Page 3 - Central Government

Govt approves rationalisation of royalty rates for four critical minerals

The Union Cabinet approved rationalised royalty rates for graphite, caesium, rubidium and zirconium to encourage domestic mining and promote auctions of critical mineral blocks

Govt opens portal for private labs to seek recognition as test centres

The Department of Consumer Affairs has launched an online portal enabling private industries, laboratories and testing facilities to apply for recognition as Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs), marking a shift towards public-private partnership in India's legal metrology framework. Applications can be submitted through https://doca.gov.in/gatc until November 30, 2025, the department said in a statement. The initiative follows amendments to the Legal Metrology Government Approved Test Centre Rules, 2013, notified on October 23, 2025, which, for the first time, allow private sector participation in verifying weighing and measuring instruments used in trade and commerce. Recognised GATCs will be authorised to verify 18 types of instruments, including water meters, sphygmomanometers, clinical thermometers, automatic rail weighbridges, tape measures, load cells, beam scales and counter machines. Organisations must have proper testing and calibration facilities linked to national .

Centre may frame five-year integrated transport plans under new body

The new authority will shift India's transport strategy from individual project planning to long-term integrated corridor development aligned with economic goals

Centre to allow 1.5 mn tonnes sugar exports, scrap 50% molasses duty

Sources in the sugar industry said the food ministry has decided to allow exports of 1.5 million tonnes of sugar in 2025-26, but a final nod from a high-powered group of ministers is still awaited

Govt to focus on innovation in AI space, regulate when required: IT Secy

The government's priority currently is to focus on innovation in AI space and it will introduce regulation or legislation when required, IT Secretary S Krishnan said on Wednesday. The secretary said the government wants to leverage AI to make sure that it delivers the maximum benefit for the people of the country. "If we believe that the priority needs to be for innovation, regulation is not the priority today. There is a lot of play for innovation in the AI space. Having said that, let me again assert that if the need arises for legislation or regulation, the government will not be found wanting," Krishnan said. He was speaking on the occasion of releasing IndiaAI governance guidelines report submitted to the government by a sub-committee under the IndiaAI Mission. The report recommends principles and strategy that the government should adopt for governing artificial intelligence related matters. Krishnan said the report supports the position taken by the government and there is

Centre to notify Labour Code rules before winter session of Parliament

The four Codes that are part of the Centres's attempts to enact labour reforms have remained stuck, with neither the Centre nor the states moving to notify them yet

Supreme Court allows govt to offer relief on all Vodafone Idea dues

A detailed order copy, which will clarify whether the order allowing Centre to re-examine AGR dues till 2016-17 will extend to other telecom companies as well, is expected to be uploaded by Tuesday

Centre earns ₹551 cr from scrap, e-waste disposal in cleanliness drive

The Centre has earned over Rs 550 crore from disposal of scrap during a month-long special cleanliness campaign, an official statement issued on Friday said. The Union government's "special campaign 5.0" for cleanliness and disposal of pending matters has witnessed record participation and measurable outcomes across ministries, departments and their field offices during October, this year, it said. During its implementation phase beginning from Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 to October 31, the ministries and departments conducted about 7 lakh cleanliness campaigns, achieving 97 per cent of the target, the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said. During the campaign, 202.97 lakh square feet of office space was freed for productive use and about Rs 551 crore revenue earned through scrap and e-waste disposal, it said. A total of 6.69 lakh public grievances and 14,524 appeals were redressed, it said. About 13 lakh physical files were weeded out and 15.70 lakh e-files were reviewe

Centre to set up transport authority to drive multimodal corridors

Industry titans seek port-led industrialisation, ease of doing business

Southern states lead in household debt charts, Delhi least indebted: Mospi

According to experts, this reflects people's ability to take on higher debt and service it due to greater prosperity in the region

Large pvt banks see green shoots, expect credit demand revival in H2FY26

Attribute this to fiscal, monetary measures

Five states plan to borrow ₹17K cr via state development loans next week

The state bond auction will be held on Monday due to market holidays on Tuesday and Wednesday. Meanwhile, T-bill auctions are slated for Thursday, and there will be no G-sec auction on Friday

Centre refuses deadline extension for pharma firms after Coldrif deaths

The decision to turn down requests from drug manufacturers for more time came after it was highlighted that Sresan Pharmaceutical, the company that produced Coldrif, did not upgrade its facilities

Govt revises Per Drop More Crop scheme guidelines to boost micro-irrigation

The Centre has introduced new flexibility under the Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) scheme to encourage micro-level water storage and conservation projects. The Union Agriculture Ministry has revised the guidelines for the scheme, expanding the "other inventions" section. Now, states and Union territories can plan micro-level water management activities, such as diggi construction and water harvesting systems-based on local needs, the ministry said in a statement. These systems can be developed for individual farmers as well as community use, ensuring sustainable water availability for micro-irrigation. Earlier, funds for such activities were limited to 20 per cent of the total allocation for each state/UT and 40 per cent for northeastern states, Himalayan states, and UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. "Now, states/UTs have been given greater flexibility to exceed these limits as per their specific requirements," the ministry said. These initiatives aim to help farmers adopt ...

