Page 3 - Government

Govt hikes registration renewal fee of motor vehicles older than 20 years

The transport ministry has raised the registration renewal fee for motor vehicles older than 20 years to discourage people from keeping them. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), in a notification, announced that the renewal fee for light motor vehicles (LMVs) older than 20 years has been doubled to Rs 10,000 from Rs 5,000. According to the notification, for motorcycles older than 20 years, the renewal fee will rise from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. For three-wheelers and quadricycles, the renewal cost will increase from Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,000. In case of imported two- or three-wheelers, the cost of the renewal of the certificate of registration will be Rs 20,000, while for imported vehicles with four or more wheels, it will be Rs 80,000. The draft amendment was issued in February and finalised on August 21. The ministry, in October 2021, increased the registration and renewal fee for motorcycles, three-wheelers and cars. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ordered ...

Peak power demand unlikely to reach 277 GW this summer due to rains: CEA

Peak power demand is unlikely to touch the projected 277 GW this summer as intermittent rains have reduced the use of cooling appliances such as air conditioners, a top government official said on Friday. "No, I don't think that it (peak power demand) will go to that level now. If this kind of rain continues, then it will not reach," Ghanshyam Prasad, the Chairperson of Central Electricity Authority (CEA) told PTI on the sidelines of BNEF Summit in the national capital. The regulatory body chief was responding to a question whether the peak power demand would touch the projected level of 277 GW. The CEA formulates short-term and perspective plans for the development of the electricity system, and coordinates the activities of the planning agencies. The government had projected 277 gigawatt (GW) of peak power demand for 2025-26. Various government sources had expected the peak demand to hit the 277 GW level by September. Prasad also said that 277 GW was not a target, but a projecti

Karnataka HC slams govt bike taxi ban, upholds operators' right to work

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday came down on the state government's ban on bike taxis, calling its arguments against the service 'thin' and "legally untenable". Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru, heading the bench, noted that bike taxis are permitted in at least 13 states across the country and have emerged as a lawful and essential mode of urban transport. He observed that such services are not a luxury but a necessity, especially for affordable and efficient last-mile connectivity. Rejecting the government's stance that the Motor Vehicles Act prohibits bike taxis, the court said the State cannot deny livelihoods by citing the absence of a formal policy. A mere lack of regulation cannot be the basis for a blanket ban that deprives thousands of their right to work under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, the Chief Justice remarked. The court also asked the Advocate General (AG) to ensure that no coercive or punitive action is taken against bike taxi operators in the interim. Th

Centre speeds approvals for critical minerals, no exemption from green law

The Environment Ministry has set up a separate category on its online clearance portal to speed up approvals for mining projects involving critical minerals, a move aimed at boosting domestic supply of resources considered essential for clean energy and advanced technologies, the government informed Parliament on Monday. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said the Mines Ministry had in February requested faster clearances for such projects, following which the new facility was added to the Parivesh 2.0 portal on March 13. The step comes after amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, which gave the Centre powers to auction 24 minerals identified as critical and strategic. These include lithium, nickel, tungsten, titanium and graphite, which India largely imports but needs for sectors such as defence, electronics and renewable energy. So far, 34 blocks of these minerals have been auctioned acr

Steel firms hail govt for recommending safeguard duty on flat steel imports

The domestic steel industry has welcomed the commerce ministry's move to recommend imposition of a safeguard duty on imports of certain flat steel products, saying that such measures help India become self-reliant in the sector. In a statement, Naveen Jindal, President of Indian Steel Association (ISA), said recommendation of a safeguard duty on flat steel imports for three years is a welcome step. "While the proposed 12 per cent duty may not fully reflect the geopolitical context where 25 per cent is often considered the norm, it demonstrates clear government support for using such measures to promote Aatmanirbhar Bharat in steel," he said. Jindal, who is also the chairman of Jindal Steel, said introducing a safety net through minimum import prices, below which the recommended duty would be triggered, is also a positive move to protect and support the downstream industry. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), under the Ministry of Commerce, has recommended final ...

