Former chief election commissioner (CEC) Navin Chawla passed away. He was 79.
A former bureaucrat, Chawla was the election commissioner (EC) between 2005 and 2009, and then chief election commissioner from April 2009 to July 2010.
Born on July 30, 1945, Chawla did his schooling from The Lawrence School, Sanawar, before moving to St Stephen's College here.
He became a Union secretary before being appointed an EC. He oversaw the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
Chawla was also known as the biographer of Mother Teresa. The biography titled "Mother Teresa" was first published in the UK in 1992, and has seen many translations and editions since then.
World Wetlands Day is observed on 2nd February every year worldwide to commemorate the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in 1971. India is a party to the Convention since 1982. India has recently increased its tally of Ramsar sites (Wetlands of International Importance) to 89 by designating four more wetlands as Ramsar sites.
Udhwa Lake in Jharkhand, Theerthangal and Sakkarakottai in Tamil Nadu and Khecheopalri in Sikkim. These are the first Ramsar Sites of Sikkim and Jharkhand. With the addition of these wetlands to List of Wetlands of International Importance, the total area covered under Ramsar sites is now 1.358 million ha. Tamil Nadu continues to have maximum number of Ramsar Sites (20),
followed by Uttar Pradesh (10 sites).
Theme- ‘Protecting Wetlands for our Common Future’. This year’s theme underscores the need for collaboration and foresight, as it calls for valuing and protecting these richly biodiverse, productive ecosystems and taking inspiring action on their behalf – together, we can safeguard our common future and wellbeing.
Opener Gongadi Trisha scored 44 as India defeated South Africa by nine wickets in the final match of the Women's U19 T20 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur. Chasing only 83 runs, India did not face much difficulty as they lost just one wicket and went across the line in just 11.2 overs. With this, India lifted their second consecutive U19 Women's World Cup title.
The Indian camp was soon filled with jubilation, contrasting with the emotional South African side, who stood heartbroken. Gongadi Trisha was rightfully named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series, finishing the tournament with 309 runs and seven wickets, an exceptional all-round effort that was crucial to India’s historic triumph.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made history by presenting her eighth consecutive Union Budget. This milestone comes at a time when India is facing a slowdown in its economy and amidst increasing calls for tax cuts to benefit the middle class.
Sitharaman’s achievement places her in line to surpass the record of 10 budgets set by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who served as the country’s finance minister during two separate periods: from 1959 to 1964, and again from 1967 to 1969. Desai holds the record for presenting the maximum number of budgets in Indian history.
Sitharaman’s first term as finance minister began in 2019 when Prime Minister Modi’s government secured a decisive second term. She became India's first full-time woman finance minister, a historic moment in itself. Following the 2024 general elections,when Prime Minister Modi was re-elected for a third term, Sitharaman retained her position and presented her eighth budget.
Niger – the country has been verified by the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating transmission of onchocerciasis.
This is a historic milestone in the history of global health achievements of Africa. Niger is the first country in Africa to be declared free of onchocerciasis, a parasitic disease caused by the Onchocerca volvulus worm,
transmitted through the bites of infected black flies.
Niger has been significantly impacted by this disease, affecting communities primarily along riverbanks of fast-flowing rivers where these flies breed, hence the disease is also known as river blindness.
The Centre has announced the addition of four new Ramsar sites in India, increasing the total to 89.
The newly designated Ramsar sites include Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary and Therthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, Khecheopalri Wetland in Sikkim, and Udhwa Lake in Jharkhand. This marks a significant milestone for Sikkim and Jharkhand,
as they have secured their first ever Ramsar sites.
India's record 89 Ramsar sites, the highest in Asia and the third highest in the world.
A Ramsar site is a wetland designated under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty adopted in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, to promote the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a slew of measures which significantly benefit taxpayers in the Union Budget 2025, which she presented in the parliament February 1, 2025.
1) No income tax for up to Rs. 12 lakh per annum
The most prominent tax relief measure in the Budget 2025 is the exemption of income tax for all those earning up to Rs. 12 lakh annually.
2) New tax slabs
The Budget 2025 introduces new tax slabs. Sitharaman said, “I propose to revise tax rate structures as follows: 0 to Rs. 4 Lakhs - nil, Rs. 4 Lakhs to Rs. 8 Lakhs - 5%, Rs. 8 Lakhs to Rs. 12 Lakhs - 10%, Rs. 12 Lakhs to Rs. 16 Lakhs - 15%, Rs. 16 Lakhs to Rs. 20 Lakhs - 20%, Rs. 20 Lakhs to Rs. 24 Lakhs - 25% and above Rs. 24 Lakhs - 30%.”
3) Tax benefits
A tax payer in the new regime with an income of Rs. 12 lakh will get a benefit of Rs. 80,000 in tax. A person with income of Rs. 18 lakh will get a benefit of Rs. 70,000 in tax, and a person with an income of Rs. 25 lakh gets a benefit of Rs. 1.10 lakh.
4) Standard deduction
Under the new tax regime, salaried employees as well as pensioners get a standard deduction of Rs. 75,000, which raises the tax-free income limit to Rs. 12.75 lakh for salaried individuals, considering the revised Rs. 12 lakh nil-tax threshold announced in the budget.
However, for those opting for the old tax regime, the standard deduction remains unchanged at Rs. 50,000. The old regime does still continue to offer additional exemptions and deductions, especially those under Section 80C ( Rs. 1.5 lakh), Section 80D (health insurance), as well as HRA benefits.
5) Rationalised TDS
The government also proposed to increase the annual threshold for tax deduction at source (TDS) on rent to Rs. 6 lakh from the current limit of Rs. 2.4 lakh.
This will reduce the number of transactions which are liable to TDS and benefit small taxpayers receiving small payments.
Paytm Cloud Technologies, the wholly owned subsidiary of fintech firm Paytm, is set to acquire a 25 percent stake in a Brazil-based embedded finance firm Seven Technology for $1 million.
The acquisition of a stake in Seven Technology will enable the company to understand the merchants’ business landscape in the Brazilian market, Paytm said.
The company, incorporated in Delaware, is a parent company of Dinnie which enables digital and e-commerce platforms to provide financial services solutions to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Brazil.
Following the completion of the transaction, Seven Technology and Dinnie, would become associate entities of One97 Communications (OCL).