Climate activist Soman Wangchuk announced on Sunday that he will launch another 28-day fast on Independence Day if the government does not invite Ladakh authorities for talks on demands for statehood and <keyword id="22578328" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="constitutional-protection" source="keywords">constitutional protection</keyword> for the union territory. In an interview with PTI, Wangchuk said that the Apex Body, Leh (ABL), and the <keyword id="20055607" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kargil" source="keywords">Kargil</keyword> Democratic Alliance (KDA) from Ladakh submitted a memorandum of demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Dras on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas last week. "We did not want to push the government too much during the elections; we were hopeful that the new government would take some concrete steps. If they do not heed our request, if they do not call us for talks, we will launch another round of protest from August 15," he told PTI. In March, Wangchuk went on a 21-day fast, surviving only on salt and water, to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to help protect the ecologically fragile region from "greedy" industries. After the abrogation of <keyword id="19914756" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Article-370" source="keywords">Article 370</keyword>, Ladakh became a separate union territory "without legislature". The Buddhist-dominated Leh district had long demanded union territory status due to alleged neglect by the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir government. However, with the region now entirely administered by bureaucrats, many in Ladakh demand that the union territory be included in the Sixth Schedule, which provides for the formation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) with legislative, judicial and administrative autonomy within a state. These councils administer areas under their jurisdiction, making laws on specific matters with the governor's assent. They can establish village councils or courts for dispute resolution and manage facilities and services within their areas, including education and healthcare. They also have the authority to impose taxes and regulate certain activities. Wangchuk had previously said that statehood and constitutional protection under the Sixth Schedule would not impact defence and national security-related projects in Ladakh. Ladakh's former MP, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal of the BJP, had also demanded that the region be included in the Sixth Schedule to safeguard the land, employment and cultural identity of the local population. In 2019, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda promised to do "whatever is required from a constitutional perspective to protect them". In September 2019, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah and Munda, recommending that Ladakh be declared a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule.

Will go on 28-day fast from Aug 15 if govt doesn't initiate talks on our demands: Sonam Wangchuk

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/55470662.cms" /> Viewers would remember having been left awe-struck by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Aamir+Khan&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Aamir Khan</a>'s many science experiments in the 2009 blockbuster '<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=3+Idiots&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">3 Idiots</a>' -- now <keyword id="6470711" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sonam-Wangchuk">Sonam Wangchuk</keyword>, the inspiration behind <keyword id="6355923" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aamir-Khan">Aamir Khan</keyword>'s "Phunsukh Wangdu" character in the film, has gained further global recognition bagging the prestigious Rolex Awards for Enterprise 2016. 
 
The awards were presented on Tuesday in Los Angeles to those "who have reshaped the world with their innovative thinking and dynamism". Sonam's "Ice Stupas" project is among the five winners this year at the awards. 
 Sonam Wangchuk, a 50-year-old Ladakhi engineer, has been attempting to solve the problem of lack of water for agriculture in the desert landscapes of the western <keyword id="52569" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="himalayas">Himalayas</keyword> by building "Ice Stupas". 
 The <keyword id="26604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ladakh">Ladakh</keyword> region, at roughly 3,500-metre altitude between the Kunlun and Great Himalayan mountain ranges, faces acute water shortage during the April-May early crop-growing period. Wangchuk was certain that access to water in the desert landscapes around many high altitude towns and villages of Ladakh could be improved if the huge seasonal outflow of glacial water could be frozen. 
 
Inspired by the experimental work of a fellow Ladakhi engineer, Chewang Norphel, Wangchuk developed a simple and effective system, creating what he calls "ice stupas" -- conical ice mounds that behave like mini-glaciers, slowly releasing water for the growing season. 
 
"The Rolex Award funds will support the project and promote ice stupas as a climate-change adaptation and desert-greening technique," Wangchuk said in a statement released by Rolex. 
 
Wangchuk intends to build up to 20 such ice stupas, each 30 metres high and capable of supplying millions of litres of water. The long-term aim is to build an alternative university and engage youth in the environment. 
 
Wangchuk is currently working on establishing an alternative university on the 65-hectare land donated by the village that will engage youth from Ladakh, the Himalayas and other mountain regions of the world in finding their own solutions to the challenges facing them. 
 
