ICAI proposes that married couples be given the option to file a single, joint return. (AI image)

Pre-budget suggestions are pouring in, in the North Block. As the government gears up to present the 2026 budget, one proposal stands out for its potential impact on millions of households: optional joint taxation for married couples. It has been suggested by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and if adopted by the Ministry of Finance (MoF), it could mark a significant shift in how personal income tax is structured — and how families plan their finances.What is the proposal about?Currently, under the Indian tax system, every individual — married or not — is taxed separately. Each spouse must file their own income tax return, even if they have shared income or joint expensesICAI proposes that married couples be given the option to file a single, joint return — combining their incomes and deductions — instead of two separate ones. In other words: a married couple could choose what makes financial sense for them each year — file individually, or jointly.Why ICAI recommends joint taxationAccording to ICAI’s submission:

How joint taxation might work (proposed model)The couple would file a single consolidated Income tax return (ITR) under the joint-filing option.

What needs careful design — and possible concernsThe idea is attractive, but implementing joint taxation in India isn’t just a technical tweak. There are challenges to consider:

What could this mean for Indian households — a few scenarios

Why this proposal matters — beyond tax savings

ConclusionThe proposal for optional joint taxation of married couples — as submitted by ICAI in its pre-Budget 2026-27 memorandum — represents a potential paradigm shift in India’s personal tax framework. It seeks not just to ease compliance, but to recognise households (not just individuals) as fundamental economic units.For many Indian families — especially those with a single earner, homemaker spouse, children, home-loan or shared expenses — this could translate into lighter tax burden, improved financial well-being, and simpler tax compliance. On the policy side, it could bring India a step closer to global practices and make the tax system more equitable, transparent, and modern.

MUMBAI: In a digital arrest case where an 85-year-old retired teacher was duped of Rs 9 crore, the south region cyber crime police nabbed a 27-year-old director of a company in whose account a portion of the victim’s money was transferred within a day of the complaint being registered. The same account was linked to two other cases in which senior citizens lost Rs 5.65 crore.The arrested accused, Sangram Baliram Babar, a Satara resident, was produced before a Mumbai court on Tuesday and remanded in police custody till Dec 26. There are a total of six complaints against this account registered with the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal. Police said Babar’s documents were submitted to open the bank account of a company, P S Enterprises, in which he was shown as a director. A portion of money fetched after duping people was transferred to this account, too. The complainant, a Girgaum resident, stayed with his daughter here while his other daughter stays in the US. He was kept under digital arrest between Dec 1 and Dec 22, said police. A team led by Lakhmi Gautam, joint commissioner of Crime Branch, comprising senior inspector Nandkumar Gopale and assistant iInspector Sachin Trimukhe, is probing the case.The complainant first received a call from a person who said he was inspector Deepak Sharma from Panchavati police station in Nashik. Sharma told him that a bank account in his name was used in a money laundering case of the banned outfit, Popular Front of India.Sharma said that legal action was being taken against the senior citizen. Later, aman in a police uniform spoke to the complainant on a WhatsApp video call claiming to be a senior officer, and sent him an arrest warrant, an RBI freeze warrant and a confidentiality agreement that he should not inform anyone about the case. The fraudsters asked him to transfer all his money to Supreme Court’s accounts for investigation purposes. When the complainant went to the bank and transferred Rs 9 crore (including Rs 3 crore to the accused’s company account), a bank employee informed his family about the huge money transfer. He then approached the police.

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DEHRADUN: Late on Dec 18, when a co-worker called Apu Chandra Das to say that his elder brother had been taken by a mob, the 22-year-old didn’t immediately understand. “Taken where?” he asked. Dipu was lynched, hung from a tree, and burned, allegedly for a blasphemous post, a charge his brother denies, and investigators seem to concur. “Not even animals are treated the way a violent mob of 140 pounced on my brother,” Apu told TOI.But by the time the full story reached him, 28-years-old Dipu Chandra Das – a Hindu garment factory worker, husband, father of a one-year-old, and the sole breadwinner for a family of eight – had been lynched. The video of his body on fire was widely circulated on social media.

