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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari questioned the effectiveness of Delhi's Environment Compensation cess (ECC) in tackling air pollution, highlighting that its collection on national highways hinders seamless travel and damages the reputation of road infrastructure projects. He suggested alternative funding mechanisms for municipal bodies, urging the Delhi government to address the issue to alleviate commuter woes.

Centre extends new fire safety law to UT

India has significantly increased import duties on gold and silver to 15% from 6%, aiming to curb rising imports and conserve foreign exchange amid the West Asia crisis. This move follows Prime Minister Modi's appeal for austerity and aims to ease pressure on the rupee and the country's balance of payments.

In a statement, the Finance Ministry also announced that the road and infrastructure cess on diesel exports will be waived for the next fortnight starting May 1. Meanwhile, the export duty on petrol will continue to remain at zero.

Global oil prices are beyond India’s control but a tangle of govt interventions that have left Indian aviation structurally fragile. These demand correction.

Small businesses and professionals under the presumptive tax scheme must now disclose investment details in their income tax returns. This new rule, introduced in ITR-4, aims to curb tax evasion by allowing authorities to compare declared income with investment patterns. Misreporting income can lead to hefty penalties, making compliance crucial.