Page 25 - Central Government

MGNREGS job demand dips for first time FY24 in Nov, compared to FY23

Around 17.67 million households sought work under the scheme in November 2023, which was almost 5 per cent less than the same month of the 2022-23 financial year

Govt likely to come out with logistics cost estimate framework on Thursday

The government is expected to release a framework to assess the logistics cost in the country to get a realistic estimate tomorrow, an official has said. At present, the government is going by certain estimates, suggesting India's logistics cost stands at about 13-14 per cent of the country's GDP (gross domestic product). Sumita Dawra, Special Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), had earlier stated that the government is coming out with its logistics cost framework. The framework would include elements of this cost and how to measure that. Acknowledging the necessity for targeted policy interventions, a report containing baseline aggregated logistics cost estimates; and a framework for long-term logistics cost calculation is now ready and has been reviewed by external experts from the World Bank, the official said. "This comprehensive report is scheduled for the launch on December 14," the official added. The objective of this endeavou

Winter Session: Parliament clears bill to repeal 76 outdated, obsolete laws

Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill to repeal 76 redundant and obsolete laws with the government saying the move is part of its continuing efforts to improve the ease of living and doing business. The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2023 was cleared in the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote. Lok Sabha had cleared the legislation on July 27 this year. In December last year, the government introduced the Repealing and Amending Bill to cull 65 old laws. But the bill could not come up for discussion in subsequent sessions. The government later moved amendment to add 11 more laws to the list, bringing the total to 76 laws. The bill proposes to repeal outdated laws like the Land Acquisition (Mines) Act, 1885 and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1950. The bill also seeks to repeal certain Appropriation Acts passed by Parliament in the recent past. Replying to the debate, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the Modi government since coming to power in 2014 has repealed 1,486 def

No shortage of anti-TB drugs in country, six months stock available: Govt

The ministry has previously stated that all drugs used in the treatment of drug-sensitive TB are available with sufficient stocks for a time period ranging from six months and above

Article 370 verdict doesn't affect China's claims over border: Official

China on Wednesday said the Indian Supreme Court's verdict on Article 370 upholding the centre's decision to carve out the union territory of Ladakh from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir does not have any bearing on its claim on the western section of the China-India border. India's Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld the central government's decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 bestowing special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The apex court also upheld the validity of the Centre's decision to carve out the union territory of Ladakh from the erstwhile state of J&K and directed restoration of statehood at the earliest as well as holding elections to the assembly by September 30 next year. Asked about the court verdict upholding the validity of the decision of the Indian government to carve out the union territory of Ladakh, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here that China has never recognised the ...

Congress seeks answers from govt on 'serious security breach' in Parliament

The Congress on Wednesday demanded answers from the government on the "serious security breach" in Lok Sabha, saying does the incident "not prove that necessary precautions were not taken". Two persons jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour and released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by MPs. Around the same time, two persons, including a woman, also sprayed coloured gas from canisters while shouting slogans 'tanashahi nahi chalegi' outside the Parliament premises. In a post on X, party president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the security breach that took place in Parliament is a very serious matter. "We demand that the Home Minister should come to both the Houses and give a statement on this. The question is, how did two people come inside such a big security department and release gas from a canister there," he said. "Today, on Martyr's Day, we paid tribute to the brave .

Government defends onion export ban as Opposition rakes farmers' issues

The government on Tuesday defended its decision to impose export ban on onion, stating that sometimes Indian consumers should get the priority to get essential goods at appropriate prices. She was responding to a question flagged by NCP leader Supriya Sule during the discussion on supplementary demands for grants in the Lok Sabha. India on December 8 banned exports of onion till March next year to increase domestic availability and keep prices in check, which is currently selling at about Rs 60 per kg. The minister said that the government carefully balance the interests of farmers and consumers. "I understand the concern, but if there are crop shortages and if there are difficulties of getting something as essential as onion to the market, we will have to ensure that Indian consumers get the priority and therefore, sometimes we need to come up with these measures," Sitharaman said. NCP president Sharad Pawar on December 11 joined a protest by onion farmers in Maharashtra's Nashik

