THE GOODS and Services Tax (GST) Council, in its 50th meeting on Tuesday, decided to levy a uniform 28 per cent tax on full face value for online gaming, casinos and horse-racing, while reducing the rate for uncooked/ unfried snack pellets, cancer medicine and imitation zari thread.

The meeting also clarified the rate for food and beverages sold inside multiplexes and the definition of all utility vehicles to bring parity for cess levy.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the intent was not to end any industry linked to online gaming, casinos and horse-racing, but there was discussion on the moral question of whether these should be taxed at the same rate as essential items.

Sikkim has topped the northeastern states in addressing public complaints, followed by Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, the Centre said on Tuesday.

The ranking was made in the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) monthly report, released by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the Personnel Ministry, for states for June 2023.

Today’s Google Doodle celebrates one of India’s premiere street food pani puri. For Indians, pani puri needs no introduction. It is a street food made of a crispy shell stuffed with potatoes, chickpeas, spices, or chillies and is served with flavoured waters. On this day in 2015, a restaurant in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, achieved the World Record for serving the most flavours of pani puri by offering 51 options!

The East-West Center's Board of Governors has elected Dr Samir Saran, head of India's leading think tank, as one of the board's five international members.

Dr Saran, who is President of the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation (ORF), will begin his term at the board's next semiannual meeting in October, a EWC release said.

Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and Australia women's team all-rounder Ashleigh Garner won ICC's top monthly honours after they were named 'Player of the Month' for June.

Hasaranga recently featured in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers for Sri Lanka, contributing heavily in his team's qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India starting September 5.

Ashleigh Gardner, on the other hand, became the first player to win the accolade thrice since its introduction.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Tuesday approved Tamil Nadu’s first Flight Training Organisation (FTO).

A senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official informed that EKVI Air Training Organisation Pvt. Ltd. based at Salem Airport in Tamil Nadu got the approval to establish FTO.

"This is the only Flying Training Organization in the entire state of Tamil Nadu", said the official.

Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on July 11 approved building two thermal power projects of 800 MW each at the cost of ₹18,000 crore in Sonbhadra district. The State government said it is the part of U.P.’s efforts to provide cheap electricity to people in the State.

“Consumption of electricity is increasing day by day in the State. During the Global Investors Summit (GIS), we signed an agreement with National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) to set up thermal plants at Obra. Today, the project has been approved by the Council of Ministers. The plant will be built on about 500 acres of land and if further land is needed, arrangements will be made for that too,” said U.P. Energy Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma, after the Cabinet meeting.

Indian diplomat Devesh Uttam has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Lithuania, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

An Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of batch 2003, Uttam is expected to take up his assignment shortly.

"Shri Devesh Uttam (IFS: 2003), presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Lithuania. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the MEA release read.

Earlier in May, Lithuanian Ambassador to India Diana Mickeviciene welcomed the opening of a new mission in Lithuania and said that the country is very happy to enter a new stage in its ties with India.

The pink city, Jaipur warmed up to the 132nd Durand Cup Grand Trophy Tour here today at the Rajasthan International Centre.

The three glittering trophies of the prestigious Durand Cup were received by Major General Rai Singh Godara, GOC, 61 Sub Area in an energetic ceremony which was later jointly flagged off by the Major General; General K K Repswal, SM, VSM Retd and Brigadier Kuldeep Gulia, Indian Army Retd and also were the Guest of Honours of the event.

The United States has the strongest military force in the world, with Russia and China in second and third and India in fourth place, according to Global Firepower, a data website that tracks global defence-related information.

The 2023 Military Strength list - which also includes the nations with the weakest military force in the world, which includes Bhutan and Iceland - assessed over 60 factors.

Global Firepower said it established 'a given nation's score with categories ranging from quantity of military units and financial standing to logistical capabilities and geography'.