Page 4 - Government

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.

Govt approves restructuring of boards at NTPC arms THDC India, NEEPCO

The government has approved the restructuring of the boards of THDC India and NEEPCO, both arms of state-owned power giant NTPC. The Ministry of Power (MoP) had proposed the appointment of a non-executive chairperson and the re-designation of the post of CMD to Managing Directors (MD) on the board of NEEPCO and THDCIL, as per an official document. After restructuring, the CMD of NTPC shall be the non-executive Chairperson of North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) and THDCIL, while the MDs at THDCIL and NEEPCO shall be appointed as per the extant Department of Public Enterprises guidelines, through the Public Enterprises Selection Board and Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. There will be no post of Director (Technical), Director (Finance) and Director (Personnel) at the two entities now, according to the notification dated July 18. As the post of Director (Finance) for NEEPCO and THDCIL is proposed to be abolished, the Director (Finance) of NTPC should be present in

Cabinet Secretary urges senior officials to be more accessible to public

Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan has flagged the "perceived reluctance" among several senior central government officials to give appointments to people, saying such interactions can give insights into ground realities, and clarify misunderstandings about government policies or intentions. In a letter to the secretaries of all central government ministries and departments, the country's top bureaucrat also said that such meetings should be held in offices and not clubs or hotels. Somanathan said people from various sections of society have told him that there is a "perceived reluctance" among several secretaries of the central government and other senior officers to give appointments to people other than officials, who may wish to meet with them in connection with the work of their ministries. He said the work of the government is such that it affects or benefits many people and organisations. "Meeting visitors can give insights into the actual state of affairs in the field, help .

FM Sitharaman hails Meghalaya's growth, praises full use of SASCI funds

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday praised Meghalaya's progress under Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, calling the state a model of effective and purposeful development. She highlighted the state's exemplary utilisation of its entire allocation of Rs 5,400 crore under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI), setting an example for other states to follow. Speaking at a programme, Sitharaman said, "While some states are unable to fully utilise their shares, Meghalaya has effectively used its entire allocation to build capital assets. I will put on record my appreciation of Meghalaya's efforts." She reaffirmed the Centre's commitment to the Northeastern region, adding, "The government looks at the region as one to empower, act, strengthen and transform." The FM also pointed out key development achievements in the state, including the construction of over 540 km of roads and a five-fold increase in optical fibre coverage since 2014. She praised

Edible oil body SEA urges govt to allow coconut oil imports as prices surge

Solvent Extractors Association (SEA) on Friday urged the government to allow short-term imports of coconut oil and copra to tackle domestic price volatility, as coconut oil prices have tripled in the past year. The industry body requested that the government take urgent action by permitting imports for an interim period of 6-12 months to manage the current crisis and retain consumer interest in coconut oil. "We request the government to take urgent actions to address this situation by allowing the import of copra and coconut oil for the interim period," SEA said in a representation to concerned ministries. Coconut oil prices have surged to over Rs 400 per kg at the wholesale level from around Rs 130 a year ago, prompting consumers to shift to alternative oils like palm and sunflower. The association said India's coconut production has been under stress for two years due to pest attacks, resulting in a 40 per cent drop in yields. "This demand for coconut oil may shift permanently,"

ExxonMobil discovers new offshore natural gas reservoir near Cyprus

Drilling resulted in preliminary indications of 350 metres of a gas-bearing reservoir at a depth of 1.9 kilometres (1.2 miles) in the Pegasus-1 well, spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said

Only 54% villages verified as 'ODF plus model' despite 80% coverage: Govt

While 80 per cent of villages targeted under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G) are open defecation free and have solid and liquid waste managements systems in place, only 54 per cent are officially verified, a government review found. The data was presented at the National Rural Sanitation Workshop held in New Delhi on Wednesday. The review also showed that grey water management has reached 91 per cent national coverage, with more than 20 states and Union territories crossing the 95 per cent mark. Solid waste management stands at 87 per cent, while plastic waste management has achieved 70 per cent block-level coverage though concerns about functional sustainability remain. According to official data presented, 80 per cent of targeted villages have achieved ODF Plus Model status, while only 54 per cent have been verified. ODF Plus Model village has a sustained open defecation free status, has arrangements for solid waste management liquid waste management and observes visua

