ArdorComm Media Group

Contact Us
Saturday, March 14, 2026 10:36 PM
logo
Menu
logo

Rajya Sabha

DGCA’s Tariff Monitoring Unit to be reinforced to curb high airfares, government says

Leave a Comment / / Governance Community

The Union government has announced plans to further strengthen the Tariff Monitoring Unit under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to keep a close watch on airfares, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu informed the Rajya Sabha. Responding to supplementary questions during Question Hour, the Minister said that fare monitoring has been expanded beyond domestic routes and now includes international sectors as well. He added that the Ministry intervenes whenever there are indications of a sharp or unreasonable rise in ticket prices. Referring to the recent IndiGo disruption that led to widespread flight cancellations, Mr. Naidu said the government stepped in to cap fares to ensure prices remained reasonable and within reach of passengers. He also highlighted that passengers have been empowered through a tariff monitoring feature on the Air Sewa portal. If travellers believe fares are excessively high, they can upload screenshots of ticket prices on the portal, following which the Ministry will take up the matter with the concerned airline. The Minister noted that airfare surges are largely a result of the deregulated nature of the aviation sector, where prices tend to increase when demand significantly outstrips supply. Source: newsonair

DGCA’s Tariff Monitoring Unit to be reinforced to curb high airfares, government says Read More »

Over 4.7 Lakh Pirated NCERT Books Seized Since 2024, Says Education Ministry

Leave a Comment / / Education Community

In a significant crackdown on textbook piracy, the Ministry of Education revealed that over 4.7 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks have been confiscated across India since 2024. This update was shared in a written response by Union Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, during a Rajya Sabha session on Wednesday. “Reports of NCERT textbook piracy have emerged from various parts of the country. From 2024 to 2025, enforcement teams seized around 4.71 lakh counterfeit books in multiple operations carried out in different states,” said Chaudhary. He emphasized that piracy is largely driven by the profit motives of unauthorized operators. NCERT’s mission, Chaudhary reiterated, is to provide high-quality educational resources at minimal cost to students across India, functioning on a no-profit, no-loss model. Highlighting recent efforts to combat the menace, he informed that in the past year alone, NCERT conducted raids on 29 locations linked to the production and distribution of pirated books. These included premises using unauthorized NCERT watermarked paper and illegal printing setups. Assets and equipment worth over ₹20 crore were seized during these raids. To address the root causes of piracy, several measures have been implemented, including a 20% price cut on textbooks, improved paper and print quality with advanced machinery, faster and timely textbook production, and expanded online availability through e-commerce channels. In a tech-driven approach, NCERT also tested an innovative anti-piracy mechanism—developed and patented by IIT Kanpur—on one million copies of a Class 6 textbook, aiming to deter counterfeit reproduction through secure tracking technology. Source: PTI Image Credit: iStock  

Over 4.7 Lakh Pirated NCERT Books Seized Since 2024, Says Education Ministry Read More »

Lok Sabha Passes Bill to Allow Government Expenditure for FY 2024-25

Leave a Comment / / Governance Community

The Lok Sabha on Monday approved about ₹140 lakh crore in expenditure demands by different ministries of the Central Government, completing two-thirds of the legislative approvals needed for the full Budget of 2024–25. The lower house, which last week debated the Budget, approved demands for grants as well as the Appropriation (No 2) Bill 2024, which authorizes the government to use certain sums out of the Consolidated Fund of India for the services of the financial year 2024-25. This followed a guillotine being applied after a discussion on grants for four ministries — Railways, Education, Health, and Fisheries. The Lok Sabha will now discuss the Finance Bill (No 2), 2024, which essentially contains the tax proposals in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget for 2024–25. The Rajya Sabha is also simultaneously discussing demands for grants for four other ministries — Agriculture, New and Renewable Energy, Cooperation, Housing, and Urban Affairs. It will also discuss the Finance Bill, but as per the Constitution, it can only return such bills to the Lower House. The budgetary exercise will be complete after the passage of the Finance Bill (No 2), 2024, by the Lok Sabha. While the guillotine is literally a large, weighted blade used for executing a condemned person, in legislative parlance, it means to bunch together and fast-track the passage of financial business. It is a fairly common procedural exercise in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session. Reference from Business Standard

Lok Sabha Passes Bill to Allow Government Expenditure for FY 2024-25 Read More »

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Shift to New Parliament Building; Old Complex to Become Heritage Site

Leave a Comment / / Governance Community

In a historic move, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are scheduled to meet at 1:15 PM and 2:15 PM, respectively, within the premises of the New Parliament Building. The transition from the Old Parliament Building to the new one took place on Monday, with both houses officially recognizing the new edifice as the Parliament House of India. Today, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will conduct their sessions in the modernized Parliament complex, marking a pivotal moment during the five-day Special Session of the Parliament initiated on Monday. The former iconic Parliament Complex, which has served as the ‘temple of democracy’ for over seven decades, will now be preserved as a heritage site, with the New Parliament Complex, inaugurated earlier this year by Prime Minister Modi, taking its place. The notification regarding this significant change was issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat on September 18, designating the new Parliament building located in New Delhi, adjacent to the existing Parliament House with Raisina Road to the south and Red Cross Road to the north, as the Parliament House of India. The Central Hall program, scheduled for 11 AM today at the old Parliament building, will commemorate the rich legacy of the Indian Parliament and reaffirm the commitment to transform India into a developed nation by 2047. Security personnel at the Parliament building have also been outfitted in new uniforms, featuring khaki trousers, cream-colored jackets, cream shirts with pink lotus motifs (for men), and vibrant sarees with jackets (for women), along with turbans for marshals, signalling a distinct dress code. On Monday, both houses adjourned after discussing Parliamentary democracy’s evolution over the last 75 years. Presiding officers confirmed that proceedings would commence in the new Parliament building on Tuesday afternoon. Prior to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sessions at noon, all MPs from both houses will assemble for group photographs, symbolizing the shift to the New Parliament Complex.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Shift to New Parliament Building; Old Complex to Become Heritage Site Read More »