Centre

Ahead of Budget Session, govt convenes all-party meeting on Jan 27

Ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament, the government has called an all-party meeting on January 27 to discuss the legislative and other agendas. The Budget Session will begin on January 28, with President Draupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In a rare occasion in parliamentary history, the Union budget would be presented on February 1, which is a Sunday. This will be Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's ninth consecutive budget. "The all-party meeting, convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, will be held at the main committee room of Parliament House annexe at 11 am on January 27," a government source said. The Budget Session will continue till April 2. The first phase will conclude on February 13, with Parliament reassembling on March 9. The session comes at a time when the opposition Congress is conducting a nationwide campaign against the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, which ...

SC seeks responses on ASI takeover plea for Thirupparankundram temple

The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Centre, the Tamil Nadu government and others on a plea seeking directions on the ASI's takeover of the Thirupparankundram temple and daily lamp lighting on top of the 'deepathoon' (stone pillar). A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi issued notices to the Union of India, Tamil Nadu government, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and others on a plea filed by the Hindu Dharma Parishad. During the hearing, the top court was informed that the Madras High Court on January 6 had upheld the single judge's order on lighting the lamp. The top court was hearing a plea filed by Hindu Dharma Parishad seeking directions that the ASI take control of the Thirupparankundram Lord Murugan Subramaniya Temple at Madurai and on lighting one lamp on top of the 'deepathoon' at all times. The plea has also sought directions that every year on the day of Karthigai in the month of Karthigai, the entire hill be lit with lamps and Murug

Centre halves review period for applications to conduct new drug trials

The health ministry has amended the NDCT Rules to cut approval timelines for new drug trials and testing by half, aiming to speed up innovation while easing regulatory processes for most applications

Centre urges power utilities to cut supply costs to ease burden on users

At present, ‍India ‍has extended a ‌complete waiver of inter-state transmission charges for electricity storage projects until June 2028

Centre to hold national review of RRBs' financials, PSL on January 30

The meeting will be chaired by M Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance

Govt to extend quality certification fee relief for MSMEs by 3 years

The government is set to extend quality certification fee concessions by three years beyond the current mid-2026 deadline to support small and medium enterprises, a senior official said on Tuesday, as India pushes a quality-first approach to manufacturing. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has moved a proposal for the extension, which provides 80 per cent fee reduction for micro units, 50 per cent for small enterprises and 20 per cent for medium-sized firms. "Very recently we have moved a proposal, it is likely to fructify... this concession would be available for the next three years," said Bharat Khera, additional secretary in the Consumer Affairs Ministry, at a PHD Chamber of Commerce event. India needs to shift from compliance-driven to culture-driven quality standards to transform its Viksit Bharat manufacturing vision into reality, Khera said, warning that quality is not a compliance cost but "an enabler for market access". The BIS has published over 23,000 standards with

Centre permits 500,000 tonnes of wheat product exports under strict rules

This permission to export wheat products comes just weeks ahead of the 2026 harvest season, in which wheat production is expected to touch a new record

Centre recommends PPP model to boost healthcare services in Andhra

The Centre urged the Andhra Pradesh government to adopt a public-private partnership model to modernise its healthcare system. In a letter to State Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav, the Ministry of Health highlighted that collaborating with the private sector is the fastest way to bridge gaps in medical demand and expand service delivery across the state. The Centre urged Andhra Pradesh to extensively adopt the PPP model to accelerate healthcare expansion and improve availability, quality, and efficiency of services, said an official release on Wednesday. The Ministry suggested implementing PPP in rural and semi-urban areas, focussing on nuclear medicine, mobile units, dental clinics, radiology services, and cancer day care centres. It proposed an approach where private partners are engaged for 5 to 10 years. The Centre noted that nuclear medicine facilities for cancer and neurological care remain inadequate in smaller towns, urging expansion of PET CT, SPECT, and radiotherapy ..

