India's economic engine is revving up, but navigating the global headwinds requires sharp strategy. The rupee's recent volatility against the dollar underscores the complexities facing Indian businesses, impacting everything from import-export trade to domestic inflation. This week alone, we've seen significant shifts in the IT sector, with major players announcing restructuring and a renewed focus on AI-driven solutions. Meanwhile, the burgeoning startup ecosystem continues to attract substantial funding, despite a cautious global investor sentiment. The government's recent policy announcements on infrastructure development and digitalization are poised to further shape the business landscape, creating both opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs and established corporations alike. Understanding these market dynamics is crucial for success in today's rapidly evolving Indian economy. Stay informed with Abtak.com for the latest insights and analysis on key sectors including finance, manufacturing, and technology – empowering your business decisions in a dynamic market. Explore the complete business news section now to stay ahead of the curve.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After dragging its feet on a Central Information Commission directive, the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has finally decided to furnish information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act about the decisions taken during its governing body and institute body meetings since July 2020. It was in December 2023 that the SCTIMST first turned down an RTI query seeking a copy of the minutes of its governing body (GB) meetings number 107 to 113 as well as of the institute body (IB) meetings since July 2020. The applicant had cited doubts regarding the transparency of decisions taken by the two top bodies of SCTIMST after a new director assumed office in 2019, as the reason for filing the query. However, SCTIMST's central public information officer (CPIO) denied providing the information sought, citing the institute's GB and IB had earlier resolved that response could be given only to an RTI query that relates to "a particular or relevant issue". Dissatisfied, the applicant filed an appeal with SCTIMST's First Appellate Authority (FAA). It was not adjudicated, prompting the applicant to approach the CIC. "I informed the CIC that the CPIO denied information sought without invoking any exemption clause, which constituted a gross violation of the RTI Act," the applicant told TNIE. The CIC ruled that to deny information, it is important the denial should be as per the provisions of the Act. "Also, if any of the exemption clauses mentioned under Sections 8 and 9 of the RTI Act, 2005, is claimed, the respondent (SCTIMST) is required to provide justification or establish the reason why such exemption was claimed," the CIC's May 15 order said. The CIC also directed SCTIMST to take necessary steps for "suo motu disclosure of maximum information on its website", related to the minutes of the GB meeting in compliance with the provisions of Section 4 of the RTI Act.
New Delhi [India], August 25 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Monday stated that the Right to Information (RTI) Act was enacted to ensure transparency in governance, not to serve as fodder for sensationalism. Justice Sachin Datta observed that even seemingly innocuous disclosures could open the floodgates of indiscriminate demands, motivated by idle curiosity or sensationalism, rather than any objective public interest consideration. Delivering the verdict in a case relating to Prime Minister Narendra Modi undergraduate degree records, the Court held that marksheets, results, degree certificat ...Read More >
Lucknow, October 24: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's commitment to strengthening good governance through digital transformation is showing visible results. Building on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious Mission Karmayogi, the Yogi government has taken major steps to equip officers and employees with digital skills, making governance more efficient, transparent, and accountable. The Social Welfare department is leading this transformation by training its officers and staff through the iGOT Karmayogi digital platform. The initiative is enhancing administrative efficiency and ensuring cit ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 6 (PTI) The Central Information Commission has imposed a total penalty of Rs 20,000 on two MCD officials, flagging "mala fide" conduct and a "misleading and incorrect" RTI reply in a case where information was furnished for an entirely different property, linked to alleged unauthorised basement use in Shastri Nagar. Highlighting the discrepancy, the applicant said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) provided a reply about another property altogether, despite repeated representations pointing out that the information sought related to a specific address where alleged misuse ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) The Central Information Commission (CIC) has voiced concern that "some public authorities continue to deny information without adequate reasons", and asserted that merely citing exemption clauses in the RTI Act is insufficient. The CIC emphasised that exemptions should not be interpreted in a way that would "shadow the very right itself". Highlighting the importance of reasoned decision-making, the CIC, which serves as the highest adjudicating body for RTI-related complaints and appeals under the transparency law, stated that it is the responsibility of public authoritie ...Read More >
BENGALURU: The Karnataka Information Commission has recommended several measures to the State Government to strengthen the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, including introducing RTI-related curriculum for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The move aims to foster awareness among youth and improve transparency and accountability in government administration. The State Information Commissioner recently met Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and submitted a detailed list of recommendations ahead of a high-level meeting on RTI scheduled for July 14, to be chaired by Addit ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: In a significant step toward digital transformation, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has revamped its post-election data reporting process by introducing a streamlined, technology-driven system for generating Index Cards and Statistical Reports. The initiative, aimed at enhancing data accessibility and timeliness, replaces the earlier manual process that often delayed dissemination. Under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, the new system leverages automation and data integration to enab ...Read More >
