Page 6 - Indian Government

Over 620k applicants for 127k opportunities under PM Internship Scheme

About 6.21 lakh applications have been received for 1.27 lakh opportunities under the Prime Minister's Internship Scheme and the selection process is continuing, the government said on Sunday. The scheme, announced in the 2024 Union Budget, aims to provide internship opportunities to 1 crore youth in top-500 companies over five years. A pilot project of the scheme, started on October 3, aims to provide 1.25 lakh internship opportunities during 2024-25. In a release on Sunday, the corporate affairs ministry said approximately 6.21 lakh applications have been received against 1.27 lakh internship opportunities. "The selection process for internship is ongoing." Partner companies have posted about 1.27 lakh internship opportunities on the internship scheme portal. About 4.87 lakh individuals have completed their KYC and registered themselves on the portal, the release said. Under the scheme, interns will be provided a monthly financial assistance of Rs 5,000 for 12 months and a one-

Year of judicial milestones: Landmark SC verdicts, policy shifts in 2024

From taking a strong stance against 'bulldozer justice' to overruling past judgment on legislative immunity for bribery, the top court set several precedents during the year to uphold the constitution

8 in 10 app taxi users report dark patterns like bait-and-switch, others

4 in 10 app taxi users also confirm experiencing drip pricing, according to the survey, which said price manipulation based on user information was experienced by the consumers

Prez Murmu confers Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar on 17 children

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday presented the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar to 17 children from , recognising their exceptional courage and outstanding achievements in various fields, including art, culture and sports. The award honours extraordinary accomplishments in seven categories: art and culture, bravery, innovation, science and technology, social service, sports and environment. The honourees -- seven boys and 10 girls selected from 14 states and Union territories -- were presented with a medal, certificate and a citation booklet as part of their recognition. Among them was Keya Hatkar, a 14-year-old author and disability advocate who was recognised for her excellence in art and culture. Despite living with spinal muscular atrophy, she has become a bestselling author and founded initiatives like "IM POSSIBLE" and "SMA-ART", which promote inclusivity and disability awareness. Ayaan Sajad, a 12-year-old Sufi singer from Kashmir, was honoured for his soulful ...

Arunish Chawla named revenue secy, Vineet Joshi to be higher education secy

Chawla, a 1992 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Bihar cadre, is currently the pharmaceuticals secretary

Adopt 'nation first' mindset to counter inimical forces, says V-P Dhankar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday stressed on the need for citizens to adopt a "nation first" mindset to counteract forces, both internal and external, that struggle to accept India's rapid progress. Dhankhar, who was speaking at a convention of organic farmers in Medak district of Telangana, also underscored that dialogue is the only way to address problems in a democracy. "Today, I see that farmers are worried about certain issues. If any section of society is worried, it is necessary to resolve it positively and without delay. In a democracy, the only way to resolve issues is through dialogue. I have said on numerous occasions that dialogue is the only way to find solutions to problems in a democracy," he said. Dhankhar added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi while speaking at international forums, has also advocated for dialogue. The conflagrations that are seen in the world are ended only through dialogue." Dhankhar stressed that every Indian must maintain an ...

EAM Jaishankar to visit US from Dec 24-29 for key bilateral talks

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay a six-day visit to the US beginning Tuesday. It will be the first high-level visit from India to the US after Donald Trump won the presidential election. "External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit the United States of America from December 24-29," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. "He will be meeting counterparts to discuss key bilateral, regional and global issues," it said in a brief statement. The MEA said Jaishankar will also chair a conference of the Consul Generals of India in the US.

Jitendra Singh to inaugurate National Workshop on Good Governance practices

Union Minister Jitendra Singh will inaugurate the National Workshop on 'Good Governance' practices tomorrow in New Delhi.The workshop will take place at Bhim Auditorium, Ambedkar International Centre.According to a statement from the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, the minister will also inaugurate an exhibition showcasing the best practices of the Swachhata Campaign 4.0, curated by various ministries, and release the assessment report.The technical sessions will feature addresses by the Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH), Secretary of Posts, Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Secretary of the Railway Board, Director General of the National Informatics Centre (NIC), and Director General of the National Archives of India (NAI).The workshop will see participation from 750 officials representing all ministries. This marks the fourth National Workshop on Good Governance Practices organised by the Department of ...

Govt to infuse Rs 500 cr capital in IFCI to improve financial health

The government has decided to infuse Rs 500 crore capital in state-owned IFCI to improve its financial health ahead of the company's proposed restructuring and consolidation into a group. With the infusion, the government of India's holding in the company is expected to further increase from existing 71.72 per cent as on September 2024. The capital infusion plan for IFCI was approved through the passage of the first Supplementary Demand for Grants for 2024-25 in Lok Sabha last week. The Supplementary Demand for Grants for 2024-25 made an allocation for an additional amount of Rs 499.99 crore for 'Subscription to the Share Capital of Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI). "Taking into account savings of Rs 50.07 crore available in the same section of the grant, the remaining amount of Rs 449.92 crore will be met from surrender of savings available in the capital section of Demand No.30-DEA and it will not entail any additional cash outgo," the Supplementary Demand for Grant

Parl winter session: 39-member House panel set up to scrutinise ONOE Bills

The committee will have 27 members from the Lok Sabha and 12 from the Rajya Sabha

