Page 6 - Central Government

FinMin looks to widen infrastructure plans for capital expenditure push

Experts say that, given the higher capital spending by the Centre in April-May of FY26, there is room to raise the capex target beyond the budgeted ₹11.2 trillion

Centre shows fake 'Supreme Court of Karnataka' account in HC against X

: Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta on Friday highlighted the dangers of unchecked online activity by revealing to the Karnataka High Court that a fake, yet verified, X (formerly Twitter) account was successfully created in the name of the "Supreme Court of Karnataka." Appearing for the Centre in its ongoing face-off with social media giant X Corp, Mehta presented the account as evidence of how easily digital platforms can be misused to mislead the public. "We created this account. It is verified. I can now post anything, and lakhs would believe that the Supreme Court of Karnataka has said it," Mehta argued, underscoring the anonymity and lack of accountability that currently exists online. The dramatic reveal came during a hearing on X Corp's petition challenging takedown orders issued by government officials under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act. X Corp contends that only the procedure under Section 69A of the Act, read with the IT Rules, allows for content ..

X can't claim right to free speech, says Centre to Karnataka High Court

Centre tells Karnataka HC that X is merely a notice board and cannot invoke Article 19; court to hear further arguments on IT Rules and intermediary liability

Centre extends Home Secretary Govind Mohan's tenure until August 22, 2026

The Centre on Friday extended the tenure of Home Secretary Govind Mohan till August 22 next year, according to an official order. Mohan, a 1989 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Sikkim cadre, was named as the Home Secretary in August 2024. He took over the charge from Ajay Kumar Bhalla on completion of his tenure on August 22 last year. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved Mohan's extension in services as Home Secretary beyond the date of his superannuation on September 30 up to August 22, 2026 or until further orders, in terms of the provisions of FR 56 (d) and Rule 16 (1A) of the all India Services (Death-Cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, said the order issued by the Ministry of Personnel. The rules have provisions to extend the services of such officers.

Centre seeks to relax eco-zone norms as states flag development hurdles

The wildlife board may revise eco-sensitive zone rules to allow site-specific plans, after states said rigid norms were hurting local development and delaying new protected area proposals

Centre notifies rules on portal, database, audit of Waqf properties

The Centre has notified the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Rules, 2025 that deal with issues such as the portal and database of Waqf properties, the manner of their registration, conduct of audit and maintenance of accounts. The rules were notified on Thursday in exercise of powers under Section 108B of the 1995 Act, which was inserted through the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, which came into effect from April 8, 2025. According to the rules, a portal and database is set up for the purposes of filing of details of Waqf, uploading the list of auqaf, registration of new Waqf, maintenance of register of auqaf and maintenance and submission of accounts of mutawalli of a Waqf, publication of audit report and proceedings and order board under Section 48 of the Act. The joint secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Minority Affairs in-charge of the Waqf division shall be responsible for the supervision and control of the portal and database, t

Coal Ministry to launch digital module for faster, transparent clearances

Exploration Module under SWCS to go live on July 4, allowing coal block allottees to submit proposals, track approvals and manage compliance documents digitally

Centre to issue new framework to expand GCCs beyond metro cities

Talks ongoing with Fortune 500 firms to set up new centres

FinMin may bring cheques, credit cards, higher overdrafts in PMJDY 2.0

The official said that the government believes that these upgrades will also help reduce the number of inoperative accounts

Biggest govt staff relocation begins at new Central Vista buildings

In a historic reshuffle, ministries set to leave Raj-era buildings for new spaces rising along Kartavya Path

Centre likely to relax the board regulations for foreign insurers

The official stressed that while the reforms are not intended to open the floodgates to foreign control, they signal a more welcoming approach to global participation in leadership roles

Govt restricts import of liquid precious metals to curb gold misuse

The government has imposed import curbs on certain colloidal precious metals, with an aim to check the illegal inflow of gold into India in liquid form. Colloidal precious metals are suspensions of gold or silver nanoparticles dispersed in a liquid. According to industry experts, some importers were using this route for imports from countries like Thailand. "The import policy of items covered under CTH 2843 is revised from free to restricted with immediate effect," the directorate general of foreign trade said in a notification. Goods under this number include colloidal precious metals; inorganic or organic compounds of precious metals. In a separate notification, the Directorate said that the import of Palladium, Rhodium and Iridium alloy consisting of gold more than one per cent by weight is restricted. Gold imports in April-May this fiscal year dipped by 3.82 per cent to USD 5.64 billion.