New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Monday set aside a CIC order directing disclosure of details related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bachelor's degree while holding it to be "personal information" and ruling out any "implicit public interest" in it. Justice Sachin Datta, who reserved the verdict on the matter on February 27, was acting on Delhi University's plea challenging the CIC order. The judge said "something which is of interest to the public" was quite different from "something which is in the public interest". Following an RTI application by one Neeraj, the CIC on ...Read More >
The Delhi High Court overturned a Central Information Commission order. The order had directed CBSE to release BJP leader Smriti Irani's Class X and XII records. The court stated her educational qualifications weren't statutory requirements for her public office. This decision came as the court allowed CBSE's petition challenging the CIC's previous directive. The Delhi High Court on Monday set aside an order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) directing CBSE to provide copies of the Clas ...Read More >
Lucknow, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Uttar Pradesh is fast emerging as a leading state in setting up new benchmarks in administrative excellence, and the state government's Social Welfare Department is leading the drive by enhancing transparency through the digital training 'Mission Karamyogi'. Through digital learning, 'Mission Karmayogi' is emerging as a powerful catalyst for capacity building and improved governance in Uttar Pradesh. According to Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Social ...Read More >
Baramulla, Jul 5: Hundreds of mourners from Delina and its neighbouring villages Saturday participated in the Muharram procession, the 9th day of the month of Muharram-Ul-Haram at Delina area of north Kashmir's Baramulla district. The procession was one of the series of processions being held in the month of Muharram, the first month of Islamic calendar. Dressed in black and carrying flags bearing religious inscriptions, participants from the villages of Hygam, Bulgam, Bohripora, Syedpora, Uri, Boniyar and other villages marched from new Imambargah through the National Highway NH-1 to the ma ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 15 (ANI): Retired IAS officer Raj Kumar Goyal was sworn in as the Chief Information Commissioner in the Central Information Commission on Monday. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Raj Kumar Goyal at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Vice President CP Radhakrishnan was also present at the occasion. "President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Shri Raj Kumar Goyal, Chief Information Commissioner, at Rashtrapati Bhavan," the X handle of the President of India said. Goyal is a retired IAS officer of the 1990 batch and was superannuated as ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission has imposed a total penalty of Rs 20,000 on two Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials, flagging 'mala fide' conduct and a "misleading and incorrect" RTI reply in a case where information was furnished for an entirely different property that was linked to unauthorised basement use in Shastri Nagar. The applicant said that the MCD provided a reply about a completely different property, despite repeated representations. The CIC noted that the RTI plea "remained unattended within the stipulated time frame, in clear violation of the provisions ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has said it has complied with the CIC order, which had directed it to furnish reasons for denying information to an RTI application seeking whether some vendors who had applied for cluster tenders had declared that they faced cases registered by CBI and ED. In a statement on Monday, the IRCTC said the Central Information Commission (CIC) directive has been complied with by giving a speaking reply to the RTI applicant. "As the information sought by the applicant was exempted under 8 (d) of RTI act, IRCTC, vide ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], August 25 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Monday stated that the Right to Information (RTI) Act was enacted to ensure transparency in governance, not to serve as 'fodder for sensationalism.' Justice Sachin Datta observed that even seemingly innocuous disclosures could open the 'floodgates of indiscriminate demands, motivated by idle curiosity or sensationalism, rather than any objective public interest consideration.' Delivering the verdict in a case relating to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's undergraduate degree records, the Court held that marksheets, results, degree cert ...Read More >
New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) With the Delhi High Court quashing a CIC order related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bachelor's degree, the Congress on Monday said it is incomprehensible why the educational degree details of the PM be kept a complete secret when such details of everyone else have always been public. The high court on Monday set aside a Central Information Commission (CIC) order directing disclosure of details related to Modi's bachelor's degree while holding it to be "personal information" and ruling out any "implicit public interest" in it. Justice Sachin Datta, who reserved th ...Read More >
Highlighting the discrepancy, the applicant said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi provided a reply about another property altogether, despite repeated representations pointing out that the information sought related to a specific address where alleged misuse of a basement, including possible commercial use, was under question. Coming down heavily on the officials, the CIC observed that the RTI plea "remained unattended within the stipulated time frame, in clear violation of the provisions of t ...Read More >
