📃 Five GST changes worth knowing

Good morning.

There is a chill in the morning air now, and Diwali is getting closer. It is the season for a warm cup of chai and a slow read.

Today, eight football teams in Nagaland are playing for pangolins, and Goa has a farming method that works with the tides.

Grab your cup and start scrolling.

In Nagaland, eight football teams have come together for a tournament where the real winner could be a rather unusual animal.

Meet the pangolin, a shy, scaly mammal heavily targeted by illegal wildlife traders.

The Pangolin Cup, which kicked off in Meluri on October 26, is using football to raise awareness about protecting the species.

There's already some encouraging local action. According to organisers, more than 30 Pochury villages have passed resolutions banning pangolin hunting, with fines for violations.

India's tax authorities have issued eight new circulars to cut unnecessary paperwork, speed up GST registrations and make tax disputes easier to handle.

What's changing?

But will things actually get easier?

That depends on how well the new instructions are followed. For now, businesses have clearer rules to refer to when dealing with tax officials. Read more

Beyond its beaches, Goa has a centuries-old farming system called khazan, where communities turned salty coastal wetlands into productive farmland.

Using earthen embankments and wooden tidal gates, they controlled the flow of seawater, allowing rice cultivation, fishing and mangroves to coexist.

It's a remarkable example of traditional engineering that worked with nature rather than against it.

But damaged embankments and neglected gates now threaten many of these fields, putting local livelihoods at risk.

Goa's heritage extends beyond its landscapes too.

There's the red-checked Kunbi saree, traditionally worn by Indigenous communities, and Kaavi art, which uses red laterite pigment and white lime plaster to decorate historic buildings.

A question for you: What's one fascinating thing about your state that more Indians should know? Hit reply and tell me. I'd love to discover it.

Here's a little challenge for anyone who enjoys India's folk music

Take a closer look. Answer at the end.

📈 Business: Jio Platforms shares jumped 21% on their October 28 debut, following India's largest-ever IPO, which raised around $3.2 billion.

🏑 Sports: India opened its Asian Champions Trophy hockey campaign with a 13–0 win over Bangladesh. Mandeep Singh scored a hat-trick.

🧵 Northeast: Itanagar's Gandhi Shilp Bazaar has brought together 56 stalls showcasing Northeast India's traditional textiles and handicrafts. The event runs until November 2.

🌍 World: Atmospheric CO₂ reached a record 426.8 parts per million in 2025, according to a new UN report, adding to long-term global warming.

🍲 Food Safety: Uttar Pradesh has tightened guidance on food colouring after industrial dyes were found in chutney. Added colours are prohibited in several everyday foods.

🏔️ Environment: A Supreme Court panel has recommended studying tourism pressure in Himachal's popular destinations and strengthening environmental checks for roads in fragile mountain areas.