Govt exploring the possibility of setting up dedicated space parks

Move may be key to achieving Centre's goal of $11 billion space-related export by 2033

Total 2,200 cases of violence against Hindus, minorities in B'desh: Govt

A total of 2,200 cases of violence against Hindus and other minorities have been reported in Bangladesh this year till December 8, and India's expectation is Dhaka will take necessary measures to ensure their safety, the government said on Friday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh gave the information in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha, citing data from minority and human rights organisations. In Pakistan, the number of cases of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan this year stood at "112 till October 2024," the MoS said. The corresponding figures for 2022 were 47 in Bangladesh and 241 in Pakistan, while in 2023 the figures were 302 in Bangladesh and 103 in Pakistan, according to the data he shared. The minister said the Indian government has urged "Pakistan to take steps to prevent religious intolerance, sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on minority communities and ensure their safety, security, and ...

LinkedIn appeals corporate ministry's order for SBO norms violation

A LinkedIn India spokesperson confirmed the development in response to an email query by Business Standard

Blocked over 669,000 SIM cards to combat cybercrime: Govt tells Rajya Sabha

As part of its ongoing efforts to combat cybercrime, the government has blocked over 6.69 lakh SIM cards and 1,32,000 IMEI numbers till November 15, 2024. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur said this initiative is part of a broader strategy to tackle cybercrime, with a focus on improving the capabilities of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and judicial officers. In a related development, the Ministry of Home Affairs has launched the 'CyTrain' platform, an online Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) aimed at building the capacity of police and judicial officers. The platform, developed under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), offers courses on cyber-crime investigation, forensics, and prosecution. To date, more than 98,698 police officers from various states and Union Territories (UTs) have registered on the platform, with over 75,591 certificates issued. The government has also provided Rs 131.60

Blocked 18 OTT platforms for publishing obscene, vulgar content: Govt in LS

Government blocked 18 OTT platforms this year for publishing obscene and vulgar content, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In a reply to a question by Shiv Sena-UBT member Anil Desai, Murugan said the IT Rules of 2021 cast specific due diligence obligations on intermediaries to make reasonable efforts by themselves against displaying or spreading obscene or pornographic content. The Rules also provide for a Code of Ethics for publishers of news and current affairs on digital media and publishers of online curated content (OTT platforms). "The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has taken action in coordination with various intermediaries, and blocked 18 OTT platforms on 14th March, 2024 for publishing obscene, vulgar, and, in some instances, pornographic content under these provisions," Murugan said. In a reply to a separate question, Murugan said the Code of Ethics for digital news publishers requires such publishers

House panel flags concerns over lapses in tackling atrocities against SCs

A parliamentary panel has raised concerns over the failure of several states to establish the necessary mechanisms to effectively address cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs). Highlighting persistent systemic gaps, the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment recommended that the central government should actively pursue the state governments to implement and strengthen the machinery required under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. In its report tabled in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the committee noted that despite the absence of financial constraints at the central level, many states were not utilising available funds or taking necessary actions to address these issues. The committee underscored that tackling atrocities against SCs requires "sincere and coordinated" efforts by state governments, supported by central resources. The report also emphasised broader challen

Centre grants approval for 47 ethanol projects in Bihar for loan subsidies

A total of 47 projects from Bihar have been issued in-principle approvals for interest subvention on bank loans for establishing new or expanding existing distilleries, the government said on Wednesday. Currently, 22 ethanol distilleries - 8 molasses-based and 14 grain-based - are operational in Bihar, Minister of State for Food Nimuben Jayatibhai Bambhaniya said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. The government is implementing the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme nationwide, with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) selling petrol blended with ethanol. Under the programme, the government has set a target of 20 per cent ethanol blending with petrol by 2025-26. To boost ethanol production capacity and meet blending targets, the Centre has introduced various Ethanol Interest Subvention Schemes from 2018 to 2022. Under these schemes, 47 projects from Bihar have received in-principle approvals, she said. For each Ethanol Supply Year (ESY), OMCs invite bids from distilleries for etha

SJM dubs proposal to introduce 35% GST on 'sin goods' as bad idea

Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has dubbed the proposal to introduce 35 per cent GST on "sin goods" like aerated beverages and tobacco products as a "bad idea" as it would lead to smuggling and loss of revenue for the country. Besides, other bodies like All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) and Indian Sellers Collective -- an umbrella body of trade associations and sellers across the country -- have raised concerns on the recommendations of the GoM on GST rate rationalisation. Earlier this month, the Group of Ministers (GoM) recommended a special rate of 35 per cent on sin goods like aerated beverages, cigarettes, tobacco and related products. The GoM headed by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary also suggested rationalisation of tax rates on apparel. "Another slab in GST, in the name of luxury and sin goods is primarily a bad idea, which will defeat the very efficiency principle of taxation. Already, a need is being felt among economists that the present

Looking to automate highway construction on pilot basis, says Morth

AIMC provides a repository of digitised construction data, high adherence to design specifications, better transparency and others

No timeline fixed for Virtual Digital Assets regulation, says MoS Finance

The Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary today informed the Lok Sabha that the government does not register cryptocurrency exchanges and global cooperation key to regulating cryptocurrency