Page 29 - Central Government

Foreign tourist arrivals to reach pre-pandemic level by 2024: Govt to LS

Foreign tourist arrivals are likely to reach pre-pandemic level by 2024, according to data received from the Bureau of Immigration, the the government informed Lok Sabha on Monday. In response to a query Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy also shared data on Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in the last three years which stood at 1.52 million in 2021 and 6.43 million in 2022. The FTA provisional figures for 2023 stood at 6.43 million from January till September, according to data shared by him. Reddy also said no projection has been made by the Ministry of Tourism about the number of tourists expected to arrive in India in the next five years. "As per the study 'India and the Coronavirus Pandemic: Economic Losses for Households Engaged in Tourism and Policies for Recovery', conducted by the Ministry of Tourism, domestic tourism is likely to reach the prepandemic level by 2024-25. "Further on the basis of data received from BOI (Bureau of Immigration), Foreign Tourist Arrivals are

Proposal for declaration of Ram Setu as national monument sub judice: Govt

The matter regarding the declaration of Ram Setu as a national monument is sub judice, the government informed Parliament on Monday. Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said this in a written response to a query in Lok Sabha. In his response, he also said, "No other proposal for declaration of site submerged in seas to be of national importance is pending at present". He was asked whether there are requests for the declaration of sites located or submerged in seas in the country like Adam's Bridge as national monuments pending a decision with the government of India. "The matter regarding the declaration of Ram Setu as a national monument is sub judice. No other proposal for declaration of site submerged in seas to be of national importance is pending at present," he said in his response. The declaration of monuments and sites is done under section 4 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958. Central government issues a notification of its .

IT-SEZs office space vacancies to reduce due to amended rules: Experts

Indian REITs Association (IRA) on Monday hailed the government decision to allow demarcation of a part of the built-up area within an SEZ unit for non-processing uses, saying this will help in filing the vacant office spaces in SEZs across major cities. Brookfield India Real Estate Trust (BIRET), Embassy Office Parks REIT, Mindspace Business Parks REIT, and Nexus Select Trust, which are the founding members of the IRA, feel that the move would boost growth in India's office REIT market. The new regulations will allow partial and floor wise conversion of processing to non-processing areas, through a key amendment to SEZ Rules, 2006, the association said in a statement. "The SEZ portfolios across REITs currently maintain an occupancy rate of around 80 per cent. The recent amendment is expected to elevate occupancy levels, specifically in Grade A Business Parks," it added. The amendment also permits the utilisation of non-processing areas within these SEZs for establishing businesses

Over 12,000 train coaches have digital display boards, says Vaishnaw

More than 12,000 newly-manufactured train coaches have digital display boards containing information such as forthcoming station, destination and running status, among others, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said. "Digital display boards containing information like forthcoming station, destination, train running status and other safety information/announcement are provided in coaches of trains like Vande Bharat, Push-Pull, TEJAS, Humsafar etc & Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) and Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) trains," Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply on December 8. He added, "AC economy coaches and VISTADOME coaches are also provided with a digital display board. At present, more than 12,000 coaches over Indian Railways are equipped with digital display boards." Vaishnaw's response came after BJP MP Sumer Singh Solanki wanted to know if the government envisaged to instal digital display boards in railway coaches and the trains in which these would ..

ONDC have to address liability issue to build trust: Consumers Affairs secy

Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh on Monday asked the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to resolve the issue relating to liability, which is important for consumers to get satisfactory services. He said that the government-promoted ONDC has to work on fixing liability in case a consumer does not get the right product. ONDC is an initiative of the Commerce and Industry Ministry to create a facilitative model to help small retailers take advantage of digital commerce. It is not an application, platform, intermediary or software but a set of specifications designed to foster open, unbundled, and interoperable open networks. "If I order through an app of a bank through Amazon and buy it from a seller located elsewhere and I get the wrong phone, then who is liable? So the issue of liability... "I keep telling (ONDC CEO) Mr T Koshy that you have to address the issue of liability otherwise this thing is not going to work," Singh said at the 'Deloitte Growth with Impact

Cooking gas for Ujjwala consumers cheapest compared to neighbours: Govt

The price of domestic cooking gas LPG at Rs 603 for a 14.2 kilogramme cylinder for beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) is the cheapest in India when compared to rates in neighbouring countries, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The minister, during the Question Hour in the Upper House, said India imports 60 per cent of its LPG requirement. Despite volatile and high global prices of LPG, the government absorbed it and kept the prices lower for the Ujjwala beneficiaries. "Ujjwala cylinders are available at Rs 603. It costs Rs 1,059.46 in Pakistan, Rs 1,033.35 in Sri Lanka and at Rs 1,198.56 in Nepal. We are providing LPG cylinders at 50 per cent of the price. ...We have absorbed the global price increase and that's why cylinders are cheapest in India," he said. The LPG price in Saudi Arabia has increased from USD 415 per tonne to USD 700-odd per tonne in two years, but the government has absorbed the rise in rates, he said.

