Centre

Govt 'proactively monitoring' Telegram over concerns about illegal content

The Indian government said in the report it is concerned about Telegram's privacy features, which allow users to interact without needing to reveal a phone number, making identity detection difficult

PM greets people of Bengal on 'Paschimbanga Divas', vows support for growth

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted the people of West Bengal on 'Paschimbanga Divas' and said the central government will work with the state government to fulfil their dreams and aspirations. The new BJP government has decided to observe 'Paschimbanga Divas' or West Bengal Day on June 20. June 20 marks the day in 1947 when the Bengal Legislative Assembly voted in favour of the creation of a separate province that eventually became West Bengal after Partition. "Warm greetings to my sisters and brothers of West Bengal on the occasion of Paschimbanga Divas. The Central Government will work with the West Bengal Government to fulfil the dreams and aspirations of the people. I pray for the progress of West Bengal and the prosperity of its people," Modi said in a post on X. The prime minister said this day celebrates a state that has profoundly shaped India's history through its contributions to diverse areas, be it literature, music, art, spirituality, science, trade and .

How can rights of 150 mn Telegram users be curtailed, HC asks govt

The Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned the Centre's decision to temporarily restrict access to Telegram ahead of the June 21 NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, saying how the rights of 150 million users of the messaging app can be curtailed just because a few of them are taking up the test. The observations were made by a vacation bench of Justice Tejas Karia before reserving the verdict on the plea of Telegram against the temporary ban on the ground that the app may be misused ahead of the NEET-UG retest. On May 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA) had cancelled the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of paper leak. The matter is currently under investigation by the CBI. In a bid to ensure smooth conduct of the controversy-ridden exam, the government imposed the temporary ban on the messaging app till June 22. On Thursday, the Centre vehemently argued before the high court that Telegram has all t

Deletion of ineligible names opens room for 30 mn more ration cards: Joshi

Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday said there is scope for issuing nearly 3 crore more ration cards to eligible beneficiaries after some state governments removed 2.21 crore ineligible holders from PDS lists. Addressing the launch of a smart warehousing system, Joshi said the deletions were carried out by state governments following their own criteria, not by the Centre. The food ministry had identified 8.51 crore ineligible beneficiaries, including names of deceased persons, income-tax payers and four-wheeler owners, and forwarded the list to states for action. "Out of 8.51 crore, states have withdrawn 2.21 crore ration cards. We have not withdrawn," he said, adding that the exercise was made possible by digitisation of the public distribution system (PDS). States have been permitted to add eligible beneficiaries, and "nearly 3 crore more ration cards can be issued to eligible people by various state governments," Joshi told reporters on the sidelines of the event. He

Centre awaits IMD's June-end El Nino projection to shape kharif strategy

Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra on Wednesday said the ministry is awaiting the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecast by the end of this month to get a clearer picture on the El Nino timeline before deciding on concrete steps to mitigate the likely impact on kharif crops. "The prediction on when El Nino will set in is still to come. By the end of this month, IMD will come out with the forecast, and then the picture will be clearer. We will then be in the thick of the kharif sowing season and will know how it is going to pan out," Chandra told PTI in an interview. While there have been broad forecasts of El Nino setting in around November, IMD is seeking greater certainty before firming up its assessment. A key variable being tracked is the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) a climate pattern characterised by irregular sea surface temperature oscillations in the Indian Ocean. After remaining positive in May, the IOD has turned neutral in June. "Whether it will remain neutral

Govt extends QCO deadline for non-leather footwear MSMEs to July 2027

The government has provided one more year till July 31, 2027 to micro and small enterprises from non-leather footwear sector to comply with the mandatory quality control order. The move would give smaller footwear manufacturers more time to obtain BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certification. It has also allowed footwear manufacturers to import up to 4,500 pairs annually for research, design development, testing, and other non-commercial purposes without meeting QCO (quality control order) requirements. However, these imported footwear have to be marked as "NOT FOR SALE" and have to be disposed of as scrap. Amending the footwear made from all rubber and all polymeric material and its components (Quality Control) order, 2024, the Department For Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) order said in a provision, "for figures, letters and word '31st July, 2026', the figures, letters and word '31st July, 2027' shall be substituted". Commenting on the order, think tank GTRI s

