Minister, MP explain govt's welfare initiatives to people
They participated in the 'Suparipalanalo Tholi Adugu' at Jarugumalli on Thursday, interacted with the residents by visiting door-to-door, and explained to them about the development and welfare initiatives undertaken by the coalition government over the past year. They praised the Chief Minister for working with the energy of a 20-year-old for the state's progress even at 70 years of age.The recruitments for government jobs are being conducted alongside attracting new companies and investments, and creating employment opportunities for youth through industrial development.
They mentioned that the construction of the Polavaram project and the development of Amaravati as the people's capital are progressing. The leaders said that the Deepam-2 scheme and Thalliki Vandanam programmes have been launched as part of the 'Super Six'. They claimed that 80 per cent of election promises have been fulfilled within one year, and announced the free bus travel for women and the Annadata Sukhibhava scheme for farmers to be launched in August.
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Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Mains answer practice — GS 2: Questions on India–US agricultural trade negotiations and unified welfare state (Week 115)
UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today's answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-2 to check your progress. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Discuss how a federated, rights-based and digitally integrated social security model can address systemic inefficiencies and transform welfare delivery in India. Discuss the strategic considerations and political challenges surrounding India–US agricultural trade negotiations. Introduction — The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction. — It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts. Body — It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content. — The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points. — Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse. — Underlining keywords gives you an edge over other candidates and enhances presentation of the answer. — Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be used logically and only where it is required. Way forward/ conclusion — The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction. — You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers. Self Evaluation — It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process that will help you to evaluate your answers. QUESTION 1: Discuss how a federated, rights-based and digitally integrated social security model can address systemic inefficiencies and transform welfare delivery in India. Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers. Introduction: — The International Labour Organization's Director-General recently praised India's 'cash and non-cash' social security programs. The latest ILO-Phase II survey for India revealed that its schemes benefit more than 100 crore people. This milestone is the culmination of various initiatives initiated by both the federal and state governments. — The ILO's World Social Protection Report (2021) first assessed India's coverage at 24.4%, but revised it to 48.8% after the government highlighted the scope of state-level programs. Body: You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer: — The pressing task is to optimise distributed plans. This includes removing duplications, identifying the appropriate beneficiaries, and investing in capacity development and market-ready skill sets for our workforce. — The G20 New Delhi Declaration demands for 'sustainably financed universal social protection coverage'. 'One Nation, One Social Security Governance' offers a promising road forward. It can fix current inefficiencies in order to make the greatest use of limited budgetary resources while sparing citizens the discomfort of running between government departments. For example, E-Shram registrations are intended for unorganised workers, whereas EPFO registrations mostly cover formal employment. They compete with one another and generate troublesome boundaries when they overlap. — Central legislation such as the Employees' Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, Employees' Compensation Act, ESIC Act, BOCW, and Maternity Benefit Act provide security to workers beyond federal borders. Our Constitution permits states to create comparable schemes in their respective jurisdictions. — These institutions can be improved to transition to a 'one government' welfare system, in which states work together to add value rather than recreating the wheel. Conclusion: — Our collective resolve to be 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047 depends upon several factors. One of them is financial security in old age. Cash transfers planned by any unit of the government can be routed through the UAN of the EPFO. A certain percentage of such 'transfers' can be used for Provident Fund, pension and insurance. (Source: Why India needs a unified welfare state) Points to Ponder Read more about 'sustainably financed universal social protection coverage'. Read about ILO's World Social Protection Report Related Previous Year Questions 'The USA is facing an existential threat in the form of China, that is much more challenging than the erstwhile Soviet Union.' Explain. (2021) 'Indian diaspora has a decisive role to play in the politics and economy of America and European Countries'. Comment with examples. (2020) QUESTION 2: Discuss the strategic considerations and political challenges surrounding India–US agricultural trade negotiations. Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers. Introduction: — The Indian Prime Minister's remark that India will never compromise the interests of its farmers, livestock rearers, and fishermen is the most direct representation of the red lines his government has drawn in the now-stalled trade discussions with the United States. — There were difficulties in opening India's domestic market to US farm produce, including GM maize and soybeans, fuel ethanol, and dairy products. Body: You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer: — The imposition of a 50 per cent duty on Indian imports — inclusive of a 25 per cent levy as 'penalty' for purchase of oil from Russia — has narrowed the Indian government's space for give-and-take that is part of the process to clinch any trade deal. — The US also wants India to allow imports of ethanol for use as a biofuel. Currently, only ethanol derived from domestically cultivated sugarcane, maize and rice is used to blend up to 20% with fuel. — Unsurprisingly, Indian farmer associations are concerned that allowing imports of GM maize and soyabean from the United States may cause a drop in domestic pricing. They believe that such an openness is unfair, given that the cultivation of genetically modified crops (other than cotton) is not permitted in India. — The Indian dairy industry is strongly opposed to the import of milk powder, butter oil, and cheese under any free trade deal, whether with the United States, the European Union, New Zealand, or Australia. — There is also a requirement, which the US asserts is solely based on religious and cultural considerations, that all imported dairy products be sourced from animals that have not been given any composition including animal internal organs, bone meal, or tissues. — The threat is primarily about exports rather than imports. India's seafood exports to the United States were valued at $2.48 billion in 2024, with a 32.5% increase recorded in the first six months of the year. This is especially true given that rival countries such as Chile, Ecuador, Indonesia, and Vietnam have substantially lower tariffs ranging from 10% to 20%. Conclusion: — India has significant potential to increase exports of seafood, basmati rice, spices, and essential oils to the United States, and it may need to import maize and soyabean for poultry and cattle at some point. — The two countries' farm produce trade is increasing. Based on trends from January to June, both exports from India to the US and from the latter to the former are expected to reach new highs in 2025. The dramatic increase in India's purchases of Californian almonds and pistachios, as well as frozen prawn shipments from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to the United States, demonstrate the benefits of comparative advantage that both countries may receive in agriculture. (Source: Why PM Modi spoke of farmers, livestock rearers & fisherfolk amid US trade talks, For India and US, agricultural trade could be a win-win option) Points to Ponder Read more about India-US trade Read about recent tariff on India by the United States Related Previous Year Questions 'Development and welfare schemes for the vulnerable, by its nature, are discriminatory in approach.' Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. (2023) Besides the welfare schemes, India needs deft management of inflation and unemployment to serve the poor and the underprivileged sections of the society. Discuss. (2022) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 114) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 115) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 114) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 113) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 114) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 113) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
New income tax Bill passed in Parliament: key features, what changes
With an aim to replace the over six-decade old Income-tax Act, 1961, the government introduced a new Income-tax Bill, 2025 in February, which was then sent to Parliament's Select Committee. After the submission of a report by the Select Committee of Parliament on July 21, the government introduced a new version, the Income-Tax (No.2) Bill, 2025, on Monday incorporating most recommendations of the Committee, headed by BJP leader Baijayant Panda, and suggestions by other stakeholders. The new I-T Bill is likely to come into effect from April 1, 2026. Correcting anomalies and drafting errors in the updated 624-page Income-Tax (No.2) Bill, 2025, which was passed by Parliament on Tuesday, the government undertook one of the most significant changes by removing the clause which would have disallowed taxpayers from availing refunds if they filed their income tax returns after the deadline. The updated Bill also corrected drafting errors in provisions related to capital gains tax for Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), and anonymous donations to religious-cum-charitable trusts. Return filing, TCS on LRS The first draft of the Bill, introduced in February, had included a provision — Clause 263(1)(a)(ix) — that implied that a taxpayer could only claim a refund if he or she had filed the tax return on or before the due date. The new version has completely removed this provision, allowing individuals to claim refund even if income tax return is filed after the deadline. 