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Good morning! Reincarnation just got bureaucratic. According to China, the next Dalai Lama won’t be chosen by the Dalai Lama himself, or his spiritual institution - but by Beijing. In a statement that somehow manages to mix politics with metaphysics, Gama Cedain, deputy secretary of the Chinese Communist Party committee in Tibet, declared that the “discovery” of the next Dalai Lama will follow a domestic search process and require central government approval. This comes despite the current Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and global icon, stating during his 90th birthday celebrations that he will return - and the institution he founded will lead the selection process. Beijing has long labeled the Dalai Lama a separatist, and his global influence has remained a thorn in the side of its efforts to tighten control over Tibetan Buddhism. So, naturally, the next logical step is to dictate ...... who he’ll be in his next life.
Now, let’s get into the Dispatch! 🚀
Today’s reading time is 6 mins.
Markets 🔔🐂🐻
As of the Indian market close on August 5
Indian stock markets declined on Tuesday, with the Sensex and Nifty closing lower, following renewed tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding India's imports of Russian oil.
When rivals go rogue - together!
Tariffs, Oil and Trade
Image credit: Reuters
What do you get when the U.S. tries to strong-arm India and China into dumping Russian oil? Surprisingly… sibling energy - the good kind. While not allies by any stretch, Beijing and New Delhi are responding in strikingly similar fashion: with firm defiance. Under growing pressure from the Trump administration to stop funding what it calls “Putin’s war machine,” both are choosing energy security over diplomatic compliance. Not to be left behind, Moscow slammed the U.S. for exerting illegal pressure on sovereign nations. “Countries have the right to choose their trade partners and economic alliances,” came the strongly worded message.
The background: Trump has threatened 100% tariffs on countries continuing Russian oil imports, unless Moscow agrees to a Ukraine peace deal by August 7–9. Further upping the ante, a bipartisan U.S. Senate bill proposes 500% tariffs on goods from nations refusing to back Ukraine. And then came the fireworks. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller accused India of “cheating” on immigration and imposing “massive tariffs” on U.S. products, all....while portraying itself as being one of our closest friends in the world. Will India Blink? Not Quite.
India packs a punch: India has responded with quiet firmness. Officials point out the irony: many Western countries themselves maintain economic ties with Russia. As one Indian official stated, “We will base our decisions in the interest of Indian consumers. If Russian crude is cheaper, it makes no sense to opt for higher-priced alternatives just to appease geopolitical agendas.” At the same time, New Delhi is finalising a ₹20,000 crore export protection plan. The strategy, in the works, includes reforms in trade finance, regulatory frameworks, e-commerce warehousing, market access, and enhancing Brand India globally. The broader takeaway is sharp, sweet and simple - in today’s polarised global order, energy strategy may just be the unlikely bridge that connects rivals - even if temporarily.
Electric vehicles in the fast lane
Can India’s EV Push Hit Fifth Gear?
Image credits: Pexels
A new NITI Aayog report, ‘Unlocking a $200 Billion Opportunity: Electric Vehicles in India’, lays out the road ahead for India’s electric mobility ambitions. The big target? By 2030, 30% of all vehicles sold nationwide should be electric. While two- and three-wheelers have seen strong adoption, electric buses, cars, and trucks are still stuck in low gear. Beyond cleaner air, the EV shift could significantly reduce oil imports and greenhouse gas emissions.
Is the dream viable? EV sales have surged from just 50,000 in 2016 to 2million+ in 2024, but they still make up only 7.6% of total sales, far from the 30% goal (by 2030). Major issues such as a lack of charging infrastructure, range anxiety, and high upfront costs, particularly in the heavy-vehicle segment are proving to be a hindrance to growth.
What is the report suggesting to drive this growth?
One-stop state agencies: Set up dedicated agencies in each state, modelled on Singapore’s Electric Vehicle Accelerator (Eve), acting as a single touch point for all charging-related issues.
Finance for the heavyweights: Creating easier credit access for e-buses and e-trucks, while launching a “5 Cities Saturation” program with 100% electric buses, paratransit, and freight in select urban areas.
Bottom line: India’s EV momentum is real, but it’s still behind leaders like the US, China, and the EU in adoption speed. Hitting the 2030 target requires policy support and rapid, coordinated execution between government, industry, and financiers.
Business India: Dhanda Hai Yeh!
Image credits: The Hindu, Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Amazon’s AI bet on India: Amazon's cloud unit, AWS, is dropping a massive ₹1.11 lakh crore ($12.7 billion) to turn India into a global AI powerhouse by 2030, aiming to create 1,31,700 full-time jobs annually.
