Page 25 - Centre

Centre has championed farmers' cause for nine years, says PM Modi

The Centre has taken decisions in the interest of farmers for nine years and created arrangements from seed to market for them, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday while dedicating 1.25 lakh PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendras to the nation. Addressing a programme here, Modi described the PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSK) as one-stop centres for farmers that would pave the way for their prosperity. India, he said, could only develop when its villages do and his government was working to provide in villages every facility that is available in cities. From information on agri-inputs such as fertilisers, seeds, and implements to testing facilities for soil, seeds, and fertilisers, and information regarding various government schemes, PMKSKs are envisaged to become a reliable support system for farmers in the country, a government statement said. They will also ensure regular capacity building of fertiliser retailers at block/district level outlets, the statement added. Apart from .

Govt's share sale in RVNL over-subscribed, buyers put in Rs 1,900 cr bids

The government's 5.36 per cent share sale in Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) was oversubscribed on the first day of issue with institutional buyers putting in bids worth about Rs 1,900 crore. In the two-day Offer-for-Sale (OFS), the government is selling 11.17 crore shares, representing 5.36 per cent stake at a floor price of Rs 119 apiece. The offer includes a greenshoe option of an additional 4.08 crore RVNL shares or 1.96 per cent stake. On the first day of share sale, institutional buyers put in bids for 15.64 crore shares, as against the base issue size of 6.38 crore. At an indicative price of Rs 121.17 apiece, the bids are worth close to Rs 1,900 crore. Shares of RVNL closed at Rs 125.25, down 6.77 per cent over the previous close of the BSE. The government currently holds 78.20 per cent stake in RVNL. RVNL was incorporated in January 2003, as a 100 per cent owned public sector unit of the Ministry of Railways with the objective of raising extra-budgetary resources and ...

Centre proposes to sell upto 5.36% from its 78.2% stake in Rail Vikas Nigam

The Indian government will sell a stake of up to 5.36% in state-owned Rail Vikas Nigam this week, in a deal that could fetch 13.3 billion rupees ($162.12 million), an exchange filing showed

Number of orphan, abandoned children rise by 25% since 2020: WCD Ministry

The Centre has over the last three years registered a 25 per cent spike in the number of orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children in its child adoption portal CARINGS. The number of such children, which was 4,521 in 2020-21 and 5,106 in 2021-22, rose to 5,663 in 2022-23, according to the data shared by the Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani in Rajya Sabha. According to the government, the Child Adoption Resource Information & Guidance System, or CARINGS, is an online platform developed for end-to-end digital processing to bring transparency to the adoption system and curtail delays. In response to a question, Irani said 3,443 children were adopted in the country in the last one year alone. Responding to another question, Irani said about 4,268 inspections of child-care homes have so far been carried out across the country through the government's MASI (Monitoring App for Seamless Inspection) since its launch in 2021. The portal was launched in January 2021 with

Child Helpline receives over 310 mn calls in last five years: Govt

More than 31 crore calls were received on the Child Helpline in the past five years, the government said on Wednesday. Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said there is a provision for integration of the Child Helpline with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs' Emergency Response Support System-112 (ERSS-112) and the transition is being done in a phased manner. In a written response in the Rajya Sabha, Irani said, "In the first phase, integration of the Child Helpline with ERSS-112 has been completed in nine states -- Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Ladakh, Puducherry and Mizoram." According to a report received from the home ministry, over 26.05 crore calls have been handled since ERSS-112 became operational, the minister said. However, state-wise call details are not maintained centrally, she added. According to the data shared by Irani, a total 31 crore calls were received on the 1098 Child ...

