Category: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the ‘Samudra Manthan’ National Offshore Exploration Scheme, a central sector initiative of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, with an outlay of Rs 84,084 crore to be implemented through FY2030-31.

The scheme aims to accelerate offshore oil and gas exploration, strengthen India’s energy security, enhance domestic production and promote technological innovation in the upstream energy sector.
According to the government, the initiative reflects the Prime Minister’s vision of a modern-day “Samudra Manthan”, articulated during his Independence Day address in 2025, to unlock India’s offshore energy potential and advance the goal of Viksit Bharat.

The scheme covers the entire offshore exploration value chain and includes large-scale acquisition, processing and interpretation of high-quality seismic data, accelerated deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploratory drilling, scientific drilling in frontier basins, development of common offshore production and evacuation infrastructure, and the establishment of an integrated Oil and Gas Manufacturing and Services Zone.

It also provides for digital programme management, capacity building, technology adoption, stakeholder engagement and international outreach to create an integrated ecosystem for offshore exploration and production.

The government expects the scheme to facilitate reserve accretion of more than 600 Million Metric Tonnes of Oil Equivalent (MMTOE), significantly expand offshore exploration activities and increase domestic crude oil and natural gas production.

According to the Officials statement the initiative is also expected to generate large-scale employment, strengthen indigenous manufacturing under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat programmes, and foster a globally competitive ecosystem for offshore technologies and services. The scheme is projected to attract substantial investments across the exploration and production value chain, creating long-term opportunities for industry, innovation and economic growth.

The government said the approval builds on a series of upstream sector reforms undertaken over the past decade, including opening nearly the entire offshore acreage for exploration, modernising the legislative and contractual framework, and strengthening the National Data Repository.

“Building on these reforms, Samudra Manthan will usher in a new era of accelerated offshore exploration through strategic public investment, cutting-edge technologies and world-class infrastructure” Statement said

Source: Government of India (4)

The Ministry of Women and Child Development will observe World Breastfeeding Week 2026 from August 1 to 7 across the country, with a nationwide campaign aimed at promoting breastfeeding practices and raising awareness among families, communities and healthcare providers.

The theme for this year’s observance is “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works.” The campaign will focus on encouraging the early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and continued breastfeeding up to two years and beyond alongside age-appropriate complementary feeding.

Breastfeeding is considered one of the most effective interventions for improving child survival, healthy growth and cognitive development. The campaign will highlight the importance of initiating breastfeeding within the first hour after birth, often referred to as the “Golden Hour.”

The ministry has emphasised that colostrum—the first milk produced after childbirth—is rich in antibodies and essential nutrients and should be fed to newborns, as it provides early protection against infections.

Health experts recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, during which infants should receive only breast milk, without water, honey, ghutti, glucose or formula, as breast milk alone meets their nutritional and hydration requirements.

After six months, complementary foods should be be introduced while breastfeeding continues up to two years of age and beyond. Mothers are also encouraged to maintain skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, breastfeed frequently, and seek support from ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers or healthcare professionals whenever required. Working mothers can express and safely store breast milk to continue feeding their infants.

The campaign will also underline the health benefits of breastfeeding for mothers, including support for postpartum recovery and a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancers, type-2 diabetes and postpartum depression.

The ministry has appealed to healthcare professionals, community workers, families and citizens to help create a supportive environment that enables every mother to breastfeed and ensures every child receives a healthy start in life.

Source: Government of India (4)

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved a revamped Khelo India Scheme and an enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs) Scheme with a combined outlay of ₹36,441 crore for the period 2026-27 to 2030-31.

The approved outlay is nearly eight times higher than that of the previous Khelo India Scheme. The government said the programme is aimed at strengthening the pathway from grassroots talent identification to elite performance, while aligning with the National Sports Policy 2025 and the National Education Policy 2020.

