WhatsApp has released detailed FAQs on its upcoming username feature, outlining measures to address concerns around impersonation, scams, and unwanted contact, amidst government scrutiny.
The Supreme Court has refused to grant an interim stay on the imposition of Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI person-to-merchant transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, which is set to take effect from October 15. The court has agreed to examine the challenge to this new fee and has issued notices to the Centre, RBI, and NPCI, seeking their responses within four weeks. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) argues that the levy lacks statutory safeguards, transparency, and public consultation, and could adversely affect merchants and consumers.
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI payments exceeding Rs 2,000 made to merchants, effective from October 15, with a comprehensive framework set to take full effect by October 15, 2026. This policy aims to regulate transaction fees while protecting small merchants and person-to-person transactions.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) stated that the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) "is distributed only amongst the UPI ecosystem, to further invest into infrastructure resilience, innovation, cybersecurity (protecting the UPI infrastructure with banks and non-banks) and customer service."
The government is introducing a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI person-to-merchant payments above Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move ends the zero-MDR regime, aiming to fund UPI infrastructure and sustainability, as the previous government subsidy was insufficient to cover operational costs. Payments between individuals and most everyday merchant transactions will remain free.
GSTN has put on hold its planned enhancements to the e-way bill system, providing businesses with crucial time to adapt to the proposed changes amid widespread industry concerns.
The government has released a set of FAQs to address concerns and clarify the details surrounding the Women's Reservation Bill, which aims to provide 33 per cent quota for women in legislatures.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has released a 198-page guidance note to assist crypto-asset service providers in complying with reporting obligations under the Income-tax Act, 2025, aligning India with the OECD's Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (Carf) for automatic exchange of tax information.
WhatsApp has asserted that username reservation relating to well-known public figure names is restricted only to their legitimate account owners, and termed as "false" any claims that people are reserving popular or well-known usernames.
Read your counselling bulletin, start to finish. Each counselling body speaks its own language, lets you edit choices differently and puts a different price on changing your mind, says Ashok Hegde, founder, neet2seat.
Indian stock exchanges are actively preparing to implement a new closing auction mechanism (CAS) from August 3, aimed at enhancing transparency in determining closing prices for securities with derivative contracts.
India's IT Ministry has issued notices to Telegram and Signal, following a similar action against WhatsApp, questioning their username features due to concerns over increased online fraud, phishing, and impersonation. The government is seeking explanations on how these platforms address such risks, with one homegrown app already disabling the feature.
Government sources have clarified that a passport has never been considered proof of citizenship in India, a stance consistent for the past 12 years and rooted in the Passport Act 1967. This clarification, reiterated by the Ministry of External Affairs, has drawn criticism from opposition leaders and public figures.
For members, the message is simple: don't be misled by headlines about '100% withdrawal'. The basic purpose of the EPF remains unchanged -- to help employees build a financial cushion for retirement while allowing limited access to savings for genuine needs during their working lives.
The 16th Census of India in 2026 will treat stable live-in relationships as marriages, according to the self-enumeration portal's FAQ section. The portal provides guidance on various housing and household-related questions for self-enumeration.
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have expressed significant concerns regarding the labour ministry's recent clarifications on labour codes, citing ambiguity in wage calculation and implementation, which they argue creates interpretational and operational challenges for employers.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in a 'H-1B FAQ' document, released on Sunday, said that the September 19 proclamation took an "important, initial, and incremental step" to reform the H-1B visa programme to curb abuses and protect American workers.
Most owners assume car insurance covers everything, but hidden exclusions can lead to claim rejections and unexpected financial shocks.
Companies would have to recognise the increase in gratuity liability arising from new labour codes in their interim financial statements and results for the period ending December 31, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has said in its FAQs on the new labour codes.
The new labour Codes, notified by the central government in November 2025, have pushed up employee costs for private-sector banks and insurance companies, with these firms reporting higher operating expenses in the October-December quarter (Q3FY26) due to the statutory impact of the new labour Codes.
Recalling or relabelling medicines already in the supply chain before September 22 will not be mandatory, the finance ministry said on Tuesday, issuing a fresh set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) to address industry concerns following the announcement of goods and services tax (GST) revisions.
'Trading without strict position sizing, stop-loss discipline, or a clear exit plan almost guarantees losses.' 'Chasing tips, reacting to intraday noise, or assuming frequent trading improves outcomes are equally damaging habits.'
Here's what you must know about the new rule, its implications, and whether it affects taxpayers' rights and privacy.
Most think tax-saving deductions exist only in the old regime. But the New one quietly retains 40+ ways to ease your tax load
A deep dive into Trump's new policy and what it means for Indian professionals and companies.
The Income Tax department is working on simplified I-T forms and aims to notify new rules by December-end to give effect to the new I-T Act, which will come into force from April 1 next year, a senior tax official said on Monday.
If you don't make the necessary adjustments after October 1, 2024, you'll stop earning interest on accounts that aren't in compliance rediffGURU Milind Vadjikar
'That is going to have an impact on literally every one, whether you buy a toothpaste, a safety pin, a car, shoes or medicines or you go to a diagnostic centre.'
Learn to track your ITR's progress and correct any errors.
With national emergency in Israel still in place and the airspace closed, the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv on Tuesday asked for those Indians looking to leave the country to look at availing land border crossing options.
Some of the key names include: Maruti, M&M, Ashok Leyland, Britannia, Ultratech, JK Cement, Havells, Voltas, Amber, Metro, Trent, LemonTree, Indian Hotels, Niva Bupa, HDFC Life, IGL, Acme Solar, Suzlon, Swiggy, Delhivery, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finance, Shriram Finance," according to a report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
'The new Bill introduces no policy or rate changes, leaving financial planning strategies largely unaffected.'
'The considerations for choosing between the old and new tax regimes remain essentially unchanged.'
Cross-check key documents, maximise your deductions, avoid errors, and ensure you get your refund smoothly.
Anamika Pareek answers five most frequently asked questions about investing in silver ETFs
We present a FAQ on the Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, which the government hopes to table in the Parliament after being held-up for three years because of in-house differences.
Atul Prashar, examination expert from TCYonline, takes a closer look at the various sections of the GRE and scoring patterns.
The announcement that the CAT will now be a computer-based test has given rise to numerous questions in the minds of test-taker. The FAQs mentioned below are an attempt to answer those questions based on the information currently available.
All that you must know about the pros and cons of gift deeds, tax implications, essentials, documents required, conditions, etc...
Do you know about the different types of plastic money available in the market today. Here is an FAQ on the most popular plastic cards used in India.
The income tax department on Wednesday issued FAQs on changes in the capital gains tax saying the idea behind it was to simplify the tax structure and promote ease of compliance. The holding period for various asset classes for the purpose of short- and long-term capital gains tax has been rationalised. The holding period of all listed assets will be now one year for the purpose of long-term capital gains tax (LTCG).
