News for 'Union finance ministry'

Low-cost bank branches under lens

Low-cost bank branches under lens

Rediff.com12 Apr 2012

To ensure its financial inclusion drive is not restricted to meeting branch opening targets, the Union finance ministry is to ask banks for a performance report of the 'ultra small' branches set up in the past two years in about 73,000 villages.

Excise duty hike on petrol, diesel put off by a month

Excise duty hike on petrol, diesel put off by a month

Rediff.com1 Oct 2022

The government has put off by one month the levy of an additional Rs 2 per litre excise duty on petrol and diesel that is not doped with ethanol and bio-diesel in a bid to give the industry more time to implement the measure.

After snub to Rajnath, Arun Jaitley to skip SAARC meet in Pakistan

After snub to Rajnath, Arun Jaitley to skip SAARC meet in Pakistan

Rediff.com16 Aug 2016

As persources, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das will represent India at the 2-day event to be hosted in Islamabad from August 25-26.

Sales tax: No compensation for states till GST rollout

Sales tax: No compensation for states till GST rollout

Rediff.com20 Mar 2012

The Central Sales Tax is imposed by the Centre but revenue goes to the states.

4 major things 47th GST Council is likely to discuss

4 major things 47th GST Council is likely to discuss

Rediff.com28 Jun 2022

The 47th GST Council meeting that is currently underway is slated to discuss a host of issues, including a mechanism for compensating states for revenue loss, tax rate tweaks in some items and relaxed registration norms for small online suppliers. Further, the meeting of the Council, chaired by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising state counterparts, will also clear levying the highest tax of 28 per cent on online games, casinos and horse racing, besides, measures to curb tax evasion, especially devising ways to tackle high-risk taxpayers in GST. "The meeting is being chaired by Hon'ble Union Minister of Finance @nsitharaman and many important decisions are expected to be taken at the meet," PIB Chandigarh tweeted.

Prabhu seeks merger of railway and union budgets

Prabhu seeks merger of railway and union budgets

Rediff.com15 Jul 2016

Currently, Railways is facing a loss of Rs 34,000 cr in passenger segment and its earnings are falling.

12 states better deficit projections

12 states better deficit projections

Rediff.com30 Sep 2005

'RBI shouldn't touch key rates now'

'RBI shouldn't touch key rates now'

Rediff.com7 Jun 2010

CRR is the proportion of deposits each bank must keep in the form of cash.

Modi 3.0: Focus Shifts To Governance

Modi 3.0: Focus Shifts To Governance

Rediff.com7 Oct 2024

'It would be reasonable to assume that Modi 3.0 would be more focused on projects and schemes which do not require any legislative change or which have the support of its coalition partners,' asserts A K Bhattacharya.

Coming soon: Biometric PAN cards!

Coming soon: Biometric PAN cards!

Rediff.com11 Apr 2011

The government has decided to issue biometric PAN (Permanent Account Number) cards to taxpayers across the country to weed out the problem of duplicate and fake ones.

Currency note-printing outsourced! Panel raps RBI

Currency note-printing outsourced! Panel raps RBI

Rediff.com30 Apr 2010

The Parliamentary Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) expressed serious concern over outsourcing of printing of Indian currency notes amounting to Rs 1 lakh crore (Rs 1 trillion) to three countries in 1997-98 and said that such a tendency would put India's economic sovereignty at stake.

Infra Brushstrokes For The Budget

Infra Brushstrokes For The Budget

Rediff.com30 Jan 2023

7 key areas that the Budget must address to re-energise the infrastructure sector, suggests Vinayak Chatterjee.

Should Banks Be Closed On ALL Saturdays?

Should Banks Be Closed On ALL Saturdays?

Rediff.com25 Jul 2023

Currently, banks are closed every second and fourth Saturday of a month. Why shouldn't they be shut every Saturday? When most customers carry their banks in their pocket (the app on the mobile phone), there is no need to keep banks open on Saturdays, argues Tamal Bandyopadhyay.

