Explore Business Standard
Centre
The Supreme Court asked the Centre on Wednesday to file a brief report on the "procedural protocol" followed so far, after it was informed that the investigation into the June 12, 2025, Air India plane crash by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) is at its fag end. Air India's Boeing 787-8 flight AI171, en route to London's Gatwick airport, was operated by pilot-in-command Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Captain Clive Kunder. The crash took place after the plane took off from Gujarat's Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, including 241 passengers and crew on board. Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani was also among the victims. On Wednesday, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared in the court representing the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), that the AAIB probe is in final stages and some parts it need to be carried out in foreign countries. The top law
The Centre has rejected Tamil Nadu's request to relax moisture norms for paddy saying procurement with high moisture content causes significant storage risk, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Minister of State for Food and Public Distribution Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, in her written reply to the Lok Sabha, said the southern state had requested for relaxing the moisture norms for paddy from 17 per cent to 22 per cent. However, the request of the Tamil Nadu government "has not been considered due to the following facts," she said. Paddy can be dried before milling; procurement of excessively moist paddy introduces significant operational risk, including loss of stock during storage and compromised milling recovery. The minister said paddy with high moisture content is susceptible in terms of rapid deterioration, fungal growth, discolouration, and infestation. The state governments have been repeatedly advised to develop drainage facilities at the procurement stages. "The
More than 36 km of the coastline in Gujarat's Valsad and 24 km in Navsari experienced varying levels of erosion between 1990 and 2022, the government told Parliament on Wednesday. The information was shared by Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Dhaval Laxmanbhai Patel in the Lok Sabha. Singh said the 62.78-km Valsad coastline experienced 2.5 km of high erosion, 3.24 km of medium erosion and 30.88 km of low erosion, according to an assessment of the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR). The Navsari coastline, 40.88 km in length, saw 3.86 km of high erosion, 4.6 km of medium erosion and 16.18 km of low erosion, he added. According to the NCCR shoreline change classification, the region north of Udvada is identified as a high-erosion zone, while the Bhagal coastal stretch falls under the moderate-erosion category -- both are considered erosion-prone or high-risk areas. Other coastal stretches, such as ..
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to file its response to the pleas seeking a direction to lay down criteria for exclusion of creamy layer of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes from availing benefits of reservation in admissions and public employment. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria was hearing the petitions filed by O P Shukla and the Samta Andolan Samiti seeking enforcement of the landmark judgement of August 1, 2024 on reservation. It asked the Centre to file its response on the pleas and said that they will be taken up after some time. The creamy layer principle was laid down in the famous Mandal Commission judgement and under the principle, the affluent people among OBCs were barred from taking quota benefits in admissions and jobs. In a landmark verdict, a seven-judge constitution bench headed by the then Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, by a majority of 6:1, held that states are constitutionally empowe
The Viksit Bharat -- Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act has been framed as a gender-inclusive legislation with several provisions aimed at strengthening the participation and livelihoods of women and women-headed rural households, the government said on Tuesday. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan said that under the VB-G RAM G scheme, at least one-third of all beneficiaries must be women. Emphasis has been laid on issuance of special job cards to women-headed households and single women. The Act also focuses on creation of livelihood-related infrastructure such as self-help group buildings, work sheds, training and skill centres, compost and vermi-compost units, nurseries, livestock shelters, fisheries facilities, storage structures and rural haats. These productive assets are intended at directly strengthening women workers and self-help groups, the minister said. To facilitate women's productive engageme
The cumulative loss of Indian airlines stood at Rs 5,289.73 crore in the last financial year, with Air India Group alone accounting for Rs 9,808.12 crore of the total loss, according to official data. Out of the 11 operators, 4 had reported profit -- IndiGo, Blue Dart, Star Air and IndiaOne Air. The data was provided as part of a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Monday by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol. In 2024-25, Air India and Air India Express recorded a loss of Rs 3,975.75 crore and Rs 5,832.37 crore, respectively while Akasa Air reported a loss of Rs 1,986.25 crore. State-owned Alliance Air's loss was at Rs 691.12 crore and that of SpiceJet stood at Rs 55.67 crore in the last fiscal. Other loss-making operators were Fly91 (Rs 67.65 crore) and Quikjet Cargo (Rs 1.34 crore). IndiGo raked in a profit of Rs 7,253.30 crore and other profitable entities were Star Air (Rs 68.75 crore), Blue Dart (Rs 0.71 crore) and IndiaOne Air (Rs 0.33 crore). All these f
