Page 21 - Centre

Centre ignoring Bihar's plea on PMAY-G, 13 lakh rural people waiting: Min

The Centre has not provided Bihar with fresh targets under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) for the last three years, though around 13 lakh families are waiting for houses in the state, Rural Development Minister Sharvan Kumar claimed. He asserted that several letters were sent to Union Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Giriraj Singh, urging him to allocate fresh target for Bihar, but the state did not get it for 2018-19, 2022-23 and 2023-24. The opposition BJP, however, accused the Bihar government of playing politics over the issue, and claimed that the state administration is not ready to submit work completion reports or fund utilisation certificates on time. Eligible beneficiaries get financial assistance from both central and state governments to build pucca houses in rural areas under the PMAY-G scheme. According to the Centre's notification, the PMAY-G aims to construct 2.95 crore houses across rural India to achieve the vision of "Housing for All"

Govt to soon roll out U-WIN portal for e-registry of routine immunisations

The government is set to launch 'U-WIN' portal, designed on the lines of COVID-19 vaccine management system Co-WIN, for maintaining an electronic registry of routine immunisations. The U-WIN programme has been designed to digitise the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) and it is presently being run in a pilot mode in two districts of each state and Union Territory. The platform will be used to register and vaccinate every pregnant woman, record her delivery outcome, register every newborn delivery, administer birth doses and all vaccination events thereafter, official sources told PTI. U-WIN, which will replicate Co-WIN, was launched on January 11 in 65 districts across the country. Vaccination records under UIP are being maintained manually as of now. So this will do away with the hassle of keeping a physical record. It will enable the digitisation of session planning, and updating vaccination status on a real-time basis, an official said. Presently, multiple vaccines and dos

Govt to tap districts for enhancing exports: DGFT Santosh Sarangi

Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Sarangi on Friday said that the government will go to the districts to enhance exports. Seventy districts in the country account for 80 per cent of the country's exports total exports, he told reporters at the Indian Chamber of Commerce here. In West Bengal, two districts - Darjeeling and Howrah have been identified for the purpose so far. Darjeeling for tea and Howrah for jewellery and engineering goods. Export plans for them have also been adopted, Sarangi added. "Districts have a huge potential for increasing exports. Only 70 districts account for 80 per cent of the total exports of the country," he said. DGFT, which is under the commerce ministry, formulates the country's trade policy and also implements it. Sarangi said India has a huge potential for export of electronic items, white goods and processed foods and with the kind of growth rates which the country is clocking for the last 15 years, it can aspire to become a ...

State's nod necessary for 'one nation, one election', says Kamal Nath

Amid reports of the Centre mulling over holding simultaneous elections, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath said on Friday it is not possible to do so without taking the nod of state assemblies. The Centre has tasked former president Ram Nath Kovind with the responsibility of heading a committee to explore the feasibility of one nation, one election, opening the possibility of Lok Sabha polls being advanced so that they could be held with upcoming assembly elections in many states, including MP. There is a need for a constitutional amendment for it. Besides, it cannot be done by passing a bill in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, but it also needs to be ratified by the state assemblies, Nath told reporters when asked about his views on the concept of simultaneous polls. BJP-ruled states like Haryana and Maharashtra can pass a one-line resolution by the cabinet to dissolve their assemblies for holding elections with Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan along with the Lok Sabh

Centre invites bids for privatisation of Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical

Interested buyers in Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical should submit initial bids to the government by Oct 15, according to the government document

Govt invites Expression of Interest from bidders for IMPCL strategic sale

The government on Thursday invited Expression of Interest (EoI) from bidders by October 15 for strategic sale of Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd (IMPCL). The Government of India holds a 98.11 per cent stake in IMPCL, under the administrative control of the Ministry of Ayush. The remaining 1.89 per cent is held by Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd (KMVNL), an undertaking of the Government of Uttarakhand. "The Government of India intends to disinvest its entire stake in IMPCL through strategic disinvestment with transfer of management control. The KMVNL ...has expressed its willingness to disinvest along with GoI," the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) said. The company is presently manufacturing 656 classical ayurvedic, 332 unani and 71 proprietary ayurvedic medicines for a varied spectrum of diseases. It supplies ayurveda and unani medicines to all the states under the National Ayush Mission (NAM) and 6,000 centres of Jan Aushadhi Kendras. "T

Jammu-Kashmir elections can take place at any time now: Centre tells SC

Article 370 hearing: Centre tells SC polls in J-K can take place at any time, decision depends on Election Commission, state poll panel.

HC asks Centre to take action on online drug sale without valid licence

The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre and the city government to take action against those engaging in online sale of drugs without a valid licence. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula also granted six weeks to the Centre to take appropriate steps and inform the court about its final stand on "illegal" sale of drugs online. The bench listed the matter for further hearing on November 16 after the Centre's counsel informed the court that consultations are still going on about a draft notification on online sale of drugs. Union of India is granted further six weeks' time to take appropriate steps and thereafter, inform the court of UoI's final stand in this matter. In the interim, the Union of India and State Government are directed to take necessary action, in accordance with law, in respect of persons acting in violation of the interim order dated December 12, 2018, that is, engaging in online sale of drugs without a valid licence, the ..

