Page 12 - Centre

Govt push puts spotlight on cervical cancer, experts hope for turning point

Cervical cancer is at the centrestage of public health concern with the government's push for vaccinations in the Union interim budget, a move that is a potential game changer for the disease that kills more than 77,000 women in India each year. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last week said in her speech that the government will encourage vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which leads to cervical cancer, among girls aged 9-14. A day later, model-actor Poonam Pandey grabbed social media attention - and some headlines -- with claims she had died of the disease. It was a hoax, a stunt purportedly attributed to raising awareness about cervical cancer. The fake claim raised some buzz about cervical cancer. But it is the government's proactive stance to promote vaccinations that will raise awareness, foster early immunisation practices and marks a significant step towards preventing unnecessary fatalities, said scientists. The battle is complex and tough, they ...

Centre tightens wheat stock limit for wholesalers, big chain retailers

The government on Thursday tightened wheat stock holding norms for wholesalers, big chain retailers and processors to curb hoarding and check price rises. According to the food ministry, traders and wholesalers are now allowed to maintain wheat stock of up to 500 tonnes instead of 1,000 tonnes, while big chain retailers can hold 5 tonnes in each outlet and total 500 tonnes at all their depots instead of 1,000 tonnes. Processors will be allowed to maintain 60 per cent instead of 70 per cent of their monthly installed capacity multiplied by the remaining months till April 2024, the ministry said in a statement. The stock limits on wheat were imposed on June 12, 2023, applicable till March this year in order to manage the overall food security and to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation. The ministry said all wheat stocking entities are required to register on the wheat stock limit portal (https://evegoils.nic.in/wsp/login) and update the stock position on every Friday. Any

Karnataka CM, Congress leaders protest against Centre at Jantar Mantar

Led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, top Congress leaders from Karnataka on Wednesday staged a protest at Jantar Mantar here against the Centre over "injustice" meted out to the state in devolution of taxes. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, several MPs, ministers and MLAs from the state took part in the protest. The Congress alleges that "injustice" has been meted out to Karnataka in tax devolution and grants-in-aid over the past few years. The protesters demanded that the Centre set right the losses to the tune of Rs 1.87 lakh crore allegedly incurred by Karnataka under the 15th Finance Commission. Siddaramaiah said this protest is not against the BJP but the discrimination against Karnataka. Dismissing the BJP's allegation that the protest was aimed at raking up the North-South divide, the chief minister said the Congress wants the country to be united but there should be no discrimination against the southern states. The chief minister said the formula used to devolve taxe

Aluminium, Bauxite industries: Govt extends 'public utility' tag deadline

A public utility service refers to an industry or service considered essential for the community's well-being and functioning

GTRI suggests criteria to simplify granting incentives under PLI schemes

Economic think tank GTRI has flagged the slow progress in disbursement of sops under production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes and suggested the government to simplify the criteria so as to expedite grant of incentives and push domestic manufacturing. The Rs 4,415 crore disbursement is only 2.25 per cent of the total outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore of incentives over five years under the PLI schemes announced in 2020, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said on Sunday. "This slow fund spend is unsurprising, considering that setting up greenfield or new manufacturing operations takes time," it said. "PLI criteria for various sectors include thresholds on investments, production, sales, degree of localization, inputs used and many more. Manufacturers may not be able to tick on all boxes," GTRI Co-Founder Ajay Srivastava said. Citing an example, he said in one of the cases, the government suspected the invoice value and disallowed the incentive of a few hundred crore. "In most .

Kerala Budget aims to increase revenue amid Centre's curbs: State FM

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Saturday said the public will appreciate the upcoming 2024-25 budget which is aimed at increasing the revenue of the southern state that has been grappling with alleged financial restrictions by the Centre. Addressing the media here, Balagopal said the Left government has got its limitations due to financial strangulation by the union government, but the budget will be aimed at carrying forward the achievements and development of Kerala. "The public will appreciate the upcoming budget which is aimed at increasing the revenue of the state. However, the government has got its limitations. But the people have faith in the government that we will do everything for them and the state," he said. The Kerala budget will be presented on February 5. The Left leader continued his attack on the Opposition Congress-led UDF in Kerala, which on Friday boycotted the assembly just before the House passed a unanimous resolution against the union government ..

At Rs 200K, Centre to provide 67% more to build rural homes in plains

Budget documents also showed that for houses that will be being built in hilly and north-eastern states, the per unit allocation has now been enhanced to Rs 220,000 as against the earlier Rs 130,000

CM Mamata Banerjee to stage dharna in Kolkata today over West Bengal's dues

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will stage a dharna here from Friday to protest against alleged withholding of the state's dues by the Centre. The issue of the Centre withholding the dues, particularly under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), has snowballed into a significant political controversy in the state. "The dharna will start at 1 pm in Red Road area in Maidan. Our party supremo Mamata Banerjee will lead the agitation. Other senior leaders of the party will also be present," a senior TMC leader said. Earlier demonstrations by TMC's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, along with a cohort of party legislators, MPs, ministers, and MGNREGA workers at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, followed by a five-day sit-in outside Raj Bhavan here, have underscored the gravity of the situation. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005, aims at enhancing the livelihood security of households in rural areas by providin

