Page 2 - Centre

Delhi HC upholds Centre's decision to deny oil block extension to Vedanta

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday upheld the Centre's decision to not extend its Production Sharing Contract with Vedanta for an offshore oil block in Gujarat and hand over the operations to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC). Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav dismissed a petition by Vedanta Ltd seeking to set aside the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas's direction passed on September 19, 2025, which rejected its 2021 application to extend the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) dated June 20, 1998, for the Suvali oil block. The petition also sought setting aside of the direction to ONGC to immediately take over the assets and operations of the petitioner over the PSC contract area. The original term of the PSC -- between the Centre, the petitioner, ONGC and Invenire Petrodyne Ltd-- was for 25 years, i.e. from June 30, 1998 till June 29, 2023, and was extendable for a specified period under certain circumstances. The petitioner was the designated operator under the ...

Centre deploys 20 additional CRPF companies in Delhi amid CJP protests

The Centre has ordered deployment of 20 additional companies of the CRPF in Delhi to strengthen security measures in view of the CJP protests and demonstrations by various political parties, officials said on Wednesday. The forces, all drawn from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), are being airlifted from West Bengal after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ordered their immediate deployment in the national capital on Tuesday night. A total of 20 CRPF companies are being airlifted from Kolkata to be deployed in Delhi to strengthen the law and order in view of the CJP protests, demonstrations by various political parties and the ongoing Parliament session, official sources in the security establishment told PTI. Multiple instances of violent clashes during the latest protests have necessitated this immediate deployment, they said. They said these companies were deployed in West Bengal for the conduct of assembly elections held there a few months back and were asked to stay put

Semicon 2.0 equity norms to boost chip design investment: IT secy

Provisions under Semicon 2.0 to provide incentives to Indian chip-making firms against equity are expected to drive largescale investment required for the development of advanced chips for technology such as artificial intelligence, a senior government official has said. Under Semicon 2.0, which has a budget of Rs 1.27 lakh crore, the central government has prioritised chip design by Indian companies. In an interview to PTI on Saturday, Ministry of Electronics and IT Secretary S Krishnan said advance chip design may need thousands of crores of investments. "We intend to provide more funding. Otherwise, under design-linked incentive scheme, you get only about Rs 15 crore. Now, to design high-end chips you need Rs 1,000 crore or more. "At the same time, the government can't give everything. This is why you have this combination saying that you get investment from a venture capitalist or somebody who believes that you will be able to bring out this chip, and we will co-invest," he ...

Govt close to accepting sweetened Fairfax Financial offer for IDBI Bank

The Centre is close to accepting Fairfax Financial's revised offer for IDBI Bank, with the Canadian firm's bid expected to be raised slightly ahead of final regulatory and Cabinet approvals

Delhi CM seeks ₹100 crore from Central govt to accelerate PM-UDAY rollout

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has sought Rs 100 crore from the Centre to accelerate the implementation of the PM-UDAY scheme, providing property rights to residents of 1,511 unauthorised colonies in the national capital, according to a CMO statement on Sunday. In a letter written to Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal, the chief minister pointed out that under its responsibilities, the department will establish PM-UDAY (Pradhan Mantri Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana) cells in all 13 districts of Delhi, each headed by an Additional District Magistrate (ADM). The chief minister said an allocation of Rs 100 crore has been proposed for the first phase during 2026-27 to ensure these activities are completed within the prescribed timeline. She cited a detailed breakdown of the proposed expenditure, including Rs 65 crore for developing a modern land survey and mapping system under the DRISHTI-based modern land survey and mapping system initiative

Govt convenes all-party meeting ahead of monsoon session of Parliament

The all-party meeting, held ahead of every parliament session, would begin at 11 am

Centre mandates licensing for medicinal formulations with over 12% alcohol

The Centre has withdrawn the licensing exemption for medicinal formulations containing more than 12 per cent of ethyl alcohol and brought them under stricter regulatory oversight, including mandatory licensing and prescription-only sale, to curb misuse and prevent diversion for intoxication, officials said. Certain medicinal products, including tinctures of cardamom, ginger and other aromatic preparations, have been exempted from licensing requirements under Schedule K of the Drugs Rules, 1945, the ministry said. Some of these formulations contain high concentrations of ethyl alcohol, in certain cases up to 80-90 per cent volume per volume (v/v), making them susceptible to misuse for intoxication, it said. References were also received from certain state governments in this regard, the ministry said. To address this concern, the government has mandated that all formulations containing more than 12 per cent v/v ethyl alcohol, in quantities exceeding 30 ml, shall no longer be covered

