11 National acc wiil be-appointing authority for top officers
Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC), led by PM, will be solely responsible for senior-level appointments in Govt. It will ensure that senior positions (Secretary and above) are not left vacant for a long time, and that there is no corruption or favoritism in these appointments. All officers selected have to be proposed through an online process ACC Vacancy Monitoring System (AVMS). Through this AVMS, the Govt will monitor the status of vacancies, and ensure transparency in appointments.
http://www.jagran.com/news/national-acc ... tml?src=p1 Administration
12 PM Modi kicks into gear with defence, dam projects
The new government kicked into gear this week, clearing billions of dollars worth of long-delayed defence projects, including a big Navy base, as well as approving the scaling-up of one of the country's biggest dams.The decision to give the projects the go-ahead despite concern about their environmental and social impact signals Prime Minister Narendra Modi's no-nonsense approach to issues he considers to be important for national security.The clearances were made over several days and were the first major decisions from the government that swept to power on May 16 on promises of getting Asia's third-largest economy moving and building a stronger country.Environment minister Prakash Javadekar said the government could not compromise on efforts to build military and civil infrastructure on the border with China as well the west-coast naval base in as an alternative to crowded Mumbai port.As well as the $2 billion extension to the Karwar base Karnataka, Javadekar approved a radar station in the Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal. A defence source said he also planned to fast-track road building along the disputed border with China.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 501725.cms Infrastructure Defence
13 India joins Washington Accord – Smriti Irani scores a win
For a country where the best technical minds, after passing out from top technology institutes like IITs, pursue MBA courses and end up with financially lucrative business management jobs, India’s becoming a permanent signatory to Washington Accord is good news. In what can well be an opportunity for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enhance India’s technical education and in turn its technical expertise significantly, India joined an elite 17-member group of permanent signatories of the Washington Accord. Washington Accord is an international accreditation agreement for engineering degrees among prominent nations of the world. The agreement is aimed at promoting mobility and quality assurance of engineers across international boundaries. The Accord requires member nations to ensure that the highest quality assurance standards are implemented in their technical and engineering programmes.
http://www.niticentral.com/2014/06/13/w ... 31642.html Foreign policy
14 Power sector poised for biggest revival in recent years The new government's resolve to pursue economic reforms appears set to catalyse the power sector's biggest revival in recent years. On the back of positive market sentiment, distressed power projects are finding buyers, companies are putting in equity and equipment orders are getting finalised. This comes after a nearly four-year-long dry spell, during which shortage of funds and policy issues hobbled development. Experts say the sector is recovering faster than expected as companies believe a pick-up in economic growth will lead to a surge in electricity demand. Industrial production in India grew at 3.4% in April due to improved performance of the manufacturing, mining and power sectors and higher output of capital goods. "We are hoping for a big revival in the power sector," said Ashok Khurana, director general of Association of Power Producers. "The sector is now looking up and waiting for a concrete set of actions to handle issues of fuel security, transmission congestion and electricity off-take." Kameswara Rao, PwC India's leader for energy, said action that had slowed midway is now picking up. "Projects that were lying low have gathered some energy. The promoters of the projects that are half through have picked up pace of work," he said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ind ... 679780.cms Infrastructure Economy
15 Rajnath singh reviews citizens database scheme
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Wednesday asked officials to speedily create a National Population Register (NPR). At a review meeting, the minister said effective steps should be taken to push the project to its logical conclusion, an official release said here. The NPR scheme is the biggest security and e-governance initiative in the world. Rajnath Singh instructed that all necessary proposals, including the updating of the database through linkages with the birth and death registration system and the issuance of national identity cards to citizens, be brought for approval at the earliest.