Run-up to Budget: Economic Survey may peg FY24 GDP growth at 6-7%

Run-up to Budget: Economic Survey may peg FY24 GDP growth at 6-7%

Rediff.com31 Oct 2022

The Economic Survey 2022-23 (FY23), to be presented a day before Union Budget 2023-24 (FY24), is likely to project India's real gross domestic product (GDP) growth between 6 per cent and 7 per cent for FY24, Business Standard has learnt. The broader theme of the Survey could be on how India has dealt with two years of a global pandemic and the ongoing geopolitical disturbance, the strengths and weaknesses that emerged, and what lessons may be learnt. The much-awaited Survey will be the first one by Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran and his team in the finance ministry's economic division.

DA hike to 31% effective from July 1: FinMin

DA hike to 31% effective from July 1: FinMin

Rediff.com26 Oct 2021

Dearness Allowance for central government employees has been hiked to 31 per cent of the basic pay from 28 per cent with effect from July 1, 2021, the Finance Ministry said. In an office memorandum, the Department of Expenditure, under the Finance Ministry, said the term 'basic pay' means the pay drawn as per the 7th pay commission matrix and does not include any other type of pay like special pay, etc. "....the Dearness Allowance payable to central government employees shall be enhanced from the existing rate of 28 per cent to 31 per cent of the basic pay with effect from July 1, 2021," said the office memorandum dated October 25.

Govt plans TDS in service tax

Govt plans TDS in service tax

Rediff.com18 Aug 2011

TDS has been successfully used for direct taxes like the income tax.

Assam: Gogoi wants more funds, not visits by Union ministers

Assam: Gogoi wants more funds, not visits by Union ministers

Rediff.com27 Jun 2015

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has stated that backward state of Assam and the Northeast region as a while need more fund from the Centre instead of frequent visits of Union ministers, a new and unprecedented trend since Independence.

Officer who headed 2G, CWG probes gets BJP ticket from Sarojini Nagar

Officer who headed 2G, CWG probes gets BJP ticket from Sarojini Nagar

Rediff.com2 Feb 2022

He was permanently absorbed into the ED cadre in 2014 and has headed some high-profile investigations into the 2G spectrum allocation case, the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the money laundering cases against former Union finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, the Aircel Maxis and VVIP choppers case.

Insurance staff salaries may rise

Insurance staff salaries may rise

Rediff.com25 Feb 2005

Fiscal deficit for 2021-22 at 6.7% of GDP, lower than earlier estimate

Fiscal deficit for 2021-22 at 6.7% of GDP, lower than earlier estimate

Rediff.com31 May 2022

Fiscal deficit for 2021-22 worked out to be 6.71 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), lower than 6.9 per cent projected by the Finance Ministry in the revised Budget Estimates, according to government data released on Tuesday. Unveiling the revenue-expenditure data of the Union government for 2020-21, the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) said that the fiscal deficit in the absolute terms was be Rs 15,86,537 crore (provisional).

FinMin considers fresh steps to curb inflation

FinMin considers fresh steps to curb inflation

Rediff.com18 May 2007

The department of economic affairs in the Union finance ministry has suggested aggressive sterilisation of foreign capital inflows, tightening of government expenditure and intervention in key farm produce markets like wheat.

Kerala finance minister booked in bar bribery scam

Kerala finance minister booked in bar bribery scam

Rediff.com11 Dec 2014

In a major embarrassment to the Congress-led United Democratic Frontn government in Kerala, state Finance Minister K M Mani was on Thursday booked by the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau in the bar bribe scam.

Why the team for Budget 2019 will be different

Why the team for Budget 2019 will be different

Rediff.com20 Nov 2018

Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia vacates his post on November 30 and Expenditure Secretary Ajay Narayan Jha, the second seniormost bureaucrat in the finance ministry, retires on January 31, the day before Jaitley presents the 2019-20 interim budget.

Budget 2020: FY21 growth rate likely to be pegged at 6-6.5%

Budget 2020: FY21 growth rate likely to be pegged at 6-6.5%

Rediff.com6 Jan 2020

It is also likely to assume a deflator of around 4 per cent. That could take the nominal GDP outlook for FY21 to around 10 per cent. It is this nominal GDP forecast on the basis of which the finance ministry is calculating key Budget targets like the fiscal deficit as a percentage of GDP and tax revenue growth for the coming year.