"The Rolex Awards were designed to support those whose own spirit of enterprise mirrored the enterprising spirit on which the company was founded," Rebecca Irvin, Head of Philanthropy at Rolex, said in the release. 
(image: IndiaTimes)

This Ladakhi engineer who inspired Aamir Khan’s role in 3 Idiots just received a prestigious global award

<ul><li>It took Chingari one and a half years to get to 1 lakh downloads, since its launch in November 2018, but the past few days have given it millions of new users. </li><li>“I’m sure even Mark Zuckerberg has not seen this moment – of adding 600,000 users every hour,” Sumit Ghosh, co-founder of the app told Business Insider.</li><li>While Chingari’s co-founder Sumit Ghosh didn’t confirm or deny the news about the funding, he did open up about this ‘opportunity of a lifetime’. </li><li>The TikTok rival app from India that shot to fame with the ban on the Chinese apps, and its crazy ride to popularity has also got the attention of investors.</li></ul>Chingari, the TikTok rival app from India that shot to fame after the country’s <keyword id="1707862" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ban-on-Chinese-apps">ban on Chinese apps</keyword>. The over 10 million downloads that followed (as of July 2) has caught the attention of a global venture capital firm too, according to a source. The funding announcement is likely soon, the source said. While Chingari’s co-founder Sumit Ghosh didn’t confirm or deny the news, he did open up about this ‘opportunity of a lifetime’. “I’m sure even Mark Zuckerberg has not seen this moment – of adding 600,000 users every hour.” he told Business Insider Chingari is also hiring. The team needs 10-15 people right away to help with the surge in traffic – UI/UX designers, engineers and more. Millions of downloads may equal millions in valuation As soon as India banned Chinese apps <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/checkout-the-name-of-the-chinese-banned-apps-in-india/articleshow/76696132.cms">on June 29</a>, Chingari began to get 100,000 downloads per hour and now, has crossed over 10 million in downloads on Google Play Store. Ghosh’s first reaction was, in his own words, “ what just happened?!” The startup which has raised no funds so far, took one and a half years to get to 1 lakh downloads, since its launch in November 2018. But now, the app is currently adding 3-4 million users everyday, according to Ghosh. “We were at the right place at the right time. We have been doing this for a while, but we didn’t get the traction that the app deserved. And it’s finally happening now,” he said and added that an opportunity of this scale comes to very very few entrepreneurs, Right place, right time This was definitely a breakout moment for Chingaari but it also got unexpected support. “We were trending on the playstore even before the ban. The trend began with Sonam Wangchuk’s video appeal to use <keyword id="9486405" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="made-in-india-apps">Made in India apps</keyword>. We started asking people to try our Made in India app and that sentiment went viral, people started posting on Instagram asking everyone to try Chingari,” Ghosh said in an exclusive chat. Sonam Wangchuk is an engineer and innovator, and the founding-director of the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh. Its popularity grew as Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group too downloaded the app and <a href="https://twitter.com/anandmahindra/status/1277144666660634624">shared on Twitter</a>, “I hadn’t ever downloaded TikTok but I have just downloaded Chingari... More power to you…” There’s more work to be done In the past one week, the team at Chingari has been working relentlessly – 48 hours non-stop at times. There have also been hurdles on the way for Chingari – as the downloads grew, the servers were finding it difficult to manage the traffic. Ghosh often took to Twitter to keep updating users about the server’s functionality. <div type="image" title="chingari screenshot" msid="76749619" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Tweets from Chingari co-founder Sumit Ghosh&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> “Some of us have been taking two hour naps in between. But now we have scaled our servers after understanding the kind of traction we will be getting, so the team is taking proper rest now,” he said. The app is currently trending in the second spot in Google’s Play Store for top apps in India, with many rooting for a Made in India success – including investors! SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/facebooks-tiktok-clone-lasso-is-shutting-down-as-zuckerberg-gears-up-to-launch-instagram-reels/articleshow/76745585.cms">Facebook’s TikTok-clone Lasso is shutting down as Zuckerberg gears up to launch Instagram Reels</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/lee-fixel-the-man-behind-tiger-globals-investments-in-facebook-spotify-and-flipkart-has-a-new-fund/articleshow/76742642.cms">Lee Fixel, the man behind Tiger Global's investments in Facebook, Spotify and Flipkart has a new $1.3 billion fund</a>

EXCLUSIVE: Chingari app is in talks with a global VC firm after the TikTok rival gets lit with over 10 million downloads⁠