Centre conspiring to implicate oppn leaders in parl security breach: Cong

The Congress on Thursday alleged that a "conspiracy" was being hatched by the government to pressure those arrested in the Parliament security breach case to take the names of opposition leaders so that they can be held responsible for the security lapse. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh's attack on the government came a day after five of the six people arrested in the Parliament security breach case told a court here that they were allegedly being tortured by the Delhi Police to accept their association with opposition parties. In a post in Hindi on X, Ramesh said, "To make false allegations against the opposition to hide his crime is the way of 'Ahankaracharya'!" The Modi government, which has put opposition leaders in jail by misusing the ED, CBI and IT department is now hatching another conspiracy, he claimed. "Firstly, no action was taken against the BJP MP who gave passes to the youth who intruded in Parliament and 146 opposition MPs who were raising their voices over

Delhi HC directs Centre to frame guidelines for organ donation by minor

Justice Subramonium Prasad allowed a minor daughter to donate a part of her liver to her father

At Rs 9.82 trillion, April-Dec fiscal deficit 55% of govt's annual target

The fiscal deficit was marginally lower at Rs 9.9 trillion, recorded during the corresponding period last year

Govt appoints 3 full-time, 1 part-time member of 16th Finance Commission

The Finance Commission is a constitutionally mandated body established once every 5 yrs to devise a formula for distributing net tax proceeds between the Centre and the states

Centre holds all-party meet ahead of interim Budget session of Parliament

Floor leaders of various parties on Tuesday attended an all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of the Budget session of Parliament. Defence Minister and Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and his deputy Arjun Ram Meghwal represented the government at the meet. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Congress' K Suresh, TMC's Sudip Bandopadhyay, DMK's T R Baalu, Shiv Sena's Rahul Shewale, Samajwadi Party's S T Hasan, JD(U)'s Ram Nath Thakur and TDP's Jayadev Galla were among the leaders present at the meeting at the Parliament House complex. It is a customary practice ahead of every session to convene a meeting as leaders of different parties highlight the issues they want to raise in Parliament, and the government offers them a glimpse into its agenda and seeks their cooperation. It will be a short session this time, between January 31 and February 9, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set to table an interim budget ahead

Delhi's AQI to turn 'severe', Centre holds off implementing stricter curbs

The Centre on Monday refrained from implementing stricter measures to curb pollution in Delhi-NCR, even though air quality in the region is predicted to turn 'severe' on January 30. This is the third time since January 24 that the central government has decided against employing disruptive measures to control air pollution. The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 356 at 4 pm on Monday. It is likely to deteriorate to the 'severe' category (AQI above 400) on Tuesday, according to the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. If the AQI breaches the 400-mark, authorities in Delhi-NCR are required to invoke stricter curbs under Stage III of the Centre's Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to control air pollution.

Centre's policies main hindrance in creation of new Kerala: CM Vijayan

The Chief Minister claimed that the proportion of tax resources to be distributed to the states has declined from 42 per cent during the 14th Finance Commission to 41 per cent during the 15th Finance

Kashmiri Pandits urge Centre to increase relief, jobs in Budget session

The displaced Kashmiri Pandits on Friday urged the Centre to increase their monthly relief amount and allocate a new employment package featuring 5,000 jobs in the Kashmir Valley during the upcoming Budget session. A Kashmiri Pandit family, lacking any government employee as its member, currently receives "meagre" Rs 13,000 per month for sustenance without any enhancement during the last one decade. The families with government employees, however, do not receive such relief. "I request the central government to keep a separate amount for the Kashmiri Pandit community in the forthcoming Budget. I will press for implementation of two things and will urge the Finance Ministry and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha ji. There should be enhancement of relief amount to the community as early as possible in this Budget session," Head of Kashmiri Pandit Volunteers (KPV) Vikram Kaul told PTI. Expressing optimism, he hoped that the BJP government, despite a perceived lack of significant initiativ

INDIA bloc will fight against injustice across country, says Rahul Gandhi

The Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' entered West Bengal on Thursday with the Congress leader exuding confidence that the opposition INDIA bloc will fight against injustice across the country. Accusing the BJP and RSS of spreading hatred and violence, Gandhi said the word 'Nyay' (justice) has been attached with the yatra as "injustice is prevailing across the country." "We have attached the word 'Nyay' (justice) in the yatra as injustice is prevailing across the country. BJP and RSS are spreading hatred and violence. The INDIA bloc will fight against injustice across the country," he said while addressing reporters here. Gandhi was welcomed by state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury. The yatra entered West Bengal through Bakshirhat in Cooch Behar district in the northern part of the state.

150,000 youth rendered unemployed: Rahul slams govt over Agnipath scheme

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the government over the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, alleging that 1.5 lakh youths, who had been promised appointment under the previous process, were left unemployed and frustrated. Gandhi posted on YouTube his interaction during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra with youths who had reportedly cleared the earlier recruitment process but were not given appointment. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "The Agneepath scam has betrayed the patriots of India - promising 1.5 lakh youth appointments under the old recruitment process while giving them unemployment and frustration in return," he said. "The government should either give them recruitment or compensation - we will not stop until we get 'justice for youth'," Gandhi said. The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, 2022, provides for the recruitment of youngsters in the age bracket of 17-and-a-half to 21 years for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of the

Centre plans to eliminate 9,000 accident prone spots on NHs by May 2025

Some highways in the country have old engineering defects, but the new roads and highways are incorporating road safety features, Highways Secretary Anurag Jain said

IESA launches new report on semiconductor and ESDM policies in India

IESA's latest report compares and contrasts the various policies and incentives offered by different states, and provides insights and recommendations for the stakeholders