Page 32 - Central Government

Samyukta Kisan Morcha to hold 3-day protest from Nov 26 on pending demands

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which spearheaded a protest against the now-repealed three farm laws, on Wednesday announced a three-day protest starting November 26 to press the Centre to accept their pending demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) is an umbrella body of various farmer unions. Addressing the media here, Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said farmers will hold an agitation against the non-acceptance of their pending demands, which include the withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the year-long stir against the now-repealed farm laws, compensation and jobs for one of the family members of farmers who died during the stir, debt waiver and pension for farmers Bharti Kisan Union (Dakunda) president Buta Singh Burgill said as part of the protest, farmers will proceed towards the governor's residence, and if they are prevented, they will stop and hold their protest at the spot. A large numbe

SC to hear pleas on constitutional validity of sedition law in January

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear in January a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the IPC provision on sedition, months after the Centre introduced in Parliament bills to replace the colonial-era penal statutes, proposing among other things the repeal of the sedition law. Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said he would constitute an appropriate bench to hear the matter. It appointed advocates Prasanna S and Pooja Dhar as nodal counsel to facilitate the compilation of case laws and other statutory material before the hearing. The apex court had earlier declined to accept the Centre's fervent request that reference of the petitions to a larger bench be deferred as Parliament is in the process of "re-enacting" the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and a bill has been placed before a standing committee. The court had said assuming that the bill, which proposes among other things the repeal of the sedition law and introduction of a new provision

Viksit Bharat Yatra: 166k footfall in rural health camps during launch week

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said 1,232 health camps have been conducted in 203 gram panchayats under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in the first week of its launch, recording a footfall of more than 1,66,000. More than 33,000 Ayushman cards were created at the camps and over 21,000 physical cards distributed, the ministry said. Under the initiative, Ayushman cards are being created using the Ayushman app and physical cards are being distributed to the beneficiaries. The ministry said screening of patients for TB is being carried out for symptoms, sputum testing and by using NAAT machines wherever available. It said more than 41,000 people have been screened by the end of the first week, as on November 21, and over 4,000 of them were referred to higher public health facilities. The ministry added that under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (PMTBMBA), consent of the patients suffering from TB is being taken for receiving assistance from Nikshay Mitras. The atte

Centre, Punjab govt negligent in stubble management: Farmers leaders

Farmer leaders in Punjab on Wednesday accused the Centre and the state government of not making proper arrangements for stubble management and said it is vehicular and industrial pollution which affects the air quality in Delhi and not farm fire. They also said the governments should guarantee minimum support price on alternative crops such as maize and pulses to wean away growers from the water-guzzling paddy crop, which is not even native to Punjab. Their remarks came a day after the Supreme Court, while hearing a matter related to stubble burning, observed farmers are being made "villains" and that they have not been heard. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia had also suggested why should there be any purchase under the minimum support price (MSP) system from farmers who indulge in crop residue burning, irrespective of the fact that citizens and children were affected due to pollution. Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh ...

Bihar govt passes resolution for special status to state after caste survey

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar upped the ante on the Chief Minister's long-standing demand for grant of special status to the state with a resolution to the effect on Wednesday being passed by the cabinet. Kumar broke the news himself, announcing the development on social media, shortly after the cabinet meeting he chaired here was over. "The cabinet has passed a resolution (prastaav) requesting the Centre for grant of special category status to Bihar", Kumar wrote in a lengthy post in which he also said that the fresh demand was necessitated by findings of the caste survey his government carried out in the state. Kumar said that while the rise in percentage of population of the deprived castes has led to increase in the quotas for SCs, STs and OBCs from 50 to 65 per cent, his government also planned to undertake a number of welfare measures for the benefit of "94 lakh families", which according to the survey lived in abject poverty. "We intend to provide, in instalments, an

Only govt should do food certification, not NGOs: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said food certification should be done only by governmental agencies, and not by non-governmental organisations. In a press conference, replying to a query on the Uttar Pradesh government banning the production, storage, distribution and sale of food products with halal certification, she said it is not right for any organisation other than the government ones to give certification. Food quality and food testing are essentially a government job. Government should do it. We have our Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)," she said, adding it is the government agencies that should ascertain whether there are chemical additives, artificial or harmful colours and so on. "They (government bodies) will have to be the authority to certify which is quality food for people to consume. Non-Governmental Organisations doing it is not right, she said. The Uttar Pradesh government on November 18 banned the production, storage, ...