Rapid technological and environmental changes are leading to fresh human rights challenges, particularly for workers in the informal sector and those facing climate-induced displacement, former President Ram Nath Kovind said on Thursday. Speaking on the 32nd foundation day of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in New Delhi, Kovind stressed that while India has made progress, emerging vulnerabilities require urgent and collective attention. "Too often, informal sector workers endure uns ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) The Central Information Commission (CIC) has voiced concern that "some public authorities continue to deny information without adequate reasons", and asserted that merely citing exemption clauses in the RTI Act is insufficient. The CIC emphasised that exemptions should not be interpreted in a way that would "shadow the very right itself". Highlighting the importance of reasoned decision-making, the CIC, which serves as the highest adjudicating body for RTI-related complaints and appeals under the transparency law, stated that it is the responsibility of public authoritie ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the 32nd Foundation Day celebration of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday and lead deliberations on key human rights concerns, with a particular focus on the rights and welfare of prison inmates. Kovind will deliver the inaugural address at the event in the presence of NHRC Chairperson Justice V. Ramasubramanian and Members Justice (Dr) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi, Vijaya Bharathi Sayani and Priyank Kanoongo. The Commission will also hold a day-long National Conference on the 'Human Rights of P ...Read More >
Mumbai: A 40-year-old man has been arrested in Mumbai for allegedly strangling his five-year-old stepdaughter and dumping her body in the Arabian Sea. The body was discovered floating near Sassoon Dock in Colaba on Tuesday morning, leading to the swift arrest of the accused.According to the police, the child had been reported missing from the Antop Hill area in Central Mumbai a day earlier. Her mother, Nazia, who works as a housemaid, and Imran Shaikh, the accused, had approached the Antop Hill Police Station and lodged a missing complaint, prompting officers to register a kidnapping case agai ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Amid growing criticism of Narendra Modi's qualification to head the Indian government -- particularly after his May debacle and the imposition of US tariffs -- the Delhi High Court has blocked public access to his educational records, quashing a 2016 order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) that had permitted inspection of his B.A. degree details from Delhi University. According to Kashmir Media Service, Justice Sachin Dutta of the Delhi High Court ruled that "something of interest to the public is different from something in the public interest," as he struck down the CIC ...Read More >
New Delhi: Raj Kumar Goyal, a retired IAS officer, officially took charge as the Chief Information Commissioner of the Central Information Commission on Monday. He was sworn in during a formal ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office. Vice President CP Radhakrishnan was also present on the occasion, marking the official appointment of Raj Kumar Goyal to the post. "President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Shri Raj Kumar Goyal, Chief Information Commissioner, at Rashtrapati Bhavan," the X handle of the President of I ...Read More >
New Delhi: Industry leaders welcomed the recently announced GST reforms, which reduce the number of tax slabs, stating that it will make tax compliance easier while also directly benefiting consumers through lower prices. Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce Joint Secretary Navjot Alang Rubal said that the reduction of the number of slabs from four to two under the new GST structure is a highly positive step. According to Rubal, this reform will greatly benefit the middle and lower-income groups as the tax reductions on essential items of daily use will bring a noticeable drop in prices. He furthe ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 20 (PTI) Star Indian long jumper Murali Sreeshankar clinched the title with a leap of 7.75m at the Meeting Maia Cidade do Desporto in Maia, Portugal, a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze-level meet. The Asian Games silver medallist registered his best effort in the second round on Saturday night. Sreeshankar opened with a 7.63m jump, followed it up with his winning leap of 7.75m in the second round, and then recorded a solid 7.69m. His third attempt was a foul, while his final two jumps were measured at 6.12m and 7.58m. Poland's Piotr Tarkowski matched Sreeshankar's 7.75 ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], August 14 (ANI): The credit-to-deposit ratio in Indian banks has stayed below 80 per cent as credit offtake in the country continues to lag, according to a report by CareEdge Ratings. The report highlighted that while both credit offtake and deposit growth have increased sequentially, they remain significantly lower than the levels seen last year. Deposits continued to outpace credit offtake in the current fortnight, leading to a narrowing of the credit-deposit gap. It stated Credit to Deposit Ratio Remains Below 80 per cent as Credit Offtake Lags. The report data pointed ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has said it has complied with the CIC order, which had directed it to furnish reasons for denying information to an RTI application seeking whether some vendors who had applied for cluster tenders had declared that they faced cases registered by CBI and ED. In a statement Monday, the IRCTC said the Central Information Commission (CIC) directive has been complied with by giving a speaking reply to the RTI applicant. "As the information sought by the applicant was exempted under 8 (d) of RTI Act, IRCTC, vide its reply 16/07 ...Read More >
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 4 (ANI): Amidst the ongoing Marathi-non-Marathi row, a group of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers allegedly stormed a man's residence in the Vanaz area of the city on Thursday and threatened to assault him over an objectionable social media post targeting MNS chief Raj Thackeray. The man, identified as Kedar Soman, had reportedly posted a comment on Facebook that MNS workers found offensive and disrespectful to their leader. Enraged by the post, a group of party workers led by senior Pune MNS leader Hemchandra Sambhush gathered outside Soman's flat. Al ...Read More >
Hyderabad: The Commissioner of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, RV Karnan, has declared that the GHMC is fully prepared to handle any disastrous events following Indian Meteorological Department's warnings regarding upcoming heavy rainfall. On Wednesday, the Commissioner conducted an inspection of the control room at the GHMC headquarters. He asked about the complaints received and assessed the operations of the control room. Karnan instructed the control room staff to remain vigilant around the clock. In this regard, Karnan announced that the holidays for GHMC employees have bee ...Read More >