Atal Pension Yojana enrolment crosses 60 mn, 7.9 mn additions in FY24

The total enrolment under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has crossed 6 crore, with over 79 lakh additions this fiscal, the finance ministry said on Tuesday. Under the APY, the subscriber is eligible to get triple benefits of lifelong monthly pension of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 from the age of 60 years, depending on their contributions, which itself would vary based on the age of joining the APY. The same pension would be paid to the spouse of the subscriber after his or her demise and on the demise of both the subscriber and the spouse, the pension wealth as accumulated till age 60 of the subscriber would be returned to the nominee. "The feat of bringing in the most vulnerable sections of society under the coverage of pension has been made possible with the untiring efforts of all banks," the ministry added. The APY -- a flagship social security scheme of the Government of India -- was launched on May 9, 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide old age income security to Indian .

Adani Group contractor probed by govt resurfaces under a new name

The contracting firm - Howe Engineering Projects (India) Pvt Ltd. - contains the core operations of a business called PMC Projects Pvt Ltd. that India's government alleged in 2014 was being used

Scindia discusses airfares, ways to improve airlines' on-time performance

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday reviewed the self-monitoring mechanism for airfares put in place by individual airlines and emphasised keeping fares in check on select routes. During an advisory group meeting, there were discussions on airlines' on-time performance (OTP), and the minister instructed the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to relook technical specifications at VFR-equipped (Visual Flight Rules) airports to help enhance OTP, according to an official release. Scindia held a meeting with the airline advisory group that was attended by representatives of various carriers, including Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan. In a post on social media platform X, Scindia said that he met the advisory group to discuss solutions to enhance on-time performance and "airfares on a few sectors, and in-house practices followed by each airline". Specific details about the discussion on airfares and the particular routes could not be immediately ascertained. There have been

Automatic payment limit through UPI raised to Rs 1 lakh, says RBI

The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday increased the limit for automatic payments through UPI to Rs 1 lakh per transaction from the existing Rs 15,000 for certain categories, including subscription to mutual funds. As of now, relaxation in Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) is permitted while processing e-mandates/standing instructions on cards, prepaid payment instruments and UPI (Unified Payments Interface), for subsequent recurring transactions with values up to Rs 15,000. "...it has been decided to increase the limit from Rs 15,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per transaction for... subscription to mutual funds, payment of insurance premiums, and credit card bill payments," the central bank said in a circular on "processing of e-mandates for recurring transactions". UPI has emerged a preferred mode of payment for a large section of the population with over 11.23 billion transactions recorded in November. An announcement in this regard was made by Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das, .

Health ministry body IPC issues alert against reactions of mefenamic acid

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has issued a drug safety alert advising healthcare professionals and patients to monitor adverse reactions of painkiller Meftal, commonly used for menstrual cramps and rheumatoid arthritis. The mefenamic acid painkiller is prescribed in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, dysmenorrhoea, mild to moderate pain, inflammation, fever and dental pain. The commission, in its alert, stated that a preliminary analysis of adverse drug reactions from the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) database revealed drug reactions with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome. "Healthcare professionals, patients/consumers are advised to closely monitor the possibility of the above adverse drug reaction (ADR) associated with the use of the suspected drug," according to the alert, issued on November 30. If such reaction is encountered, the alert advised, people should report the matter to the national coordination centre of

No GST dues pending, some states have not submitted AG's report: Sitharaman

The Centre on Tuesday said no GST dues of any state are pending before it and that some state governments have not submitted AG's authenticated certificate for release of their share of funds. The narrative that GST dues are pending from the Centre is not correct and is a "misnomer" as states have not submitted AG's report, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said replying to a supplementary question in Rajya Sabha. "It is important to understand that if the AG's (accountant general) certification is (mandatory)... If the AG's certificate does not reach us, we can not clear," she said. Some states, even after sending AG's certificate, tell us to hold on till they clear it finally, she said. The finance minister was responding to a question from Trinamool Congress member Saket Gokhale, who asked about the GST dues of states, especially to West Bengal. He also sought a reason for which the GST dues of the states were withheld. Replying to it, the finance minister said she wou

Fiscal prudence is govt's top priority, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

The Lok Sabha approved the additional gross spending of Rs 1.29 trillion, which includes net cash outgo of Rs 58,378 crore

