Pune land deal: firm appeals Rs21 crore stamp duty notice as deadline nears amid FIR and probe. An appeal has been filed against an order directing Amadea Enterprises LLP and its partner to pay Rs 21 crore in stamp duty for a 40 acre sale deed treated as government land, with a hearing before the Inspector General of Registration and possible revenue recovery measures such as bank account seizure and property attachment if unpaid; an FIR alleging evasion of stamp duty and administrative suspensions accompany an ongoing criminal probe by the Economic Offence Wing.
India oil procurement guided by national interests: diversified sources and market-based company decisions protect supply and pricing. India's energy procurement policy is governed by national interests, prioritising adequate availability, fair pricing and reliable supply; the state will pursue diversified sources to avoid dependency while operational sourcing decisions remain with oil companies acting on market, logistical, financial and fiduciary considerations. As a net importer seeking to protect consumers from energy-driven inflation, India frames multiple suppliers and supply stability as central to its energy-security posture, and indicates that trade measures will be assessed against these procurement priorities without displacing the primacy of national interest.
AAP protest against Bajwa over alleged remark prompts police action and Scheduled Castes Commission inquiry. AAP leaders protested an allegedly objectionable remark by Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa about a Cabinet minister, leading to police measures including water cannon use and detention of AAP members; the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission took suo motu notice and sought a police report, and Bajwa has been summoned to explain and denied the remark was caste-specific while criticizing the government's priorities.
Shivakumar to visit Delhi Feb 10 to meet party leaders, water minister and legal counsels; orders SIT on irrigation corruption. D K Shivakumar will travel to Delhi on February 10 to meet party leaders, the Union Water Resource Minister and legal counsels; he will seek Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's permission because the Chief Minister chairs the Irrigation department. Officials will brief Siddaramaiah on the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir on the Cauvery. Shivakumar has ordered formation of a Special Investigation Team in the Revenue Department to probe an alleged nexus looting the Irrigation Department.
Indian migration to the UK delivers skilled workers and calls for visa alignment, credential fast tracks, and study to work pathways. Indian migration is characterised as an economic asset whose benefits depend on skills based migration matching workers to employer needs, speeding deployment where shortages are acute, and improving retention and progression. The paper recommends aligning visa routes with labour demand, creating predictable standards and qualification recognition, establishing a UK India skills and credential fast track between regulators, and strengthening a study to skilled worker conversion model to link universities, employers and health services.
Central funding disparities provoke allegations of deliberate neglect and project diversion, affecting regional development and political trust. Telangana's Chief Minister alleges systematic disadvantage in central fiscal devolution and discretionary special-package allocations, claiming major projects were diverted from the state and that southern regions receive far lower returns on contributions; he asserts tacit political understanding between the national party and a regional rival, questions selective central investigative action in high-profile matters, and proposes consulting other regional leaders before seeking collective remedies while linking project approvals to future state revenue growth.
Investment scam: alleged Rs 1,200 crore fraud affecting 11,000 investors prompts detention of three company directors. Alleged large-scale investment fraud collected about Rs 1,200 crore from roughly 11,000 investors, and the Economic Offences Wing is investigating the firm and its founding directors who were arrested in January; during their production a crowd of alleged victims attempted to gherao the directors and breach security, after which police custody of the accused was extended and they were taken to an EOW lockup.
Agricultural trade agreement secures protection for major grains and dairy while opening export markets and duty relief for spices. The agreement preserves domestic controls by excluding major foodgrains (wheat and paddy), protecting fruits and vegetables, and prohibiting imports of dairy products such as milk, curd, buttermilk, butter and milk powder; a detailed list of covered commodities will be published and spices are to receive zero per cent export duty treatment, while the pact opens expanded market access to international markets to boost exports and farmer income.
Tamannaah Bhatia named brand ambassador of KSDL with two-year exclusivity on similar product endorsements and promotional duties. Actor Tamannaah Bhatia has been appointed brand ambassador of KSDL for a two-year term beginning February 10, required to feature in advertisements and promotional campaigns and subject to an exclusivity obligation barring endorsement of similar private-company products; the appointment accompanies a relaunch of Mysuru Sandal Soap and supports KSDL's campaign to reach Rs 5,000 crore annual turnover by 2030 across its 57-product portfolio.
Artificial Intelligence in tackling mule accounts and telecom-enabled fraud via coordination and tech adoption for real-time tracing and victim protection. The conference focuses on deploying Artificial Intelligence and data analytics to detect and disrupt mule accounts and laundering mechanisms, structured around three pillars: financial systems, telecommunications infrastructure, and human exploitation; it targets misuse of SIMs, eSIMs, VoIP and OTP interception, and emphasizes inter-agency and public-private coordination for faster fraud reporting, real-time fund tracing, evidence preservation and victim protection, alongside international cooperation and state-level investigation models.
Financial literacy for rural poor urged to prevent fraud and promote KYC updates in bank accounts. Banks are urged to expand financial literacy efforts for poor, rural, and tribal populations to prevent small-value financial and cyber frauds, addressing language barriers and remote access constraints. The RBI's Financial Literacy Week emphasizes KYC as a foundational safeguard and calls for promotion of KYC updates and account-level awareness within literacy campaigns to secure deposit accounts and reduce exploitation of low-income customers.
