Governance Community

Justice Dhanajaya Yeshwant Chandrachud was appointed on Monday by President Droupadi Murmu to serve as India’s 50th Chief Justice. As of November 8, Justice Chandrachud will succeed Chief Justice U U Lalit. According to a government notification, “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Dr Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, Judge of the Supreme Court, to be the Chief Justice of India with effect from 9 November, 2022.” On November 10, 2024, Justice Chandrachud is set to retire. With a two-year term, this will be the CJI’s longest tenure in almost ten years. Justice Chandrachud, a law graduate of Delhi University, earned his LLM and his Doctor of Juridical Science from Harvard Law School. In June 1998, the Bombay High Court designated him a senior advocate. He practised law at both the Supreme Court and the Bombay High Court. From 1998 till his appointment as a judge of the Bombay High Court on March 29, 2000, he worked as Additional Solicitor General. Additionally, he oversaw the Maharashtra Judicial Academy. On October 31, 2013, Justice Chandrachud was named Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. On May 13, 2016, he was named a Supreme Court judge. He authored significant decisions during his time in the SC, including the precedent-setting Constitution Bench decisions decriminalising homosexuality, decriminalising adultery, and recognising privacy as a basic right, among others. He had led a group that had travelled in many areas to ease the suffering that people had experienced during the Covid-19 issue, referring to the devastating second wave of the pandemic as a “national crisis” last year. Justice Chandrachud was recently one of the two SC Collegium judges who opposed to the “circulation” approach used to get opinions from its members over the appointment of judges to the top court. Justice Chandrachud is the son of Justice Y V Chandrachud, the Chief Justice of India with the longest tenure (he served from February 22, 1978, to July 11, 1985).

Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Schemes for Assistance to Industries, an ambitious programme launched by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, aims to generate employment for at least 15 lakh people and attract investments of Rs 12.50 trillion over the course of the next five years. The two themes of the programmes outlined by the Gujarat chief minister are contributing to the global supply chain and greening the manufacturing process. In order for industries to be able to participate in the global supply chains, they will need particular help, which will be provided by the programmes under Aatmanirbhar Gujarat. The Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Schemes for Assistance to Industries was created with the intention of inspiring young people to develop and create jobs while also supporting aspiring entrepreneurs to realise their entrepreneurial dreams. According to the plans, MSMEs will receive capital subsidies up to Rs 35 lakh for micro industries and Net SGST reimbursement up to 75% of fixed capital expenditure over 10 years. In addition, MSMEs may receive interest subsidies of up to Rs 35 lakh annually for a period of seven years, as well as a five-year exemption from paying electricity duty. For five years, large industries will be spared from electricity duty. A manufacturing unit would qualify as a big industry if it had a fixed capital investment in plant and machinery of more than Rs 50 crore. The Gujarat government’s new programme will benefit big companies by providing Net SGST reimbursement up to 18% of fixed capital investment over 20 years and 100% of input SGST paid on capital goods over the same period of time. Under these programmes, mega industries would be eligible to get a 100% reimbursement of the stamp duty and registration fees they paid to the Gujarat government for the purchase or lease of the project’s property.

To monitor the level of localization of electric vehicles receiving subsidies under the 10,000 crore FAME-II policy, the government is developing an automated data transfer system. This action is being taken to support domestic production while preventing incentives for imported vehicles at the expense of Indian tax payers. Beginning on October 1, the IT-enabled system based on Application Programming Interface (API) would allow for the smooth transfer of a set of crucial data related to domestic value addition (DVA) from the beneficiaries’ current enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to the nodal ministry’s portal as well as traceability of products based on digital footprints. As part of the 10,000 crore FAME-II policy, the government is developing an automated data transfer system to track the amount of localization in EVs receiving subsidies. This action is being taken to support domestic production and prevent taxpayer-funded incentives for the purchase of imported vehicles. Scheduled to begin on October 1, the IT-enabled system based on Application Programming Interface (API) would allow the seamless transfer of a set of crucial data related to domestic value addition (DVA) from the beneficiaries’ current enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to the nodal ministry’s portal as well as traceability of products based on digital footprints. Arun Goel, secretary of the ministry for heavy industries, stated that the action would increase both business efficiency and the ecosystem for EV manufacturing in India. “If similar systems are replicated for schemes requiring substantial value-addition across ministries, it will ensure transparency. This will further attract investments in India and promote indigenous manufacturing,” he said. According to top sources, the technology will allow for the monitoring and verification of domestic value addition carried out by businesses without infringing on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Original equipment makers (OEMs) have digital records of domestic value addition that are more granularly detailed. However, pre-defined information is obtained for monitoring and verification at the ministry level. Therefore, there is no way to divert.    

