Ask rediffGURU Reetika Sharma your insurance, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
A shift appears underway in India's tax landscape. States with relatively smaller tax collections like Odisha and Telangana are emerging as the fastest-growing contributors to indirect and direct tax collections, respectively.
The Congress will launch a nationwide campaign against the repeal of the United Progressive Alliance-era rural employment legislation Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on January 5, similar to the pushback against the three farm laws which eventually forced the Narendra Modi government to rollback its decision, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
From appointment letters becoming mandatory to gig workers receiving social security to enhanced rights for women and contract labour, the changes reflect India's attempt to balance ease of doing business with stronger worker welfare.
Younger customers should opt for increasing cover as their financial commitments are likely to rise in the future.
Even as festive hiring for the year surged, wage parity between gig and permanent employees remained unresolved, with 47 per cent of respondents believing there is a pay gap, a report has revealed.
Banks are receiving requests for cancellation of approved car loans, in view of the implementation of GST rate cut, which will lower the price of passenger vehicles and also lead to subsequent reduction in the amount needed to purchase them. It is to be noted that the 56th GST Council meeting earlier this month, approved substantial reduction in the GST rate for cars for up to 1,200 cc to 18 per cent from the existing 28 per cent.
Recent years have been turbulent for the insurance industry due to direct and indirect tax reforms, regulatory overhaul and other external pressures. The events cumulatively slowed growth rate to single digits from the high teens seen earlier.
'Removing Nitish Kumar prematurely risks unsettling both the alliance balance and parts of the social coalition that delivered this victory.'
The Assam assembly on Thursday passed a bill to ban polygamy, making it an offence which may lead to a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment, barring some exceptions.
Merely saying merely 'I am bored' may be a weak reason for a transfer. Your reason to switch should be stronger and purposeful, advises Shruti Swaroop, founder of Embrace Consulting and co-founder of International Inclusion Alliance.
When illness strikes, this cover cushions the fall -- guarding health, finances, and the family's fragile future
K Krithivasan, the chief executive and managing director of India's largest IT services company TCS, took home a remuneration of Rs 26.52 crore in FY25.
The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday announced a reduction in vehicle prices by up to Rs 1.29 lakh effective September 22 to pass on the GST rate cut benefit to customers.
'States should be compensated for the revenue loss for at least five years or beyond till the revenue stabilises.'
'Marathwada is the suicide capital of Maharashtra.' 'To stop such man-made disasters, the government should immediately come up with a rightful package, not this charitable approach to compensation.'
Festive buying spree unleashed by lower tax rates pushed gross GST collection to about Rs 1.96 lakh crore in October, registering a 4.6 per cent year-on-year growth -- the slowest rate so far this fiscal.
Opening up the corner office is fine, but will the government be able to attract talent without giving a market-rate salary?, asks Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Lower rates effectively increase disposable income, strengthen purchasing capacity, and support broader consumption growth.
'In diabetes remission, you go below a 6.5 HbA1c without medication.' 'And this happens only when you lose 10 to 15 per cent of your body weight with a good amount of lifestyle and dietary changes, exercise and sometimes medication.' 'You have to be able to sustain your HBA1C below 6.5 for at least a year without medication to say that the patient is in remission.'
If you want to inspire the young workforce, focus on building transparency, purpose and social responsibility, says notes Varun Sachdeva, SVP and APAC head, NLB Services.
Gen Z, driven by AI anxiety and economic pragmatism, have concerns about pursuing passions as careers as they fear it may not make them enough sufficient income.
Most think tax-saving deductions exist only in the old regime. But the New one quietly retains 40+ ways to ease your tax load
New lower GST rates kicked in from Monday, resulting in a slashing of prices of as many as 375 items ranging from toothpaste and shampoo to cars and television sets, a move seen as an attempt to boost consumption to cushion an economy facing tariff headwinds. Tax rates of 5, 12, 18, and 28 per cent have been clubbed into two rates of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, resulting in a reduced price of 99 per cent of daily use items.
Two-wheeler sales volume is expected to grow 5-6 per cent this fiscal, while that of passenger vehicles to see a 2-3 per cent rise, following the GST rates rationalisation on automobiles, according to Crisil Ratings. The GST Council's decision to move to a two-rate structure of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, effective September 22, 2025, is a timely move that will revive demand for automobiles, Crisil Ratings said in a statement.
GST Reform 2.0, which trims tax slabs from four to two, signals a push for demand-led growth, and together with recent income tax cuts, sets the stage for sustained economic growth, experts said. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on September 3 approved an overhaul of the indirect tax regime by taxing essentials at 5 per cent and other goods at 18 per cent. A new 40 per cent tax will be applicable on luxury and sin items.
Prime Minister Modi urged the people of the country to take pride in selling and buying indigenous goods.
Daily essentials and food products will be cheaper from Monday, as leading FMCG companies have slashed prices, extending GST cut benefits to consumers.
'Our politics is transparent -- it's about ensuring farmers don't die by suicide, about ensuring agriculture remains viable, about ensuring food security for the nation.' 'If that's politics, then yes, we do politics.'
'Legally clean farmland is difficult to find. It requires time, money, and legal effort to verify the title.'
BSE 200 companies together paid 5,819.75 crore as remuneration to their CEOs and directors in FY25, up from 5,352.8 crore a year earlier.
These changes certainly bring India's GST a lot closer to what an ideal GST would look like, points out Karan Bhasin.
'Investing in these funds makes sense if their net yield over better-quality funds -- corporate bond funds or banking and PSU funds -- is meaningful.'
'Immigrants have always been America's greatest strength, building prosperity, breakthroughs, and communities that enrich us all. Instead of embracing that strength, Trump is clamping down on every form of immigration, tearing families apart, destabilising businesses, and weakening our economy'
'Ek baar aap GST dekh lo!' - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gentle nudge to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in December last year sparked the beginning of a mammoth exercise to overhaul the tangled goods and services tax regime. And the final outcome is a significantly simplified system with lower tax rates and easier compliance for businesses.
Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani drew nil salary from his oil-to-telecom-and-retail conglomerate Reliance Industries for the fifth year in a row and dividends remain his main source of earnings. Ambani, 68, had capped his annual remuneration at Rs 15 crore from financial year 2008-09 (April 2008 to March 2009) to 2019-20 (FY20); and since FY21, he opted to forego his salary, due to COVID-19 pandemic, until the company and all its businesses were fully back to their earnings potential.
Simplifying GST rates, removing exemptions, easing disputes, and speeding up refunds can boost investment in India and offer the best reply to Trump's tariffs, observes V S Krishnan, former member, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
The life insurance industry does not have a good track record when it comes to passing on tax benefits to policyholders, points out Harsh Roongta.
A special court acquitted seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, citing a lack of cogent and reliable evidence. The court emphasized that mere suspicion cannot replace real proof and highlighted loopholes in the prosecution's case.
Nearly 17 years after a blast in Malegaon town of north Maharashtra claimed six lives, a special court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all the seven accused, including former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, noting there was 'no reliable and cogent evidence' against them.
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