Page 7 - Indian Government

Need to create Indian model of women's empowerment: Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday stressed upon the need to establish a level playing field for women in all spheres and "Indian model of women empowerment" has to be created to ensure that women belong to all decision-making structures and life choices. The minister made the comments at the inauguration of a one-day workshop 'Shaping Academic Excellence for VIKSIT Bharat @2047' for women leaders. "The emerging new world order will be driven by knowledge and women are breaking glass ceilings, challenging gender roles and their participation is increasing in all spheres, including in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). It is important to establish a level playing field for women in all spheres," he said. "Indian model of women empowerment has to be created to ensure that women belong to all decision-making structures and life choices. As we move towards realising the goal of Viksit Bharat, Nari Shakti will assume more decision-making roles," h

Parliamentary committee recommends increasing assistance under PMAY-G

With the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin being extended till March 2029 with an aim to construct two crore additional homes, a Parliamentary standing committee has recommended the assistance provided under the scheme be suitably hiked. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, headed by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, pointed out that the assistance under the scheme had remained stagnant at Rs 1.2 lakh for a considerable period of time, often leading to cases in which the houses remained incomplete. In a report tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, the panel said the "Housing for All" vision might not achieve its target until the beneficiaries were provided "proper hand-holding" in terms of financial assistance of right value and at the right juncture. The report also highlighted that more than two lakh landless beneficiaries were still waiting to get land or assistance from state governments to construct homes, which might also cause delay

Govt consistently increased capex for infra development: MoS Finance

The Modi government has consistently increased its expenditure towards infrastructure building over the last 5 years and aims to achieve the Rs 11.11 lakh crore capex target set for the current fiscal, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said on Friday. The government's capital expenditure increased from over Rs 5 lakh crore in 2021-22 to Rs 11.11 lakh crore in 2024-25. "The focus of the Modi Government is on building infrastructure... India's road, air and rail connectivity has improved considerably over the last 10 years," Chaudhary told reporters here. He further said that keeping in mind the goal set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India a developed nation by 2047, the government has been making budget allocations and will continue to do so in the upcoming Budget for 2025-26. As per Niti Aayog's 'Vision for Viksit Bharat @ 2047' document, India should strive to elevate itself to high-income status by its centenary of independence. India must aim to become a

Working to assess safety of AI; job loss not intense in India: IT Secy

The IT ministry is working on a mechanism to assess safety and trust elements in artificial intelligence (AI) solutions but does not want to start with a regulation as it may hurt innovation in the AI space, a top official said on Thursday. Speaking at CII's Global Economic Policy Forum, Ministry of Electronics and IT Secretary S Krishnan said the government has broadly addressed key regulations barring a couple of the issues like copyright and existential crisis. He said under the IndiaAI mission, the government has tried to make a subtle distinction between responsible AI as defined by the West -- which is not expected to be regulated by the government -- and safe and trusted AI. "Safe and trusted AI is when you do the innovation, try and be responsible about it but there would be an assessment. We will try and see that it is safe and trusted in a manner that works for everybody. That is the other space that we are working on right now. We don't want to start with regulation, and

Railways Amendment Bill passed; won't lead to privatisation, says Vaishnaw

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to amend Railway laws with the government insisting that it will not lead to the national carrier's privatisation. Responding to a debate on the Railway Amendment bill, Railway Minister Ashiwni Vaishnaw said in the Lower House that a fake narrative was set afloat that the amendment would privatise railways. "Their (opposition) fake narrative on Constitution has failed... now this will also fall flat," he asserted. The Bill was passed by a voice vote after debate which could not be held earlier due to frequent disruptions of House proceedings during the last week. "A few members have said the Bill will lead to privatisation of railways, an attempt has been made to set a fake narrative. I want to appeal to them with all sincerity not to do this, their one fake narrative about the Constitution has already failed," Vaishnaw said. The Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 which seeks to enhance the functioning and independence of the Railway Board was

MCA offers e-adjudication, e-consultation to boost stakeholder confidence

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has introduced e-adjudication and e-consultation platforms to streamline legal proceedings and foster a more business-friendly regulatory environment, a senior official said on Wednesday. Addressing the ASSOCHAM-ACCA Global Summit on Responsible Corporate Governance and Sustainability Reporting, Anita Shah Akella, CEO of the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) and Joint Secretary at MCA, highlighted the government's commitment to balancing corporate integrity with economic dynamism. The introduction of e-adjudication and e-consultation platforms aims to simplify legal procedures, improve stakeholders' experience, and bolster India's ranking in the ease of doing business. "We are moving more towards an ease of doing business era, and an ease of exit of business doing era," she said. The corporate affairs ministry has decriminalised various offences under the Companies Act, 2013, marking a significant shift towards a ...

