Business
GST Council meet today: Covid relief, bringing oil and gas indirect tax regime on agenda

The GST Council will meet in Lucknow on Friday to take decisions on issues related to duty revision that were put on the back burner in earlier meetings to focus on the Covid relief measures amid rising cases during the second wave of the pandemic.
The meeting, however, is expected to announce a few more Covid relief measures particularly on compliance matters.
It will also announce a few measures to correct the inverted duty while discussing the compensation cess dues arising in 2021-22.
Two other important items, including lowering of GST rates for two-wheelers and bringing natural gas into the indirect tax fold may also be included in the agenda for discussion.
“Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman will chair the 45th GST Council meeting at 11 AM in Lucknow today. The meeting will be attended by MOS Shri @mppchaudhary besides Finance Ministers of States & UTs and Senior officers from Union Government & States,” the Ministry of Finance said in a tweet.
The GST Council has already met twice this year when the panel of finance ministers discussed GST compensation and the borrowing formula offered by the Centre towards compensating states for GST shortfall while also announcing a series of duty relief and easing of compliance measures towards Covid relief.
The 45th meeting of the council is expected to again discuss the compensation issue for the current year, but sources said it may also take a few steps to correct inverted duty structure without pursuing any increase in the GST rates or move towards converging GST to three rate structure.
Sources also said that the council at the meeting may also take up two other important items, including lowering of GST rates for two-wheelers and bringing natural gas into the indirect tax fold.
A top source in the finance ministry said that inverted duty correction, GST cut on two-wheelers and inclusion of natural gas into GST fold are on the agenda and hopefully the council will offer some solution that is in the best interest of all stakeholders.
Correction of inverted duty structure, especially in sectors such as fertilizer, steel utelsils, solar modules, tractors, tyres, electrical transformers, pharma, textile, fabric, railway locomotives among other goods is required.
Inverted duty refers to tax rates on inputs being higher than those levied on finished products. This results in higher input credit claims by goods besides several administrative and compliance issues.
Currently, while duty on imported tyres is 10 per cent, its inputs i.e. rubber attracts 20 per cent duty. Similarly, solar modules do not attract any duty while its components attract 5-10 per cent duty.
Similarly, the council may also consider lowering the GST rate of 28 per cent on two-wheelers to give a boost to its sales affected during the pandemic.
The Council has in principle agreed to include five petroleum products under GST, but has so far deferred its actual inclusion into the indirect as states fear a big loss of revenue. But now, the government is considering bringing natural gas under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime to begin with as it would be difficult to bring the entire oil and gas sector immediately under it.
Sources said that natural gas may be included under a three-tier GST structure where rates would vary depending on the usage. So, while piped natural gas (PNG) for homes may be kept at a lower rate of 5 per cent, commercial piped gas may attract the median 18 per cent GST rate and automobile fuel CNG may be kept in the highest bracket of 28 per cent.
disaster
Op Jal Rahat-2: Army rescues over 2,500 flood-hit people in Manipur

Imphal, June 5: As torrential rains and flooding continue to disrupt normal life in Imphal and surrounding areas, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles have been at the forefront of relief and rescue efforts under the ongoing ‘Operation Jal Rahat-II’ relief operation.
A Defence spokesman said on Thursday that since May 31, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles troops have been working tirelessly across multiple flood-affected localities in Imphal East and Imphal West districts, providing critical assistance to the flood-affected population within certain cases, without waiting for formal requisition.
Operating under extremely challenging conditions, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles have evacuated nearly 2,500 civilians to safety during the rescue operation so far.
Major evacuations took place in Imphal’s Wangkhei areas, where 778 individuals were rescued and at government-run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) medical college and hospital, where 750 people, including 15 patients requiring urgent care, were safely evacuated.
Continuing the efforts in Imphal’s Khitai Chingangbam Leikai areas, 110 civilians were brought to safety, while 115 were rescued from Laishram Leikai, the spokesman said.
Rescue teams also evacuated 65 individuals from Lamlong and 75 from Heinjang areas, where operations included navigating through challenging terrain and fast flood stream due to breach in the Imphal River embankment.
He said that at other locations in Imphal East and West districts, an additional 408 people including 179 women and 92 children were extricated.
In a testament to their inclusive and compassionate approach, Indian Army and Assam Rifles personnel also carried out special missions to rescue three specially-abled adults from different locations.
The troops not only rescued stranded civilians but also established a medical camp providing aid to over 400 civilians, simultaneously carrying out defogging operations to mitigate health hazards caused by stagnant water.
Their rapid response helped prevent further deterioration of living conditions and safeguarded the health of the community.
According to the Defence spokesman, the unprecedented floods had left the local population struggling for survival, with clean drinking water becoming an urgent necessity in the flood-ravaged village of Soibam Leikai in Imphal East.
Responding swiftly to the crisis, a team led by an Indian Army Officer reached the village with essential supplies and an unwavering resolve to help.
Recognising the immediate need for safe drinking water, the Army established emergency drinking water distribution points, ensuring that the residents had access to clean and potable water.
Also, 5,750 litres of fresh water was supplied to fulfill the immediate requirement.
The official said that equipped with rescue boats, medical teams and essential relief materials, the Indian Army soldiers have been operating in close coordination with Assam Rifles and the civil administration.
The efforts of Indian Army and Assam Rifles reflect the ethos of ‘Service Before Self’ and unwavering commitment to safeguard the lives of citizens, the spokesman said.
He said that as flood relief operations continue, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles remain fully committed to supporting the people of Manipur during this crisis and would persist in extending every possible assistance to mitigate the impact of the ongoing natural disaster.
National
Bengaluru stampede: K’taka govt releases details of deceased; families raise questions

