The goods and services tax (GST) collection reached a new record in April, rising by 12.6% year-on-year to Rs 2.37 lakh crore, as per government data released on Wednesday. This is the highest monthly collection since the tax was introduced in 2017.

The rise in GST revenue for April follows a strong performance in recent months. In March, GST collections stood at Rs 1.96 lakh crore, showing a 9.9% rise from the same period last year. In February, the total GST collection was Rs 1.83 lakh crore, growing 9.1% year-on-year, driven mainly by strong domestic consumption. January’s figure had also touched Rs 1.96 lakh crore, reflecting a 12.3% increase.

Looking further back, GST revenue in December was Rs 1.77 lakh crore, up 7.3% year-on-year. However, this growth was lower than the 8.5% rise recorded in November, which saw slower activity after the festive season spending had ended.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was seen in a light-hearted mood during the launch of a book on Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel's life on Thursday, drawing laughter from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and others present.

Speaking at the release of Governor Patel's biography titled "Chunautiyan Mujhe Pasand Hain" (I Like Challenges), Mr Dhankhar humorously referred to the book's title while pointing towards his wife, Sudesh Dhankhar.

He said, "Aapne (Governor Anandiben Patel) apni kitaab ka sheershak rakha hai 'Chunautiyan Mujhe Pasand Hain'. 1 February 1979 ko maine chunauti se saat phere le liye. Saath jeevan jeene ka wada kar liya. Chunauti ke saath rehne ki mujhe aadat hai." (You've titled your book 'I Like Challenges'. On February 1, 1979, I took seven vows with a challenge. I promised to live together for life. I am used to living with the challenge.)

International Labour Day, sometimes referred to as May Day, is observed worldwide on May 1st each year. This day honours the industrious people whose commitment and work have moulded economies and communities all around the world. Not only should their efforts be honoured, but they should also be empowered to understand their rights.

May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, has developed into a powerful representation of social justice, solidarity, and the ongoing fight for workers' rights. As we count down to International Labour Day 2025, let us know its origin, theme, and the intriguing differences in its observance around the world.

India’s gold demand surged past 800 tonnes in 2024, driven by a rise in jewellery consumption and increased investments in gold exchange traded funds (ETFs), according to a new report released on Tuesday.

The report by Zerodha Fund House revealed that India was the world’s largest consumer of gold jewellery in 2024, with total consumption reaching 563 tonnes.

The value of this consumption was estimated at around Rs 3.6 lakh crore. Gold continues to hold a significant place in Indian culture, particularly during weddings and other auspicious occasions, where its use is widespread.

Apart from jewellery, Indians are also investing heavily in gold in the form of bars and coins. In 2024, the country purchased 239 tonnes of gold in bar and coin form, valued at approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has notified the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) as an authority under clause 46A of section 10 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, granting it exemptions from taxes on income. NMCG implements the Union government’s ambitious Namami Gange scheme.

The notification was issued on April 22, 2025. The clause allows tax exemption for any income arising to a body, authority, board, trust, or commission, not being a company, which has been established or constituted by or under a Central or State Act for specified purposes.

“In exercise of the powers conferred…the Central Government hereby notifies the “National Mission for Clean Ganga”, an authority constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (No.29 of 1986), for the purposes of the said clause,” states the notification.

India's space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has invited applications from private companies to design and develop satellite-bus platforms to reduce import dependence.

The new initiative called the Satellite Bus as a Service (SBaaS) aims to provide a pathway for Indian private space players to design and develop small satellite bus platforms for hosted payload applications, IN-SPACe said in a statement.

Through this Announcement of Opportunity (AO), IN-SPACe invites applications from eligible Indian non-governmental entities (NGEs) to undertake the design, development, and realisation of small satellite bus systems capable of supporting multiple payloads.

Over 3,050 pigs have died in four districts of Mizoram due to the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the last one month, said officials of Mizoram’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department on Saturday.

So far, 46 localities in four districts of the northeastern state – Siaha, Lawngtlai, Lunglei, and Mamit – have been declared as ASF-infected zones by the department.

Nearly 1,000 pigs were culled in these four districts to prevent the spread of the disease.

Of the four infected zones, Siaha district is the most affected, with the cumulative death toll of pigs at 1,651.

Officials stated that the hot climatic conditions and intermittent showers are favourable for the spread of the virus.

The race to bring internet from space just got exciting. Amazon has finally sent its first 27 Kuiper satellites into orbit after years of waiting. As the sun set in Florida, the launch kicked off a new chapter for the tech giant.

The satellites soared into the sky aboard an Atlas V rocket. The launch happened at 7 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. United Launch Alliance, a Boeing and Lockheed Martin venture, handled the rocket's journey. An earlier launch attempt on 9 April was cancelled because of bad weather. These satellites are the first of 3,236 Amazon plans to deploy. The Kuiper project, first revealed in 2019, aims to beam internet worldwide. It hopes to reach homes, businesses and governments, much like SpaceX’s Starlink network.

Kuiper is Amazon’s most ambitious space project yet, valued at $10 billion. It puts Amazon in direct competition with not only Starlink but also firms like AT&T and T-Mobile. The company has highlighted its goal to improve internet in rural areas. Many communities today still lack reliable or affordable connectivity.

Looks like scientists have found a new cousin to the eels! Well, not another eel, but a bacterium that can conduct electricity. And no, it doesn’t zap, but it does work like biological wiring hidden in the mud.

The findings are published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. The novel species of bacteria act as electrical wiring, and could hold the potential to develop bioelectronic devices for use in medicine, industry, food safety, and environmental monitoring and cleanup.

The researchers discovered the cable bacteria species in a mud flat at the Oregon coast and named it Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis is named in honor of the Native Americans of the region where the species was found.

The US military has deployed an anti-ship missile launcher for the first time on Batan Island in the Philippines, as Marines unloaded the high-precision weapon on the northern tip of the archipelago, just a sea border away from Taiwan.

US and Philippine forces separately unleashed a barrage of missile and artillery fire that shot down several drones acting as hostile aircraft in live-fire drills on Sunday in Zambales province facing the disputed South China Sea.

The mock battle scenarios over the weekend in the annual Balikatan exercises between the US and its oldest treaty ally in Asia, the Philippines, not only simulated real-life war.