New vs old tax regimes

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman definitely has a way with words, and puts across her point effortlessly. At the recent DD Dialogue #AmritKaalBudget in Hyderabad, when asked about her Budget proposal in the context of the new versus old income tax regime, she said: “…Today people tell us oh you don’t tell what we have to eat, oh you don’t tell us what we have to do, oh you don’t tell us what kind of value systems we have to impart to our children. So, I have taken it a bit clearly in my head. So, I don’t need to say where you have to put your money for saving and investments... A person who earns his money is the best to decide where he has to put his money in…why would we underestimate his capability where he wants to put his money for savings…”

Waking up late

After having remained silent since the Ukraine war broke out, some African countries have suddenly woken up, fearing possible shortages in some of the agricultural commodities. They are now looking for grains and sugar.

Unfortunately, they have come to the global market late to meet their needs for sugar. The Indian government’s 6 million tonnes export quota has already been exhausted.

Google case hearing

The long winding arguments by the counsel for Google before the NCLAT in the ongoing hearings in the appeal against the CCI order in the Android matter, generated some lighter moments in the otherwise sober hearings.

After arguing for three consecutive days last week, Google sought more time from the Bench to complete its arguments. This prompted N Venkataraman, Additional Solicitor-General representing the CCI, to quip: “They (Google) have been reading Ramayana out of CCI order, when my turn will come, I will read Mahabharata out of that!”

This left the Bench bemused and wondering about the timely completion of the appeal, as the Supreme Court has set the deadline for the Tribunal to issue final order before March 31.

End of sealed envelopes?

With the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud now firmly backing ‘transparency’ rather than ‘sealed envelopes’, the chatter in the Capital this weekend was that the CJI may have opened a new chapter in the way judiciary wants to deal with sealed envelopes. Many believe that the CJI’s decision not to accept the suggestions of the government (in the PIL on Hindenburg report) in a sealed envelope has put an end to the era of ‘sealed envelopes’ in the judiciary.

While the CJI pushed off the sealed envelope, market observers are still curious to know its contents.

Fearsome or fearful?

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s enhanced security details, unprecedented for a Communist leader who admittedly draws his strength from the masses, have left even his own coalition partner CPI to wonder who he seeks to take cover from. Opposition leader VD Satheesan of the Congress muses why the CM should hide himself in a convoy of 40 vehicles while moving around within and send a security team in advance when he travels outside. But recent instances of road rage involving his elaborate motorcade are not exactly earning him brownie points in his second successive term at the helm.

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