Confident Group assures projects will finish, denies wrongdoing amid Income Tax inspection and ongoing probe. The Confident Group described the office searches as a routine Income Tax inspection, confirmed full cooperation with investigators and an ongoing SIT probe, asserted it is a zero-debt, zero-investor firm financed by sales collections, denied benami transactions and external investments including claims about film personalities, and assured customers that all projects have resumed and will be completed on time.
Parliamentary speaking rights and suspensions stalled Budget debate amid dispute over the Speaker's refusal to allow pre-debate remarks. The dispute concerned the Chair's refusal to allow the Leader of the Opposition to quote from material and speak before the Budget debate, leading to repeated adjournments, the suspension of eight members for the Budget session, and consideration by opposition parties of a resolution to remove the Speaker for alleged partisan denial of speaking rights. The Chair cited rules against raising issues without notice while opponents claimed an agreement permitting pre-debate remarks, highlighting tensions over the Right to Debate, suspension as discipline, and remedies for alleged Speaker partiality.
Congestion tax proposal in Mumbai aims to pilot fees in business hubs to reduce traffic and fund environmental improvements. A municipal representative proposes a congestion tax for Mumbai's central business districts, recommending a south Mumbai pilot project to deter single-occupant vehicles, boost public transport use, reduce emissions, and generate estimated annual revenue of Rs 200-300 crore to be reinvested in environmental and transport improvements; the proposal cites the national Economic Survey and seeks inclusion in the municipal budget.
Kolkata domicile certificate applications surge amid electoral roll revision; centralized processing, police verification, and WBCS approvals expedited. Kolkata Municipal Corporation centralised domicile certificate intake and established dedicated counters to process 19,167 SIR linked applications; borough offices route requests to headquarters and the Kolkata Police for field verification, after which a WBCS rank officer grants final approval. Applications are accepted chiefly for SIR requirements and must be supported by documentary proof; many certificates were issued following police enquiry reports, while others were rejected after adverse verification.
Luxury car crashes causing injuries and deaths highlight overspeeding, drunk driving, and charges from rash driving to culpable homicide. A pattern of high speed luxury car collisions in India has produced injuries and deaths, prompting police arrests, FIRs, vehicle seizures and charges ranging from rash and negligent driving to culpable homicide; contributory factors cited include overspeeding, drunk driving, seat belt noncompliance and incidents involving drivers linked to affluent families, with at least one case raising juvenile trial issues and widespread public outrage over perceived impunity.
Rupee volatility driven by importer dollar demand and an India-US interim trade framework reducing bilateral import duties. Rupee volatility reflected competing forces-equity gains and foreign inflows versus risk-off sentiment and importer-driven dollar demand-set against an India-US interim trade framework reducing bilateral import duties and signalling large Indian purchases of US goods, with broader context from reserve gains, equity inflows, and commodity price movements.
Anil Ambani Group alleged Rs 40,000 crore banking and corporate fraud is being probed under money laundering provisions. A specialised investigative team has been constituted to probe alleged Rs 40,000 crore banking and corporate fraud by the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, with authority to file additional Enforcement Case Information Reports, examine alleged diversion of public funds and dubious financial transactions, and pursue asset attachment and restitution arising from suspected collusion, connivance and conspiracy among company executives.
MSME lending: collateral-free loan limit raised to Rs 20 lakh; banks may extend to Rs 25 lakh under internal policy. RBI amended the Master Direction on MSME lending to raise the collateral-free loan limit for micro and small enterprises to Rs 20 lakh, mandating banks not accept collateral for loans up to that amount and advising the same limit for PMEGP units. Banks may, under internal policy and based on borrowers' track record and financial position, dispense with collateral up to Rs 25 lakh and may use Credit Guarantee Scheme cover where applicable; voluntarily pledged gold and silver within the threshold will not breach the mandate. The amendments aim to strengthen last mile credit delivery and align MSME lending with other regulatory changes.
LTCG tax abolition proposed for individual investors and a statutory inflation-linked wage adjustment urged. Demand to abolish Long-Term Capital Gains tax for individual equity investors, arguing that pairing an elevated Securities Transaction Tax with LTCG disincentivises retail investment and that LTCG should be nil when STT is raised; also urging a statutory, inflation-linked wage adjustment formula for corporate, factory and gig workers, alongside proposals to address foreign portfolio investor outflows, increase public healthcare spending, and implement a blockchain-based land and property registry.
Draft Income-tax Rules, 2026 set new valuation, notification, electronic filing and compliance procedures for tax administration.
Draft Income-tax Rules, 2026 operationalise the Income-tax Act, 2025 by consolidating and simplifying subordinate provisions, introducing standardised smart forms and electronic furnishing, and prescribing substantive and procedural rules covering dividend arrangements, stock-exchange recognition, fair market value methodologies for assets and indirect transfers, income determination for non-residents, thresholds for significant economic presence, valuation and transfer-pricing procedures, perquisites valuation, depreciation rates, notification and approval processes for specified businesses and research approvals, and timelines and audit/reporting obligations tied to returns.
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