India, Aug. 10 -- In what could pave the way for a merchant discount rate (MDR) on certain UPI payments, the Parliament today cleared The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

This came after Rajya Sabha cleared the bill via a voice vote after a brief discussion and reply by Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman. With this, the proposed tax laws have been sent back to Lok Sabha.

For context, the aforementioned taxation bill has been categorised as a money bill. Under the Constitution, the Rajya Sabha cannot reject or amend the money bill, and can only suggest non-binding recommendations to the Lok Sabha.

In a post on X, FM Sitharaman said that the UPI and Services Steering Committee, headed by the National Payments Coopera...