1) Adjourned sine-die: Both Houses of Parliament adjourned sine die.
- Adjournment sine die means terminating a sitting of Parliament for an indefinite period.
- Here, the House is adjourned without naming a day for reassembly.
- The power of adjournment sine die lies with the Presiding Officer of the House.
- Presiding Officer can also call a sitting of the House any time after the House has been adjourned sine die.
2) Amendment to CGST and IGST: Both houses of the Parliament passed two bills to amend the CGST (Central Goods & Services Tax) and IGST (Integrated Goods & Services Tax) Acts.
- It will implement the GST Council’s recommendation for 28% GST on online gaming, casinos, and horse racing.
- It will be applied on the initial amount paid upon entry, and not on the total value of each bet placed.
- Covers both games based on both skill and chance.
3) Consumer Welfare (Corpus) Fund (CWF): Consumer Welfare Guidelines have been amended to include reimbursement of legal expenses incurred by a complainant, after its final adjudication.
- The prescribed amount shall be paid from the interest accrued on the Consumer Welfare (Corpus) Fund (CWF).
- CWF aims to promote, protect and advocate welfare of consumers in India, create consumer awareness and strengthen consumer movement in the country.
- It has been established at the State level, through co-contribution with the Department of Consumer Affairs, under the Central Goods and Services Act, 2017.
4) Pink Bollworm (PBW): Scientific name: Pectinophora gossypiella.
- Impact: Adults lay eggs on cotton bolls; once hatched, the larvae eat the seeds and damage the fibers of the cotton.
- Distribution: It is now recorded in nearly all the cotton-growing countries of the world.
