India Archives - Page 90 of 267

01 Jan

New Excise Duty on Cigarettes to Take Effect From February 1, Prices Likely to Rise

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiacigarette excise duty, cigarette price hike, finance ministry order, tobacco taxation India

New Delhi, January 1, 2026: The Centre has announced a fresh excise duty on cigarettes, a move that is set to increase retail prices from February 1 and impact smokers nationwide. An order issued by the finance ministry said the revised duty will be imposed based on the length of cigarettes, ranging between ₹2,050 and ₹8,500 per 1,000 sticks, in addition to the existing 40 per cent Goods and Services Tax. The new levy comes at a time when the overall tax burden on cigarettes in India is estimated at about 53 per cent, well below the 75 per cent…

01 Jan

ED Seizes Fresh Cash and Jewellery Worth Nearly Rs 10 Crore in Probe Against Absconding Criminal Inderjit Yadav

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaED raids Delhi, Enforcement Directorate, Inderjit Yadav, money laundering case

New Delhi, January 1, 2026: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday seized Rs 1.22 crore in cash and jewellery valued at Rs 8.5 crore during fresh searches linked to a money-laundering investigation against UAE-based absconding criminal Inderjit Yadav, officials said. The latest recovery was made from a farmhouse in Delhi owned by Sunil Gupta. According to officials, Gupta had earlier extended loans to Aman Kumar, an alleged associate of Yadav. The agency suspects that Kumar attempted to divert and conceal proceeds of crime by transferring funds to Gupta after the ED initiated its probe. A day earlier, the ED had…

01 Jan

India to Launch First Vande Bharat Sleeper Train on Kolkata–Guwahati Route, PM Modi to Flag Off Service

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaIndian Railways, Kolkata Guwahati train, PM Narendra Modi, Vande Bharat Sleeper Train

New Delhi, January 1, 2026: India is poised to achieve a significant milestone in railway travel with the launch of its first-ever Vande Bharat Sleeper Train on the Kolkata–Guwahati corridor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the 16-coach semi-high-speed train in the coming days, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Thursday. The new sleeper variant of the Vande Bharat Express has been designed to offer long-distance passengers a modern, comfortable, and affordable travel option. Capable of carrying more than 800 passengers, the train combines advanced technology with passenger-centric features aimed at enhancing overnight journeys between eastern and northeastern…

01 Jan

ATF Prices Cut by Over 7%, Commercial LPG Becomes Costlier as Oil Firms Revise Rates

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaATF price cut, aviation turbine fuel, commercial LPG price hike, oil marketing companies

New Delhi, January 1, 2026: State-owned oil marketing companies on Thursday revised fuel prices in line with global benchmarks, reducing the price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) by 7.3 per cent while increasing the rate of commercial LPG cylinders by Rs 111. According to official data, the price of ATF in the national capital was lowered by Rs 7,353.75 per kilolitre, bringing it down to Rs 92,323.02 per kl. The reduction is expected to provide some relief to airlines, for whom fuel accounts for a significant portion of operating costs.In contrast, commercial LPG prices saw an upward revision. The cost…

01 Jan

New Year Ushers in Showers Across Tricity as Cold Wave Intensifies

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, Punjab, TrendingNew Year

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The first day of 2026 began on a cool and cloudy note in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, with light rain reported from several localities. The brief spells of drizzle, forecast in advance by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), further lowered temperatures and added to the winter chill in the region. Across Punjab, Haryana and other parts of northern India, similar weather conditions prevailed, with overcast skies and occasional showers observed through the day. Meteorologists said the ongoing weather activity has strengthened cold conditions, particularly in the plains where sunshine remained limited. Earlier forecasts from the IMD had…

31 Dec

New Financial and Tax Rules Take Effect From January 1, 2026, Impacting Taxpayers and Bank Customers

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiacredit score update, income tax changes, New Year 2026 rules, PAN Aadhaar linking

New Delhi, December 31, 2025— As the new year begins on January 1, 2026, a series of major financial and tax-related changes have come into force across India, directly affecting individual taxpayers, salaried employees and banking customers. The changes relate to income tax return filing, PAN-Aadhaar linking, credit score updates, implementation of the Eighth Pay Commission and possible revisions in LPG prices. From January 1 onwards, taxpayers will no longer be allowed to file revised income tax returns for the assessment year 2025–26. The deadline for submitting a revised return ended on December 31, 2025. After this date, those seeking…

31 Dec

Jaishankar Delivers PM Modi’s Condolence Letter to Tarique Rahman as Bangladesh Bids Farewell to Khaleda Zia

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, World NewsIndia-Bangladesh relations, Khaleda Zia funeral, S Jaishankar, Tarique Rahman

New Delhi/Dhaka (Rajeev Sharma)— External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday met Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman in Dhaka and handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, conveying India’s condolences over the death of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia as large crowds gathered for her funeral. Shortly after his arrival in the Bangladeshi capital, Jaishankar called on Rahman, the acting chairman of the BNP and Khaleda Zia’s eldest son, and expressed sympathy on behalf of the Indian government and people. Jaishankar is in Dhaka to represent India at the funeral of the veteran leader,…

31 Dec

ED Attaches ₹150 Crore London Property Linked to S Kumars Bank Fraud Case

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiabank fraud, Enforcement Directorate, money laundering, Nitin Kasliwal, S Kumars Nationwide

New Delhi, December 31, 2025: The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached an immovable property valued at ₹150 crore near Buckingham Palace in London as part of its probe into an alleged bank loan fraud and money laundering case involving textile major S Kumars Nationwide Ltd and its former chairman and managing director, Nitin Kasliwal. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the federal agency said the attachment was carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The property, described as high-value real estate, is held under the beneficial ownership of Kasliwal and his family members. According to the ED,…

31 Dec

India Successfully Tests Pralay Missiles, Strengthening Indigenous Strike Capability

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaDRDO, India missile test, indigenous defence technology, Pralay missile

New Delhi, December 31, 2025—India on Wednesday successfully conducted back-to-back test-firings of its indigenously developed Pralay missiles from the Odisha coast, reinforcing the country’s growing prowess in advanced missile technology. The launches were carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation as part of user evaluation trials aimed at assessing the system’s operational performance. The Ministry of Defence said both missiles met all mission parameters and accurately followed their designated trajectories. Data gathered through tracking sensors confirmed that the tests achieved their intended objectives, demonstrating consistency, precision and reliability under simulated operational conditions. Pralay is a short-range, quasi-ballistic missile…

31 Dec

Centre Bans High-Dose Nimesulide Tablets Over Health Risks, Restricts Oral Formulations Above 100 mg

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaDrugs and Cosmetics Act, health ministry notification, nimesulide ban, painkiller regulation

New Delhi, December 31, 2025— The central government has imposed an immediate nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale and distribution of oral nimesulide tablets containing doses above 100 mg, citing serious concerns related to public health and patient safety. The decision, taken under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, comes amid growing scrutiny over the safety profile of the widely used painkiller. According to an official notification issued by the health ministry, oral formulations of nimesulide exceeding the 100 mg limit, including immediate-release tablets, have been found to pose potential risks to human health. Nimesulide, a non-steroidal…