The Real-Time Train Information System (RTIS), developed in collaboration with ISRO, would be mounted on locomotives and trains to automatically acquire train movement time at the stations, including that of arrival and departure or run-through, according to the Ministry of Railways. On the control chart for those trains in the Control Office Application (COA) system, they are automatically plotted. Every 30 seconds, this will display the most recent movement information to train passengers. According to a press release from the Railways, the Train Control can now more precisely and automatically track the location and speed of RTIS-enabled locomotives and trains. For 2700 locomotives, RTIS devices have been installed in 21 electric locomotive sheds. Phase-II roll out would cover 6000 additional locomotives dispersed over 50 loco sheds using ISRO’s satellite communications centre. Approximately 6500 locomotives currently provide a direct GPS feed (RTIS and REMMLOT) to the Control Office Application (COA). According to a statement from the ministry, the integration of COA and NTES has made it possible for passengers to receive real-time information and autonomous train charting.

According to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the government is investing close to $30 billion to create a strong digital infrastructure in rural areas and assure network accessibility for 4G and 5G in every village across the nation. The minister added that the government has already contacted more than 1.5 lakh gram panchayats. Regarding the framework for digital regulation, the minister stated that telecom forms the very core of Digital India. In order to bring high-quality, fast broadband connectivity to every village in the nation and involve people in the growth process, the union minister added, “We are now creating a whole ecosystem of village entrepreneurs, channelising the energies of youngsters to take good quality, high-speed data connectivity to every village in the country while making them a part of the growth journey.” According to Vaishnaw, the government should focus on three major areas of fintech: social inclusion, a digital regulatory framework, and establishing a strong digital infrastructure.

The National Broadband Mission of the government tweeted on Saturday that the introduction of 5G services in India will take place at the India Mobile Congress at Pragati Maidan on October 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host an event to launch the 5G services, according to the National Broadband Mission. “Taking India’s digital transformation & connectivity to new heights, Hon’ble PM, @narendramodi, will roll out 5G services in India; at India Mobile Congress; Asia’s largest technology exhibition,” it said. Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s minister of electronics and information technology, had previously stated that the country is preparing for the October launch of 5G services. The services will be expanded following the inauguration, the Union minister added. When speaking at a gathering last week, Ashwini Vaishnaw remarked, “The journey of 5G is going to be very exciting and noted that many countries took multiple years to reach 40 per cent to 50 per cent coverage. But we are targeting a very aggressive timeline and the Government has given a target of 80 per cent coverage in a short time frame and we should definitely cover at least 80 per cent in a very short timeframe.” The Union minister had instructed operators to prepare for the launch of 5G services following the release of spectrum allocation letters in August. On Twitter, the telecom minister wrote: “Spectrum assignment letter issued. Requesting TSPs to prepare for 5G launch”. Service providers including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Adani Data Networks, and Vodafone Idea have paid the DoT a total of about 17,876 crore for the spectrum they just acquired in an auction. A record 1.5 lakh crore worth of bids were submitted for the nation’s largest-ever telecom spectrum auction, with Mukesh Ambani’s Jio winning nearly half of the airwaves sold with a bid of 87,946.93 crore.

