Page 2 - Cabinet Committees

Cabinet approves construction of 20 million new houses in rural areas

These would be at the existing per unit assistance levels of Rs 120,000 in the plains and Rs 130,000 in the hills

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gives nod to eight railway projects

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Friday gave its nod to eight new railway projects that the government said would provide connectivity, facilitate ease of travelling, reduce oil imports and lower carbon dioxide emissions. Briefing reporters on the decisions taken by the Cabinet, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the proposed projects will improve logistical efficiency by connecting the unconnected areas and enhancing transportation networks, resulting in streamlined supply chains and accelerated economic growth. The total estimated cost of the projects is Rs 24,657 crore, he said. These projects will save 767 crore kg of CO2, which is equivalent to planting 30 crore trees, Vaishnaw underlined.

BJP-led Centre constitutes 8 Cabinet committees; allies find space too

Composition of Cabinet Committee on Security remains unchanged

Govt forms cabinet committees on security, economic, political affairs

The Modi government on Wednesday constituted various cabinet committees, including the country's highest decision making bodies on security, economic and political affairs. According to an official notification, the Cabinet Committee on Security comprises Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Apart from PM Modi, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs comprises defence minister, home minister, finance minister, external affairs minister, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Heavy Industries and Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy. Others in the committee are: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of Panchayati Raj and Fisheries Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs comprises defence minister, home minister

CCEA to hold first meeting post-2024 elections on June 19: Explained

CCEA explained: What is the committee on economic affairs and its relevance ahead of the 2024 Union budget presentation

Delhi cabinet approves power subsidy scheme for 2024-25, says Atishi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called an "emergency" meeting of his Cabinet at his residence here on Thursday to discuss the issue of power subsidy, officials said. Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Cabinet may take a "major decision" on power subsidy for the next year, they said. The meeting will be held at 4 pm, they said. The Kejriwal government is providing free electricity to consumers with a monthly consumption of 200 units. A subsidy of 50 per cent is given to those who use 201-400 units per month.

Cabinet approves royalty rates for mining of 12 critical minerals

This completes the exercise of the rationalisation of royalty rates for all 24 critical and strategic minerals

Cabinet okays Rs 19,000 cr deal to procure 200 BrahMos missiles for Navy

In a significant move, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has accorded approval for procurement of more than 200 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and associated equipment for the Indian Navy at a cost of around Rs 19,000 crore, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The missiles will largely be deployed on various warships to enhance overall combat capabilities of the Navy, they said. It is learnt that the proposal approved by the CCS entails acquisition of a mix of BrahMos missiles having a range of around 290 km and the latest extended range variant of the weapon with a range of around 450 km. BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms. BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound. The formal contract for acquisition of the missiles is expected to be sealed in the next few months. India is also

CCS approves Rs 19,000 cr mega navy deal for over 200 BrahMos missiles

The BrahMos missile has been indigenised in a big way by the BrahMos corporation and more parts are being indigenised

Cabinet approves telecom spectrum auctions at base price of Rs 96,317.65 cr

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved auctions in eight spectrum bands for mobile phone services at a base price of Rs 96,317.65 crore. Spectrum, held by certain companies undergoing insolvency process, that are expiring this year, will also be put on auction. "All the available spectrum in 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2500, 3300 MHz and 26 GHz bands will be put on auction. "As recommended by TRAI, the reserve prices for various bands have been revised using suitable indexation," an official statement said. The reserve price will be Rs 96,317.65 crore.

Cabinet approves signing of India-UAE Bilateral Investment Treaty

The government on Thursday approved the signing and ratification of a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The pact would help promote investments between the two countries. "The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today has given its approval for signing and ratification of BIT between India and the UAE," an official statement said. The treaty is expected to improve the confidence of investors, especially large investors, resulting in an increase in foreign investments and overseas direct investment (ODI) opportunities, the statement said, adding that this may have a positive impact on employment generation. "The approval is expected to increase investments in India and is likely to help in realising the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat by encouraging domestic manufacturing, reducing import dependence, increasing exports etc," it added. The two nations have also implemented a free trade agreement in May 2022. India rece

Centre plans Rs 10,000 cr investment in quatum, supercomputing hubs

The establishment of quantum computing hubs would take place through public-private partnerships and focus on offering high-performance computing to startups and MSMEs

Cabinet clears proposal to name Ayodhya airport after Maharishi Valmiki

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the proposal to name Ayodhya airport as 'Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham'. Besides, at the Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was also decided to declare the airport as an international airport. Modi inaugurated the airport on December 30. "The airport's name 'Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham' pays homage to Maharishi Valmiki, the sage attributed to composing the epic Ramayana, adding a cultural touch to the airport's identity," an official release said. According to the release, elevating the Ayodhya airport to international status is paramount for realising Ayodhya's economic potential and its significance as a global pilgrimage site, opening doors to foreign pilgrims and tourists. "Ayodhya, with its deep cultural roots is strategically positioned to become a key economic hub and pilgrimage site. "The airport's potential to attract international pilgrims and businesses aligns

