Government Policies

Labour reforms, focus on informal workers, other policies on cards in 2025

Speedy implementation of labour codes, providing social security to informal workers, especially gig and platform, and bringing transformative policies would be the government's priority in 2025 to empower all and boost the economy. All 36 states and UTs are expected to complete harmonization and pre-publication of draft rules under the four labour codes by 31st March 2025, according to the labour ministry. The ministry has identified four reforms in labour laws to be carried out viz. Single Registration, Single Return, Firm-based common licence with five years validity. Talking to PTI, Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya stated: "As we stand at the dawn of a New Year, our commitment remains resolute -- building a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready workforce for India." In 2024, "we achieved significant milestones in enhancing the IT systems of EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organisation) and ESIC (Employees' State ...

Cong blames 'myopic' policies for India Inc's refusal to invest, hike wages

The Congress on Wednesday blamed the Central government for corporate India's "failure" to generate employment and investment, claiming its refusal to invest or increase wages is a direct consequence of the Centre's "myopic" policy making. Citing a report, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed that corporate India is choking the middle class and hurting the India growth story by failing to increase wages despite higher profits and paying lower taxes after GST and tax sops in 2019. "In all fairness to India Inc, these failures are squarely the responsibility of the Union government," Ramesh said. "Here is the government's track record -- indiscriminate corporate tax cuts without linking them to employment creation or investment. Introducing a punitive GST regime, with input tax credits only for corporates. Overseeing and enabling the growing oligopolisation of the market. Introducing a CBI/ED/IT Raid Raj to extort donations from the corporate sector to the BJP," the Congre

REET 2024: Registration begins today at official website, check details

Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education has begun the REET 2024 registration process today, on Dec 16, 2024. Candidates can find the direct link via official website at rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in

15 months after DPDP Act, rules to be out by the end of this month

The law will be applicable to all kinds of personal data, without making sub-categories such as sensitive personal data and critical personal data

Public participation needed in formulation of laws, policies: Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday said that there is a need for bigger public participation in formulations of laws and public policies in this era of information technology. He appealed to all citizens to express their views and suggestions whenever a new law is put in public domain because the laws once implemented have a long-term impact on people, state and entire country. "Though public participation is there in formulation of laws and policies, I feel it inadequate and there is a need to enhance it," Birla said while inaugurating the KIIT School of Public Policy here. He advocated for citizen-centric policies that involve all stakeholders, ensure equal rights and are answerable to the people. Speaking to an audience of academicians, policymakers, judges and students, Birla emphasized the importance of public policy in shaping the future of the country. The public policies should be formulated in such a way that all sections of the society are equally treated, he said. Th

Focus on Infra, investment to make India developed by 2047: FM Sitharaman

Infrastructure, investment, innovation and inclusiveness are the four key focus areas for the Narendra Modi government to make India a developed nation by 2047, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday. She made the remarks during an interaction with the students of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The minister arrived here on Tuesday afternoon to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. She drove from New York to Washington DC with a stopover at the University of Pennsylvania. "In the year when we will be celebrating 100 years of Independence from British rule, that is 2047, we want to be and we aspire to be a developed country," Sitharaman told the students. To achieve that, the government has identified four key areas -- infrastructure, investment, innovation and inclusiveness, the finance minister said. "The first is infrastructure, whether it is physical such as bridges and ports or digital which i

Bihar's new transfer policy prioritises govt teachers with health issues

On Monday, the Bihar government unveiled a new policy that prioritises people with severe illnesses and disabilities when it comes to the transfer and posting of govt school teachers in the state

US Congress passes bill to avert shutdown, deferring spending talks to Dec

The US Congress has passed a temporary measure that keeps government agencies funded into December, avoiding a shutdown for now while punting final spending decisions until after the November 5 election. The Senate approved the measure on Wednesday by a vote of 78-18 shortly after the House easily approved it. The bill generally funds agencies at current levels through December 20. But an additional USD231 million was included to bolster the Secret Service after the two assassination attempts against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Money was also added to aid with the presidential transition, among other things. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law. This bipartisanship is a good outcome for America, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said moments before the vote. I hope it sets the tone for more constructive, bipartisan work when we return in the fall. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., billed the measure as doing only what's absolut

Himachal govt to issue SOP soon as loan scheme expanded to education abroad

Days after the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet approved to extend benefits of the Dr YS Parmar Vidyarthi Rin Yojna to overseas education, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday said a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) will be issued in this regard soon. The state cabinet on Friday decided to expand the scope of the scheme, under which educational loan of up to Rs 20 lakh is provided at one per cent to eligible students aspiring to pursue professional and vocational courses, to include overseas educational institutions. On Sunday, Sukhu said that this initiative will benefit students aspiring to pursue higher studies in foreign institutions, ensuring that financial limitations do not stand in the way of their educational aspirations. A detailed SOP will be issued in this regard by the education department soon, he added. The state government launched the loan scheme last year to support the eligible meritorious students of economically weaker sections. Students from ...