http://www.lensonnews.com/lensonnews/1/ ... cheme.html Administration
16 All panchayats to get broadband links in 3 years: Minister
All nearly 2.5 lakh village panchayats in the country will be provided broadband connectivity in three years, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Tuesday. Talking to reporters here, Prasad said 50,000 village panchayats will be provided broadband connections in the current financial year. Another one lakh will get in 2015-16 and the rest in 2016-17. All the village panchayats will be connected to broadband by the end of financial year 2016-17, the minister said
http://headlinesindia.mapsofindia.com/s ... 64405.html Infrastructure
17 Narendra Modi perks global interest in Hindi
The Indian Prime Minister although quite able of conversing in English is known to prefer Hindi or Gujarati and while there have been other national leaders who have chosen to converse in their regional language no one has quite been able to captivate a country the way Narendra Modi and his speeches did. His choice of language(s) has forced people, who have, who aspire for and who despair of an English education, long touted as the ticket to success, to take a long hard look at their own linguistic history. The report quotes PN Vasanti, the Director of the Centre for Media Studies in New Delhi who says
http://www.niticentral.com/2014/06/18/n ... 31834.html Foreign policy
18 One Stop Crisis Centre: A ray of hope for rape survivors
With the entire country facing outrage and disenchantment due to increasing incidents of crimes against women, the new dispensation at the Centre has taken the first steps towards putting things back in order. Within a month of its coming to power, the Narendra Modi Government has opened India’s first One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC) for women in Bhopal.
http://www.niticentral.com/2014/06/18/o ... 31885.html Administration
19 NDA readies big push for capital goods
In an attempt to provide impetus to India’s ailing manufacturing sector, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is drawing up a Rs.10,000 crore plan to boost localization of at least 10 key technologies in the capital goods sector. A cabinet note seeking government approval for the plan was circulated last week by the department of heavy industries.The project, which will first start as a pilot at six Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Central Machine Tools Institute with a grant of Rs.920 crore, will work on key technologies that cannot be “bought” or “brought” by India. The government will also enlist industry as a partner in the project, aimed at reviving the Rs.1.85 trillion Indian capital goods sector.
http://www.livemint.com/Industry/df7X2p ... goods.html Infrastructure Administration
20 Centre cracks the whip on NGOs, direct foreign funding put on hold
Acting on Intelligence Bureau's recommendation, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday put on hold direct funding of NGOs from abroad. The MHA has directed the Reserve Bank of India of Indian to put on hold foreign funding to NGOs. Also, NGOs will have to inform the RBI prior about any funding they receive from abroad. The Centre's action came a day after the IB prepared yet another report on NGO Greenpeace, recommending cancellation of permission given to it for collecting funds abroad besides reassessment of its tax compliance. The IB had sought that foreign donations to the Greenpeace be put on "prior category" list so that permission is taken before any money flows in for funding their activities.
http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/ce ... 40813.html Administration Defence
21 Government clears investment hurdles, gives go ahead to seven projects worth Rs 21,000 crore
The Narendra Modi government has cleared seven big-ticket investment projects worth Rs 21,000 crore, some of whom have been held up for decades, because of hurdles ranging from environmental issues to financing problems. The oldest among them, which has been on the drawing board for over 30 years
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 847309.cms Infrastructure
22 Government allocates Rs.5,000 crore to settle locals along China border
According to sources since the area has almost no infrastructure, local residents have been pushed as far as 50 km from the border, making the areas more vulnerable to incursions by Chinese troops. In the past few years, there have been numerous incursions along the border. "If there are no people living in these areas, the Chinese can claim it to be their territory in case of a border dispute," the official said. According to sources, the fund of `5,000 crore, likely to be approved in the new government's first budget, will be over and above the earlier allocation of `28,000 crore. There are plans to build schools, hospitals, roads and provide all basic amenities to people living here.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/lac- ... 67670.html Infrastructure Defence
23 Narendra Modi government puts Iran's Chabahar port work on fast track The Narendra Modi government has decided to get moving on the long-delayed construction of strategically critical Chabahar port in Iran that would give India easier access to Afghanistan and Central Asia through a shorter route that would also mean being able to avoid Karachi in neighbouring Pakistan.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 907416.cms Administration Foreign policy Defence 21/06/2014
24 Narendra Modi cracks the whip on ministers' foreign travels
UNION ministers will now have to submit proposals of their foreign travels to the PMO “at least 10 days before the proposed date of departure” as against the earlier norm of five days. A recent order issued by the Cabinet Secretariat also states that the proposals for foreign tours will have to incorporate details of the tasks to be accomplished during the visit.Also, those who travel abroad will have to submit a post-visit report to the PM. The same rules will apply during foreign visits undertaken by Secretary/Additional Secretary level officers.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/na ... ls/1262585 Administration
25 Forest ministry greenlights faster, simpler clearances; defence, roads get priority
The Narendra Modi government would augment the administrative support to expert committees on environment, ensure that approvals take virtually no time once due diligence is done and attempt to converge the process of environmental and forest clearances (ECs and FCs), environment minister Prakash Javadekar said on Thursday.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/fo ... ty/1262507 Administration Economy Defence