Centre to launch gender budgeting portal to aid inclusive governance

The Central government will launch on Thursday a dedicated portal to support policymakers and stakeholders with data, resources and tools to strengthen gender budgeting practices. According to an official statement, the Ministry of Women and Child Development will hold wider consultations, bringing together key stakeholders from across the country to reinforce the government's commitment to gender-responsive governance. Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi will kickstart the consultations and also launch the Gender Budgeting Knowledge Hub, which will be a dedicated portal providing data, resources and tools to strengthen gender budgeting practices. The day-long event will see participation from 45 Central ministries and departments, 20 states, representatives from international organisations such as UN Women and the Asian Development Bank, as well as leading national institutions. The consultation aims to foster dialogue and promote innovative approaches to

Calcutta HC orders Centre to rollout MGNREGA in West Bengal from August 1

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to implement the MGNREGA scheme prospectively in West Bengal from August 1. The HC said the Centre is empowered to impose special conditions, restrictions and regulations, which have not been imposed in other states of the country, so as to ensure that no illegality or irregularity occurs when the scheme is being implemented in the state. Allowing the Centre to continue its enquiry into the allegations of irregularities in some districts of the state, a division bench presided by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam directed that the scheme be implemented prospectively with effect from August 1. The court directed that the authorities in charge of the implementation of the scheme are entitled to impose special conditions to ensure that whatever had occurred three years prior should not recur. The court said that it is not in dispute that certain irregularities have been pointed out by the Centre in the disbursement of wages under the

G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant steps down after 45 years of public service

Amitabh Kant steps down after four decades in public service, reflecting on his G20 role and development contributions while hinting at future work in innovation and industry

India scuppered 200,000 cyberattacks during Operation Sindoor: Khattar

India foiled around two lakh cyberattacks targeting its power infrastructure in over the week during the Operation Sindoor, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said here on Thursday. "Since the advancement in technology, new dangers have emerged -- cyberattacks or cybercrimes. There has been an increase in these, but the government has worked on it, and our cybersecurity has almost stopped all such dangers," Khattar told reporters here. He was addressing a press conference on the completion of 11 years of the BJP-led Central government. "There have been many cyberattacks on the country. As far as the Power department is concerned, around two lakh cyberattacks were attempted, but our cyber department foiled each one of them, and there were no losses," the minister said. Khattar said these attempts were made in "eight to ten days" around the time Operation Sindoor went underway. Asked whether the attacks were made from within the country or outside it, the minister said these .

AMR crisis: Centre asks states to monitor antibiotic use in animals

Joint working group with CDSCO, state regulators and animal husbandry dept to develop framework for monitoring veterinary antibiotic use amid rising AMR threat

Centre approves ₹25 cr additional aid for homes hit by Pak shelling in J&K

The Centre on Monday approved an additional amount of Rs 25 crore as compensation for houses damaged in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir due to Pakistani shelling during Operation Sindoor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced the additional compensation amount for the houses damaged by Pakistani shelling. As a special case, Modi said an additional compensation amount of Rs 2 lakh will be given for each fully-damaged house and Rs 1 lakh for each partially-damaged house. Following the prime minister's announcement, Union Home Minister Amit Shah ensured swift action by facilitating an additional provision of Rs 25 crore from the Ministry of Home Affairs for 2,060 houses, an official statement said. A similar compensation amount will also be provided in the border areas of Punjab, it added. The home minister visited the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir on May 29-30. During the visit, he handed over appointment letters on compassionate grounds to the fami

Mutual understanding among political class should continue: RSS chief

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the mutual understanding shown by the political class following the Pahalgam terror attack and action taken by India later should continue and become a permanent feature. The society also gave a message of unity, Bhagwat said, addressing the concluding event of the Karyakarta Vikas Varg for RSS volunteers. After the heinous terror attack, people were sad and angry and wanted the culprits to be punished. Action was taken and punishment was meted out, Bhagwat said. Everyone saw the grit of our country's decision makers in the action taken after the Pahalgam terror attack, he said. Action was taken after the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam. The valour of our army shone once again in it. The firmness of the administration was also seen. The political class also showed mutual understanding. The society also gave the message of its unity. This should remain continue and be a permanent feature, he said. India should be self-dependent in matters

Govt extends tenure of Punjab & Sind Bank MD S K Saha till Feb 2027

According to an official notification issued by the Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance, Saha's current term was set to end on June 2, 2025