Centre

Govt to table motion for JPC on 'One Nation, One Election' in LS today

The motion in the Lok Sabha aims to form a Joint Parliamentary Committee for reviewing Bills related to 'One Nation, One Election' today. The panel will comprise 21 MPs from the Lower House

'One Nation One Election' Bill tabled; Congress calls it unconstitutional

The govt tabled the 'One Nation One Election' Bill today; Congress and SP called it unconstitutional and sought its immediate withdrawal

Centre releases 1st instalment of Rs 1,050 cr for Maha Kumbh: CM Adityanath

The Centre on Tuesday released the first instalment of Rs 1,050 crore of its Rs 2,100 crore grant for the upcoming Maha Kumbh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said and extended gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Adityanath said that under the successful guidance of Prime Minister Modi, the "double-engine" government is determined to make the world's largest cultural and spiritual gathering 'Prayagraj Mahakumbh-2025' divine and grand. "In this series, a special grant assistance of Rs 2,100 crore was approved by the Central government, out of which the first instalment of Rs 1,050 crore has been released today. This support from the Central government will help in realizing a clean, safe and well-organized Mahakumbh for the devotees," he said in a post on X. "Heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister for this gift which is helpful in realizing the concept of divine-grand-digital Mahakumbh," he added. Organised after a gap of every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh will be

Centre declares snakebites 'notifiable disease', mandates to report cases

The Centre has urged all states to make snakebite cases and deaths a "notifiable disease" under relevant provisions of the State Public Health Act or other applicable legislation making it mandatory for all government and private health facilities (including medical colleges) to report all suspected, probable snakebite cases and deaths. Snakebites are an issue of public health concern and in certain cases, they cause mortality, morbidity and disability, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said in a letter. The farmers, tribal population etc. are at higher risk. In order to address the issue of snakebite, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has launched the "National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE) from India by 2030" in consultation with relevant ministries and stakeholders, Srivastava mentioned. The objective of the action plan is to halve the snakebite related deaths by the year 2030, she underlined. The p

Govt approves 'One Nation One Subscription': All you need to know about it

Union Cabinet approves 'One Nation One Subscription' scheme, granting government higher education institutions access to 13,000 global journals with Rs 6,000 crore funding

Centre issues guidelines for disability reservation to ensure fairness

The Centre has issued comprehensive guidelines to streamline reservation and identification of posts for persons with at least 40 per cent disabilities, mandating periodic identification of such posts and formation of committees to assess them. The guidelines also state that if a post is deemed suitable for them, all subsequent promotional posts will also be reserved for persons with disabilities. The guidelines are in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016. The move comes after the Delhi High Court flagged inconsistencies in implementation of the the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 and criticised entities like the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) for unauthorised actions in identifying posts. The high court earlier this month observed that KVS had overstepped its authority by independently identifying posts for PwBDs and highlighted inconsistencies in the understanding of the Act among various departments. The court mandated the

Centre launches PAIR programme to enhance research in higher education

Each PAIR network will consist of one hub and up to seven spoke institutions

Central govt approves fire services projects worth Rs 725 cr for 3 states

A high-level committee, headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Monday approved three projects worth Rs 725.62 crore for the expansion and modernisation of fire services in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal. The committee has approved Rs 376.76 crore for West Bengal, Rs 201.10 crore for Odisha and Rs 147.76 crore for Chhattisgarh under the 'Expansion and Modernisation of Fire Services' in the states, an official release said. The high-level committee comprised of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Vice Chairman NITI Aayog Suman K Bery as members. To fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a disaster-resilient India, the Ministry of Home Affairs under the guidance of Home Minister Shah has taken several initiatives to ensure effective management of disasters in the country, the release said. A number of steps have been taken to prevent any extensive loss to life and property during disasters by strengthening the disaste

Govt extends tenure of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri till July 14, 2026

The Centre on Monday extended the tenure of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri till July 14, 2026, according to a Personnel Ministry order. Misri, a 1989 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, assumed charge as India's Foreign Secretary on July 15. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved extension of Misri as Foreign Secretary beyond the date of his superannuation on November 30 for a tenure up to July 14, 2026 or until further orders, whichever is earlier, in terms of provisions of FR 56 (d), the order said. The provisions allow extension in the service of a foreign secretary beyond the date of superannuation in public interest, officials said.

'Environment laws toothless': SC raps Centre over rising Delhi pollution

Delhi's air quality index (AQI) stood at 354 on Wednesday, marking an increase from the previous 24-hour average of 327, which falls under the 'very poor' category

Centre launches system to block international spoofed calls, curb fraud

The Indian government has launched a new system to block international calls disguised as local numbers, aiming to protect citizens from financial scams and cybercrime

Steel ministry favours temporary tax to check imports, says report

India, world's 2nd biggest crude steel producer, became a net importer of the alloy in the fiscal year to Mar 31, 2024, and the trend has continued since then, with imports from China rising steadily

CJI Chandrachud names Justice Sanjiv Khanna as successor; approval pending

Upon government approval, Justice Khanna will become the 51st Chief Justice of India, with six-month tenure until his retirement on May 13, 2025

Govt set to tighten quality norms amid rising substandard steel imports

The Centre is preparing to expand its steel quality control norms following a review that revealed an increase in substandard imports, primarily from China, threatening local industry

Ahead of polls, Maharashtra eyes Rs 15 lakh OBC 'non-creamy layer' limit

The Maharashtra cabinet aims to raise the OBC 'non-creamy layer' income limit from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 15 lakh, expanding reservation access before Assembly elections

Tomato price skyrockets: Govt steps in with Rs 65/kg relief in Delhi-NCR

Amid soaring tomato prices surging beyond Rs 90 per kg in Delhi, the Centre has launched tomato sale at Rs 65 per kg at 50 locations to stabilise the market, with plans for expansion to other cities

Govt to limit Chinese CCTV use, boost local suppliers post-Lebanon crisis

The government's updated policy on surveillance cameras, expected to be implemented on October 8, will likely push Chinese companies out of the market, giving Indian firms an advantage

Reliance Industries secures Centre's approval for transfer of channels

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the Rs 70,350-crore merger between Reliance Industries and Disney's Indian media assets on August 28, 2024

Centre reduces export duty on parboiled rice to 10% from 20%: Govt order

India had imposed a 20% duty on parboiled rice exports in 2023 after its crop was affected by below-normal rainfall

Kejriwal set to vacate CM bungalow; AAP requests govt accommodation for him

AAP MP Raghav Chadha said that as the leader of a national party, he is entitled to government-provided accommodation and the Centre should grant him that