Page 20 - Central Government

Central governments show fiscal prudence in Lok Sabha election years

Emkay Research study shows fiscal deficit trend much healthier than in FY19

Budget 2024: Rs 7,500 cr Delhi Metro corridor linking Haryana, UP on cards

The project is estimated to cost Rs 7,500 crore and will extend from Rithala in Delhi to Kundli in Haryana, which is the sixth corridor of the phase IV project

Xi's China also banned private tutoring in 2021. Here's what happened next

The Indian govt has brought in new regulations for coaching centres, including a ban on enrolling students under the age of 16. China's experiment may have lessons

Fine over high fee, 16 years age limit: New coaching centre norms explained

The development follows amid increasing cases of suicides by students in Rajasthan's Kota and elsewhere, stemming from a mental-health epidemic due to study pressure and other related stress

Ram Temple Consecration: Central govt offices get half day off on Jan 22

The consecration ceremony will be held in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya. The event, expected to be celebrated with much pomp and show, will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and about 8,000 guests

Govt offices to remain closed for half a day for Ram Temple consecration

All central government offices across the country will remain closed for half a day on January 22, due to the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, a Personnel Ministry order issued on Thursday said. The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the new idol of Ram Lalla at the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple is scheduled for Monday. The ceremony is set to be performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya will be celebrated on 22nd January 2024 across India. To enable employees to participate in the celebrations, it has been decided that all central government offices, central institutions and central industrial establishments throughout India will be closed for half day till 1430 hours on 22nd January 2024," it said in the order issued to all central government ministries/ departments. When contacted, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh told PTI that the decision has been taken in view of the "overwhelming" public ...

HC notice to Centre, Karnataka govt on madrasa inside ASI protected mosque

The High Court of Karnataka has ordered issuance of notices to the state and central governments on a PIL petition alleging that a Madrasa was being illegally run in the premises of an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected mosque in Srirangapatna in Mandya district. A division bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit heard the petition by Abishek Gowda on Wednesday and issued notices to the respondents to file their objections and adjourned the hearing. The petitioner alleged that the Madrasa inside the Juma Masjid in Srirangapatna had damaged the original structure with the construction of structural alterations, demolition of compound, construction of toilets, destruction of ancient carvings besides cooking and consumption of food daily. "All the above acts are totally illegal and a violation of Section 7, Rule 7 & 8 of the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains Act and Rules," he claimed. The petitioner further submitted that .

Fertiliser subsidy bill to fall up to 34 % to Rs 1.8 trillion this fiscal

The government's fertiliser subsidy bill is likely to decline 30-34 per cent to Rs 1.7-1.8 lakh crore this fiscal due to fall in global prices and lower imports of urea, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Wednesday. Asked about any adverse impact on imports due to problems in Red sea, the minister asserted "there is no shortage of fertilisers in the country". Addressing a press conference, chemicals and fertilizers minister Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted that the urea imports are estimated at 40-50 lakh tonnes this fiscal, lower from around 75 lakh tonnes imported in the previous year, helped by higher domestic production and increased use of nano liquid urea. "Ministry of External Affairs is making necessary interventions and our Navy is giving protection to Indian cargo vessels," Mandaviya told reporters. According to exporters, freight rates have skyrocketed by up to 600 per cent due to the Red Sea crisis which would hurt the world trade. The geopolitical tension around th

Report filed on need of change in law on granting driving licence: Centre

The Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that a government-appointed committee has submitted a draft report after examining a legal question that whether a person holding a driving licence for a light motor vehicle is also entitled to legally drive a transport vehicle carrying unladen weight not exceeding 7,500 kilograms. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud granted time to the Centre till April 15 to resolve the issue and said if the matter remains unresolved, it will hear the pleas and pronounce a verdict. "Actually, it is a part-heard matter. We have substantially heard it.... We will give you (the government) the time to resolve the matter. If it is not resolved, then we will hear the matter and lay down the law. "Ultimately, if Parliament wants to intervene, then it can always do so...," the bench, also comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy, P S Narasimha, Pankaj Mithal and Manoj Misra, said. The bench granted time till mid-February for th

Bond index inclusion soon: Govt may opt for longer-term G-secs in FY25

However, the tenure of securities is not announced in the Budget and communicated to the market during the release of the half-yearly borrowing calendar in March and September

Piyush Goyal to meet 40 unicorn startups including Zerodha, Boat, Lenskart

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will hold discussions with senior representatives of 40 unicorn startups like Lenskart, Zerodha, and Boat here on Wednesday, an official said. Issues which will figure in the deliberations include ways to further promote sustainable growth of the sector, risks, domestic capital mobilisation and position India on the global startup landscape, the official said. Startup firms valued over USD 1 billion are categorised as unicorns. "Unicorns from different sectors and cities will be there. The sectors which would see participation include fintech, e-commerce and logistics," the official added. The other firms who would attend the meeting include CarDekho, and EasyMy Trip. The government has taken a series of steps to promote the startup ecosystem in the country. Over 1.17 lakh startups are recognised by the government. They are eligible to seek certain tax incentives. The Startup India initiative was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra

Govt cuts windfall tax on crude petroleum to Rs 1,700 a tonne effective Tue

On Jan. 2, the government had lifted the windfall tax on petroleum crude oil to 2,300 rupees a tonne from 1,300 rupees a tonne

Govt eases import curbs on some silver items for certain industries

The government on Monday eased import curbs for some silver items like semi-manufactured silver paste, sheets, and tubes for electrical, electronics and solar industries, to be used as inputs for their manufacturing process. The import of these items for R&D purposes by the government or government-recognised institutions shall also be without restrictions, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. Earlier, the import of these goods was put under the restricted category, which mandates importers to seek a license from the government for inbound shipments. "Import of semi-manufactured silver paste, sheets, plates, strips, tubes, electrodes, wires, silver brazing alloys (in any form), by electrical, electronics and engineering industries, including glass and solar industries, as input for their own manufacturing process on 'actual user' basis shall be free," it said. Import of these items for any other purposes shall be through specified agencies as ...

Govt signs MoU with IIM-A for training Panchayati Raj representatives

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj on Monday signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, for training elected representatives and functionaries of the Panchayati Raj institutions, the ministry said in a statement. Ministry of Panchayati Raj Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj also inaugurated the first-of-its-kind Leadership and Management Development Programme of the ministry titled 'Leadership in Panchayats for Strategic Rural Transformation (LEAPSTART)' at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Ahmedabad today. During the inaugural session, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Joint Secretary Vikas Anand and IIM-Ahmedabad Director Professor Bharat Bhasker to operationalise Leadership and Management Development Programme. The ministry said that exchange of MoU marked the formal initiation of the "transformative initiative aimed at revolutionizing local self-governance for strategic rural transformation". Speaking at the event, Bharadwaj called upon the .

Pongal reflects the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat', says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the festival of Pongal reflects the national spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' and the same emotive connect could be witnessed in Kashi-Tamil and Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam. In his address at the Pongal celebrations held at the residence of Union Minister L Murugan in the national capital, Modi said festive fervour marked every home in Tamil Nadu and wished joy, prosperity and contentment in the lives of all the people. Drawing similarities to India's diversity with 'Kolam,' the prime minister said that when every corner of the country connects emotionally with each other, the nation's strength appears in a new form. Considered as a welcome symbol and a sign of auspiciousness, Kolam is a popular art form, which involves making drawings on the ground --at the entrance portion to the house-- using a variety of rice flour. Modi said: "The festival of Pongal reflects the national spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat." The same spirit can

Thermal power is back in business as govt makes commitment clear

Deals in Punjab and Odisha shows coal-fired plants are crucial to economy

Govt to invest Rs 60,000 cr in river cruise tourism, green vessels

Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday said the government would invest Rs 60,000 crore by 2047 in river cruise tourism and development of green vessels. "We are going to invest Rs 45,000 crore in river cruise, which will take the passenger capacity from 2 lakh to 15 lakh by 2047," he said on the sidelines of the first Inland Waterways Development Council meeting here. Sonowal also said the government aims at investing another Rs 15,000 crore in green transport over the next 10 years to develop 1,000 vessels and ferries. "In total, there will be a Rs 60,000-crore investment by 2047, and it will be through the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The projects will help generate thousands of jobs," the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said. The council meeting, represented by officials of around 20 states and Union territories, also saw the unveiling of Harit Nauka' guidelines for green transition of inland vessels and the River Cruise Tourism Roadmap 2047. The ...

Indian Railways logs 6,577 route kms electrification in calendar year 2023

The electrification push by the government comes as the Indian Railways has set a target to become the world's largest green railway by 2030

India booming with highway, railway, air route expansion: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday lauded the Narendra Modi-led central government, saying the country is witnessing an expansion of highways, railways, and air connectivity under his rule. "In the last ten years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi India has emerged as a global power. When leadership is good, everyone's respect increases," Adityanath said. The CM made the remarks while addressing the programmes organised under the BJP's 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra' in Rapti Nagar and Nanda Nagar of Gorakhpur. According to a press statement issued by the state government, the CM said, "The country is witnessing the expansion of highways, railways, and air connectivity. AIIMS is being established, and industries are flourishing. Employment is being generated on a large scale. Every eligible person is benefiting from welfare schemes, without any discrimination." Adityanath said his party does not see caste or creed when it devises policies and ..

Centre has done little to ease TN's financial burden: FM Thangam Thennarasu

The Central government has done precious little to ease Tamil Nadu's financial burden, the state Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu claimed on Friday and accused it of following different yardsticks in devolving funds to states. For every single rupee given to the Centre, the state got back only 29 paise but the ratio was different in the BJP-ruled states, he said. "As I have already mentioned in the Assembly, for every rupee we give to the Centre, we get back just 29 paise. But in BJP-ruled states, this ratio is completely different," Thennarasu told reporters here in response to the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's assertion on Thursday that the Centre released more funds to Tamil Nadu without any discrimination. For instance, from the financial year 2014-15 to 2022-23, the Centre gave Rs 4.75 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu including the Central tax share of Rs 2.46 lakh crore and subsidy of Rs 2.28 lakh crore. At the same time, the direct tax collections accounted to Rs 6.2