Page 15 - Government

From RIL to L&T and Adani, corporate giants build on EPC rule change

A shift from the high-debt hybrid annuity scheme for infra projects to a low-debt, performance-linked model is encouraging government and private majors to pivot to this business in a bigger way

Will send 44 judges' names within two-three days: Govt to Supreme Court

The collegium system has become a major flashpoint between the Supreme Court and the central government, with the mechanism of judges appointing judges drawing criticism from different quarters

Policy to make adoption of Indian Standard Time mandatory on anvil: Govt

The government is planning to come out with a comprehensive policy for mandatory adoption of Indian Standard Time (IST) nationwide, a senior consumer affairs ministry official said. The purpose is to ensure synchronization of all networks and computers to IST and adoption of IST by Telecom Service Providers, Internet Service Providers, power grids, banks, stock exchange, etc, the official said. Presently, IST is not being adopted mandatorily by all telecom and internet service providers. They are utilising the servers synchronised to other sources such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) is already working on a project in coordination with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to generate and disseminate accurate time traceable to IST. Speaking to PTI, the official said the ministry is also planning to develop a comprehensive policy and regulatory framework for "mandatory adoption of

Employees plan court fight against Ford India over closed TN factory

Group rejects company's severance package as it winds up business in country

Govt hikes interest rate on post office savings schemes by up to 1.1bps

The government on Friday raised interest rates on most post office savings schemes that do not get income tax benefits in line with the firming of interest rates in the economy. While the interest rate for popular PPF and girl child savings scheme Sukanya Samriddhi were retained, rates for deposits up to 5 per cent as well as NSC, senior citizen savings scheme and Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) where income accruing is taxable have been hiked by up to 1.1 percentage points, according to a finance ministry notification. This is the second quarter of an increase in a row in interest rates for some schemes. This follows a status quo or unchanged rates for nine straight quarters. Interest rates for small savings schemes are notified on a quarterly basis. With the revision, a one-year term deposit with post offices would earn 6.6 per cent, for two years (6.8 per cent), three years (6.9 per cent) and five years (7 per cent). Senior Citizen Savings scheme will earn 40 basis points more at 8 per

Centre reshuffles secretary-level posts, 19 appointed to various govt dept

Nineteen bureaucrats have been appointed to different central government departments as part of a senior-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre on Friday. Padam Lal Negi has been appointed as joint secretary & financial advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Sanjeev Kumar Kassi will be joint secretary, Coal Ministry and Gangadhar Panda, as additional director of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), according to an order issued by the Personnel Ministry. Jitendra Srivastava, a 2000-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Bihar cadre, has been named joint secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation and K Manicka Raj as joint secretary, Department of Economic Affairs. Preet Pal Singh has been appointed as joint secretary, Ministry of Food Processing industries, Rina Sonowal Kouli as joint secretary in the Department of Higher Education, Lokhande Prashant Sitaram will be joint secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, and ...

Indian Railway Finance Corporation pays Rs 903 crore dividend to govt

The Central government has received Rs 903 crore and Rs 78 crore from the Indian Railway Finance Corporation Ltd (IRFC) and RITES Ltd respectively as dividend tranches.

Experts see 2023 as a year of smooth sailing for real estate sector

Demand likely to remain buoyant despite prospects of another rate hike; industry looking for tax breaks, lower transaction costs

5.81 million farmers benefitted in ongoing Kharif season, says Centre

In the ongoing Kharif marketing season 2022-23 in states, 58.10 lakhs farmers benefitted with MSP value of Rs 1,01,475.06 crore, the Food and Public Distribution Ministry said on Tursday

Govt raised Rs 4.06 trn via dated securities in July-Sept: FinMin report

The weighted average yield of primary issuances hardened to 7.33 per cent in the second quarter of the current fiscal from 7.23 per cent in first quarter of 2022-23

Over 1,000 senior Israeli air force veterans say incoming govt a danger

Over 1,000 senior Israeli air force veterans, including a former Israeli chief of staff, on Monday urged the country's top legal officials to stand tough against the incoming government. In a letter to the chief of Israel's Supreme Court and other top officials, they said the alliance of religious and ultranationalist parties threatens Israel's future. The letter was delivered days before the new government is to take office. We come from all strata of society and from across the political spectrum, the letter said. What we have in common today is the fear that the democratic state of Israel is in danger. It called the legal officials the final line of defence and implored them to do everything in your reach to stop the disaster that is affecting the country. Among the nearly 1,200 signatories were Dan Halutz, who served as military chief from 2005-2007; Avihu Ben-Nun, a former commander of the air force and Amos Yadlin, a former head of military intelligence. All three are form

Piyush Goyal tables Jan Vishwas Bill in Lok Sabha for ease of doing biz

Govt introduced the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill 2022 in Lok Sabha, which is aimed at amending certain enactments for decriminalising and rationalising minor offences

Centre to review Covid situation as cases rise in China, other nations

Health ministry asks states to ramp up genome sequencing

Visa consultancy firm BLS International crosses $1 bn in market cap

Delhi-based company says its business gained after countries eased travel restrictions for Covid-19

India will aim to achieve $100 bn export target for textiles by 2030: Goyal

Citing the case of the FTA negotiations with the United Kingdom, Goyal said the country had a 9 per cent duty on different items and if that goes away, it will benefit the sector, he said

Over a billion unclaimed shares in IEPF, shows Lok Sabha data

Less than 2% of such shares with IEPF make their way back to investors, shows data before Lok Sabha

No plan as of now to bring All India Judicial Service, says govt

Due to divergence of opinion amongst the various stakeholders, there is no proposal "at this juncture" to bring an All-India Judicial Service to select judges of lower courts, the government said in Lok Sabha on Friday. The government has been pushing for an all-India judicial service on the lines of IAS and IPS to select judges or judicial officers for subordinate courts. "In view of the existing divergence of opinion amongst stakeholders, there is no such proposal of All India Judicial Service at this juncture," Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a written reply. According to the government, "a properly framed" All India Judicial Service is important to strengthen the overall justice delivery system. "This will give an opportunity for induction of suitably qualified fresh legal talent selected through a proper all-India merit selection system as well as address the issue of social inclusion by enabling suitable representation to marginalised and deprived sections of society," the

IT rule tweak likely if social media firms abuse power: Chandrasekhar

The latest stance by the minister follows a series of confrontations between the government and Twitter over the moderation of user-generated content on the platform

Gujarat election result 2022: Bhupendra Patel firmly in the saddle

Patel's work was hyper-local - which left leaders like Narendra Modi and Amit Shah to emphasise how the BJP had managed to propel India to the centre stage globally

Biggest challenge is to get Centre, states work together: CII president

Bajaj said even in states where it is the same party ruling as the Centre, one doesn't see the same level of focus, energy and interest