Government

EPFO likely to link with govt databases to enhance compliance monitoring

EPFO is also expanding data integration with state governments to widen compliance checks. Its payroll data is regularly shared with the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan

Govt asks EPFO to conduct study on impact of workforce formalisation

Panel seeks report in three months amid push on labour codes, eshram and social security coverage

Allocations for women, children jump 11.55% to ₹5.01 trn in Budget 2026

Allocation for women and girls under various schemes has increased by 11.55 per cent to Rs 5.01 lakh crore in 2026-27, up from Rs 4.49 lakh crore in the previous financial year as per the Gender Budget Statement (GBS) released by the government. Gender budget statement includes allocations for schemes exclusively for women and girls, as well as proportion of spending in broader schemes that benefit them, bringing together total allocations across ministries aimed at promoting gender equality. The share of allocation of gender budget in the Union Budget has also risen to 9.37 per cent 2026-27 from 8.86 per cent, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said in a statement on Wednesday. The allocations were announced as part of the Union Budget 2026-27, which was presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. A total of 53 ministries/departments and five Union territories have reported allocations in the gender budget this year -- compared to 49 ...

Govt's share sale in BHEL oversubscribed; institutions bid tops ₹5,650 cr

The government's stake sale in BHEL was over-subscribed two times on the first day on Wednesday, with institutional investors placing bids worth over Rs 5,650 crore. Institutional investors put in bids for over 22.07 crore shares at an indicative price of Rs 256.07 a share, as against over 9.40 crore shares on offer. The base issue size was over-subscribed 2 times, with bids worth Rs 5,650 crore coming in. The government is disinvesting 3 per cent equity in BHEL with an additional 2 per cent as a green-shoe option at a floor price of Rs 254 in the two-day offer for sale. Retail investors will be able to place a price bid on Thursday. The base issue size comprises over 10.44 crore shares, or 3 per cent stake, in BHEL, plus a greenshoe option to sell over 6.96 crore shares or 2 per cent. The sale of total 17.41 crore shares, or 5 per cent stake, would fetch the government Rs 4,422 crore. The government holds 63.17 per cent in BHEL. Shares of BHEL touched a low of Rs 258.60 in ...

Budget 2026: What is the primary deficit and why it tells the Budget’s real story

In this episode of Budget Basics, we break down one of the most important, but least understood, budget terms: Primary Deficit. What does it really say about a government’s finances?

Interest payments: The biggest silent drain on the Budget

In Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman faces an uphill task as interest payments now take up nearly one-fourth of the Union Budget and more than one-third of government revenue.

Disinvestment revival will be useful in sustaining capital expenditure

It is encouraging that the government's dependence on disinvestment receipts in managing its finances has reduced, but the instrument should not be discarded

What is FRBM, the law that limits government spending | Union Budget 2026

In Episode 4 of Budget Basics, we decode FRBM, the law that tells the government how much it can spend, borrow, and save. Why it exists, how it shapes the Budget, and why it matters to you.

Govt likely to open bids to onboard nearly 12,000-15,000 Nvidia GPUs

The B100 and B200 are the latest technology GPUs offered by Nvidia and are built on the cutting edge Blackwell architecture offered by the company

Govt prepares to showcase IndiaAI Mission LLM progress at AI Impact Summit

The government will ask departments to demonstrate AI use cases and IndiaAI Mission LLM progress at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi, scheduled for February 16-20, sources said

Govt issues EoI for unified customs portal to integrate ICEGATE, RMS, ICES

CBIC has floated an EoI to shortlist up to eight bidders for building a Customs Integrated System that unifies ICEGATE, RMS and ICES to cut cargo clearance time

New dark patterns every day; govt working daily to address: Pralhad Joshi

Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi says firms are innovating on dark patterns, prompting daily complaints; he cites NCH refunds and CCPA actions in 2025

Parliament clears 100% FDI in insurance: What it means

The Lok Sabha has passed an insurance reform bill, raising foreign direct investment in the sector to 100%. The government says this will bring capital, competition, and better coverage.

Govt finalises affidavit in Apple case, submission to Delhi High Court soon

The CCI guidelines said that it would calculate the penalty amount up to 30 per cent of the average relevant turnover based on the nature and gravity of the contravention

Average 50 days of employment per household under MGNREGS in five years

An average 50 days of employment per household was provided to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the last five years, Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday. The flagship rural employment scheme guarantees up to 100 days of wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. In a written reply in the Upper House, Paswan said in 2024-25, average days of employment provided per household under MGNREGS was 50.24. The figures for previous years were similar. In 2023-24, the average number of workdays per household was 52.07, in 2022-23 it was 47.84, in 2021-22 it was 50.07, and in 2020-21 it was 51.54. Altogether, the average number of days of employment per household during the last five years comes to 50.35. In his reply, Paswan also said the responsibility for implementation of the MGNREGS at ground level lies with th

AI, LLM training: DPIIT mulls govt-fixed royalty rates for content creators

DPIIT released these guidelines as part of a working paper late Monday night, giving stakeholders 30 days to submit their views

Unclaimed assets worth ₹2,000 cr provided to rightful owners in Oct, Nov

The government has launched a nationwide campaign 'Your Money, Your Right' to facilitate the settlement of unclaimed financial assets, and Rs 2,000 crore have been claimed by their rightful owners in October and November this year. The government launched the campaign on October 4 to facilitate the settlement of unclaimed financial assets, including bank deposits, insurance, dividends, shares, mutual funds and pensions, to their legitimate claimants. From October to December 5, 2025, camps have been held in 477 districts with participation of public representatives, district administration, and officials from financial institutions, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. To maximise outreach during the campaign, standard operating procedures (SOPs), frequently asked questions (FAQs), and awareness material in major regional languages, along with short video messages, have been widely disseminated. District-level camps are organised

After E20, India should now focus on flex fuel: Toyota country head

Toyota's India head says the country should now push flex-fuel vehicles, calling for lower taxes and pricing support as E20 stabilises and higher blends prove impractical for legacy fleets

Centre releases ₹37,000 cr under RDSS to boost power distribution

The Centre has released Rs 37,000 crore under RDSS-38% of sanctioned support-with fund disbursal tied to DISCOMs meeting milestones and state-specific action plans

Govt earned nearly ₹4,100 cr by disposing of scrap from offices in 5 years

Union minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday shared that the government has earned nearly Rs 4100 crore in the last five years from the disposal of scrap, including electronic items, from various central government offices as part of its cleanliness campaign. Singh, the union minister of state for personnel, explained that at the end of the special Swachhata (cleanliness) campaign 4.0 last year, nearly Rs 3,300 crore had been earned, to which Rs 788.53 crore was added through this year's special campaign 5.0 lasting from October 2 to October 31 2025. As a result, the total amount earned, so far, is over Rs 4088.53 crore. "Total revenue of Rs 4088.53 crore has been earned through five dedicated annual cleanliness campaigns lasting one month each since 2021, through disposal of scrap, including electronic scrap, from different central government offices as part of the special Swachhata campaign," he said. The minister recalled that during his first Independence Day address, Prime Minister