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Congress’s P Chidambaram Welcomes GST Reforms But Calls It “8 Years Too Late”
- P Chidambaram welcomed the recent GST rate cuts but said they are “8 years too late” and criticized the original GST design introduced eight years ago.
- He said the opposition repeatedly warned against the flawed GST design and high rates, but their pleas were ignored.
- He questioned the timing of the reforms, speculating it was influenced by sluggish growth, rising debt, falling savings, Bihar elections, and US tariffs.
- The GST reforms rationalised rates into two slabs of 5% and 18%, with some items at 0% and high tax on sin goods.
- Chidambaram acknowledged the reforms will help the middle and poor classes but slammed the government for the delayed action.
BJP Deploys Veteran Strategists As Poll Chiefs For Bihar, Bengal, Tamil Nadu
- BJP appoints Dharmendra Pradhan for Bihar, Bhupender Yadav for Bengal, and Baijayant Panda for Tamil Nadu as election in-charges.
- Pradhan and Yadav are supported by experienced co-incharges including CR Patil, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Biplab Deb, and Murlidhar Mohol.
- The move boosts central control over local campaigns and enhances organization ahead of high-stake elections.
- Bihar polls are in November 2025; Bengal and Tamil Nadu go to polls in early 2026.
- BJP aims to minimize factionalism and maximize central alignment in these states.
Azim Premji Declines Karnataka CM’s Request to Open Wipro Campus Road to Ease Bengaluru Traffic
- Azim Premji declined Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s request to open Wipro’s Sarjapur campus road for public traffic, citing it as private property of a listed company.
- The campus is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with strict legal and contractual access rules, making public vehicular movement legally and statutorily challenging.
- Premji noted that opening the road is not a sustainable or long-term solution to Bengaluru’s traffic congestion.
- He suggested the traffic problems on the Outer Ring Road are complex and require a comprehensive, scientific study rather than a single quick fix.
- Wipro offered to finance a significant portion of a world-class, data-driven traffic study to help find lasting solutions.
Karnataka High Court Rejects X Corp’s Petition
- Karnataka High Court rejected X Corp’s challenge to the government’s authority under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act to issue content blocking orders via the Sahyog portal.
- The Court ruled social media regulation is essential, particularly to prevent offenses against women and protect constitutional dignity.
- It upheld that social media cannot be left unregulated or anarchic; freedom of speech is subject to reasonable legal restrictions in India.
- The Court criticized X Corp’s refusal to comply with Indian laws despite following U.S. regulations on content takedown.
- Sahyog portal was affirmed as a legitimate tool for the government to tackle cybercrime and unlawful online content, not censorship.
PM to Transfer ₹10,000 Each to 7.5 Million Women in Bihar on September 26 under CM Employment Scheme
- PM Modi to transfer ₹10,000 each to 7.5 million women in Bihar on September 26 as the first installment under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana.
- The scheme supports women to start or expand businesses with potential further funds up to ₹2 lakh based on progress.
- The initiative targets rural and urban poor women, with one woman per family eligible.
- Bihar CM Nitish Kumar will attend a parallel event, highlighting this as a major step in women’s economic empowerment.
- Over 1 million women have already applied through the online portal, showing strong participation.
Himachal Pradesh High Court Commutes Death Sentence to Life Term in 2014 Shimla Yug Murder Case; One Convict Acquitted
- Himachal Pradesh High Court commuted the death sentences of two convicts, Chander Sharma and Vikrant Bakshi, to life imprisonment; acquitted the third accused, Tejinder Pal Singh.
- The 2014 case involved the kidnapping, torture, and murder of 4-year-old Yug Gupta from Shimla; his skeletal remains were found in a municipal water tank in 2016.
- The trial court sentenced all three convicts to death in 2018, but the High Court found the death penalty excessive and allowed for their reform.
- The court noted evidence was mostly circumstantial, and the prosecution failed to prove “rarest of rare” conditions for capital punishment.
- Yug’s family is upset and plans to appeal in the Supreme Court seeking justice after over 11 years.