Delhi govt to test emission retrofits in 30 end-of-life official vehicles

The Delhi government will soon conduct trials by fitting catalytic converter-based retrofit emission control devices in up to 30 government-owned BS-IV and older heavy vehicles, potentially offering a cheaper and cleaner alternative to scrapping. In a first-of-its-kind move aimed at cutting toxic emissions from older diesel vehicles, the Delhi government decided to conduct a pilot project following a presentation by a clean-tech firm at a meeting which was chaired by the Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on August 11. The company claimed its retrofit technology could reduce particulate matter and other harmful emissions by more than 70 per cent. The trial comes in the wake of the Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) directive banning the entry of non-BS-VI commercial goods vehicles into Delhi from November 1, with limited exemptions for essential services until October 31, 2026. Officials said while the order is crucial for reducing pollution, it poses challenges

Parliamentary panel questions accuracy of data in Jal Jeevan Mission system

A parliamentary standing committee has flagged concerns over the authenticity of data being fed into the Jal Jeevan Mission's (JJM's) Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), recommending that the Centre institute checks to verify figures uploaded by states. It warned that without reliable data, assessing ground realities and plugging gaps in rural water supply would remain difficult. "Being aware of the fact that actual veracity of uploaded information is essential for realising the actual ground situation and filling the visible gaps, the Committee reiterate its recommendation that the Department makes sincere efforts to ensure the authenticity of the data being fed on the IMIS," the Standing Committee on Water Resources said. In its sixth report on the Ministry of Jal Shakti's 2024-25 Demands for Grants, tabled in Parliament on Monday, the Committee said actual verification of state-uploaded figures was "essential for realising the actual ground situation" and reiterated

Govt rules out changes to DPDP act, FAQs to address concerns soon: Report

The government does not see any scope for making changes in the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 and may issue a detailed reply soon to explain issues raised by journalists and civil rights bodies, an official source said on Friday. Civil rights and journalists' bodies on Wednesday expressed apprehension over the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, saying the provisions under it may fail the Right to Information (RTI) Act and end press freedom. "The (DPDP) Act has been passed by Parliament. Therefore no changes can be made now. Rules are being processed which can only be framed within the ambit of the Act," the source said. Government sources said the DPDP Act and draft rules under it have been framed after receiving thousands of inputs from multiple entities. About government assurance on frequently asked questions (FAQs), the source said it will be issued soon. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said deletion of the proviso in the RTI Act that ...

Govt aims to accelerate pace of highway construction to 100 km/day: Gadkari

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said the government's aim is to accelerate the pace of highway construction to 100 km a day from 38 km/day at present. Speaking at the Business Today India@100 event, Gadkari said so far this year, the road ministry has awarded highways projects worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore, and by March next year, it will award highways projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore. "Currently, the pace of National Highways construction in India is 38 km/day. We aim to accelerate the pace of highway construction to 100 km a day. This is our target, whether it will happen next year, I can not say," he said. The ministry constructed 10,660 km of national highways in 2024-25, 12,349 km in 2023-24 and 10,331 km in 2022-23. Responding to the growing concern over social media about E20, rolled out by the government, is damaging the vehicle and there is no reduction in fuel cost, Gadkari rejected the claim, saying that the petroleum sector is lobbying again

Govt urges BSNL circles to boost service quality, fix tower power issues

Minister of state for telecom Chandra Sekhar Pemmsani on Friday asked four BSNL circles including UP and Bihar to improve quality of service, resolve tower power issues and take other measures to boost the company's presence. In July last week, Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had asked the state-run telecom firm to add customers and grow its mobile service business by 50 per cent in the next year. During a review meeting of BSNL of all circle and business unit heads, the minister asked each unit to increase enterprise business by 25-30 per cent and fixed line business by a minimum of 15-20 per cent. "Reviewed @BSNLCorporate performance of UP, Bihar, MP & West Bengal circles today. Emphasised improving quality of service, resolving tower power issues, timely rectification of fibre cuts, and adopting innovative, locally-suited sales & marketing strategies to strengthen BSNL's footprint," Pemmasani said on social media platform X. The government has pumped in over Rs .

