TCS rates cut to 2% for education and medical LRS remittances and select goods and tour package sales.
Under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, remittances exceeding Rs 10 lakh for education or medical treatment will attract TCS at two per cent (down from five per cent), while non-education/medical remittances remain subject to a higher TCS rate. Separately, TCS on overseas tour programme packages is fixed at two per cent without an amount threshold; TCS on tendu leaves is reduced to two per cent; and TCS for sellers of alcoholic liquor, scrap and minerals is rationalised to two per cent.

Income Tax Act 2025 starts April 1, simplifies rules, adopts a single tax year and allows TDS refunds on late returns.
The Income Tax Act, 2025 takes effect April 1 with rules and redesigned return forms to be notified; it is revenue neutral with no rate changes, halves the text and sections of prior law, adopts a single tax year framework in place of assessment/previous year distinctions, and permits TDS refund claims on late-filed returns without penal charges.

Income tax: revised return deadline extended to March 31; certain TCS rates reduced; MACT awards exempted.
Extension of the revised income tax return filing deadline from December 31 to March 31 on payment of a nominal fee; introduction of a rule-based automated compliance process for small taxpayers in FY27; reduction of TCS to 2% for education and medical remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme and to 2% on sale of overseas tour packages (down from 5%); and exemption of Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awards from income tax.

FY27 Budget centers on fiscal consolidation, higher capital expenditure, borrowing plans, and revenue assumptions for deficit management.
The FY27 Budget centers on continued fiscal consolidation with an estimated FY26 fiscal deficit of 4.4% of GDP and market focus on a potential FY27 target near 4%. Capital expenditure-budgeted at Rs 11.2 lakh crore with an expected 10-15% increase-will remain elevated to support investment. Gross borrowing plans, tax revenue (direct and indirect) projections, GST growth tied to recent rate changes, dividend receipts and subsidy allocations materially influence deficit outcomes. A debt roadmap guiding a decline in general government debt-to-GDP is anticipated.

Budget FY27 focuses on capex-led growth, tax stability, manufacturing incentives, MSME support and green energy measures.
The FY27 Budget will prioritise a measured capital expenditure drive across transport, defence manufacturing and renewables to sustain growth; maintain tax stability with incremental personal tax tweaks and unchanged corporate rates while using compliance and digitisation to broaden the base; and support jobs, manufacturing and MSMEs through incentives, PLI refinements, and enhanced credit, alongside measures for renewable energy and energy-security allocations.

Realtor 'suicide': Police ordered to probe circumstances after Income Tax officials were present during the incident.
Police have been directed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the apparent suicide of a real estate chairperson that occurred while Income Tax officials were present; the I-T Department had conducted prior searches and was finalising statutory procedures, and the inquiry will focus on the immediate circumstances of the death but may expand if other matters emerge.

Chandigarh University placements: over 10,000 offers in 2025, extensive paid internships and targeted employability programs.
Chandigarh University reports large scale campus recruitment growth with recruiters rising from 282 to over 1,300 and annual job offers from 2,410 to 10,000, including 15,000 IT offers over ten years. For 2025 CU secured over 10,000 offers from national and international firms, extensive internship placements (1,534 in 2025; 99% paid; 37 international), and operates employability initiatives such as a Corporate Connect Program, Career Resource Centre, and a LinkedIn Experience Zone to prepare students from first year for placements.

India-EU trade deal liberalises tariffs, sets Rules of Origin, secures services commitments, and establishes safeguards and sustainability cooperation.
The India-EU trade agreement liberalises tariffs and secures sectoral services commitments while preserving regulatory autonomy. It specifies detailed Rules of Origin (WO; CTC; Value Addition; Specific Processing), bilateral cumulation, self declaration through a prescribed Statement on Origin and digital Certificates of Origin, and verification and authentication procedures. A bilateral safeguard mechanism (available during a 22 year transition) permits temporary MFN duty increases up to four years with non reapplication limits. IP provisions reaffirm TRIPS flexibilities, the TBT chapter provides conformity assessment cooperation and is subject to dispute settlement, and a cooperative TSD/SFS framework monitors labour, environment and sustainability without binding harmonisation.

India's economy to grow 6.8-7.2%; Survey urges tax simplification, trade strategies, and measures to reduce input costs.
The Survey projects 6.8-7.2% GDP growth for 2026-27 and links higher medium term potential to reforms. It stresses fiscal and tax measures-GST cuts, administrative reforms, stronger non corporate tax collections, and a new Income Tax law from April 1-to boost revenue buoyancy and voluntary compliance. To mitigate US tariffs and global risks it recommends concluding trade talks, pursuing FTAs, a disciplined Swadeshi approach, a National Input Cost Reduction strategy, measures to lower cost of capital including tax changes on debt instruments, and continued PLI and manufacturing incentives.

Haryana property registrations: pending PAN submissions required for high-value transactions; officials must verify via the land-records portal.
Directive requiring submission of pending PAN details for deed registrations exceeding Rs 30 lakh for FY 2019-20 to 2024-25. Tehsildars must use Web-HALRIS logins to identify transactions lacking PAN and submit missing buyer and seller PAN information to the Income Tax Department urgently; Deputy Commissioners must monitor compliance, with specific pendency noted in named tehsils for FY 2019-20.

