Page 4 - Delhi Government

Delhi govt approves reorganisation of 11 revenue districts into 13

In a significant move aimed at making governance simpler and citizen-centric in the national capital, the Delhi government has approved the reorganisation of the existing 11 revenue districts into 13 new districts. The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday. For many years, the boundaries of revenue districts did not align with those of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, NDMC, and Delhi Cantonment Board, repeatedly causing delays in service delivery, difficulties in land record management, and inconsistencies across departmental jurisdictions, said an official statement. After the reorganisation, the boundaries of all 13 districts will fully align with those of the MCD, NDMC, and the Delhi Cantonment Board, bringing clarity to governance and improving inter-departmental coordination, it said. The gazette notification will be issued within 15 days with the government looking to operationalise the new districts by the end of t

Delhi CM, BJP ministers visit Golden Temple on 350th commemorations

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, along with six BJP cabinet ministers, arrived in Amritsar on Monday to offer prayers at the Golden Temple, on the occasion of the 350th commemorations. Visuals from Amritsar's Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport showed Gupta stepping out amid heightened security, where she and her ministers were welcomed with flower bouquets and garlands by BJP workers.Ahead of their visit, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa shared pictures from inside the aircraft, showing Gupta and her cabinet members - Parvesh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Kapil Misgra, Pankaj Kumar Singh - on their way to Amritsar from Delhi. "Blessed to join Hon'ble CM @gupta_rekha Ji and other Cabinet members as we head to offer Ardas & Shukrana for the successful 350th commemorative functions. Praying for Waheguru's mehar and Sarbat da Bhala." Sirsa in a post on X (formerly Twitter) said.Gupta and her ministers went directly from the airport to .

Delhi not merely a city but 'living civilisation': CM Rekha Gupta

Delhi is not merely a city but a "living civilisation" shaped by a continuous cultural evolution from Indraprastha of the Mahabharata to a modern democratic place, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday. Gupta said this at the 20th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held at the Red Fort. She said India's intangible cultural heritage ranged from the Vedas, Upanishads and yoga to festivals, rituals and performing arts, which thrives "not in museums but in the everyday lives of its people". The chief minister noted that rapid modernisation, climate change, migration and digital transformation make protection of intangible heritage more critical than ever. India's recent emphasis on promoting traditional knowledge systems and cultural practices on global platforms, she said, reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of strengthening the country's cultural roots and civilisational identity. Inviting delegat

Penalty imposed on construction sites flouting pollution norms: Sirsa

The Delhi government has imposed more than Rs 7 crore in penalties on construction sites violating pollution norms this year, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Saturday. A total of 1,750 sites were inspected, 556 notices were issued and 48 units were ordered shut for violating pollution control norms, he said. In the last two days, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee officials carried out 230 road and garbage inspections, 110 by Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials, 36 by the Public Works Department, 32 by the Delhi Development Authority, 17 by the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, and eight by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, resulting in a show-cause penalty of around Rs 1 crore, the minister said. He said the agencies issued 7.97 lakh Pollution Under Control challans this year, compared to 4.33 lakh challans in 2024. A total of 42,017 potholes were fixed this year, against 18,000 repaired a year ago. Sirsa said the number

Air pollution a legacy problem we inherited, says Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

Calling the national capital's air pollution woes a legacy problem, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday assured that her government has been actively working for the past 10 months to address these issues. Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Gupta highlighted that issues like pollution, garbage mountains, and broken roads were legacy issues and her government is working to tackle them through sustained efforts. She also referred to the clean-up of the Yamuna river as a "big project", stating that her administration is working daily to rejuvenate it. The rapid population growth in Delhi and the exponential increase in vehicles have contributed to rising pollution levels, Gupta pointed out, adding that several factors, including dust, vehicular emissions, and open burning, contribute to the pollution crisis. "It also matters what steps were taken by the previous government. Our government has taken all the steps needed to tackle pollution, which were not taken

Pollution being tackled as 'emergency' mission: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

The Chief Minister, on Wednesday, made it clear that government institutions showing laxity in pollution control will not be spared

Tobacco products to get costlier? Centre pushes new tobacco & pan masala tax bills

The Centre has introduced two major taxation Bills aimed at increasing excise duty on tobacco products and imposing a new capacity-based cess on pan masala.

