Cabinet

The government is working on a new law to govern the space sector which has witnessed reforms over the past four years with private players making a mark in building and launching satellites, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday. Singh said India's maiden human spaceflight programme -- Gaganyaan -- was also progressing well and the first uncrewed mission was expected to be launched early next year. "We are working on that," the minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) told a press conference here in response to a question on the timeline for the space activities bill, which would grant statutory cover to the reforms in the sector. Singh said the government had announced space sector reforms in 2020 with the aim to increase India's share in the global space economy. "Indian Space Policy was released in April 2023 as an overarching, composite and dynamic framework to implement the space reform vision approved by the Union Cabinet," he said. The minister sa

Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office to four new ministers - Prasanta Phookan, Kaushik Rai, Krishnendu Paul and Rupesh Gowala

The Union Cabinet approved on Friday the 26.463-km Rithala-Kundli corridor of the Delhi Metro's Phase-IV project that will further enhance connectivity between the national capital and neighbouring Haryana. The entire stretch will comprise 21 stations, all of them elevated. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a press conference, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the project is scheduled to be completed in four years from the date of its sanction. This line will be an extension of the operational Shaheed Sthal (New Bus Adda)-Rithala (Red Line) corridor and will boost connectivity in the northwestern parts of Delhi, such as Narela, Bawana and parts of Rohini. The completion cost of the project is Rs 6,230 crore.

In 2019-20, the Central government initiated a programme on natural farming titled Bhartiya Prakratik Krishi Paddhati

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka on Monday appointed a 21-member Cabinet in the new NPP government, keeping with his pre-election promise to streamline the governance system and ease the burden on taxpayers. The National People's Power (NPP) has been advocating a smaller government to reduce costs for the public. Since the NPP won the presidential election in September, the government functioned with just 3 ministers, including the President. As per the island nation's Constitution, there is a provision for appointing a 30-member Cabinet. Dissanayaka retained the finance and defence portfolios, while appointing 12 new parliament members to key positions and entrusting eight veteran members, who have served since 2000, with significant responsibilities. Among the fresh faces in the Cabinet are five academic professors. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya who holds the education portfolio and Saroja Savithri Paulraj who has the women's and child affairs portfolio are the

Donald Trump is preparing his Cabinet and senior staff appointments for his upcoming second term in the White House, ahead of his January inauguration

Rs 3,600 crore outlay outlined for the scheme till FY31

The projects will bolster connectivity to Nepal, North-East India, and border areas, facilitating smoother movement for both passenger and goods trains

The National Conference, having won 42 seats in the recent J&K Assembly elections, drafted the resolution, which Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will present to Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Friday allocated portfolios to the newly inducted ministers in Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led cabinet. An order to allocate the portfolios on the advice of the Chief Minister was issued by the LG here. According to the order, deputy chief minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary will hold the charge of Public Works (R&B), Industries and Commerce, Mining, Labour and Employment, and Skill Development. The lone woman minister -- Sakeena Masood (Itoo) has been assigned the charge of important ministries of Health and Medical Education, School Education, Higher Education, and Social Welfare. She was the Social Welfare minister during Abdullah's first tenure as the CM in the erstwhile state. Javed Ahmed Rana has been allocated the departments of Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment, and Tribal Affairs. Javid Ahmad Dar will be the minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Cooperative, and Election. Satish Sharma

The fresh package will include payouts to low-income households and subsidies to local governments

High-profile DMK leader V Senthil Balaji, who was days ago granted bail by the Supreme Court in a money laundering case, was sworn in as minister by Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi here on Sunday. Three other DMK legislators, R Rajendran (Salem-North), Govi Chezhiaan (Thiruvidaimarudur) and S M Nasar (Avadi) also took oath of office and secrecy administered by Governor Ravi in a simple ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan. They were sworn-in in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, his son Udhayanidhi, who had already been designated as Deputy Chief Minister.