Loans worth Rs 9,790 crore disbursed to under PM SVANidhi scheme: Govt

A total of Rs 9,790 crore worth of loans have been disbursed so far to beneficiaries of the PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, the government said in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The scheme was launched during the COVID-19 outbreak as a micro-credit scheme for urban street vendors that aims to provide collateral-free working capital loans up to Rs 50,000. "This scheme is available pan-India in all urban local bodies," Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said while replying to a supplementary question. All street vendors in urban areas are eligible for benefits under the PM SVANidhi Scheme, irrespective of the date on which they started vending. Loans disbursed to PM SVANidhi beneficiaries stood at Rs 2,039 crore in the 2020-21 fiscal, Rs 1,248 crore in 2021-22, Rs 1,866 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 4,637 crore up to December 5 of the current 2023-24 fiscal, taking the total to Rs 9,790 crore, the minister informed. As of December 5, 2023, .

India to work towards consensus-based 'declaration document' on AI: Govt

The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit to be inaugurated by Prime Minister on Tuesday will see intense deliberations on this new technology and work towards consensus-based 'declaration document' on approach to AI opportunities and risk mitigation, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday. India -- which has always championed democratisation of technology for masses -- will moot use of AI for sustainable agriculture as well as a DPI-like collaborative structure for harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, Vaishnaw, who is the Minister of IT and Electronics, said. DPI stands for digital public infrastructure like UPI, Aadhaar and ONDC. Vaishnaw further said that the world's view on AI is almost converging, with global recognition and awareness around the dangers as well as transformative potential of this new technology. The GPAI -- a multistakeholder initiative focused on nuances of AI -- has 28 member countries and the European Union (EU). A

Rs 27,131 crore spent on copper imports in FY23: Govt tells Parliament

India spent Rs 27,131 crore on copper imports in 2022-23, up from Rs 21,985 crore a year earlier, Parliament was informed on Monday. On account of low availability of copper reserves in the country, India has always been an importer of copper ore and concentrate. Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi said, "Per annum net import value (and hence, net foreign exchange outgo) during the last two years... 2021-22 (is) Rs 21,985 crore, 2022-23 (is) Rs 27,131 crore." "India, with a refined copper production of 5.55 lakh tonne in FY2022-23, is the 10th largest in the world," the minister explained. The spurt in imports in the last two years is due to increased demand in copper refining, reflecting a post-pandemic recovery, especially the growth in user sectors such as infrastructure, construction, telecom, electrical, renewable energy, and electric vehicles. Copper is one of the 30 critical minerals identified by the Centre. Copper concentrate

Transition away from coal not happening in foreseeable future: Govt

The transition away from coal is not happening in India in the foreseeable future, Parliament was informed on Monday. Although India is pushing for renewable, non-fossil-based energy, but the share of coal in the energy basket is going to remain significant in the years ahead to ensure affordable energy availability, coal and mines minister Pralhad Joshi said. "In India, the transition away from coal or Just Transition is not happening in the foreseeable future," the minister said. Replying to a query in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said although, in due course, some mines may close down due to exhaustion of reserves, at the same time, many new coal blocks are being operationalised to meet the growing energy demand. "These mines are not only ensuring affordability and energy security of the nation but also providing new additional opportunities for new employment and redeployment of workers in new mines from the to-be-closed mines to ensure better livelihood and also generate ...

NMC logo row: Govt defends change, terms it part of India's heritage

The Centre on Monday defended the change in the National Medical Commission's logo to feature Dhanwantari -- the physicians of the Gods in Hindu mythology -- instead of a secular emblem, saying it was part of India's heritage and everyone must feel proud of it. When the TMC's Santanu Sen raised the issue of the change in the logo through a Zero Hour mention in the Rajya Sabha, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said Dhanwantari is a symbol of Indian medical science. "(It was) already a part of the (Commission's) logo and just some colour has been added and nothing more," he said. "This is India's heritage. I feel we should feel proud (about it)," he added. The minister said the logo is designed by taking inspiration from the country's heritage. "This is a symbol of medical science ... someone who had done so much research in medical science. We have used the photo with no other intention." The Medical Council of India (MCI) logo was adopted in 1934 after the Indian Medical Council

Sharad Pawar demands roll-back of ban on onion export, slams Centre

NCP president Sharad Pawar on Monday demanded that the ban on onion export be lifted and claimed the central government was ignoring the hard work of farmers. Addressing onion growers, who have been protesting against the Centre's decision, in Chandwad village of Nashik district in Maharashtra, Pawar said cultivators need to be united and demand their rights. "Nashik can show the way," he added. The Centre has banned onion exports till March 31 next year to increase domestic availability and to keep prices in check. Farmers in parts of Maharashtra have been protesting against the Centre's decision. Onion growers are small farmers who toil for a good crop, Pawar said, adding that during his tenure as Union agriculture minister, he never brought down the onion prices nor banned exports. "The ban on onion exports should be lifted immediately," he said. Pawar further said, "Bangladesh has levied Rs 160 (import) duty on grapes. The grape producers will face hardships due to this deci

