 "FirstUp: GST 2.0 rolls out, Piyush Goyal in the US for trade talks... Today’s big news")
The revised Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates will come into effect today. Most goods and services will now be taxed at 5 and 18 per cent.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh today.
The 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held today at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
The Supreme Court will hear the bail pleas of student activist Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, and three others accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.
Let’s take a look:
New GST rates come into effect
The new Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates will come into effect across India today.
From today, GST will follow a two-tier structure. Most goods and services will be taxed at 5 and 18 per cent.
Ultra luxury goods will attract a 40 per cent tax, while tobacco and related products will remain in the 28 per cent plus cess category.
Cars, farm tools, several food items and daily-use products are expected to become cheaper.
The decision to reduce tax rates to benefit the public was taken by the GST Council, which includes the Centre and the states, at a meeting on September 3, 2025.
Piyush Goyal in the US for trade talks
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, along with India’s Chief Trade Negotiator Rajesh Agrawal and other senior officials from the ministry, will participate in high-level trade discussions in the US. They aim to make progress in the long-pending trade agreement between the two nations.
The ministerial-level talks will involve senior US officials, with both sides seeking to resolve key differences linked to the trade pact. The officials are expected to discuss a wide range of issues, including market access, digital trade, intellectual property rights, and tariff barriers, among others.
The meeting takes place days after US President Donald Trump’s executive order imposed a $ 10,000 fee on new H-1B visas.
Ties between India and the US have been tense after Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsRajanth Singh in Morocco
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to inaugurate a manufacturing facility of Tata Advanced Systems to produce wheeled armoured personnel carriers in Morocco. The facility at Berrechid is the first-ever Indian defence manufacturing plant in Africa.
Singh, who started his visit on September 21, will also hold a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Abdeltif Loudiyi.
This is the first-ever trip to that country by an Indian defence minister.
Tomorrow, 21st September, I shall be in Morocco. There is a growing strategic convergence between India and Morocco. Looking forward to further strengthen the growing relationship. During my visit I will hold a bilateral meeting with my counterpart Mr. Abdeltif Loudiyi.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 20, 2025
A key…
PM Modi to visit Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit both Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh today.
In Tripura, he will inaugurate the redeveloped Tripura Sundari temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in India, built by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya in 1501.
In Arunachal Pradesh, he will lay the foundation stone for several major infrastructure projects.
PM Modi had recently visited other northeastern states, including Mizoram, Manipur and Assam. His visit to Manipur was his first since the ethnic violence in 2023 that claimed hundreds of lives.
Ballon d’Or 2025
The 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held today at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
The award will honour the best men’s and women’s players of the 2024/25 season. Unlike in previous years, performances from the early months of the next season will not be considered.
The 2024/25 season saw several standout players across Europe’s top leagues, with a few surprise names emerging as contenders for football’s most prestigious individual award.
Presenter Kate Scott and former Chelsea and Netherlands footballer Ruud Gullit will host the event.
Delhi riots case: Bail hearing of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam
The Supreme Court will hear today the bail pleas of student activist Sharjeel Imam, former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) scholar Umar Khalid, and three others accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.
The riots took place in February 2020 after clashes over the then-proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). According to the Delhi Police, 53 people were killed and hundreds injured.
Investigators have alleged that Imam was part of a larger conspiracy to incite the riots. The case was filed by the Delhi Police Special Cell under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
With inputs from agencies
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