News for 'Union Ministry of Communication and Information Technology'

Budget: Rs 400 cr for building world-class institutes

Budget: Rs 400 cr for building world-class institutes

Rediff.com5 Jul 2019

In the last budget, then finance minister Arun Jaitley had allocated Rs 85,010 crore for the education sector which was later revised to Rs 83,625.86 crore.

Govt frames new guidelines to regulate OTT, social media platforms

Govt frames new guidelines to regulate OTT, social media platforms

Rediff.com25 Feb 2021

The government on Thursday announced new rules to curb misuse of social media platforms, as it mandated firms to appoint grievance officer, disclose the first originator of the mischievous information and remove, within 24 hours, content depicting nudity or morphed pictures of women.

Aarogya Setu tops charts with 75 million downloads

Aarogya Setu tops charts with 75 million downloads

Rediff.com25 Apr 2020

The exponential number of downloads can be attributed to a call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking people to have the app on their mobiles, combined with the government's push for downloading of the app through other channels, reports Neha Alawadhi.

Nirmala Sitharaman gets defence, Piyush Goyal gets railways

Nirmala Sitharaman gets defence, Piyush Goyal gets railways

Rediff.com3 Sep 2017

In the third reshuffle since coming to power, Prime Minister Modi raised the strength of his Council of Ministers from 73 to 76.

Vinton Gray Cerf on the future of internet business in India

Vinton Gray Cerf on the future of internet business in India

Rediff.com11 Jan 2015

Interent is a flourishing business in India.

Developments in J-K internal matters of India: US

Developments in J-K internal matters of India: US

Rediff.com20 Aug 2019

The talks between Singh and Esper came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump.

Manoj Sinha appointed new LG of JK

Manoj Sinha appointed new LG of JK

Rediff.com6 Aug 2020

Known as 'vikas purush' (man involved in developmental work), Sinha is a three-time Lok Sabha MP who held charge of the communication ministry as a minister of State in 2016 when the telecom industry was engaged in the sale of spectrum.

HRD goes from Smriti to Javadekar, I&B from Jaitley to Naidu

HRD goes from Smriti to Javadekar, I&B from Jaitley to Naidu

Rediff.com5 Jul 2016

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who inducted 19 new ministers into his Cabinet on Tuesday has carried out major changes in the portfolios of his top ministers.

Despite big talks, India is miles away from digitisation

Despite big talks, India is miles away from digitisation

Rediff.com4 Dec 2014

India must change approach and have better access to networks to fulfil its digitisation dream.

Why mainstream media is feeling disempowered under Modi

Why mainstream media is feeling disempowered under Modi

Rediff.com6 Aug 2014

The advent of technology, the widespread use of smart phones across the country and the increasing popularity of the social media has caused the mushrooming of media platforms and led to the gradual disintermediation of the mainstream traditional media. The BJP leadership has only caught on to this trend quite fast and has used it to counter the influence of the mainstream media, says A K Bhattacharya.

CBI registers disproportionate assets case against Raja

CBI registers disproportionate assets case against Raja

Rediff.com19 Aug 2015

The CBI on Wednesday lodged a fresh case against A Raja for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 27.92 crore during the period of 11 years between 1999 and 2010.

Covid-19 pandemic is boom time for the 'faraway doctor'

Covid-19 pandemic is boom time for the 'faraway doctor'

Rediff.com19 Aug 2020

Tele/video-consults have been effective for patients requiring post-hospitalisation follow-up, especially if they are from outside the city; patients with chronic diseases that need periodic monitoring; and pregnant women who require routine checkup with minimum exposure.

Modi Cabinet: Prabhu gets Railways, Parrikar gets Defence

Modi Cabinet: Prabhu gets Railways, Parrikar gets Defence

Rediff.com10 Nov 2014

Hours after 21 ministers took the oath of office and became a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ministry, speculation began on which minister would be handed which portfolio. However, all speculation ended after the list was announced.

'We almost feel like Rashtrapati Bhavan ambassadors now'

'We almost feel like Rashtrapati Bhavan ambassadors now'

Rediff.com22 May 2015

Some of the 19 NIT scholars who spent a week at the Rashtrapati Bhawan as part of an 'in-Residence Programme' share their learnings with Upasna Pandey

Aadhaar is against Arthashastra, Hadith and Bible

Aadhaar is against Arthashastra, Hadith and Bible

Rediff.com9 Oct 2017

It emerges that not only does the CIDR project fails the test of fairness, justness and reasonableness besides the test of not being fanciful, oppressive or arbitrary; it also fails the test of Arthashastra, Hadith and the Bible.

COVID-19: 'Modi is the Muqaddar ka Sikandar'

COVID-19: 'Modi is the Muqaddar ka Sikandar'

Rediff.com1 May 2020

'This pandemic has given him a new platform to perform,' says a member of the government. 'He should feel lucky that he has got an opportunity now to demonstrate to the world his original talent.' 'He needs a visionary script to perform.' Sheela Bhatt reports on the politics of the pandemic.

