Parliament today passed the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 with the Rajya Sabha approving and returning it to the Lok Sabha. The legislation is aimed to amend the Central Excise Act, 1944, specifically to raise excise duties and cess on tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, hookah tobacco, chewing tobacco, zarda and scented tobacco. The amendment is required to give the government the fiscal space to increase the rate of central excise duty on tobacco and tobacco products so as to protect tax incidence, after the cess ends. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary moved the bill. The Bill is intended to increase central excise duty on unmanufactured tobacco, manufactured tobacco, tobacco products, and tobacco substitutes. While the Central Excise Act

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