Page 22 - Central Government

Three Naga groups approach Centre over decades-old political issue

Three Naga groups came together on Saturday and decided to pursue negotiations for a solution to the decades-old Naga Political Issue with the Centre jointly. The decision was taken during a meeting attended by leaders of the three groups -- National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) led by Akato Chophy, NSCN led by Khango and Naga National Council (NNC) led by Z Royim. All three are splinter groups. "The three groups have come together to have a joint political venture in 2024," said Akato, while addressing journalists after the meeting here in the presence of leaders of the other two groups. Asked if they have already approached the Centre with their decision to hold a dialogue, he said, "We have made separate approaches in the past but now we will make a joint effort on the Naga issue." Akato also affirmed that they would be holding a dialogue separate from the negotiations being held by the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPGs) with the Centre. The

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slams Centre over high petrol, diesel prices

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday slammed the Centre over high prices of petrol and diesel, alleging that the government's priority was only to fill the pockets of a few billionaires. In a post in Hindi on 'X', the Congress general secretary said crude oil has become cheaper by 29 per cent in the international market in the last 19 months. "Oil companies have earned Rs 1.32 lakh crore profit in six months. The burden of their huge earnings is being passed on to the people of the country," she alleged. Inflation is at its peak in the country due to the high prices of petrol and diesel, Gandhi said. "Poor and middle-class people are not able to run their families but they have not got any relief. The government's priority is only to fill the pockets of a few billionaires," she alleged.

Sitharaman meets heads of public sector banks, reviews performance

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on Saturday held a meeting with heads of public sector banks and reviewed their financial performance. During the meeting, concerns related to cyber security and the risks on the financial sector were discussed, sources said. Issues related to fraud and wilful defaulters and progress on the National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL) also came up for discussion, they said. This is the probably last full review meeting before the presentation of Budget 2024-25 and general elections later next year. On the performance front, PSU banks have earned a net profit of about Rs 68,500 crore during the first six months of the current financial year. During 2022-23, it said banks' balance sheets grew at a healthy pace, with both deposits and credit growth accelerating. The Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) ratio of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) fell to a decade low of 3.9 per cent at the end of March 2023 and further to 3.2 per cent in September

Centre to launch 2nd version of National Career Service portal in 2024

The government will launch the second version of the National Career Service (NCS) portal as well as persuade states to roll out labour reforms as part of efforts to further improve the ease of doing business and provide social security for the unorganised labour, particularly gig and platform workers, in 2024. Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav told PTI that his ministry will soon launch the "advanced version, namely NCS 2.0, to facilitate better job matching and search facility for jobseekers along with a recommendation engine for skilling by the use of latest technologies and leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning". The NCS project was launched in July 2015 to provide various employment-related services, including career counselling, vocational guidance, information on skill development courses, apprenticeship and internships, through a digital platform. As of November 30 this year, the NCS platform had more than 3.64 crore registered jobseekers

Deepfake issue: Govt will keep an eye on platforms' approach, says MoS IT

Terming the menace of deepfakes and misinformation as "a very problematic issue" for the Indian democracy, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said the government will "keep an eye" on the remedial measures taken by the platforms on the advisories. The minister also promised that inaction on their part may prompt amendment to the IT Rules that will be more "prescriptive". In an interview with PTI, Chandrasekhar, who is Minister of State for IT and Electronics, counted the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) legislation, setting up of grievances appellate panels and tighter accountability enforced on digital platforms for user safety as being among the big achievements for 2023. Chandrasekhar, however, said that the Digital India Act (that will supersede the 22-year-old Information Technology Act) despite undergoing extensive pre-consultations "ran out of time" and termed it "an unfinished agenda". "...The Digital India Act which we put a lot of effort into...spent almost a

Govt has strictly no plans to put MEP on all agri commodities: Comm Min

The government on Friday said there are "strictly" no plans to impose the minimum export price (MEP) on all agricultural products. Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal said that there is no such intention of the government to look into exports of all agri products. "Just want to clarify that the government has no intention to put in MEP on all agri products or review all agri products from the export perspective. There is no such decision. The government has strictly no such plans," he told reporters here. An inter-ministerial committee, which looks into MEP on onion, has recently decided on basmati rice. He said that the committee getting a wider mandate does not mean that "the committee is there to look into each agri product and start recommending MEP for that". He informed that despite banning exports of non-basmati white rice, India has allocated 13 lakh tonnes of rice for exports to over 14 countries for their food security issues.

