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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

No hike in ready reckoner rates

Real estate sector welcomes move Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has kept the Annual Statement of Rates (ASR), or ready reckoner rates, unchanged for the financial year 2026–27, signalling a calibrated approach aimed at maintaining stability in the real estate sector amid evolving economic conditions. The decision was announced by the Office of the Inspector General of Registration and Controller of Stamps, Pune. Under the Maharashtra Stamp (Determination of True Market Value of Property)...

No hike in ready reckoner rates

Real estate sector welcomes move Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has kept the Annual Statement of Rates (ASR), or ready reckoner rates, unchanged for the financial year 2026–27, signalling a calibrated approach aimed at maintaining stability in the real estate sector amid evolving economic conditions. The decision was announced by the Office of the Inspector General of Registration and Controller of Stamps, Pune. Under the Maharashtra Stamp (Determination of True Market Value of Property) Rules, 1995, ASR rates are revised annually and come into effect from April 1. These rates serve as the benchmark for property valuation for stamp duty and registration. Over the years, the state has followed a cautious revision strategy. After a 5.86 per cent increase in 2017–18, rates were kept unchanged in 2018–19 and 2019–20 due to a sectoral slowdown. During the pandemic-hit 2020–21, the revision was delayed until September and limited to 1.74 per cent. For 2026–27, however, the government has opted for a complete status quo, with no increase across the state. The move follows representations from industry bodies, including CREDAI, citing global economic uncertainty and a moderation in real estate activity. Long Process The ASR determination process involves multi-level consultations. District-level meetings are held with developers, document writers and other stakeholders, while public representatives’ inputs are incorporated through discussions chaired by district collectors. Objections and suggestions received during this process are evaluated before finalisation. Even as base rates remain unchanged, the government has introduced technical and administrative refinements to better reflect on-ground realities. In urban areas, changes in Development Plans (DPs) have been factored in. Adjustments have also been made in line with regional and local planning schemes, including revisions to valuation zones and sub-zones. Updates such as correction of village names, inclusion of new hamlets, and changes in survey and group numbers have been carried out. Micro-level adjustments through sub-classification have also been introduced. Strong Growth Meanwhile, Maharashtra has recorded strong growth in property registrations and stamp duty collections over the past three financial years. The number of registered documents rose from 27.9 lakh in 2023–24 to 43.12 lakh in 2024–25, and further to 45.60 lakh in 2025–26. Revenue collections under the 0030 head (stamp duty and registration fees) increased from Rs 50,042.80 crore in 2023–24 to Rs 58,266.07 crore in 2024–25, and further to Rs 60,568.94 crore in 2025–26. Monthly trends remained robust, with March 2026 recording the highest collection at Rs 6,641.61 crore, while December also posted strong inflows at Rs 5,595.35 crore. President of CREDAI-MCHI Sukhraj Nahar said, “The State Government has taken a significant and timely decision to maintain status quo on Ready Reckoner Rates for FY 2026–27, effective from 1st April. This important relief to the real estate sector comes in the backdrop of persistent global economic uncertainties and rising construction costs. The decision reflects the Government’s sensitivity to industry concerns and its commitment to sustaining growth and housing supply.” “We would like to share that CREDAI-MCHI had made strong representations to the Government, highlighting the adverse impact of any increase in Ready Reckoner Rates under the current circumstances. We are glad that our suggestions have been duly considered.” “This decision will go a long way in maintaining project viability, supporting housing demand and ensuring continued momentum in development activity,” he added.

AI in Sperm Sorting: An Unbiased Decision for A Better Outcome

Artificial Intelligence or AI is revolutionising fertility treatments of the future. The inclusion of AI enhances the accuracy, efficiency, and objectivity of sperm selection, hence potentially improving fertility outcomes by leaps and bounds. Traditionally, sperm sorting through manual methods is subjective to judgments. Processes like centrifugation and swim-up methods are used to separate sperm based on motility and morphology. Although they are effective, they have their limitations, leading to human errors that affect the success rates of fertility treatment. For instance, studies have shown that traditional sperm sorting techniques can have variability in success rates, with reported live birth rates ranging between 15 per cent to 25 per cent per cycle depending on the method and quality of sperm. Hence the introduction of AI helps in maintaining consistency in evaluations of sperm, using the same data set for every sample which leads to better judgments.


Automation and Standardisation- Automation of sperm selection and also introduction of AI in the process have improved the results in ART. AI-assisted sperm selection improves the accuracy in choosing high-quality sperm for fertilisation purposes, and also, pregnancy and live birth rates might be improved. Technologies like Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection along with AI ensure the chances of pregnancies increase by about 10-20 per cent compared to the standard procedures. AI and Automation will decrease time taken to analyze sperm and increase opportunities to select better sperm with DNA integrity for better development and higher success rates in embryo selection. These processes ensure that the sperm selection process follows consistent criteria, reducing variability in outcomes caused by human error.


Analysing Complex Data for Better Outcomes- AI plays a crucial in improving IVF outcomes by analysing complex data and providing tailored recommendations. AI-driven tools and models such as those on SpOvum.ai point towards an opportunity to optimise ovarian stimulation decisions by assessing patient characteristics and follicle growth patterns. A study revealed that the use of AI in IVF improved egg yield and reduced medication costs. AI enables fertility specialists to make data-driven choices, improving overall IVF success rates and streamlining treatment processes.


Reducing Human Error- AI models can continuously learn and refine their performance by being trained on newer data. This adaptability ensures the technology remains unbiased and up-to-date with the latest scientific insights into sperm quality and fertility success rates. Studies have shown that AI-driven sperm sorting can decrease human-related errors by up to 25 per cent, improving sperm selection quality in terms of morphology and motility.


Reduction of Sperm Damage- The new AI-driven sperm sorting techniques also include microfluidic systems that are known to exhibit several advantages over the most commonly used conventional method, which is centrifugation. Traditional centrifugation methods, such as density gradient centrifugation, also cause severe oxidative stress and DNA fragmentation of the sperm because of the very high mechanical forces involved. The AI-infused microfluidic sorting minimises this damage significantly by involving gentler processes that mimic the natural pathway of sperm selection. The studies show that the process of microfluidic sorting decreases DNA fragmentation in sperm, which gives improved opportunities for success for IVF. For example, DNA fragmentation is 20 percent lower in sperm sorted using microfluidic processes than in traditional processing methods.


AI is bound to play an increasingly definitive role in fertility treatments, which will improve the outcomes for couples experiencing infertility.


(The author is a Co-Founder & CEO at SpOvum® Technologies. Views personal.)

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