Latest news with #NITIAayog
Hans India
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
11 blocks under aspirational prog
Bhubaneswar: Eleven blocks of Odisha have been included in the Aspirational Block Programme of the NITI Aayog, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Tuesday. The programme focuses on improving governance to enhance the quality of life of citizens and service delivery in the remotest and less developed blocks of India. This is done through converging existing schemes, defining outcomes and monitoring them constantly to bridge gaps. Five blocks of Keonjhar district and six of Mayurbhanj district have been added to the programme. With this, a total of 40 blocks of Odisha have now become Aspirational blocks. As per the statement, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had requested the NITI Aayog to include these blocks under its programme. Accepting Majhi's request, the NITI Aayog has included these blocks in the Aspirational Programme. The new blocks that have been included in the programme are Champua, Jhumpura, Keonjhar Sadar, Patna and Telkoi of Keonjhar district and Behalda, Bijataala, Jamada, Kusumi, Rairangpur and Tiringi of Mayurbhanj district. A notification in this regard was issued by the NITI Aayog on Tuesday. The broad contours of the programme are convergence of Central & State schemes, collaboration of Central, State-level nodal officers and district collectors and competition among blocks through monthly delta ranking.
South China Morning Post
15 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Why economic ties are the missing ingredient for China-India detente
Indian think tank NITI Aayog recently made a striking recommendation to ease the near-total restrictions on Chinese investment imposed during the 2020 border crisis . It suggested that Chinese companies be allowed to acquire up to a 24 per cent stake in Indian firms without any vetting. If implemented, it would represent a significant U-turn on New Delhi's part. Since 2020, India has required screening for all investments from neighbouring countries, effectively targeting China. With the backing of the trade ministry's industries department, the proposal is being studied by various ministries and the prime minister's office, signalling improved ties between the two Asian giants. The proposal reflects the growing realisation that restrictions may be harming India's economic interests more than protecting them. The rethink is driven by a decline in foreign direct investment (FDI). Major deals, including a US$1 billion plan by China's electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD , have been derailed by security rules. Net FDI into India plunged to just US$353 million last year, from US$43.9 billion during the financial year ending in March 2021. Although global investment has slowed since the Ukraine war , India sees barriers to Chinese capital as a key factor in this collapse. By proposing a partial rollback, India aims to restore investor confidence without fully abandoning its caution towards China. This signals a strategic shift in New Delhi's approach to Beijing, indicating that a pragmatic economic detente may be under way.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
MP seeks construction of ROBs
Vijayawada: Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) has urged Railway Board Chairman Satish Kumar to take swift action to resolve long-pending issues in Vijayawada Railway Division. He also requested the Railway Board chairman for the release of Rs 836.47 crore sanctioned by NITI Aayog for the development of Vijayawada Railway Station under the Amrit Bharat Station 2.0 scheme. The MP met Chairman Satish Kumar at his office in Rail Bhavan, New Delhi, on Tuesday. During the meeting, Kesineni Sivanath felicitated the Chairman with a shawl and submitted a representation highlighting the long pending projects in Vijayawada Division. MP has specifically mentioned the need for construction of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) at the crossings of Vijayawada – Gunadala, Rayanapadu – Kondapalli, Vijayawada – Rayanapadu and Vijayawada – Ramavarappadu. The MP emphasised the need for the Ministry of Railways to promptly release the funds approved by NITI Aayog to expedite Vijayawada Railway modernisation works. Kesineni Sivanath in a press release said the Chairman Satish Kumar responded positively to take action.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Best of BS Opinion: In a swirl of crises, who still holds the torch?