India's inland fish production tripled in last 9 yrs: Union minster Rupala

Inland fish production in India has almost tripled in the last nine years, Union minister Parshottam Rupala said on Tuesday. He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of 'Global Fisheries Conference India 2023' organised by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying at Science City here on the occasion of World Fisheries Day. "Fisheries is India's sunrise sector and PM Narendra Modi has given priority to it. Our country today ranks third globally in terms of fish production and we are connected with the world through this trade. Country's inland fish production has almost tripled in the last nine years and still, there are immense growth opportunities," said Rupala. Addressing a press conference later, Rupala said the Modi government, since 2015, has allocated Rs 38,000 crore under different schemes including the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna, whereas only Rs 3,680 crore was allocated to this sector by the previous governments till 2014. Rupala said this was the .

Avoid sensationalising Uttarakhand tunnel rescue ops: Govt to TV channels

The government on Tuesday issued an advisory to private television channels, asking them to refrain from sensationalising the coverage of the rescue operations at Silkyara in Uttarakhand, where 41 workers are trapped inside a tunnel for 10 days. The advisory, issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, also told private television channels to be sensitive in their reportage, especially while putting out headlines and videos of the rescue operations, considering the psychological status of family members of the trapped workers. "Telecast of video footage and other pictures relating to the operations by the TV channels specially by placing cameras and other equipment in close proximity of the rescue operations site have the potential to adversely affect the ongoing operations," the advisory said. It also advised the channels to refrain from sensationalizing the issue and from undertaking any live posts or videos from close proximity of the tunnel site where the rescue ...

Govt committed to boosting creative economy for cinematic quality: Thakur

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said the government is committed towards boosting creative economy, mentoring outstanding artists and encouraging youngsters to achieve cinematic excellence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes in the energy of youth and he wants that more opportunities and platforms be given to them, Thakur said. He was speaking after inaugurating the '75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow' section on the sidelines of Film Bazaar of the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2023 in Goa. This is the third edition of the section in which 75 young filmmakers have been selected from 19 states. Thakur said, Nine years back, India was nowhere in the startup domain, but with a new policy, India has emerged as the third largest startup ecosystem in the world with one hundred thousand startups in the country." When the world was facing the COVID-19 pandemic, India had 50 unicorns, he said. You can well imagine, when big comp

We are only getting betrayed: Omar Abdullah blames Centre for power cuts

Speaking to the media, Omar Abdullah said the Kashmiris are being betrayed in the name of elections, employment and development

New SATHI centres after approval from competent authority, says govt

The government on Monday said it will announce new centres to house major analytical instruments for sharing them with research institutions after approval from the competent authority. The recommendations of the empowered committee, chaired by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan, to examine 12 proposals to identify Sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institutes (SATHI), are under the consideration of Ministry of Science and Technology, officials in the ministry said. "The recommendations of the expert committee meeting held in Noida for the proposals received for the SATHI scheme are being processed. They will be announced after approval of competent authority," the Department of Science and Technology (DST) posted on X. The DST said it was also reviewing the Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIF) programme, a separate scheme with a history of five decades. It said a high-level committee has been formed to improve the programme, intending to include more ..

At IFFI, Centre enhances incentives for foreign film production in India

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur on Monday announced enhancing incentive for production of foreign movies in the country, hiking the limit for reimbursement of expenses incurred in the country as he inaugurated the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. The move was aimed at attracting medium and big budget international film projects to India, he said while addressing a star-studded gathering after opening the 54th edition of IFFI at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium near here. The paradigm shift in incentivizing film production serves as a testimony to India's commitment and support for artistic expression and reinforces its position as a preferred destination for cinematic endeavours, Thakur said. The minister said last year at the Cannes Film Festival, the central government introduced an incentive scheme for production of foreign films in India, offering reimbursement of up to 30 per cent of their expenses incurred in the .