Winter Session: Sitharaman hits back on Oppn's charge on MGNREGA fund delay

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitahraman on Tuesday in the Lok Sabha said the economy is moving in the right direction, and India has become the fastest-growing major economy in the world. Replying to a debate on Supplementary Demands for Grants, Finance Minister Sitharaman said fiscal prudence is the top priority of the government without compromising on social welfare. The House later approved the Supplementary Demands for Grants, allowing the government to spend an additional over Rs 1.29 lakh crore, of which Rs 58,378 crore would be the cash outgo in the current fiscal. The remaining Rs 70,968 crore will be matched by the savings and receipts. "Our economy is moving in the right direction...Macroeconomic fundamentals are fine. We have become the fastest-growing economy. Q2 growth of 7.6 per cent is the highest in the world," she said. Responding to issues raised by the Opposition members on BSNL, the minister further said the government has earmarked Rs 11,850 crore capital infusio

ED attached Rs 64,920 cr crime proceeds in bank frauds, arrested 150: Govt

The Enforcement Directorate has taken up 1,105 bank fraud cases, attached crime proceeds worth Rs 64,920 crore and arrested 150 people, the finance ministry said on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad said the total number of wilful defaulters having outstanding loan of Rs 25 lakh and above from public sector banks rose to 14,159 at the end of March 2023, from 10,209 at the end of June 2019. In case of private sector banks, the number of such defaulters rose to 2,504 at the end of March 2023, from 1,950 at the end of June 2019. "As per inputs received from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), it has taken up around 1,105 bank fraud cases, including those pertain to willful defaulters, for investigation under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMIA)." "Necessary action as per the provisions of PMLA has been taken, which resulted in attachment of proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 64,920

Shah withdraws Bills on criminal laws, introduces new draft legislations

Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday withdrew the three bills to replace criminal laws and introduced a fresh set of draft legislations incorporating recommendations of a parliamentary panel in Lok Sabha. He said instead of bringing several official amendments to incorporate recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs, the government decided to bring fresh bills incorporating changes. The discussion on the bills will take place day Thursday and voting will take place Friday, Shah told opposition members who demanded sufficient time to study the three bills. He said he introduced the bills on Tuesday so that the members could get 48 hours to study the draft laws. He said mainly five sections have been tweaked and most of the changes relate to grammar and language. The redrafted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam bill seek to replace the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 1898, the Indian Penal Code, 186

Govt says 10 PSBs transferred NPAs of over Rs 11k cr to NARCL from Jan-Nov

A total of 10 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) have transferred Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) of over Rs 11,617 crore to NARCL between January and November this year, the Finance Ministry said on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad said the National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL) has recovered Rs 16.64 crore as on November 30, 2023. He said recovery in NPA accounts is an ongoing process, and security receipts issued to lenders by NARCL, backed by government guarantee, provide a five-year time window for effecting the recovery in such accounts. "Further, corporate insolvency resolution process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code is going on in some of the accounts acquired by NARCL. Recovery will be effected in these accounts after the resolution plans get approved by the National Company Law Tribunal. In remaining accounts, NARCL has recovered Rs 16.64 crore, as on 30.11.2023," Karad said. NARCL is bad ba

LS gives nod for additional cash outgo of Rs 58,378 cr in current fiscal

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday cleared a net additional spending of Rs 58,378 crore in the current fiscal ending March 2024, with a large chunk going towards MGNREGA and subsidy on fertiliser. The gross additional spending sought by the government was over Rs 1.29 lakh crore, of which Rs 70,968 crore would be matched by savings and receipts. Replying to a debate on Supplementary Demands for Grants, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that fiscal prudence is the top priority of the government without compromising on social welfare. She also said that the net additional spending by the government would be Rs 58,378.21 crore in the current fiscal. The additional expenditure includes Rs 13,351 crore towards fertiliser subsidy and about Rs 7,000 crore towards spending by the Department of Food and Public Distribution. The House also approved an additional outgo of Rs 9,200 crore spending by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Rs 14,524 crore by the Ministry of Rural Developmen

Govt moves Bill to regulate poll body authorities' appointment conditions

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, in the Upper House