Business
Government is committed to correct inverted import duty structure: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari with CAMIT delegation led by Dipen Agrawal
Union Minister for MSME Nitin Gadkari recently told a CAMIT (Chamber of Associations of Maharashtra Industry and Trade) delegation led by President Dipen Agrawal that the government is committed to correct the inverted import duty structure.
Gadkari said the same when the CAMIT delegation met him to express gratitude on behalf of members of CAMIT and Bombay Metal Exchange (BME) for extending a helping hand in protecting Copper SME units, by impressing upon Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to correct the inverted import duty structure on copper products falling under ITCHS 7403 and 7404.
At the outset, Agrawal, while handing over a joint letter of gratitude by CAMIT and BME to Gadkari, said that Gadkaris support and efforts bore fruits in Sitharaman’s Budget for 2021-22, which partially addressed the issue by reducing custom duty from 5.50% to 2.50% on copper raw material.
Agrawal requested Gadkari to further impress upon Sitharaman to exempt copper raw material from custom duty to give level playing field to domestic SME manufactures so as to realise the vision of PM Narendra Modi of being Vocal about Local? to transform local brands into global brands.
Gadkari accepted the letter of gratitude while saying that it’s his duty to get the MSME issues addressed at the highest forum. He also assured to work with his colleague Ministers to exempt copper raw material.
COVID-19
Thane Municipal Corporation adds 25 beds as COVID cases rise
Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) added 25 additional beds in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital Kalwa apart from arranging a special ward dedicated to COVID-19 patients. The total number of active patients in the city stood at 252 while five succumbed to the virus. Meanwhile, TMC Commissioner Abhijit Bangar said a ‘death audit’ of patients who died of COVID would be conducted. The TMC has ensured it has additional stock of oxygen concentrators, testing kits, medicines, to name a few. Bangar told HT, “Due to the increasing number of Covid patients, it is necessary for everyone to be alert.”
He added, The number of Covid tests should be increased to stay one step ahead of the disease. As a result, the number of patients is likely to increase due to increased testing. However, as per the ‘test, isolate, treat’ protocol for Covid, it becomes necessary to isolate and treat more and more patients. The testing centres will not remain closed even for a single day. At the same time, more arrangements for testing will be made immediately in public places, markets, railway stations, malls.”
India recorded 3,095 new COVID cases and five deaths in last 24 hours.
Also read: Nagpur records 22 COVID cases in 24 hours
Politics
After Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, his namesake who contested from Wayanad disqualified

Rahul Gandhi
An independent candidate for Lok Sabha elections named Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from contesting polls for failing to lodge account of election expenses. Gandhi, who’s name figures as ‘Rahul Gandhi K E S/o Valsamma’ in an Election Commission list of persons, had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as an Independent and had received 2196 votes from the Wayanad seat in Kerala – a constituency from where ex-Congress MP Rahul Rajiv Gandhi had won with over seven lakh votes.
However, since it is mandatory for all contestants to submit their account of election expenses among other mandatory requirements under EC rules and the Representation of the People Act.
Rahul Gandhi K E S/o Valsamma stood disqualified to contest polls from September 13, 2021 till September 13, 2024. According to Section 10A, the Election Commission can disqualify a contestant for a period of three years from the date of the order if he/she has failed to lodge an account of election expenses within the time and in the manner required by law and has no good reason or justification for the failure.
Also read: ‘CBI under UPA govt. pressurised me to frame Modi,’ recalls Amit Shah
Nagpur News
Nagpur records 22 COVID cases in 24 hours
A total of 22 patients tested positive for COVID-19 in Nagpur in past 24 hours on Thursday. Almost 242 people were tested in the city, out of which 15 belonged to urban area while and 6 were from the rural areas, and one from outside Nagpur district.
At present, there are 72 active patients in the city. Three new cases of the new XBB.1.16 variant of COVID-19 were detected that took the total tally to five in the district.
India recorded 3,095 new COVID cases and five deaths in last 24 hours.
Also read: CELESTIAL! Unique alignment of Moon and 5 planets