BCCI kept out of RTI as amended sports bill targets funded bodies

In what can be construed as a relief to the BCCI, the Sports Ministry has amended the RTI-related provision of the National Sports Governance Bill, placing only those bodies under its ambit which rely on government grants and assistance. The bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on July 23 and its clause 15 (2) stated that "a recognised sports organisation shall be considered as a public authority under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 with respect to the exercise of its functions, duties and powers under this Act." The RTI has been a thorny issue for the BCCI, which has steadfastly opposed coming under it as the Board is not dependent on government funds unlike a majority of other National Sports Federations (NSFs). The amendment proposed in the bill effectively puts an end to that apprehension. "The amended clause defines public authority as an entity that is relying on government funds or assistance. With this amendment, there is a clear .

Govt proposes 2022-23 as new base year for GDP and IIP: Minister

The government has proposed 2022-23 as new base year for the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Index of Industrial Production (IIP), and 2024 for Consumer Price Index (CPI), Parliament was informed on Wednesday. "The Ministry is underway to revise the base year of GDP, IIP and CPI. The base year is revised periodically to better capture the structural changes happening in the economy by updating the methodology of compilation and incorporation of new data sources," Minister of State for Statistics & Programme Implementation said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. For the CPI, list of items and their respective weights derived from the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey of 2023-24 is used in the revised index. The Ministry has conducted its first Forward-Looking Survey on Private Corporate Sector CAPEX Investment Intentions from November 2024 to January 2025 and the findings of the survey have been published. The Ministry has also conducted a Pilot Study on Annual Survey of ...

Nitish Kumar announces domicile policy for Bihar teacher jobs before polls

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced a 'domicile policy' in the recruitment of government teachers. The CM, however, did not specify what percentage of recruitments was to be reserved for those born and raised in the state. The announcement came ahead of the assembly elections in the state, which are due this year. "The Education Department has been directed to make necessary amendments to the relevant rules to give priority to the residents (domicile) of Bihar in the recruitment of teachers," Kumar said in a post on X. "Since the formation of the government in November 2005, we have been continuously working to improve the education system. A large number of teachers have been appointed to strengthen the education system," he said. This will be implemented from the Teachers Recruitment Exam (TRE)-4, which will be conducted this year, while TRE-5 will be held in 2026, the chief minister said. Instructions have also been given to conduct Secondary Teachers Eligibi

Congress to observe Aug 5 as 'black day', demand J-K statehood restoration

The Congress will observe August 5 as a "black day" against the downgrading of Jammu and Kashmir from a state to a Union territory six years ago and will sit on a dharna to press for the restoration of statehood. On August 5, 2019, the Centre scrapped J&K's special status and bifurcated the state into two Union territories. The Congress is backed by the other members of the All Parties United Morcha, which was created with the aim of restoring statehood, for the protest on Wednesday. "The Congress party shall observe August 5 as a black day against the downgrading of the historical J&K state into a Union territory. All constituent members are fully supporting it together," chief spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, Ravinder Sharma, told reporters here. He said that a peaceful sit-in will be organised by the Congress supported by All Parties United Morcha near the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh at Tawi bridge in Jammu to press for the early ...

Over 790 mn ABHA accounts created, 650 mn health records linked: Centre

As of July 28, 2025, a total of 79.71 crore accounts for the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) have been created, and around 65.09 crore health records have been linked to it, Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav told the Lok Sabha on Friday. In a written reply, he stated that around 4.17 lakh health facilities have been registered in the Health Facility Registry (HFR), and approximately 6.76 lakh healthcare professionals are registered on it. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has been launched with an aim to create an online platform enabling the interoperability of health data within the health ecosystem to form a longitudinal electronic health record of every citizen, Jadhav said. He clarified that details regarding whether health facilities are located in urban or rural areas are not captured during the registration process of the HFR. Currently, there are 3,20,973 healthcare facilities equipped with ABDM-enabled software, and the number of districts hostin

