Essayer OR - Gratuit
Align GST Rates With Health Goals
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar
|September 12, 2025
The latest meeting of the GST Council sought to advance reforms that balance fiscal priorities with social well-being.
However, its recommendations on tobacco and sugary beverages represent a worrying setback for public health. If adopted, these measures would weaken India's ability to curb two of the most pressing health challenges of our time: tobacco-related diseases and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The most worrying proposal is the reduction of GST on bidis from 28 percent to 18 percent, coupled with a steep cut on bidi wrappers (tendu leaves) from 18 percent to 5 percent. This is not a minor adjustment; it fundamentally undermines decades of progress in tobacco control. Bidi remains the second most commonly consumed tobacco product in India.
As of 2017, about 72 million Indians aged 15 and older smoked bidis, accounting for nearly 8 percent of the adult population. Unlike cigarettes, bidis contain less processed tobacco, but this does not make them safer as they deliver higher concentrations of nicotine. Research has firmly established bidi smoking as a cause of cancers of the oral cavity, lungs, larynx, and esophagus, as well as chronic respiratory conditions and tuberculosis.
The economic toll is equally staggering. A 2017 estimate put the annual costs attributable to bidi smoking at ₹805.5 billion for individuals aged 30-69 alone—roughly 0.5 percent of India's GDP. Yet despite this enormous burden, bidis are taxed at disproportionately low levels.
Cette histoire est tirée de l'édition September 12, 2025 de The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar.
Abonnez-vous à Magzter GOLD pour accéder à des milliers d'histoires premium sélectionnées et à plus de 9 000 magazines et journaux.
Déjà abonné ? Se connecter
PLUS D'HISTOIRES DE The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar
PM's address to Israeli Parliament an ‘unabashed defence of his host’: Cong
LAUNCHING a scathing attack over PM Narendra Modi'’s visit to Israel, the Congress on Thursday termed his address to Knesset as an “unabashed defence of his host” Benjamin Netanyahu.
1 mins
February 27, 2026
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar
Debutants in dreamland: Nabi delivers for J&K on Day 3
IT will only be a matter of time before an Indian selector rings Auqib Nabi’s phone to inform the J&K pacer of a maiden call-up.
1 mins
February 27, 2026
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar
NCLAT refuses to quash class action lawsuit against Jindal Poly Films
THE National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Thursday refused to dismiss a class action lawsuit against Jindal Poly Films Limited (JPFL).
1 mins
February 27, 2026
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar
Abhishek and Hardik keep India in contention
INDIA opener Abhishek Sharma's first half-century of the tournament and the late show from Hardik Pandya (50 n.o) and Tilak Varma (44 n.o) helped India breeze past Zimbabwe in the Super 8s of the T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday evening.
1 min
February 27, 2026
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar
In a 1st, Rail Tech Policy to engage innovators and startups launched
RAILWAY Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday rolled out two more reforms—the Rail Tech Policy and second phase of e-RCT (Railway Claims Tribunal) -under the government's ‘52 Reforms in 52 Weeks’ initiative.
1 min
February 27, 2026
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar
SC seeks review by experts as Aravalli mining ban continues
EXTENDING the stay of the operation of its November 20 verdict on licensed mining activities in the Aravalli region, the Supreme Court said on Thursday that it would seek the opinion of experts on whether mining could be permitted and, if so, to what extent.
1 min
February 27, 2026
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar
Govt resolves to make India free from infiltrators: Shah
UNION Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that making the country free from illegal infiltrators was not merely a poll promise, but a resolve of the Narendra Modi government, adding that infiltration in Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand had become a serious challenge to the country’s internal security.
1 mins
February 27, 2026
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar
Oppn flags 'centralisation', 'lack of funding mechanism' in JPC meet
AT the first meeting of the Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) to examine the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill on Thursday, Opposition members flagged “excess centralisation, institutional autonomy and lack of funding mechanism” among others, according to sources.
1 mins
February 27, 2026
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar
Digital platforms must act responsibly to reinforce trust in institutions: Govt
UNION Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday suggested digital platforms to act responsibly while hosting content, stressing the need to ensure online safety and protect people from the misuse of emerging technologies.
1 min
February 27, 2026
The New Indian Express Bhubaneswar
Raptee.HV launches high voltage EV T30; plans delivery centres in Chennai, Bengaluru
CHENNAI-based motorcycle startup Raptee.HV launched India’s first high-voltage electric vehicle, T30, on Thursday here.
1 min
February 27, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size

