Shocking new powers for taxman

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

Shocking new powers for taxman

What’s the big deal? Starting April 1 next year, tax authorities could gain sweeping access to your ‘digital space’. Think personal emails, social media, online investments, trading accounts, bank accounts, and more. This is part of the new Income Tax Bill introduced by the Finance Minister—which is supposed to “cut through the jargon” in existing tax laws.

The sneak attack: on your privacy rights is buried at the tail end of a long sentence in Section 247. The clause allows tax officers to:

“Break open the lock of any door, box, locker, safe, almirah, or other receptacle… or gain access by overriding the access code to any said computer system, or virtual digital space.”

See what they did there?

Point to note: The current Income Tax Act already allows authorities to invade your IRL space—break doors, open locks etc. The proposed law extends that power to “virtual digital space”—which the Bill outlandishly defines as:

An environment, area or realm, that is constructed and experienced through computer technology and not the physical, tangible world which encompasses any digital realm that allows users to interact, communicate and perform activities using computer systems, computer networks, computer resources, communication devices, cyberspace, internet, worldwide web and emerging technologies, using data and information in the electronic form for creation or storage or exchange.

So that’s anything you do—or could possibly do—on your device or internet.

Why this is seriously scary: The bill grants these sweeping powers to officers who have “reason to believe” you are evading taxes—but does not define what would qualify as a legitimate reason—as legal experts point out:

In the absence of judicial oversight or specific procedural safeguards, this provision risks becoming a tool for arbitrary scrutiny rather than a structured tax enforcement mechanism. The new Income Tax Bill lacks clear procedural checks, potentially leading to unrestricted data harvesting and fishing expeditions against businesses, professionals, and individuals.

Translation: They can break into your computer and online accounts anytime they want.

What’s next: The bill, as it is a Money Bill, only needs a simple majority in Lok Sabha to pass—which the BJP and its allies already have. It will also be sent to the Rajya Sabha but only for its recommendations—which are non-binding. So if NDA allies don’t offer resistance in the lower house, it will sail through Parliament in the next session—which begins March 10. Economic Times has more on the concerns of lawyers. (The Wire)

US allies versus Donald Trump: The latest update

It’s getting spicy: A number of politicians used the most undiplomatic language to express their unhappiness with Trump. None of them were Democrats. French Senator Claude Malhuret while addressing the parliament warned against Trump whom he likened to Nero—“an incendiary emperor” and Elon Musk whom he described as “a jester high on ketamine in charge of purging the civil service.” Btw, when the French start drawing parallels with the Weimar Republic… We highly recommend you to watch the entire speech here.

Speaking of drawing eye-popping parallels—Canadian MP Charlie Angus warned that Trump was launching a “disinformation war” similar to that used by Putin to set the stage for Ukraine’s invasion.

ICYMI, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted: “If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end.” Whoa!

Meanwhile, in Brussels: Actions speak louder than words—and the European defence summit in Belgium was loud indeed. In a “watershed moment,” the EU agreed to a €800 billion plan to increase defence spending. To quote president of the European Parliament—Roberta Metsola: “It is about damn time. We are ready to put, finally, our money where our mouth is.” Reminder: Germany—the most frugal of European nations—also announced "In view of the threats to our freedom and peace on our continent, the rule for our defence now has to be 'whatever it takes'."

The only holdout: Hungary’s Viktor Orban who did not sign the final statement expressing “unwavering support” for Ukraine. But all the other Putin sympathisers—including Slovakia—chose to toe the EU line.

France goes nuclear: In a national address, President Emmanuel Macron said he was ready to extend the French nuclear umbrella to protect the rest of Europe. FYI: “France and Britain are the only two countries in Europe with their own nuclear weapons; only France is in the European Union.” Looping back to Germany—its incoming Chancellor Freidrich Merz has already championed the plan.

Meanwhile in Washington: Trump is having second thoughts… at least about tariffs on Canada and Mexico. He has rolled back the 25% tax slapped on goods covered by the existing free trade agreement—at least for a month. The reason: It offers a reprieve to cars and grocery products—which are staples for his voters. Also: The US stock markets have been crashing. (New York Times)

A hidden ‘antibiotic factory’ in your body?