Consider including live-in partner in family pension: Delhi HC to Centre

The court held that the petitioner had consistently disclosed his long-term live-in relationship and the continuous absence of his legally wedded wife throughout his service

Judiciary can't order GST cuts on air purifiers, Centre tells Delhi HC

The Centre has opposed in the Delhi High Court a PIL seeking directions to classify air purifiers as "medical devices" and reduce the GST rates on those, saying judicial intervention in matters pertaining to the tax are constitutionally impermissible. The Centre said it is a settled law that courts do not substitute themselves for constitutionally-designated decision makers, particularly in matters involving economic policy and fiscal structuring. "Any direction by this court to modify GST rates, convene a meeting of the GST Council or compel the GST Council to consider or adopt a particular outcome would amount to the court stepping into the shoes of the GST Council, thereby exercising functions that the Constitution has consciously and exclusively entrusted to the GST Council," the Centre said in its affidavit filed in response to the petition, adding that such an exercise would violate the doctrine of separation of powers. The plea is listed for hearing on Friday before a bench o

SC urges Centre, Delhi govt to set up special court for ISIS-linked case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre and the Delhi government to consider setting up a special court to conduct a day-to-day trial in a 2021 case probed by the National Investigation Agency related to the ISIS links of a person. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing the bail plea of Md Heydaitullah who allegedly used Telegram groups to propagate the ideology of the terrorist group in India and recruit other persons. The CJI said that inordinate delay in trial gives to legitimate submissions on behalf of the accused that he cannot be kept in custody for a longer period of time, that too without the trial. The bench asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the government and the NIA, to apprise it within a week about the setting up of the special court here to conduct a day-to-day trial in the case in which 125 witnesses are to be examined. Earlier, the top court had, in a separate case, pulled up the Cen

Govt may withdraw X's safe harbour tag over Grok AI obscene content lapses

The government has reportedly warned X of strict action if it fails to follow directions on removing AI-generated obscene content, stressing the need to protect users' safety and dignity online

Centre launches Good Governance Week to boost grassroots service delivery

The Centre on Friday launched the good governance week, an administrative outreach aimed at strengthening citizen-centric governance with a strong focus on grassroots delivery. Launching the initiative, Secretary in the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Rachna Shah, released guidelines for the nationwide 'Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore' campaign. Shah said good governance week, observed annually around the birth anniversary of former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee on December 25, has over the years evolved from a commemorative observance into a focused and action-oriented governance initiative. She emphasised that good governance is reflected not merely in policies and institutional frameworks but in how effectively public services reach citizens and how responsively grievances are addressed. The Prashasan Gaon Ki Ore' initiative continues to form the core of the good governance week campaign, placing district administrations at the forefront of .

Copyright Act under review to address generative AI challenges, says Centre

The Centre told the Lok Sabha that it is reviewing the Copyright Act, 1957 to see if it can address legal challenges arising from the growing use of generative artificial intelligence

Centre approves higher MSP for copra for 2026 season to support cultivators

In a statement, the committee said the Fair Average Quality MSP for milling copra was fixed at ₹12,027 per quintal, while ball copra was set at ₹12,500 per quintal for the 2026 season

Fairfax leads race to acquire majority stake in IDBI Bank from govt, LIC

Fairfax has moved ahead in the race to buy a majority stake in IDBI Bank, with Kotak Mahindra Bank still in the fray as the government and LIC prepare to finalise bids for the lender's sale

BJP has abandoned its responsibilities as Oppn in Karnataka: Priyank Kharge

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday hit out at the BJP ahead of the Assembly session here, alleging that the party has abandoned its responsibilities as an opposition and was instead focusing only on trivial issues. Speaking to reporters on the premises of Suvarana Vidhana Soudha here, Kharge took a dig at the BJP for remaining silent on matters that fall under the purview of the central government. Responding to a question that the BJP was going to target the Congress government in the session, Kharge said, "Let them do it. They have abandoned their responsibilities as an opposition." "The MSP (Minimum Support Price) for maize was supposed to be given by the Central government. They are not asking about that. Similary, the FRP (Fair and Remunerative Price) for sugarcane is decided by the Centre," he said. Kharge further claimed that the Centre owed Karnataka significant dues, but instead the BJP was raising irrelevant issues. "They owe the state government Rs 13,000 crore

Centre files curative plea in SC over states' right to levy mining cess

The Centre has approached the Supreme Court with a curative plea against the ruling that allowed states to levy a cess on mining lands, warning of international implications and strain on the federal

Govt enforces four labour codes; rationalises 29 existing labour laws

The Centre has brought all four Labour Codes into force from November 21, rationalising 29 old laws to improve worker welfare, and simplify rules for businesses

Centre plans to set up AI governance group, expert panel by next month

The AIGG will bring together officials from several important ministries, including MeitY, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of External Affairs, among others