In a meeting where it was noted that the initiative has a larger vision on successfully responding to emergency and distress circumstances, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the people for contributing wholeheartedly to the PM CARES Fund, according to his office on Wednesday. Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Trustees of the PM CARES Fund was presided over by Prime Minister Modi, and during it, a presentation on the different initiatives carried out with the aid of the PM CARES Fund, including the PM CARES for Children scheme, which is assisting 4,345 children, was presented. At a time when the nation needed the fund most, the trustees recognised its importance. According to the statement, Prime Minister Modi expressed gratitude to the nation’s citizens for their kind donations to the PM CARES Fund. It was mentioned that PM CARES has a larger vision for effectively responding to emergency and distress situations, not only by providing relief assistance but also by taking precautions against them and building capacity. The PM welcomed the trustees as an integral part of the PM CARES Fund. PM CARES Fund trustees Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman both attended the meeting. In addition, newly appointed trustees of the PM CARES Fund Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, Justice K T Thomas, a former Supreme Court justice, and Kariya Munda, a former deputy speaker, were present. The trust also chose to propose Anand Shah, a co-founder of Teach for India and a former CEO of Indicorps and Piramal Foundation, Rajiv Mehrishi, the former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Sudha Murty, the former Chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, and others for the position of members of the PM CARES Fund’s advisory board. According to the statement, Prime Minister Modi stated that the addition of new trustees and advisors will provide the PM CARES Fund’s operations broader perspectives. Source: PTI    

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Logistics Policy to address difficulties in the transportation sector in an effort to develop the logistics sector. Through a comprehensive multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral, and multi-jurisdictional architecture supported by a strong technological foundation, there will be a seamless interoperability. He stated that the policy intends to speed up last-mile deliveries, helping businesses save time and money, at a big launch event in Vigyan Bhavan. It aims to address issues affecting the transport industry and reduce company logistics costs from 13–14% to under 10%. The new strategy, in conjunction with PM GatiShakti’s aim to augment infrastructure, will solve deficiencies, according to him. It tackles issues facing the logistics sector. India needs to improve its support infrastructure if it wants its products to succeed on international markets. The modernization of the support system is aided by the National Logistics Policy. According to PM Modi, international experts believe that India is becoming a democratic superpower and are astounded by its remarkable talent ecosystem. “Experts are appreciating India’s determination and progress.”  He claimed that the government is bolstering the logistics industry through technology. E-way bills and FASTag are improving efficiency in the logistics industry, and faceless assessment has begun in customs. He stated that drones will enhance the logistics industry when discussing the drone policy. He claimed that the government is strengthening the logistics sector through technology. Customs has begun using faceless assessment, and the logistics industry is becoming more efficient due to e-way bills and FASTag. He added that ports now have a higher carrying capacity and that the turnaround time for container vessels has been shortened from 44 hours to 26 hours. According to him, the Sagarmala project has begun to strengthen logistics connectivity and methodical infrastructure development work by connecting ports and designated freight corridors.

The government intends to partially compensate state-owned oil marketing corporations (OMCs) including Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation with a $2.5 billion payment, according to a Bloomberg report, in order to cover their significant quarterly losses. The OMCs suffered losses as a result of having to absorb fluctuations in global petroleum prices, but the report, citing unnamed sources, claimed that the Finance Ministry only consented to a $2.5 billion cash settlement, despite the Petroleum Ministry having requested a much higher sum. According to the Bloomberg report, the partial payout to OMCs has also been designed to control cooking gas prices. It went on to say, citing sources, that although a decision has not yet been made, conversations about compensation payout are already advanced. Despite the government’s attempts to lessen their financial hardship, the Bloomberg report claimed that these initiatives will increase pressure on the exchequer, which is already under pressure from excise duty reductions on fuel prices and a greater fertiliser subsidy, to combat inflation. Over 85% of the oil used by the OMCs is imported, and they benchmark the fuels they produce to market rates. Their losses resulted from those going up after a worldwide demand recovery combined with decreased US gasoline production capacity and fewer exports from Russia, according to the report. Source: Bloomberg

The Center has decided to test push button procurement (PBP) for purchases up to Rs. 1 lakh through the Government eMarketplace (GeM) for government entities, offices, and PSUs. PBP will rely on technology to determine valuation and eliminate the need for certification, relieving pressure on government departments, particularly infrequent customers who frequently make small value purchases. Government buyers must certify that the selected offer’s pricing is appropriate. “It has come to the notice that sometimes especially infrequent government buyers find it difficult to certify reasonability of rates. They normally do not possess requisite skills in making procurement decisions. It delays the procurement process,” according to the Department of Expenditure. Government purchases made through GeM up to Rs 1 lakh are exempt from price certification. The Center has agreed to test push button procurement (PBP) for purchases up to Rs. 1 lakh through the Government e-Marketplace for governmental bodies, offices, and PSUs.