Page 11 - Central Government

SC asks govt to file within 4 weeks response to pleas challenging CAA

Legislation that prompted nationwide protests was challenged on the ground that it allegedly is against the right to equality

Govt imposes 20% export duty on non-Basmati rice from Sept 9

Below-average rainfall in key rice-producing states such as West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh has raised concerns over rice production in India

'Govt to acquire VIL stake after share price stabilises at Rs 10 or above'

The government will acquire a stake in debt-ridden Vodafone Idea after the stock price of the company stabilises at Rs 10 or above, according to an official source. Vodafone Idea (VIL) board has offered a stake to the government at a par value of Rs 10 per share. "There is a SEBI norm that the acquisition should take place at par value. DoT will clear the acquisition after VIL shares stabilise at Rs 10 or above," an official source told PTI. VIL shares are trading below Rs 10 since April 19. The stock declined by 1.02 per cent to trade at Rs 9.68 on BSE on Thursday. The finance ministry had cleared the proposal to acquire stake in VIL in July. Debt-ridden Vodafone Idea (VIL) has decided to opt for converting about Rs 16,000 crore of interest liability payable to the government into equity which will amount to around 33 per cent stake in the company while promoters' holding will come down from 74.99 per cent to 50 per cent. The government has given telecom operators an option of

Govt extends tenure of the Company Law Committee by one year

The government has extended the tenure of the Company Law Committee, which was constituted in 2019, by one year. The term of the panel which was set up by the corporate affairs ministry in September 2019, was extended last year also. The committee has the mandate for examining and making recommendations to the government on various issues related to implementation of the Companies Act and Limited Liability Partnership Act. "...the tenure of the company law committee is hereby further extended by one year i.e till 16.09.2023," the ministry said in an order dated September 5. Currently, an 11-member committee is chaired by corporate affairs secretary Tarun Bajaj. The committee was constituted as part of the government's efforts to promote ease of living by providing ease of doing business to law abiding corporates, to foster improved corporate compliance for stakeholders at large and to address emerging issues having an impact on the working of companies. Last year, the ministry ha

Central govt's decision to rename Rajpath draws mixed public reactions

The Central government's decision to rename Rajpath as 'Kartavya Path' has drawn mixed reactions from the public. While some of them welcomed the move and termed it as a 'positive change', some others disagreed to the idea and said that the concept of Rajpath and Janpath crossing each other will no longer remain the same. "Names of all major locations remained the same since the British era. It should have been changed way before. It's a good move and I consider it to be a positive change," said Sameer, a resident of Delhi. He further said that the name change will be a "reminder" that everybody "should work and abide by their 'kartavya' (responsibility)". Vinod Kumar, another resident, welcomed the renaming decision as well as the changes in the Central Vista. "The name change is a good endeavour. It's worth the wait for the changes that are being brought about for the good," Kumar said. However, Hemant, a Delhi resident, said that Rajpath is a "historical" name and that, it "sh

TN CM urges Centre to create high-speed rail corridor connecting cities

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday urged the Centre to create a high-speed rail corridor connecting specific locations within Tamil Nadu and to neighbouring States as well. Such a move would be much more economical, more energy efficient and less polluting than aero planes and automobiles, he contended. "In order to increase the average speed of travel in the State passenger traffic, I insist on creation of a high-speed rail corridor connecting specific locations in Tamil Nadu like Chennai, Coimbatore, Tuticorin and Madurai to each other and to neighbouring states as well," Stalin said while addressing the 30th Southern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Thiruvananthapuram. This initiative would reduce carbon footprint in line with India's net zero ambition and enhance the economic prosperity of the State as a whole, the CM noted. On the internal security front, he said his government is keeping strict, constant vigil and maintaining ...

Centre may cap upcoming first green bond issues at Rs 25,000 crore

Green bond proceeds will be used to fund projects which will help India meet COP commitments

Central government to help domestic solar industry after sharp duty hike

The government may provide direct incentives to the producers of solar modules as it believes that tax cuts may lead to practical difficulties

Govt to lift 51.8 mn tonnes rice in 2022-23, double coarse cereal purchases

Rice procurement a tad higher than 50.98 mn tonnes in 2021-22; market sources say this could be a sign that govt does not expect a major drop in Kharif rice output

Govt to lift 51.8 mn tonnes rice in 2022-23, double coarse cereal purchases

Rice procurement a tad higher than 50.98 mn tonnes in 2021-22; market sources say this could be a sign that govt does not expect a major drop in Kharif rice output

SC questions laxity in Centre's response in plea against J&K delimitation

Expressing dissatisfaction over the Centre's delay in responding to a plea challenging the J&K delimitation exercise, the Supreme Court questioned as to why the govt did not file the counter affidavit

