Ashwini Vaishnaw News

8th Pay Commission for the central government employees. The approval for the setting up of the commission was announced by the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw in today’s press briefing. The announcement for pay commission has come after the dearness allowance went above 50% of the basic salary of central government employees.

Meta's top officials over its CEO Mark Zuckerberg's remarks that the incumbent government in India lost the 2024 election owing to its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

smartphone exports in FY25, on the back of rising iPhone exports. In the last financial year, smartphone exports stood at $15 billion, with Apple contributing nearly $10 billion.

IRCTC), the primary platform for booking tickets on Indian Railways, faced another significant outage on Thursday, leaving users across the country unable to access the website and mobile app. The outage, caused by scheduled maintenance activities, left many passengers frustrated, as they were unable to book or manage their train tickets. Downdetector reported over 2,500 complaints of the outage at its peak. This issue is not new. Similar disruptions have occurred in recent weeks, including one on December 26 and another on December 31, leading to growing concerns among frequent users about the platform’s reliability. Passengers trying to book tickets during peak hours, such as the Tatkal scheme, expressed their frustration on social media, with some tagging the railway minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw. One user wrote, “Please make a reel on trying to login to IRCTC portal at 10 AM for Tatkal ticket.” Another user shared, “It is 10:11 am… still IRCTC is not opening… IRCTC should be enquired and checked… definitely scams are happening. By the time it opens, all the tickets are gone… @AshwiniVaishnaw @irctc.” The IRCTC website displayed a message confirming the outage, saying, «Due to maintenance activity, e-ticketing service will not be available. Please try later.» This is the fifth such disruption in a short period, prompting calls for better digital infrastructure to support India’s vast railway network.

Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Pune on Saturday. The minister also said C-DAC plays a major role in this regard. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is the premier organisation of the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for carrying our research and development in IT, electronics and associated areas. Vaishnaw launched one VEGA-based SoC ASIC and two DIR V VEGA processor based development boards designed and developed by C-DAC.

Big Tech and social media companies are concerned that a proposed committee may recommend curbs on certain data categories, although IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has assured the data Rules published Friday don't amount to a back-door entry for data localisation requirements.

tunnel boring machines to carry out about 21 km under sea tunneling for the Bullet Train project have been placed, the government informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply on Friday while updating the status of infrastructure projects in Maharashtra. «Construction works on the flagship high speed bullet train project have gathered momentum in Maharashtra. Now 100% land acquisition has been completed. Works of bridges, aqueducts etc. have been taken up,» Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. «Meanwhile, all preparatory works required for the working of TBMs (tunnel boring machines) such as construction of shafts etc. have also been taken up,» he added. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut wanted to know «whether the government has reduced funding for new railway lines in Maharashtra in recent years», «the critical rail projects which have been delayed due to reduction in funding» and «the steps taken by the government to mitigate potential delays in railway projects to ensure continued regional development and economic progress in Maharashtra».

BJP leaders on Saturday claimed that a demolition notice issued by the Railways to a temple outside Mumbai's Dadar station has been stayed, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis saying it would be regularised as per rules. The assertions by the ruling party leaders came a day after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray slammed the BJP over the notice. BJP legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha said the Dadar Hanuman temple will be protected. Lodha visited the shrine near Platform No. 12 at Dadar East, adjacent to the Central Railway station. He interacted with the temple trustees and joined the 'aarti'.

Lok Sabha passed the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024 by a voice vote Wednesday. The bill seeks to repeal the Indian Railway Board Act, 1905 by incorporating the provisions for constitution and composition of the Railway Board into the Railways Act, 1989. Speaking during the debate on the proposed legislation, union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the bill will simplify the legal structure for operations of the Indian Railways. He also allayed concerns of privatisation and over centralisation of the Indian Railways raised by some members. Vaishnaw said there was no question of privatising the Indian Railways, adding that the infrastructure being developed was for the nation. He also said supremacy of parliament was not being affected by this legislation.

Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association and the America's Motion Picture Association, which has an office in India, to present their views on the issue of over-the-top (OTT) content on December 20. The committee, chaired by Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey, will deliberate on the topic, "Emergence of OTT Platforms and Related Issues," with representatives from these associations. This development follows Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's request for the parliamentary standing committee to take up the issue of strengthening existing laws governing social media and OTT platforms on a priority basis.

Vande Bharat train services were operational with enhanced safety features and modern passenger amenities as on November 21, the government has informed the Lok Sabha. In a written reply on Wednesday, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said these safety features and modern passenger amenities were automatic train protection system KAVACH, faster acceleration, fully-sealed gangway, automatic plug doors, better ride comfort, mini pantry with provision of hot case, bottle cooler, deep freezer and hot water boiler, among many others. The minister was responding to questions raised by nine MPs from various political parties who wanted to know the rationale behind launching the Vande Bharat Express, their occupancy, amenities, passenger feedback and services in Maharashtra as well as on the New Delhi-Kathgodam route. Vaishnaw said, «Presently, 22 Vande Bharat services, on originating or terminating basis, are catering to the needs of stations located in the state of Maharashtra.»

