National News
Maharashtra deficit budget cuts VAT on natural gas, amnesty for GST-Stamp Duty

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday presented the state Budget 2022-2023 with a revenue deficit of Rs 24,353 crore, with a slew of major announcements like an amnesty scheme for GST and stamp duty and reduction in VAT for natural gas.
The government estimates revenue receipts of Rs 403,427 crore against a revenue expenditure of Rs 427,780 crore, ot a shortfall of Rs 24,353 crore, in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s third annual budget.
Pawar unveiled a ‘Panchasutri’ (5-Point) development programme encompassing agriculture, health, human resource, transport, and industry, for the state with a total outlay of Rs. 115,215 crore, besides other sops and proposals.
Under this, the government proposes to spend Rs 23,888 crore for agriculture and allied sectors, Rs 5,244 crore for health, Rs 46,667 crore for human resources, Rs 28,605 crore for transport infrastructure and Rs 10,111 crore for industry and energy sectors, with plans to spend over Rs 400,000 crore in the next three years, said Pawar.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, MVA leaders of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress including Eknath Shinde, Hasan Mushrif, Nana Patole and others lauded the budget as “visionary” while the Bharatiya Janata Party Leaders of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and Pravin Darekar and Union MOS for Finance Bhagwat Karad slammed it as “direction-less”.
Pawar has introduced a first-ever Amnesty Scheme 2022 for the Goods & Sales Tax Department which will be applicable from April 1-September 30 this year.
Under this, there will be a complete waiver of the arrears of Rs 10,000 or less per year as per any statutory orders for various tax laws in the state, which would benefit around 100,000 small dealers.
Another aspect of the amnesty scheme for those having arrears of Rs 10 lakh or less till March 31, 2022, can pay a lump sum of 20 per cent of their total arrears and the remaining 80 per cent shall be waived, benefitting over 220,000 such cases of medium dealers.
The government has announced steep reduction in VAT on natural gas – from 13.5 per cent to just 3 per cent – which will hugely benefit households with piped natural gas connections and CNG power vehicles, while the state will incur a revenue shortfall of around Rs 800 crore.
Pawar also announced an Amnesty Scheme under the Stamp Act from April 1-November 30, for pending penalties dues to the government whereby there will be a shortfall of around Rs 1,500 crore.
For any land donations free to any local government bodies, Pawar has announced a complete exemption of the 3 per cent stamp duty on the gift deed or 5 per cent on sale deed, by which the state exchequer will lose around Rs 21 crore.
For gold-silver delivery order documents imported in Maharashtra which currently attract a 0.1 percent stamp duty, Pawar announced a complete waiver leading to a revenue shortfall of Rs 100 crore.
To boost water transport in the state, he announced a 3-year tax holiday from January 1, 2022 on the tax levied by Maharashtra Maritime Board on passengers, animals, vehicles, goods ferried by boats or roll on-roll off vessels in the state.
Maharashtra
Mumbai 26 July 2005 Floods: When City Was Submerged With 944 mm Of Rain In 24 Hours Leaving 914 Dead, Thousands Displaced

Every year, the monsoon season disrupts life across Indian cities with heavy rainfall, waterlogging and traffic chaos. But July 26, 2005, stands out as a day that etched itself into Mumbai’s history as one of its darkest and most devastating.
On that day, Mumbai received an unprecedented 944 mm of rain in just 24 hours, nearly half of its annual average. Between 8 am and 8 pm alone, 644 mm poured down. It remains the eighth-highest 24-hour rainfall ever recorded anywhere in the world. The city, unprepared for such intensity, was brought to a grinding halt.
Internet Flooded With Old Visuals, Still Haunting Mumbaikars
Several netizens took to social media to share haunting visuals from the 2005 Mumbai floods, recalling the day when the city came to a complete standstill. Many described it as an unforgettable chapter in Mumbai’s history, marked by chaos, resilience and unity.
While some reflected on the overwhelming scale of the disaster, others remembered how the crisis revealed the undying spirit of Mumbai, with strangers helping each other and communities coming together in the face of adversity.
Mumbai’s Lifeline Took Serious Hit, 52 Local Trains Damaged
As floodwaters rose, roads vanished beneath torrents of water. Local trains, the city’s lifeline, stopped completely, with tracks submerged and 52 trains damaged. Thousands were stranded in stations, schools and offices overnight. Low-lying areas like Dharavi and the Bandra-Kurla Complex were heavily inundated, while vehicles were swept away or immobilised.
The scale of disruption was staggering. Over 37,000 auto-rickshaws, 4,000 taxis, 900 BEST buses and 10,000 trucks and tempos were either damaged or rendered unusable. Even the skies were no refuge. For the first time ever, Mumbai’s airports shut down, with Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and the Juhu airstrip closed for more than 30 hours. More than 700 flights were cancelled or delayed, creating nationwide ripples in air traffic.
Over 900 Killed, Property Worth ₹5.5 Billion Destroyed
The economic loss was estimated at Rs 5.5 billion (around 100 million USD). But the cost in human lives and suffering was far greater. According to official reports, 914 people lost their lives, many due to drowning, electrocution and landslides. More than 14,000 homes were destroyed, leaving thousands without shelter, food or drinking water.
Communication networks also failed. Around 5 million mobile users and 2.3 million landline connections went dead for several hours, hampering emergency rescue operations. Emergency services were overwhelmed, as the city grappled with a disaster it had never imagined.
The 2005 floods served as a harsh wake-up call, exposing Mumbai’s vulnerability to extreme weather. In the years since, the government has worked on improving disaster preparedness, such as creating specialised disaster management units, upgrading early warning systems and installing floodgates and dewatering pumps at critical points.
Yet, even two decades later, as visuals from 2005 resurface each year, a haunting question persists: Is Mumbai truly prepared to face another flood of that magnitude?
National News
Congress Leader Jairam Ramesh Slams PM Modi’s ‘Boasted Friendship’ With Donald Trump, Cites US Engagement With Pakistan