New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) An app which aims to help smartphone users identify applications of Chinese origin has crossed five million downloads from Google Play Store in just about 15 days since its launch. Offered by Jaipur-based OneTouch AppLabs, the 'Remove China Apps' was released on Google Play Store on May 17. The popularity of the app comes amid border tensions between India and China in Ladakh and calls by Indian activists to boycott Chinese products. The #BoycottChineseProducts campaign got a major boost after educator and innovator Sonam Wangchuk last week posted a YouTube video urging people to avoid Chinese goods. The 'Remove China Apps' is ranked No. 1 among the top free apps on Google Play. OneTouch AppLabs said this application is for "educational purposes only to identify the country of origin of a certain application(s)" and that it does not "promote or force people to uninstall any of the application(s)." While it has managed to achieve an overall 4.9-star from reviewers, some users have pointed out shortcomings of the app. "... I just wanted to give a suggestion for just a little feature, i.e., also tell us about the alternatives for that particular app. For example, Xender and Share it are being used by a lot of people for transfer of files, and those apps are good. But if not those apps, then what to use as an alternative...??? Hope you consider this in next update," wrote one user in the review section. --IANS gb/na

'Remove China Apps' crosses 5 million downloads on Google Play Store

New Delhi, June 3 (IANS) After removing the Mitron app, Google Play Store has now taken down the 'Remove China Apps' designed to help smartphone users identify applications of Chinese origin. Offered by Jaipur-based OneTouch AppLabs, the 'Remove China Apps' was released on Google Play Store on May 17. In a tweet late on Tuesday, OneTouch AppLabs confirmed that Google has "suspended" the app. "Dear Friends, Google has suspended our #RemoveChinaApps from google play store. Thank you all for your support in past 2 weeks...," read the tweet. It did not mention why the app was removed. Google Play Store does not allow apps that "attempt to deceive users or enable dishonest behaviour". OneTouch AppLabs published a disclaimer on its website that Remove China Apps was "being developed for educational purposes only ... we do not promote or force people to uninstall any of the application(s)." However, users reported that the app helped them remove Chinese apps. According to a report in TechCrunch, some users even found that the Remove China Apps flagged content with hardly any clear China link, including U.S. video conferencing tool Zoom. The Remove China Apps became hugely popular in India as it crossed five million downloads from Google Play Store in just about 15 days since its launch. It was even ranked No. 1 among the top free apps on Google Play. The popularity of the app came amid border tensions between India and China in Ladakh and calls by Indian activists to boycott Chinese products. The #BoycottChineseProducts campaign got a major boost after educator and innovator Sonam Wangchuk last week posted a YouTube video urging people to avoid Chinese goods. Google on Tuesday removed another popular app, Mitron, from its Play Store for allegedly violating its spam and minimum functionality policy. The removal of the app came soon after reports emerged that the Mitron app is a repackaged version of TicTic, which is a TikTok clone. --IANS gb/na

After Mitron, Google Play Store takes down 'Remove China Apps'

