FEATURE STORY
Parliament on Thursday approved a bill to levy a higher excise duty on tobacco and related products once the GST compensation cess ends, with the Rajya Sabha returning the legislation to Lok Sabha.
Facing flak over its order to mobile companies to preload the Sanchar Saathi app, the government on Tuesday sought to downplay the controversy as the Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said mobile users who do not want to use the app can delete it from their phones. Notwithstanding the minister’s assertion, tech experts raise doubt about whether the app, which critics fear could be used for “snooping”, can be uninstalled or deleted.
“Parliament is not a place for drama; it is a place for delivery,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday in his customary remarks ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament. “For some time now, our Parliament is being used either as a warm-up arena for elections or as an outlet for frustration after defeat,” Mr. Modi went on to allege, referring to the Opposition.
JUST IN
With the deadline for uploading documents of Waqf establishments on the UMEED portal drawing to a close on Friday (November 5), Muslim organisations are on edge as they rely on a ‘Plan B’.