Light regulations will enable innovative radio content: I-B Secretary Jaju

Government is committed to advancing digital radio technology and its integration into the media ecosystem in the country, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Secretary Sanjay Jaju said on Wednesday. Speaking at a conference organised by the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), in collaboration with the Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI), Jaju said the government favoured light touch regulation which would enable innovative content creation in the country. "Light touch regulations will enable innovative content creation and deeper listener engagement, empowering India's creators. Radio derives its strength from localised content choice embracing diverse community interests and cultural preferences," he said. Jaju said technology adoption, even in far-flung areas must happen while developing an ecosystem to facilitate deployment of digital radio broadcasting in India. "As part of our efforts, we are set to roll out digital FM radio broadcasting

Bringing reforms to remove roadblocks in path of country's youth: PM Modi

The government is introducing reforms to remove roadblocks in the path of the country's youth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told young innovators on Wednesday, asserting that the future of the world will be driven by innovation and knowledge. Interacting with the innovators during the grand finale of the 'Smart India Hackathon (SIH)', the prime minister said the youth today is developing a feeling of ownership towards finding solutions for the country's challenges. "India's strength is its innovative youth and technology power. We have introduced a new National Education Policy to nurture a scientific mindset. The government is removing roadblocks in the path of the country's youth by introducing reforms," Modi said while addressing more than 1,300 student teams via video conferencing. "The future of the world will be driven by innovation and knowledge and India's youth today is developing a feeling of ownership towards finding solutions for the country's challenges," he added. The

Secure messaging apps big challenge to counter online radicalisation: Govt

The use of secured messaging applications like Signal, Telegram, Viber and the dark Web besides end-to-end encrypted WhatsApp by radical elements to connect with like-minded individuals is proving to be a "major challenge" for security agencies to counter online radicalisation, government said on Wednesday. Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said as the extensive use of cyber technology is the main tool for propagating radical ideology, cyberspace is being monitored ceaselessly. The minister said at present, apart from state police, the NIA is investigating 67 cases relating to online radicalisation. In these cases, 325 accused have been arrested, 336 accused have been charge-sheeted and 63 accused have been convicted so far. "Cyber patrolling is done on a regular basis to identify and monitor such content and entities which are targeting gullible/depressed/ alienated youth," the minister said. He said websites and accounts .

Labour ministry plans scheme to extend benefits to gig and platform workers

The Ministry of Labour & Employment is working on a scheme to provide various benefits like social security to gig and platform workers in the country, a senior official said on Wednesday. Addressing the CII Global Economic Policy Forum, Union Labour Secretary Sumita Dawra said the labour code on social security has outlined social security benefits for them. "We are putting together the scheme for the gig and platform economy workers because there is no traditional employer-employee relationship defined for the gig and platform workers but we need to bring social security coverage for them so that they can be more productive and support the country's economy and the e-commerce and services sector more effectively," she said. In October, Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that a policy for providing social security benefits like pension and health services to gig and platform workers is under process. He had also said that Niti Aayog has estimated 65 lakh gig and ...

Rural literacy rate up by 10 percentage points in last 10 yrs: Govt in LS

The literacy rate in rural India recorded a jump of more than 10 percentage points in the past decade, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday. It was also told that the literacy rate among women rose 14.50 percentage points during this period. The information was shared by Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary in response to a written question about government efforts, challenges and strategies in achieving 100 per cent rural literacy. According to the statistics shared by Chaudhary, rural India's literacy rate rose from 67.77 per cent in 2011 to 77.50 per cent in 2023-24 among individuals aged seven and above. Female literacy rose from 57.93 per cent to 70.40 per cent during this period. Male literacy improved from 77.15 per cent to 84.7 per cent. "In order to improve the literacy rate, including rural literacy among adults, the government of India has launched several centrally-sponsored schemes and programmes, such as the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Saakshar Bharat

Govt may bring 'One Nation One Election' Bill in ongoing winter session

The government is keen on holding wider consultations on bills it proposes to bring for implementing its 'one nation, one election' plan, sources said on Monday. Though the proposed legislation or set of legislations has not yet been approved by the Union Cabinet, the government may bring it as early as the ongoing Winter session of Parliament, they noted. The sources said once the bill or bills are introduced in Parliament, the government would like to refer the measures to a joint committee of the two Houses for wider consultations. The government is also keen to consult all the Speakers of various state legislative assemblies through committees. In September, sources had said that the government is likely to bring three bills, including two to amend the Constitution, to put in place its plan to hold simultaneous elections. Moving ahead with its one nation, one election' plan, the government in September accepted the recommendations of the high-level committee for holding ...

Centre should resolve farmers' issues without delay: Punjab Speaker

Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Monday slammed the Centre, accusing it of being "indifferent" to the genuine demands of farmers and leaving them "high and dry on the roads". Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to open channels of communication with the protesting farmers, Sandhwan stressed that the Centre must take decisive action and resolve the farmers' issues without dragging its feet. "It was a bitter pill for Punjab's farmers to swallow, being left high and dry on the roads, while the Union government remained indifferent," said Sandhwan in a statement. He said in other countries, including those in Europe, farmers can take their issues straight to their parliaments, whereas Indian farmers are given "the cold shoulder" when they raise valid concerns. The Speaker reminded the Centre that the country's farmers not only put food on the table for millions but also serve as the backbone of India's trade, industry, and economy by producing a variety of crops. He ca