The government imposed penalties totalling over Rs 55 crore on 703 companies for non-compliance with the provisions of the Companies Law in the first nine months of the current financial year. While providing the data in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Monday, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra said there was no trend indicating an increase in non-compliance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013. For non-compliance, the Corporate Affairs Ministry penalised 703 companies during the nine-month period ended December 31, 2025. During the same period, the total penalties imposed on these companies stood at little over Rs 55.49 crore. For 2024-25 fiscal, as many as 1,066 companies were penalised and the total fines amounted to Rs 109 crore. The data also showed that little over Rs 7.51 crore was recovered as penalties in the first nine months of 2025-26 financial year. Meanwhile, a total of 2,03,107 companies were struck off the official records under t
The Centre on Monday informed the Supreme Court that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was in a "perfectly good" condition and was getting the best of the treatment from AIIMS, Jodhpur while in custody. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P B Varale was informed by Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, that no progress has been made as of now regarding the review of Wangchuk's detention. At the outset, Justice Kumar asked Nataraj whether any progress had been made at the court's request to review Wangchuk's detention in view of his deteriorating health. "What happened? Any progress? Has it been done?" Justice Kumar asked Nataraj. The ASG replied, "I will submit... Nothing has been done as of now. He is getting the best of treatment." A counsel for Wangchuk submitted that it was high time to reconsider his detention as he continued to be unwell. Justice Varale said that was what the court said on the last occasion when it made the suggestion. "There
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal on Monday said the Centre will consider a suggestion to set up an inquiry for non-allotment of around 48,000 flats constructed in the national capital for the poor under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Replying to a supplementary during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said flats in Delhi were constructed in 2012 under the JNNURM scheme, with the support of both the central and state government. Lal said he was "astonished" that these homes were not allotted to the poor by the then Delhi government under Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He said the conditions of the remaining flats, nearly 48,000 units, have become worse and some are not even livable. The minister was replying to a question by Rajya Sabha Member Swati Maliwal, who said that only 4,871 flats were allotted to the poor out of the total 52,344 flats constructed. Maliwal accused the then AAP government in Delhi for not allotting these fl
The Centre Thursday signed a tripartite agreement with the Nagaland government and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation for the formation of 'Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority', a long standing demand for a new administrative body within the state aimed at addressing the demands of eastern Nagaland. The agreement was signed in the presence of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who said the Centre will extend all help and fulfil all its responsibilities for the development of eastern Nagaland. "The agreement will pave the way for creation of Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) for six districts of Nagaland viz. Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator, and devolution of powers in respect of 46 Subjects to the FNTA," an official statement said. It said the agreement provides for mini-secretariat for FNTA, headed by Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary, sharing of development outlay for the eastern Nagala
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to constitute a tribunal for adjudicating a dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over sharing the water of the Pennaiyar River, and issue an appropriate notification in the matter within a month. The direction came from a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and N V Anjaria. "We find no reason to refrain from directing the Central government to issue an appropriate notification in the official gazette and to constitute a water disputes tribunal for the adjudication of the inter-se water dispute between the parties herein within a period of one month from today," Justice Nath said while pronouncing the order. The Tamil Nadu government moved the top court in 2018 through its original suit filed against Karnataka over work being done on check dams and diversions on the river. It said the water in an interstate river was considered a national asset and no state can claim exclusive rights over it. The Tamil Nadu government had said the 1892