Govt may dilute stake in listed PSUs to 90%

Govt may dilute stake in listed PSUs to 90%

Rediff.com4 Jun 2009

May dilute stakes in PSUs to 90% instead of big-bang approach

Kerala FM is new chairman of GST Empowered Committee

Kerala FM is new chairman of GST Empowered Committee

Rediff.com25 Mar 2015

The GST, an indirect tax regime, is to be rolled out from April 2016.

Income Tax dept debuts on Twitter

Income Tax dept debuts on Twitter

Rediff.com7 Nov 2015

Income Tax dept debuts on Twitter.

Tax parity with ULIPs tops Afmi's wish list ahead of Union Budget

Tax parity with ULIPs tops Afmi's wish list ahead of Union Budget

Rediff.com5 Jan 2021

The pre-Budget proposals sent to the finance ministry aim to bring uniformity in tax treatment for investments in different financial sectors, mitigate hardship to retail taxpayers, and encourage participation in mutual funds.

Modi 3.0: Smriti Irani, Anurag Thakur out; allies in

Modi 3.0: Smriti Irani, Anurag Thakur out; allies in

Rediff.com9 Jun 2024

There is also speculation within the BJP that its national president J P Nadda, whose extended tenure will end by this month and who was among the leaders meeting Modi, may also be brought back in the government.

India made max requests to foreign financial intel agencies in '18-'19

India made max requests to foreign financial intel agencies in '18-'19

Rediff.com24 Jul 2020

The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the federal economic snoop agency under the Union finance ministry, sent 289 legal requests to its counterparts across the globe during 2018-19 as compared to 177 in 2017-18 and 138 in 2016-17.

FinMin likely to tax film rights

FinMin likely to tax film rights

Rediff.com5 Oct 2010

A recent decision of the high court in Chennai on the levy of service tax on software sale has made the Union finance ministry hopeful of a similar verdict in the case of copyright services.

GST: Centre borrows, transfers Rs 6,000 cr to 16 states, 2 UTs

GST: Centre borrows, transfers Rs 6,000 cr to 16 states, 2 UTs

Rediff.com23 Oct 2020

The Centre has borrowed and transferred Rs 6,000 crore as the first tranche of GST compensation shortfall to 16 states and two union territories, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar, Assam, Delhi and J&K, the finance ministry said on Friday. Last week, the Centre gave in to the demands of opposition-ruled states to borrow and fund the GST compensation shortfall.

Settle claims fast, govt tells insurance firms

Settle claims fast, govt tells insurance firms

Rediff.com28 Dec 2004

The ministry has also advised the Reserve Bank of India to make provisions for immediate relief in the affected areas.

Jaitley unlikely to be a minister in new govt on account of ill health

Jaitley unlikely to be a minister in new govt on account of ill health

Rediff.com24 May 2019

Jaitley, 66, has become 'very weak' as his health has deteriorated over the past few weeks, sources said, adding that he has developed some throat condition as well that prevents him from speaking for long.

ED's Rajeshwar Singh to retire; may contest UP polls on BJP ticket

ED's Rajeshwar Singh to retire; may contest UP polls on BJP ticket

Rediff.com20 Aug 2021

A BTech and PhD in police, human rights and social justice, Singh joined the federal anti-money laundering investigations agency in 2009 on deputation from Uttar Pradesh where he was serving as a state police service officer.

Banks alarmed at rising defaults in study loans

Banks alarmed at rising defaults in study loans

Rediff.com19 Aug 2010

With a rising proportion of Non-Performing Assets in education loans, banks have approached the government, seeking protection in the form of a credit guarantee fund of at least Rs 2,500 crore.

With 4 new ministers, Karnataka now has 6 in Union council

With 4 new ministers, Karnataka now has 6 in Union council

Rediff.com7 Jul 2021

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inducting four new faces from Karnataka into his ministry, and chemicals and fertilisers minister D V Sadanda Gowda resigning ahead of the reshuffle, the state's representation in the Union council of ministers now stands at six.