'If a common man wants to buy an air purifier for Rs 10,000, then he will have to shell out Rs 11,800 with 18 percent GST.' 'If he is charged GST at 5 percent the same air purifier will cost Rs 10,500.' 'This saves a one time amount of Rs 1,300 -- and that too just to breathe clean air.'
As the year winds down, regardless of what it may have been, the belief is that the next year will be better, and that is what gives December its edge.
The Indian men ruled white-ball cricket, while South Africa ended decades of hurt by winning the World Test Championship at Lord's. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their maiden IPL title, though the celebrations were dimmed by a deadly stampede. Above all, it was India's women who won a billion hearts by finally adding an ICC World Cup trophy to the cabinet.
After Saturday's 2-1 win at Chelsea - their 12th in 13 league matches - Aston Villa have claimed 18 points from losing positions so far this season, more than any other team.
The national selectors brought back wicketkeeper-batter Kishan along with Rinku Singh while dropping Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill who has been struggling in the T20 format.
'I won't do anything I don't believe in just for money.'
Intent does not always translate immediately into numbers, and effort however sincere needs to find expression in runs, especially with a World Cup drawing closer.
As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
'He was everything to me! And always has been through good times and bad.'
Is coconut oil the wonder food it is said to be?
'A locked door during intimacy does not mean negligence; it means respect,' says rediffGURU Kanchan Rai, founder of the Let Us Talk Foundation.
Rohit bhai scolding is mixed with love and indulgence: Yashasvi Jaiswal
Only firms that have scale in content and a technology engine that drives its discovery and monetisation can compete,' explains Vanita Kohli Khandekar.
Lionel Messi's brief appearance in Kolkata was marred by security breaches and crowd management issues, raising concerns about planning and coordination. Eyewitness accounts and social media footage reveal a chaotic scene with organizers and VIPs crowding the player, leading to his early withdrawal and subsequent protests.
'As soon as Salman saw me, he immediately left Aamir's side and came towards me. He hugged me.' 'Then he introduced me to Aamir, saying, 'This is J K Bihari who launched me in Biwi Ho Toh Aisi".'
With the T20 World Cup less than two months away, India would want their captain Suryakumar Yadav to rediscover his rhythm sooner rather than later.
He had copped a two-match suspension during the previous series against South Africa for offensive gestures during the Asia Cup games against India that "brought the game into disrepute" in September.
Sanju Samson boasts of a superb record in T20 Internationals, with 995 runs in 51 matches at a strike rate of 147.40, including three centuries and as many fifties.
Both Suryavanshi and skipper Mhatre are coming into the tournament following a great run of form in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Ashwin said bluntly that Lyon is "lucky" to be in a system where a player can vent without fear of fallout.
Dhurandhar's most dangerous idea is that Director Aditya Dhar envisions an Indian state run by a deep state -- an intelligence machinery not accountable to Parliament, courts, or voters. A future political system where unelected officials decide when Indian democracy is 'fit' to function, observes Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has reversed his retirement from Test and T20I cricket, and wants to represent his country across all three formats before calling it quits.
'4 lakh to 5 lakh people graduating in computer science getting jobs in software companies will not happen.'
'IndiGo abruptly cancelled our Kolkata-Purnea flight citing bad weather, despite clear conditions and another airline operating the same route, causing severe inconvenience.'
'If at all human beings require a religion, the future religion will be Hinduism.'
Public sector banks have written off loans worth Rs 6.15 lakh crore in the last five and a half years, Parliament was informed on Monday.
rediffGURU Anu Krishna suggests how to deal with a partner who doesn't contribute to house chores.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma feels facing an Indian side with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is nothing new.
The controversial decision to select Shubman Gill in place of a well-settled Sanju Samson as the opener has backfired for the Indian team so far.
'I kept urging Salman to see Pokiri, and one day, past midnight, he finally turned up at a Mumbai preview theatre to see it. Nervously, I waited for Salman's reaction to Pokiri. After watching it, he walked past me without a word. I followed anxiously, and before sitting in his car, he just signalled thumbs up.'
Shubman Gill has been guilty of taking too much load on himself since his T20 comeback and the Indian team wants him to bat as freely as he does in the IPL, said assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.
'You deserve a love you can have wholly, and not just in pieces, and in the shadows,' counsels rediffGURU Ravi Mittal, CEO, of Quack Quack, an online dating Website.
Returning to the Brahmaputra for Vijay Diwas was not just a journey across geography, but across memory of war, service, sacrifice, and the enduring bond between the Indian Air Force and the north east, asserts Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
'I just want my players to play our game, we can't copy-paste. We Indians have our own flavour, and we just need to play our game.'
The continued MF buying has pushed the equity holding of MFs to over Rs 50 trillion for the first time.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk voices strong support for the H1B visa program, highlighting the immense benefit the US has derived from Indian talent and cautioning against shutting it down.
Real Madrid suffered a shock 2-0 loss and finished with nine men against Celta Vigo in LaLiga on Sunday.
Manchester City's Erling Haaland achieved the feat in 111 games, 13 fewer than the previous fastest centurion Alan Shearer.
'A majority of filmmakers cannot truly understand the city because they don't live here,' says Anusha Rizvi, Director, The Great Shamsuddin Family.
'They are most authentic when it comes to being with each over food.'
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