The scheme seeks to create an integrated sports ecosystem through National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs), Khelo India Centres of Excellence (KICoEs), SAI Training Centres (STCs), Khelo India Accredited Academies (KIAAs), Khelo India Centres (KICs) and Youth Sports Companies (YSCs) of the Armed Forces.

To strengthen school sports, the Cabinet also approved two new initiatives — Khelo India Feeder Schools (KIFS) and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas (KIUV) — aimed at identifying talent early and integrating sports with mainstream education.

One of the key changes is the introduction of the Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIA) category alongside the existing Khelo India Athletes programme. The government said this would expand the structured athlete development ecosystem nearly tenfold by bringing thousands of additional athletes under scientific coaching, sports science support and long-term mentoring.

The scheme also proposes a strengthened talent identification framework involving talent scouts, zonal committees, High Performance Directors and High Performance Managers, with a progression pathway from grassroots competitions to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).

To increase competitive opportunities, the revamped programme will support school, university, regional and sport-specific leagues, besides national championships. It also includes measures to promote women’s sports, para sports, indigenous games and the organisation of the National Games and major international sporting events in India.

As part of efforts to strengthen coaching standards, the government will establish a National Coach Accreditation Board (NCAB) to standardise coaching qualifications and improve the quality of coaches and support personnel.

The scheme also envisages a unified digital sports platform integrating athlete databases, competitions, coaching resources, infrastructure, talent assessments and funding to enable data-driven planning and athlete management.

The enhanced ANSFs Scheme, approved alongside Khelo India, will provide financial support for coaching, sports science, modern equipment, international exposure, training camps, foreign experts and participation in international competitions during 2026-31.

Additionally, the Cabinet approved the expansion of the Fit India Movement to encourage physical activity and healthy lifestyles, particularly among young people, through nationwide awareness campaigns and community-based initiatives.

The government said the revamped Khelo India Scheme is intended to strengthen India’s sporting ecosystem and support the country’s long-term ambitions, including the 2030 Commonwealth Games and its bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Source: Government of India (4)

Source: Government of India (4)

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday his so-called Board of Peace ​reached a deal for the total disarmament ‌of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.

Trump said the agreement was “historic” and will be implemented in phases, with Israeli forces, which control about two-thirds of Gaza as of late April, withdrawing from the territory as disarmament proceeds.

The “Board of Peace” initiative has been criticized by rights advocates who have raised concerns about what they call an imperial structure and by those who see it as undermining the United Nations. Trump allies praise it as an innovative approach to tackle complex issues.

WHAT IS THE ‘BOARD OF PEACE’?

Trump first proposed the board last September when he announced his plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza. He later said the board’s remit would be expanded beyond Gaza to tackle other conflicts worldwide, with Trump as its chair. Such efforts have traditionally been the role of the United Nations.

Member states would be limited to three-year terms unless they pay $1 billion each to fund the board’s activities and earn permanent membership, its charter said.

The White House in January named U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner as members of the initiative’s founding Executive Board.

WHICH COUNTRIES HAVE JOINED THE BOARD SO FAR?

The board’s official website has listed over two dozen countries as founding members of the initiative, including the U.S. and Washington’s main Middle Eastern allies.

They include Israel and Saudi Arabia, along with Egypt and Qatar, which helped mediate talks for the Israel-Hamas ceasefire reached in October. Others in the region include Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

From elsewhere in the world, there are Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, El Salvador, Hungary, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

WHICH COUNTRIES HAVE NOT JOINED THE BOARD?

Washington’s key Western allies as well as major powers of the Global South such as Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa have not accepted an offer to join.

Leaders of Britain, the European Union, France, Germany, Norway and Sweden said they will not join the board.

Trump rescinded an invitation for Canada earlier this year after he took issue with a speech by Prime Minister Mark Carney in Davos.

Brazil and Mexico have said they will not join the initiative, citing Palestinian absence from the board. The Vatican has not joined, saying efforts to handle crisis situations should be managed by the United Nations.