“What happened to my brother is beyond imagination,” Apu told TOI, over the phone from Mymensingh in Bangladesh. “Not even animals are treated the way a violent mob of around 140 people pounced on my brother.”Four days have passed since the killing. Police have made arrests. Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the country’s elite counter-terrorism agency, said they found no evidence to support the allegation that Dipu posted any blasphemous content online – the rumour that triggered the attack. And yet, for Dipu’s family, there is no closure, no respite. But more than that, they are scared.Dipu worked at Pioneer Knitwears (BD) Ltd, a garment factory in Bhaluka area of Mymensingh. On the night of Dec 18, around 9pm, a mob arrived at the factory. Apu was told that they dragged Dipu out and thrashed him with bamboo sticks, fists and kicks until he died. His body was then taken along the road to Jamirdia square, where they hung him from a tree and set the body ablaze in full public view.Police reached later, by which time a crowd had surrounded the burning body. “They had to break through the mob to even retrieve him,” Apu said. The body was taken to a hospital morgue and returned to the family which lodged a complaint next day.But even then, the family says, they were not allowed dignity. “A group of people didn’t allow the family to get the last glimpse of my brother before his cremation,” Apu said. “We were forced to take the body immediately to the cremation ground for his last rites. My elderly parents are completely heartbroken.”The mob accused Dipu of insulting Islam in a social media post. Apu said his brother was incapable of such a thing: “Dipu could never have posted anything objectionable… he always respected all religions.”This claim is now supported by RAB, which is investigating the case. A senior RAB official confirmed that “no evidence of any such post by Dipu on social media” was found. The agency is also probing the possibility that misinformation was deliberately circulated to incite communal violence.Twelve people have so far been arrested. On Monday, they were produced before a local court, which granted police a three-day remand to question them. More arrests are likely, officers said, as digital evidence is being analysed and the network behind the false content is being traced.Apu himself works as a casual labourer and has no fixed income. The complaint in the case was formally filed by him on Dec 19 at Bhaluka Model police station, the day after the violence. He said the authorities have assured him justice will be served, but admits that the violence, and the silence that followed from many in their community, has left him shaken. “After what we saw… after how easily a mob could do this… how can we believe that justice will be done? We don’t even know how to live anymore,” he said.

India‘s teenage cricket prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi faced unsportsmanlike jeers from Pakistan fans after a crushing 191-run defeat in the Under-19 Asia Cup final on December 21, 2025, at ICC Academy Dubai. The 14-year-old opener, dismissed for a brisk 26 off 10 balls by Ali Raza, walked off amid boos and viral video clips sparking outrage online. Pakistan posted 347/8, powered by Sameer Minhas‘ explosive 172 off 113 (17 fours, 9 sixes), before dismantling India for 156 in 26.2 overs.​

Pakistan crowd targets India’s young batting star after U-19 Asia Cup defeat

Sections of the Pakistan crowd unleashed boos on Suryavanshi as he exited the stadium, capturing a viral video of the young batter enduring taunts despite his tender age and prior IPL exploits with Rajasthan Royals. The footage, shared widely on social platforms, showed the southpaw maintaining composure amid inflammatory remarks, drawing sharp criticism for poor sportsmanship from fans labeling it “shameless.”

Earlier, tension boiled on-field when Raza, after inducing an edge on a short ball to keeper Hamza Zahoor, celebrated aggressively; Suryavanshi retorted by pointing at Raza, gesturing to the ground and exchanging words, a clip that amplified Indo-Pak U19 rivalry drama.​​

Here’s the video:

🚨Vaibhav Suryavanshi booed by Pakistan fans after today U19 Final

Not just this even while he was fielding at the boundary line many Pak fans seen body shaming him and making unnecessary comments , Will this be taken seriously now by ACC?

(🎥 – Mr Cricket UAE/Insta) pic.twitter.com/9fNzXwlz9k

— GOAT18 (@_GOAT18) December 21, 2025

Also READ: IND vs PAK: Ayush Mhatre, Vaibhav Suryavanshi engage in verbal fight with Ali Raza in U19 Asia Cup 2025 final

India U19 crumble in historic rout against Pakistan U19

Electing to field, India captain Ayush Mhatre faced Pakistan’s onslaught as Minhas anchored after Zahoor’s 18 off 14 (1 four, 2 sixes) fell early to Henil Patel. Powerplay 1 yielded 79/1; Minhas-Usman Khan added 92 before Khan’s 35, then Ahmed Hussain‘s gritty 56 built a 137-run stand, pushing Pakistan to 260/3 by 37.3 overs. Late collapse saw five wickets tumble for 25 runs post Minhas’ exit at 302/4 (Deepesh Devendran 3/83), yet Niqab Shafiq (12*) and Mohammad Sayyam (13*) ensured 347/8 at 6.94 RR, with Khilan Patel (2/44) starring.​

Chasing 348, India exploded to 50 in 4.3 overs but imploded in Powerplay 1, slumping to 68/6 by drinks (12.3 overs). Suryavanshi’s 26 (1 four, 3 sixes) ended at 49/3; Mhatre (2), Aaron George (16), Vihaan Malhotra (7), and others folded cheaply against Ali Raza‘s 4/42 (6.2 overs). Deepesh Devendran‘s late 36 off 16 (6 fours, 2 sixes) lifted to 156 all out, but Pakistan’s bowlers—Mohammad Sayyam 2/38, Abdul Subhan 2/29—sealed victory. Minhas earned Player of the Match and Series (471 runs). Suryavanshi’s unflinching exit amid jeers underscores resilience in a lopsided Indo-Pak U19 Asia Cup final.

Also READ: Pakistan crush India to win U19 Asia Cup 2025, end 13-year title drought