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Saturday approved Chief Minister M K Stalin's recommendations on a cabinet reshuffle that included the elevation of his son Udhayanidhi as deputy CM and saw the return of V Senthil Balaji to the council of ministers, two days after the Supreme Court granted him bail in a money laundering case. Further, three ministers, including Mano Thangaraj who held the Dairy Development portfolio, have been dropped. Besides Balaji, Dr Govi Chezhiaan, R Rajendran and S M Nasar have been inducted. Balaji had resigned in February this year, months after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a cash-for-jobs scam. According to a Raj Bhavan release, CM Stalin "recommended to the Governor of Tamil Nadu (Ravi) to allot the portfolio of Planning and Development to Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin, Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, in addition to his existing portfolios and be designated as Deputy Chief Minister." The Governor has approved the ...

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Biotechnology Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (Bio-RIDE) scheme to support cutting-edge research and development in biotechnology. Bio-RIDE combines two existing schemes -- Biotechnology Research and Development (R&D) and Industrial and Entrepreneurship Development (I&ED) -- with a new component, 'Bio-manufacturing and Bio-foundry', an official statement said. The proposed outlay for the implementation of the unified scheme Bio-RIDE is Rs 9,197 crore during the 15th Finance Commission period from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The Bio-RIDE scheme is designed to foster innovation, promote bio-entrepreneurship, and strengthen India's position as a global leader in bio-manufacturing and biotechnology, the statement said. It aims to accelerate research, enhance product development, and bridge the gap between academic research and industrial applications, it added. The scheme is part of the government's mission to harness the ...

The government on Wednesday approved Rs 24,474.53 crore subsidy on phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for the rabi season of 2024-25 to ensure supply of crop nutrients to farmers at affordable rates. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for rabi season 2024 (from October 2024 to March 2025) on P&K fertilizers. "The tentative budgetary requirement for rabi season 2024 would be approximately Rs 24,475.53 crore," an official statement said. The decision is aimed at ensuring the availability of fertilizers to farmers at subsidized, affordable and reasonable prices. The government is making available 28 grades of P&K fertilizers to farmers at subsidized prices through fertilizer manufacturers/importers. The subsidy on P&K fertilizers is governed by the NBS scheme with effect from April 1, 2010. "In view of the recent trends in the international prices of fertilizers & inputs i.e. urea, ...

Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday said the ministry will move a Cabinet note on the employment-linked incentive (ELI) scheme announced in the Union Budget 2024-25 in July. The minister emphasised upon the importance of a robust mechanism to ensure that the benefits of the ELI Scheme reach the true beneficiaries. "The ministry is finalising a Cabinet note on ELI scheme and it will be soon placed before the Cabinet for approval," he told reporters here. The ELI Scheme aims to create over 2 crore jobs in the country in a period of 2 years. This will significantly contribute to increasing employment opportunities and enhancing livelihood. Three schemes for 'Employment Linked Incentive' were announced in Union Budget 2024-25 as part of the Prime Minister's package of five schemes and initiatives to facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a 5-year period with a central outlay of Rs. 2 lakh crore. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam

Mr Naidu is a promising young spark in the Modi government. And while he is intelligent enough to steer clear of taking sides in corporate rivalry in his sector, his moves will be watched closely

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved "Mission Mausam" on Wednesday to enhance India's ability to predict and respond to extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change. The mission, with a budget of Rs 2,000 crore over two years, will be primarily implemented by three key institutions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) -- the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting. These will be supported by other MoES bodies, such as the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and the National Institute of Ocean Technology. The mission will focus on improving observations and understanding to deliver highly-accurate and timely weather and climate information across temporal and spatial scales. This includes information on monsoon, air quality, extreme weather events, cyclones and weather

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the PM E-Drive Scheme with an outlay of Rs 10,900 crore for two years to boost adoption of electric vehicles in India, replacing the flagship FAME programme that ran for nine years till March. The decision on PM Electric Drive Revolution In Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme was taken at the meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters here. The scheme will support 24.79 lakh electric two-wheelers, 3.16 lakh e-three wheelers, and 14,028 e-buses. The PM E-DRIVE will also support 88,500 charging sites, Vaishnaw said. The new scheme offers subsidies/demand incentives worth Rs 3,679 crore to incentivise adoption of electric two-wheelers, electric three-wheelers, e-ambulances, e-trucks and other emerging elecric vehicles (EVs). A sum of Rs 4,391 crore has also been provided for procurement of 14,028 e-buses by state transport undertaking