Government Policies National

Education Ministry Mandates Zoho Office For Official Work

By BPN News Desk October 5, 2025

The Union Ministry of Education has instructed all its departments and staff to use the Zoho Office Suite for official documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. The directive is part of the government’s push for digital self-reliance under the Swadeshi and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. What The Order Says A circular issued by the Department of Higher Education […]

Government Policies National

Cabinet Clears 3% DA Hike from July

By BPN News Desk October 1, 2025

The Union Cabinet has approved an additional 3% hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for central government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners, effective July 1, 2025. This raises the DA/DR rate from 55% to 58% of basic pay or pension. Who Will Benefit The hike will benefit about 49.19 lakh central government workers and […]

Government Policies National

Centre May Extend Committees’ Term to 2 Years

By BPN News Desk September 27, 2025

The central government is considering extending the tenure of parliamentary standing committees from the current one year to two years. The move is aimed at ensuring continuity and allowing committees to examine bills, policies, and reports in greater depth. Current Term Expiry Most standing committees are scheduled for reconstitution as their one-year term ended on […]

Government Policies National

CBDT Extends Tax Audit Deadline To October 31

By BPN News Desk September 25, 2025

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has officially extended the deadline for filing income tax audit reports for the Financial Year 2024-25 (Assessment Year 2025-26) from September 30 to October 31, 2025. Judicial Backing This move follows interim orders from the Rajasthan High Court (Jodhpur Bench) and Karnataka High Court, both of which directed […]

Government Policies National

Modi Government Approves Over 10,000 New Medical Seats

By BPN News Desk September 25, 2025

The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the addition of 10,023 new medical seats in government colleges across India. This includes 5,023 MBBS (undergraduate) seats and 5,000 postgraduate (PG) seats under Phase III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme to upgrade medical education. Funding And Cost Structure The total allocation for the […]

Government Policies National

Cabinet Approves ₹1,865 Cr Bonus for Railway Staff

By BPN News Desk September 24, 2025

The Union Cabinet has approved a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) worth about ₹1,865.68 crore for non-gazetted railway employees across India, just ahead of the festive season. The bonus is equivalent to 78 days’ wages. Who Benefits About 10.91 lakh staff members in roles such as station masters, track maintainers, loco pilots, guards, and technicians will […]

Government Policies National

Washington Can’t Match Moscow’s Oil Bargain for India

By BPN News Desk September 15, 2025

For weeks, Washington has been trying to strong-arm New Delhi into abandoning cheap Russian crude and turning instead to American barrels. Sergio Gor, Trump’s nominee for U.S. Ambassador to India, openly declared that India should open its market to U.S. crude, petroleum, and LNG. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick went further, threatening India with higher tariffs […]

Government Policies National

India Proposes 20-Year Tax Holiday for Data Centres

By BPN News Desk September 15, 2025

The government has drafted a National Data Centre Policy that includes a tax holiday of up to 20 years for developers. The move aims to attract large-scale investments while boosting capacity, energy efficiency, and employment. Incentives Under the Policy The draft policy proposes GST input tax credits on capital assets such as construction material, electrical […]

Government Policies National

GoM Backs Scrapping 12% and 28% GST Slabs

By BPN News Desk August 21, 2025

The Group of Ministers (GoM) on GST rate rationalisation has approved the Centre’s proposal to simplify the goods and services tax system. The panel has recommended scrapping the 12% and 28% slabs and consolidating the structure into just two major rates — 5% for essential and merit goods and 18% for standard items. Shift of […]

Government Policies National

Government Withdraws Income Tax Bill, Planning Fresh Version

By BPN News Desk August 8, 2025

The Indian government has formally withdrawn the Income Tax Bill, 2025, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on February 13. The decision follows a detailed review and feedback from a parliamentary select committee that identified several provisions needing revision. Why Was the Bill Pulled Back? Key areas flagged for changes include provisions related to […]