and timely completion.It has also raised its concern over the recent amendments to dispute resolution provisions of PPP agreements, wherein arbitration for disputes above Rs 10 crore has been restricted. The changes have been made with reference to the finance ministry’s June 2024 circular.NHBF has said that while arbitration has been curtailed, “well-advised and financially strong participants may still bid, but disputes — if they arise — are likely to go to courts”. It said in such a scenario, even relatively small contractual issues may result in prolonged litigation, disruption to project execution and escalation of claim values, ultimately leading to higher fiscal exposure for govt, rather than faster or more efficient dispute resolution.“There is also a concern that such a framework may inadvertently encourage the emergence of entities oriented more towards litigation-driven outcomes than execution, and that even minor disputes could potentially lead to complete stalling of projects, which may not align with the original objectives of the PPP highway programme,” the highway builders body said.

Tej Pratap Yadav (PTI image)

NEW DELHI: Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) chief Tej Pratap Yadav on Sunday strongly denied rumours circulating on social media that a woman allegedly linked to him has given birth to his child, calling the claims false and defamatory. He accused political rivals and former associates of deliberately spreading misinformation and said that he would take legal action.Addressing a late-evening press conference, former Bihar minister said that the rumours had caused him severe mental distress and were part of a targeted campaign to malign him. He claimed the speculation resurfaced months after a controversy that led to his expulsion from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), headed by his father Lalu Prasad.“I am distraught at rumours on social media that a woman with whom I had been falsely linked several months ago, which resulted in my expulsion from the party, has given birth to my child,” Yadav said.Providing background to the controversy, Yadav recalled that a post had gone viral last year from his Facebook account, claiming he had been “in a relationship, for 12 years” with a woman. He reiterated that the post was not authored by him and alleged that his social media account had been compromised.He claimed the post was the result of “hacking” carried out by what he described as “the five Jaichands,” using a metaphor for traitors. Naming them publicly, Yadav said, “There has been some suspense about who the Jaichands I have been speaking about are. Here are the names — Mukesh Raushan, Sanjay Yadav, Shakti Singh Yadav, Rameez and Sunil Singh.”Notably, Sanjay Yadav is a sitting RJD Rajya Sabha MP, Sunil Singh is a member of the legislative council, Mukesh Raushan and Shakti Singh Yadav are former MLAs and Rameez is considered close to Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap’s younger brother and the RJD’s national working president.Rejecting the latest claims outright, Yadav told reporters, “I reject this completely, a controversy was created, Akash Bhati will be revealing the truth. They are trying to defame me. I will go to court.”He said he became aware of the rumours after being told that union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had “congratulated” him on the alleged birth of a child, which he said shocked him.Yadav also linked the renewed controversy to his recent political activities. “Recently, I hosted a well-attended feast on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. This has made my detractors wary of the prospects of my party. I will seek legal action against them. I will move the court. I have also sought an appointment with Home Minister Samrat Choudhary,” he said.Appealing for an end to the speculation, he added, “I beg my detractors to let me live in peace. I know the person with whom the woman is in a relationship and who, I believe, is the father of the child. They are causing mental anguish to me by dragging my name.”Tej Pratap Yadav was expelled from the RJD last year for what the party described as “serious breaches of moral and social values,” following a public fallout triggered by the viral Facebook post. The episode added to long-running controversies surrounding him, including his strained marriage with Aishwarya, the granddaughter of former Bihar chief minister Daroga Rai. Aishwarya had left their matrimonial home within months of the wedding, alleging mistreatment, and the divorce case is still pending in court.Since his expulsion, Yadav has floated his own political outfit, the Janshakti Janata Dal and has repeatedly ruled out any return to the RJD, saying he would “choose death over returning to that party.” He has maintained that his political journey is guided by “principles and self-respect,” not by the pursuit of power.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim witnesses the exchange of MoUs between India and Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. (DPR PMO/ANI Photo)

KUALA LUMPUR: India and Malaysia inked 11 MoUs in what was described by both Anwar Ibrahim and Narendra Modi as a “critical, strategic and vital exchange” for reinforcing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, at Seri Perdana, the official residential complex of the Malaysian PM.Key agreements include Exchange of Notes (EoN) on semiconductors, a sector where both countries are aggressively partnering to boost the value chain, including AI and R&D. At the press briefing after the signing of the deals, an agreement between India’s NPCI International Ltd (NIPL) and Malaysia’s PayNet was announced.