Govt invites bids to empanel AI infra providers under Rs 10,372cr mission

The government has invited bids for the empanelment of entities for providing artificial intelligence services on cloud under the Rs 10,372-crore India AI mission, which was approved by the cabinet in March this year. The empaneled agencies, like data centers and cloud service providers, will have to provide access to high-speed computing AI infrastructure like graphics processing unit (GPUs), accelerators, Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), storage etc to academia, startups, researchers, government bodies among others at the lowest rate that will be discovered through the bidding process. Under the IndiaAI Mission, supercomputing capacity, comprising over 10,000 GPUs, will be made available to various stakeholders for creating an AI ecosystem. "With an objective to empanel service providers for making this possible, IndiaAI - an IBD under Digital India Corporation, MeitY has issued a RFE (request for empanelment)," Meity, Additional Secretary Abhishek Singh said in a social media ...

UPSC declares ESIC Nursing Officer results at upsc.gov.in, check details

UPSC ESIC Nursing Result 2024 was announced by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on 12th August 2024 at https://upsc.gov.in/. Download the pdf result from the website

FIR against Puja Khedkar's father in Pune for obstructing govt work

Police have registered a case against Dilip Khedkar, the father of former probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, on charges of threatening and obstructing a public servant in the discharge of duty in Pune district, officials said on Friday. The case was filed at the Bundgarden police station here on the basis of a complaint lodged by a tehsildar-rank officer from the Pune district collectorate, they said. "The complaint says that during Puja Khedkar's posting as an assistant collector, Dilip Khedkar allegedly used threatening language against tehsildar Dipak Akade, asking him to allot a cabin for his daughter even as he had no right to interfere in the administrative functioning," an official said. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recently cancelled the selection of Puja Khedkar and also permanently debarred her from all future exams and selections. She is currently untraceable after an FIR was registered against her in Delhi as she is accused of 'misrepresenting ...

Centre unlikely to extend Mahila Samman Savings Certificate scheme

Inflows into small savings schemes may level off

Over 18.4 mn women-owned MSMEs in the country, says Jitan Ram Manjhi

There are over 1.84 crore women-owned MSMEs in the country and the government has taken a number of initiatives to increase the participation of women in the sector, Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Jitan Ram Manjhi said on Thursday. He said in the Lok Sabha that the women owners of Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) registered on Udyam and Udyam Assist Platform (UAP), since the launch of Udyam on July 1, 2020 and the launch of UAP on January 11, 2023 in the country, is 39 per cent. "Number of women-owned MSMEs as on July 23, 2024 is 1,84,59,809," he said during Question Hour. Manjhi said the government has taken a number of initiatives to increase the participation of women in MSMEs in the country such as amendment of the Public Procurement Policy in 2018 and mandating central ministries and departments and undertaking to procure at least three per cent of their annual procurement from women entrepreneurs to benefit women entrepreneurs. He said to suppor

Hurricanes, temblors grab headlines, inland areas in US most affected: Data

Floyd County keeps flooding and the federal government keeps coming to the rescue. In July 2022, at least 40 people died and 300 homes were damaged when the eastern Kentucky county flooded. It was the 13th time in 12 years that the rural county was declared a federal disaster. These are disasters so costly that local governments feel they can't pay for it all, so the governor asks the president to declare a disaster freeing up federal funds. After that flood I had 500 homeless people looking at me, Judge what are we going to do'? recalled Judge Robbie Williams, administrator for the county of a bit more than 35,000 people. It's overwhelming and it's just a matter of time before it happens again. It did. In 2023, Floyd County was declared a disaster again for 14th time, starting in 2011. And Floyd County isn't even the nation's most disaster-prone county. Neighboring Johnson County has 15 disasters declared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency since 2011. When it comes to ext

Govt staff allowed to take part in RSS activities; Opposition-BJP spar

Goyal said the Congress government's decision in 1966 to ban government employees from attending RSS activities was driven by political reasons and termed the RSS a nationalist organisation

Govt to launch 'Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman' portal for citizens soon

This portal will serve as a repository of knowledge, providing citizens with easy access to information to create awareness about the Constitution and legal rights

Govt aims to make Northeast gateway of 'Act East Policy': President Murmu

The government is working to make the northeast a strategic gateway under its 'Act East Policy' and has increased the allocation for the region's development by more than four times over the last 10 years, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday. Addressing a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, Murmu said that for the first time, work on inland waterways has started in the northeast on a large scale and it will benefit the region immensely. "My government has increased the allocation for the development of the northeast region by more than four times over the last 10 years. The government is working to make this region a strategic gateway under its Act East Policy," she said. India's 'Act East Policy' focuses on the extended neighbourhood in the Indo-Pacific region with ASEAN as its core. The objective of the 'Act East Policy' is to promote economic cooperation, cultural ties and develop strategic relationships with countries i

Sensex may hit the 81,000 mark by 2024-end: Ravi Singh of Religare

Markets are showing strong momentum, with Nifty firmly holding above the 23,300 mark, indicating that bulls are in strong control

Investors beware! Four risks that can trigger a stock market correction

The faith in the market is at epic levels and may require something equally epic to break the faith. High or even bubble valuations are irrelevant for non-institutional investors, said a KIE note