China and Russia, both veto-wielding members of the United Nations Security Council, have not joined.

WHAT POWER DOES IT HAVE?

The U.N. Security Council passed a U.S.-drafted resolution recognizing the board in November, welcoming it as a transitional and temporary administration “that will set the framework, and coordinate funding for the redevelopment of Gaza” under Trump’s plan.

The resolution authorized the board to deploy a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza, while limiting its scope to only Gaza and only through 2027. The board is required to report on its progress to the 15-member Security Council every six months.

China and Russia abstained, saying the resolution did not give the U.N. a clear role in Gaza’s future.

Beyond Gaza, it remains unclear what legal authority or enforcement tools, if any, the board will have or how it will work with the U.N. and other international organizations.

Under the board’s charter, it will undertake “peace-building functions in accordance with international law.” Its chairman, Trump, will have extensive executive power, including the ability to veto decisions and remove members, subject to some constraints.

WHAT HAVE CRITICS SAID?

Rights experts said that Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory’s affairs resembles a colonial structure, and have criticized the board for not including a Palestinian representative even though it is meant to supervise the temporary governance of a Palestinian territory.

Critics also cited Blair’s inclusion, given his role in the Iraq war and the history of British imperialism in the Middle East.

The board has drawn scrutiny for including countries whose human rights track records have been widely condemned by rights groups, such as some Middle Eastern powers as well as Belarus and El Salvador.

There has been particular criticism over the inclusion of Israel on a board meant to oversee Gaza’s temporary governance, given the Palestinian territory has been left devastated by an Israeli military assault that has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza’s entire population and led to assessments of genocide by rights experts, scholars and U.N. inquiries.

Israel has called its actions self-defense after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in a 2023 attack.

WHAT HAS THE BOARD DONE IN RECENT MONTHS?

Trump held the board’s first meeting in February in which he said nations had contributed $7 billion to a Gaza reconstruction fund aimed at rebuilding the enclave once Hamas disarms.

Estimates for rebuilding Gaza, which has been reduced to rubble after more than 2.5 years of Israel’s assault, range up to $70 billion.

Days after the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, Indonesia, a member of the board, said discussions with the board were on hold due to the Iran war. The board subsequently continued talks related to Trump’s Gaza plan.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in April he was cooperating with the board on Gaza. That month, the Financial Times newspaper reported the board held talks with state-owned Dubai multinational DP World about managing supply chains and infrastructure projects in Gaza.

In early July, a board official said it was planning a pilot humanitarian zone for Palestinians in Gaza.

(Reuters)

Source: Government of India (4)

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY), a ₹5,070 crore scheme to accelerate the development of floating solar photovoltaic (FSPV) projects integrated with energy storage systems across the country.

The scheme aims to develop 5,000 MW of floating solar capacity along with 10,000 MWh of co-located energy storage, providing a minimum storage duration of two hours. Projects will be sanctioned between FY 2026-27 and FY 2030-31, while financial assistance will continue to be disbursed until FY 2032-33.

The approval follows an assessment by the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), which estimated India’s floating solar potential at around 102.18 GWp across reservoirs and other suitable inland water bodies.

Under the scheme, the Centre will provide Central Financial Assistance (CFA) of ₹1 crore per MW for eligible floating solar projects after successful commissioning. In addition, project developers can receive up to ₹50 lakh per project for feasibility studies, including bathymetry and hydrography surveys, environmental assessments and other preparatory activities aimed at reducing project risks.

The government said the scheme will benefit all States and Union Territories while significantly expanding India’s floating solar capacity, which currently stands at around 700 MW. By utilising reservoirs and industrial ponds, the initiative is expected to reduce dependence on scarce land resources for renewable energy projects.

The integration of energy storage systems is expected to strengthen grid reliability by improving the availability and stability of renewable power.

The scheme is projected to reduce nearly 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually and generate around 16,000-17,000 full-time equivalent employment opportunities across the project value chain.