Centre allocates ₹8,500 cr for Bengal under VB-G RAM G scheme: CM Adhikari

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday said the Centre has allocated Rs 8,500 crore to the state under the VB G-RAM G scheme. Under the Gram Sadak Yojana, allocations worth Rs 2,400 crore have been approved and Rs 1,000 crore released by the Centre, he said. Adhikari made the announcement while launching the state-wide 'Jan Kalyan Shivir' programme from Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district. Adhikari said 1,100 'Jan Kalyan Shivir' camps, being organised from June 15 to June 17, will help people access 54 central and state government schemes. "This is the first such outreach programme of the BJP government in West Bengal. People can visit the camps between 10 am and 5 pm to learn about various welfare schemes and submit applications for enrolment," he said. The chief minister said welfare schemes should not reach illegal immigrants and questioned extending benefits to families that do not send their children to recognised schools, or to institutions where 'Vande Mata

Centre takes possession of Jaipur Polo Ground in Delhi after eviction order

Officials of the Land & Development Office under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry on Saturday took physical possession of the 15.20-acre Jaipur Polo Ground in the Race Course area of the national capital, officials said. The development follows a May 20 eviction order under which the L&DO sought possession of the land parcel, citing its need for a "larger public purpose and benefit". The order, however, offered no details about the intended use of the land. On June 8, the Delhi High Court asked a district court to decide on a plea by the Indian Polo Association seeking a stay on the eviction notice. However, the district court declined to grant interim relief against the order.

Govt focusing on automation of explosive units for safety: DPIIT official

The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is focusing on moving towards 'automation' in processes involved in manufacturing explosives to make operations safer, a senior government official has said. The department, which functions under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has undertaken major regulatory reforms to strengthen safety and ease of doing business, DPIIT Joint Secretary Dr Kajal said on Thursday. Talking to PTI in Nagpur on the sidelines of 'Awareness workshop on reforms undertaken by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO)', she asserted DPIIT is making concerted efforts to prevent accidental blasts at explosives manufacturing factories. Asked what safety precautions DPIIT and PESO, which comes under the department, are taking to prevent blasts at explosives manufacturing units, the official said both agencies are making their best efforts to prevent such tragedies in the future. She was asked specifically in the contex

Centre may revise FY27 fertiliser subsidy maths after urea price drop

A sharp decline in global urea prices in the latest NFL import tender could prompt the government to reassess fertiliser subsidy estimates for FY27, officials said

Govt to cut taxes, relax bond ownership rules to attract foreign investment

The cabinet on Wednesday is expected to consider a significant cut in the taxes paid by global funds on the nation's bonds

Engaged with US on Section 301 probe over forced labour concerns: Govt

India is engaged with the US on the Section 301 investigations over concerns related to forced labour and excess industrial capacity, the government said on Wednesday. The country is also "parallelly" engaged with the US for finalisation of an interim trade agreement, a framework for which was announced through a joint statement on February 7. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) launched two separate Section 301 investigations on March 11 and 12, 2026, covering 60 economies over concerns related to forced labour and excess industrial capacity. The USTR on June 2 issued its findings in the forced labour investigation and proposed additional tariffs on imports from 60 economies. The proposal includes a 10 per cent tariff on imports from Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico, and Pakistan, and a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from 54 other economies, including India and China. Pakistan and Indonesia are India's competitors in the trade front.

