Turning ink into understanding…
Newspaper edition · 26 Jul 2026
India secured a lower 10% US tariff under the new Section 301 regime, while the Cabinet approved a bill prescribing up to 10 years in jail for paper leaks, and Gujarat unveiled a massive shipbuilding and port expansion plan.
By Priya Nair
India has been placed in a lower 10% tariff bracket under Washington’s new Section 301 forced-labour regime. This puts India on par with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan. The tariff replaces the temporary 10% global levy under Section 122 that expired on July 24. The lower rate came after New Delhi amended its foreign trade policy on July 14 to ban imports of goods made with forced labour.
However, trade experts caution that issues remain. The US is still considering separate tariffs on pharmaceuticals, penalties linked to purchases of Russian oil, and a Section 301 investigation into excess industrial capacity. India also faces a disadvantage in textiles: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Malaysia will receive tariff-rate quota exemptions for textile and apparel shipments made from US-origin cotton. Industry hopes the proposed India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) will offset this.
The Ministry of External Affairs adopted a cautious stance, noting that talks with the US on the BTA continue. The overall tariff burden for most Indian exporters will remain largely unchanged, and they could benefit from trade diversion as competing suppliers face higher rates.
The Union Cabinet on Friday approved amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The new bill introduces jail terms of up to 10 years and a minimum sentence of five years for individuals involved in paper leaks. Penalties can go up to ₹10 crore. Service providers found guilty face a fine of up to ₹1 crore and a four-year debarment from conducting public exams.
The bill also includes provisions for fixed timelines and fast-track courts to speed up prosecution. The government plans to introduce the bill in Parliament on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the move late Thursday, saying the government wants to ensure strong action against those who harm students.
Gujarat has unveiled plans to build three greenfield shipyards, an integrated mega shipbuilding cluster, and six new ports along its coastline. The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) has floated expressions of interest for projects covering more than 4,500 hectares. The shipyards will be located at Mithapur, Ghogha, and Vadhera, while the mega cluster is proposed at Kuchhadi in Porbandar.
The shipbuilding cluster alone is expected to attract ₹25,000 crore in investment. The six greenfield ports will be developed under the BOOT (build, own, operate, transfer) model with a concession period of 30-50 years. Total investment across all projects is estimated at over ₹35,000 crore. The state government plans to showcase these projects at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2027.
The Delhi High Court dismissed the ANI news agency’s plea for an interim injunction against OpenAI, ruling that storing ANI’s works did not amount to copyright infringement since outputs were not similar. HCLTech announced a ₹14,257-crore investment to set up an AI technology centre in Bhubaneswar, in partnership with Sarvam AI, expected to begin operations by 2028.
The 23rd Commonwealth Games opened in Glasgow, with athletes competing across 215 events in 10 sports.
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