Bengaluru, June 5: The Karnataka government on Thursday released the details of the 11 people killed in the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) victory celebrations on June 4.
Among the dead, one hailed from Udumalapet near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, and the rest are from Bengaluru and other districts of the state.
According to the details shared by the Chief Minister’s Office, the deceased have been identified as 14-year-old Divyanshi, a resident of Yelahanka in Bengaluru; 26-year-old Akshata Pai, a resident of Karwar; 19-year-old Bhoomik, a resident of M.S. Ramaiah Layout in Bengaluru; 23-year-old Sahana, a native of Kolar; 19-year-old Chinmaya Shetty, a resident of Doddakallasandra in Bengaluru; 20-year-old Manojkumar, a resident of Nagasandra village in Tumakuru district; 20-year-old Shravana K.T., a resident of Kallahalli village in Chikkaballapura district; 17-year-old Shivu aka Shivalinga, a resident of Honigeri village in Yadgir district; 20-year-old Poornachandra, a resident of Rayasamudra village in Mandya district; 29-year-old Kamakshidevi, a resident of Udumalapet near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and 22-year-old Prajwal, a resident of Yelahanka New Town in Bengaluru are the deceased persons.
Laxman, the father of deceased Bhoomik (19), stated he was given information that his son was serious and asked to arrive at the hospital. “My son never watched cricket matches, he had gone along with his friends. I was informed that when the stampede occurred, there was no ambulance, and my son was shifted to the hospital in a police vehicle.”
He further expressed his outrage that he pays the government tax up to Rs 5 lakh per month, and the government wasn’t able to provide an ambulance to his son.
Suresh Babu, the father of deceased Sahana (23), stated his daughter informed him that she is going to attend the RCB victory celebrations at noon. “She had gone to the office in the morning, and later she went to the Chinnaswamy Stadium. “I wanted to see my daughter’s marriage and but now I am garlanding her dead body. She completed her engineering studies and worked at Bosch Company in Bengaluru for two years. She never caused us pain. I had asked her to be careful. The system has failed,” he stated.
The mother of the deceased, Prajwal (22), said she had to run from one hospital to another after being informed about the tragedy. She stated that Prajwal was her only son, and being a labourer, she managed somehow to complete the engineering course. “The government has snatched away my only son. Do they know how it feels to lose a son?” she asked.
The state government has announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and also ordered a magisterial probe.
The BJP has said that the deaths were government-sponsored murders and demanded the immediate resignation of Home Minister G. Parameshwara.
Taking cognizance of the stampede incident, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday registered a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and sought a report from the Congress-led Karnataka government.
The division bench, headed by acting Chief Justice V. Kameshwar Rao, expressed concern over the tragedy.
Social activist Snehamayi Krishna filed a complaint with the Cubbon Park police on Thursday against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, office-bearers of the KSCA, and others. In his complaint, Krishna demanded that the police register the case under Section 106 of the BNS Act.
International
Trump signs proclamation banning travel from 12 nations

Washington, June 5: US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation imposing a travel ban on 12 countries and restricting the entry of seven others to the US, citing national security concerns.
According to the proclamation, the 12 countries that were banned include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Additionally, the order partially restricts and limits the entry of nationals of the following seven countries — Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The announcement of the ban followed a recent violent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, on participants of a peaceful rally calling for the safe return of Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity.
“The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas. We don’t want them,” Trump said in a video statement released by the White House on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, US Homeland Security officials said that the terror attack perpetrator in Colorado, Mohammed Sabry Solima, was allowed entry into the country under the former Biden Administration and overstayed his visa.
The White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson took to social media stating that President Trump is protecting Americans from foreign actors who pose security threats to the country.
“President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors that want to come to our country and cause us harm. These commonsense restrictions are country-specific and include places that lack proper vetting, exhibit high visa overstay rates, or fail to share identity and threat information. President Trump will always act in the best of interest of the American people and their safety,” Abigail Jackson said on X.
The recent proclamation echoed a series of travel bans issued during the first term of Trump’s administration to seven majority-Muslim nations from coming to the US.
It included Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. The move witnessed legal challenges before President Joe Biden repealed it after he assumed office in 2021.
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