Page 27 - Government Of India

SC disapproves of Centre's further verification of tribunal members

The Supreme Court on Tuesday disapproved of the Centre's practice to conduct additional verification of members chosen for the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), despite recommendation for the appointment by the Search and Selection Committee (SCSC).

Govt working on comprehensive national tourism policy: G Kishan Reddy

Union Tourism and Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy on Sunday said that the government is working towards a comprehensive national tourism policy to give an impetus to the tourism industry. Addressing the last day of the two-day India International Cruise Conference here, Reddy also urged the industry stakeholders to prepare a road map for the development of the cruise tourism industry and asked them to create an action plan on cruise tourism in a mission-mode. The government is taking a slew of initiatives to promote river cruise tourism, which include river front development, increasing the number of cruise ships to 1,000, infrastructure development for water parks, among others, he said at the event hosted by the Ports, Shipping and Waterways Ministry in collaboration with industry body Ficci. During the day, as many as eight memorandum of understanding (MoUs) were signed between Mumbai Port Trust, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and various cruise services operators in

Wheat export ban to reign in inflation, no threat to food security: Govt

Hours after it imposed a ban on wheat export, the government on Saturday said it has adequate food stocks, there is no threat to food security

Centre relaxes norms for shrivelled wheat grains for Punjab, Haryana

In a relief to wheat growers, the Centre has relaxed procurement norms for shrivelled wheat grains in Punjab and Haryana after the crop suffered damage due to the early onset of heatwave. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann last month had urged the Centre to relax norms for shrivelled grains in the purchase of wheat from the state without imposing any value cut. The Centre relaxed norms up to 18 per cent against the existing limit of 6 per cent without any value cut. Chief Minister Mann thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accepting his request for relaxation in shrivelled wheat grains. "I, on behalf of farmers of Punjab, thank Hon'ble Prime Minister @NarendraModi ji, for accepting our request & allowing a generous relaxation in procurement of shrivelled grains. I assure you that Punjab shall continue to work in earnest to contribute to food security of the nation," said Mann in a tweet. In a letter to the secretary, food and civil supplies, Punjab and additional chief ...

Govt sets up committee to create enabling ecosystem to boost cruise tourism

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said the government has set up a high-level committee to create an enabling ecosystem for the development of cruise tourism in the country. The committee comprises government officials and cruise industry players. Sonowal on Saturday inaugurated the first two-day India International Cruise Conference being organised here by the Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Waterways in association with industry body Ficci. The Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and his deputy Shripad Naik virtually laid the foundation stone for the third Chemical berth at Pir Pau Jetty and remotely inaugurated Kelshi Lighthouse in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra and Dhanushya Kodi Light House in Tamilnadu. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the event, the minister said the government aims to make India the most attractive cruise tourism destination and the industry the world's largest one in the world. Sonowal also informed that the government h

More lives are lost in road accidents than in war: MoS Gen VK Singh

India loses more people in road accidents than in a war, Union Minister General (retd) V K Singh said on Friday. Addressing an event organised by industry body Assocham, Singh said road safety is the most important issue which the government needs to tackle. "More than 1.35 lakh people lose their lives due to road accidents every year...this number of people whom we lose every year (due to road accidents), is worse than fighting a war," the Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways said. The minister lamented that unfortunately, road safety is considered something that comes once a year. "We have road safety week. We upgraded it to road safety month," he said, adding his view is that it should be a 365-day affair. "It's not confined to one week, it is not confined to a month because there is so much at stake," Singh emphasised. According to recent government data, total 3,66,138 road accidents occurred in India during 2020, causing 1,31,714 deaths.

Govt aims to build 18,000 km of highways in FY23, says Nitin Gadkari

The government is committed to expanding the national highway network across the country with the aim of constructing 18,000 km of highways in 2022-23 at a record speed of 50 km per day, said Gadkari

Govt revises payment, insolvency rules for stuck PPP port projects

New guidelines allow ports to take over abandoned projects

Supreme Court puts sedition law on hold, asks govts not to register cases

SC to hear pleas challenging validity of the sedition provisions in July

India's port ministry finalises guidelines for reviving stressed projects

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has finalised guidelines for early resolution of stuck public private partnership projects at major ports, an official statement said on Wednesday. According to the statement, the aim of the guidelines is to facilitate revival of the projects falling in the category of stressed assets, and these guidelines will pave the way for resolution of the cases under arbitration. "The port asset is likely to be put to use through rebidding," it said, adding that the move will result in unlocking the blocked cargo handling capacity of approximately 27 million tonne per annum (MTPA). It will create better trade opportunities for prospective investors and the port authority will start generating revenue. The statement noted that the early resolution of stuck projects will repose confidence in investors and concessionaires, apart from creating job opportunities. In the past decade, the Centre had invited private investments into the sector and several .

SC seeks Centre's reply on lowering of cut-off marks for NEET-BDS courses

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the Centre's reply on a plea preferred by NEET-UG aspirants challenging the Centre's decision refusing to lower the percentile of NEET-BDS courses

Improve systems, redress complaints or face action, govt warns cab firms

Cab aggregators, including Ola and Uber, have been warned of strict action unless they improve their systems and redress rising consumer complaints, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

Govt to meet cab aggregators Tue as consumer complaints rise against firms

The government has called a meeting of cab aggregators like Ola and Uber on Tuesday to discuss their policies related to fare calculation, surge pricing, ride cancellations and measures taken by them

Top headlines: Indian rupee plummets to all-time low; Sri Lankan PM resigns

India's government asks the Supreme Court not to invest time in examining the constitutional validity of the penal law on sedition.

Govt bringing major changes in transport sector for better: V K Singh

The Union government is brining major changes in the transport sector and their effects will soon be visible on the ground, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways V K Singh said on Saturday

Govt plans to make trade certificate process online for vehicle dealers

The validity of the trade certificate has been proposed to be increased from 12 months to five years.

As Indian 'cities become heat islands', govt official lists plan for crisis

India suffered its hottest March in more than 100 years and April saw many places, including New Delhi, recording unusually high temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius on most days.

India Covid death toll highest in world, says WHO as govt rejects report

India's official Covid death toll is 481,486 between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021

Share of govt holding in listed companies rises 4% in March quarter

In value terms, government holding in companies listed on the NSE increased 3.69 per cent to Rs 14.13 trillion, from Rs 13.63 trillion on December 31, 2021

Govt data shows surge in people dying without any medical attention in 2020

Fewer women gave birth in institutional settings amid pandemic