26 Security briefings on PM agenda Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take monthly briefings from each of the three military chiefs turning on its head the UPA’s policy of keeping the armed forces away from the centre of decision-making on security policy. For successive years military veterans have complained that the top brass was not adequately consulted by the government despite the inputs they could give in assessing security situations.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140624/j ... 6i417G55aA Defence
27 Modi austerity drive, no new cars for ministers, PMO to monitor spending In a move to probably bring in austerity in his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked all the ministers to refrain from buying new cars, said sources. Modi, whose working style had garnered headlines in less than a month of assuming office, has also asked the ministers to take PMO's approval for any purchases above Rs 1 lakh, according to sources.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/modi-austeri ... 37-64.html Administration 1/6/2014
28 Road Min approves over Rs 40,000 crore highway projects
In a boost to the infrastructure sector, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved worth over Rs 40,000 crore of highway projects to be implemented in the next couple of years. These projects are in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the Northeastern region. "We have approved projects worth Rs 20,000 crore for Jammu & Kashmir. They include 2-laning and 4-laning of National Highways in the state some roads projects in Leh and Ladakh and we will co-ordinate with the PWD (Public Works Department) of the state for these projects," Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari told reporters here.
http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/road-mi ... ojects-396 Infrastructure
29 3 satellite cities being planned for re-settlement of Kashmiri Pandits
NDA government's plan to resettle Kashmiri Pandits back in the Valley looks well on course after Centre asked state government to allot 16, 800 kanals of land in three districts for the development of 3 satellite cities.During a meeting between Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah, it was decided that three cities would be developed in 3 districts- Anantnag, Baramullah and Srinagar- to re-settle the displaced Pandits. The 3 cities will be high-tech and well equipped with all basic amenities.
http://daily.bhaskar.com/news/NAT-TOP-3 ... 8-NOR.html Administration
30 Thirty days in office, Narendra Modi-led NDA working to keep promises Within 30 days of taking charge, the NDA government has given environment clearance for projects worth about Rs 22,000 crore that needed coal linkages, approved setting up of eight centres for IT manufacturing and raised fares for long distance trains. It has also asked states to remove fruits and vegetables from the APMC act and promised to offload 50 lakh tonnes of rice in the markets to keep retail prices stable. Delhi and Uttarakhand have complied with the directions. And just a day into its second month, the government has decided to take more time to figure out what will be the price of gas extracted from domestic fields, a subject that has become a political hot potato. As of now, the government has eschewed the temptation take a strident path on economic issues. In the case of gas, for instance it has decided to move with caution building up stakeholder consultations.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/th ... es/1264309 Administration
31 Narendra Modi government to club three social security schemes
The Ministry of Labour and Employment plans to launch a pilot in 20 districts from January 1, 2015 to enable unorganised workers to avail benefits of the Rashtriya Swastha Bima Yojana (RSBY), Aam Aadmi Bima Yojan (AABY) and Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) via one single smart card. The pilot project would be funded from the National Social Security Fund.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 285706.cms Administration
32 Gadkari zips on development flyway
"Road construction has gone down to three kms a day. Highway projects worth about Rs 60,000 crore are stuck, mainly due to delay over land acquisition and environment and forest clearances," Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari told reporters here. "We have managed to find solutions for projects to the tune of Rs 35,000-Rs 45,000 crores. These stalled projects would be up and running in the next three months. We have fast-tracked the processes of clearances," Gadkari said. The Minister said, three months onwards, forest clearance, which is a big impediment and slows down road construction, will no longer be required. "The Government has decided to import truck moulding machines from Canada, which can uproot and replant trees from forest tracks to a fresh location. We will only need to give an affidavit to the forest department on the number of trees transplanted," he said.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-news ... lyway.html Infrastructure Economy 25/06/2014
33 Govt liberalises defence manufacturing; delicenses products
In a major liberalisation, the government on Thursday allowed manufacturing of several hundreds of equipment and products in the defence sector without licence. Manufacture of products such as sub-assemble items, components, castings, night-visions and surveillance would not require an industrial licence. Simplifying the licensing process, a Commerce and Industry Ministry order listed four categories of products that would require prior permission and freed the rest from any licence condition. Industrial licences would now be required only to make items such as tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles; defence aircraft, spacecraft and parts; warships of all kinds; and arms and ammunition and allied items of defence equipment, parts and accessories. According to a top government official, this is a major breakthrough which would enhance defence manufacturing in the country. "From the earlier list, now we have removed over 50 per cent of items which would not require industrial licence to manufacture. The previous list was a total of 6 pages, out of which 4 pages have been removed. A foreign company too can come and set up units to manufacture those items without prior approval," the official said.