The Centre on Monday told the Delhi High Court that rules under the Industrial Relations Code will be finalised by the end of February. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma informed a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia that suggestions from the public had been sought and framing of rules was under consideration. The court was hearing a petition on the implementation of the Industrial Relations Code 2020, which consolidates all laws relating to trade unions, conditions of employment in an industrial establishment and settlement of industrial disputes. According to the petitioners, N A Sebastian and Sunil Kumar, the Central government published a gazette notification on November 21, 2025, notifying the Industrial Relations Code 2020, but did not frame the rules to implement the new regime or constitute the tribunals under it. On Monday, Solicitor General Mehta said the Centre issued two notifications today to remove t
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday targeted the Centre, saying the spirit of the Constitution and democratic values were facing unprecedented challenges, and called for unity to defend secularism and federalism on the occasion of Republic Day. Extending Republic Day greetings, Vijayan said in a Facebook post that the day renewed the proud memories of India becoming a sovereign, democratic republic, even as conscious attempts were being made to undermine the principles of secularism and federalism enshrined in the Constitution. He said the Constitution was not merely a legal document, but the soul of the idea of India that celebrates diversity and guarantees equal justice. The chief minister said the occasion called for vigilance against forces attempting to weaken the vision of "unity in diversity" and impose a monolithic ideology. "The federal concept of a strong Centre with empowered states is facing serious challenges. We should stand together against policies that
Transfer of judges is an internal matter of the judiciary and the government has no role to play in the process, Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said here on Saturday. Independence of judiciary was "non-negotiable", he said, delivering G V Pandit Memorial Lecture at the ILS Law College here. "Transfer of a judge is always for the better administration of justice. It is an internal matter of the judiciary. The government can have no say in that," Justice Bhuyan stated. "By the very nature of things, the Centre can have no say in the transfer and posting of judges. It cannot say that such and such a judge should not or should be transferred, or if transferred, to such and such High Court," he added. Independence of the judiciary is a basic feature of the Constitution, Justice Bhuyan further said. "It is non-negotiable. It is for the judiciary, or rather the members of the judiciary, to see to it that its independence is maintained at all costs in order to ensure its contin
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said that more than 11 lakh appointment letters have been issued nationwide since the launch of the Rozgar Mela, reinforcing the government's commitment to mission-mode recruitment. Puri highlighted India's strong development vision, advancement in global standing and expansion in manufacturing, exports, logistics, renewable energy and digital infrastructure. Emphasising the inclusive nature of growth, he said, "We are not just pursuing development, but development with social inclusion." Promoting the resolve of a developed India with the power of the youth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Rozgar Melas at 45 different locations across the country through a video message, during which more than 61,000 appointment letters were distributed to newly recruited youths, an official statement said here. As part of this initiative, the Transport Battalion, Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, Behlana Camp, Chandigarh, organised the 18th ...
Ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament, the government has called an all-party meeting on January 27 to discuss the legislative and other agendas. The Budget Session will begin on January 28, with President Draupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In a rare occasion in parliamentary history, the Union budget would be presented on February 1, which is a Sunday. This will be Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's ninth consecutive budget. "The all-party meeting, convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, will be held at the main committee room of Parliament House annexe at 11 am on January 27," a government source said. The Budget Session will continue till April 2. The first phase will conclude on February 13, with Parliament reassembling on March 9. The session comes at a time when the opposition Congress is conducting a nationwide campaign against the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, which ...
The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Centre, the Tamil Nadu government and others on a plea seeking directions on the ASI's takeover of the Thirupparankundram temple and daily lamp lighting on top of the 'deepathoon' (stone pillar). A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi issued notices to the Union of India, Tamil Nadu government, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and others on a plea filed by the Hindu Dharma Parishad. During the hearing, the top court was informed that the Madras High Court on January 6 had upheld the single judge's order on lighting the lamp. The top court was hearing a plea filed by Hindu Dharma Parishad seeking directions that the ASI take control of the Thirupparankundram Lord Murugan Subramaniya Temple at Madurai and on lighting one lamp on top of the 'deepathoon' at all times. The plea has also sought directions that every year on the day of Karthigai in the month of Karthigai, the entire hill be lit with lamps and Murug