India’s financial inclusion programme under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana continues to expand, with total accounts reaching 578 million as of February 25, according to data shared in Parliament. Deposits in these accounts have crossed ₹2.94 lakh crore. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the Lok Sabha that more than 55% of Jan Dhan accounts…
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday, March 20, said the new Income Tax Act seeks to significantly reduce litigation and simplify compliance, urging tax officials to treat taxpayers as “partners in nation building” rather than adversaries. Speaking at the launch of the income tax website 2.0 and awareness campaign, ‘Prarambh 2026,’ in New Delhi, Sitharaman…
The Ministry of Ayush recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to promote preventive healthcare, wellness, yoga, stress management, and holistic well-being among personnel and their families. The initiative reflects a growing emphasis on wellness and lifestyle-led interventions, stressing a broader societal shift toward experience-driven consumption. This trend…
Indian lenders are shelling out premiums for short-term funds last seen during the Covid-19 crisis, with sluggish deposit growth driving dependence on certificates of deposit (CDs) and pushing borrowings to a record high. Outstanding CDs skyrocketed to a record high of 6.64 trillion rupees ($71.04 billion) as of February 28, registering a staggering jump of…
Bank of Baroda has launched an overdraft (OD) facility linked to UPI for women Self-Help Group (SHG) members, becoming the first bank in the country to operationalise a credit line on UPI for this segment. The facility allows eligible women with Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts to access up to ₹5,000 as an…
As we get older, we develop a deeper appreciation for our bodies. It usually takes a trigger, but most of us begin to eat better, exercise more, and take better care of ourselves. And there isn’t one of us that doesn’t wish we had started sooner. Just like our financial investments, our health compounds over…
In a move that directly impacts salaried individuals ahead of the April 1, 2026, rollout of the new tax regime, the government has notified the Income-tax Rules, 2026, introducing key changes to perquisite taxation and HRA benefits, while also tightening compliance across the broader tax system. The notification completes the legal framework for the implementation…
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is sending notices to people who purchased property in Dubai using credit cards. According to officials, such transactions may breach provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), which governs how Indian residents can send money abroad. Many Indians who bought property in Dubai made their initial payment by either swiping…
With the April 1, 2026, transition to the new tax regime fast approaching, the government has notified the Income-tax Rules, 2026, completing the legislative architecture required to operationalise the Income-tax Act, 2025. The move replaces the decades-old Income-tax Rules, 1962, alongside the Income-tax Act, 1961, marking a structural reset of India’s direct tax framework. The…
The Ministry of Finance has informed Parliament that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has escalated a total of 1,33,000 (1.33 lakh) misleading/manipulative social media contents related to securities to the concerned social media platform providers (SMPPs). The response was given by the ministry to questions raised by MPs Vijay Vasanth and Suresh…
