5 states account for 72% of direct tax Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat accounted for 72% of direct taxes and 53% of CGST collected by Centre, the govt said Top 5 five states southern contributed K14.2 lakh cr of the total K19.62 lakh cr collected in direct taxes THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l tuesday l march 11, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION states — TN, Karnataka, T’gana, AP, Kerala — contributed 25% to direct taxes and 27% to Central GST The five southern states mentioned above received 15% from the Centre’s divisible tax pool | P10 Per capita income of six states Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh — exceed the national average of L1,88,892* UP, Bihar and MP got 36% of tax that Centre shares with states. They contributed 5% to total direct tax colllected by the Centre * Source: Economic Survey of Maharashtra CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Fiery Day One as language row explodes in LS he alleged. Pradhan said TN CM M K Stalin had also agreed THE three-language row hit initially but then “suddenly Parliament proceedings on some super CM appeared and Monday as the Opposition par- they took a U-Turn”. He said ties and government clashed there is still time for the TN over the alleged imposition of government to sign the MoU on the Hindi language through the PM SHRI. “Today is March 10. National Education Policy We have still 20 days left in the (NEP). House proceedings were month of March,” he said. adjourned for half an Reacting to the hour after DMK memminister’s response, bers protested against DMK MPs walked Union Education Minisinto the Well of the ter Dharmendra PradHouse and raised slohan’s remarks that the gans. Congress MPs, Tamil Nadu government too, stood up in soliwas ‘dishonest’ on the darity, though they issue of implementing didn’t go to the Well the PM Schools for Risof the House. NotaPrivilege ing India (PM SHRI) bly, members from motion scheme. RJD, TMC and SP did DMK MP Replying to a quesnot join the DMK in Kanimozhi on tion, Pradhan said the their protests. Monday Lok Sabha Speaker TN government took a submitted a Om Birla adjourned U-turn on implementing the centrally-sponsored privilege motion the House till noon. scheme, which envis- against Pradhan, As the House reconaged strengthening the accusing him of vened, DMK MP Kanschools managed by cen- ‘misleading the imozhi said she was House’ by “very pained” by a tral, state or local bodies. He said the state making factually word Pradhan used. had agreed to PM SHRI incorrect claims “We have issues with the NEP... The threescheme and several (DMK) MPs who came to see language formula is not acceptable to TN,” she said. him conveyed this to him. In his response, Pradhan said “But when they went back, they made a U-Turn. They are he should not have used a word for the members of TN, the doing mischief with the life of the students. They are mislead- state government, and its peoing the people and doing injus- ple. “I withdraw my word if it tice to students of Tamil Nadu,” has hurt anyone,” he said. P r e e t ha N air @ New Delhi Congress bid to bring Antony back from ‘retirement’ ahead of crucial elections Antony to be a part of the empowered committee, which will conAs crucial elections are fast ap- sist of Congress Working Comproaching in Kerala, the Congress mittee members from the state, is trying hard to bring back vet- former KPCC presidents, current eran A K Antony who has quit ac- KPCC president and the Leader , tive politics, into the parof Opposition. ty’s collective leadership Sources said the probin the state. able members of the core On the directive of the team include Congress high command, which Wo rk i n g C o m m i t t e e had intervened to quell members Antony, K C the inter nal discord Venugopal, Shashi Thawithin the party in Keraroor, Ramesh Chennithala, the Congress state la, party state president K leadership will constiSudhakaran, working tute a 11-member empow- A K Antony president Kodikkunnil ered committee to lead it Suresh, for mer presiahead of the local body elections dents V M Sudheeran, Mullaplater this year and the assembly pally Ramachandran, M M Hasan, elections next year. K Muraleedharan and Leader of According to sources, the state Opposition V D Satheesan. leadership is trying to convince The leadership is confident that A B H I L A S H C H A N D R A N @Kottayam Antony will be part of the committee. Antony, 84, a three-time union minister and chief minister, announced retirement from electoral politics when he retur ned to Kerala after his Rajya Sabha term ended in April 2022. The veteran leader has been keeping low profile in state politics since, though he did campaign in select constituencies during the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The decision to form the empowered committee follows Rahul Gandhi’s strict directive to end the feud within the party . The proposal for an empowered committee assumes significance as KPCC’s political affairs committee to guide organisational strategy and execution within the ● More on P4 state seldom meets.  P Jayarajan brings up inaction on complaints against E P jayarajan at CPM meet He questioned the impropriety in party not discussing his complaint against EP | P4 Canada PM-elect to reset India ties Govt directs IPL to ban ads j ayan t h j ac o b @ New Delhi In a big push to ties that had deteriorated during Justin Trudeau’s leadership, Mark Carney, set to become Canada’s next prime minister, has said he would work towards rebuilding his country’s ties with India. Carney emerged victorious in the race to succeed Trudeau as Canada’s next prime minister, securing 85.9% of votes in the Liberal Party leadership contest. Ahead of the elections, the former central banker addressed the issue of US tariffs on Canada during a media in- teraction in Calgary, Alberta, Trudeau had claimed last as Washington and Ottawa find September of “credible allegathemselves at odds over the tar- tions” suggesting Indian agents iff threat and a looming trade were involved in assassinating war. pro-Khalistan separa“What Canada will be tist leader Hardeep looking to do is diversiSingh Nijjar in Surrey , fy our trade relationBritish Columbia. ship with like-minded Since then, ties becountries,” Car ney tween the two counsaid. “And there are optries nosedived. portunities to rebuild India outrightly disthe relationship with missed the Canadian India. There needs to be Mark Carney accusations, and said a shared sense of values “Canada shared no around that commercial rela- evidence.” tionship. If I’m prime minister, The fallout resulted in both I look forward to the opportu- nations expelling diplomats in nity to build that,” he said. a tit-for-tat exchange. promoting tobacco, alcohol K a v i ta B a j e li - D at t @ New Delhi The Centre has urged the Indian Premier League (IPL) to ban all tobacco and alcohol advertisements, including surrogate promotions, within the stadium premises during matches as well as telecast sessions on the national television. In a letter to IPL Chairperson Arun Singh Dhumal, Director General of Health Services, Prof (Dr) Atul Goel said, “IPL should strictly implement the regulations banning all forms of tobacco/alcohol advertising, including surrogate advertisements, within the stadium premises where IPL games are held”. “Cricket players are role models for youngsters for promoting a healthy, active lifestyle. IPL, being the largest sports platform in the country, has a social and moral obligation to promote public health and support health initiatives of the government,” Goel wrote in the letter. 16 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express