Next steps after examining ruling: MEA on Navy veterans row in Qatar

India on Friday said its next steps in the case relating to eight former Indian Navy personnel will be decided after examining the ruling of a Qatari court and discussions with the legal team handling the matter. Qatar's Court of Appeals has commuted the death sentences handed out to the Navy veterans by another court earlier. "The interests of Indians and their family members is our foremost concern," Ministry External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing. "We will be discussing the next possible steps with the legal team and the family members," he added. Bagchi said he would not like to say anything more as the matter is sensitive. The Indian nationals, who were working with Doha-based Al Dahra Global Technologies, were taken into custody in August 2022 in a case of alleged espionage. While the charges against them were not made public by Qatari authorities, they were sentenced to death by the Gulf country's Court of First Instance in October this

Sharda temple in PoK 'encroached by Pak Army', committee seeks govt's help

The Save Sharda Committee (SSC) here on Friday sought the help of the Indian government to remove the "encroachment by the Pakistan Army" on the Sharda temple premises in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), in order to pave way for its restoration. Addressing a press conference at Press Club of Bangalore, SSC founder Ravinder Pandita alleged that the Pakistan army had encroached upon the dilapidated old Sharda temple premises and opened a coffee home there despite a court order in the committee's favour. Save Sharda Committee requests the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise the issue of encroachments and removal of a coffee home recently erected on Sharda Peeth premises by the Pakistan army. This is despite the Supreme Court of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir's landmark judgment on January 3, 2023 pronounced in favour of Save Sharda Committee based on its representation seeking to stop encroachments, he said. He added that civil society in PoK has also raised their

ULFA, Centre, Assam govt to sign settlement accord in New Delhi on Friday

Assam Chief Minister's Office has announced that a tripartite memorandum of settlement between the ULFA (pro-talks faction) and the central and state governments will be signed in New Delhi on Friday. 'A Memorandum of Settlement will be signed between the Government of India, Government of Assam and representatives of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in presence of the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Sh. Amit Shah tomorrow at 5 pm in New Delhi', the CMO posted on 'X' on Thursday. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is scheduled to be present during the signing, also retweeted the post. A16-member delegation of the ULFA pro-talks faction, led by chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, reached New Delhi on Wednesday to hold discussions with Shah before the signing of the accord. The outfit's general secretary, Anup Chetia, has been camping in New Delhi since Monday and held talks with the peace interlocutor AK Mishra on Tuesday. The Centre had sent a draft of the

Centre extends import duty exemption on tur, urad dal to March 2025

Prices of pulses have seen an inflation of 20 per cent in November. Recently, the Centre had also extended the import duty exemption for masur dal by one year to March 2025

Govt plans to sell FCI rice under Bharat brand, price not yet decided

In order to check rice inflation, the government is considering a proposal to sell FCI rice under the 'Bharat' brand but the discounted rate has not yet been decided, a food ministry official said on Wednesday. The ministry's efforts to check retail rice prices by boosting domestic availability through sale of FCI rice via e-auction under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) has received a lukewarm response. "There is a proposal to retail 'Bharat rice' but the price has not yet been decided," the official told PTI. Under the OMSS, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is offering quality rice at a reserve price of Rs 29 per kg. "Whether to sell Bharat rice at the same rate or reduced rate, the decision has to be taken by the Group of Ministers," the official added. The government is already selling wheat flour (atta) and pulses under the Bharat brand through outlets managed by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), National Cooperative Consumers' .

Amrit Bharat Express trains fare 15-17% higher, no concessional tickets

The minimum ticket price to travel on Amrit Bharat Express trains for a destination within one km to 50 km is Rs 35, exclusive of the reservation fee and other charges, the Railway Board has informed all zones. It has issued a circular on the fare structure of Amrit Bharat trains and attached a "Fare Table" with the distance slabs and ticket prices for second-class and sleeper-class passengers. As the first Amrit Bharat train, which will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on December 30, has only second-class and sleeper-class compartments, the railway ministry is yet to work out the fare table for the air-conditioned classes, sources said. "If we compare the fares for these two classes -- second and sleeper -- with other currently-running mail or express trains, Amrit Bharat's fare is 15 to 17 per cent higher," a railway official said. "The minimum ticket price for a second-class journey to a destination falling between one and 50 km in ot