Centre extends anti-dumping duty on Chinese tubes, pipes till Jan 2027

India has extended the anti-dumping duty imposed on certain Chinese tubes and pipes till January 27, 2027 to guard domestic makers from cheap inbound shipments, according to a finance ministry notification. The duty on 'seamless tubes, pipes and hollow profiles of iron, alloy or non-alloy steel' was first imposed on October 28, 2021 for five years. Amending a notification, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has said it extends "the levy of anti-dumping duty... up to and inclusive of 27th January, 2027 unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier". The existing duty ranges between USD 961.33 and USD 1,610.67 per tonne. The CBIC has also announced continuation of an anti-dumping duty on imports of 'Normal Butanol' or 'N-Butyl Alcohol' exported from Malaysia, South Africa, and the United States of America for five years. It is used in different sectors such as chemicals, paints, adhesives, and coatings. Anti-dumping measures are taken to ensure fair trade and pr

Centre to refer 'Satluj' to committee under IT Rules after takedown

The Centre plans to refer the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer "Satluj" to an Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) constituted under the IT Rules 2021 for a detailed examination and future course of action, government sources said on Tuesday, two days after streaming platform ZEE5 was directed to take down the film over "security concerns". The film, which was earlier titled "Punjab '95" and details the life of activist Jaswant Singh Khalra in Punjab in the turbulent 1990s when the state was reeling under terrorism, was stuck with the censors for more than three years. Released uncut on ZEE5 under the new title of "Satluj" on July 3, the film was removed from the platform on July 5. Sources said the matter will now be examined by the IDC, a committee constituted under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to consider grievances relating to content published by OTT platforms and digital news publishers and make recommendations to the ...

Delhi HC directs Centre to restore Cockroach Janta Party's X account

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered unblocking of the Cockroach Janta Party's X handle, which was withheld in May. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma passed the judgement on a petition filed by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke against the Centre's blocking order. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the CJP's social media handle was blocked to avoid "chaos" among students and parents ahead of the June 21 NEET re-test. "Since NEET is already over, the primary concern is no longer of any relevance. In these circumstances, the order is revoked. The petition is allowed," Justice Sharma ordered. The original X handle of the CJP, which started as a satirical digital outfit on May 15 following a controversy over Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's remarks, was withheld in India on May 21. Soon after, the group resurfaced with a new handle, 'Cockroach is Back', which presently has over 2,27,000 followers. The movement has drawn attention for its unconventional ...

HC asks Centre to defer July 7 eviction hearing against Delhi Gymkhana Club

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the stand of the Centre on pleas by Delhi Gymkhana Club members and staff against the show-cause notice for eviction from its 27.3-acre premises on Safdarjung Road here. Justice Avneesh Jhingan issued notice to the central government on applications seeking a stay on the operation of the show-cause notice, and asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ensure that the July 7 hearing before the Estate Officer is adjourned to a day after the next date of hearing in court on July 28. SG Mehta said the Centre would file its response to the applications. Noting that a hearing before the Estate Officer was scheduled for July 7, he added, "They can seek an adjournment there." "Mr Mehta, we are keeping this for the date already fixed (in the main case). Just see it (Estate Officer's hearing) is adjourned beyond that date," Justice Jhingan told the law officer. The pleas by Vijay Khurana and Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd Staff Welfare Association form part of t

Govt raises ONGC chairman entry age to 59, offers up to five-year tenure

The government has relaxed the eligibility conditions for appointing the next chairman of state-owned ONGC by raising the maximum entry age to 59 years and offering the successful candidate a fixed three-year term extendable by up to two years, widening the pool of eligible contenders to head India's largest oil and gas producer. The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), the government's headhunter for appointments to state-run firms, has invited applications for the post, which will fall vacant on December 7 when incumbent Arun Kumar Singh completes his extended tenure. Under the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) advertisement, candidates should not have attained the age of 59 years on the date of occurrence of the vacancy -- December 7, 2026. The selected candidate will initially be appointed for three years, with the tenure extendable by another two years after a performance review. "Any employment or extension of tenure beyond the age of 60 shall be on a contract basis