Centre exploring options to step up stray dog sterilisation, end attacks

One option is setting a minimum remuneration for agencies that sterilise dogs

94% beneficiaries registered on Poshan Tracker incorporated Aadhaar: Centre

More than 94 per cent of the beneficiaries registered on the 'Poshan Tracker' have successfully incorporated their Aadhaar numbers in the system, according to the Women and Child Development Ministry of the Centre. Responding to a question in Rajya Sabha, WCD Minister Smriti Irani said around 10.11 crore beneficiaries are registered under Poshan Tracker The government uses the Poshan Tracker for the identification of stunting, wasting, and underweight prevalence among children and for last-mile tracking of nutrition delivery. In a written response, Irani said 94 per cent of the beneficiaries registered on the tracker are Aadhaar-verified now. Of the 10.11 crore beneficiaries, 4.19 crore are children aged six months to three years, 4.29 crore aged 3-6 years, and 40.87 lakh are those aged under six months, according to the figures shared by her in Rajya Sabha. There are 75.58 lakh pregnant women and 46.87 lakh lactating mothers registered on the Poshan Tracker. According to the ...

Centre moves SC seeking extension of tenure for ED chief SK Mishra

In a judgement earlier this month, the Supreme Court had dubbed the extension of ED chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra as illegal

Over 19,000 complaints, appeals pending with CIC: Centre in Lok Sabha

A total of 19,233 complaints and appeals were pending with the Central Information Commission (CIC) as of April 1 this year, the government said on Wednesday. There was a vacancy of four Information Commissioners in the transparency watchdog against the sanctioned strength of ten, according to a written reply given by Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh in Lok Sabha. There were 29,213 pendency in the period 2021-22, 38,116 in 2020-21, 35,178 in 2019-20, and 29,655 in 2018-19, he said. According to section 12(3) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, the Central Information Commission shall consist of the Chief Information Commissioner and such number of Information Commissioners, not exceeding ten, as may be deemed necessary. "At present, four Information Commissioners apart from the Chief Information Commissioner are in the position in the CIC," Singh said. Filling up of vacancies of Information Commissioners in State Information Commissions is the subject

AG writes to Centre on setting panel to examine hanging death row convicts

From ED's opposition to Preeti Chandra's bail to plea for urgent hearing on SIMI, here's what happened in the Supreme Court today

Ceiling prices of 691 formulations have been fixed under NELM 2022: Centre

The government on Tuesday said that till July 17, ceiling prices have been fixed for 915 scheduled formulations. Out of the total, ceiling prices of 691 formulations have been fixed under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022 and 224 formulations under NLEM 2015, Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. Besides, the retail price of around 2,450 new drugs under Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 has been fixed till July 7, 2023, he noted. The minister also stated that a total of 5,772 complaints alleging overcharging were received by drug pricing regulatory body NPPA over the five-year period ranging between 2018-19 and 2022-23. Replying to a query regarding the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs), Khuba said 9,512 outlets are now functional across the country. The product basket of PMBJP presently comprises about 1,800 medicines and 285 surgical devices, covering all major therapeu

Centre devolved more than Rs 3.09 trn to states till July: MoS Finance

The Centre has devolved over Rs 3.09 lakh crore to states till July of the Rs 10.21 lakh crore budgeted to be transferred in the current fiscal, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said on Tuesday. "Out of Rs 10.21 lakh crore estimated to be transferred to states for the FY 2023-24, Rs 3,09,521.22 crore has been devolved till July 2023, in 4 instalments having double the normal amount in June'23 for FY 2023-24. There is no pendency on part of devolution payable to states...," Chaudhary said in the Lok Sabha. Of the Rs 3.09 lakh crore net proceeds of shareable union taxes and duties distributed to the states, Central GST collection devolution stood at Rs 94,368 crore till July. "Part of the CGST collected and credited to the Consolidated Fund of India is devolved to the States as per the accepted recommendations of the Finance Commission. The total amount of such CGST devolution released to states during FY 2022-23 was Rs 2,68,334.19 crore; this was released in 14 ...

Closely monitoring prices, demand-supply situation of food items: Centre

The government is closely monitoring the prices as well as the demand-supply situation of all essential food items, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary on Tuesday said while asserting that it is committed to balancing the interest of both consumers and farmers. The government has formed a panel to regularly monitor the prices and availability situation, he added. "The government is monitoring the prices and availability of food items. It takes measures to boost domestic availability and keep prices under check," Choudhary said as he was replying to a question about food inflation and the recent export ban on non-basmati white rice. He was speaking at an event to launch ITC's postal stamp on millets in collaboration with India Post. Based on the demand-supply situation and retail price, he said the government decides on imposing export duty or putting restrictions on exports. The minister said there is no problem on the supply front of food items in the ...

