Cabinet

Union Cabinet approves move to rename Kerala as Keralam: Vaishnaw

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

Union Cabinet approves ₹9,072 crore railway projects across four states

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

Cabinet approves extension of Gujarat Metro from GIFT City to Shahpur

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 .

Cabinet likely to approve critical minerals pacts with Germany, Canada

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 ...

Cabinet approves Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with ₹10,000 crore corpus

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

Beyond FTA: India, EU near deals on security and defence, mobility

Ahead of the 16th India-EU Summit, the Union Cabinet has approved some proposed agreements, including on security, defence and mobility

AP Cabinet approves Dagadarthi greenfield airport project at Nellore

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

Nitish allocates portfolios of new Bihar departments, keeps civil aviation

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

Cabinet clears nuclear energy Bill to open sector to private participation

The draft legislation seeks to amend the Atomic Energy Act 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act 2010

Bill to set up single higher education regulator gets Cabinet approval

A bill to set up a higher education regulator which will replace bodies such as the UGC and AICTE was approved by the Union Cabinet on Friday, officials said. The proposed legislation which was earlier christened the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill has now been named Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill. The single higher education regulator which was proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP), looks to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). "The bill to set up Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan has been approved by the Cabinet," an official said. While the UGC oversees non-technical higher education, the AICTE oversees technical education and the NCTE is the regulatory body for teachers' education. The Commission is proposed to be set up as a single higher education regulator, but medical and law colleges will not be brought under its ambit.

Cabinet approves 100% FDI in insurance; Bill likely in Parliament on Monday

The source further said that this is likely to be tabled on Monday in the ongoing winter session of Parliament, which is slated to conclude on December 19

Delhi blast: L-G orders tighter intel, stricter checks on doctors & sellers

Delhi L-G VK Saxena has ordered strict checks on medical staff, chemicals, vehicles and online content after the Red Fort blast, asking police to tighten monitoring

Cabinet clears ₹45,060 cr schemes to boost exporters amid US tariff blow

Cabinet approves export promotion mission, credit guarantee schemes

Argentina's chief of staff resigns after Milei's win, cabinet shifts likely

The chief of staff to President Javier Milei of Argentina resigned on Friday, less than a week after the governing party won a new mandate to accelerate his programme of radical reform in pivotal midterm elections. Guillermo Francos, a 75-year-old career politician with decades of experience at the heart of government, said in a statement that he was stepping down so that Milei may face without constraints the stage of government that begins after the national elections." Francos' departure after weeks of speculation was expected to herald a wider Cabinet shake-up, as is common in Argentina following elections. Interior Minister Guillermo Cataln followed suit on Friday. Riding high off his party's surprise landslide win in Sunday's legislative elections and USD 40 billion in pledged funds from a friendly Trump administration, Milei announced that his main spokesperson, Manuel Adorni an ideological defender of the president's agenda known for his combative press conferences littered

Telangana to discuss 42% BC reservation issue in October 23 Cabinet meeting

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Friday said the state government is sincere and committed to ensuring 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes, and the issue will be discussed in the October 23 Cabinet meeting, after getting Supreme Court's judgment copy. The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the Telangana government's petition challenging a high court's decision that stayed a government order providing 42 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in local bodies. "The Congress Party and Government have a sincere and committed intention to ensure 42 per cent reservations for BCs. Once the Supreme Court's judgment copy is received, the issue will be discussed, and a decision will be taken in the Cabinet meeting on October 23," Vikramarka said in a press release. He alleged that the previous BRS government, during the 2018 local body elections, had imposed a 50 per cent cap on total reservations through legislation, which was later repealed by the ...

Entire Gujarat Cabinet quits; CM Bhupendra Patel to form Cabinet on Oct 17

The new cabinet will take oath on October 17 at 11:30 am at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, according to an official statement

Govt approves four railway projects worth ₹24,634 cr under PM Gati Shakti

The four projects covering 18 districts across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh will increase the Indian Railways network by about 894 km

Cabinet okays ₹6,957-cr NH upgrade with wildlife corridor at Kaziranga

The Cabinet approved a Rs 6,957-cr NH-715 project with a 34.5-km elevated corridor and bypasses to protect Kaziranga wildlife and improve connectivity in Assam

Cabinet approves widening of Kalibor-Numaligarh section of NH-715

The project will include wildlife-friendly features planned for the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) section in Assam. It also involves building an elevated corridor spanning approximately 34.5 km

Cabinet approves ₹11,440 cr mission to make India self-sufficient in pulses

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a six-year central scheme aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in pulses production, with a financial outlay of Rs 11,440 crore. The "Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses", approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be for the period from 2025-26 to 2030-31. The mission follows Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement in the 2025-26 Budget. The mission will particularly focus on increasing production of tur, urad and masur, with assured procurement by government agencies National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Ltd (NCCF) from registered farmers. "We are going to start a mission on pulses for six years. Several initiatives will be taken under this," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. Under the mission, the government has set a target to increase pulses .