News Updates
Accused Cannot Demand Company and Bank Records During Investigation To Answer Queries: Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court has held that an accused cannot invoke Section 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to seek production of company and bank records during an ongoing investigation merely to help him answer questions during interrogation, ruling that such a demand would amount to allowing the accused to interfere with the investigation. Dismissing a petition filed by Shantanu Prakash, former director of Educomp Infrastructure and School Management Limited, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said, ...
Income Tax Disputes Before HCs Doubled In Value Over Past Four Financial Years: Govt Tells Rajya Sabha
A sharp escalation in the value of income tax disputes pending before High Courts has emerged from fresh data placed before Parliament, with the total disputed amount nearly doubling between FY 2020-21 and FY 2024-25. The figures were disclosed in a reply tabled in the Rajya Sabha by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, capturing year-wise pendency and amounts locked at each appellate stage.The numbers paint a split-screen picture of India's tax dispute system. At...
Centre Defends Onion Export Ban, Says MEP Was 'Temporary' & Needed To Protect Consumers Amid Price Spikes
The Centre has clarified on Onion export ban and imposition of Minimum Export Price (MEP), were 'temporary' and 'necessary' to protect consumers, especially low-income households, during years when adverse weather conditions and lower arrivals led to sharp spikes in retail prices. On fair-farmer remuneration, the Centre explained that it balanced consumer price stability and farmer remuneration by monitoring availability, arrivals, buffer stock position and price trends of Onions...
MCA Redefines Small Company Criteria, Raises Paid Up Capital Cap To Rs 10 Crore and Turnover Cap To Rs 100 Crore
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has revised the definition of small companies by increasing the turnover ceiling from Rs 40 crore to Rs 100 crore and the paid-up capital threshold from Rs 4 crore to Rs 10 crore.The notification was issued on December 1, 2025 which took effect immediately. The amendment updates the Companies (Specification of Definition Details) Rules, 2014. These rules were first notified in March 2014 and last revised in September 2022. Only private companies that are...
Central Govt Ensuring GST Rate Cuts Are Passed On To Consumers: Finance Ministry Tells Lok Sabha
The Ministry of Finance has informed the Lok Sabha that, where several GST rates were rationalised, the Central Government has put in place a coordinated tax-administration mechanism to ensure that businesses actually pass on the GST rate-cut benefits to consumers. CBIC Monitoring Prices After GST Rate Cuts The Finance Ministry stated that the CBIC has been monitoring prices of key GST-covered goods, including packaged foods and pharmaceuticals, comparing prices pre- and post-22...
Finance Ministry Tables Bill To Hike Excise On Tobacco, Introduces New Cess On Pan Masala
On December 1, 2025, the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, which will replace the existing Compensation Cess. The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeks “to give the government the fiscal space to increase the rate of central excise duty on tobacco and tobacco products so as to protect tax incidence”. The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill,...
Justice Ashok Bhushan Appointed As NCLAT Chairperson For Second Term
The Central Government has approved the re-appointment of Justice Ashok Bhushan, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, as Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). The re-appointment will be effective from the date he assumes charge and will continue until he attains the age of 70 years, i.e., till July 4, 2026.Justice Bhushan was earlier appointed as the NCLAT Chairperson on October 29, 2021, shortly after his retirement from the Supreme Court, and took charge on...
Centre Imposes 12% Temporary Tariff On Certain Steel Imports, Duty Valid For 200 Days
The Government has imposed a temporary 12% safeguard duty on the import of certain non-alloy and alloy steel flat products. The safeguard duty covers products such as cold-rolled coils sheets; metallic coated steel coils and sheets; hot-rolled coils and sheets; hot rolled plate mill plates; and colour-coated coils and sheets, whether or not profiled. The duty will not be imposed on the product categories when imported into India at or above the specified import price on cost insurance...
BBMP Introduces New Garbage Tax, Bengaluru Residents To Pay 'Solid Waste Management User Fee' From April 1st
The Bengaluru civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has introduced 'garbage tax' under which the residents of Bengaluru have to pay a “solid waste management user” fee from 1st April, 2025. The initiative has been taken by the government to improve the waste collection and disposal across the city. The government aims to generate Rs. 685 crores through this initiative in the current fiscal year. The charges would be based on the building area in the city. Also,...
New Income Tax Bill Proposes To Allow IT Officers To Access Social Media, E-mail Accounts Of Assessees During Scrutiny
Recently, the new Income Tax Bill 2025 was introduced in Parliament. Although touted as a step to make Income tax law in India simpler, the Bill contains some provisions which may disturb taxpayers by infringing on their right to privacy. One such provision in the new Bill would allow the Income tax department to access the email, trading account, social media profiles and other personal data of assesses during tax investigation. However, it has been clarified that before the law is enacted, a...
New Income Tax Bill 2025: Concept Of "Tax Year" To Be Introduced Instead Of "Assessment Year", "Financial Year" To Remain Unchanged
The new Income Tax bill is set to introduce the concept of 'Tax Year'. This will replace the current concept of assessment year (or previous year) from the Income Tax Act. The "tax year" has been defined as follows:3. (1) For the purposes of this Act, “tax year” means the twelve months period of the financial year commencing on the 1st April.(2) In the case of a business or profession newly set up, or a source of income newly coming into existence in any financial year, the tax year shall...