Delhi Gymkhana Club moves HC against Centre's eviction show-cause notice

The pleas form part of an ongoing legal challenge to the government's move to reclaim the club's 27.3-acre property

Govt orders removal of some Chinese apps linked to e-rickshaws stalling

Amid reports that e-rickshaws could be remotely shut down through the Chinese smartphone application BAT-BMS, the government said on Friday that two such apps had come to its notice and have since been removed from app stores. IT Secretary S Krishnan asserted that app stores must exercise due diligence, and said the government would take up the matter with them to ensure that potentially harmful apps are not made available. Confirming that action has been taken in the matter, Krishnan said, "That is right...there are a couple of apps, which came to our notice yesterday and both of them have been taken down from the app stores." He was speaking on the sidelines of a CII Cybersecurity summit. The issue drew public attention on Thursday after reports surfaced that some e-rickshaws were being rendered inoperable through a remote shutdown feature linked to the Chinese smartphone application BAT-BMS. The videos sparked widespread concerns over the cybersecurity risks posed by such ...

Govt allows 4 China-linked power equipment firms to bid for key projects

Since a 2020 border clash, New Delhi ​has required Chinese bidders to register with a government panel and ‌secure political and security clearances before competing for any state contract

GoDaddy fears India's crackdown on fake websites could damage internet

Soaring smartphone and internet use has coincided with a worsening problem of online fraud in India, the world's most populous nation

Centre tightens FCRA rules: What it means for foreign-funded NGOs

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has notified the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011.

Delhi HC defers hearing on Jaipur Polo Ground eviction plea to July 9

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday listed for hearing on July 9 the Indian Polo Association's petition against a sessions court's decision refusing to stay the Centre's May 20 order evicting it from the 15.20-acre Jaipur Polo Ground here. Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar deferred hearing in the matter after noting that a copy of the sessions court's decision was not available with the parties yet. Allaying the petitioner's senior counsel's concerns over digging up the polo turf, the Centre's lawyer assured that no such alteration would happen in the meantime. "You are anyway in possession. Therefore, there is no hurry to tear it up right now," Justice Shankar told the Centre's lawyer. "On 29th (June) also, I made this statement that we are not going to do anything," central government counsel Ashish Dixit responded. Dixit had told a vacation bench on June 29 that the polo ground was being demarcated for raising a boundary and nothing was being done on the turf where the sport is

Punjab AAP govt notifies VB-G RAM G scheme despite earlier opposition

The AAP government in Punjab, which had been opposing the Viksit Bharat Guarantee Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G), has notified the rural employment scheme, which will come into force from July 1 in the state. The Bhagwant Mann government had convened a special session of the Punjab Assembly last December which had unanimously passed a resolution against the VB-G RAM G Act. "In order to align the rural development framework with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 by providing an enhanced statutory wage employment guarantee of one hundred and twenty five (125) days in each financial year to such rural households whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work; "And to focus on employment, growth, convergence and saturation, the government of Punjab is pleased to notify the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G] Scheme, Punjab 2026, under the provisions of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevik

Centre to launch cloud-based hospital management system for small clinics

The Centre will launch a lightweight, cloud-based Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) for small outpatient clinics on Monday. Union Health Minister J P Nadda will launch an e-Sushrut clinic, a simplified HMIS developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), aimed at addressing the digital needs of small clinics, primary health centres, health and wellness centres, sub-centres and private outpatient facilities. The initiative comes amid concerns that existing hospital management software is often too expensive and complex for smaller healthcare facilities, forcing many to continue relying on manual processes. According to the officials, several states and Union territories have also expressed interest in deploying a lightweight HMIS for public health facilities. The cloud-based platform has been designed to automate routine clinic operations such as patient registration, billing, management information system (MIS) reporting, speech-to-text documentat