Rajnath Singh attends commissioning ceremony of INS Tushil in Russia

The ships construction was closely monitored by an Indian team of specialists from the Warship Overseeing Team stationed at Kaliningrad, under the aegis of the Indian Embassy in Moscow

Farmers suspend foot march to Delhi for the day after some suffer injuries

Protesting farmers on Sunday afternoon suspended their foot march to Delhi for the day after some of them suffered injuries in tear gas shelling by Haryana security personnel here along the state's border with Punjab. Farmer leader from Punjab Sarwan Singh Pandher said at least eight farmers were injured and one of them was rushed to the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh. "We have called back the 'jatha' (group of 101 farmers)," he told reporters here. Pandher said the farmers would decide their next course of action after a meeting of their forums -- the Samyuka Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. The 'jatha' resumed its foot march from the farmers' Shambhu protest site earlier in the afternoon but was soon halted by multilayered barricading erected by Haryana security personnel. Tear gas shells were lobbed at the protesting farmers and water jets were used as well to disperse them after they reached the ...

Upgrading India's auditing standards will boost credibility: NFRA chief

Aligning India's auditing with global standards will help boost investors' confidence, attract more funds and ensure greater credibility to the financial data, National Financial Reporting Authority's chief Ajay Bhushan Prasad Pandey has said. He also asserted that the country cannot have "inferior standards" when the pursuit is to become a "Viksit Bharat". NFRA was constituted under the company's law in October 2018. The watchdog has passed more than 80 orders. In a recent interview, Pandey told PTI that there are certain gaps in existing auditing standards and that internationally, many standards were updated to address loopholes that had led to various scams. "In India, we are yet to update the standards in various areas. In the last 20 years, many of these standards are there in most parts of the world. We want to become Viksit Bharat, and our standards should also be aligned with global standards. We cannot have inferior standards," the NFRA Chairperson said. According to him

India set to become $30 trillion-economy by 2047: Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has asserted that India will become a USD 30 trillion-economy by 2047. Delivering a lecture at the concluding function of XLRI-School of Management's year-long platinum jubilee celebration here on Saturday, Pradhan said that India, the fastest-growing global economy, is currently in the fifth position and will bag the third spot in the next three years. "The world didn't even count India on the economic front when XLRI came into being 75 years ago. Today, we are the fastest-growing economy and fifth-largest economy in the world, with a size of US 3 trillion. We will be the third-largest economy in the next three years at USD 5 trillion. Our economy will grow to USD 30 trillion by 2047," he said. "We have to be wealth creators, job creators. We have the potential to create millions of jobs. The world is looking at India for digital public infrastructure... 46 per cent of digital transactions in the world take place in our country. We have .

Akhilesh Yadav slams Union govt over reports of GST hike on various items

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday attacked the BJP government at the Centre on reports that the GST on several items might be hiked, saying the BJP plans to "increase corruption" instead of increasing revenue. In a post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "BJP was saying 'one country, one tax' but this statement of theirs also turned out to be a 'jumlaai jhoot' (rhetoric) because now they are bringing new slabs of tax." "When there is 'one tax, many slabs' then the slogan of 'one tax' has proved to be a lie in the true sense. Actually, there is a big game behind increasing the tax rates. This is the BJP's plan to increase corruption instead of increasing revenue to do 'vasuli' (extort money) from shopkeepers and businessmen through the officials by exerting more pressure on them," he charged. His remarks come after reports that the GoM on GST rate rationalisation has suggested tax rate on sin goods like aerated beverages, cigarettes, tobacco and ..

Not only India but idea of Nehru itself needs to be defended: Jairam Ramesh

Both detractors and admirers of Jawaharlal Nehru are living in his shadow and, since 2014, the story is one of governance through maximum criticism of the country's first prime minister, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday. Speaking at the launch of writer-scholar Aditya Mukherjee's "Nehru's India", the Congress general secretary said one of the biggest takeaways from the book was that "not only the idea of India but the idea of Nehru itself needs to be defended". "...needs to be defended from its old critics, from its new critics, and it has to be reinterpreted for a changing India. I just want to say that we all live in the shadow of Nehru. Many of us have assimilated Nehru and many of us contest Nehru. And even those who contest Nehru cannot run away from the shadow of Nehru," the Rajya Sabha MP said. The book, published by Penguin, focuses on Nehru's understanding of history and India's cultural past while offering a window into his understanding of communalis

6 million new job cards issued under MGNREGS every year, Centre tells LS

Sixty lakh new job cards are issued under the MGNREGS on average every year and the government has no role in the deletion of the job cards which is done based on various parameters, the Centre said on Tuesday. Minister of State for Rural Development Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani told the Lok Sabha that 57 per cent of the rural development budget is allocated for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and asserted that Aadhaar-seeding of the cards enhances transparency. He was responding to Congress leader K C Venugopal, who claimed that the names of 10.43 crore MGNREGS workers have been deleted in the last four years. Venugopal also wanted to know whether the deletions were linked to the Aadhaar-seeding requirement. "Ninety-nine per cent of all job card holders have Aadhaar seeding. Aadhaar seeding is nothing but to increase transparency. It is not an obstacle," the minister said during the Question Hour. According to Pemmasani, the deletion of job car