Newspaper Headlines: GST Council Begins Review Of Rates, Parliament Approves SPG Bill And Other Big Stories

The Times Of India: A man and his wife killed their two children, scribbled a suicide note blaming a close relative for their financial troubles and jumped from their balcony Ghaziabad. The GST council begins review of rates, which may include bringing a few exempted items under the levy while reviewing the rates and the cess on all goods and services, as part of an exercise to shore up revenue.

Hindustan Times: A Data suggested that the government has continued to increase credit and liquidity in the system to tackle an economic slowdown. Parliament approved the Special Protection Group (SPG) bill that will ensure the elite security will guard only the prime minister, family members residing with him or her and former PMs for a limited duration after they demit office.

The Hindu: The Centre has written to all States voicing concern that due to the lower GST collections, the compensation cess might not be enough to pay for losses arising out of the tax system. BJP MPs were warned against absenteeism by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the parliamentary party meeting. He said the presence of MPs was to be strictly ensured as the government would be tabling the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) next week.

The Telegraph: Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, known for his grasp of constitutional law and spirited arguments in favour of Muslims in the Ayodhya land case, does not feature in the review petition filed in the Supreme Court by one of the main litigants, Maulana Syed Ashhad Rashidi. Many Congress leaders expect the Uddhav Thackeray government to immediately withdraw the cases against rights activists arrested over the Bhima-Koregaon violence.

The Asian Age: The economic slowdown could possibly emerge as the major threat for the ruling BJP in Jharkhand. A shortage in funds is forcing the Indian Navy to curtail its plan to be a 200-ship fleet by 2027 as per the maritime capability perspective plan.