Page 16 - Niti Aayog

NITI Aayog to use private investment route to set up nuclear reactors

NITI Aayog has pitched for establishing attractive financing frameworks such as blending finances and green bonds to attract private sector investment in setting up small modular reactors (SMR) to decarbonise India's energy sector. The Aayog in a report titled 'The Role of Small Modular Reactors in Energy Transition' further suggested that availability of low-cost finance, green finance and incorporation of nuclear into green taxonomy can improve the economics of SMR projects. "De-risking SMR projects and establishing attractive financing frameworks such as blending finance, green bonds, etc. is pivotal for incentivising private investors," it said. According to the report, it has been observed that venture capital is a poor fit for the "hard" SMR sector. As per the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors with a power generation capacity ranging from less than 30 MWe to 300+ MWe. "Hence, the public and private sectors must work together to

Mamata to participate in May 27 NITI Aayog meeting to put state issues

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she would participate in the Niti Aayog meeting scheduled in New Delhi on May 27, and highlight the issues the state has been facing. Banerjee also claimed that the erstwhile Planning Commission gave states a platform to speak and resolve issues, but now the Centre "decides the agenda" to discuss at Niti Aayog meetings. I will participate (in the meeting). There is no other platform to highlight the issues of the state even if I am allowed to speak only at the end," she said. "They will maybe let me speak after sunset and after everyone. Still, I will go. I have been escalating several matters related to West Bengal, and I will highlight those, the CM said.

Employers must consider increasing maternity leave to 9 months: NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog member V K Paul on Monday said that both the private and public sectors should consider enhancing the the maternity leave for women workers from six months to nine months. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was passed by the Parliament in 2017 entitling paid maternity leave of 26 weeks, up from earlier 12 weeks. "Both private and public sector need to sit together to think about increasing the maternity leave of the mothers from present six months to nine months," FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) said in a statement quoting Paul. According to the statement, Paul said the private sector should help the NITI Aayog to design the comprehensive care of the children by opening more creches for children for better upbringing as well as doing the needful for the elderly care . "As millions of care workers will be needed in future, we have to develop systematic soft and hard skilling training," Paul added. FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) president Sudha Shivkumar said t

The Ashok Hotel divestment: 1956-built hotel to undergo a structural audit

Ashok's divestment has drawn interest from all the big hospitality players, including Taj Hotels, Hilton, DLF, JLL, Brookfield-backed HLV Ltd and Wyndham Hotels

India needs to be competitive for overseas market for milk: NITI Aayog

India has already emerged as the largest milk-producing nation in the world, and if it has to capture overseas markets for its surplus milk, then the country must be export competitive, Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand has said. Chand in a working paper further said India's dairy industry has been opposing any free trade agreement that involves liberalisation of trade (import) in dairy products. "However, if we have to capture overseas markets for disposal of the future surplus of milk in the country then we must be export competitive. "Being export competitive requires higher competitiveness than competing with imports," he said. According to Chand, a country cannot be export competitive if it is unable to compete with imports and this issue is crucial for the future growth of the dairy industry in India. While noting that the dairy industry must prepare for channelising some domestic production to overseas markets, he suggested that it is better if it is done after processing vari

Indian drug regulation standards should be at par with world: NITI Aayog

The NITI Aayog has recommended that Indian standards of drug regulation should be on par with global standards as well as aligned with the International Council for Harmonisation guidelines while promoting ease of doing business. The apex public policy think tank of the central government also suggested creating a separate authority to regulate medical devices in the country which is currently being monitored by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). The recommendations have been made during the ongoing inter ministerial consultation on the New Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Bill, 2023. The draft New Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Bill, 2023, which seeks to replace the existing Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940, was put up on public domain in July last year seeking feedback from stakeholders. It has been revised and sent for inter-ministerial consultation. On clinical trials, the NITI Aayog said the draft bill should reflect the intent of overcoming the hesitancy

Going green: Electric vehicle sales cross the 1 million mark in FY23

Electric two-wheeler segment leads the way with 61 per cent share in total EV sales

How reward-driven are top-level appointments to World Bank and IMF?