http://www.rediff.com/news/report/defen ... 140626.htm Infrastructure Economy Defence
34 Security manual: Audit by IB, Secrets Act on private defence firms
Moving ahead with its plans to promote private industry in the defence sector, the government has issued a set of security guidelines for all licensed defence companies detailing the measures to be put in place for manufacturing sensitive equipment — from an audit by the Intelligence Bureau to setting up elaborate physical defence systems and making the Official Secrets Act (OSA) applicable to employees.The new security manual, applicable to all Indian licensed defence companies, comes after a list of products and technologies requiring a licence by the commerce ministry was released. The government has moved ahead with plans to liberalise foreign direct investment in the sector.The IB will first carry out a security audit of all licensed manufacturers to see how they comply with the regulations. It will have the power to make recommendations to improve security. Directions have also been issued that the visits of all foreign nationals should be reported to local IB authorities.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ ... nce-firms/ Infrastructure Defence
35 Sri Lanka shuts terror door on Pakistan
Sri Lanka has banned visas on arrival for Pakistanis after investigations showed that jihadist groups targeting India were using Sri Lanka as a transit point. Lanka is also one of the few countries that extended such a facility to Pakistani nationals. Modi, in his first conversations with Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, had raised this issue which he said was of particular sensitivity to India. On his return, Rajapaksa is believed to have launched an investigation. The results of the probe have contributed to the decision. In a related development, Sri lankan authorities have been rounding up Pakistani asylum seekers — almost 1,500 of them will be deported back to Pakistan. This has invited sharp criticism from human rights activists and the UN, because many of them are Ahmadiyas (a banned sect in Pakistan) and Shia Muslims.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/worl ... 423753.cms Foreign policy Defence
36 India, China sign pact to set up Chinese industrial parks in India
India and China today signed a key agreement to set up Chinese Industrial Parks in India as their Commerce Ministers today held the first meeting here after the new NDA government came to power.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 511073.cms Economy Foreign policy
37 Rajnath Singh sets a 3-yr deadline for NPR rollout, link to voter ID likely
Giving a thrust to the BJP’s poll promise of weeding out illegal immigrants from the country, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has set a three-year deadline for officials to identify Indian citizens in the country through the National Population Register (NPR) project. The government also wants officials to conduct door-to-door verification across the country and issue NPR cards only to Indian nationals. The government is also planning to link NPR to voting rights, which means election identity cards would not be the sole document for eligibility to vote.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ ... id-likely/ Administration 1/7/2014
38 Register online, get provident fund code within hours Now any employer or establishment can get a provident fund code number within hours of registering online. They will no longer have to chase officials and files to get the PF code with the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO). "This will clear hurdles, such as bureaucratic delays, and hopefully portability of the code number will also happen soon," labour minister Narendra Singh Tomar said while launching the online registration system on Monday.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wea ... 555385.cms Administration
39 Now, Rajasthan set to amend Apprentices Act
Sources in the state government say after the amendments, the appointment of apprentices will be voluntary and industry will be allowed to design courses according to their needs. “We are not changing the provisions of the Act regarding the punishment. What we are doing is making it more flexible. There will be less prosecution in such cases. The intention is to generate more employment the way we are doing through amendments to other three Acts,” Rajiv Mehrishi, chief secretary of Rajasthan, told Business Standard. “The Apprentices Act, 1961, was written for a very different India. It has scared away employers because it requires an employer to seek a licence for every apprentice. It has imprisonment provisions for not engaging with the Act. Also, it micro-specifies location, duration and trades,” said Manish Sabharwal, who headed the Planning Commission’s sub-committee on remodelling India’s apprenticeship regime. “Apprentices are vital to building skills,” he adds.India has only 300,000 apprentices, compared with three million in Germany, 10 million in Japan and 10 million in China. The Act was last amended in 1973 to bring the training of graduate and diploma holders in engineering and technology under its purview.