4 trusted Gujarat babus to join Team Modi

4 trusted Gujarat babus to join Team Modi

Rediff.com2 Apr 2015

All the Gujarat cadre officers have one thing in common. They do not need Modi's 'informal interactions' and advice because they are from the so-called 'Modi school of governance.' They know Modi well enough to perform their assigned roles.

How Babus did during the Pandemic: A report card

How Babus did during the Pandemic: A report card

Rediff.com18 Jan 2021

The Covid pandemic has left a question mark on how the central government manages its staff.

Aadhaar may have a lethal impact on the existence of India

Aadhaar may have a lethal impact on the existence of India

Rediff.com5 Oct 2015

'Biometric Aadhaar-based surveillance is not only about violation of privacy, but also about the treasure hunt for unprecedented financial surveillance and economic intelligence in the economic history of mankind,' asks Gopal Krishna.

Smart cities: A $30-40 billion biz opportunity for IT firms

Smart cities: A $30-40 billion biz opportunity for IT firms

Rediff.com13 May 2015

Modi govt is aiming to recast the urban landscape of the country by making cities more livable.

India must have a future in Electronics

India must have a future in Electronics

Rediff.com19 Jul 2019

'It is in electronics that the gap between where we are and where we need to be is most obvious and most persistent.' 'It is not only a national security issue, but also a commercial issue,' argues Rajeev Srinivasan.

Will Manoj Sinha manage to entangle India's telecom mess?

Will Manoj Sinha manage to entangle India's telecom mess?

Rediff.com8 Jul 2016

Manoj Sinha will retain his current role in the railways.

Right to privacy is deeply linked to national security

Right to privacy is deeply linked to national security

Rediff.com26 Oct 2017

Admittedly, EVMs too have a UID number and any convergence of data can make the secret ballot system a party of history, warns Dr Gopal Krishna in the 5th part of his series against Aadhaar.

'No way. Modicare is not the same as Obamacare'

'No way. Modicare is not the same as Obamacare'

Rediff.com5 Feb 2018

'The government is abdicating its responsibility on healthcare.' 'Just to start this scheme, it will take a minimum till October 2018 and elections are coming in 2019, so before that this can go into the dustbin.'

Markets fall on profit-booking despite RBI's surprise rate cut

Markets fall on profit-booking despite RBI's surprise rate cut

Rediff.com4 Mar 2015

Benchmark indices failed to sustain gains and retreated from day's high dragged primarily by the losses in metals, information technology and bank shares as investors started to book profits in late noon deals. Earlier, markets had scaled fresh all-time highs on the surprise post-budget rate cut by Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The 30-share Sensex ended down 213 points at 29,380 and the 50-share Nifty closed down 74 points at 8,922. Intra-day, Sensex reached the all-time high mark of 30,024.74 while Nifty touched the life-time high level of 9,119.20. In the broader market, both the BSE Midcap index and Smallcap indices, down 1% and 1.2% each underperformed the front-liners. Market breadth in BSE ended negative with 1,882 declines against 1,010 advances. A day after signing an agreement with Finance Ministry on inflation targeting, RBI surprised the markets with an early post-budget repo rate cut of 25 bps (basis points) to 7.5% from 7.75% which was again outside of central bank's scheduled policy review meetings as the earlier rate cut effected on January 15. "RBI's latest rate cut of 25 basis points, while a surprise in its timing is in-line with our expectations of a sharp rate-cutting cycle over the coming quarters. With inflation sustainably lower by 500bps, the RBI has in recent months acknowledged the scope for rate cuts and was only waiting for additional comfort that the government's fiscal policy would not play spoil-sport," said Dinesh Thakkar, chairman and managing director at Angel Broking in a note. Analysts at Karvy believe that further monetary policy action will depend on number of factors including easing of supply constraints, improved availability of power, land, minerals and infrastructure, fiscal consolidation, the pass through of rate cuts by banks and the expected monsoon. Citing weakness in some sectors of the economy and the overall global trend towards monetary easing as rationale for the rate cut the central bank also exuded confidence in the road map for fiscal consolidation as laid out in the Union Budget, 2015. Commenting on how the markets reacted to RBI's surprise move, K Subramanyam assistant vice-president (institutional research), Asit C. Mehta Securities said, "The unexpected cut did take the market by surprise .However, credit off-take is not dependant only on interest rates. A gradual revival in the economy would be of more help which would trigger credit off-take. Hopefully this will follow and RBI's action would prove helpful. From market point of view this is bullish as equity becomes more attractive vis-a-vis falling interest rates." On the macro-economic front, the HSBC services PMI rose to an eight-month high of 53.9 in February up from 52.4 in January indicating strong expansion in output across the sector. Respondents cited robust growth of new business as the principle factor for the increase in activity. Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 773 crore on Tuesday, as per provisional data. Buzzing Stocks 9 out of the 12 sectoral indices of BSE ended in red. BSE Metal index, down 2.4% was the top loser followed by BSE Oil & Gas and Power indices, down 1.3% each. BSE Healthcare index, up 1.2% and BSE FMCG index, up 0.9% were the top losers. Bank stocks came under during late noon trades as traders booked profits at higher levels. However, RBI rate cut may encourage large lenders to cut their lending rates boosting demand for home and auto loans and provide funds for various stalled and new projects. Many stalled projects across the country are waiting for cash to restart work. The stock of stalled projects at the end of December 2014 stood at Rs 8.8 lakh crore or 7% of GDP. ICICI Bank ended down 0.1%, Axis Bank and SBI declined over 3% and HDFC Bank shed 1.5%. Sun Pharma gained over 6% on approval granted to Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company (SPARC) by US FDA for an antiepileptic drug. The product will be manufactured by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries at its Halol (Gujarat) facility in India. SPARC was formed in 2007 when Sun Pharma separated out its active projects in drug discovery and innovation into a new company. Dr Reddys Lab and Cipla have gained over 1% each. ITC gained over 1% after consecutive sessions of losses on the proposed larger-than-expected hike in excise duty on cigarettes in the Union Budget. The biggest ever auction of spectrum by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) started on Wednesday in the morning where government expects to garner Rs 80,000-1lakh crore from the sale of spectrum. Idea Cellular gained over 2%, Reliance Communication gained around 1% and Bharti Airtel closed 0.5% higher. Metal stocks were under pressure in today's session. Hindalco declined over 3%, Sesa Sterliteended down over 4% and Tata Steel closed down 2%. Profit-taking in IT stocks led to Wipro losing around 1.8%, Infosys declining 0.7% and TCS losing 1.5%.