Economic Survey projects growth and urges new income-tax law, tax reforms, trade measures and social-media limits.
The Economic Survey projects 6.8-7.2% GDP growth and links this to fiscal and regulatory measures, noting robust revenue buoyancy and faster growth in non-corporate and individual tax collections. It endorses the forthcoming Income tax legislation (effective April 1) to simplify taxation and promote voluntary compliance, recommends reducing tax on debt instruments to lower cost of capital, and proposes a National Input Cost Reduction strategy alongside a calibrated Swadeshi approach to counter high external tariffs and strengthen export competitiveness.

Surrogate ads for alcohol and pan masala should be strictly regulated and restricted during family viewing.
Regulation is sought to curb surrogate advertising that indirectly promotes adult products such as alcohol and pan masala during prime time and high viewership programming by using substitute product categories that retain brand identity and celebrity ambassadors. The recommendation calls for strengthened monitoring, a clear definition of indirect promotion, possible restrictions on such advertisements during content predominantly consumed by minors and families, and discouragement of celebrity endorsements across television, OTT and influencer spaces.

Income tax and GST reforms introduce higher exemption and a simplified two tier GST, yielding large citizen savings.
The Income Tax Act 2025, effective April 1, 2026, exempts income up to Rs 12 lakh and simplifies personal tax provisions. GST 2.0, effective September 22, 2025, establishes a two tier GST of mainly 5% and 18% with a 40% rate for ultra luxury and tobacco, moving most 12% items to 5% and many 28% items to 18%, producing government stated citizen savings of Rs 1 lakh crore.

Wife can obtain husband's generic income figures for maintenance proceedings; tax returns and bank details remain protected.
Upon verification of marital relationship and pendency of a matrimonial or maintenance case, the tax authority must provide generic details of gross income or net taxable income for relevant assessment years to the legally wedded spouse, while copies of income tax returns and other sensitive personal information remain exempt; bank-held information and locker or deposit details are treated as third-party personal information held in a fiduciary capacity and are not disclosable.

Evidence-based nutrition integration into clinical care and medical education to address obesity and metabolic disease.
PAN India's 50th Annual CME focused on embedding evidence-based nutrition into clinical care, medical education and public health policy. The accredited programme highlighted practical clinic-oriented interventions-dietary prescriptions, culinary medicine demonstrations and lifestyle sessions-addressing obesity, pre-diabetes and metabolic disease. The event launched a physician reference manual on therapeutic nutrition and emphasized multidisciplinary collaboration and institutional integration to mainstream nutrition in healthcare delivery and training.

Alleged Rs 400 crore cash heist in demonetised notes prompts probe, arrests and legal questions on FIR and enforcement.
Alleged hijacking of two trucks carrying Rs 400 crore in demonetised Rs 2,000 notes at Chorla Ghat led Maharashtra police to arrest six persons and constitute a Special Investigation Team to verify claims, while Karnataka police report no FIR locally due to lack of formal complaint or concrete evidence; political leaders question the legality, possible tax evasion or counterfeit currency, and the role of the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate in probing the matter.

Budget 2026 27 planning assigns clear roles for resource allocation, tax measures, expenditure control, disinvestment, and macroeconomic inputs.
Budget 2026 27 preparation is coordinated through a structured framework: the Economic Affairs Secretary leads resource allocation and the macroeconomic framework; the Revenue Secretary handles tax proposals and revenue mobilisation; the Expenditure Secretary enforces fiscal discipline and oversees spending and subsidy rationalisation; the Department of Financial Services manages financial inclusion and public financial institutions; DIPAM directs disinvestment and non tax revenue targets; the Department of Public Enterprises supervises CPSE capital plans and asset monetisation; and the Chief Economic Adviser supplies macroeconomic forecasts and policy advice.

Income Tax Bill 2025 simplifies definitions, consolidates non-profit rules and restructures exemptions and compliance provisions.
The Bill introduces tax year to replace prior temporal terms, streamlines definitions, and restructures non profit law by creating a single category registered non profit organisation with consolidated registration, income, commercial activity, compliance and donation eligibility rules; it relocates exemptions into schedules, converts provisos/explanations into clearer subsections or tables across major heads, consolidates TDS/TCS and administrative procedures, and preserves substantive tax policies while improving clarity and transitional protections.

New Income-tax Bill simplifies the tax law, replaces previous/assessment year with a single tax year and reorganises provisions.
The Income-tax Bill, 2025 reorganises and simplifies the Income-tax Act, 1961 by removing provisos and explanations, consolidating dispersed provisions into clearer sections, tables and Schedules, and replacing 'previous year' and 'assessment year' with a single tax year, while preserving existing policy content and ensuring transition through Repeal and Savings provisions.

UP labourer hit with Rs 7 crore tax notice amid suspected identity fraud using his bank account.
A rural labourer was served an income-tax demand for Rs 7,15,92,786 despite his daily-wage status; the family suspects identity misuse after a third party opened a bank account in his name years earlier and he handed over the passbook and chequebook. There is suspicion that fraudsters used his identity to float a fictitious firm and execute large transactions, while departmental personnel reported no confirmation of field service, highlighting questions of beneficial ownership, account misuse, and the need for investigatory verification prior to enforcement.