Govt proposes mandatory towing vessel at all ports for emergencies

Against the backdrop of recent shipping disasters, the Directorate General of Shipping has proposed to make it mandatory for all Indian ports, whether major or non-major, handling 10 million metric tonnes (MMT) or more of cargo annually to designate at least one tug or towing vessel for emergency response. India has witnessed serious maritime incidents along its coastline that exposed vulnerabilities in the current emergency response framework. The sinking of container ship MSC ELSA 3 in May 2025 and major fire and explosion of container ship WAN HAI 503 in June 2025, off the coast of Kerala, led to falling of several containers in waters and the release of hazardous cargo and significant environmental risk. "In view of the challenges and urgent need enumerated above and to meet the requirements of Central/State/District/Port Disaster Management, the Directorate General of Shipping hereby mandates that all Indian portswhether Major or Non-major, Public or Privatehandling 10 million

International Day against Drug Abuse: Govt to launch campaigns on June 26

World Drug Day 2025:The government will commemorate the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26. Govt will run nationwide campaigns to spread awareness

India plans global partnerships, investments to counter copper supply risk

New Delhi is also considering measures to help boost domestic refined copper output, including through foreign investment, the sources and the document said

Cabinet approves ₹5,940 cr revised Jharia Master Plan to deal with fire

The government on Wednesday approved the Rs 5,940-crore revised Jharia Master Plan (JMP) to deal with fire and rehabilitation of affected families. The decision in this regard was taken during the Cabinet meeting under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The total financial outlay for the implementation of the revised plan is Rs 5,940.47 crore. The revised JMP lays a much stronger emphasis on sustainable livelihood generation for families being resettled under the plan. Targeted skill development programmes are to be undertaken and income-generating opportunities will be created to ensure economic self-reliance of the rehabilitated families. The Jharia Master Plan for dealing with fire, subsidence and rehabilitation in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district was approved by the Centre in August 2009, with an implementation period of 10 years and a pre-implementation period of two years with an estimated investment of Rs 7,112.11 crore. The plan expired in 2021.

Kharif paddy sowing up 58% to 1.3 million hectare till Jun 20: Govt

Paddy sowing so far this Kharif season is higher by 58 per cent at 13.22 lakh hectares, according to the government data. Sowing of paddy stood at 8.37 lakh hectares in the same period last year. The Department of Agriculture has released progress of area coverage under kharif crops (summer-sown) as on June 20, 2025, an official statement said on Monday. The acreage of pulses has increased to 9.44 lakh hectare from 6.63 lakh hectare. Sowing of Shri Anna cum Coarse cereals rose to 18.03 lakh hectare over 14.77 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. In the non-foodgrains category, the acreage of oilseeds is down at 5.38 lakh tonnes against 5.89 lakh hectares in the same period last year. Sugarcane sowing is also slightly higher so far at 55.07 lakh hectare against 54.88 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. Area under cotton is higher at 31.25 lakh hectare from 29.12 lakh hectare. Total sowing area of all kharif crops has risen to 137.84 lakh hectare till June 20, 2025, from 124.88

Dutch govt recommends children under 15 stay off TikTok, Instagram

The Dutch government advised parents on Tuesday not to have children under 15 use social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, citing psychological and physical problems among children using them, including panic attacks, depression and difficulties sleeping. The Ministry of Health also encouraged parents to limit how long their children spend using electronic devices, keep phones and laptops out of bedrooms, and have 20 minutes of screentime followed by two hours of outside play. The advisory gives children the time to further develop digital resilience and media literacy, Vincent Karremans, caretaker deputy minister for youth and sport, said in a letter to parliament. Karremans is one of several ministers who remained on after the Dutch government collapsed earlier this month pending October elections. Both TikTok and Instagram require users to be at least 13 years of age. The guidelines, which are not legally binding, distinguish between social media sites like TikTok an

