The finance minister questioned if the GST Council can intervene if an individual state wants to borrow from market, but opposition-ruled states say it’s ‘illegal’.
Centre proposes special RBI window for states to borrow to meet the shortfall as cess will make up for only 22% of the losses. States, instead, suggest Centre should borrow.
Punjab minister Manpreet Singh Badal says not paying GST dues would amount to ‘sovereign default’, while Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi says it’s the govt’s ‘moral commitment’.
GST council votes to levy uniform 28% tax on both state and private lottery, which will come into effect from March 2020. The tax rate earlier was 12%.
Before govt decides to do either, it needs to take a view about the macroeconomic picture. Is this a time for fiscal expansion, or for fiscal consolidation?
Countering insurgency needs the Pakistan Army to demonstrate a political will that ties leaders at the centre with those in the borderlands. But it may not have the imagination.
Centre for Science and Environment in new report makes case for rationalising GST on waste material, saying most informal operators can’t afford high tax & it also hinders recycling.
21st edition of annual joint military exercise will be held from 1 to 16 September, aimed at sharing military tech, operational best practices & disaster relief coordination methods.
Standing up to America is usually not a personal risk for a leader in India. Any suggestions of foreign pressure unites India behind who they see as leading them in that fight.
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