WebinarsNew
Explore Business Standard
Cabinet
Manipur Police chief Rajiv Singh was on Thursday appointed as Secretary (Security) in the Cabinet Secretariat, according to a Personnel Ministry order. The Secretary (Security) is the administrative head of the Special Protection Group (SPG) that provides security to the prime minister and members of his immediate family residing with him at his official residence. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Singh's appointment to the post of Secretary (Security) in the Cabinet Secretariat, the order said. Singh, a 1993-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Tripura cadre, has been working as the Director General of Police (DGP), Manipur since June 1, 2023. He took over as the head of the police force of the strife-torn state after the ethnic violence started on May 3, 2023. The violence, which started after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribes status, has left at least 260 pe
The West Bengal cabinet on Monday approved the 'Annapurna' scheme of Rs 3,000 monthly assistance to women from June 1, and allowed free travel for them in government-run buses. Addressing a press conference after the meeting, state minister Agnimitra Paul said women, who applied for citizenship under the CAA and approached tribunals for inclusion in voter rolls, will also receive 'Annapurna' scheme benefits. "The cabinet gave a nod to the 'Annapurna' scheme of Rs 3,000 monthly assistance to women from June 1. It also approved a proposal to allow free travel for women in government-run buses from June 1," the minister said. The government also approved the constitution of the 7th state pay commission for its employees, and staffers in allied statutory civic bodies, education boards and those working in state-run education institutions, she said. "The Bengal cabinet decided to discontinue government assistance to groups based on religious categorisation from June. The government also
The Centre on Saturday appointed academician Joram Aniya and scholar-author R Balasubramaniam as full-time members of the Niti Aayog, taking the total number of such members in the government think tank to seven, along with a vice-chairman. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the chairman of the Niti Aayog. "In continuation of the Cabinet Secretariat's notification dated 24.04.2026, the prime minister has approved the appointment of the following persons as full-time members of the NITI Aayog with effect from the date of assumption of charge and until further orders, on the same terms and conditions as are applicable to full-time members: (i) Dr R Balasubramaniam; (ii) Dr Joram Aniya," a notification issued by the Cabinet Secretariat said. On April 24, while reconstituting the Niti Aayog, the government appointed Ashok Kumar Lahiri as its vice-chairman and economist K V Raju, AIIMS Director M Srinivas, Secretary in the Department of Science and Technology, Abhay Karandikar, scientist ..
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the extension for five years of the Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) Scheme, which aims to interlink and optimise functions related to immigration, visa issuance, and registration of foreigners in India. The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the continuation of the scheme from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2031, with a budget outlay of Rs 1,800 crore, a government statement said. The continuation of the scheme is not just a "technical upgrade, but a strategic transformation" aligned with the vision of the government to promote international mobility through a world-class immigration and visa issuance system, it said. "After the recent enactment of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and its subsequent Rules and Order, it has become imperative to strengthen and modernize the Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration & Tracking (IVFRT) system to effectively meet emerging ...
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal of Kerala government to change the name of the state to Keralam, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at its first meeting held at Seva Teerth, the new PMO complex. The Union Cabinet chaired by the prime minister approved the proposal for alterating the name of state of Kerala as 'Keralam', Vaishnaw said. After approval of Union Cabinet, the president of India will refer a Bill, namely the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala for expressing its views under proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution of India. After receipt of the views of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, the government of India will obtain the recommendation of the president for introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to alter the name of Kerala as 'Keralam' in Parliament, an official release said. The Legislative
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday approved three Railway ministry projects with a total cost of approximately 9,072 crore. The three projects include the doubling of the Gondia-Jabalpur section and the laying of the third and fourth lines between Punarakh-Kiul and Gamharia-Chandil sections. The government said that these projects covering eight districts across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand will increase the existing network of the Indian Railways by about 307 km. "The proposed multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to approximately 5,407 villages which have a population of about 98 lakhs," an official statement said. It added, "The increased line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. These multi-tracking proposals are poised to streamline operations and alleviate congestion." The Railway ministry
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a 3.33-km extension of the existing North-South corridor of Gujarat Metro from GIFT City to Shahpur. In a statement, the government said that the project, which is scheduled to be completed in four years, includes three elevated stations. The decision was taken by the Union Cabinet, in its first meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Seva Teerth, the new PMO complex. "The estimated cost of the project is Rs 1,067.35 crore. This extended corridor is expected to benefit approximately 23,702 passengers in 2029 and approximately 58,059 passengers in 2041," the statement stated. It said that this corridor will strengthen connectivity between Ahmedabad and GIFT region. Major multinational companies, educational institutions, and commercial centers located along the proposed route will directly benefit. This extension will also be beneficial to the daily commuters travelling between Ahmedabad and GIFT region for catering the travel need .