ITO most feasible for Delhi govt's proposed twin-tower project: Officials

The Delhi government is expected to finalise ITO as the location for its proposed twin-towers, as it has received consent of the Income Tax (IT) department for sharing 4.5 acre land for the project, officials said on Tuesday. Delhi PWD minister Parvesh Verma held a meeting in which the issue of twin-tower was discussed by officials of his department and the Income Tax department. "A meeting was held today with the ACS (PWD) and the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax regarding the Twin Tower matter. Senior officials from both departments were present," said the minister in a post on X. All key points were discussed in detail and clear directions were issued to take the necessary steps in a coordinated and effective manner, he stated. "There are several options available to us. But ITO has emerged as the most feasible location after all our discussions. Especially with cooperation from the Income Tax department now, we have availability of a bigger plot to come up with ...

Winter Session of Parliament begins today: Key bills, big debates ahead

The Winter Session of Parliament kicked off today with 15 sittings scheduled over 19 days. A packed legislative agenda and heated debates are expected, with Opposition target

Delhi govt offers free coaching for JEE, NEET, others to over 2K students

The Delhi government is offering free professional coaching to 2,200 meritorious government school students for JEE, NEET, CLAT, CA and CUET under the Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Vidya Shakti Mission, Education Minister Ashish Sood announced on Monday. The mission aims to empower students' aspirations, ensure emotional well-being and build future-ready schools across the capital, an official statement said. This scheme, which was announced in the budget, has a budget allocation of Rs 21 crore. It reserves 50 seats per course for female students in JEE, NEET, CLAT, and CA Foundation, while CUET-UG will offer 1,000 seats, with 150 reserved for girls. Coaching will be provided through empanelled institutions, including Aakash Institute, Narayana Academy, KD Campus and Ravindra Institute, it said. Students will receive classroom coaching, live sessions, study material and test preparation support after school hours and on weekends. Calling it a "turning point in Delhi's public

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta casts vote, urges high turnout in MCD bypolls

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday cast her vote for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) bye-elections and urged citizens to participate in large numbers, calling voting a democratic duty that strengthens governance and development. Gupta, who voted at her local booth along with her family, described the act as fulfilling her "democratic responsibility". "Voting is an integral part of the sacred process of our democracy, and our active participation further strengthens democratic values," she said in a post on X in Hindi. Highlighting that bypolls are being held in 12 wards of the city, she appealed to all eligible voters to reach polling stations without fail. "Each of your votes plays a decisive role not only in determining the direction of local governance but also in laying a strong foundation for the overall development of Delhi, good governance, and transparency," she said. Polling began on Sunday morning amid tight security and will conclude at 5.30 pm. The ..

Delhi's inflation stays below national average in 2024-25: Govt report

The inflation rate in Delhi remained substantially lower than in other metro cities and the national average last year, especially in the fuel and light group, according to a government report. The report prepared by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics of the Delhi government, however, showed that the inflation rate rose in the food & beverages and housing sectors. The report assessed the Consumer Price Index (Industrial Workers IW) between Delhi and 14 other metros. These were Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Indore, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Varanasi, Amritsar and Lucknow. The report said that during 2024-25, CPI (IW), Kolkata, recorded the highest increase (3.6 per cent) while it was (3.4 per cent) at the All India level, followed by Mumbai (3.0 per cent), Delhi (1.8 per cent), and no change was observed in the case of Chennai. Among the selected cities assessed by the report, Delhi had the third lowest Consumer Price Index .

