Fake GST crackdown: 489 forged PAN–Aadhaar registrations detected till Oct; Rs 3,000 crore evasion flagged

A fresh sweep against tax fraud has uncovered 489 bogus GST registrations in just six months, with forged PAN and Aadhaar details used to evade over Rs 3,000 crore in taxes, the government told Parliament on Monday, signalling a sharper focus on data-led enforcement, according to PTI.The latest detections, covering April to October, come even…

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Mercosur hurdle: French objections and farm protests freeze EU trade deal; Brussels faces credibility test

France’s last-minute opposition and mounting farmer protests are threatening to derail the European Union’s long-delayed free-trade agreement with South America’s Mercosur bloc, raising fresh doubts over whether the pact can be signed this year, AP reported.Angry European farmers, fearing cheaper agricultural imports and tougher competition, have taken to the streets in Brussels just as EU…

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‘Can a dead economy grow at 8.2%?’: FM Sitharaman rebuts Trump remark in Lok Sabha; cites IMF ratings upgrade

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday cited India’s strong growth and sovereign rating upgrades to counter claims that the country was a “dead economy”, telling the Lok Sabha that such upgrades would not have been possible if the economy were weak, PTI reported.Responding to Opposition members who sought the government’s reaction to US President Donald…

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‘Trump’s tariffs pushing India away’: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal warns US may lose trade ally to Russia and China

Indian-origin Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal criticised President Trump’s tariffs on Indian goods, saying they are raising prices for Americans and also pushing India closer to other global powers. In a post on X, Jayapal said, “Trump’s tariffs on India aren’t only raising prices for Americans — they are pushing India away as a trading ally and…

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India-New Zealand trade talks: Commerce Secretary says FTA negotiations nearing closure; deal expected soon

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal with New Zealand’s Trade Minister Todd McClay (File photo-ANI) Negotiations between India and New Zealand on a proposed free trade agreement are likely to be wrapped up soon, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday, signalling progress after multiple rounds of discussions at both official and ministerial levels, PTI…

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Skill push: Centre to incentivise states, districts to partner industry for local skill planning; AI to map jobs and workers

The government plans to incentivise states and districts to work closely with industry to identify and address local skill gaps, adopting a hyper-local approach to build a future-ready workforce, a senior official told PTI on Monday.Addressing the CII Smart Manufacturing Summit 2025, Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Debashree Mukherjee said the…

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