Paddy sowing rises 13% to 4.53 lakh hectare till June 13: Govt data

Paddy sowing so far this Kharif season is higher by 13 per cent at 4.53 lakh hectares, according to the government data. Sowing of paddy stood at 4 lakh hectares in the same period last year. The Department of Agriculture has released progress of area coverage under kharif crops (summer-sown) as on June 13, 2025, according to an official statement on Tuesday. The acreage of pulses has also increased to 3.07 lakh hectare from 2.6 lakh hectare. Sowing of Shri Anna cum Coarse cereals remained flat at 5.89 lakh hectare so far this kharif season as against 5.9 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. In the non-foodgrains category, the acreage of oilseeds has risen to 2.05 lakh hectares so far from 1.5 lakh hectare in the same period last year. Sugarcane sowing is also slightly higher so far at 55.07 lakh hectare against 54.88 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. Area under cotton is marginally lower at 13.19 lakh hectare from 13.28 lakh hectare. Total sowing area of all kharif crops h

Govt panel meets to probe Air India crash, assess possible causes

A high-level multi-disciplinary committee, set up by the government to look into the Ahmedabad plane crash, on Monday deliberated on various possible theories that could have led to the country's worst air disaster in decades. The panel, chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, listened to the opinions of various stakeholders about the possible causes of the aircrash and deliberated on steps to be taken to check future occurrence of any such accident, sources said. In the first meeting of the panel here, the sources said, the focus of the participants was to analyse the possible causes of the aircrash and how to go about in "formulating Standard Operating Procedures for preventing such occurrences in the future". Since a separate investigation is also being carried out by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is looking into the technical aspects of the crash, the panel discussed about the possible causes and lesson to be taken from it, the sources said. Civ

Nabard gets approval to raise ₹19.5K cr via deep-discount zero-coupon bonds

Nabard can raise funds via these deep-discount zero-coupon bonds, which mature in 10 years, 11 months, and 13 days, until the end of March 2027, a government document showed on Friday

India's rice stocks hit record high, wheat reserves strongest in 4 years

Record rice stocks will help the world's biggest exporter increase shipments, while an improvement in wheat inventories will help the federal government tame any price spikes later this year

Assam govt to intensify drive to identify illegal foreigners: CM Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the state government would enforce a 1950 law to identify and evict illegal foreigners. He claimed that the law empowers the district commissioners to declare individuals as illegal immigrants and initiate eviction proceedings. Speaking during a special day-long Assembly session, he alleged that Congress does not value 'citizenship', as out of four family members of one of its leaders, three are foreigners. It was an apparent jibe at the opposition party's state president Gaurav Gogoi, who was seated at the visitors gallery of the Assembly in front of the treasury bench, whom the chief minister had been targeting for his alleged Pakistan links through his British wife. Sarma, replying to issues of detection and deportation of foreigners, said the state government will implement the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, for the purpose. It allows the district commissioner to declare illegal foreigners and evict them. S

'New chapter': Govt launches UMEED portal for Waqf property management

The government on Friday launched the UMEED portal that would create a digital inventory after geo-tagging of all Waqf properties with Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju calling it a historic step that would ensure that community-owned Waqf assets are utilised effectively and fairly for poor Muslims. The UMEED central portal, short for Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 will serve as a centralised digital platform for real-time uploading, verification, and monitoring of Waqf properties. "The UMEED portal will add a new chapter in the history of Waqf property management and administration in India. It will not only bring transparency but will also help the common Muslims, particularly women and children," Rijiju said after launching the UMEED central portal. The portal, developed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, was officially inaugurated in the presence of Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian. Calling it a histor