PAN 2.0 initiative on 25 November. The government has allocated Rs 1,435 crore for this project, aimed at overhauling the current PAN/TAN system to improve efficiency and taxpayer convenience. At the time of the announcement, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the upgrade of PAN includes adding a QR code. This will be rolled out free of cost to all taxpayers. Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who are required to file a return of income or intend to enter into an economic or financial transaction where quoting of PAN is mandatory must have this identity proof.

Congress party and Maha Vikas Aghadi, stating that their «boat has sunk» and asserted that the Mahayuti alliance would return to power in the state. Speaking to ANI, Shaina NC said, «This is the same Congress who keeps commenting on Shiv Sena, Sanjay Raut, they exchange candidates, change names. This boat has sunk. The Mahayuti government will come back to power on November 23.» The BJP leader also reacted to Shiv Sena's (UBT) Aaditya Thackeray's criticism of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the Bandra stampede.

Indian Railways has reduced the time window for advanced booking of seats in passenger trains. According to a circular issued by the Railway Board, time limit for Advance Reservations has been reduced from 120 to 60 days (excluding date of journey). This new diktat will be applicable from November 1 onwards so bookings can be made under the 120-day Advance Reservation Period (ARP) till then. Existing bookings under the earlier ARP will remain intact as well. This reverses a decision taken in March 2015 to increase the window of booking. There will be no change in the case of certain day time express trains like Taj Express, Gomti Express, among others where lower time limits for Advance Reservations are already in place. There will also be no change in the case of limit of 365 days for Foreign Tourists, the order said.

PM-RKVY) and Krishonnati Yojana-to improve farmers' income and food security, allocating ₹1,01,321 crore. It has also approved the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds) to make India self-reliant in oilseed production, allocating Rs 10,103 crore. Under PM-RKVY, the focus will be on enhancing farm productivity through various measures such as soil health and fertility, rained area development, per drop more crop, crop diversification and agricultural mechanisation, said union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

railway unions launched a social media campaign on Thursday demanding productivity-linked bonuses based on the Seventh Pay Commission instead of the sixth. IREF had written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw a fortnight ago in support of its demand, but its office-bearers said they didn't receive any response from the government. Hence to press for their demand, the railway unions launched a social media campaign on X from Thursday. During the countrywide lockdown forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, people were afraid to step out of their homes but the railway employees successfully operated trains and registered a sharp increase in earnings as is evident in the quarterly bulletin of Indian Railways, they said.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday announced that there is a Rs 60,000-crore investment opportunity by the railways in West Bengal. He highlighted that 61 projects are currently pending in the state due to issues related to the handover of land to the railways, emphasising that the completion of these projects requires the TMC government to rise above politics. «Rs 60,000 crore investment opportunity by the railways exists in West Bengal,» Vaishnaw said after inaugurating several railway projects and train services at Sealdah station. He added that such investments will only be feasible if the state government cooperates.

Amit Shah on Tuesday said any conspiracy to cause railway accidents will not last long and the government will soon unveil an initiative for the protection of the 1.10 lakh km railway network across the country. The home minister's remarks came in the wake of a series of railway accidents, most of which appeared to be attempts at sabotage as obstructions were placed on the railway tracks. Addressing a press conference to mark 100 days of the third tenure of the BJP-led NDA government, Shah said he had discussed the issue of railway safety with Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the last two days. «As far as accidents are concerned, we will investigate the root cause of this. Whatever the reason, the government is committed to addressing the issue. If this is a conspiracy, it will not last long. If there are gaps, they will be plugged,» Shah said with Vaishnaw by his side.

The Centre has allocated Rs 10,900 crore for two years for the PM E-Drive scheme which will subsidise electric two wheelers, three wheelers, and buses. Hybrid ambulances and electric trucks will also be aided under it. It will support 24.79 lakh electric two-wheelers, 3.16 lakh e-three wheelers, and 14,028 e-buses. Announcing this, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that 88,500 electric vehicle chargers will be set up under the scheme. The decision on PM E-DRIVE Scheme was taken at the meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vaishnaw told reporters.

Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to several significant schemes to advance healthcare, renewable energy, and promote electric vehicles to further combat pollution. The Modi-led cabinet has also approved coverage of PM Gram Sadak Yojana to those unconnected habitations due to various reasons including increase in population. Here are the top decisions from today's meeting:

Ashwini Vaishnaw met Japan's Minister for Digital Transformation Taro Kono and discussed avenues to strengthen digital ties between the two countries. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Vaishnaw — is the Minister for IT, Information and Broadcasting (I&B), and Railways — said the discussions focused on exploring avenues for collaboration and innovation in the digital landscape, particularly on futuristic technological advancements. «Met with H.E. Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Digital Transformation of Japan, to discuss strengthening India-Japan digital ties. Explored avenues for collaboration and innovation in the digital landscape, focusing on futuristic technological advancements,» Vaishnaw wrote in the post as he held a series of high-level meetings in Japan.