Explore Business Standard
The Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, took stock of India's readiness in view of the recent developments in West Asia during its third meeting at Kartavya Bhawan-2, New Delhi, on April 8, the government said in a release.Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman; Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar; Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal; Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers Jagat Prakash Nadda; Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri; Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prahlad Joshi; Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw; Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju; Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science ...
The Union Cabinet is learnt to have cleared on Wednesday the draft bill for amendments to the Women's Reservation Act that will ensure an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 with 273 reserved for women, and its implementation in the 2029 general elections. Sources privy to the development said that a meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the draft bill for the amendments to the law, Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, more commonly known as the Women's Reservation Act. The government has extended the budget session of Parliament and a special three-day sitting will be held from April 16 to 18, where the amendment bill is expected to be passed. The provision to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was brought by amending the Constitution in 2023, but it would have come into effect after the completion of the delimitation exercise on the basis of the 2027 Census. Therefore, it was expected to come int
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the extension of Jal Jeevan Mission up to December 2028 with an enhanced outlay of Rs 8.7 lakh crore for the rural drinking water supply project which will now shift focus from infrastructure creation to service delivery. The project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 to provide safe and adequate drinking water through tap connections to all households in rural India. The Cabinet decision shifts the focus from only infrastructure creation to citizen-centric service delivery supported by strong local governance and digital monitoring, PM Modi said on X. "The move will strengthen water security, improve health outcomes and empower rural communities, especially our Nari Shakti," he said. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the decision at a press conference. "The Cabinet approved the Ministry of Jal Shakti's proposal to restructure and reorient the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) from infrastructure creation
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal to declare Madurai airport as an international airport. Madurai is a prominent city in Tamil Nadu, and Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the decision was taken keeping in view the aspirations of the people of Madurai. Briefing media persons about the Cabinet decisions, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister said that the policy decision to declare Madurai airport as an international airport will help bring air connectivity from various parts of the world to the temple city, and there is a huge industrial cluster around it. The decision would also strengthen the city's role as an educational and healthcare hub, he said. Vaishnaw said multiple airlines have shown interest in expanding their international flights from the airport. Madurai airport is one of the oldest airports in Tamil Nadu. Elevating Madurai airport to an international status would enhance regional connectivity, promote trade, and drive economic development in
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
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the decisions of the Union Cabinet last evening will strengthen infrastructure and enhance ease of living of people. The Union Cabinet had met on Friday evening where multiple decisions were taken on infrastructure projects. In a series of posts on X, Modi said the Cabinet approval for three multi-tracking projects covering various districts across Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Karnataka will strengthen rail infrastructure, reduce logistic cost and create job opportunities for our youths. He also noted that the nod of the Union Cabinet for the upgrade of Dhamasiya-Bitada/ Movi and Nasarpore-Malotha sections of National Highway-56 to "four-lane standard" will further connectivity, especially in remote and tribal areas of Gujarat. "At the same time, it will enable more people to visit Statue of Unity," he said. Modi highlighted that in a boost to 'Ease of Living' for the people of Noida, the Cabinet has approved the extension corridor
The law ministry's ambitious phase III of the e-Courts project, aimed at digitising all subordinate courts of the country, has been allocated Rs 1,200 crore in the Union Budget for 2026-27. According to the budget document, the project has received Rs 1,200 crore as against Rs 1,500 crore in the budget estimate. In September 2023, the Union Cabinet approved phase III of the project as a central sector scheme with a financial outlay of Rs 7,210 crore, to be implemented over four years. As part of the National e-Governance Plan, the e-Courts project has been under implementation since 2007 for the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) enablement of the Indian Judiciary. Phase II of the project concluded in 2023.