Central Government

Govt notifies CAPF (General Administration) Act after President's assent

The government on Thursday notified the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Act, 2026, after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the "umbrella law" that will regulate recruitment, deputation, promotion and other conditions of service for the officers of the CAPFs. All CAPFs -- the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Border Security Force (BSF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) -- are governed by their respective Acts. The rules under these Acts govern the recruitment and conditions of service for 'Group-A' general duty officers and other officers and members of the CAPFs. The new Act provides that 50 per cent of the posts will be filled through deputation from the Indian Police Service (IPS) in the rank of an inspector general and a minimum of 67 per cent of the posts through deputation in the rank of an additional director general. The posts in the ranks of special ..

Draft IT rules amendments not linked to recent takedowns: MeitY Secy

Takedown and blocking powers are already provided for under the existing provisions, and the proposed amendments to the IT rules are not linked to content takedown actions, MeitY Secretary S Krishnan said on Tuesday. He said the proposed amendments do not give the government wider powers nor expand those, and are "merely clarificatory in nature". Fielding a question on the significant rise in blocking action seen over the last three-four months, Krishnan attributed the increase to synthetically-generated content. "There has been a sudden explosion across the board.... This is not to do with any one political party.... So, a sudden explosion of so-called 'deepfakes' has meant that further action has been taken," he said at a media briefing. To a question on whether there will be a provision for giving specific reasons behind recent takedowns of certain posts, Krishnan asserted that "these changes (IT rule amendments) have nothing to do with what are the takedowns...." Takedowns hap

Govt likely to extend timeline for stakeholders' view on IT rule tweaks

Extension may allow industry, civil society and individuals more time to respond to proposed changes bringing independent news and current affairs creators under regulatory oversight

No funds disbursed under ₹24K cr solar PLI scheme till Feb: Govt tells LS

Solar equipment manufacturers have not received any funds under the Rs 24,000-crore production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for them till February-end, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, is implementing the PLI Scheme for High Efficiency solar PV modules with an outlay of Rs 24,000 crore. Under the scheme, letters of award have been issued for setting up 48,337 MW of fully/partially integrated solar PV module manufacturing capacity, Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The minister said as on February 28, 2026, no funds have been released under the scheme, as it provides for the release of PLI to successful bidders a year after commissioning of the manufacturing projects awarded under the scheme. Until now, this one-year post-commissioning period has not been completed in respect of the projects awarded under the scheme, he stated. Under the

More ministries may get powers to order removal of online content

Government may amend Section 69(A) of the IT Act to empower key ministries to issue emergency content takedown orders, expanding powers beyond MeitY

Broad definition of 'industry' may deter private players, Centre tells SC

Centre tells Supreme Court that an expansive definition of "industry" could impose disproportionate obligations on employers and discourage private sector participation

Govt moves NCLAT against NCLT nod to Ashdan's ₹900 crore Rolta plan

The government has moved the appellate tribunal NCLAT, against the order passed by the NCLT, in which it approved a Rs 900 crore resolution plan by Ashdan Properties for the debt-ridden Rolta India. Challenging the approved resolution plan, the centre said only Rs 10 lakh of a token amount has been allocated for the government and the statutory authorities, whereas the Corporate Debtor (Rolta) owed a total sum of Rs 5,949.95 crore. Against admitted government/statutory claims of Rs 179.19 crore, this allocation constitutes an illusory recovery of only 0.06 per cent, said the petition filed by Union of India through Department of Telecommunications (DoT), according to the petition filed by Shashank Bajpai, Central Government standing Counsel. A claim of Rs 469.09 crore has been made by DoT against Rolta India, on account of the unpaid license fee for FY 2005-06 and 2006-07. The Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on December 15, 2025, approved a Rs 900 crore ...

A Finance Commission that questions states but spares the Union government

The Commission appreciates the Union government's fiscal restraint during the pandemic and the subsequent reduction in deficits and debt following the sharp spike seen in the pandemic year

Govt fully geared to meet coal demand surge amid West Asia crisis

Amid escalating tensions in West Asia threatening global energy supplies, the government on Wednesday said it is fully prepared to meet any unprecedented surge in coal demand, with overall coal stocks at about 210 million tonne -- adequate for around 88 days. This year, coal production and supply have outpaced consumption, leading to record-high stocks at thermal power plants and coal mines. Supplies to the non-regulated sector are up nearly 14 per cent over the previous year. Pithead coal stocks at mines of Coal India Ltd (CIL) stood at 106.78 million tonne (MT) on April 1, 2025, rising to 121.39 MT as of March 9 this year. Further, there is around 6.07 MT of coal at the mines of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), another 15.12 MT at captive, commercial mines, and about 14 MT in transit, totalling 156.58 MT, the highest ever. This stock is in addition to the coal which is already available at power plants, which is around 54.05 MT as on March 9, 2026, adequate for near

