मी द्रोणाचार्य पुरस्कार सरकारला परत करेन, रोहितचे कोच दिनेश लाड असं का म्हणाले?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
GST restructure plan: In new regime, online gaming likely to be placed in top bracket
With the Government proposing to overhaul the GST regime with a special rate of 40 per cent on 'sin and demerit goods', the top slab is likely to see the inclusion of pan masala, tobacco, cigarettes, luxury cars, SUVs — and online gaming. According to sources, the Department of Revenue has kept in mind the country's 'social ethos' while tagging goods and services in the 'sin and demerit' category, and online gaming is seen to be fitting that definition. If this move is finalised, it is likely to cause an upheaval among online gaming companies, ranging from fantasy sports and real gaming platforms, which have previously complained of the 28 per cent GST levied on them. The latest consideration also comes amid growing concerns within the Central and state governments over the amount of money being spent on these platforms, and the ease with which these companies enable automatic deductions for payments, sometimes without consent, during consecutive rounds of a game. The 40 per cent rate, which is likely to be recommended by the GST Council, could also benefit the Central and state governments fiscally, with substantial revenue gains expected. The sector has shown fairly inelastic demand previously, when the GST rate was set at 28 per cent from October 1, 2023. Prior to that, many online gaming companies were not paying 28 per cent saying there were differential tax rates for games of skill and games of chance. Official data shows GST revenues jumped sharply after the Council's decision in July 2023 to impose a uniform 28 per cent levy on online gaming, horse racing and casinos with effect from October 1, 2023. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said last September that revenue from online gaming 'increased by 412 per cent and reached Rs 6,909 crore in just six months… from Rs 1,349 crore before the notification issued on online gaming'. For casinos, she had said the revenue increased by 30 per cent, from Rs 164.6 crore in the six months prior to the decision to Rs 214 crore in the same period after the move. The need for a higher GST rate for online gaming may also find support among policymakers as they have been raising concerns over the amount of time being spent by users on these platforms that is resulting in them spending increasingly high amounts of money on such activities. A key consideration behind the move is concerns among policymakers over the time and increasingly higher amounts of money being spent by domestic users on online gaming platforms. The domestic spend on online games is not 'particularly small', Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran had said on August 14, days after the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for the first time released monthly data breaking up payments made to various categories of merchants via the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). As per the data, UPI payments on digital games averaged more than Rs 10,000 crore in the first four months of 2025-26. '…take a look at how much Indians are spending on online gaming every month. And the number isn't particularly small — it is Rs 10,000 crore per month. That's Rs 1.2 trillion (in a year),' Nageswaran said at a meeting with statistical advisers in various ministries and departments, organised by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The Indian Express had earlier reported that the Centre is also finalising a move that could bring online real-money gaming companies under the ambit of anti-money laundering laws and subject them to stricter obligations, such as know-your-customer (KYC) requirements, and tracking and reporting suspicious transactions. According to a report by FICCI and EY from March 2025, online gaming companies in India collectively earned a revenue of close to $2.7 billion in 2024. These companies typically make money by taking a cut from a user's winnings. As per the report, more than 155 million Indians engaged with real money gaming sub-segments such as fantasy sports, rummy, poker and other transaction-based games in 2024, marking a 10 per cent increase over 2023. On an average, around 110 million people played these games daily.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Heavy lifts to heavy locks: Sports Authority of India's weightlifting and athletics hub in Ludhiana weighed down by neglect.
Ludhiana: Once a cradle of champions, the Sports Authority of India's local training centre now lies under lock and key, with its flagship disciplines of athletics and weightlifting scrapped and its track and gym deserted. The facility, which produced national and international stars including Asian Games gold medallist triple jumper Arpinder Singh, has been left hollowed out by years of neglect and shrinking resources. Former athletics coach and 2018 Dronacharya Award winner Sukhdev Singh Pannu, who trained Arpinder Singh, condemned the decision to shut down disciplines that had put Ludhiana on the sporting map. "This centre still has the potential to produce medal-winners," he said, adding he had written repeatedly to authorities urging restoration of athletics but received little response. Harbans Singh, a former weightlifting coach and SAI administrator, echoed that frustration. The centre, he said, had not only produced athletes but also served society by shaping disciplined police and service personnel. "This legacy should continue, not be abandoned," he said. Both retired coaches argued that lack of inspections, coaching staff shortages, and outdated facilities accelerated the decline. They called for urgent investment in modern training programs, recovery methods and better equipment to revive the centre. Pushkar Singh, assistant director of SAI, said efforts were under way to secure resources. "These disciplines will return very soon, once we have the necessary support," he said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Time of India
PM inaugurates two major National Highway projects worth ₹11,000 crore
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated two major National Highway projects, the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), in Delhi on Sunday. The projects--the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II)--have been developed under the Government's comprehensive plan to decongest the capital, with the objective of greatly improving connectivity, cutting travel time, and reducing traffic in Delhi and its surrounding areas. These initiatives reflect Prime Minister Modi's vision of creating world-class infrastructure that enhances ease of living and ensures seamless mobility. The 10.1 km long Delhi section of Dwarka Expressway has been developed at a cost of around Rs. 5,360 crore. The section will also provide multi-modal connectivity to Yashobhoomi, the DMRC Blue Line and Orange Line, the upcoming Bijwasan railway station and the Dwarka Cluster Bus section comprises: Package I: 5.9 km from the Shiv Murti intersection to the Road Under Bridge (RUB) at Dwarka Sector-21. Package II: 4.2 km from Dwarka Sector-21 RUB to the Delhi-Haryana Border, providing direct connectivity to Urban Extension Road-II. The 19 km long Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway was earlier inaugurated by the Prime Minister in March 2024. PM Modi also inaugurated the Alipur to Dichaon Kalan stretch of Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) along with new links to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat, built at a cost of around Rs 5,580 crores. It will ease traffic on Delhi's Inner and Outer Ring Roads and busy points like Mukarba Chowk, Dhaula Kuan, and NH-09. The new spurs will give direct access to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat, improve industrial connectivity, cut city traffic, and speed up goods movement in the NCR. Meanwhile, hundreds of supporters have gathered to welcome PM Modi at the Mundka-Bakkarwala Village Toll Plaza in Delhi. PM Modi had also interacted with the construction workers of the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) before the inauguration.