Over 50 mn MGNREGA job cards deleted in 2022-23: Govt tells Lok Sabha

More than five crore job cards under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) were cancelled in 2022-23, 247 per cent more than the number of deletions in 2021-22, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. In a written reply, Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh said in 2021-22, 1,49,51,247 MGNREGA job cards were deleted, while in 2022-23, 5,18,91,168 job cards were cancelled. West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were among the states which saw the highest number of deletions. In 2021-22, 1,57,309 job cards were deleted in West Bengal, while in the following year (2022-23), the number shot up by over 5,000 per cent as 83,36,115 job cards were deleted. In Andhra Pradesh, 6,25,514 job cards were deleted in 2021-22, which increased by 1,147 per cent in 2022-23, when 78,05,569 cards were cancelled. Similarly, in Telangana, 61,278 job cards were deleted in 2021-22, while 17,32,936 cards were deleted in 2022-23, an increase of 2,727 per cent. Gujarat ...

Majority of 14-17 age group not aware of vaping, e-cigarettes ban: Survey

According to a survey conducted by the Think Change Forum (TCF), 96% of the children surveyed were not aware that vaping and similar electronic devices are banned in India

CIC verdict can't be referred to bring political parties under RTI: Centre

An order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) cannot be used to seek a writ from the Supreme Court to bring recognised political parties under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Centre told the apex court on Tuesday. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta made the submission while appearing for the central government before a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, which is hearing two PILs seeking a direction to bring political parties under the transparency law. The CIC order cannot be used to seek a writ of mandamus (a judicial order to the government to fulfil official duties) to bring political parties under the RTI, the law officer told the bench, which also comprised Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), represented by lawyer P V Dinesh, said the party has no objection to RTI with regard to ensuring financial transparency. But there cannot be requests (under RTI) on why a candidate has been selecte

Over 6,000 posts of Captain, Major ranks vacant in Army: MoS Ajay Bhatt

Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said that in order to mitigate the shortage, a proposal to make short service entry more attractive is under consideration

PLI scheme incentive outgo could be less than Rs 40,000 crore by FY25

Govt estimates indicate not all 14 schemes may have fully taken off

Govt to launch Ayushman Bhav to achieve 100% coverage of health schemes

The Union health ministry is planning to launch 'Ayushman Bhav' programme to ensure optimum delivery of all state-run health schemes to every intended beneficiary, including those in the last mile. Ayushman Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Sabha, Ayushman Mela and Ayushman Gram are some of the activities planned under the programme, official sources told PTI. "The aim of the campaign is to ensure comprehensive and saturation coverage of all health schemes so that every eligible beneficiary is able to avail their benefits," an official source said. Ayushman Apke Dwar 1 and 2 drives have been conducted successfully. Under the Ayushman Apke Dwar 3.0, an intensive drive will begin from August 1 to ensure full saturation, the sources said. Ayushman Sabha will be a village-level campaign led by the village health, sanitation and nutrition committee to ensure the benefits of all the health schemes of the central and state governments reach the intended beneficiaries, they said. These will also ..

Centre grants sanction to prosecute joint drugs controller in bribery case

The government has granted the sanction to prosecute Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's joint drugs controller S Eswara Reddy, clearing the decks for initiating a trial against him for allegedly taking a bribe to favourably recommend Biocon Biologics' insulin injection, officials said Sunday. The CBI submitted the sanction for prosecution, accorded by the Director (Vigilance) in the Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare, before a special court here. Repeated calls made to the office phone of Reddy seeking his comments remained unanswered. The agency has also received the sanction against Animesh Kumar, Assistant Drugs Inspector, who is a co-accused in the case, they said. Apart from Reddy and Animesh Kumar, the CBI had also arrested Biocon Biologics' Associate Vice President L Praveen Kumar, Synergy Network India Private Limited director Dinesh Dua, who allegedly gave Reddy Rs 4 lakh as bribe, and Guljit Sethi, an alleged conduit of Biocon Biologics. The arrests