Opinion is divided on the issue, with one section of experts and seasoned politicians claiming meritocracy isn't always at play, while another puts the choice down to plain pragmatism

Niti Aayog and health ministry planning Ayushman 2.0, middle class in focus

The scheme is also exploring options to get a partial contribution or a top-up from individuals covered under the scheme

Govt planning to set up index to track states on their digital initiatives

The index will establish better coordination among states for learning from each other's work in the domain

Electric two-wheeler companies pencil in slow sales growth for FY24

For FY23, SMEV's projection was close to that of the government as it expected sales to be over 1 million

NITI Aayog's AIM join hands with Australia's science agency CSIRO

NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission and Australia's national science agency Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have joined hands to encourage cooperation on innovations in areas of national challenges and shared priorities, an official statement said on Saturday. The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and CSIRO have signed a letter of intent to drive innovation activities in areas of national challenges and shared priorities of both countries, the statement said. The move came after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during his visit to India met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 10th March. The meeting between the two prime ministers spanned across areas of mutual interest and explored avenues of strengthening bilateral engagement in a range of key areas with innovation as one key item, it added. The statement said the letter of intent between AIM and CSIRO calls for a greater collaboration in areas of mutual interest and strategic

NITI Aayog proposes to make 'gaushalas' self-sustaining entities

The report says 73% of gaushalas sought support from individuals, and 50% didn't have a sustainable revenue model

NITI Aayog panel pitches for capital aid for gaushalas, markets cow dung

A NITI Aayog panel on Friday suggested that gaushalas should be helped through capital assistance and marketing of cow dung and cow urine-based formulations for application in agriculture. Besides, the task force, headed by NITI Aayog Member Ramesh Chand, has proposed setting up a portal for online registration of all gaushalas. The report titled 'Production and Promotion of Organic and Bio Fertilisers with Special Focus on Improving Economic Viability of Gaushalas' said that gaushalas should be liberally financed for making capital investment and working expenses at concessional rates of interest. All grants should be linked to the number of cows, it added. According to the report, a portal like Darpan portal of NITI Aayog should be created for online registration of all gaushalas, which will then be eligible to get support from the animal welfare board. Specific policy measures and support is required to encourage the commercial production, packaging, marketing and distribution

Keeping tabs: Centre mulls cybersecurity test for public CCTV buys

Railways seeks Niti Aayog intervention, citing national security

Chintan shivir on drugs to diagnose and treat issues of trust, quality

Proposals to be discussed at Hyderabad conclave include having a centralised drug registration system under CDSCO

'Go getter' in the thinktank: Meet BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog

The 1987 batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre took over as the commerce secretary at a time when India was still grappling with the second wave of Covid-19

Dipam calls for key meeting on Wednesday to mull Concor divestment

Sources say officials from Railways, Concor, Niti Aayog, finance and law ministries expected to take final call on pending issues regarding transfer of land to private player post disinvestment

India's economy to grow at 6% in 2023-24: Former NITI Aayog VC Rajiv Kumar

India is likely to clock 6 per cent growth rate next fiscal and the country can persevere with a high growth rate because of several reforms undertaken during the last eight years by the Narendra Modi government, former Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Sunday. Kumar further said major risks going forward will emerge from a synchronized downturn in the North American and European economies. "India has a good opportunity to persevere with a high growth rate because of the reforms undertaken during the last eight years. We will manage to grow at 6 per cent in 2023-24," he told PTI in an interview. According to Kumar, there are several downside risks, especially in the context of an uncertain global situation. "These will have to be tackled through careful policy measures designed to support our export efforts and at the same time improve the flow of private investment both from domestic sources as well as from foreign sources," he said. The Reserve Bank has projected Indi

Digital competition law panel to hold first meeting on February 22

The MCA secretary is also expected to nominate certain members to take part in the committee discussions including technology experts