Page 3 - Indian Government

S Jaishankar to visit Fiji from Feb 15-17 to attend World Hindi conference

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Fiji to attend the 12th World Hindi Conference, which is being co-hosted by the Indian government from February 15-17.

India emerged as shining star, illuminating others with its glow: Rajnath

In the global sky, India has emerged as a star which is not only shining but also illuminating others with its glow, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday.

Over 30,000 substandard toys seized so far this financial year: Govt

Over 30,000 substandard toys have been seized so far this fiscal year by enforcement agencies, the government on Friday said. In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal said: "In order to curb the sale of non-ISI certified toys and to ensure implementation of Toys Quality Control Order, 2020, 100 search and seizure operations were carried out in the 2021-22 and 2022-23." "During the search and seizure operations conducted by BIS, a quantity of 9,565 and 30,229 was seized during the year 2021-22 and 2022-23 (up to January 25, 2023) respectively," he added. The minister said that safety of toys is under compulsory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification from January 1, 2021 as per the Toys (Quality Control) Order, 2020 issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under Section 16 of the BIS Act, 2016. Accordingly, it has been compulsory for toys to conform to the corresponding Indian Standards for Safety

Govt asks Irda & insurance cos to address concerns to reduce consumer cases

The government on Wednesday flagged six major issues, including ambiguity in insurance contracts and inflexible policy terms, before regulator IRDAI and other stakeholders, and urged them to address those to reduce the huge pendency of consumer cases. The other issues raised before the key stakeholders include lack of powers delegated to representatives of insurance companies to take decisions during out-of-the-court settlements, agents not sharing full policy documents with consumers at the time of signing of policy, repudiation of claims on the basis of pre-existing diseases and crop insurance claims tied up with a central scheme which is not flexible, it said. Currently, more than one-fifth of the total consumer complaints are pertaining to the insurance sector across the country. "We have raised these concerns before IRDAI and other stakeholders. We are hopeful that the insurance companies will address them voluntarily. If the need arise we will also request the regulator to mak

101 NDRF rescuers with 5 women personnel depart to help quake-hit Turkey

India sent 101 NDRF rescuers with 5 women personnel, canine squad to help quake-hit Turkey; 51 landed, 50 on way.

Puducherry Assembly adjourns sine die after holding session for 24 mins

The Puducherry Assembly which met here on Friday was adjourned sine die after holding a session for 24 minutes. The House passed the demands for additional grants for the year 2022-2023 sought by Chief Minister N Rangasamy and his cabinet colleagues for their respective departments. The House also passed the Appropriation Bill tabled by the Chief Minister. Earlier, the Speaker R Selvam made an obituary reference as soon as the House commenced proceedings regarding the death of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The Speaker paid glowing tributes to the Queen who died on September 8, 2022. All the legislators stood in silence for a couple of minutes in memory of the late queen. After obituary reference, all the six opposition DMK members led by the legislature party leader R Siva who came dressed in school uniforms and carried bags to symbolically show that school students were yet to receive uniforms, urged the government to come out with a resolution on statehood for ...

Opposition leaders to devise strategy ahead of Parliament proceedings

Leaders of various Opposition parties will meet this morning to devise strategy for the floor of the House ahead of Parliament proceedings

Budget aims to fix 'nuts and bolts' of state machinery

The government clearly wants everyone to file income tax returns so that the people with unaccounted wealth do not use the low income individual as a shield for their unaccounted wealth

Push for new income-tax regime: Pain points & what's on offer in Budget

India's taxation rates had been higher than others like the US or Brazil, though lower than other peers

Blueprint for New India: Here are 15 takeaways from the Budget 2023-24

The Budget is a blueprint and strong foundation for a New India; takes a long-term view of the economy

Banking sector should cheer Budget

The Budget estimated the nominal GDP growth at 10.5 per cent in FY23, lower than what the Economic Survey, tabled a day ahead, projected

Union Budget 2023-24: Firm on prudence, high on feel-good factor

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday presented the Union Budget for 2023-24, which is expected to serve as the last full Budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second term in office

Focus on bank governance: Pain points & what's on offer in Budget

A move to the stricter expected credit loss model in accounting for bad loans is on the cards for banks

'Reward the rich' politics

With a 10% tax cut for the super-rich, has the Modi government lost it? If this is what we believe, we are still caught in oldthink in our political economy

Investing, not saving

More effort on deficit reduction was needed

Union Budget 2023-24 ready reckoner: A fiscally prudent approach

The Centre stuck with fiscal prudence, project­ing a decline in fiscal deficit to 5.9 per cent of GDP in FY24

The Budget as a new credibility asset

The Budget reflects a solid continuity and even reinforcement of the development orientations and objectives pursued by the PM over quite a few years now

Economic Survey 2022-23: Industry and services regaining momentum

Gross value added in the industrial sector posted a stro­ng upturn, registering a growth rate of 3.7 per cent in H1, FY23, higher than the average growth of 2.8 per cent in H1 of the last decade

Optimistic outlook

Higher growth will need more reforms

PM CARES fund not govt's, 3rd party info can't be given under RTI: Delhi HC

The PM CARES Fund is not a government fund as donations to it do not go to the Consolidated Fund of India and no third party information can be parted with irrespective of its status under the Constitution and the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Delhi High Court was informed on Tuesday. An affidavit filed by an under secretary at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), who is discharging his functions in the PM Cares Trust on honorary basis, has said the trust functions with transparency and its funds are audited by an auditor -- a chartered accountant drawn from the panel prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. It contended that irrespective of the status of Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) under the Constitution and the RTI Act, it is not permissible to disclose third party information. The affidavit was filed in response to a petition seeking a direction to declare the PM CARES Fund a 'State' under the ..