Page 50 - Centre

States do Centre a good turn

A sharp reduction in states' deficit augurs well for the Centre's fiscal planning

GM mustard not developed as herbicide-tolerant, Centre tells SC

Top court says it is it is more concerned about the risk factors of GM Mustard

Govt should scrap windfall profit tax on domestic crude oil: FICCI

The government should scrap the windfall profit tax on domestically produced crude oil as the levy is adversely impacting the capex-intensive exploration of oil and gas, the industry said in its recommendation for the forthcoming annual budget. India first imposed windfall profit taxes on July 1, joining a growing number of nations that tax super normal profits of energy companies. At that time, a Rs 23,250 per tonne (USD 40 per barrel) windfall profit tax on domestic crude production was levied. The new tax, which was also slapped on the export of petrol, diesel and ATF, is calibrated every fortnight in step with international oil prices. Industry chamber FICCI in its recommendations for the Budget, said such levy is in addition to all other existing levies. "It is recommended that the Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) on petroleum crude should be removed or if there is a need to continue the levy for some time as an extraordinary measure then the rate be changed to an ad-valo

Centre's three new national cooperatives signal sector's growing clout

But, critics say the approach in forming should have been bottoms-up instead of top-down

Arvind Kejriwal asks Centre to take note of mass layoffs in tech firms

Expressing his concerns at the mass layoffs across several tech firms, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday asked the centre to assess the situation in the country and take right steps. Several multi nationals have retrenched in the recent past leading to job cuts in the US and other countries. "The youths are being retrenched in large numbers from the IT Sector. The Central government must review the Indian situation and take right steps," Kejriwal said in a Hindi tweet. Earlier this month, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that the company will lay off 10,000 workers, about five per cent of its total workforce, terming it a hard choice the tech giant had to make to remain a "consequential company" amid global economic uncertainties. Microsoft is the latest firm after Facebook and Amazon to cut jobs as the bloodbath in the technology sector continues in 2023. Describing the current times as a period of "significant change," Indian-origin Nadella said customers who ramped

Wrestlers call off protest after Sharan asked to step down as WFI president

The aggrieved grapplers called off their protest late on night after getting assurances from the govt that their grievances would be addressed

India govt switches bonds maturing in 2024 with RBI in cash-neutral deal

Indian government bought back bonds maturing in 2024 from the Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday, while also issuing bonds maturing in 2032 worth a similar quantum, the central bank said on Wednesday

SC permits Centre to seek reference of Delhi govt-LG row to larger bench

The Supreme Court on Wednesday permitted the Central government to file additional submissions seeking reference of the Delhi-Centre power dispute to a larger bench of nine judges

Fiscal consolidation expected on the back of lower subsidy payments

The Central government's fiscal deficit is expected to narrow to 5.9 per cent of GDP in F2024 from 6.4 per cent in F2023, Morgan Stanley said in a report

Union Cabinet to meet today; discussion on political resolution likely

According to the report, the attendees will also discussed a nine-point political resolution moved by Kiren Rijiju

Big states lag on capital expenditure front despite Centre's support

Economists say many poll-bound states chose to focus on scheme and subsidy spending

Govt to ogranise first Global Tourism Summit in April as part of G-20

The Centre will organise the country's first Global Tourism Summit in April as part of India's G-20 presidency, wherein all the member countries will participate, officials said on Tuesday

Why arrangements not made earlier?: Mamata attacks Centre on Joshimath

Criticising the Centre for allegedly not making arrangements earlier in landslide-hit Joshimath in Uttarakhand, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said the govt should work on a war footing

Centre seeks to interfere in functioning of courts, alleges Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee objected to the Centre's proposal for the inclusion of govt nominees in the collegium system on appointments to the higher judiciary

SC unhappy with 6 states, UTs for not giving comments to govt on minorities

The Supreme Court expressed displeasure over six states and Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir, not yet giving their comments to the Centre on the issue of identification of minorities

Bengal govt has sought immediate release of PM Awas Yojana funds: Official

The Bengal government has written to the Centre demanding immediate release of funds under the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY), underlining that the state will fail to meet its March 31 deadline for building 11 lakh houses, if there is any further delay, a senior official said. The letter, sent by the state on Monday, is a reply to the Union Ministry of Rural Development's 493-page communication, seeking details of expenses made as part of the scheme, the official said. Notably, the BJP-led central government has been sending inspection teams to Bengal to examine the allegations of corruption in the implementation of PMAY. The state, in the letter, has clarified that it has already answered all the queries of the Centre, and sought pending funds at the earliest. "It has been mentioned in the letter that the state, despite severe financial crisis, has borned 40 per cent of expensed under the Awas Yojana scheme. The letter has also stated that it will not be possible to complete the work to bu

Centre revises calendar, MoSPI to give GDP numbers post Budget in 2023

MoSPI to release first revised estimates of national income, consumption expenditure, saving, and capital formation of the previous fiscal year on the last day of February starting this year

Agitations crucial in coming years to protect people's rights, says Tikait

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday said that agitations and people's participation in them would be important in the coming years for protecting the rights of people, their lands and their farms. He was speaking at a farmers rally organised by the Bahujan Sangharsh Samiti in Nagpur. 'Dalit' is not a caste group but all people living in villages and working in the fields are Dalits, he said. All the people working in the farms are 'Bahujan', he added. The present government in the country does not believe in the Constitution, he alleged. Elected governments were toppled in Maharashtra as well as Madhya Pradesh, he said. Talking about the agitation on Delhi borders against the new farm laws, he said it felt like "the government was a conspirator." Allegations of insulting the Tricolour were levelled against farmers and all these conspiracies were "hatched in Nagpur", he said, without naming any organization. There were also attempts to portray the Sikh community as ...

Cabinet nod for setting up of three new multi-state cooperative societies

It will develop a system for the preservation and promotion of indigenous natural seeds through various cooperative societies across the country with support from relevant ministries

Micro and small enterprises corner 55% of total orders placed on GeM portal

Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) have cornered over 55 per cent of the total orders placed on the public procurement platform GeM since 2019, a senior government official said. The Government e-Market (GeM) portal was launched on August 9, 2016, for online purchases of goods and services by all the central government ministries and departments. GeM CEO P K Singh said that the public procurement policy for MSEs mandates 25 per cent of buying of goods and services from these units and 3 per cent MSEs owned by women. "On GeM, MSEs have secured 55.2 per cent (Rs 1,41,887 crore) of total order value (Rs 2,57,263 crore) and MSEs owned by women have secured 8 per cent (Rs 11,373 crore) of the MSE orders. The numbers reflect inclusivity on GeM," Singh told PTI. Procurement of goods and services from government portal GeM has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore so far this fiscal on account of an increase in buying activities by different ministries and departments. The commerce ministry is also in