On the global tax day, the eighth anniversary of GST in India, tax policy response to tobacco has represented the good, the bad and the ugly in achieving the right balance between achieving public health objectives and recognising the economic contributions of an industry and the unintended adverse consequences of excessive tax burden.

One of the critical steps taken by the Indian Parliament last August is the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025 that deals with changing the mining industry. It is meant to enhance transparency, increase production and the commercial trading of industry minerals and technology with the amendment of the 1957 Act.

India’s recent announcement to recommence border trade with China from the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand has once again spurred a decades-old territorial squabble with Nepal. Kathmandu did raise fierce objection to laying claim on the region by India India emphatically rejected the claim standing on the ground of history and continuity of trade from 1954.

The under construction Kalai-II Hydroelectric Project in Arunachal Pradesh is the latest project on the way to a go-ahead as it was recently subjected to environmental clearance hearings. The 1,200 MW project is conceived on the Lohit River in Anjaw district and is constructed by THDC India Limited. This is one of the moves that seek to enhance sustainable energy and regional growth in Northeast Indian.

In a continuing cultural review of historical names in India, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given its nod to rename Uttar Pradesh’s Jalalabad in Shahjahanpur district to Parashurampuri. The change, which will take effect in 2025, is intended to honour the region’s Hindu religious heritage and replace a name freighted with association with the Mughal dynasty.