The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, has released the 19th edition of its monthly ‘Secretariat Reforms’ report for February 2025.
India's textile industry is important to the economy and makes some of the most innovative fabrics globally. India is the 6th largest exporter of textiles globally, with a 3.9% share in world textile exports. It contributes nearly 2% to the country’s GDP. The sector is set to grow to US$350 billion by 2030 further strengthening India’s position in the global market.
The Centre plans to raise Rs 8 lakh crore through dated securities during April-September period of 2025-26 to fund the revenue gap, the finance ministry said.
India's fiscal deficit for April-February was 13.47 trillion rupees ($157.62 billion), or 85.8% of the estimate for the financial year ending March 31, government data showed.
Net tax receipts for the first 11 months of the financial year were at 20.16 trillion rupees, or 78.8% of the annual target, compared with 18.49 trillion rupees for the same period a year earlier.
India's financial year runs from April through March.
Total government expenditure for the 11 months was 38.93 trillion rupees or about 82.5% of the annual goal. Capital expenditure, or spending on building physical infrastructure, was 8.12 trillion rupees, or 79.7% of the annual target.
The government, which plans to shift to debt-to-GDP as the key benchmark for fiscal policy from 2026-27, said it would aim to bring debt down to a level of 50% by March 2031 from about 57%.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, inaugurated Techkriti 2025, Asia’s largest intercollegiate technical and entrepreneurial festival, at IIT Kanpur. In a Fireside Chat, the CDS gave insights on the need for advancement and modernisation in the Indian Armed Forces and shared his perspectives on preparing for emerging challenges of Future Wars,
specifically in the Cyber, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum and Cognitive domains.
This year’s theme, “Panta Rhei” (Everything Flows), highlights the continuous evolution of technology and innovation. Techkriti 2025 promises to be a remarkable celebration of technology, entrepreneurship and collaboration, pushing the boundaries of discovery and innovation.
A special segment, ‘Rakshakriti’, a dedicated Defence Expo to showcase the cutting-edge defence technology, was a key feature of Techkriti 2025. Driving further synergy between armed forces, academia and defence industry, Gen Anil Chauhan interacted with budding technologists.
The Supreme Court has ruled that insurers can deny health insurance claims if a customer had not explicitly disclosed their alcoholism at the time of purchasing a policy.
“This judgment serves as a wake-up call in the insurance ecosystem. The principle of utmost good faith will bind both the insurer and the insurer.
Non-disclosure could give the insurer a ground to repudiate the claim, when the claim is arising out of alcohol consumption,” said Alay Razvi, managing partner, Accord Juris.
The Chhattisgarh government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) to boost the state’s development and generate employment opportunities.
Underlining the possibilities in the skill sector, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai met Nasscom Vice-President Srikant Srinivasan and other representatives at the Investors Connect meet held in Bengaluru.
Under its new industrial policy, Chhattisgarh has attracted investment proposals worth ~4.4 trillion.
The development of Naya Raipur as an Information technology (IT) hub is a key component of the strategy, with several IT companies starting operations.
Industrialists have also shown an interest in green fuel in Chhattisgarh. The spokesperson said Deepak Agarwal, of GPSR Arya, met the CM and informed him that the company was working on making compressed bio-gas (CBG),
from stubble in the state. He discussed plans to set up CBG plants in various districts of Chhattisgarh, which can give additional income to the farmers and will also reduce pollution.
The company recently set up a CBG plant in collaboration with Indian Oil in Bemetara district.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved to release of an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 01.01.2025 representing an increase of 2% over the existing rate of 53% of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate against price rise.
The combined impact on the exchequer on account of increase in both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief would be Rs. 6614.04 crore per annum. This will benefit about 48.66 lakh Central Government employees and 66.55 lakhs pensioners. This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme with a funding of Rs.22,919 crore to make India Atmanirbhar in electronics supply chain.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for fixing the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for KHARIF Season, 2025 (from 01.04.2025 to 30.09.2025) on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers.
The Budget estimation of the Department of Fertilizers is made on the basis of likely consumption of fertilizers in the country, price of natural gas which is the major input cost in the fertilizer production and international prices of the finished fertilizer products may vary from one year to another.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of 4-lane access controlled greenfield and brownfield Patna – Arrah – Sasaram corridor starting from Patna to Sasaram (120.10 km) in Bihar. The project will be developed on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a total capital cost of Rs. 3,712.40 crore.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved inclusion of Kosi Mechi Intra-State Link Project of Bihar under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana0Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (PMKSY-AIBP) of Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The 14th edition of the Indian - Russia bilateral naval exercise INDRA, a cornerstone of the enduring maritime partnership between India and Russia, is set to take place off Chennai from 28 Mar to 02 Apr 25.
Since its inception in 2003, Exercise INDRA epitomises the long-term strategic relationship between the two Navies.
The exercise has evolved into a symbol of maritime cooperation, showcasing the two nations' commitment to enhancing naval interoperability and operational synergy. The exercise is being conducted in two phases - Harbour phase from 28 to 30 Mar 25 at Chennai, and Sea phase from 31 Mar to 02 Apr 25 in Bay of Bengal.
The exercise will see participation of Russian Federation Naval Ships Pechanga, Rezkiy and Aldar Tsydenzhapov along with Indian Naval Ships Rana, Kuthar and Maritime patrol aircraft P8l. These exercises and interactions are intended at enhancing maritime cooperation, strengthening bridges of friendship, exchanging best operational practices and to bolster diplomatic.