<ul><li>The ‘<keyword id="9323566" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="remove-china-apps">Remove China Apps</keyword>’ app was downloaded over 5 million times in the span of two weeks and had over 96,000 reviews.</li><li>The app was reportedly removed for violating Google Play Store’s “Deceptive Behaviour policy”.</li><li>On June 2, Google also removed the Mitron app due to security issues. The app was an alternative for TikTok.</li></ul>The ‘Remove China Apps’ which offered users an option to identify and remove Chinese-origin apps has been removed from the Google Play store. This comes after Google removed the Mitron app, a TikTok alternative. According to a report by TechCrunch, Google pulled the ‘Remove China Apps’ app from the Play store for violating the “Deceptive Behaviour policy”. Here’s what the policy <a href="https://play.google.com/about/privacy-security-deception/deceptive-behavior/#!?zippy_activeEl=deceptive-settings%23deceptive-settings">says</a>, “We don't allow apps that attempt to deceive users or enable dishonest behaviour including but not limited to apps which are determined to be functionally impossible.” A full reading of the policy doesn’t reveal any direct violation on the part of the ‘Remove China Apps’. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76128369" title="‘Remove China Apps’ races to 5 million downloads within two weeks as anti-China sentiment gains momentum" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The app reached 5 million downloads within two weeks of its launch. Mitron app also removed by Google Mitron, an app that sprung up as a TikTok alternative, has also been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/mitron-tv-removed-from-google-playstore-and-its-security-has-been-questioned-by-experts/articleshow/76154629.cms">removed by Google</a> from the Play store, likely due to security concerns. According to reports, the Mitron app was built by using source code available on CodeCanyon for $34. The source code was reportedly bought from a Pakistani developer Irfan Sheikh. Other reports <a href="https://www.republicworld.com/technology-news/apps/google-play-store-removes-mitron-app-for-policy-violation-privacy.html">suggest</a> that the Mitron app was removed for being “repetitive”. India-China tensions to blame for the anti-China sentiment? The growing India-China tensions on the border [hyperlink] and elsewhere are partly to be blamed for rising anti-China sentiment in the country. Sonam Wangchuk, the man who inspired popular Bollywood film “3 Idiots” called on Indians to boycott Chinese products. He <a href="https://twitter.com/Wangchuk66/status/1266037999466250241">posted</a> a tweet asking people to vote with their wallets. <div type="twitter" handle="Wangchuk66" handlename="Sonam Wangchuk" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/513879948407234560/E_rcKBAW_normal.jpeg" favoritecount="32199" retweetcount="15990" status="USE YOUR WALLET POWER#BoycottMadeInChina #SoftwareInAWeekHardwareInAYear to stop Chinese bullying in Ladakh &amp; even… https://t.co/X2CGS7C8iW" createdat="1590681955000" id="1266037999466250241"></div> The emergence of TikTok alternatives can be credited to a slew of issues that affect the short-video platform, like the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/carry-minati-youtube-vs-tiktok-video-removed-for-violating-terms-of-service/articleshow/75749665.cms">ongoing debate between YouTube and TikTok</a> content creators. After outrage on social media, TikTok <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/faisal-siddiquis-tiktok-acid-attack-video-is-adding-to-the-growing-list-of-problems-for-the-platform-in-india/articleshow/75800571.cms#:~:text=Indians%20want%20to%20ban%20TikTok%20%E2%80%94%20yet%20again&amp;text=Ever%20since%20TikTok%20launched%20in,medical%20health%20issues%20among%20teens.">banned</a> Faizal Siddiqui for violating “multiple community guidelines”. The TikTok-er came under the lens for propagating acid attacks, which led to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/tiktok-gogole-play-ratings-fall-to-1-3-stars-after-4-million-comments/articleshow/75842653.cms">millions of 1-star ratings</a> on the Play store, dragging down TikTok’s rating from 4.8 to 1.3. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/remove-china-apps-races-to-1-million-downloads-within-two-weeks-as-anti-china-sentiment-gains-momentum/articleshow/76128369.cms" style="">‘Remove China Apps’ races to 5 million downloads within two weeks as anti-China sentiment gains momentum</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/mitron-tv-removed-from-google-playstore-and-its-security-has-been-questioned-by-experts/articleshow/76154629.cms" style="">Mitron app’s short-lived fame comes to an end as it gets removed from Google Playstore</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/india-china-border-dispute-beijing-sends-more-troops/articleshow/76060995.cms">China is reportedly adding troops on the Ladakh border⁠ and India is matching up to it</a>