There's something surreal about watching the Olympic flame being passed hand to hand, unwavering, even as torrential rain pelts down or gusts of wind try to snuff it out. That torch — symbolising effort, endurance and fragile hope — has to stay alight. And so, often, do we. In a world where each week feels like a relay of upheavals, someone somewhere must clutch the torch. Whether it's a policymaker braving backlash, a pilot navigating public doubt, or a seller trying to keep the algorithm from crushing them. The flame must travel on, however stormy the route. Let's dive in. Private banks are gripping the torch with white-knuckled resolve. As unsecured loans and agri lending turn slippery, Axis and Yes Bank have already stumbled, reporting sharp slippages. Yet the system-wide burn remains faint, for now. As our first editorial notes, the deeper tremor lies in a subtle credit pivot: with big corporations increasingly tapping capital markets, banks may soon be stuck with the riskier borrowers. More risk, fewer returns, while households pile on debt and liquidity flows unchecked. The flame flickers, but regulators must keep it upright. NITI Aayog, meanwhile, is navigating geopolitical gusts. As our second editorial argues, it has recommended letting Chinese firms buy up to 24 per cent in Indian companies without extra clearances. A torchy move, given the fraught 2020 border standoff, but also a pragmatic one. With India's trade deficit with China peaking and FDI flows from Beijing still negligible, this could signal a new openness — though the risks, influence-wise, remain very real. Carrying the flame into darker terrain is A K Bhattacharya, who dissects the troubling investigation into the Ahmedabad Dreamliner crash. The AAIB's hasty, error-ridden probe, minus a Dreamliner pilot no less, has dented public trust. Global scrutiny, aviation opacity, Gujarat's political sensitivity—it's a storm of scrutiny. Yet in this downpour, the need for transparency and technical reform shines brighter than ever. And Kaushik Das writes of a rare weather shift: inflation has dipped to 2.1 per cent, offering momentary relief. But economists urge restraint — torch-bearing is not torch-throwing. The RBI must resist aggressive rate cuts, lest inflation re-ignites with renewed ferocity. Finally, in OTP Please! Online Buyers, Sellers and Gig Workers in South Asia, reviewed by Chintan Girish Modi, Vandana Vasudevan captures the lonely resilience of gig workers and small sellers trying to stay visible, solvent, and sane in a platform-controlled storm. Their struggles of data dominance, algorithmic suppression, and vanishing autonomy are stories of endurance, often in silence. Stay tuned!
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
MP Kesineni Sivanath urges Railway Board to expedite projects in Vijayawada Division
MP Kesineni Sivanath has appealed to Railway Board Chairman Satish Kumar to take immediate steps to resolve pressing issues in the Vijayawada Railway Division and ensure the swift release of funds for the development of the city railway station under the Amrit Bharat Station 2.0 scheme. In a meeting held at Rail Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday (July 22, 2025), the MP raised several pending issues concerning infrastructure and public safety across the Vijayawada division. He drew attention to the long-pending construction of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) at key level crossings. These include Level Crossing No. 316 between Vijayawada and Gunadala, No. 147 between Rayanapadu and Kondapalli, No. 148 between Vijayawada and Rayanapadu, and No. 8 between Vijayawada and Ramavarappadu. He urged the Railway Board to take urgent steps to complete these works without delay. Highlighting the importance of modernising Vijayawada railway station, the MP called for the immediate release of ₹836.47 crore sanctioned by NITI Aayog under the Amrit Bharat Station 2.0 scheme. He stressed that the timely release of these funds by the Railway Ministry is essential for accelerating the development works. Mr. Satish Kumar assured that necessary directions would be issued to officials concerned. Meanwhile, the MP has urged the Central government to reconsider the allocation of PM-SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) schools to NTR District, citing severe underrepresentation in the recently approved list. Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the MP called for a review of the selection process and demanded the sanctioning of more schools to the district. Despite the District having 827 benchmarked schools, and 550 of them meeting the eligibility criteria, only 27 schools were sanctioned under the PM-SHRI scheme, he pointed out. The sanction rate is 4.9%, the lowest across Andhra Pradesh, he added. 'The Andhra Pradesh government had recommended 62 schools for consideration, yet more than 56% of those schools did not make it to the final list. It is disappointing and unjustified,' he said. Highlighting the preparedness of the district, the MP said that most schools in NTR District are aligned with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and have the necessary infrastructure. 'Given this, the low number of sanctioned schools is both puzzling and disheartening,' he said. The MP called upon the Centre to review the selection process and allocate additional PM-SHRI schools to NTR District, said a release.