Ration card portability gains traction in 2023, records 280 mn transactions

Ration card portability gained traction across India this year, as 28 crore transactions were recorded in the first 11 months of 2023, according to the food ministry. Started in August 2019, in just four states, inter and intra-state portability under the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) service has been enabled in all 28 states and 8 Union Territories. The objective of the ONORC was to empower poor beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), espcially migrants, to avail subsidised ration seamlessly from any e-PoS (electronic point of sale device) enabled ration shops in the country with biometric or aadhar authentification at the time of lifting of the foodgrain through portability. Further, their family members back home can also lift balance requirement of foodgrains on the same ration card. "About 28 crore portability transactions were performed in 11 months of 2023 delivering more than 80 lakh tonne foodgrains including inter-state and intra-state portability

Jal Jeevan Mission achieves 72% rural tap water coverage, eyes 100% in 2024

Making substantial progress towards the government's ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission, approximately 72 per cent of rural households now have access to tap water connections, according to official data. In 2024, the Jal Shakti ministry faces the crucial target of achieving the 100 per cent coverage of tap water connection to every rural household -- a commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. A senior official expressed confidence that the government will reach the 100 per cent coverage goal by the end of the coming year. However, challenges persist in states like Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and West Bengal, where tap water connection coverage in rural households remains below 50 per cent, the data says. While nine states and Union Territories have already achieved 100 per cent coverage, the focus remains on extending this essential service to every corner of the nation. Simultaneously, the ministry's commitment to making villages Open Defecation Free Plus (ODF Plus) by next

J-K govt approves increased subsidy under Centre's urban housing scheme

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has approved an increase in the subsidy for the beneficiary-led construction (BLC) under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in the Union territory, officials said. Jammu and Kashmir's Administrative Council (AC), during a meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday night, approved an enhancement of subsidy to Rs 70,326 from the current Rs 16,666 for people eligible for the BLC of PMAY(U). The meeting also included Advisor to the LG Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar and Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo. The scheme covers identified BLC beneficiaries of PMAY(U) who have not completed their dwelling units and is expected to benefit 26,419 households in the preliminary stage, an official spokesperson said. The proposal aims to provide additional financial assistance to the identified beneficiaries, enabling them to complete the construction of their houses within the deadline for the Housing for All' Mission by December 31, 2024, he said. The .

Govt extends non-preferential certificate of origin online filing period

The government on Tuesday extended the transition period for mandatory online filing of applications for non-preferential certificate of origin till December 31, 2024. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in a trade notice said during this period, the existing systems of processing non-preferential certificate of origin applications in manual mode is permitted. An exporter has to submit a Certificate of Origin (CoO) at the landing port of the importing country. The document is important to claim duty concessions under Free-Trade Agreements (FTAs). This certificate is essential to prove where their goods come from. "The transition period for mandatory filing of applications for non-preferential certificate of origin through the e-CoO platform has ben further extended till December 31, 2024," it said.

Tripartite peace accord between ULFA, Centre, Assam govt likely on Dec 29

A tripartite accord is likely to be signed on December 29 between the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), and the central and Assam governments, aiming to bring a lasting peace in the northeastern state, sources said on Tuesday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and over a dozen top leaders of the pro-talks faction of the ULFA, headed by Arabinda Rajkhowa, will be present at the signing of the peace agreement here. The accord will take care of a host of long-standing political, economic and social issues concerning Assam, besides providing cultural safeguards and land rights to the indigenous people, the sources privy to the development said. The hardline faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), led by Paresh Baruah, will not be part of the agreement as he has been consistently rejecting the olive branch offered by the government. Two top leaders of the Rajkhowa group -- Anup Chetia and Sashdhar Choudh

Govt's advisory to social media portals on IT rules over deepfake concerns

The government has issued an advisory to all platforms to comply with IT rules amid growing concerns around deepfakes and misinformation powered by AI, according to an official release. The advisory mandates that intermediaries (digital and social media platforms) communicate prohibited content specified under IT Rules clearly and precisely to users. "The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has issued an advisory to all intermediaries, ensuring compliance with the existing IT rules," it said. The directive specifically targets growing concerns around misinformation powered by AI-Deepfakes. This advisory is the culmination of discussions held by Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar with intermediaries. "The content not permitted under the IT Rules, in particular those listed under Rule 3(1)(b) must be clearly communicated to the users in clear and precise language including through its terms of service and user agreements and the same must be express

How BJP govt is celebrating various days to mark emergence of 'new India'

While August 15 and January 26 retain their salience, August 5 and January 22 are the anniversaries of the 'new India'

Nearly 7,600 FPOs registered, 75% govt target, boosting farm productivity

Centre launched a Rs 6,865-crore scheme in 2020 to form and promote 10,000 FPOs by 2024