The initiative is also expected to boost domestic manufacturing of floating platforms, photovoltaic cells and modules, energy storage systems and other key components, supporting the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

The government said the PM Surya Sarovar Yojana will contribute to India’s renewable energy capacity expansion, support national climate and energy goals, promote efficient utilisation of water bodies, and advance the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Source: Government of India (4)

Implementation of the deal to bring peace to Gaza announced by U.S. President Donald Trump will depend on Israel first meeting its commitments under an agreement reached last year, a senior Hamas official told Reuters on Friday.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump announced a “major milestone” towards ending the war in Gaza, saying his “Board of Peace” had reached an agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups.

The announcement followed months of faltering efforts to keep the ceasefire agreement reached last year in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on track and it was not immediately clear how strongly either Hamas or Israel stood behind it.

Within hours, Gaza medical authorities said several Palestinians had been wounded in an Israeli airstrike in the enclave. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas official involved in the negotiations, said the group was ready to accept an agreement he said was “difficult and painful”.

But he avoided using the term disarmament and said the agreement was a “comprehensive framework” that would depend on Israel implementing the first phase of the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement.

Under that agreement, he said Israel was obliged to end its attacks in Gaza and withdraw its forces to where they stood in October, as well as increase the flow of goods and aid coming into the enclave.

Only then would Hamas agree to hand over its weapons for storage by the new National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the technocratic body set up to run the enclave.

“We insisted to the mediators that Israel must abide by the agreement,” he said.

On Tuesday, Trump met in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an election in October in which he may need the support of right-wing parties that have rejected previous deals in Gaza.

On Thursday, an Israeli political source said Israel would not agree to withdraw behind the so-called Yellow Line before Hamas is disarmed and the Gaza Strip is demilitarized.

Previous attempts to reach an agreement have foundered amid mutual suspicion and each side’s insistence that the other must move first.

The planned oversight body for Gaza, NCAG, issued a statement welcoming “the progress announced yesterday regarding the roadmap and the opening of a path toward beginning its implementation”. It said it was ready to assume its responsibilities, while Germany, a major donor, said it would do its part to help the agreement.

Gazans, still struggling with basic survival after the Israeli military campaign in response to the deadly 2023 Hamas attack on Israel devastated the enclave, remained sceptical.

Inside a tent encampment in Gaza City, where women were busy filling plastic jerrycans with water, displaced Palestinians urged Trump to compel Israel to abide by the agreement.

“You Trump, you should start it from your end, ceasefire, stop the assassinations and complete the Israeli army’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” said Samir Ayad, 60.

“We are not seeing any agreement at all, nothing from what he (Trump) is saying,” he told Reuters.

(Reuters)

Source: Government of India (4)

India and the Maldives have strengthened their digital financial partnership with the launch of the Favara-UPI cross-border payment corridor, enabling individuals in the Maldives to transfer funds instantly to UPI-enabled bank accounts in India through their mobile banking applications.

The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) announced the successful operationalisation of the integration between the Maldives Instant Payment System, Favara, and India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on July 30, marking a significant milestone in cross-border digital payments and bilateral economic cooperation.

With the launch of the service, users in the Maldives can initiate real-time person-to-person (P2P) transfers in Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR), with the funds being credited directly in Indian Rupees (INR) to beneficiaries’ UPI-enabled bank accounts in India.

The service has been introduced in its first phase through two participating financial institutions—Bank of Maldives Plc and Maldives Islamic Bank Plc. Customers of these banks can send money to India using their mobile banking applications via the Favara payment system.

Initially, the facility will support family-maintenance remittances under both foreign inward and outward remittance categories, as well as gift-related remittances permitted under foreign outward remittance regulations.

The cross-border payment corridor has been developed through collaboration between the Maldives Monetary Authority, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), participating financial institutions and other stakeholders from both countries.

The integration follows an agreement signed between NIPL and the MMA in July 2025. According to the announcement, the project achieved full operational readiness after an accelerated 10-day process covering testing, certification, onboarding and live validation.