Should India have a deputy PM? Gurcharan and Sanyal air different views

Former P&G CEO Das, who proposed the idea, said this individual should be a leader who would coordinate among different entities to raise competitiveness of the economy

Centre has no plans as of now to curb rice exports, says report

The government has no plans as of now to impose any restrictions on exports of rice and there are adequate buffer stocks to meet the domestic requirements, according to an official source. There were some discussions on imposing curbs on rice exports but no decision has been taken yet. The government is unlikely to put in any place restrictions, the source said. India, the world's second largest rice producer after China, commands 40 per cent share in the global trade. The country exported 21.2 million tonnes of rice in 2021-22 fiscal year, of which 3.94 million tonnes were basmati rice. It exported non-basmati rice worth USD 6.11 billion in the same period, as per official data. The country exported non-basmati rice to more than 150 countries in 2021-22. With area under coverage for paddy down by 6 per cent to 367.55 lakh hectares so far this kharif sowing season due to less rains in some states, there are concerns that production of rice may fall in the 2022-23 crop year ...

Non-cooperation of govt on Pegasus is admission that it was misused: CPI-M

After a Supreme Court-appointed committee's observation that the Centre did not cooperate with the Pegasus probe, the CPI(M) on Friday hit out at the government saying "non-cooperation" is often an evidence of guilt. The apex court on Thursday said the technical panel appointed by it to probe the unauthorised use of Pegasus has found some malware in five of the 29 mobile phones examined, but could not conclude whether it was due to the Israeli spyware. "The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly denounces the refusal of the Union Government to be accountable before the judiciary and to the country on the use of Pegasus, a military grade spyware, against our own citizens. The committee appointed by the Supreme Court to investigate the use of this spyware has informed that the government was not cooperative. This is unacceptable," the party said in a statement. It further stated that non-cooperation is an admission that the spyware was misused. "Such obduracy of non-cooperation by the

CBI FIR fake, Centre acting like 'killer' to eliminate state govts: Sisodia

The BJP-led Centre is acting like a serial killer to eliminate state governments, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia claimed on Friday, as he termed the CBI FIR against him "completely fake" and based on "mere sources". Speaking in the Delhi Assembly, Sisodia said the CBI does not have proof of any corruption in the city government's excise policy. He also alleged that the CBI conducted raids on his residence because the Delhi government's good work was being praised across the globe. The deputy chief minister, who is an accused in the CBI case related to the Delhi government's excise policy, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "feels insecure" seeing good work done by others. "Prime Minister Modi feels insecure seeing good work by others. I have not seen a more insecure person than him. Had Arvind Kejriwal been the prime minister and I the education minister of a state, he would not have done something like this," Sisodia said, participating in a discussion on a government .

What is PMLA Act? Money laundering, law statement and objectives

What is the Prevention of Money Laundering act and how does it affect a nation? Read this article to understand money laundering, the PMLA act, objectives of the PMLA act, FATF and everything

Malware found in 5 out of 29 phones, no conclusive evidence of Pegasus: SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday said that out of 29 phones submitted for examination, malware was found in five, but there is no conclusive proof that the spyware was Pegasus

HC refuses to stay Agnipath Scheme, asks Centre to file reply on pleas

The Delhi High Court Thursday refused to stay the Centre's Agnipath Scheme for recruitment in the armed forces and asked the central government to file its reply on a batch of petitions challenging the scheme. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad granted four weeks to the Centre to file the response. The court asked the Centre to file a consolidated reply on petitions challenging the scheme and separate replies on those pleas which have challenged the recruitment processes in accordance with the previous advertisements in the Army, Navy, and Air Force before the introduction of the Agnipath Scheme. Counsel for one of the petitioners urged the court to stay the operation of the scheme till the petitions are decided. The court, however, refused to stay the scheme saying that it was not passing any interim order and will hear the matter finally. "We will not stay it. If you succeed you will get it," the bench orally said. Advocate Prashant .

Top Headlines: NDTV-Adani ownership battle, sugar exports, and more

New Delhi Television (NDTV) can prevent a takeover by the group if it can buy more shares from public shareholders, corporate lawyers told Business Standard

CGIT gets presiding officer, Kerala High Court disposes of petition

The Kerala High Court has disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) which sought the appointment of a presiding officer to the Central Government Industrial-cum-Labour Tribunal (CGIT) here. In a memo field before the HC by the central government's advocate, it was submitted that a presiding officer to the CGIT has been appointed on August 18, 2022. It was submitted that the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, has issued an office order appointing H G Nagarathna as the presiding officer of CGIT here. "Once the Presiding Officer takes charge, the Gazette notification would be issued", the memo said. The HC took the memo on record and disposed of the PIL, filed by the Industrial Law Practitioners' Forum. The new presiding officer has a tenure of four years.