The much-anticipated New Income Tax Bill 2025 was tabled in Parliament today by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, marking a significant step in India’s tax reform journey. The bill spans 622 pages with 536 sections, promising a simplified, transparent and user-friendly tax structure to reduce complexities, improve compliance, and make tax filing more accessible. Hot off the Press The Times of India reported that while the bill does not propose a major overhaul of tax rates, it introduces key structural changes to streamline the existing framework. The Hindu also highlighted that the bill will do away with outdated provisions and reduce cross-references, ensuring a more coherent tax system. A major highlight is the introduction of the ‘Tax Year’ concept, replacing the ‘Previous Year’ terminology and making tax calculations more intuitive. Hindustan Times’ Saubhadra Chatterji and Rajeev Jayaswal noted that the bill aims to bring clarity and simplicity, removing red

Prasar Bharati’s DD FreeDish’s MPEG-2 e-auction witnessed the return of major broadcasters like Zee Anmol and Star Utsav after three years, as reported by ET Brand Equity.   The 7th annual e-auction commenced on February 10, 2025, featuring channels across various languages categorized under Bucket A+, A, B, C, D, and R. The auction process is set to continue throughout the week.   In the first two days, the public broadcaster generated Rs 208.10 crore from the sale of 11 slots. This included six slots from Bucket A+, which includes Hindi and Urdu General Entertainment Channels (GECs), and five slots from Bucket A, which comprises Hindi and Urdu movie channels.   On the first day, three channels secured slots, followed by eight more on the second day.   According to ET Brand Equity, Zee Anmol, Star Utsav, and Zee Big Magic secured slots for Rs 18.60 crore, Rs 18.25 crore and Rs 17.25 crore, respectively. The total revenue from Bucket A+ amounted to Rs 109.50 crore wi

Freelance science journalist Felicity Nelson believes science is critical to daily life and helps humanity plot a pathway forward.  Nelson told Influencing, “Science is how we figure out a pathway forward as humanity and solve some of our biggest problems, such as how we provide health care to people in need. How do we cure cancer, if that's possible? What do we do when a pandemic strikes? “The best answers come through experimentation, trial and error and data analysis. Instead of responding to situations in a reactive way with our guts, which can be helpful, science provides the ability to have executive functioning as humanity and to plan what we're going to do next in a sensible way.” The role of a science journalist is crucial, says Nelson, who primarily covers early-stage science-health topics such as astronomy, physics, and chemistry.  “Science communication is how we connect that data analysis and logical thinking with the general public so that they can underst

Though the idea of having an open-source global AI framework that all nations can share has been pitched before, PM Modi on Tuesday reiterated the same calling for collective global efforts to address risks and build trust, given a deep inter-dependence across borders in the use of the AI technology at the AI Action Summit in Paris. Hot off the Press In his address, the PM called for global AI partnership to be more inclusive of Global South and its priorities, concerns and needs even as he welcomed the decision to set up an AI Foundation and endorsed a leaders’ declaration that focused on promoting inclusivity, sustainability, accessibility and ethics in the technology’s uses, reported Sachin Parashar for The Times of India. The summit has attracted world leaders, tech executives and policymakers amid differences over-regulating a technology that is impacting security, economics and governance. India and France have an approach to AI that is mid-way between the Chinese mo

The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) has announced the 36th annual Courage in Journalism Awards, recognising women and nonbinary journalists for their commitment to press freedom and reporting under challenging conditions. According to IWMF, the awards highlight that “women journalists are not going to step aside, cannot be silenced and deserve to be recognised for their strength.” The event honours journalists covering taboo topics, exposing difficult truths and working under censorship or threats while maintaining ethical reporting standards. The 2024 award winners included Lauren Chooljian from New Hampshire Public Radio and Mónica Velásquez Villacís from La Posta, Ecuador. Nominations are open to full-time or freelance journalists, writers, editors, photographers, or producers of any nationality. Submissions can be made in English, Spanish, or French until March 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET. For accessibility or application issues, IWMF can be contacted at i

The ninth edition of the ET Now Global Business Summit, organised by the Times Group, will be held on February 15-16, 2025, at Taj Palace, New Delhi. The event will bring together global leaders, policymakers, and industry experts to discuss key economic and industrial shifts under the theme "Evolve, Emerge and Expand." Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the summit and deliver a keynote address, focusing on India’s economic trajectory, global positioning and future growth strategies. At last year’s summit, in his keynote address, PM Modi emphasised India’s economic expansion, fiscal stability and global recognition at Davos, outlining a 30-year roadmap for the country to become the world’s third-largest economy. The 2025 edition will continue discussions on India’s evolving economic landscape, manufacturing, digital transformation, and innovation as the country strengthens its role in the global economy.   Image source: ET Now GBS

Capital Brief is a relative newcomer to the world of business publishing - it's just their second year - but they are making a splash, not least this week with free coffee in Sydney's CBD. Belle Tayler, Head of Brand and Subscriptions at CB, told Influencing, "we're in year two of building Capital Brief as a serious counterweight to the status quo in business media. That means doing business news differently, and thinking differently about how we grow awareness with our audience." The coffee run saw the first 100 caffeine drinkers to visit Diggy Doo's coffee shop in Martin Place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday get a free coffee, the tab picked up by Capital Brief. "This idea came about in the simplest way possible," Tayler said. "We love Diggy Doo’s coffee in the Capital Brief office. They happen to have prime real estate in Martin Place, the professional home of many of our Sydney readers. So finding a way to work together just made sense. And naturally, the simplest way to