http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 025_1.html Economy Administration
40 India's services PMI hits 17-month high in June India's private sector output witnessed significant uptrend in June as both manufacturing and services sector registered solid rate of expansion, driven by robust order flows and stronger business sentiment, an HSBC survey said on Thursday.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 689968.cms Economy
41 660 Nirbhaya Centres for women violence victims
660 Nirbhaya Centres for women violence victims: At least 660 rape crisis centres will be established across the country and named as Nirbhaya centres, as a tribute to the victim of December 16, 2012 Delhi gang-rape case. The centres will be set up in all the 640 districts and 20 additional locations in the country and the project will cost 477 crores approximately, Women and Child Development Ministry officials said. The Women and Child Development Ministry has already prepared the concept note which has been approved by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) and has been sent to various stakeholders like Ministry of Law, Finance, Tribal Affairs, Health, Social Justice and Empowerment and Minority Affairs seeking their suggestions.
http://news.rediff.com/commentary/2014/ ... ccfafa18c9 Administration
42 Passport delivery to become hassle-free, no police verification in case of renewal
The passport delivery system could soon become hassle-free and quick. On the directions of the chief passport officer in the ministry of external affairs, Mumbai may lead the way to do away with cumbersome processes that currently delay the issuance of a passport. Maria said specific bottlenecks in the police verification process have been identified and stringent measures taken to ensure that the entire exercise is completed in a time-bound period. "It was bringing a bad name to Mumbai Police. In addition, there were charges of corruption too. I am sure, once the new system comes into force, passport delivery will be hassle-free," Maria said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 724655.cms Administration
43 Four new vaccines in national immunization programme
The Indian government Thursday introduced four new vaccines, including one for Japanese Encephalitis (JE), in the national immunization programme, which will now provide free vaccines against 13 life-threatening diseases to 27 million children annually. The decision to introduce the vaccines for rotavirus, rubella and polio (injectable) as part of the universal immunization programme was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official here said. The JE vaccine would be available for adults in 179 districts in nine states where the disease is highly prevalent."The introduction of four new lifesaving vaccines, will play a key role in reducing the childhood and infant mortality and morbidity in the country. "Many of these vaccines are already available through private practitioners to those who can afford them. The government will now ensure that the benefits of vaccination reach all sections of the society, regardless of social and economic status," said Modi.
http://www.firstpost.com/fwire/four-new ... LATESTNEWS Administration
44 Govt to bring in 24-hour TV channel for farmers
Farmers will soon have a 24-hour TV channel dedicated to agriculture and related issues, providing the farming community with information related to aspects like weather forecast and seeds. To be named 'DD Kisan', the government and the Prasar Bharati are working on finalising the plans for launching the channel at the earliest.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 890102.cms Economy
45 ‘No relevance’, Centre asks UN mission to vacate Delhi office
The Narendra Modi government has asked the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to vacate the government bungalow housing its office in the heart of the Capital, in a sign of its toughening stand towards the UN mission. The Indian Express has learnt that South Block has asked the UNMOGIP to vacate the bungalow — 1AB, Purana Qila Road — which has been serving as its office for the last four decades. The government accommodation — a Type VII bungalow, about 7,000 square feet — was allotted to the UN mission “free of charge”.Sources said in its recent communication to the UN, the government has conveyed that the UNMOGIP’s role has been overtaken by the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control. New Delhi is of the view that the UNMOGIP has “no relevance or role to play whatsoever”.The UNMOGIP, established under a UN Security Council Resolution, was meant to supervise the ceasefire line established under the Karachi Agreement of July 1949.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ ... hi-office/ Foreign policy Defence 8/7/2014
46 New advisory to end ‘inspector raj’
To usher in greater ease of doing business, the government has taken steps to rein in the notorious "inspector raj". In an advisory to all ministries which is aimed to check fishing expeditions by inspectors, the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) has said no inspection of business premises and factories should be done unless it is approved by the head of the department.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 036699.cms Administration
47 Iraq- Doval made mission impossible possible At one point in time bringing back the Indians from Iraq looked like an impossible task considering the mentality of the ISIS. The ISIS was in fact thinking of taking into their fold as many Indians as possible not with an intent of killing them, but to use them as shields and also for the sake of global publicity. However with militant you never know and what could trigger off a brutal assault.
