The Health Minister had recently written to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry seeking action against companies like Bagpiper soda, Johnny Walker soda and Kingfisher mineral water, saying they were using surrogate methods of advertising, which needed to be stopped.
"The proposal would benefit employees following Industrial Dearness Allowance pattern of pay scales in CPSEs which are in a position to absorb the additional expenditure without budgetary support," Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.
Within hours of Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's expulsion from the CPI-M, several leaders from the ruling UPA coalition thronged his residence to express their solidarity with one expressing readiness to accept the veteran Marxist in his party.
On the eve of a brief session of Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday met President Pratibha Patil and discussed internal security, the Mumbai terror attack and other issues of national importance. The hour-long meeting took place amid speculation that the prime minister would soon be undertaking a cabinet reshuffle in the wake of resignation of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and indisposition of Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi.
The amendments in the Unorganised Sector Workers' Social Security Bill 2007, approved by the Union Cabinet, seek to facilitate formulation of social security schemes for unorganised workers, Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters in New Delhi. He said efforts will be made to ensure passage of the Bill, pending in the Rajya Sabha, during the next session of Parliament.
The next general elections will be held in constituencies redrawn by the delimitation exercise, as per a decision taken by the Union Cabinet on Thursday. The Cabinet adopted an ordinance to defer the delimitation exercise in Jharkhand and four north eastern states-- Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh
The union government has decided to reconsider the cap on foreign capital investment in the information and broadcasting sector, the Rajya Sabha was told on Wednesday.
Of these, 249 posts would be within the country, comprising 139 officers and 110 staff. The remaining 269 posts -- 175 officers and 94 staff --would be created in Indian missions abroad, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters.
The government on Thursday approved the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, heaping civil and defence staff with a salary hike bonanza on the eve of the country's 61st Independence Day.
In changes ahead of crucial Assembly elections, the Congress on Wednesday made Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi its state unit chief in the Left-ruled West Bengal and appointed two other union ministers as party heads in Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
The government has relaxed FDI norms in industries such as civil aviation, petroleum and natural gas and commodity exchanges.
The government will soon announce a slew of tax incentives for infrastructure and technological upgrade in the TV and entertainment sector.
Defence Minister A K Antony will head a seven-member high-level group constituted by Congress chief Sonia to give suggestions to revive the party against the backdrop of series of debacles including in Karnataka and Gujarat Assembly elections.
The employees of Doordarshan and All India Radio employees on Tuesday called off their proposed day-long 'tool down' strike after a meeting with Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi.
In a bid to check money laundering, the government on Thursday allowed Financial Intelligence Unit
The AFC Professional League Committee will visit India to assess whether it can send a club in the revamped AFC Champions League.
The Cabinet on Thursday approved the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations, Maintenance of Quality and Prevention of Commercialisation) Bill, 2007.
The All India Football Federation on Monday gave the green signal for the May 27 exhibition tie between Mohun Bagan and German giants Bayern Munich in Kolkata, but refused to release the Bagan players called for national duty.
Confirming this, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said, "Before the meeting started, the amendment was withdrawn."
Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra are the worst-hit states.
Avoiding an answer on whether the ministry was seeking a ban on such advertisements, the minister said there should be a 'consensus' on such matters.
Disclosing this, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said the finance ministry has agreed to release additional Rs 100 crore for this purpose.
At present, 60 per cent of the mutual fund industry's corpus comes from fixed income schemes, which invest in stable return giving instruments such as government securities and bonds.
Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has lost the battle to make depiction of skull and cross-bones on all tobacco products mandatory with Cabinet on Friday declaring it would be optional.
This was announced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi shortly before the conclusion of the winter session of Parliament during which the government had promised to bring the Constitution amendment Bill.
The government on Thursday sought to make light of Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani's letter urging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to confer the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In a sarcastic vein, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said it would have been better had Advani honoured him within the party.
The government also approved the State Bank of India's Rs 10,000 crore equity issue.
The report noted that there was a lack of social, economic and educational status of the Muslim community in the country.
The National Democratic Alliance and the Left Front have agreed to discuss the Nandigram issue in Parliament. The discussion will be held under rule 193 that does not entail voting.
Changes in India's air services agreements with these countries were approved by the Cabinet at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Thursday, Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters. Earlier, the seat capacity was used to be decided in advance through agreements between the airlines.
This is the highest-ever bonus being paid to the employees for the good work done by them to take the Indian Railways to a new high, Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday.
An indication in this regard was given by Minister of Information and Broadcasting P R Dasmunsi, who acknowledged that there has been pressing demand from the radio broadcasters to let them air news along with entertainment and gossip.
Depending on the location of theatre in the states, the movie-goers pay anywhere between 40 to 100 per cent tax on a ticket, making India a "highest entertainment taxed" country in the world.
"The fare to be charged from the pilgrims for Haj 2008 will continue to be Rs 12,000 per pilgrim. There will be no increase," Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi said after a meeting of the Union Cabinet. As many as 1,23,211 pilgrims will travel on subsidised fare this year as compared to 1.15 lakh in October last year, he said.
The states can enact their own laws according to their own requirements, Dasmunsi said.\n\n
Parliamentary Affairs minister says action will be taken on the panel's recommendations.
The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has already rejected the deal and sought a joint parliamentary committee to go into it after which parliamentary approval is necessary to operationalise the deal.
Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said the National Democratic Alliance is stooping too low and carrying out a scurrilous campaign against Congress nominee Pratibha Patil.
The prime minister was elected unopposed on May 18 after independent candidate Matang Singh withdrew from the contest.
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