Page 8 - Central Government

Centre approves over Rs 2K crore for MGNREGA wage payments in Bihar

The Centre on Saturday sanctioned the release of Rs 2,102.24 crore to Bihar for the payment of the first installment of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for the financial year 2025-26. The amount will be used to pay the wages of MGNREGA labourers in the state. A letter to this effect was issued by the Union Ministry of Rural Development from New Delhi. Commenting on it, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said, "The development comes barely five days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bihar. The NDA government is committed to the welfare of MGNREGA workers. To pay the wages of MGNREGA labourers, the Centre has approved the release of Rs 2,102.24 crore as the first installment. We thank the PM for it." Out of the total sanctioned fund, Rs 411.47 crore will be distributed among SC labourers, Rs 438.9 for ST labourers and Rs 164 crore for Other Class workers. The arrears of MNREGA workers will also be paid after ..

Arvind Shrivastava appointed revenue secretary in bureaucratic reshuffle

The central government has announced fresh appointment for culture secretary and head of expenditure department

Govt reviews medical emergency protocols at airports after pilot's death

On April 9, an Air India Express pilot suffered a cardiac arrest at Delhi airport shortly after flying in from Srinagar. The airline later confirmed his passing

Changing objectives: Centre must not lose sight of disinvestment

There seems to have been a subtle change in the approach of the government towards disinvestment

Former SC judge Dinesh Maheshwari appointed law commission chairperson

Law Commission to examine implementation of a UCC across the country

PSBs red flag technical glitches in implementing PM Vidyalaxmi scheme

Among the key issues highlighted are persistent technical glitches, including repeated login failures due to server-level errors and frequent auto logouts from the portal

DPE-Dipam merger may be completed in 6 months to streamline operations

The official further explained that the government's new approach to CPSEs has evolved

Pleas against Waqf Act: Govt files caveat in SC, hearing likely on Apr 15

The Centre on Tuesday filed a caveat in the Supreme Court and sought a hearing before any order was passed on the pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. Caveat is filed by a party in the high courts and the apex court to ensure that no orders are passed without hearing it. Over 10 petitions, including those by politicians and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, were filed in the top court challenging the validity of the newly-enacted law. Lawyers privy to the development said the petitions were likely to be listed for hearing before a bench on April 15 though it is not reflected on the apex court website as of now. On April 7, a bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna assured senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, to consider listing the petitions. President Droupadi Murmu on April 5 gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was passed by Parliament after heated deba

SC to hear pleas over Rs 50 lakh cap on Centre aid for rare diseases

The Supreme Court on Tuesday decided to examine pleas challenging the Rs 50 lakh cap on Centre's assistance for treating patients suffering from rare diseases like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said the petitions on the cap of Rs 50 lakh central assistance to treat diseases would be heard by a bench headed by Justice P S Narasimha in the week commencing May 13. The bench said pharma firm M/s F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, which manufactures the SMA drug Risdiplam priced at Rs 6.2 lakh a bottle, had agreed to supply the medicine for free for a year to 24-year-old Seba PA, who hails from Kerala, and suffers from the disorder. She had previously moved the Kerala High Court, which directed the Centre to provide an additional Rs 18 lakh worth of medicines to Seba beyond its Rs 50 lakh cap. The top court on February 24 stayed the high court order after taking note of the Centre's appeal that it couldn't be compelled to ..

India's industrial towns turn growth drivers for marquee hotel brands

States as well as the central government are also giving impetus to build infrastructure in and around these industrial hubs

Government rejects Opposition's offshore mining allegations in Kerala

Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday rejected the Opposition's allegations that offshore mining is impacting the fishermen community of Kerala, saying the mining activity is yet to begin. Moreover, he said that out of 13 offshore blocks, only three are in Kerala and that too, they are beyond 12 nautical miles, which comes under the exclusive economic zones. He said when the mining has not yet started, "How you are saying that it is impacting the fishermen". Replying to a Calling Attention Motion on hardships faced by the fishermen community, the minister said the government has taken a series of measures for the welfare of the fishermen. He accused the previous Congress government of framing a law on offshore mining. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the cancellation of tenders permitting offshore mining along the coast of Kerala, Gujarat, and Andaman a

India's export performance remains uninspiring amid weak global position

In 2015, the government said that it aims to increase India's exports of merchandise and services from $465.9 billion in 2013-14 to approximately $900 billion

Datanomics: Legislator paychecks remain fatter than average citizens'

The decision to adjust the salaries of MPs every five years, based on the cost inflation index, was taken for the first time in 2018. In that same year, their salaries doubled from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh

Centre asks states to activate heat action plans, boost preparedness

The weatherman has also warned of "double heatwave" days in northwest India this summer season

Govt seeks to drop 6% equalisation levy on online advertisements

Google, Meta, and X set to be among beneficiaries

Central govt urged to merge two pacts to find solution to Naga issue

Various civil society organisations of three northeastern state adopted a resolution urging the Centre to merge the two agreements it signed with the NSCN(IM) and a conglomerate to bring about a solution for the decades-old Naga political problem. The central government inked the Framework Agreement with NSCN(IM) in 2015 and a pact of Agreed Position with the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPGs) two years later. This is the first time that a unanimous call has been made by the key Naga bodies from different states for merger of the two agreements towards bringing about a common solution. Nagaland Gaon Burahs Federation Peace Committee (NGBF-PC) on Friday said the resolution seeking the merger of the two agreements was adopted at a meeting at Dimapur. Several Naga civil society organisations of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam took part in the meeting held on Thursday. Representatives of a similar body of Manipur could not attend the meeting, the NGBF-

Centre's disinvestment receipts in FY25 set to hit an 11-year low

The union government stopped setting specific disinvestment targets beginning in the 2023-24 financial year

Starlink to set up control center in India? Centre cites security concerns

According to a news report, the Starlink control center will help in maintaining law and order by enabling the suspension or shutdown of communication services when necessary

Suspend graft-accused director or send him on leave: Govt to IIM Rohtak

The Union Ministry of Education on Thursday asked the Board of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Rohtak to either suspend institute Director Dheeraj Sharma or send him on leave till the completion of probe against him over alleged misappropriation of funds, according to sources. The director has also been asked to stay away from the IIM campus/rented area of IIM Rohtak until further orders. The allegations against Sharma include wrongfully inflating the financial health of IIM Rohtak and using such manipulated figures to pay a huge amount of variable pay (more than Rs 1 crore for each year) to the director of IIM Rohtak from 2018-19 onwards. President Droupadi Murmu had earlier this month ordered an inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of public funds at IIM Rohtak during the tenure of Sharma as director of the institute. The inquiry will also include the verification of the educational qualification certificates of Sharma and other staff recruited at IIM. The probe again

Centre introduces Immigration and Foreigners Bill 2025 in Lok Sabha

The matters relating to foreigners and immigration are presently administered through the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act, 2000