Market-linked wealth creation combines life protection and flexible fund switching with tax benefits for long-term financial goals.
Tata AIA Param Raksha Life Pro+ combines investment-linked wealth creation through a range of market-linked funds with comprehensive life protection. Key operative features include unlimited free fund switching, a high sum assured death benefit, advance payout for terminal illness, accidental disability and accidental death covers, and return of premiums options. The product is presented as addressing long-term financial goals while offering tax benefits and flexibility for policyholders.

Project monitoring to resolve land acquisition and forest clearance bottlenecks, urging portal use for timely infrastructure implementation.
The PMG under DPIIT reviewed bottlenecks in mega infrastructure projects in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, prioritizing resolution of land acquisition and forest clearance issues through coordinated inter-ministerial and inter-governmental action. Project proponents were urged to use the PMG portal for raising and tracking implementation issues, while stakeholders were directed to strengthen institutional oversight and time bound monitoring to expedite statutory clearances and project execution.

Survey Methodology advances strengthen data-policy linkages and collaboration between producers and users for improved economic statistics.
The National Statistics Office, in collaboration with the Indian School of Business, is holding a Data User's Conference to present ASUSE 2023-24 and the Forward-Looking CAPEX survey, focusing on sampling design, coverage, methodological innovations, sectoral trends, and enterprise behaviour. Technical sessions and a multi-expert panel will examine the surveys' policy relevance, propose measures to enhance data quality, address gaps, and strengthen producer-user collaboration to improve the national statistical framework and support forward-looking economic analysis.

Inoperative accounts rules: public consultation open on proposed amendments to banks' handling of unclaimed deposits.
The regulator has published a draft circular amending the Revised Instructions on Inoperative Accounts/Unclaimed Deposits, altering guidance referenced at paragraph 6.1. The draft proposes changes to banks' operational treatment of inoperative accounts and unclaimed deposits and invites public comments, to be submitted via the specified online portal or by written/email submission to the Chief General Manager, Business Conduct Group, Department of Regulation at the central office.

KYC periodic updation: RBI seeks public comments on proposed amendments to KYC updation instructions.
Reserve Bank of India published a draft circular revising instructions on KYC periodic updation, amending paragraph 38 of the Master Direction - Know Your Customer (KYC) Direction, 2016 through the proposed Reserve Bank of India (Know Your Customer (KYC)) (Amendment) Directions, 2025. The Bank seeks public and stakeholder comments on the draft until June 6, 2025, with submissions via the 'Connect 2 Regulate' portal or by post/email to the Chief General Manager, Business Conduct Group, Department of Regulation, Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai.

Green innovation hackathon promotes sustainable cement and construction solutions, offering incubation, mentoring and commercialization support.
A national-level "CemHack for Green Infra" hackathon, organised by the NCB Incubation Centre under DPIIT, creates a two-track platform for startups, professionals, students and academia to develop and commercialize sustainable solutions in the cement and construction sector. Themes include Green Cement, Green Process, Green Concrete, Carbon Capture and Storage, Logistics and Supply Chain, and Net Zero targets. Participation is free; winners receive cash rewards and incubation or mentoring opportunities at NCB-IC, with public registration provided to link innovations to commercialization and institutional R&D support.

Tea industry branding and promotion urged to boost exports and youth engagement through innovation and quality initiatives.
A convention at Vanijya Bhawan convened officials and stakeholders to promote Indian tea through enhanced branding, marketing, and product innovation aimed at exports and youth markets; sessions stressed tea literacy, quality control, sustainability, and inclusive engagement of producers, exporters, small tea growers and FPOs, with an on-site Tea Appreciation Zone for sampling and stakeholder showcases.

Trade facilitation partnership accelerates customs testing modernization, capacity building, and faster clearances to improve ease of doing business.
Memorandum of Understanding establishes a collaboration to modernize CRCL's analytical infrastructure, develop rapid and automated testing protocols, and implement trace level detection and high end instrumentation to expedite customs clearance. The agreement provides for joint research, technology transfer to regional labs, co development of standard operating procedures and reference materials, capacity building through joint training and mentorship, and the creation of Centres of Excellence in areas including narcotics analysis, environmental monitoring, and quality assurance to align practices with international customs standards.

Regional productivity leadership: India to chair APO, advancing digital transformation, sustainability, and green productivity agendas.
India has assumed the 2025-26 Chairmanship of the Asian Productivity Organization and will steer the APO agenda toward digital transformation, sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship while reaffirming support for APO Vision 2030 and Green Productivity 2.0. India emphasised capacity building through the National Productivity Council, which engages Indian professionals in APO programs and implements demonstration projects including Green Productivity and Industry 4.0 applications for MSMEs, and framed these efforts within the Governing Body's mandate to set strategic direction and review Secretariat performance.

