News for 'Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs'

Hemant Soren distributes portfolios; keeps home, gives finance to Cong

Hemant Soren distributes portfolios; keeps home, gives finance to Cong

Rediff.com6 Dec 2024

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has distributed portfolios among the new ministers, keeping key departments such as Home, Personnel, and several others to himself. The Congress' Radhakrishna Kishore was given Finance, Commercial Tax, Planning and Development Department, and Parliamentary Affairs departments. JMM's Deepak Biruwa was allotted the departments of Revenue, Registration and Land Reforms (non-registration), and Transport. Chamra Linda, another JMM leader, was allotted the departments of Schedule Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes (except Minority Welfare). RJD's Sanjay Prasad Yadav was given the departments of Industries, and Labour, Planning, Training and Skill Development. The Congress' Irfan Ansari got Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare, besides Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, and Disaster Management departments. The chief minister also kept to himself the departments of Cabinet Secretariat, Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Official Language, Road Construction, Building Construction, and those departments yet to be distributed to anyone. Among the other ministers, JMM's Ramdas Soren was given the School Education and Literacy, and Registration departments. Party colleague Hafizul Hasan was allotted the departments of Water Resources, and Minority Welfare Department. Panchayati Raj, Rural Works, and Rural Development departments were given to Congress MLA Deepika Pandey Singh. The CM gave Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Excise and Prohibition departments to JMM's Yogendra Prasad. JMM legislator Sudhivya Kumar became the minister for Urban Development and Housing, Higher and Technical Education, and Tourism, Art Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs departments. Shilpi Neha Tirkey of the Congress was allotted Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperative Department. A total of 11 MLAs took oath as ministers in the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand on Thursday.

Lessons To Learn From The Tatas

Lessons To Learn From The Tatas

Rediff.com30 Jan 2026

Usually, in the western view, corporate success is attributed to efficiency, organisational structure, and scale. R Gopalakrishnan and Harish Bhat argue that philosophy, culture, and the transmission of values are more important for sustaining growth and profitability of an enterprise over a period of time.

Road, rail, ministries cross halfway mark in capex spending till Sep

Road, rail, ministries cross halfway mark in capex spending till Sep

Rediff.com6 Nov 2025

The ministries of Road Transport & Highways and Railways have exceeded the national average capital expenditure (capex) by spending 63 per cent and 57 per cent of Budget estimates (BE), respectively, in the first half of 2025-26 (FY26). The total capital expenditure for April-September of FY26 stood at 52 per cent of the BE, according to the latest data by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).

ASI to host yoga at 81 sites, Amit Shah to attend near Ahmedabad

ASI to host yoga at 81 sites, Amit Shah to attend near Ahmedabad

Rediff.com21 Jun 2025

Also, as part of the IDY celebrations, entry to all ASI sites will be "free of cost" for the public on June 21, the ministry of culture said in a statement on Friday.

Biren Singh's controversial tenure comes to an end

Biren Singh's controversial tenure comes to an end

Rediff.com10 Feb 2025

Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh is facing renewed scrutiny over his handling of the ethnic violence that erupted in the state in May 2023. Leaked audio tapes allegedly featuring Singh, in which he is purportedly heard discussing how the violence was instigated with his approval, have sparked fresh controversy. The Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) has demanded a court-monitored investigation into the authenticity of the tapes, leading to a Supreme Court ruling ordering the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) to verify the tapes' authenticity and submit a report. Singh's tenure has been marked by controversies, including allegations of instigating conflict and questions regarding his governance. Despite a public apology in December 2023 for the violence, the leaked audio tapes have further intensified criticism of his leadership.

Protesters storm houses of Manipur ministers, MLAs over hostage deaths

Protesters storm houses of Manipur ministers, MLAs over hostage deaths

Rediff.com16 Nov 2024

Protesters in Imphal, Manipur stormed the residences of two ministers and three MLAs, demanding justice for the murder of three people in Jiribam district. The mob attacks prompted authorities to impose curfew in Imphal West district. The protests followed the discovery of three bodies, suspected to be of six missing people from Jiribam district, near the Manipur-Assam border.

Key Modi ministers retain their previous portfolios

Key Modi ministers retain their previous portfolios

Rediff.com10 Jun 2024

While there are some new faces in the cabinet, leaders such as BJP president JP Nadda and Jual Oram have returned as ministers.