Govt expects onion prices to fall below Rs 40 per kg by January: Official

The government expects onion prices to fall below Rs 40 per kilogram by January from the current average price of Rs 57.02 per kilogram, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said on Monday. Last week, the government banned onion exports till March next year after the retail sales price of the kitchen staple crossed Rs 80 per kg in the national capital and the prices in mandis remained around Rs 60 per kg. To a query on when the onion prices are expected to fall below Rs 40 per kg, Singh said, "very soon January". "Somebody said it will touch Rs 100 per kg, we said it will never cross Rs 60 per kg. So, all India average is now Rs 57.02 per kg this morning and it will not cross Rs 60 per kg," Singh said on the sidelines of the 'Deloitte Growth with Impact Government Summit'. The export ban will not affect the farmers and it is a small group of traders who are exploiting the differential between prices in Indian and Bangladesh markets. "They (the traders who were exploiting .

All that you need to know about Article 370 before SC's verdict today

A constitution bench has reviewed the challenge to the abrogation of Article 370, exploring the constitutionality of the process and its impact on Jammu and Kashmir's special privileges

Health and welfare of Tribal Communities: Leaving no one behind

National Health Policy 2017 also highlighted the special health needs of tribal and socially vulnerable population groups and recommended specific measures in provisioning and delivery of services

Shah Rukh, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn issued notice in gutka ad case: HC told

The central government, responding to a contempt petition, informed the Lucknow bench of Allahabad Court that it has issued notices to actors Akshay Kumar, Shahrukh Khan, and Ajay Devgn in connection with advertisements they do for gutka companies. The Centre's counsel informed the High Court on Friday that the same issue was also being heard by the Supreme Court and as such the instant petition should be dismissed. After hearing the submission, the bench fixed the hearing for May 9, 2024. A bench of justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan had earlier directed the central government to decide the representation of the petitioner, who had originally contended that action should be taken against the actors and dignitaries who were given high profile awards but were advertising for gutka companies. The representation was made to the government on October 22 but no action was taken in the matter, the petitioner argued. Thereafter, hearing the contempt petition, the high court had issued notice t

Aadhaar enrolment possible with iris scan if fingerprint unavailable: Govt

The government on Saturday said a person who is eligible for Aadhaar can enrol using Iris scan in case fingerprints are unavailable. The statement comes after Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar intervened to ensure the enrolment of a woman, Josymol P Jose, in Kerala who could not get enrolled for Aadhaar as she did not have fingers. A team from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) visited Jose at her home in Kumarakam, Kottayam district, in Kerala, the same day and got her Aadhaar number generated, the statement said. Chandrasekhar said an advisory has been sent to all Aadhaar Service Kendras giving instructions that Aadhaar should be issued to people like Jose or to others having blurred finger prints or similar disability, by taking alternate biometrics. "A person who is eligible for Aadhaar but unable to provide fingerprints may enrol using only iris scan. Similarly, an eligible person whose irises cannot be captured due to any reason m

India to be $5 trillion economy by end of 2025, Amit Shah exudes confidence

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said India will become a USD 5 trillion economy by the end of 2025. Addressing the valedictory session of the Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit here, Shah said India has grown exponentially on every front over the past one decade due to the farsighted and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The world is looking to India with hope today. Between 2014 to 2023 India has risen from its position as the 11th to the fifth (largest) economy in the world. "Never before did the country make so big a leap during 75 years of Independence," he said and attributed all this to Modi's visionary leadership and his capacity to translate his vision into a reality. Modi is leading the movement against climate change, he is trying to impart pace to the slowing GDP of the world through his Make in India program besides leading the international campaign for a terror-free world, he said. On G-20, he said the Delhi Declaration was India's big

India showed capability of getting consensus at very divisive moment: EAM

India has not only shown an ability to progress at home but also displayed during its G20 presidency that it has the capability of getting the world to agree on something of common interest at a very difficult and very divisive moment, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday. Jaishankar's remarks came during his interaction with Indian students and young professionals in Dubai and shared perspectives on transformations in India and the impact it is having on the everyday lives of Indians at home and abroad. Jaishankar said students and young professionals will be at the forefront of building a Viksit Bharat in the Amritkaal. Talking about India's progress Jaishankar said India has just completed its presidency of the G20. "And in this presidency, what had happened was that, because of the geopolitics, the whole controversy around Ukraine, there was a lot of concern, whether we will be able to get everybody together," the minister said. At the same time, he said the

Equity, justice must be basis of climate action, says India at COP28

India firmly believes that equity and climate justice must be the basis of climate action and this can be ensured only when the developed countries take the lead in combating climate change, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said here at the COP28 on Saturday. Delivering the country's national statement here at the high-level segment at the annual climate conference, Yadav also highlighted India's contribution, noting that New Delhi reduced its GDP emission intensity by 33 per cent between 2005 and 2019, achieving the target 11 years in advance. Yadav also said that India looks forward to the Global Stocktake (GST) outcome for providing meaningful and relevant inputs for deciding enhanced climate action. GST is a two-year review of collective global efforts to achieve the Paris agreement goals, especially the target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Calling the ongoing climate negotiations as a COP28 of action', the Minister said it was evident on the first day