Union cabinet approves increase in copra MSP for upcoming 2024 season

The agriculture ministry said that the MSP for the 2024 season has been hiked by Rs 300 per quintal for milling copra and Rs 250 per quintal for ball copra over the previous season

PM Modi asks Cabinet secy to look at Madiga vertical quota within SCs

Prime Minister was seen consoling Dalit leader Manda Krishna Madiga, who flagged how the Malas, another SC community in Telangana, while numerically fewer, have cornered benefits of SC reservation

Cabinet approves Rs 22,303 cr subsidy on P&K fertilisers for Rabi season

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for Rabi season, 2023-24, on Phosphatic and Potassic (P & K) fertilizers to ensure the availability of fertilisers to farmers at "subsidised, affordable and reasonable" rates.Briefing the media on the decisions of the union cabinet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the decisions are expected to entail an expenditure of Rs 22,303 crore."Subsidy for the Rabi season from October 1, 2023 till March 31, 2024, will be like this - for the nitrogen it will be Rs 47.2 per kg, phosphorus will be Rs 20.82 per kg, potash subsidy will be Rs 2.38 per kg and the sulphur subsidy will be Rs 1.89 per kg," he said."The subsidy will continue because when international prices rise, the government does not want it to impact our farmers in the country... Subsidy on DAP will continue...DAP will be available for Rs 1350 per bag as per the old rate. The NPK will be available at Rs 1,470 per bag," he added.

Meghalaya Cabinet approves proposal to pay Rs 565 cr power dues of NTPC

The Meghalaya Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to clear Rs 565 crore pending power dues of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in 20 instalments, state Power Minister AT Mondal said. The proposal of the Meghalaya Power department was approved by the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. Talking to reporters, Mondal said the department has moved the NTPC for negotiation after the power dues rose to Rs 665 crore. If allowed to continue the dues would soon cross Rs 1,000 crore and create a burden for the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL), Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) and also for the state government. "After negotiation and meetings, they (NTPC) agreed that now we can pay them Rs 565 crore instead of Rs 664 or 665 crore. So we got relief from that point of view but this amount should be paid in around 20 instalments," he said, adding that NTPC has agreed to waive off over Rs 100 crore and that there is now a ...

Haryana govt clears policy to eliminate crop residue, curb stubble burning

The Haryana Cabinet on Wednesday approved a paddy stubble management policy, aimed to harness the straw for sustainable energy and eliminate crop residue burning by 2027. The "Haryana Ex-Situ Management of Paddy Straw Policy 2023" is aimed to harness paddy straw for sustainable energy and eliminate crop residue burning by 2027, said an official statement after a meeting of the cabinet, which was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. After the cabinet meeting, Khattar said that this policy marks a significant stride in promoting efficient paddy straw utilization while discouraging harmful residue burning. Aligned with the government's commitment to harness energy from paddy straw and reduce its environmental impact, this comprehensive policy establishes an end-to-end ecosystem for paddy straw use, he said. On the paddy straw generated annually, it has the potential to generate electricity, biogas, bio-CNG, bio-manure, biofuels, and ethanol. Ensuring a ..

Cabinet approves digital tech MoUs with France, two other countries

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the country's three separate memorandum of understandings with Papua New Guinea, France, Trinidad and Tobago in the field of digital technologies. The MoU (memorandum of understanding) with France intends to promote closer cooperation and exchange of information pertaining to digital technologies, and will mutually support each participant's goal to promote access to digital technology in their countries, according to an official statement. "The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of the French Republic on cooperation in the field of Digital Technologies," the statement said. The MoU is likely to enhance bilateral cooperation in digital technologies in the G2G (government-to-government) and B2B

Cabinet approves royalty rates for mining of Lithium, 2 other minerals

The Centre on Wednesday said it has approved royalty rates of 3 per cent each for lithium and niobium and 1 per cent for Rare Earth Elements (REEs). The decision on the royalty rates for the three critical and strategic minerals was taken by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to an official statement. The royalty rate approval by the Cabinet will enable the Centre to auction lithium, niobium and REEs blocks for the first time in the country, it said. "The Union Cabinet... approved amendment of Second Schedule of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) for specifying rate of royalty in respect of 3 critical and strategic minerals, namely, lithium, niobium and Rare Earth Elements," the Ministry of Mines said in a statement.