http://vickynanjappa.com/2014/07/09/ira ... -possible/ Defence
48 India starts first major coal mine in at least five years
Coal India Ltd started production on Friday at a 12-million-tonnes-per-year mine, its first major new project in at least five years, which should help boost supplies to fuel-starved power plants. The world's biggest Coal miner has struggled to raise output fast enough to meet rising demand from power companies, making India the world's third-largest coal importer despite sitting on the fifth-biggest reserves. Central Coalfields Chairman Gopal Singh said the opening of the mine, its first in decades, was fast-tracked on the orders of new Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal, who took charge about 45 days ago."The minister has given us strict orders to raise output," Singh said at an event where Goyal inaugurated the mine from a New Delhi hotel using video conferencing.Goyal said many more such projects were needed to help India provide power to all, a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who in May won India's strongest election mandate in 30 years on promises of growth.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ind ... 247670.cms Economy Infrastructure
49 Centre to shield businesses from dreaded 'inspector raj' with new system
Even as the Centre holds consultations with stakeholders to amend various contentious labour legislation, the NDA regime has decided to strike at the much-dreaded inspector raj introducing a new inspection system that will shield business establishments against frequent harassment and rent-seeking. Under the new system, which is likely to come in force from September, inspectors will not be authorised to visit factories or business units unless there exists a “prima facie evidence” of wrong-doing. Besides, if the inspectors fail to upload their inspection report within 72 hours on a unified portal, which is being developed, it will “not be deemed legitimate”, according to sources.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/ce ... em/1270288 Administration
50 Railways' 'silent killers': Now, trains won't stop at 'MP stops' A LONG list of additional train stoppages, mostly cleared after pressure from local MPs, costs the Railways department about Rs 1 crore daily. Now, the cash-strapped ministry has decided to scrap as many as 1,250 such stoppages across the country.While the ministry has told Parliament that the stoppages are being reviewed, sources confirmed that these will cease to exist by September.An internal costing exercise done as part of the Rail Budget found that each additional stop was costing the Railways about Rs 8,000 on account of fuel and other operational expenses. On the other hand, the Railways was earning less than Rs 500 per stoppage.The net revenue loss per year was estimated to add up to a whopping Rs 300 crore. The ministry’s bookkeepers unofficially refer to these stoppages as “silent killers”.Trains linking Bihar and Kerala are among those which have the highest number of such stoppages. Of the total 2,400 such stoppages, 1,250 have been listed as commercially “unwanted and unaffordable”.These stoppages were generally approved after MPs cited demand from residents. Most of these MPs have not been re-elected. Many of them had agreed that the stoppage would be cancelled if it did not have the desired effect on ticket sales.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/tr ... ps/1270285 Economy Administration
51 Economy report after one month of Modi government: Growth looks up, inflation cools
The first full month under the Narendra Modi government's watch turned out to be a good one for the economy with macro indicators looking up and inflation lower despite lingering monsoon doubts, suggesting that growth could have finally bottomed out. Exports rose 10.2% in June from a year ago, the government said on Wednesday, marking yet another positive development following a series of good numbers in recent days that suggest the economy is picking up from decade-low growth
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/art ... aign=cppst Economy Foreign policy