For many Members of Parliament, the list of amendments moved to the Finance Bill 2017 came as a surprise. Reason: The amendments to as many as 30 pages, resembling a booklet. What was even more interesting is that some MPs claimed they got their copies only after they had spoken on the Finance Bill!

Aadhaar’s a must

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is not known to mince his words. This was in evidence yet again in his reply to the discussions on the Finance Bill 2017 in the Lok Sabha.

Biju Janata Dal member Bhatruhari Mahtab cried foul at the Government forcing citizens to have Aadhaar cards, with the decision to making it a condition for obtaining PAN or filing Income Tax returns. Pat came Jaitley’s reply: “Yes, we are!” A hapless Mahtab had to retreat. He then walked out from the lower house before the historical amendment requiring Aadhaar for obtaining PAN or filing of Income Tax returns was put to vote.

The jeans effect

Reckitt Benckiser India made almost everyone believe that it is making a foray into the jeans segment after it launched digital teaser ads starring actor Ranveer Singh. This sent the social media into a tizzy as everyone thought Durex extending its brand to jeans, and reacted in that context.

Forty-eight hours later, the facts became clear. No it was no launch of new jeans by the company, it was the unveiling of Durex Jeans condoms. A tactical marketing strategy you could say.

And if you’re asking why jeans? The answer is that the company hopes the name of the product will help reduce the awkwardness attached to the purchase, especially among the youngsters. It has brought down the entry price to ₹25 for a pack of two condoms; the product comes in a quirky pocket packaging to woo the youth.

One man’s meat

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, known for never holding back when he speaks in the Lok Sabha, for a change made a subtle speech on Friday. During Zero Hour, Chowdhury, who was a minister in the UPA-2 government, expressed his deep anguish over reports that lions and tigers were refusing to eat chicken being offered to them in Lucknow zoo instead of 8-10 kg of buffalo meat every day.

The Bengal MP took great care not to mention even once the Yogi Adityanath government’s crackdown on ‘illegal’ slaughter houses; he said he was only raising concerns about the survival of the entire living species that needed to be protected to maintain the planet’s equilibrium. “You can’t expect a tiger to eat birds. Can you?” he asked, accompanied by thumping of desks by Opposition members.

Lip-zip

Soon after being asked not to discuss official matters on social media websites, Income Tax officials have been asked to stay away from the press as well. In a recent missive, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has asked its officials to not speak to journalists, either directly or under cover of anonymity or pseudonyms. It has now warned that such “misconduct”, which is against service rules, would be viewed seriously.

Getting ready for yoga

International Yoga Day (June 21) may be still some time away but the Government is already prepping for it. Ministries and departments have been asked to turn it into a mass celebration this year — bigger and better than before.

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