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “much boasted friendship” with US President Donald Trump is now proving to be “hollow” and cited several overtures the latter recently made to Pakistan.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh also alleged that Indian diplomacy was failing in the light of the US partnering with Pakistan.
“The abject failure of Indian diplomacy, especially in the past two months, is revealed most tellingly by four facts. These expose the tall claims made by the Prime Minister and his drum-beaters and cheerleaders,” he said in his post.
Ramesh said that since May 10, 2025, Trump has claimed 25 times that “he personally intervened to stop Operation Sindoor, threatening India and Pakistan that if they didn’t bring the war to a halt, they would not have a trade agreement with the USA.” On June 10, 2025, he claimed, Gen Michael Kurilla, the head of the US Central Command, hailed Pakistan as a phenomenal partner of the US in countering terrorism.
On June 18, 2025, Trump held an unprecedented luncheon meeting with Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in the White House, Ramesh noted.
“Two months earlier, Munir’s inflammatory, incendiary, and communally provocative remarks had provided the backdrop to the brutal Pahalgam terror attacks on April 22, 2025,” he said.
Just yesterday, the Congress leader claimed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and thanked Pakistan for its partnership in countering terrorism and preserving regional stability.
“The PM’s clean chit to China on June 19, 2020, has already cost India heavily. His much boasted friendship with President Trump is now proving to be hollow,” Ramesh said in his post.
National News
Government Cracks Down on OTT Platforms Over Obscene Content

New Delhi, July 25, 2025 — In a significant move targeting explicit digital content, the Government of India has taken steps to block several over-the-top (OTT) platforms accused of streaming obscene and vulgar material. Platforms such as ALTBalaji, ULLU, and a few others have come under the scanner for allegedly violating Indian content regulations and societal norms.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, acting on multiple complaints from citizens and civil society groups, initiated the ban after conducting an internal review. Authorities stated that certain shows and web series available on these platforms contained content that was “sexually explicit,” “vulgar,” and “not suitable for public viewing,” especially in households with children.
The decision has stirred a wider debate around content regulation and creative freedom in India’s rapidly growing digital entertainment sector. While officials maintain that the step was necessary to uphold decency standards and protect cultural values, critics warn of overreach and censorship.
A senior official said, “This is not about targeting creative freedom. This is about ensuring that OTT content does not cross legal and moral boundaries. There are clear guidelines, and platforms are expected to adhere to them.”
The platforms affected reportedly failed to comply with warnings issued earlier regarding their programming. Despite advisory notices and reminders to filter or restrict adult content, several web series continued to feature nudity, explicit scenes, and suggestive themes without proper age-gating or viewer discretion tools.
In recent years, OTT platforms have grown in popularity, especially among younger audiences, with many bypassing traditional film and TV regulations. The government had previously introduced a self-regulation framework for digital content providers, but critics say enforcement has been lax, leading to the current clampdown.
Some media rights advocates and artists expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the banning process and called for an independent review mechanism. Others, however, welcomed the move, stating that unchecked access to graphic content could have a detrimental effect on social behavior and minors.
As of now, the banned platforms remain inaccessible in India. The Ministry has hinted at further actions if other OTT providers do not align their content with the prescribed code of ethics and IT rules.
This development marks a turning point in India’s digital media regulation and sets the stage for possible stricter content monitoring across streaming platforms in the future.
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