'This represented a significant departure from the established legal position, where refunds could be claimed even for belatedly filed returns. Recognising the potential for this to cause undue hardship and create ambiguity, the newly introduced bill has completely omitted this restrictive clause,' Amit Maheshwari, Tax Partner, AKM Global said. The new Bill also clarified that there will be nil TCS on Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) remittances for education purposes financed by any financial institutions, a provision that had gone missing in the earlier version and is now aligned with the recently introduced proviso to Section 206C(1G) of the existing Act. Changes for corporate taxpayers The Bill has also corrected other drafting errors such as those related to inter-corporate dividend deductions for companies availing concessional tax rates. The applicability of the Alternate Minimum Tax (AMT) for LLPs has been aligned with the existing provisions of the I-T Act by removing the expanded scope that would have included LLPs not claiming specific tax benefits and attracted a higher rate of 18.5 per cent as against the preferential rate of 12.5 per cent. The Bill has also allowed taxpayers who do not have any I-T liability to obtain a nil-TDS certificate. Additionally, the Bill has been tweaked to remove ambiguities related to transfer pricing provisions along with changes relating to the carry forward and set-off of losses. The reference to the beneficial owner has been omitted to align with Section 79 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 along with a clarification of applicability of 30 per cent standard deduction after deduction of municipal taxes while calculating house property income. The government has corrected the anomaly regarding donations linked to non-profit organisations in line with the recommendation of the Select Committee. Exemption has been allowed to NPOs for 5 per cent of the 'total' donation instead of just 5 per cent of 'anonymous' donations, as is the case in the existing Act. Tax year, digital searches The new Bill introduces the concept of 'tax year', which has been defined as the 12-month period beginning April 1. The concept was introduced in the first draft in February. The new Bill removes redundant provisions and archaic language and reduces the number of Sections from 819 in the Income Tax Act of 1961 to 536 and the number of chapters from 47 to 23. The number of words has been reduced from 5.12 lakh to 2.6 lakh in the new Income Tax Bill, and 39 new tables and 40 formulas have been introduced. 'These changes are not merely superficial; they reflect a new, simplified approach to tax administration. This leaner and more focused law is designed to make it easy to read, understand and implement,' Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while replying to a short debate in the absence of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The government has, however, retained the contentious definition of 'virtual digital space' — the powers to call for information by income tax authorities during surveys, searches and seizures including e-mail servers, social media accounts, online investment, trading and banking accounts, remote or cloud servers and digital application platforms. Sitharaman said the tax department will bring out standard operating procedure (SOP) for handling personal digital data seized during searches. Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill Separately, the government also brought in the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 that amends the Finance Act, 2025. It has exempted income from dividend, interest, long-term capital gains or other incomes from investments made by the 'Public Investment Fund of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia' and its wholly-owned subsidiaries which make investment, directly or indirectly, out of the Fund in India under clause (23FE) of the Income-tax Act. Saudi's Public Investment Fund has over $925 billion assets under management and was notified for I-T exemption in November 2022. However, the Fund had faced some restrictive norms related to investments through various subsidiaries. With this amendment, the government has granted complete income tax exemption to Saudi's Fund by specifying its name explicitly in the Act as has been done earlier for the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill also extended income tax benefits under the market-linked national pension system (NPS) to the guaranteed unified pension scheme (UPS) by allowing tax-free withdrawal of lump sum payments or the accumulated UPS corpus, up to 60 per cent, at the time of retirement.
The Hindu
21 hours ago
- The Hindu
Tractor rally marks ‘Annadata Sukhibhava' scheme's success
Marking the successful implementation 'Annadata Sukhibhava,' Andhra Pradesh Home Minister V. Anitha along with farmers took part in a tractor rally held at S. Rayavaram in Anakapalli district on Tuesday. Later, addressing the meeting, Ms. Anitha reiterated that the NDA government is committed to the welfare of the farmers and agriculture remains a top priority. She highlighted that under the 'Annadata Sukhivava' scheme, each farmer is receiving ₹20,000, an increase from the ₹13,500 received under the previous government. She also outlined the several initiatives introduced by the NDA government in agricultural including the inclusion of drones, technology-driven farming methods, and the promotion of organic farming. Ms Anitha said that under the NDA government, farmers now receive payments within 24 hours of selling their produce, compared to the 21-day taken during the previous government. Additionally, development works worth ₹3 crore have been undertaken in Venkatapuram village, including the completion of the Upparapalli–Venkatapuram road. During her visit, she inaugurated the TDP office in Venkatapuram and launched several development programmes.