Govt must improve its ability to plan and execute hiring programmes

Despite a push to fill vacancies through Rozgar Melas and recruitment drives, India's Union government workforce has barely grown in a decade, highlighting limits in hiring capacity

Centrally funded infrastructure projects log 16.4% cost jump in January

Centrally funded infrastructure projects reported a 16.4% cost jump in January, with revised estimates climbing to ₹39.2 trillion across 1,702 projects, even as overruns eased sequentially

CDSCO allows immediate lab testing of drugs to speed up approvals

CDSCO will permit drugmakers to begin testing samples as soon as applications are filed, shifting detailed scrutiny to later stages to shorten approval timelines and ease compliance

Centre clears 5,000 PMAY-G homes for displaced families in Manipur

Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the construction of 5,000 houses for the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Manipur, officials said. The approval was given by the minister following a meeting with Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh in the national capital on Monday evening. The state's two deputy chief ministers, Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho, accompanied Khemchand in the meeting. According to the officials, the houses will be constructed under PMAY-G in the Financial Year 2025-26 to rehabilitate the internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by the law and order crisis (ethnic violence). Chouhan assured all help to bring peace and normalcy to the state. The proposal for the houses was submitted by the Manipur government earlier this month. Meanwhile, the Union Rural Development Ministry approved a special window of Awass+ 2024 household survey for capturing the details of the eligible affected

Centre aims for 6 crore 'Lakhpati Didis' by 2029-30: Shivraj Chouhan

Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the Centre would strive to achieve the target of creating six crore 'Lakhpati Didis' under the rural livelihoods mission by 2029-30. He said the previous target set by PM Modi to create three crore 'Lakhpati Didis' by end of 2027 was achieved by 2025 with the contribution of rural development ministry's team, bankers and also state governments. Chouhan was speaking during the Central Level Coordination Commitee (CLCC) Meeting and the National Launch event under DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission here. Explaining the term, he said 'Lakhpati Didi' refers to a woman whose net come per year is one lakh rupees or more. As on date, 3.01 crore women have achieved this milestone. Addressing reporters, he said, "Now, Prime Minister has revised the target. He said now we have to make six crore (Lakhpati Didis). 10 crore sisters have joined us in Self Help Groups (SHGs). The target

Govt weighs making National Pension System mandatory for gig workers

Government weighs mandatory NPS coverage for gig and unorganised workers, explores auto-enrolment and digital onboarding to widen pension net and boost long-term retirement security

TN must join hands with Centre to boost startup ecosystem: Jitendra Singh

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday urged the Tamil Nadu government to work closely with the Centre to further strengthen the state's startup ecosystem, noting that despite significant progress, it still has immense untapped potential. Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day Research, Industry, Start-up and Entrepreneurship (RISE) Conclave here, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences highlighted India's exponential growth in the sector, which has increased from 350 startups in 2014 to over 2 lakh today. "Tamil Nadu has contributed 34,000 registered startups, but there is still significant untapped potential. We need to create an enabling ecosystem, particularly in tier-II and tier-III cities, to accelerate innovation-driven entrepreneurship," Singh said. He encouraged youth in growth hubs like Chennai and Coimbatore to leverage central initiatives to scale up their ventures, pointing out that startups have already ...

DDGS import cap at 500K tonnes offers distillers temporary relief

Capped DDGS imports under the India-US trade deal offer near-term relief to distillers, but larger quotas could pressure oilseed prices, farm incomes and domestic margins

Centre must push prudent state spending to improve general-govt debt levels

Centre must encourage prudent spending by state governments to improve general-government debt levels

Antimicrobial sales growth set to temper in 2026 over govt's AMR push

Stricter rules to curb antimicrobial resistance may limit antibiotic sales growth in 2026, as India tightens OTC use and pushes prescription-led, responsible consumption

TN Assembly passes resolution urging Centre to continue with MGNREGA

The Tamil Nadu assembly on Friday adopted a resolution urging the Centre to continue with the MGNREGA to protect the livelihoods of the rural population in the state. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister M K Stalin. Referring to the latest rural employment scheme Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) introduced by the Centre, Stalin said, "the proposed new scheme replaces the MGNREGA and is designed in a manner that undermines the livelihoods of rural people across India, the financial structure of the states, the self-reliance of the local bodies and employment opportunities for the rural women." Stalin noted that the all initiatives whether it is an infrastructure project or a scheme to uplift the livelihoods of the people, all the programmes were implemented efficiently without discrimination in Tamil Nadu. "In several Union government projects, Tamil Nadu ranks first in India and continues to receive appreciation from various ...