Central Government

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 ...

₹22 cr penalty levied on IndiGo for December chaos: Govt to Delhi HC

The government also placed before the court, in a sealed cover, its report on the inquiry conducted into the incident

Centre, BJP counter Congress-led Opposition campaign against VB-G RAM G

As the Centre pushes VB-G RAM G to replace MGNREGA, the BJP and Congress lock horns over federalism, funding burdens and the future of rural jobs

Punjab urges Centre for special economic package and fiscal support

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday urged the Centre to extend immediate fiscal assistance and announce a special economic package for Punjab, pointing out that the state endured a difficult 2025 marked by border tensions and the worst floods in decades. During a pre-Budget meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman here, Cheema submitted a detailed memorandum laying out Punjab's key financial requirements and policy demands for the 2026-27 Union Budget. He said the state, being the country's first line of defence, suffered severe economic disruption due to prolonged security tensions along the international border, followed by a devastating monsoon disaster that was officially declared a calamity of severe nature by the home ministry. Explaining the scale of devastation, the Punjab finance minister said the floods impacted more than 2,300 villages and nearly 20,000 families across the state. Cheema informed Sitharaman that comprehensive ground-level

Govt issues new draft of Pesticides Management Bill to curb spurious sales

Industry says absence of regulatory data protection in new draft could hamper research; welcomes no pricing control

Centre prohibits oral nimesulide doses above 100 mg, cites safety risks

The Union Health Ministry has banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of all oral formulations containing the popular painkiller nimesulide above 100 mg, citing serious risks to health, an official notification said. The decision was taken following a recommendation by ICMR, the apex health research body of India, it said. "The Central government is satisfied that the use of all oral formulations containing Nimesulide above 100 mg in immediate release dosage form is likely to involve risk to human beings and that safer alternatives to the said drug are available," the notification issued on Monday said. It stated that it is necessary and expedient in the public interest to prohibit the manufacture, sale and distribution of the drug in the country for human use. "Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, the Centre, hereby prohibits the manufacture, sal

Govt plans to amend SARFAESI Act to include special situation funds

Centre is considering amending SARFAESI to include special situation funds as financial institutions and to require borrowers to file representations within 30 days of a demand notice, sources said

Hold awareness meetings on G RAM G law: Centre to gram panchayats

According to an official letter issued a few days ago, the gram sabhas should ensure active participation of villagers, workers, women, SC/ST households and other vulnerable groups

Centre proposes allowing captive miners to sell surplus mineral output

Draft mineral concession rules propose letting captive mine owners sell surplus output after meeting end-use needs, alongside steps to ease operations and promote deep-seated exploration

MGNREGA work demand dips during peak sowing and harvest time, shows data

MGNREGA data show work demand typically dipped between July and November over the past 10 years before rising from December

PMIS: Internship offer acceptances fall 12.4% in second pilot round

The Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS) aims to provide internship opportunities to one crore youth in the top 500 companies in five years

Cabinet clears India-Oman CEPA ahead of PM Narendra Modi's Muscat visit

CEPA expected to boost bilateral trade beyond current $10.6 billion, with focus on petroleum, urea, and manufactured goods

We set own air standards; global rankings not official, says govt

Government tells Parliament that India relies on its own air-quality standards and city-level assessments

Parl panel asks govt to scale up Bharat Small Modular Reactors platform

It has recommended that NPCIL, with the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), fast-track the development and deployment of advanced indigenous reactors