Centre reclassifies limestone as major mineral amid rising industrial use

The move, effective October 10, 2025, follows NITI Aayog's panel advice and brings limestone under central regulation as its use grows in large industries

Centre okay ₹707 cr for Assam, Gujarat floods; ₹904 cr for fire services

A high-level committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved Rs 707.97 crore of additional central assistance for Assam and Gujarat that were hit by floods and landslides in 2024. The committee has also approved Rs 903.67 crore for Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the expansion and modernisation of the state fire services. "A high-level committee, headed by the Union home minister, has approved Rs 707.97 crore of additional central assistance to Assam and Gujarat, affected by floods and landslides in 2024," an official statement said. The assistance has been provided from the NDRF, subject to an adjustment of 50 per cent of the opening balance for the year available in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Of the total amount of Rs 707.97 crore, a share of Rs 313.69 crore has been approved for Assam and Rs 394.28 crore for Gujarat. Of the total outlay of Rs 903.67 crore given to Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and

Centre plans ₹20,000 cr risk guarantee fund to boost infrastructure growth

The government is considering a proposal for creation of a Rs 20,000 crore risk guarantee fund for the infrastructure sector to push investment by the private sector. The establishment of a risk guarantee fund for the infrastructure sector is expected to attract private sector investment by sharing project risks, thereby reducing the burden on project developers, sources said. The fund with initial corpus of Rs 20,000 crore may be managed by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC), sources said, adding, the fund would underwrite development risk of a new project. Besides, there should be additional safeguards by way of a minimum stake by the developer and risk-based premiums may be charged. The fund would cover losses arising from policy uncertainty and other non-commercial risks, thereby encouraging lenders to extend larger loans to big projects, sources added. For the fund to be successful, sources said, the fund's guarantee must be bankable and there must be .

Centre releases additional ₹1.01 trn tax devolution to state governments

The Centre has released an additional instalment of tax devolution of Rs 1,01,603 crore to state governments ahead of the upcoming festival season. In view of the upcoming festive season and to enable states to accelerate capital spending and finance their development/welfare-related expenditure, the Union government has released an additional tax devolution of Rs 1,01,603 crore to state governments on October 1, 2025, the finance ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. This is in addition to the normal monthly devolution Rs 81,735 crore due to be released on October 10, 2025, it said. The additional instalment of devolution to states is in line with the principle of cooperative federalism and the aim of becoming 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. Currently, 41 per cent of taxes collected by the Centre is devolved in instalments among states during a fiscal year.

Centre issues new guidelines to ensure timely pension and retirement dues

The Centre has issued comprehensive guidelines for effective inter-ministerial coordination for timely payment of retirement dues and issue of Pension Payment Orders of central civil services employees. Major procedural reforms such as clarification on vigilance clearance before retirement has been included for reducing the delay in issuance of Pension Payment Orders (PPOs)/ePPOs, an official statement issued on Tuesday said. "It has been clarified that no pension can be delayed for the want of vigilance clearance as per the specific provisions under Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2021," it said. It has been underlined that each ministry/department should ensure that vigilance clearance in respect of their retiring employees is issued within three months prior to retirement, said the statement issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. The key policy measures for systemic improvement are digitisation of service records, universalisation of Bhavish

AFSPA extended for six months in parts of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act was on Friday extended for six months in entire Manipur, except the jurisdiction of 13 police stations, in view of the prevailing law and order situation there. The AFSPA, under which a particular state or some areas are declared "disturbed", has also been extended to nine districts in Nagaland and 21 police station areas in five other districts of the state for six months, according to a notification issued by the Union home ministry. The law was also extended to Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh and three police station areas, bordering Assam, in Namsai district in the state. The extension of the disturbed area in the particular areas in the three states will be effective from October 1 for six months. The AFSPA, often criticised as a draconian law, gives armed forces operating in disturbed areas sweeping powers to search, arrest and open fire if they deem it necessary. "And whereas, a further review of the law and