The Cabinet on Tuesday is likely to approve a Joint Declaration of Intent with Germany for cooperation in the critical minerals sector and is also expected to give nod to a similar pact with Canada, sources said. The decisions, expected to be taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aim to bolster India's strategic partnerships amid global rush among nations for securing resources vital for clean energy transition and advanced technologies. The pact with Germany will focus on joint exploration, sustainable mining, supply chain resilience and the technology transfer, sources told PTI. This comes at a time when India is ramping up efforts to secure critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements through international alliances, as part of its Atmanirbhar Bharat push in energy security. The Cabinet is also likely to clear signing of the Joint Declaration of Intent between India and Canada for cooperation in the critical minerals ...
The Cabinet has approved the second tranche of the Startup India Fund of Funds Scheme with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday. The key focus would be on deep tech startups, early growth stage startups through smaller funds, tech-driven innovative manufacturing startups, and sector/stage agnostic startups, he added. There will be operational flexibilities, including higher government contribution in AlFs (alternative investment funds) funding deep tech and high-tech manufacturing, the minister said. The Union Cabinet approved the scheme in a meeting on Friday. The fund will encourage the long-term investing culture and patient capital. The government in 2016 had constituted a Fund of Funds worth Rs 10,000 crore to provide seed capital and enable startups take calculated risks. Following the successful utilisation of the first tranche, a second phase of Rs 10,000 crore was sanctioned in the Union Budget for 2025-26. So far, over 2 lakh en
In a significant boost to Andhra Pradesh's aviation and industrial infrastructure, the state Cabinet has approved the Dagadarthi Greenfield Airport project in Nellore district. With this approval, Dagadarthi will become Andhra Pradesh's 8th airport, reinforcing the state's vision of creating a future-ready, multimodal logistics and industrial network, officials said. Strategically located, the Dagadarthi airport enjoys excellent connectivity to National Highway corridors, two major ports Krishnapatnam Port and Ramayapatnam Port and multiple industrial clusters, including KRIS City and IFFCO SEZs. This unique locational advantage positions the airport as a critical enabler for manufacturing, exports, agri-logistics, and services-led growth in southern Andhra Pradesh. The project has already received in-principle clearance from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Government of India, and the Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued to invite private participation for developmen
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has allocated portfolios of newly created departments among ministers, keeping Civil Aviation with himself, an official notification said. The Bihar cabinet on December 9 approved proposals to create three new departments -- Youth, Employment and Skill Development Department, Higher Education Department and the Civil Aviation Department -- and changed the names of three other departments. The Animal and Fisheries Resource Department was renamed as Dairy, Fisheries and Animal Resources Department; the Labour Resources Department as Labour Resources and Migrant Workers Welfare Department, and Art, Culture and Youth Department as Art and Culture Department. According to the notification, issued on December 12, the CM allocated the portfolio of Youth, Employment and Skill Development Department to Sanjay Singh 'Tiger', who is holding the portfolio of Labour Resources and Migrant Workers Welfare Department. State Education Minister Sunil Kumar has been