Scientists have discovered a new structure in the human cell called the proteasome—that plays a very important role in our immune system. And it’s kind of a badass ninja:

[T]he proteasome detects when a cell has been infected by bacteria. It then changes structure and role. It starts transforming old proteins into weapons that can rip open the outer layer of bacteria to kill them.

You can see the Staphylococcus bacteria—on the left—being destroyed on the right:

Why scientists are excited: This suggests that we possess “a novel mechanism of immunity” to defend against bacterial infection. And it could be mined for “natural” antibiotics–though that hypothesis has not been tested. Reminder: Drug-resistant infections kill around 600,000 people in India every year—and 1.27 million globally in 2019. (BBC News)

ICC Champions Trophy final: ‘Advantage’ India

The eight-nation ODI cricket tournament will come to an end this Sunday when India take on New Zealand in the final in Dubai.

The favourites: Our Men in Blue, obviously. They won all three of their round robin matches—including the encounter with New Zealand. Under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, it’s been a true team effort—with the entire bench pitching in. Case in point: leg spinner Varun Chakravarthy has the third-most wickets despite not being selected in the first two games.

The venue: Lahore Dubai. The fond hopes of the Indians have dashed the dreams of Pakistan—which has spent $16 million to host a prestige cricket tournament—after 29 years. But it won’t be able to host the final because India won’t play in Pakistan—and wrested the right to play all its matches in Dubai—thanks to the clout of ICC chairman Jay Shah. It is the sour end of a tournament plagued by losses on the field. Pakistan lost its first two games and did not get to play its last game due to rain.

A is for: ‘Advantage’ or…? Thanks to the Dubai clause—imposed by the BCCI—the Indian cricket team had the privilege of playing on a single set of pitches—at a single venue. The others had to shuttle between Dubai and cities in Pakistan—just for the privilege of playing India. Or not.

The SA debacle: Last weekend, both South Africa and Australia had to travel to Dubai ahead of the semifinals. The reason: India and New Zealand were yet to play the final group game. Based on the result, one of the two would stay in Dubai to play them—while the other headed back to Pakistan—having wasted a trip in the middle of a tournament. In the end, South Africa had to endure a ‘crazy 18 hours’ of red-eye flights—from Karachi to Dubai and then on to Lahore—only to lose to the Kiwis in the end.

How to lose friends…: SA players have since protested India’s unfair advantage—the luxury of ensuring their match fitness, sleep cycle and recovery time between games aren’t disrupted by travel. No surprise that David Miller has confessed that he will be rooting for New Zealand in the final. India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir’s response: “Some people are just perpetual cribbers, man. They've got to grow up.” At least star pacer Mohammad Shami admitted that staying put in Dubai has helped him take eight wickets in four games.

The bigger picture: It’s India’s cricketing world and everyone else has to live in it. We are the top dogs financially and host the most valuable cricket league—the IPL. Globally, Indian fans drive the bulk of the TV revenue and, as always, there is our guardian angel Jay Shah. No other global sport operates like this.

For more: ESPNCricinfo has all the coverage you need—including the reporting on the ‘hybrid model’, South Africa’s 18 hours from hell and the discourse over India’s ‘advantage’. Al Jazeera flags India’s bullying of Pakistan and the geopolitics of the hybrid model. Indian Express argues Indians shouldn’t count the Kiwis out.

what caught our eye

business & tech

Trump’s trade war and Musk’s DOGE turmoil sent layoff announcements soaring 245% in February, with over 172,000 job cuts—the worst since the Great Recession.
But the Trump administration doesn’t want to stop there—it wants to vet immigrants’ social media before granting citizenship as well.
Walgreens is going private after nearly a century, with Sycamore Partners buying out the struggling drugstore giant in a $24 billion deal—one of the biggest leveraged buyouts in years.
With placements getting tougher, top B-schools like IIM-A are hiring external coaches to help students crack job interviews.
SpiceJet, already struggling to stay afloat, now faces fresh insolvency claims—three Irish lessors are demanding $12.4 million, while a former pilot wants Rs 17 million in unpaid dues.
JioStar is swinging the axe—over 1,100 employees face layoffs as the newly merged Viacom18-Disney India venture slashes overlapping roles.
Tata Capital is eyeing an $11 billion valuation with a $2 billion fundraising target in what could be India’s biggest IPO this year.
Eric Schmidt warns against a US ‘Manhattan Project for AGI,’ arguing it could spark cyber retaliation from China and destabilise global security.
OpenAI is reportedly rolling out high-end AI “agents” with eye-watering price tags—$2,000 for a knowledge worker bot, $10,000 for a coding assistant, and $20,000 for a PhD-level research tool.
Google is testing AI-only search: Gemini 2.0 ditches classic links, serving AI-generated answers instead.
Scammers used an AI-generated deepfake of YouTube CEO Neal Mohan to push a phishing scam.