Manila-Delhi pact: Celebrating 75 years of diplomatic ties, PM Modi and Philippines President Marcos Jr. elevated their partnership, signing nine pacts to boost military, space, and economic cooperation, including reviewing the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.
India's aviation boom: India is now the world's 5th largest aviation market, handling 241 million passengers in 2024, an 11.1% jump from last year. The Mumbai-Delhi route was the 7th busiest globally with 5.9 million passengers.
Mutual Fund boom: India's mutual fund industry has seen rapid growth. Assets under management (AUM) grew over seven-fold in last 10 years reaching ₹75 lakh crore. Equity funds accounted for 60% of these assets, followed by debt at 26%, hybrid at 8%, and other categories accounting for 5%.
India’s economic growth needs deregulation: To sustain a 7-8% economic growth rate amidst global uncertainty, India must focus on strengthening domestic drivers through deregulation and infrastructure investment, according to a government minister.
Vaccinations
Polio Eradication: The fight goes on
Image credits: Global Polio Eradication Initiative
What's happened? Polio a highly infectious virus which affects mainly children under 5 and can cause irreversible paralysis within hours has been the focus of a global fight for decades. WHO launched a global polio eradication campaign in 1988, aiming to eliminate the disease. Progress peaked in 2021 when just five cases were reported worldwide, in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, polio has since resurged with 99 cases reported last year and six self-imposed eradication deadlines have been missed. The campaign has heavily focused resources on Pakistan and Afghanistan, where transmission of polio has never been interrupted. Reports are emerging that say the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has been derailed by mismanagement and what insiders describe as blind allegiance to an outdated strategy and a problematic oral vaccine.
Falsification: Internal documents, and health workers in Pakistan and Afghanistan report that managers, under intense pressure to hit targets, sometimes instructed vaccinators to falsely mark children as immunized, even when no vaccine had been administered. WHO’s internal reviews also flagged instances of sloppy or outright falsified reporting like using more vaccine vials than had been supplied.
Problems with the oral vaccine: The campaign's main tool, the oral vaccine, contains a live virus that in rare cases has mutated and caused outbreaks itself. The oral vaccine, while effective and inexpensive, can mutate in rare cases, especially in areas with low immunization coverage, leading to vaccine-derived outbreaks of polio — essentially new cases caused by the vaccine itself. Some experts and internal documents criticize the continued reliance on the oral vaccine, calling it a flawed tool that is now undermining eradication goals, yet it remains central to the campaign due to logistical and cost considerations.
A system in crisis: These failures stem from a system in crisis. From families often ask health workers for food and clean water instead of vaccines to falsified records from unqualified staff - there is a tragic disconnect. This internal rot is compounded by a blind allegiance to the problematic oral vaccine strategy.
The geopolitical frontline: On the ground, this broken strategy meets a harsh reality. Deep mistrust has labelled the campaign a "Western-led initiative," leading to deadly attacks on hundreds of staff. The Taliban’s vaccination ban and constant cross-border movement make containment nearly impossible.
DuniyaDIARY 🌏📒
Image Credit: NASA Files
NASA’s lunar powerplay: To win the "second space race," acting NASA chief Sean Duffy is fast-tracking plans for a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030. The move aims to power future astronaut missions and strategically beat a rival China-Russia lunar project.
US introduces pricy entry: The US is launching a pilot program requiring some tourist visa applicants to pay a refundable bond of up to $15,000, a move that could make travel unaffordable for many.
Chinese IPO surge in the US market: Despite geopolitical drama, Chinese firms are flocking to U.S. markets, with 36 IPOs in the first half of 2025. This follows a record 64 listings in 2024, showing strong investor interest.
Aur Batao 📰
Himalayan Horror at Uttarkashi: A cloudburst around 1:50 PM sent a flash flood through Uttarkashi's Dharali market. The Indian Army rushed in, rescuing 20 people, but at least 4 are dead and 50+ are still missing.
India's cosmic quest: On Monday, former ISRO chairman, Dr. S Somanath, outlined plans for a Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035, a permanent human presence in space by 2047, and indigenous missions to the Moon and Mars.
HM’s record tenure: PM Modi praised Home Minister Amit Shah at an NDA meeting for becoming the longest-serving Union Home Minister, surpassing L.K. Advani's record of 2,256 days. Shah's tenure reached 2,258 days on August 5, 2025.
Bengaluru FC halt salaries: Bengaluru FC has halted player salaries, including that of Indian football star Sunil Chhetri, due to the suspension of the Indian Super League season amid a dispute between AIFF and FSDL.