Hot-air balloon rides to begin Saturday in Delhi at DDA's Asita Park

Delhiites can experience the hot-air balloon rides from Saturday at Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) Asita Park near the ITO area, officials said. Earlier this week, Lt Governor VK Saxena launched the facility from Banseera Park near Sarai Kale Khan. "Due to an ongoing event at the Baansera Park, the rides will be launched for the public from Asita Park," a DDA official said on Friday. In July, the DDA had finalised a private agency to conduct these activities at four locations, including the Yamuna Sports Complex, the Commonwealth Games sports complexes, and two other sites along the Yamuna Bank at Asita and Baansera. The facility will be available from Saturday, and the ticket will be Rs 3,000 per person, excluding taxes, for a ride around 120 feet in the air. The trips would range from seven to 12 minutes, with each ride having a holding capacity of four people, officials added. According to the officials, each day, four hours of flying time will be allowed, and the private

Delhi govt declares Farhan Akhtar's 120 Bahadur tax-free; know ticket price

Farhan Akhtar's 120 Bahadur has been declared tax-free in Delhi, CM Rekha Gupta declared on Thursday. It was released in hit theatres on Friday, Nov 21 and is based on the 1962 Battle of Rezang La

Delhi to get hot-air balloon rides this weekend: Check date, timings, price

Delhi is set to introduce hot-air balloon rides at Baansera Park this weekend, with services expanding to multiple locations soon. Here's all you need to know about it

Delhi air pollution protests: 15 held for pepper spray use, Hidma slogans

The protests came amid worsening air quality in the national capital, which has been covered in haze and grey skies for almost a month

Delhi breathes toxic air, AQI likely to remain 'very poor' till Wednesday

The air quality in the national capital remained in the 'very poor' category on Sunday with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 391, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed. According to the CPCB's Sameer app, 19 monitoring stations in Delhi reported 'severe' air quality and the remaining 19 stations recorded 'very poor' air quality with readings above 300. Delhi's air quality is likely to be in the 'very poor' category from Monday to Wednesday, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe', according to the CPCB. Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 26.7 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 10.4 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The humidity level was recorded at 68 per cent at 5.30 pm. The weather department has foreca

Delhi govt advises private offices to allow 50% employees to work from home

The Delhi government on Saturday directed private offices to operate with 50 per cent on-site staff and to allow the remaining employees to work from home as a precautionary measure under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage III. The advisory follows directions from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), officials said. Delhi's air quality remained 'very poor' for the ninth consecutive day on Saturday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 370, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. A total of 11 monitoring stations in Delhi logged readings in the 'severe' category. The government has asked private offices to operate with 50 per cent strength on site and to allow the remaining employees to work from home as a precautionary measure under the GRAP Stage III, an official statement said. They have also been asked to widely disseminate the advisory and ensure effective implementation across all branches. GRAP is a framework designed to tack

Delhi govt notifies admission schedule for pvt schools for 2026-27 session

The Delhi government on Saturday notified the admission schedule for entry-level classes in private schools for the 2026-27 academic session, for which forms will be available from December 4 and the first list of selected candidates will be released on January 23. According to a circular issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE), schools will have to upload their admission criteria and points for open seats (other than EWS/DG/CWSN categories) by November 28. The last date for submitting application forms in schools is December 27, it stated. The circular stated that schools must upload the details of all applicants on January 9, followed by the marks allotted to each child under the points system by January 16. The first list of selected students, along with the waiting list, will be published on January 23. Parents can raise queries regarding point allocation from January 24 to February 3. The second list will be issued on February 9, it stated. The circular added that the ..

Rekha Gupta lays foundation stone for 1st Atal canteen in Delhi's Timarpur

The Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, on Friday laid the foundation stone of the first "Atal" canteen in the Timarpur area here, marking the fulfilment of a key promise made by the BJP. The Delhi government has planned to open 100 such canteens, named after the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, with an aim to provide affordable meals to underprivileged people, with two meals a day for just Rs 5 per person, officials said. The initiative is an example of the BJP government's respect for the working-class families, Gupta said. Opening Atal canteens across the national capital was one of the poll promises of the BJP in the Delhi Assembly polls held in February this year. The chief minister was accompanied by the Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood during the laying of the foundation stone ceremony at JJ Cluster in Sanjay Basti. Gupta, later in a post on X, said, "In just eight months, a strong step has been taken to fulfil another promise made with Delhi. An extensive .