Centre extends PLI scheme for automotive sector by 1 yr until FY28

The government has decided to extend the Rs 25,938-crore production-linked incentive scheme for the automotive sector by one year, Union Heavy Industries Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey said on Tuesday. Post extension, the five-year scheme, originally in place from 2022-23 to 2026-27, will be active until 2027-28. At present, incentives are applicable under the scheme for determined sales of Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT) products (vehicles and components) manufactured in India from 1 April 2022 onwards for a period of five consecutive years. "The scheme is being extended by one year," the Heavy Industries Minister told PTI, after reviewing the performance of the scheme with stakeholders here. Speaking with reporters on the sidelines earlier, he shared that the ministry has also accepted other suggestions made by auto industry stakeholders pertaining to the scheme including quarterly disbursement of subsidies and increasing the number of agencies testing domestic value addition

Union Territory status of J-K is not permanent thing: Centre tells SC

The Centre told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the union territory status of Jammu and Kashmir is not a permanent thing and that it will make an elaborate statement on the vexatious political issue in the court on August 31. The central government's response was conveyed to the court by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, after a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, hearing the pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370, asked it to set a specific time frame for restoration of electoral democracy in the erstwhile state. "The union territory status of Jammu and Kashmir is not a permanent thing. So far as Ladakh is concerned, its UT status is going to remain for some time," Mehta said. The top government law officer said he will make an elaborate statement on the future of the union territory status of J-K and Ladakh before the bench, which also comprises Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai and Surya Kant, on August 31. The bench,

Centre cuts LPG cylinders price by Rs 200 for PMUY beneficiaries

In July, oil companies increased the price of domestic LPG cylinders by Rs 50. Earlier, the prices were increased twice in the month of May

Census Act empowers only Centre to conduct census: Govt informs SC

The Central Government on Monday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court and said that the Census Act,1948, empowers only the Central Government to conduct the census

Over 500,000 job letters given by Centre since Oct 2022: MoS Verma

Union minister B L Verma Monday said the Centre has distributed job letters to 5.5 lakh youth since last October and aims to provide 10 lakh jobs by year-end. Addressing a Rozgar mela at the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters here, Verma handed over appointment letters to 250 candidates, out of a total of 1,000 selected for various Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) such as BSF, CRPF CISF, SSB, and ITBP. This morning, Modi distributed over 51,000 appointment letters to the youth, mostly in the security forces, joined in from 45 locations across the country. Distributing job letters at the event here, Verma said this Rozgar Mela scheme is part of the government's efforts to abate unemployment in the country. "In October 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a commitment that 10 lakh jobs will be given to youth by December 2023. By this time, we have provided job letters to 5.5 lakh youth," the Union Minister of State for development of the Northeastern region said. He adde

Centre issues advisory for media against betting platform advertisements

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) said that advertisements of gambling/betting platforms pose financial and socio-economic risk for the consumers, especially children and youth

Goa guv questions Kerala assembly's resolution against Centre's UCC

Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai on Wednesday appeared questioning the resolution adopted recently by the Kerala assembly that decided to request the Central government to refrain from implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the country. Pillai was addressing a special session of the Goa legislative assembly in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu. Pointing out that the President had praised Goa for the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, Pillai said, In other states, the daughter is entitled to one-third of property of her father and while two-thirds goes to male (son). Where is the gender justice? There is discrimination based on sex which is not allowed in the Constitution". Without taking any name, Pillai said recently a legislative assembly unanimously passed a resolution which is their right. "I am not mentioning the name. If I mention it, the shame will come to me also as I am from that state. Of course, they can express their opinion. Everybody has the right to .

Centre to procure additional 200K-tonne onions amid farmer protest

The Centre already has a buffer stock of 300,000 tonnes of onions, which it has now decided to expand to 500,000 tonnes

Centre holds meeting on Covid, asks states to ramp up genome sequencing

Amid detection of newer variants of coronavirus globally, the Centre on Monday held a high-level meeting and asked states to ramp up whole genome sequencing of positive samples and keep close watch on the global variants. Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Dr P K Mishra, after the deliberations highlighted that while the Covid situation in the country remains stable and public health systems remain geared up, there is need for states to monitor trends of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases, an official statement said. He also emphasised on sending sufficient samples for testing of COVID-19 while ramping up whole genome sequencing and maintaining close watch on the new global variants. An overview of the global COVID-19 situation was given by Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant, including certain newer variants of SARS-CoV-2 virus like BA.2.86 (Pirola) and EG.5 (Eris), which have been reported globally. He underlined that as per the World

Centre approves release of Rs 200 cr to rain-battered Himachal Pradesh

The Centre on Sunday approved the release of Rs 200 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund as advance assistance to Himachal Pradesh to help the rain-battered state undertake relief measures for affected people. A spokesperson of the Union Home Ministry said the Centre had earlier approved the advance release of Rs 360.80 crore from the central share of the State Disaster Response Fund in two instalments on July 10 and 17. The Central government also released Rs 189.27 crore of the state's past dues from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) on August 7, the spokesperson said. The home ministry has approved the release of Rs 200 crore, as an advance from the National Disaster Response Fund to the government of Himachal Pradesh to help them undertake relief measures for affected people during the ongoing monsoon season, a spokesperson said. The central government is monitoring the situation in Himachal Pradesh round the clock and providing necessary logistics and financ

Govt unveils Green Hydrogen standards, sets emission limits for production

The government on Saturday unveiled Green Hydrogen standards and included electrolysis and biomass-based methods in its definition. In a significant move for the progress of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the government has notified the Green Hydrogen Standard for India, the New and Renewable Energy Ministry said in a statement. The standards issued by the ministry outline the emission thresholds that must be met in order for hydrogen produced to be classified as Green', i.e., from renewable sources. The scope of the definition encompasses both electrolysis-based and biomass-based hydrogen production methods, it stated. After discussions with multiple stakeholders, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has decided to define Green Hydrogen as having a well-to-gate emission (i.e., including water treatment, electrolysis, gas purification, drying and compression of hydrogen) of not more than 2 kg CO2 equivalent / kg H2. The notification specifies that a detailed methodology ..

Lithium to niobium, export ban on 4 critical new energy metals on the table

Lithium, beryllium, niobium, and tantalum are to be banned for export