Govt announces policy reforms to enhance Ease of Innovation and Ease of Doing Research
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh on Sunday announced a set of policy reforms to enhance the "Ease of Innovation" and "Ease of Doing Research", providing long-awaited relief to innovators, researchers scholars, scientists and institutions across the country. Jitendra Singh unveiled decisions that will enable academic and research institutions to bypass some of the most cited hurdles in their day-to-day functioning-particularly around procurement delays and financial ceilings.
The announcement follows extensive consultations led by the Principal Scientific Adviser's office, drawing insights from 13 IITs and multiple research bodies across India.One of the most consequential decisions announced is the delegation of procurement powers to institutional heads. Directors of scientific organisations and Vice Chancellors of universities will now be empowered to carry out non-GeM (Government e-Marketplace) purchases for specialized research equipment and materials-a departure from the existing rules which mandated GeM procurement even when suitable items were unavailable.
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Hindustan Times
14 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Govt, Kuki-Zo groups reach understanding to relocate camps to tribal areas
The Union home ministry and Manipur's Kuki-Zo insurgent groups have reached an understanding to relocate seven camps from near Meitei-dominated areas after a second round of talks on Monday under the 2008 Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement, an official said. The official said the extension of the pact was not discussed at the meeting focused on revising ground rules, which are seen as a more immediate priority. The locations of the new camps in tribal areas will be discussed at a third meeting to be scheduled. 'It has been agreed in principle that any relocated camps should be in tribal areas,' the official said. Representatives of the insurgent groups presented new proposals involving security arrangements. The ministry representatives emphasised the recovery of looted weapons and full restoration of the Imphal–Jiribam–Silchar and Dimapur–Imphal-Moreh highways, which have remained blocked since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023. 'Discussions on ground rules were held on Monday, and an agreement was reached on key changes, including closure of camps. Reopening highways was also a top priority,' said a second official. In 2008, 25 insurgent groups signed the tripartite agreement with the central and state governments. Around 2,200 of their members then resided in 14 designated camps across the hill districts of Manipur. Meiteis have opposed the pact. Former chief minister N Biren Singh, a Meitei, has blamed armed Kuki militants for involvement in the protracted conflict. Kuki leaders have accused Meitei groups, including Arambai Tenggol, of stoking the violence. On Monday, Manipur Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Michael Lamjathang Haokip wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the abrogation of the pact to restore peace in the state. The Manipur government withdrew from the tripartite SoO talks in February 2023, leaving the pact ineffective. Each member of the insurgent groups in camps set up under the SoO is entitled to a monthly ₹6,000 stipend, but payments have reportedly been suspended since violence broke out. The insurgent groups initially demanded an autonomous Kuki-Zo council within Manipur. They have since 2023 demanded a Union Territory with its a legislature BJP Rajya Sabha member Leishemba Sanajaoba questioned the rationale of the pact. 'What was the point of signing such a pact with these groups when they neither revolted against the state nor the Union governments at that time?' he asked on Facebook. He wrote that the pact was signed during the Congress rule with two Kuki-Zo umbrella insurgent groups, which originally demanded autonomy. 'Such grave missteps of the previous government led to this chaotic situation in the state.' The fresh talks on the pact come amid protracted violence between Meiteis and Kukis in Manipur, which has since May 2023 and has left around 250 people dead and thousands displaced. Meiteis live largely in the plains of the Imphal valley, and the Kukis in the hills. They have since 2023 withdrawn to their respective strongholds and set up road blockades on highways to restrict each other's and the movement of essential items between their strongholds.
Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
Air India passengers stranded overnight at Delhi airport after flight encounters technical 'snag'; Union minister, top doctor among them
Representative Image NEW DELHI: Passengers of an Air India flight from Delhi to Bhubaneswar were left stranded for several hours on Tuesday night after the aircraft failed to take off due to a technical 'snag. ' Flight AI-2489 was scheduled to depart from Delhi's IGI Airport at 17.45 IST. Among the passengers were Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram and noted gastroenterologist Dr Subrat Acharya. After a long wait, passengers were allowed to board the aircraft, but the plane remained stationary and did not proceed to the runway. Crew members later informed them that a technical issue had grounded the flight and asked them to disembark. Many passengers remained at Terminal 3's departure gate 32A into the early hours of Wednesday, with no confirmation about an alternate flight or revised departure time. One passenger posted on social media platform X at 1:23am, saying: 'Harassment to the passengers of flight AI 2489. Air India failed to provide alternate arrangements. Passengers are waiting, including women and children.' Air India responded, saying: 'We understand flight disruptions are quite disappointing, our team is trying its best to minimise the inconvenience caused.' However, in a follow-up post at 1:42am, the passenger said there was still no solution and claimed that the airline's ground staff were unaware of further arrangements. Air India has not yet issued an official statement confirming the rescheduled departure.
The Hindu
35 minutes ago
- The Hindu
PM Modi ended country's political instability that persisted since 1984: Javadekar
Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi ended the political instability that had persisted since 1984 by providing the country with a stable government. Mr. Javadekar was addressing reporters in Pune on the completion of 11 years of the Modi government at the Centre. "Modi government recently completed 11 years at the Centre. We all need to understand the significance of these 11 years. The first thing is that Modi ji gave a stable government to the country. Since 1984, political instability had persisted, but Modi ji ended that by giving the country a stable government in 2014," he said. "This third term will continue till 2029, and we are confident that the BJP will win the upcoming terms as well," he said. The government works round the clock with the motto of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas', he said. "The greatest achievement of this government is that in all these 11 years, not a single Union minister has faced any serious allegations of corruption. This is no small feat. One can recall the days under the Congress-led UPA government when, every other day, allegations of corruption were levelled against ministers, many of whom had to resign," he said. Mr. Javadekar asserted that India's stature on the global stage has risen under the Modi government. "Internal security has improved in the past 11 years. Schemes like Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat in the defence sector, abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and the rise of the Indian economy from 10th to 4th position globally are among the key achievements of this government," he said. In 11 years, poor people were empowered as ₹43 lakh crore were transferred to them through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), resulting in more than 30 crore people being lifted out of poverty, he added. The former Minister said India sent a strong message to Pakistan's terror networks through surgical strikes, the Balakot air strikes and Operation Sindoor. The Modi government's other achievements include the revamp of Indian Railways, introduction of Vande Bharat trains, expansion of the metro rail services, reduction in bank NPAs, income tax relief for individuals earning up to ₹12 lakh, provision of tap water connections, construction of toilets, opening of Jan Dhan accounts, and the launch of the UPI platform, according to him.
