The central government has proposed just two tax rates of 5 per cent and 18 per cent in the revamped Goods and Services Tax (GST), slated to replace the current indirect tax regime by Diwali this year, highly placed sources said.
The Congress party has criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handling of GST reforms, calling them inadequate and demanding an apology for the tax imposed on essential items. They argue that the reforms are merely a 'band-aid' solution and that the government should address the states' demand for extended compensation.
To ensure a glitch-free rollout of the next-generation GST with reduced rates and lesser slabs, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired three separate meetings to assess GSTN's preparedness and the time it would take to implement technological changes required in the software systems.
The BCCI invited bids for the Indian cricket team's title sponsorship rights after fantasy sports giants Dream11's pullout.
Union Minister Nityanand Rai launched a scathing attack on Congress, stating that the party takes "pleasure" in insulting Bihar and its people.
Prime Minister Modi urged the people of the country to take pride in selling and buying indigenous goods.
'It must become faceless, just as the entire direct tax assessment system has already become fully online, without any human intervention in the normal course,' recommends A K Bhattacharya.
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.
The MLA physically blocked the police vehicle, demanding Deshmukh's release, alleging biased action by the law enforcement officials.
Agriculture, pharma, electronics, and engineering goods together accounted for over 50 per cent of India's merchandise exports in 2024-25, according to government data, highlighting the country's growing strength in diverse sectors amid efforts to boost manufacturing and value-added exports.
GST 2.0 may cushion consumers against US tariffs, but like the 2019 corporate tax cut, it risks being another tactical fix rather than a structural growth strategy, expects Debashis Basu.
Rediff Labs team analysed the data on tobacco use in India.
'It's there in everyone's heart. That's the beauty of masterpieces.'
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel has reportedly been removed as the interim head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) by the Trump administration in the US, which has replaced him with Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, the Washington Post said on Thursday.
Promoters of India's top private listed companies have cut their stakes sharply since 2021, taking advantage of elevated valuations and reshaping ownership dynamics in the market. Holdings of promoters in the top 200 privately owned listed firms declined nearly 600 basis points (bps) to 37 per cent at the end of FY25, from 43 per cent in FY21.
Seventy years after Pather Panchali released on August 26, 1955, we finally get it. Shuttling between the village of Boral and a studio in Calcutta, caught between worrying about the next purse of funds and wondering which item to mortgage next, Satyajit Ray was explaining Indians to themselves, discovers Sreehari Nair.
The proposed amendment to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act puts the livelihooNewd of millions of women in jeopardy, according to a study. The new insertion (Section 10A(3)) makes it mandatory for persons to obtain licences, permissions and registrations for manufacturing, selling and distributing any tobacco product, it said. "This insertion if implemented will be an extremely harsh measure for small vendors who do not have the competency or financial means to obtain such licence," said the study by human rights lawyer Vibha Vasuki and senior professor of anthropology Siva Prasad Rambhatla.
Palm Springs Fire Chief Paul Alvarado confirmed that the explosion was intentional, with the blast damaging multiple buildings across several blocks.
In the second part we will explain the ways of tobacco use and its consequences.
A 40-year-old man in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district beheaded his father on Tuesday after he refused to give him Rs 10 to buy 'gutkha', police said. The accused went to a police station carrying the severed head to surrender himself. The murder took place following a heated exchange of words between the accused and his parents.
India's exports rose 9.03 per cent to $38.49 billion in April, the highest in six months, driven by healthy growth in sectors such as electronics and engineering goods, while the trade deficit widened to a five-month high of $26.42 billion. According to the commerce ministry data released on Thursday, imports increased by 19.12 per cent year-on-year to $64.91 billion in April due to a rise in shipments of crude oil and fertiliser.
In the two-minute video clip, two Nihang Sikhs could be seen engaging in an altercation with Harmanjeet.
India's trade relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan are expected to come under strain due to Ankara and Baku backing Islamabad and condemning India's recent strikes on terror camps in Pakistan. Following their support to Pakistan, calls for boycotting Turkish goods and tourism have surfaced across the country, with online travel platforms such as EaseMyTrip and Ixigo issuing advisories against visiting these nations.
rediffGURU Dr Shyam Jamalabad offers advice on how to improve your dental health and hygiene.
Patel has previously worked at the justice department as a trial attorney for three years before taking on roles at the National Security Council, the office of the director of National Intelligence, and the department of defence, the report said.
India's exports grew marginally by 0.7 per cent to $41.97 billion in March, while the trade deficit stood at $21.54 billion in the month, the latest government data showed on Tuesday.
The revival of the phytosanitary protocol with China is expected to boost tobacco exports to China and prove economically beneficial to Indian farmers.
The quitline number -- 1800-11-2356 -- is a dedicated toll-free number to help tobacco users receive free support and guidance to subdue their addiction.
'Imagine the message it sends to people. They will think tobacco cannot be a killer because LIC is investing in it.' 'The so-called rakshak (protector) has become a bhakshak (destroyer).'
Some questions cited concerns that larger warnings can hurt tobacco farmers and boost illicit trade.
Even after the removal of breast tissue, it is possible that the cancer may recur in the chest wall or the area where the surgery was performed, warns Dr Meghal Sanghavi, oncosurgeon, at Wockhardt Hospitals.
Goods from sectors, including agriculture, precious stones, chemicals, pharma, medical devices, electricals, and machinery may get impacted if the US will go ahead with imposing reciprocal tariffs on Indian products, according to experts. They said that these sectors could face additional customs duties from the Trump administration because of the high tariff differential or gap, which is the difference between the import duties imposed by the US and India on a product.
Tobacco will be subjected to the highest tax slab of 28 per cent and an additional cess. The current rates of taxation on cigarettes and chewing tobacco are about 64 per cent and 81 per cent, respectively.
Everything you need to know about Coldplay's concert at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium on January 18, 19 and 21.
India currently allows up to 100 per cent FDI in this sector, but the health ministry has moved a draft note for the cabinet to ban foreign investment in this sector
A 36-year-old Indian-origin man has been shot and killed after a teenage boy robbed a convenience store in the United States state of North Carolina, authorities said.
The main issue in combating smoking is quality tobacco cessation and counseling services. Without these, there is no way to effectively enforce these bans.
People who think that smokeless tobacco is safe better think twice before using it.
'Everything can be resolved, but my husband's legacy is not up for sale.'
The facility, which will manufacture nicotine and nicotine salts, will conform to stringent US and EU pharmacopoeia standards that define purity levels at 99.2 per cent for nicotine meant for pharmaceutical products. ITC will leverage the institutional capabilities of its century-old leaf tobacco business for this. ITC's cigarettes business saw disruptions across the value chain with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The company mentioned in its annual report that with easing of restrictions and improvement in mobility from September 2020 onwards, the business recovered progressively over the remainder of the year to reach nearly pre-Covid levels towards the close of the year.
