HC to hear PIL seeking NRC in Bengal
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Hans India
21 minutes ago
- Hans India
India doubles down on shipbuilding to become global maritime power
New Delhi: The shipbuilding industry in India is undergoing a transformational shift, as the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi accelerates efforts to build a world-class maritime ecosystem, according to Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. In line with the Maritime India Vision 2030 and the long-term strategic roadmap of Amrit Kaal, the Union Budget 2025 has announced a series of reforms and investments aimed at significantly enhancing the capacity and competitiveness of Indian shipyards. 'These initiatives are expected to strengthen India's position as an emerging global maritime power,' Sonowal said at the ongoing monsoon session of the Lok Sabha. Highlighting the government's commitment, Sonowal underlined the 'Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy which is being revamped to address cost disadvantages,' thereby helping Indian shipyards compete on equal footing with their international counterparts. The inclusion of credit notes for ship breaking in Indian yards reinforces the push towards a circular and sustainable maritime economy. To boost infrastructure financing, large ships above a specified size will now be classified under the Infrastructure Harmonised Master List, making them eligible for long-term, low-interest funding. Simultaneously, the government will facilitate the development of integrated shipbuilding clusters, equipped with modern infrastructure, skill development centres, and advanced technologies. This, the Budget notes, is aimed at 'increasing the range, categories and capacity of ships' built in India. In a landmark move to address the industry's need for long-term capital, the government has proposed a Rs 25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund, with up to 49 per cent government contribution. This fund will mobilise private and port-led investments to expand and modernise India's shipbuilding and repair capabilities. Recognising the long gestation nature of the industry, tax exemptions on Basic Customs Duty (BCD) for raw materials and components used in shipbuilding and ship-breaking have been extended for another 10 years. 'Our commitment to empower and enable our maritime sector is absolute and it is with this intent we are working under the dynamic leadership of PM Modi,' said Sonowal. To give Indian shipbuilders a competitive edge in public procurement, the government has extended the Right of First Refusal (ROFR) for tenders floated by public sector units. As per the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017, vessels valued under Rs 200 crore must be procured from Indian yards, thereby reinforcing the goal of self-reliance in maritime assets. On the ship repair front, Cochin Shipyard Limited has inaugurated a Rs 970 crore International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) in Kochi.
Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Pay heed to what J&K MPs are saying in Parliament: Mirwaiz to Centre
Hurriyat leader and chief priest of Jamia Masjid Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday hailed the efforts of Jammu and Kashmir members of parliament to express the sentiments of people in Parliament and urged the Centre to give a patient ear to them to lessen the 'dil ki doori'. Hurriyat leader and chief priest of Jamia Masjid Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday hailed the efforts of Jammu and Kashmir members of parliament to express the sentiments of people in Parliament and urged the Centre to give a patient ear to them to lessen the 'dil ki doori'. (PTI File) At the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Mirwaiz welcomed J&K MPs' united stand in the Parliament during the discussion on Operation Sindoor. 'A few days ago, in the Parliament, there was a debate on the India–Pakistan war after the heinous Pahalgam incident, and different views by different political parties of India with regard to the war, its purpose, success or failure were put forward,' said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq while addressing the Friday congregation at the historic Jama Masjid, Srinagar. Mirwaiz said that very few, and mostly in the opposition, talked of the human aspect of the war, its costs therein, and its correlation to J&K, which reflects the mindset and mood of the times. He said that the three MPs from J&K - Mian Altaf and Agha Ruhullah from National Conference and Engineer Rashid from Awami Ittihad Party —were the only ones to highlight the concerns and plight of the people at the epicentre of the basic problem and the current debate. 'They were speaking with passion and pain about the disempowerment and dispossession of the people of J&K and expressing the sentiments of the people of J&K that we have all along been talking about. It is good to see that on these matters all are on the same page,' he said. He said that he can only hope that what they said was heard by those in power in New Delhi. 'And if they really want to lessen 'Dil ki Doori', they must pay heed to it,' he urged. Mirwaiz said he has always believed that neither war nor violence, or use of force can solve problems and lead to peace and prosperity, which he said the 'billions of people in the Indian subcontinent seek, and the swathes of poor in this region deserve'. 'Engagement at all levels is a far cheaper and evolved alternative,' he said.
Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Do not use names of living personalities in govt ads: Madras HC
The Madras high court has said that political parties cannot use names or images of any living personality, including chief ministers and ideological leaders, as well as party insignia or symbols, in government advertisements for welfare schemes. Do not use names of living personalities in govt ads: Madras HC A bench of chief justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and justice Sunder Mohan barred the inclusion of 'the name of any living personality, photographs of former chief ministers or ideological leaders,' and 'party symbols, emblems, or flags of political parties,' including those of the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, in advertisements for government welfare schemes. The bench passed the order on July 31 while hearing a petition filed by AIADMK Member of Parliament C Ve Shanmugam, who had sought an injunction against the DMK government's use of chief minister MK Stalin's name and image, as well as the images of other DMK leaders, in the State's public grievance redressal scheme 'Mudhalvarin Mugavari.' Senior counsel Vijay Narayan, who appeared for Shanmugam, told the court that using the chief minister's name and party images in a state-funded scheme violated Supreme Court directives and the Government Advertisement (Content Regulation) Guidelines, 2014. The court said that the use of such references in state-sponsored promotions did 'prima facie' violate multiple apex court rulings, including the latter's clarification issued in 2016 on the review petition filed in the case of State of Karnataka vs Common Cause. In such order, the Supreme Court had clarified that while the photograph of an incumbent chief minister may be used in official government advertisements, photographs of ideological leaders or former chief ministers will prima facie violate its earlier directives aimed at curbing political misuse of public funds, the high court said. 'It would not be permissible to mention the name of the living political personality in the nomenclature of the government scheme. Moreover, using the name of any ruling political party, its insignia/logo/emblem/flag also appears to be prima facie against the directives of the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India,' the high court said. It said that keeping in mind the above, it was passing an order 'to the effect that while launching and operating government welfare schemes through various advertisements, the name of any living personality, photograph of any former Chief Minister/ideological leaders or party insignia/emblem/flag of respondent No.4 (DMK) shall not be included.' Opposing the plea, the state's counsel, Advocate General P S Raman, had argued that the petition relied on unauthenticated materials such as unofficial printouts, which did not represent official government publications. Raman assured the court that the government had not used the photographs of any political leaders or party symbols in its promotional materials and requested time to file a detailed affidavit along with authentic records. Senior advocate P Wilson, who was representing the DMK, told the court the petition was politically motivated. Wilson pointed out that the petitioner belonged to the opposition and alleged that the plea was an attempt to 'malign' the ruling party's image 'under the guise of public interest.' While recording that the State denied the petitioner's claims, the court emphasised the importance of adhering to the legal framework governing government publicity. The Bench said it was 'inclined to pass an interim order' given the petitioner's apprehension that more such schemes were in the pipeline. However, the court clarified that its present order did not interfere with the actual launch or implementation of any welfare scheme. 'We have not passed any order against launching, implementation or operation of welfare schemes of the government,' the bench said. The court also made it clear that the pendency of the petition will not restrain the Election Commission of India or other competent authorities from taking action on the basis of the petitioner's complaint. The court is likely to hear the matter further on August 13.