Government has not learnt lessons from Pathankot attack: Par panel

Government has not learnt lessons from Pathankot attack: Par panel

Rediff.com8 Feb 2017

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on home in its report, which was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, took stock of overall performance of ministry of home affairs.

New Postal Act could deal blow to $2-bn courier sector

New Postal Act could deal blow to $2-bn courier sector

Rediff.com25 Sep 2013

It will escalate costs, mandate regulator to check malpractices, set standards.

Entire country needs to be trained in combating disasters: NDRF

Entire country needs to be trained in combating disasters: NDRF

Rediff.com17 Apr 2016

The national calamity response force, NDRF feels it is time that citizens are "trained" in combating both man-made and natural catastrophes.

Energy, health care sectors gain from Modi's UK visit

Energy, health care sectors gain from Modi's UK visit

Rediff.com15 Nov 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to Britain has seen India and the UK agreeing on Rs 90,000 crore deals.

Chief of Defence Staff will need to show tough love

Chief of Defence Staff will need to show tough love

Rediff.com30 Aug 2019

'Since each chief single-mindedly pursues his service's interests in the competition for turf and in core matters such as budget share. The CDS, therefore, must act as an "honest broker" whose decisions serve the broader national purpose, rather than narrow service interests,' says Ajai Shukla.

Why France is India's best friend in Europe

Why France is India's best friend in Europe

Rediff.com11 Mar 2018

'Over the last two decades, the India-French relationship has grown steadily, no major political difference having darkened the sky between Paris and Delhi,' says Claude Arpi.

Nehru's vision, Bhabha's mission

Nehru's vision, Bhabha's mission

Rediff.com14 Nov 2018

Nehru's faith in science and technology, his genuine respect for Bhabha, and their burning ambition worked synergistically to place India on the nuclear map of the world. Atomic energy developed and prospered because of Nehru's vision fulfilled by Bhabha's mission, recalls K S Parthasarathy, former secretary of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, on the occasion of India's first prime minister's 119th birthday today.

8 goals India must achieve to fulfil its commitment to the UN

8 goals India must achieve to fulfil its commitment to the UN

Rediff.com1 Dec 2014

Time is running out: Will India manage to attain goals set by the UN.

What will Pranab Da see at the RSS HQ in Nagpur?

What will Pranab Da see at the RSS HQ in Nagpur?

Rediff.com5 Jun 2018

'If the RSS should be saluted for choosing such a scholarly statesman to address its highly trained cadre, one must also praise Pranab Da's sagacity for having gracefully accepting the invitation, thus disapproving any ideological apartheid,' says former BJP MP Tarun Vijay.

IAS topper: 'I want to fight corruption'

IAS topper: 'I want to fight corruption'

Rediff.com20 May 2016

Meet Jasmeet Singh Sandhu who ranked third in the Union Public Service Commission exam this year.

Why India needs to speak up!

Why India needs to speak up!

Rediff.com5 Jul 2013

'Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may be anxious for a farewell visit to Washington in October,' says retired Ambassador K C Singh, 'but bending backwards on America's PRISM policy is going to earn him scorn at home and contempt abroad.'

Confused about the Budget proposals? Please read this

Confused about the Budget proposals? Please read this

Rediff.com1 Mar 2015

Indian economy about to take-off

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