Full list: Modi's New Ministers And Their Portfolios

Full list: Modi's New Ministers And Their Portfolios

Rediff.com10 Jun 2024

Here is the complete list of ministers in Modi 3.0 and their portfolios:

81% consumers back e-commerce rules, want clarity on services-based biz

81% consumers back e-commerce rules, want clarity on services-based biz

Rediff.com5 Jul 2021

As many as 81 per cent people support having rules for consumer e-commerce, but want more services-based platforms to have more clearly defined roles, a survey by community social media platform LocalCircles has found. The survey asked respondents to answer questions based on the recent draft Rules proposed by the ministry of consumer affairs. The responses found 81 per cent consumers wanting sales of products and services over electronic or digital networks to be governed by a set of electronic commerce rules.

Ban on onion export lifted; MEP of $550/tonne imposed

Ban on onion export lifted; MEP of $550/tonne imposed

Rediff.com4 May 2024

The government on Saturday lifted the ban on onion exports but imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of $550 per tonne, amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections in the country. Last night, the government imposed a 40 per cent duty on export of onions. In August last year, India had imposed a 40 per cent export duty on onions up to December 31, 2023.

Rain fury wreaks havoc in Northeast; lakhs hit, toll at 36

Rain fury wreaks havoc in Northeast; lakhs hit, toll at 36

Rediff.com3 Jun 2025

So far, over 30 people have died across Northeastern states due to heavy rainfalls, floods and landslides, according to media reports.

Govt posts Manipur cadre officer as aviation secretary, rejigs bureaucracy

Govt posts Manipur cadre officer as aviation secretary, rejigs bureaucracy

Rediff.com1 Sep 2023

The Centre has appointed senior IAS officers Vumlunmang Vualnam and Neeraj Mittal as new secretaries in the ministry of civil aviation and the department of telecommunications respectively in a major secretary-level bureaucratic reshuffle, a government order stated.

Karnataka seeing new kind of 'jihad' through waqf: Union minister

Karnataka seeing new kind of 'jihad' through waqf: Union minister

Rediff.com8 Nov 2024

Hitting out at the Congress government headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he said the ruling party has reached "height of appeasement politics," and alleged that it has in a way made appeasement of minorities its "goal."

Centre to recruit private sector experts in key posts across 12 ministries

Centre to recruit private sector experts in key posts across 12 ministries

Rediff.com16 May 2023

The department of personnel and training has asked the Union Public Service Commission to recruit such specialists through "lateral entry" mode in 12 government departments/ministries, he said.

PIX: World leaders in Delhi for G20 Summit

PIX: World leaders in Delhi for G20 Summit

Rediff.com8 Sep 2023

The G20 leaders will deliberate on pressing global issues at the grouping's annual summit here on September 9 and 10. India is hosting the summit in its capacity as the current G20 chair.

Modi's top 4 retain portfolios; Nadda gets health, Shivraj agri

Modi's top 4 retain portfolios; Nadda gets health, Shivraj agri

Rediff.com10 Jun 2024

Among the new entrants to the Union cabinet, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been given the agriculture and rural development portfolios, Bharatiya Janata Party president J P Nadda the health portfolio and former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar the power portfolio.

Piyush Goyal given additional charge of Paswan's portfolios

Piyush Goyal given additional charge of Paswan's portfolios

Rediff.com9 Oct 2020

Paswan, one of India's most prominent Dalit leaders and eight-time Lok Sabha MP died on Thursday at the age of 74.

Union minister Manoj Sinha fractures arm in car accident

Union minister Manoj Sinha fractures arm in car accident

Rediff.com24 Dec 2016

He sustained a fracture in his left arm in the accident which took place around 7.15pm on the Tapti river bridge near Gorakhpur when he was coming from Barabanki, North Eastern Railway CPRO Sanjay Yadav said.

State funeral for Paswan, flag to fly at half mast today

State funeral for Paswan, flag to fly at half mast today

Rediff.com9 Oct 2020

"The national flag will be flown at half mast on October 9 in Delhi and capitals of all states and UTs where it is regularly flown, and also on the day of the funeral at the place where the funeral takes place," a home ministry spokesperson said.

