New Delhi, Dec. 5 -- Lok Sabha on Friday passed The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, whose objective is to raise additional funds from what is widely called demerit or sin goods -- such as pan masala -- for "Health Security" and "National Security."

Replying to the discussion on The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025 in Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman thanks the members for participating in the debate.

"Public health is a State subject, and defence is on the Central list. We need to raise resources for defence to match today's needs," she said.

The Finance Minister said that the government wants to ensure that goods with demerits are not cheap.

She said that as a finance minister, ...