SC flags Centre's selective clearing of collegium recommendations

The Supreme Court on Monday flagged the issue of "pick and choose" by the Centre in clearing the collegium's recommendations for transferring high court judges and said this does not send a good signal. The court observed that of the 11 names of judges recommended by the collegium for transfer, five have been transferred but six are still pending -- four from the Gujarat High Court and one each from the high courts of Allahabad and Delhi. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia said of the recently-recommended names for judgeship in high courts, eight have not been cleared and some of these judges are senior to those who have been appointed. "As per my information, you have issued transfer orders for five judges. For six judges, you have not issued. Four of them are from Gujarat. Last time also, I had said this does not send a good signal," Justice Kaul, who is also a member of the apex court collegium, told Attorney General R Venkataramani. Asserting that this

SC seeks responses from Centre, ED on Sanjay Singh's plea against arrest

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and the Enforcement Directorate on AAP leader Sanjay Singh's plea challenging his arrest and remand in a money laundering case related to alleged Delhi excise policy scam. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti issued notice to the Centre and the ED, and asked them to submit their responses before December 11. The bench ordered that if Singh files a petition for regular bail in the interregnum, then it should be considered independent of the observation made in the Delhi High Court's judgement dated October 20. Singh, who was arrested on October 4 in the case, had moved the top court challenging the High Court verdict. In its order, the High Court had refused to interfere with his arrest in the case, saying it could not impute a political motive to a premier investigating agency in the absence of material on record. It had also said that Singh's was not a "prima facie case of no evidence at all". The ED's money

Telangana farmers wait for red gram board a year after receiving GI tag

It's been almost a year now since a local variety of tur dal (red gram) grown in the Tandur assembly segment, received the geographical indication (GI) tag. However, many farmers are still unaware of its significance, leaving aside taking advantage of it in the absence of a board which the ruling BRS (then TRS) promised during the 2014 poll campaign. The famous 'Tandur red gram' is the 16th GI product from Telangana. The Geographical Indication tag was granted in December 2022 to the Yalal Farmers Producers Company Ltd, which had applied for 'Tandur red gram' with the support of Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU). It is the first agricultural commodity in the state to get the GI tag. GI tag is a status given to a product belonging exclusively to a particular area. The quality, reputation and any other characteristics of that particular product is generally attributed to the geographical origin of the product. Tandur assembly segment, located 115 km

Centre closely monitors Mizoram as Myanmar violence triggers refugee influx

Myanmar's military junta is facing its biggest test since taking power in a 2021 coup after three ethnic minority forces launched a coordinated offensive in late October.

7th Pay Commission: After central govt, several states announce hike in DA

Several state governments announced a hike in DA by 3 to 4 per cent after the centre announced the decision for its employees last month. Here are the state-wise details about the DA hike

SC seeks Centre's reply on Tamil Nadu govt's plea over governor row

The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Centre's response on the Tamil Nadu government's plea alleging delay by the governor in giving assent to bills passed by the state Assembly. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra issued notice to the Centre and sought the assistance of the Attorney General or Solicitor General in the matter. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on November 20. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, pointed out that 12 bills passed by the Assembly were pending with the office of Governor R N Ravi. The Tamil Nadu government urged the top court to intervene, alleging that a constitutional authority was consistently acting in an unconstitutional manner impeding and obstructing" the functioning of the state government for extraneous reasons. "Declare that the inaction, omission, delay and failure to comply with the constitutional mandate by the Governor of Tamil Nadu/first

Kharif crop prices will guide inflation fight in coming months amid polls

The ongoing elections in the three states could also be influenced if inflation rears its head again.

HC seeks Centre, Delhi govt view on PIL to distinguish religion from dharma

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the stand of the Centre and city government on a public interest litigation seeking a direction to the authorities to use the proper meaning of the term religion and not use it as a synonym of dharma in official documents. A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma granted time to the governments to respond to the petition by lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The petition also sought a direction to include a chapter on "dharma and religion" in syllabus of primary and secondary schools in order to educate the masses and control the religion-based hatred and hate speeches. There is a colonial mindset which is being continued, said the petitioner before the bench, also comprising Justice Tushar Rao Gedela. In his petition, the petitioner asserted that dharma is not religion as the former is non-divisive, non-exclusive and transcends narrow boundaries of religion. If we try to define religion then we can say that religion is a tradition