Diffcult to decontrol sugar industry: Pawar

Diffcult to decontrol sugar industry: Pawar

Rediff.com21 Jan 2011

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Friday said it will be difficult to decontrol sugar industry as many state governments, including the country's second largest producer Uttar Pradesh, are against freeing this sector.

Pawar takes charge as agriculture minister

Pawar takes charge as agriculture minister

Rediff.com25 May 2009

Pawar convened a meeting of senior officials and took stock of the situation in the agriculture, which would require a fresh impetus in the face of increasing debt burden on farmers despite loan waivers. He takes over the reigns of the agriculture affairs when the country has harvested a bumper foodgrain production and the central pool are overflowing with wheat and rice.

Modi 3.0 mantris off to quick start, priority for 100-day action plan

Modi 3.0 mantris off to quick start, priority for 100-day action plan

Rediff.com11 Jun 2024

Signalling both change and continuity, India's new government, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third consecutive term, got into work gear on Tuesday with cabinet ministers and ministers of state filing into their respective offices to assume charge.

Govt puts 4-week cap on bulk sugar

Govt puts 4-week cap on bulk sugar

Rediff.com15 Sep 2009

The decision will come into effect on September 19. In the notification issued by the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, three weeks was given for so reducing the stock.

Govt to announce multi-brand retail policy soon

Govt to announce multi-brand retail policy soon

Rediff.com17 Jan 2011

The government is likely to announce significant policy measures relating to allowance of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the multi-brand retail segment, even as the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (Dipp) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is giving final touches to the draft report prepared by an inter-ministerial committee.

National online gold futures trading from Oct 3

National online gold futures trading from Oct 3

Rediff.com2 Oct 2003

The online gold futures trade on the National Multi Commodity Exchange of India will be launched by Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Sharad Yadav in New Delhi on Friday.

India to host 1st Global Agro Forum

India to host 1st Global Agro Forum

Rediff.com9 Aug 2007

The first Global Agro-Industries Forum will be organised in New Delhi from 8 to 11 April 2008.

Vanaspati from Nepal banned

Vanaspati from Nepal banned

Rediff.com15 Jan 2003

India to host G20 summit in 2023; Goyal appointed Sherpa

India to host G20 summit in 2023; Goyal appointed Sherpa

Rediff.com7 Sep 2021

Making the announcement, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday that India will hold the G20 presidency from December 1, 2022, and will convene the G20 leaders' summit in 2023 for the first time.

India resumes gold futures trade after 41 years

India resumes gold futures trade after 41 years

Rediff.com3 Oct 2003

The technology-driven futures trading in gold and silver would fulfill its objectives only if poor farmers and small goldsmiths benefit from it, Sharad Yadav, minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution, said in New Delhi on Friday.

Jammu-Srinagar NH reopened

Jammu-Srinagar NH reopened

Rediff.com2 Mar 2005

FMC, Sebi may be merged

FMC, Sebi may be merged

Rediff.com24 May 2003

BIS told to change testing process

BIS told to change testing process

Rediff.com26 Mar 2003

Modi govt 3.0: Who is in, who is out

Modi govt 3.0: Who is in, who is out

Rediff.com10 Jun 2024

Over 65 Union ministers are likely to take oath, going by the visual of the meeting Modi held with his likely council of ministers.

Amarnath yatra resumes

Amarnath yatra resumes

Rediff.com15 Jul 2005

The Amarnath yatra, suspended for two days, resumed from Jammu on Friday.

Portfolios announced: Rajnath gets Home, Sushma MEA, Gadkari transport

Portfolios announced: Rajnath gets Home, Sushma MEA, Gadkari transport

Rediff.com27 May 2014

The Rashtrapati Bhavan has come out with a communiqu announcing distribution of portfolios of the ministers sworn-in on Monday in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's council of ministers:

Several parliamentary standing committees reconstituted

Several parliamentary standing committees reconstituted

Rediff.com9 Oct 2021

Shashi Tharoor has also been retained as the chairman of the panel on Information Technology.

How Dr Singh Changed Finance Minister's Role

How Dr Singh Changed Finance Minister's Role

Rediff.com1 Feb 2025

'Suddenly we had a new comprehension of affairs, which reminded that the luxury of politics floated atop a foundation by economics.' 'Along with this, finance ministers became crucial in molding the perception and reputation of Union Cabinets.' 'Governments couldn't afford a wrong person in that portfolio,' asserts Shyam G Menon.