“It is not yet operational owing to some necessary technical alignments,” said P Kumaran, secretary, East. He added that there is also a broader project for multi-point connectivity called Project Nexus; which India, Malaysia, Singapore and a few other countries in the region are working on. This will give direct connectivity from one country to all the other countries partaking in the Nexus.On the question of a timeline for operationalising the settlement of trade in local currencies, Kumaran said, “It is a matter of priority for both sides and discussions are ongoing between the two regulatory bodies, RBI and Bank Negara. We are going to be working very actively on this in the coming few months.”On defence, the two PMs emphasised their intent to work closer and expressed satisfaction at the outcomes of the Malaysia-India Defence Cooperation Committee (MIDCOM) and its subcommittees, including the terms of reference on establishment of a Strategic Affairs Working Group (SAWG) and Su-30 Forum.Importantly, India’s three-decade experience with Su-30s and its proximity to Malaysia makes it the best country for its upgrade and maintenance. This also encompasses a broader defence industrial agenda beyond transactional procurement.Other agreements include areas like disaster management, the fight against corruption, healthcare, training in Ayurveda, anti-terrorism, UN Peacekeeping as well as the Framework Agreement on the Big Cats Alliance. The two sides have also agreed to collaborate on social security through a pact between Malaysia’s social security organisation and India’s Employees’ State Insurance Corporation.

NEW DELHI: Haryana Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the deadly joyride collapse at the Surajkund International Crafts Mela in Faridabad that claimed the life of on-duty police inspector Jagdish Prasad and injured several others.According to police officials, the SIT will be headed by ACP (Crime) Varun Dahiya, with Sub-Inspector Sheeshpal from the Crime Branch, NIT, and Sub-Inspector Sanjay as members. The investigation will be supervised by DCP (Crime) Mukesh Malhotra, following directions from Haryana Director General of Police Ajay Singhal.The SIT has been tasked with conducting a detailed investigation into the circumstances that led to the collapse of the giant ‘Tsunami’ swing on Saturday evening during the 39th edition of the Surajkund Mela. Around 19 people were on the ride when it tilted mid-air and crashed to the ground.Inspector Jagdish Prasad (58), who was deployed on duty at the fair, lost his life while attempting to rescue those trapped in the ride. Twelve others, including police personnel and civilians, were injured in the incident.Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, who announced compensation and a government job for a family member of the deceased officer, said that the incident was deeply painful and assured full support to the affected families. Speaking to reporters, he said that the government had taken immediate cognisance of the accident and ordered a thorough probe to identify lapses.“The government stands firmly with the family of Inspector Jagdish Prasad. He lost his life while saving others. All possible assistance will be provided, including financial support and a government job for one of his children,” the chief minister said. He added that those seriously injured would receive Rs 1 lakh each, while treatment costs for all injured would be borne by the state.Police have already registered an FIR in the case and arrested Mohammad Shakir, proprietor of Himachal Fun Care Company that operated the ride, along with his staff member Nitesh. They have been booked under charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Investigators are examining whether safety norms were violated and if there was criminal negligence.Meanwhile, the amusement park at the Surajkund Mela venue has been closed with immediate effect, though the fair itself continues as scheduled. The district administration has also formed a separate ADC-level inquiry committee to examine the technical and mechanical aspects of the accident.Officials said that a detailed report will be prepared to determine the exact cause of the collapse and fix responsibility. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty, authorities added.The Surajkund International Crafts Mela, held annually in Faridabad, is one of India’s largest cultural festivals and runs from January 31 to February 15 this year.