Competition approval granted for acquisition of minority stakes in Bajaj Allianz insurance and distributor entities by Bajaj group.
The Competition Commission of India approved a proposed combination in which Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Holdings & Investment and Jamnalal Sons will acquire specified minority equity interests in Bajaj Allianz Life and Bajaj Allianz General from Allianz SE, and Bajaj Finserv will acquire a half interest in Bajaj Allianz Financial Distributors, transferring minority ownership in two insurance joint ventures and their distribution arm to the Bajaj group.

Competition approval for minority stake acquisition in packaged food company by investment holding subsidiary of global investor.
Competition Commission approval was granted for Jongsong Investments Pte. Ltd. to acquire a minority stake (below ten percent) in Haldiram Snacks Food Private Limited. The Acquirer is an investment holding company and indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings with no operating business; the Target is newly incorporated and currently non-operational but is described as intending to manufacture and sell packaged food products in India. A detailed order will follow.

Demat account benefits enable secure, diversified and faster electronic securities management, facilitating dividends, margin facilities and streamlined compliance.
A demat account serves as an electronic custodian for securities, replacing physical certificates with digital holdings, enabling secure consolidated ownership across equities, bonds, mutual funds and ETFs, automatic credit of corporate entitlements, faster electronic settlement, use of securities as collateral and simplified tax reporting through consolidated statements.

Updated return filing window extended; staggered additional tax applies based on the duration of delay in filing ITR U.
Notification implements the Finance Act amendment extending the ITR-U filing window measured from the end of the relevant assessment year and prescribes a graduated additional tax regime that increases with the duration of delay in filing an updated return; taxpayers filing within successive delay bands incur proportionately higher additional tax, and the mechanism has produced significant filings and additional revenue since inception.

One-year custody benchmark for bail not mandatory; accused may obtain bail where trial is delayed and punishment limited.
Supreme Court granted bail in a money-laundering case, holding there is no rigid rule requiring a year in custody before bail. Noting the maximum punishment is seven years, ongoing investigation, many witnesses and absence of imminent trial, the court allowed bail subject to stringent conditions, directed surrender of passport and ordered release within a week while recording prosecution objections about the custodial benchmark and potential influence of the accused.

Extortion by impersonation of tax officer leads to arrest after a police trap and seizure during staged handover.
A person impersonated an Income Tax officer and repeatedly phoned a former minister's personal assistant to threaten a raid and demand cash, directing covert handovers at specified locations; police investigated after the assistant reported the calls, conducted a sting operation at a meeting point, arrested the suspect on receipt of money, and seized currency and related materials, with the accused booked under criminal provisions for fraudulent impersonation and attempted extortion.

Social Stock Exchange listing enables NGOs to issue ZCZP bonds with tax benefits for donors, expanding social finance access.
Registration and listing on the Social Stock Exchange allow verified nonprofits to raise funds via SEBI approved Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) bonds, which provide no interest or principal repayment but enable donors to claim income tax deductions; SEBI has recommended that the government permit tax incentives for corporate investors to encourage social sector financing. CGR completed SSE verification and launched an NSE issue using ZCZP bonds to fund environmental education and action projects in government schools, following required listing protocols.

Tax exemption under Section 80 IAC extended, broadening startup eligibility and streamlining approvals for qualified ventures.
Income tax exemption under the Section 80-IAC framework was granted to 187 startups under DPIIT's revised evaluation process; eligible startups may claim a full deduction for any three consecutive years within ten years of incorporation. DPIIT now reviews complete applications within 120 days, requires demonstration of technological innovation, market potential, scalability, and employment contribution, and has extended eligibility to startups incorporated up to 1 April 2030.

Bribery in tax administration leads to arrests after sting operation and recovery of illicit assets.
A federal investigation alleges a senior tax official and intermediaries engaged in soliciting and receiving a bribe through middlemen to influence appeal decisions; a sting operation intercepted a middleman accepting illicit payment, leading to arrests of the official and associates. Coordinated searches at multiple locations recovered incriminating documents and cash connected to the bribery allegation, and detained persons are being produced before competent courts while investigation continues.

Bribery allegation: investigation of alleged payments, intermediaries, benami transfers and hawala routing in tax appeal cases.
Allegations describe a structured bribery scheme where a company tax executive, via intermediaries, paid a Commissioner of Income Tax to secure favourable disposal of corporate appeals; investigation targets those who authorised or facilitated payments, intermediaries' roles, and whether company management knew of or sanctioned the alleged payments, while also examining alleged benami conveyance and hawala routing of illicit value.

Protest restrictions: bail ordered after charge sheet filed without arrest for alleged breach of prohibitory order and unlawful assembly.
Bail was granted to multiple activists accused of a protest outside the Election Commission despite a prohibitory order; the court took cognisance of offences for disobedience to public orders, unlawful assembly and common intention, observed the chargesheet was filed without arrest, admitted some accused to bail on personal bonds and others to bail with a surety, issued summons through the investigating officer, and posted the matter for further hearing.