Nivedita

India's Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections for September reached ₹1.73 lakh crore, a 6.5% year-on-year increase. This marks an increase from ₹1.63 lakh crore collected in September 2022. After refunds, the net GST revenue rose about 4% to ₹1.53 lakh crore. Domestic revenue increased by 5.9% to approximately ₹1.27 lakh crore, while revenue from imports grew by 8%, totaling ₹45,390 crore. Refunds amounted to ₹20,458 crore, a 31% rise from the previous year. So far in 2024, total GST collections have hit ₹9.13 lakh crore, reflecting a 10.1% increase compared to the same period in 2023. The GST Council has also proposed reductions in rates for life and health insurance and cancer medications.

India achieved a commanding seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the 2nd Test, securing a 2-0 series sweep. Chasing a modest target of 95 runs, India wrapped up the game in just 17.2 overs. After limiting Bangladesh to 146 runs in their second innings, Indian bowlers excelled, with Ravichandran Ashwin, Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah each claiming three wickets. Yashasvi Jaiswal contributed significantly, scoring a half-century to help India clinch the match comfortably, maintaining their impressive home record in Test cricket.

In a crucial cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, 25 proposals were approved, including a ₹4,000 crore agricultural project covering 28 districts. The project aims to improve crop productivity and quality, with funding from the World Bank and the state government. Additionally, new purchase policies for maize, jowar, and millet were established, along with initiatives to support youth entrepreneurship through interest-free loans of ₹5 lakh for micro units. The cabinet also endorsed a higher education promotion policy to attract foreign institutions to invest in Uttar Pradesh.

After a 56-year wait, the body of Sepoy Malkhan Singh, who went missing in a 1968 aircraft crash in Himachal Pradesh's Rohtang, is set to return home. A joint team from the Dogra Scouts and Tiranga Mountain Rescue recently located the remains. The body is expected to arrive by October 3, with last rites planned for Singh in his native Fatehpur village. The AN-12 aircraft, which disappeared while flying from Chandigarh to Leh, carried 102 people and was lost in the icy terrain for decades. This recovery marks a significant breakthrough in one of India’s longest-running search operations.

A controversy has erupted in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, over the installation of Sai Baba idols in temples, leading to the removal of idols from 14 temples, including the prominent Bada Ganesh Mandir. This action, led by Ajay Sharma of the Sanatan Rakshak Sena, is based on claims from Hindu organizations that Sai Baba, regarded as a Muslim figure, has no connection to Sanatan Dharma. While these groups do not oppose the worship of Sai Baba, they assert that his idols should not be placed in Hindu temples. This situation reflects ongoing tensions regarding religious identity and practices in the region.