sports & entertainment

Bollywood’s Screenwriters Association (SWA) has secured a landmark credit-sharing agreement with film producers. But, but, but: concerns remain about how it will be implemented.
Sophie Lark’s romance novel ‘Sparrow and Vine’ was pulled after early readers slammed it for racist passages—and for praising Elon Musk.

health & environment

Cases of Parkinson’s disease could double to 25 million worldwide by 2050, according to a new study.
TGIF! Unless you need a surgery—research shows that surgeries conducted on Friday carry greater risk than those done earlier in the week.
New technologies are giving scientists a better understanding of how the ageing process works.
A man in Kerala has been arrested for circulating an old tiger video by passing it off as a new sighting in the state.
The US, Canada and the UK are bracing for extreme freezing temperatures due to a polar vortex collapse.
Sound the alarm in Delhi—Covid-like viral fever cases are surging, with 54% of families reporting members with symptoms like headaches, coughs, fatigue and respiratory problems.

meanwhile, in the world

In typical Donald fashion, he plans to revoke the legal status of Ukrainians who fled Russia’s invasion.
Women’s rights have weakened in a quarter of all countries, according to the UN.
New York Times (splainer gift link) has a good read on how fear is muzzling Trump critics, with many staying silent to avoid online attacks, business losses, or threats to their families—much like the chilling effect seen in India today.
The UN is slashing food aid for a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, cutting monthly rations from an already low $12.50 to just $6 per person due to a funding crunch.
The deluge of Trump-ian tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China has started hitting household budgets.
A South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs over the region—causing injuries to eight people.
Days after a woman’s execution, two more Indians on death row were hanged in the UAE—as many as 26 others await the same fate.
Trump’s war on universities is hitting students now—doctoral slots are being slashed, funding is drying up, and some schools are even pulling back offers.
Vox argues that if you want to reduce your screen time, you should make your phone more boring.

meanwhile, in India

The Madras High Court has directed the I&B Ministry to unblock the Anand Vikatan website—once it temporarily removes the cartoon showing PM Modi shackled in chains during a meeting with Trump.
Uber’s Pet service is expanding to Delhi and Mumbai—a year after its launch in Bangalore.

Five things to see

One: A group of Khalistanis protested Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar’s visit to Chatham House in London. One of them tried to block his car but was quickly apprehended by the security. Point to note: The UK foreign office “strongly” condemned the potential security breach—after the Indian government issued a statement criticising it. (The Telegraph)

Two: SpaceX’s flagship rocket—Starship—exploded minutes after lift off. This was the eighth test mission—and marks the second consecutive failure. The company described the debacle as “a rapid unscheduled disassembly”—which sounds alarming but we don’t know what caused it. See the explosion—which looks uncannily pretty—below. (Reuters)

Three: The SNL skit on the Trump-Zelenskyy fracas doesn’t hold a candle to this Dutch parody. Full disclosure, we haven’t been able to find any reporting to add context to the clip—but you can check out the skit writer Stefan Pop’s work on X and Instagram.

Four: Staircase Studios AI released a 5-minute cut of its first “artificial intelligence-driven” feature film ‘The Woman With Red Hair’. With original designs from an Emmy-winning animator. Our take: The AI has improved a lot but still feels a bit ‘off’ The movie starts at the 1:30 mark. Watch it here. (Hollywood Reporter)

Five: Kevin Bacon is back in a new supernatural series titled ‘The Bondsman’—where Bacon plays a dead bounty hunter who ends up working for the devil himself. The eight-episode series is set to drop on Amazon Prime on April 3. Check out the trailer here. (Variety)

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