AI image Inactive public sector enterprises (PSEs) should be considered for immediate closure to reduce fiscal strain on central and state governments, the 16th Finance Commission has recommended in its report while calling for deep reforms in the sector.The panel also said that land and buildings owned by inactive PSEs are valuable and could be […]
Finance Commission’s new corporate-rationale: Get order into chaotic cities
Road out of troubled waters The Finance Commission has proposed a targeted push to accelerate and make India’s urban growth more orderly, focusing on strengthening mid-sized cities and bringing rapidly urbanising fringes of cities into municipal corporations.In its recommendations on urban local body (ULB) grants, the 16th Finance Commission has outlined two key priorities: integrating […]
Trump’s $100,000 H-1B fee to work in US: Is America shutting Indian talent out?
Trump H-1B Visa Overhaul: Impact on Indian Professionals and US Tech Sector A once-strategic partnership between the United States and India, long built on mutual economic benefit, innovation and people-to-people ties, is now straining under sweeping immigration and trade policies implemented under former President Donald Trump’s administration. Policies such as the drastic H-1B visa fee […]
Justice delayed is justice denied: When Supreme Court issued fresh directions on delay in pronouncement of judgments by High Courts
In a major ruling on how High Courts should deal with chronic delays in delivering judgments, the Supreme Court has repeated and intensified its previous instructions on how such delays should be timely eliminated to bring about timely delivery of the reserved judgment. The Court placed special emphasis on the importance of ensuring that the […]
Union Budget 2026: Tension & sanctions show in aid card
Sunday’s Budget had no allocation for Chabahar port in Iran under the ‘aid to countries and projects abroad’ outlay. This could be significant, coming amid looming threats of US sanctions over the port, which – in the absence of any direct land access – was meant to be India’s gateway to Afghanistan and central Asia.The […]
Budget 2026: Power corps’ merger buzz grows louder
Budget 2026’s proposal to restructure Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation has revived merger speculation. Sitharaman said govt wants public-sector NBFCs to scale up and cut costs, with clear credit and tech targets. As a first step, it plans to restructure PFC and REC to drive scale and efficiency.Both lenders carry heavy exposure to […]
Budget 2026: High-level committee on Banking to be set up for India’s next phase of growth
File photo: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman (Picture credit: ANI) NEW DELHI: Presenting the Budget, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed setting up a “High Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat”, to comprehensively review the sector and align it with India’s next phase of growth.“I propose setting up a ‘High Level Committee on Banking […]
D-St blues! Sensex sheds 1.5K, biggest drop on a Budget day
Of 30 Index Stocks, 26 Close In Red At a time when global markets are witnessing high volatility due to geopolitical uncertainties, the hike in securities transaction tax (STT) on derivatives trades hit investor sentiment on Dalal Street on the Budget day. This in turn led to a sharp sell-off that pulled the sensex down […]
Tax revolution in the UAE: E-invoicing will change how you get paid, no more manual VAT fixes
UAE E-Invoicing Revolution: How the Looming Digital System Will Transform Business Operations The United Arab Emirates is gearing up for a major tax and digital transformation in 2026–2027 with the rollout of a national electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) system that will fundamentally change how companies issue, process and report invoices. With pilot testing set to begin […]
STT hike on F&O drags brokerage stocks; Sensex, Nifty slide as trading costs fears rise
Shares of brokerage-linked and exchange-related companies fell sharply by up to nearly 12 per cent after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed an increase in the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on derivatives in the Union Budget 2026-27, according to PTI.In her Budget speech, Sitharaman announced that STT on futures contracts would be increased to 0.05 per […]