📋 Read this before July 1

Good morning.

Half the year is gone. The other half starts tomorrow. And apparently so do six new rules that affect your money.

Let’s get into it. 

A vulture named X67 was released into the wild in January. For four months, she stayed close to where she was freed, finding her footing. Then in May, she flew - 3,334 km across three states in 27 days, landing at Ranthambore entirely on her own.

No training for this. No map. Just a bird doing what birds were always meant to do. Read More

Your passport costs more. Your lounge access has conditions. Your ITR has a deadline. All from tomorrow.

🪪 Aadhaar
Updating your email address on Aadhaar is free from today until December 31. The usual ₹75 fee is waived - but only through the Aadhaar mobile app. 

📄 Passport
A 36-page passport now costs ₹2,500, up from ₹1,500. Tatkaal goes from ₹3,500 to ₹5,000. If you were planning to apply, this week was the time. 

💳 Credit Cards
HDFC cardholders need to have spent ₹60,000 in the previous quarter to get complimentary airport lounge access. SBI PhonePe card reward point rules have also been revised with more excluded transactions. 

🚂 Railways
Fines for rule violations double from ₹250 to ₹500. Travelling in a women's coach without authorisation now attracts a fine of up to ₹2,500. 

📊 ITR
The deadline for filing ITR-1 and ITR-2 for FY 2025-26 is July 31. Missing it means penalties, restricted tax regime choices, and losing the ability to carry forward losses. 

🏦 Banking
RBI's new framework against mis-selling kicks in today. If a bank sells you a financial product inappropriately, you are now entitled to a full refund and compensation. 

That is six changes. Read the full breakdown here→

🏥 The Centre is launching Aarogya Setu 2.0 as a wider health app for ABHA, digital records and consent-based health data sharing.

🌡️ Delhi saw daytime "feels like" temperatures cross 50°C before a yellow alert for rain and thunderstorms over the next two days.

♻️ India has asked the EU for relief from planned scrap export curbs, as steel and aluminium makers worry about raw material costs.

🇸🇨 PM Modi attended Seychelles' 50th National Day celebrations as Guest of Honour, with Indian Army and Navy contingents joining the parade.

🌊 Assam has stepped up flood relief in Dhemaji, where nearly 16,000 people have been affected and train services were disrupted after bridge erosion.

💾 South Korea has announced a massive AI-chip investment push, backed by Samsung, SK Hynix, and government support.

🏏 After Ireland's landmark win over India, Cricket Ireland says its next big push depends on building a stronger T20 league.