The Finance Ministry said the collaboration will be expanded in subsequent phases to include additional cross-border payment services such as QR code-based merchant payments and other digital payment solutions, further strengthening financial and economic ties between India and the Maldives.

The development also expands the global reach of India’s UPI ecosystem. UPI is currently accepted in nine countries – Cambodia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar and Sri Lanka – allowing Indian travellers to make seamless digital payments overseas.

Source: Government of India (4)

Union Labour and Employment Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said India’s social protection system now covers around 101 crore people, or more than 68 per cent of the country’s population, a milestone that has been recognised by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Addressing the 4th Global Industrial Relations Summit in New Delhi, Mandaviya said the achievement was highlighted by the ILO during the BRICS Labour Ministers’ Meeting held in Hyderabad last week, reflecting global recognition of India’s expanding social security coverage.

The two-day summit has been organised by the All India Organisation of Employers (AIOE) in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the ILO.

Emphasising the importance of balanced industrial growth, the Union Minister said harmonious industrial relations require sustained coordination among governments, employers, workers, trade unions and industry to ensure that economic growth and employment generation progress together.

He said industrialisation remains central to national development as it creates employment opportunities, while also highlighting the growing role of self-help groups and cooperative models—particularly women-led initiatives – in strengthening livelihoods, promoting women’s empowerment and supporting economic growth.

“It is essential to have a balanced development model that advances the welfare and social security of workers while also ensuring ease of doing business for employers,” Mandaviya said.

The Minister said sustained economic growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, supported by stable taxation, higher savings, increased purchasing power and expanded manufacturing, has created a virtuous cycle of development and job creation.

Highlighting improvements in employment generation, Mandaviya said employment elasticity has risen significantly, with every one per cent increase in GDP now generating 1.11 per cent employment growth, compared to just 0.008 per cent around twelve years ago.

Announcing proposed reforms in the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), the Minister said quality private hospitals could be empanelled as ESIC facilities, expanding healthcare access for beneficiaries. He also highlighted reforms in the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), including fully digital claims processing, automatic transfer of provident fund accounts under a single Universal Account Number (UAN), and the possibility of introducing UPI-based withdrawals in the future.

Speaking at the summit, Michiko Miyamoto, Director of the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for South Asia and Country Office for India, congratulated India on expanding social protection coverage to more than one billion people. She said the achievement, based on ILO estimates, would play an important role in supporting India’s future economic growth.

A souvenir commemorating the two-day Global Industrial Relations Summit was also released by Mandaviya in the presence of other dignitaries.

Source: Government of India (4)

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav, has recommended Olympic medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu for this year’s Arjuna Award, urging Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya to consider her nomination.

In a letter addressed to the Sports Minister, Jadhav highlighted Chanu’s outstanding achievements in international weightlifting and described her as one of India’s most accomplished athletes.

He highlighted Chanu’s remarkable record of winning gold medals at successive editions of the Commonwealth Games and her distinction of being the athlete who won India’s first gold medal on each of these occasions.

Jadhav also noted Chanu’s exceptional performances in the 48 kg category, including her record-breaking lifts in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total lift events.

While noting that Chanu has already received some of the country’s highest sporting honours, including the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and the Padma Shri, besides winning an Olympic medal, the Minister said her long-cherished dream of receiving the Arjuna Award remains unfulfilled.

Jadhav said Chanu had aspired to win the Arjuna Award since her early days of training in her village in Manipur, making the recognition particularly significant in her sporting journey.

Recommending her nomination, the Minister said conferring the Arjuna Award on Chanu would be a fitting recognition of her exceptional talent, consistent international success and invaluable contribution to Indian sports.

He also described Chanu’s journey from a small village in Manipur to becoming one of India’s most celebrated weightlifters as a story of determination, perseverance and dedication that continues to inspire millions of young athletes across the country.