‘Remove China Apps’ pulled from Google Play store after 5 million downloads

<ul><li>With the India-China border disputes escalating rapidly after decades of relative peace, the bilateral trade disparity has come into sharp focus once again.</li><li>Traders body CAIT and RSS’ Swadeshi Jagran Manch have called for boycott of Chinese goods, exacerbating the anti-China sentiment in the country.</li><li>However, experts suggest that India might not be able to boycott Chinese goods without hurting itself in the process.</li></ul>The threat of a full-blown conflict between the two nuclear powers, India and China, has many ramifications, not the least of which is the possibility of another supply shock. Indian companies have already seen <a href="https://indiaincgroup.com/a-lockdown-in-china-can-cause-supply-chain-disruptions-india-global-business/">what happens</a> when supplies from China were stalled during the lockdown - hurting automobile to tech and even pharma sectors. The current flare up in border disputes threatens to cause a similar disruption again. For instance, about 28% of all air conditioners in India are imported ⁠— aside from important parts like the compressor that also come from China ⁠— and about 15% to 20% of all automobile parts are imported, again mostly from China. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76402297" title="‘Serious clashes’ between India and China⁠ in Galwan Valley — India says Chinese forces violated June 6 agreement" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> China exports a lot more to India than the other way around According to figures <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/india-china-trade-declines-by-12-4-per-cent-in-first-two-months-of-this-year-amid-coronovirus-outbreak/articleshow/74970477.cms?from=mdr">released</a> by the Chinese customs authorities, the bilateral trade between India and China stood at $92.68 billion in 2019, with the trade deficit standing at $56.77 billion, which is more than 60% of the total trade. Trade deficit is the excess of imports over exports to a country. In 2018, the total bilateral trade stood at $95.7 billion, with the trade deficit standing at $58.04 billion. That means India imports four times as much stuff compared to what it exports to China A combination of a stronger dollar in 2019 and local manufacturing reduced the value of goods and services traded between India and China by $3 billion in the total trade in 2019. But that’s just a drop in the ocean. According to data obtained from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s <a href="https://commerce-app.gov.in/eidb/">Export &amp; Import Data Bank</a>, here are the top three imports from China to India in 2018-19: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Particulars </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">India'smports from China </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Electrical equipment </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$20.63 billion </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Nuclear reactors </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$13.4 billion </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Chemicals </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$8.6 billion </td></tr></tbody></table> Electrical equipment includes electronic items like smartphones and TV, and at over $20 billion, they account for more than 22% of India’s total imports from China. The Indian smartphone industry is also dominated by Chinese companies, with four out of five spots taken up by them, according to the latest Counterpoint <a href="https://www.counterpointresearch.com/indias-smartphone-market-grew-a-modest-4-annually-in-q1-2020-as-covid-19-impacted-late-in-the-quarter/">report</a>. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76207462" title="Inside India’s ₹50,000 crore scheme to woo electronics manufacturing including smartphones" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> This imbalance in bilateral trade has been an area of key concern for the Indian government, which has been demanding the Chinese administration to open up its IT and pharmaceutical sectors to Indian exporters. With talks still underway, India will have to wait longer for its demands to be fulfilled. India is also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/inside-indias-50000-crore-scheme-to-woo-electronics-manufacturing-including-smartphones/articleshow/76207462.cms">pushing for local manufacturing</a> for many of these products, in a bid to stave the reliance on China, but the factories and production will take time to materialise. Here are the top three exports from India to China in 2018-19: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Particulars </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">India’s exports to China </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Organic chemicals </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$3.25 billion </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mineral fuels </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$2.86 billion </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Cotton </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$1.79 billion </td></tr></tbody></table> Populists call for a boycott of China However, with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/remove-china-apps-races-to-1-million-downloads-within-two-weeks-as-anti-china-sentiment-gains-momentum/articleshow/76128369.cms">growing anti-China sentiment in India</a> due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/indian-army-on-india-china-war-in-galwan-valley-soldiers-killed/articleshow/76402297.cms">ongoing border tensions</a>, the disparity in bilateral trade has come into sharp focus once again. There have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/remove-china-apps-races-to-1-million-downloads-within-two-weeks-as-anti-china-sentiment-gains-momentum/articleshow/76128369.cms">calls for boycott of Chinese goods</a> across social media. This call has been led by people like Sonam Wangchuk, the engineer turned educationist on whom the protagonist of the popular Bollywood movie ‘3 Idiots’ was based. Apart from this, organisations like the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and RSS’ Swadeshi Jagran Manch have <a href="https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/cait-supports-call-to-boycott-chinese-products/76131952">also joined in</a> on the call to boycott these goods. However, experts suggest a blanket boycott might not really be possible. India’s former ambassador to the World Trade Organisation, Jayant Dasgupta, <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/how-india-can-solve-the-chinese-puzzle-without-hurting-itself/articleshow/76405868.cms">said</a>, “A significant part of the imports of intermediate products/components are used by our exporting units for their final products.” “Thus before identifying and developing alternative sources of supply in other countries including India, if we try to slow down imports from China, we would be seriously affecting our own competitiveness and growth as well as some of our own exports,” he further added, suggesting that we have a long way to go before we can reduce our reliance on Chinese goods. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/indian-army-on-india-china-war-in-galwan-valley-soldiers-killed/articleshow/76402297.cms">‘Serious clashes’ between India and China⁠ in Galwan Valley — India says Chinese forces violated June 6 agreement</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-india-china-dispute-on-ladakhs-galwan-valley-along-the-line-of-control/articleshow/76399372.cms">Simply put ⁠— the India-China dispute in Ladakh’s Galwan valley along the Line of Actual Control</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/experts-believe-that-the-india-china-border-dispute-is-unlikely-to-turn-into-another-war-like-the-one-in-1962/articleshow/76128454.cms">India and China are testing each other at the Ladakh border — but it won’t be another war like in 1962, according to experts</a>

You Searched For "Sonam Wangchuk" and got 7 results

Will go on 28-day fast from Aug 15 if govt doesn't initiate talks on our demands: Sonam Wangchuk

PTI

This Ladakhi engineer who inspired Aamir Khan’s role in 3 Idiots just received a prestigious global award

BI India Bureau

EXCLUSIVE: Chingari app is in talks with a global VC firm after the TikTok rival gets lit with over 10 million downloads⁠

Sanchita Dash

'Remove China Apps' crosses 5 million downloads on Google Play Store

IANS

After Mitron, Google Play Store takes down 'Remove China Apps'

IANS

‘Remove China Apps’ pulled from Google Play store after 5 million downloads

Rounak Jain

The boycott of China’s products will be easier said than done –⁠ smartphones, ACs and cars may become more expensive

Rounak Jain