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In written replies to questions in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh said the first task force comprises members from the Department of Atomic Energy, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), Niti Aayog, Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of External Affairs. «The Task Force is looking into various aspects like build, own, operation of nuclear power plants by the private sector, nuclear safety, security, safeguards, fuel procurement/fabrication, waste management, spent fuel reprocessing,» Singh said. He said a separate task force is also looking into the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act to address the concerns raised by private suppliers. The CLND Act is considered to be the biggest hurdle to private sector participation due to a provision in it that pins liabilities on nuclear suppliers, in addition to the operator, in case of damage.

AI for All' mantra is backed by concrete action with the country leading in AI skill penetration and talent concentration, Union Minister Jitin Prasada said on Thursday as he urged industry leaders to prioritise research and development (R&D) to capitalise on India's position as a global skill capital. Prasada, Union Minister of State for Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, was delivering a keynote address at the Nasscom Global Confluence 2025. «Our mantra 'AI for All' is backed by concrete action. India is number one in the world in AI skill penetration — the AI skill index even outstrips the US and Germany. »It's just not about numbers, it's about impact. As nations across the globe embrace digitalisation to modernise traditional sectors and fuel economic growth, India stands ready to be a strategic technology partner," the minister asserted.

cabinet sub-committee, which was formed last year to look into grievances against the present reservation policy in the Union Territory. The information was given by Sakeena Itoo, the minister in-charge social welfare, in a written reply to a starred question by Peoples Conference legislator Sajad Gani Lone in the House. The cabinet sub-committee headed by Itoo with ministers Satish Sharma and Javed Rana as its members was constituted in December last year and is going to submit its report to the council of ministers headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Reservation has become a major issue in Jammu and Kashmir following the Central government's decision to add more communities to the reserved category and expand quotas in the UT over the past five years. There are increasing objections to the Centre's move to push the reservation quota to 70 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir. «The Cabinet Sub Committee stands constituted vide Government order No. 2061- JKGAD of 2024, dated 10.12. 2024 to examine the grievances projected by a section of aspirants for various posts regarding reservation rules. However, no specific timeline has been fixed for submitting the report,» the minister said in response to Lone, who had asked whether a six months time period had been granted to the panel to review the existing reservation policy. Itoo said that a total of 5,39,306 Scheduled Tribe population — 4,59,493 in Jammu division and 79,813 in Kashmir division — have obtained ST certificates in the last two years effective from April 2023, while 67,112 certificates have been issued to scheduled caste population of Jammu region during the same period.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in response to a query by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha. The government was asked if the ministry, its attached offices and autonomous bodies and organisations under it, particularly the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), were facing a «shortfall of manpower against their respective sanctioned strengths». In his response, the minister shared corresponding data for the various attached and subordinate offices and autonomous bodies under the ministry.

Ministry of Labour and Employment has called on platform workers to register on the e-Shram portal to access benefits announced in the Union Budget 2025-26. A gig worker is someone who takes on short-term jobs, often for multiple service providers or aggregators. Recognising their contribution to the economy, the government has introduced measures to support them, including online registration, identity cards, and healthcare coverage under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). The AB-PMJAY scheme offers ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation at over 31,000 public and private empanelled hospitals across India.

Samsung India workers at the Sriperumbudur factory near here has been called off, and they will resume work in batches from March 8, CITU state president A Soundararajan said on Friday. Commenting on the development, the company stated, «Samsung welcomes the workers' decision to call off the illegal strike and resume their duties at the Chennai plant.» The company's initiative to welcome back striking workers and its proactive engagement have facilitated their return, effectively ending the strike, a spokesperson said in a release. «We remain committed to enforcing discipline on the premises and resolving outstanding issues directly with our workers to maintain a positive work environment,» the spokesperson added.