Three new nano fertiliser plants to be set up by PSUs, firms: Govt

The government on Tuesday said three more nano fertiliser plants will be set up with a total production capacity of 17 crore bottles per annum by private and public fertiliser companies. Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Anupriya Patel, in her written reply to the Rajya Sabha, said the government is not directly involved in setting up of nano fertiliser plants across the country. Overall seven nano-urea plants have been set up by fertiliser companies with a total production capacity of all these nano-urea plants presently in operation at 27.22 crore bottles (500 ml each) per annum. Further, three nano DAP (Di Ammonium Phosphate) plants have been set up by fertilizer companies with a total production capacity of all these nano DAP plants presently in operation at 7.64 crore bottles (500 ml each) per annum. In addition to this, "PSUs and other fertilizer companies have intimated about setting up of 3 more nano fertilizer plants, with a total production capacity of 17 cr

3,438 SHGs formed to empower de-notified, nomadic communities: Govt

The Centre on Wednesday said it has formed 3,438 Self Help Groups (SHGs) with 46,067 members exclusively from de-notified, nomadic and semi-nomadic communities (DNTs) as part of its Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED). The scheme aims to improve access to education, healthcare, housing and livelihood for these historically marginalised groups. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment B L Verma said the SEED scheme was launched to empower the DNT communities through targeted interventions, including free coaching for education and job opportunities, distribution of Ayushman Bharat health cards, promotion of livelihood activities through SHGs and provision of housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (both rural and urban). To coordinate efforts for the welfare of these communities, the ministry has also set up the Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities ...

Govt seeks inputs from states, central ministries on 8th pay commission

The government has sought inputs from major stakeholders, including the Defence and Home ministries, the Department of Personnel and Training, as well as states, on setting up the 8th Central Pay Commission, Parliament was informed on Monday. In January, the Cabinet approved setting up the 8th Pay Commission to revise salaries of nearly 50 lakh central government employees and allowances of about 65 lakh pensioners. To a question on the reasons for not setting up the Commission even after six months, Minister of Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said: "Inputs have been sought from major stakeholders, including Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Personnel & Training and from States". The Chairperson and members of the 8th CPC will be appointed once the 8th Central Pay Commission is notified by the government, Chaudhary said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Asked when the revised pay scales will be implemented for the employees and pensioners, Chaudhary said: ...

Centre suggests six cuts in 'Udaipur Files', SC extends stay on release

The Centre on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it has suggested six cuts in the movie "Udaipur Files - Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder". "In personal opinion any further action than what has been recommended by the competent authority will be infringing Article 19. I have gone through the order," Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi. The top court asked Mehta to place the order on record. Senior advocate Gaurav Bhati, appearing for filmmakers, submitted the Centre was exercising its revisionary jurisdiction and recommended six cuts in film scenes and they have been complied with. Justice Kant told Bhatia that film producers would have to comply with the directions of cutting the scenes, unless they wished to challenge the order. Senior advocate Maneka Guruswamy, appearing for accused Mohd Javed, seeking the stay on the movie's release, said the interim stay should continue till the apex court decided the issue. The bench went

Govt agrees to 16-hour debate on Op Sindoor, Pahalgam attack in Lok Sabha

Government on Monday agreed to a 16-hour discussion on Operation Sindoor and Pahalgam terror attack in the Lok Sabha, and it is likely to be taken up next week, even as the opposition insisted that it should start this week itself and Prime Minister Narendra Modi must reply. At the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee, sources said government representatives noted that PM Modi is leaving on a foreign visit this week, and a debate when he is present in the House can be possible only next week. Opposition members protested that the government's agenda for this week did not mention their demand for a debate on the issue. They said the home minister and the defence minister should also be present. Some opposition members also called for a debate on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and the situation in Manipur. The Monsoon Session of Parliament began on Monday.