Centre expands QR tagging of FCI foodgrain bags to boost traceability

The Centre has decided to expand its QR tagging initiative for Food Corporation of India (FCI) foodgrain bags, with plans to implement the system across three states -- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha -- in the ongoing marketing season. The plan will cover 20 lakh tonnes of rice moved from milling points to distribution centres. The move, aimed at tracking end-to-end movement of foodgrains and curbing the recycling of grain bags, follows a successful pilot in Andhra Pradesh for rice in December 2025-January 2026, and in Punjab for wheat during April-May 2026. "We are planning to put QR tags on foodgrain bags transported from procurement states to distribution states," a senior Food Ministry official told PTI. "In the ongoing marketing season, we are going to do this in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha for rice." Under the expanded pilot, select districts from each of the three states will be covered. Approximately 10 lakh tonnes of rice will be moved with QR tagging from

Govt to phase out WPI, launch new Producer Price Index in 5 years

The government will gradually phase out the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and introduce a detailed Producer Price Index (PPI) covering output, input and services prices, in a bid to offer a more realistic assessment of inflationary trends in the economy. Addressing media on the subject, Praveen Mahto, Principal Economic Adviser in the Commerce and Industry Ministry, also said that the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) will release the revised series of WPI with new base year 2022-23 on June 15, which would replace the existing series with base year 2011-12. In addition, the department would release a new series of Output Producer Price Index (OPPI), Trial Input Producer Price Index (IPPI), and Service Producer Price Index (Service PPI) of seven services - Banking, Securities Transaction, Insurance, Management of Pension Funds, Railways, Air (Passenger), and Telecom with base year 2022-23 on June 15. "Considering the wide usage of WPI in price escalation .

Seamless pipe industry urges PM Modi to curb imports, save foreign exchange

Industry body STMAI has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps to curb rising imports of seamless pipes, particularly from China, warning that unchecked inflows are eroding domestic capacity utilisation and causing a substantial outflow of foreign exchange. The development assumes significance in the wake of Prime Minister Modi's call for energy conservation and austerity measures amid the West Asia crisis. In a representation to the Prime Minister, Seamless Tube Manufacturers' Association of India (STMAI) said India's installed seamless pipe manufacturing capacity stands at about 1.95 million tonnes per annum. However, fluctuating domestic demand and a sharp rise in imports, particularly from China and other countries, have led to sustained underutilisation of the country's manufacturing base. "Over the past several years, the Association has continuously represented these concerns before the Ministry of Steel, Ministry of Commerce, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence ...

Centre signs agreement with ISRO, rolls out new water research initiatives

The Ministry of Jal Shakti and space agency ISRO on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen the use of satellite technology and space-based applications for water resource management in the country. The agreement was signed during a national workshop on research and development (R&D) in the water sector organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre here. Under the MoU, the department of water resources and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will jointly work in 24 key research areas, including reservoir monitoring, water-spread assessment, river-flow analysis, satellite-based water quality assessment and studies on macroplastic distribution in water bodies. Addressing the workshop, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil said water security is critical for achieving the goal of "Viksit Bharat" by 2047 and that water-related challenges must be addressed through technology, innovation, traditional knowledge and public

Centre unveils AI-enabled chatbot to help citizens launch grievances online

The Centre on Saturday unveiled an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled chatbot to help citizens raise grievances against government departments online. Launching the chatbot named 'Samadhan Didi' here, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh termed it as "democratisation of the public grievance mechanism" in the nation showcasing the government's unwavering commitment to enhance ease of using public services for citizens. The chatbot marks a significant step towards making public grievance redressal simpler, more accessible and truly multilingual, he said. A citizen can now lodge a grievance simply by speaking, in their own language, describing the concern in plain words ' without needing to know which ministry/department, category or sub-category it belongs to, Singh said. The chatbot understands the concern, asks a few relevant clarifying questions, automatically identifies the appropriate ministry, department, category and sub-category, and files the grievance wit

Social stock exchanges set for boost as Centre tweaks CSR investment norms

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has amended CSR rules to allow companies to route funds through social stock exchanges, expanding funding options for eligible not-for-profit organisations

Mythos threat: Govt, tech firms test their softwares for vulnerabilities

Technology giants Infosys Ltd. and Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. are among companies carrying out the tests of their software for vulnerabilities in a secure environment to Mythos

'Around 6,500 lives shaken': Delhi Gymkhana Club staff seek job security

General Secretary of the Staff Welfare Association, Amit Acharya, said the staff's primary concern was the continuation of their employment and the uninterrupted functioning of the club