CRISIL. The forecast rests on two key assumptions: the continuation of normal monsoon patterns and soft commodity prices. CRISIL expects that these factors, coupled with cooling food inflation, tax benefits outlined in the Union Budget 2025-2026, and lower borrowing costs, will stimulate discretionary consumption. «India’s resilience is being tested again. Over the past few years, we have built a few safe harbours against exogenous shocks — healthy economic growth, low current account deficit and external public debt, and adequate forex reserves — which provide ample policy latitude. So, while the waters can turn choppy, consumption-led rural and urban demand will be crucial to short-term growth. On the other hand, continuing investments and efficiency gains will aid in the medium term. We foresee both manufacturing and services supporting growth through fiscal 2031,» said Amish Mehta, Managing Director and CEO of CRISIL.

trade tensions, Swaminathan Aiyar, Consulting Editor at ET Now Swaminathan Aiyar has downplayed concerns over the direct impact of U.S. tariff plans on India. In an interaction with ET Now, Aiyar asserted that India is «hardly on the radar screen» when it comes to Washington’s trade actions, which are largely aimed at economic heavyweights like Russia, China, and Mexico. While Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s upcoming visit to the U.S. has sparked speculation over potential trade negotiations, Aiyar believes that the scope of such discussions remains limited.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Clouds over vast swathes of North India have caused abrupt dips in solar power production, raising worries about the stability of the power grid that serves millions of Indians. The national grid operator asked all electricity companies in February to be on alert mode and supply power to preserve the grid's stability, two people aware of the matter said.

Manoj Sinha on Monday said his government remains steadfast in its commitment to address the legitimate desire of restoration of full statehood. The 40-day budget session started in the winter capital of Jammu with Sinha's address who reiterated his commitment to holding panchayat and urban local bodies elections in the Union Territory. «One of the foremost aspirations of the people of J&K is the restoration of full statehood. My government remains steadfast in its commitment to addressing this legitimate desire of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir,» said Sinha. The LG said his government recognises the 'emotional and political significance of statehood' for the people of J&K. «We are actively engaging with all stakeholders to facilitate this process in a manner that ensures peace, stability and progress,» said Sinha.

grassroots protest aimed at challenging rising prices, corporate greed, and major companies' rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as per reports.

Department of Legal Affairs in the Union law ministry floated the draft bill on February 13 for public consultations.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In Union Budget 2025-26, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman raised the tax-rebate threshold under Section 87A of the Income Tax Act from ₹7 lakh to ₹12 lakh.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi:Wind power projects may need to use a fixed amount of local components to secure government assistance, two people aware of the plans said, on the lines of a similar mandate for solar power projects. The government has begun talks with industry stakeholders to introduce a domestic content requirement (DCR), one of the two people cited above said on the condition of anonymity.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. MUMBAI : The new slab rates and exemption threshold introduced in the Union Budget 2025-26 under the new tax regime marked the beginning of a new chapter for the Indian middle-class taxpayer. However, the relaxations have reduced the tax advantages of equity investments for small and medium investors, especially those with annual incomes of up to ₹24 lakh.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cut interest rates. In a move aimed at supporting economic growth, the six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), led by newly appointed Governor Sanjay Malhotra, lowered the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25%. But alongside the cautious optimism, Governor Sanjay Malhotra delivered a stark warning: India is not immune to the global storms brewing on the horizon.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Can tax relief for the urban middle class spark a consumption revival, and help accelerate an economy that has lately been grappling with a slowdown? The governemnt sure hopes so. In the Union budget presented on 1 February, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced raising the income tax exemption limit to ₹12 lakh from ₹7 lakh, which has been touted by many as a potential game-changer.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI : India has the potential to become the manufacturing hub of wind power components like turbines to cater to global demand, and policy initiatives along the lines of production-linked incentives (PLI) would go a long way in unlocking that potential, said Girish Tanti, vice chairman of Suzlon Energy Ltd. In an interview, Tanti said the National Manufacturing Mission proposed in the Union Budget 2025-26 and the focus on clean tech manufacturing are expected to bring the sector the required support.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Swiggy Ltd’s food-delivery business saw a sequential rise in its average monthly transacting users to 14.9 million in Q3FY25 from 14.7 million. This compares with the quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) drop in Zomato Ltd’s user base to 20.5 million from 20.7 million.