Government Policy

Bio-fuel from plastic waste soon: Minister A plant to convert plastic waste into bio-diesel will be made operational by January-end at the Indian Institute of Petroleum in Dehradun, said Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan at an International E-Waste Day event on Saturday. This bio-fuel can be used in any diesel vehicle, …

Groups seek contracts to maintain sewerage systems safely When Maya’s husband died in a sewer in the north-western Delhi suburb of Rohini in 2002, she was left with four small children and no means of livelihood. After years of scrounging, odd jobs, and dependence on relatives, she is now prepared …

With govt. service rules kicking in, they can’t bring out publications taking a critical view of policies Writings of eminent academics taking a critical view of contemporary policies — such as demonetisation, GST, job creation, legislation or foreign policy — may soon be a thing of the past, if the …

Almost after a year since the vacancy arose, the Narendra Modi government on Wednesday appointed senior advocate and Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta as Solicitor General of India, a key legal position to represent the State or Central governments in courtroom proceedings. His appointment notification was issued by the Department …

Seek quashing of amendment, circular Retirees and employees who are members of the Employees Pension Scheme, 1995 have filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the Centre and the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), which administers the scheme. They are demanding the quashing of a 2014 amendment and …

‘Place of study a non-issue to pick CEA’ Former Reserve Bank of India governor Bimal Jalan, who currently heads the committee tasked with selecting the next chief economic advisor (CEA), said his committee was focussed on selecting the best person for the job, a clear signal that the panel wasn’t …

Bench seeks details in a sealed envelope by October 29 The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to submit details of the decision-making process in the Rafale deal with France in a sealed envelope by October 29. A Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, however, clarified that it …

Unveils 64-foot statue of Jat leader Sir Chhotu Ram, credited with working for the uplift of farmers Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his government had fulfilled the long-pending demand of farmers by considerably increasing the Minimum Support Price of around two dozen crops recently and was working towards …

The displacement of some 40,000 Bru people from Mizoram in 1997 got much less traction than that of the Kashmiri Pandits seven years before. But making them return home from relief camps in adjoining Tripura has been equally frustrating for the Centre and the north-eastern States for almost 21 years …

Russia makes request, but no clarity on how the aircraft will be used A highlight on the sidelines of the upcoming India-Russia bilateral summit is likely to be the gifting of three MiG-21 fighter jets to Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be in New Delhi on October 4 and …

Delegates from 68 countries attend Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention to learn from the experiment Political leadership and government financing, as well as the sparking of a people’s movement, are key elements of the Swachh Bharat story, Indian leaders told international delegates looking to learn from India’s sanitation successes at …

The Indian Railways are set to launch their ‘Make in India’ smart coaches with new features like black box and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered CCTVs, matching international standards. Named ‘Smart Trains’, the coaches have been equipped with sensors that can detect defects on bearings, wheels, and the railway track, giving constant …

Agriculture Minister pegs output at 141.59 million tonnes India’s foodgrains production is estimated at a record 141.59 million tonnes (MT) in the kharif season of 2018-19 crop year, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said on Wednesday. The country had produced 140.73 MT foodgrains in the kharif season of 2017-18 crop …

The partial striking down of Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act, which allows private entities to use Aadhaar for authentication of a person’s identity, comes as a great blow to corporate entities. Section 57 has been one of the most watched areas in the Aadhaar litigation before a Constitution Bench …

The reconstituted Parliamentary Committee on Finance, headed by M. Veerappa Moily of the Congress, could not build a consensus on the long-pending report on demonetisation with BJP members continuing to oppose its finalisation. A draft report on demonetisation, which was circulated last year, looks at the impact of the move …

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday modified a 2006 judgment requiring the State to show quantifiable data to prove the “backwardness” of a Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe community in order to provide quota in promotion in public employment. The 58-page judgment by a five-judge Bench led by Chief …

Even as controversy rages in India over the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets for the Air Force through an inter-governmental agreement, a French Admiral has made a pitch for the naval variant of the fighter to the Indian Navy. The Indian Navy is on the look out for 57 …

The Supreme Court on Tuesday held that there was no bar on legislators doubling up as lawyers. The judgment by a Bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud comes as a great relief to many sitting MPs of both the BJP and …

A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra will on Wednesday pronounce its verdict on the government push to provide “accelerated promotion with consequential seniority” for Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribe members in public employment. Courtesy a 2006 M. Nagaraj judgement of the Supreme Court, the government cannot …