Highlights of this Issue
GDP grows at 5% during the first quarter of 2019-20
The GDP (at constant prices) grew at 5% during the first quarter of 2019-20, over the corresponding period a year ago. Growth in all sectors, except electricity and mining, decreased from Q1 of 2018-19.
Bimal Jalan Committee report released; Rs 1,76,051 crore to be transferred
The Committee recommended maintaining risk buffer and the total economic capital or RBI within a range. The Board accepted all the recommendations and decided to transfer resultant surplus and net income to the government.
Finance Minister announces consolidation of 10 public sector banks into four banks
10 public sector banks will be consolidated to increase operational efficiency and reduce cost of lending. A total capital infusion of Rs 55,250 crore into certain public sector banks was also announced.
Budget session of Parliament ends; Parliament passes 13 Bills this month
Bills passed by Parliament include the Consumer Protection Bill, the National Medical Commission Bill, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Amendment) Bill.
Lok Sabha passes five Bills, and Rajya Sabha passes one Bill
Bills passed by Lok Sabha (and pending in the Rajya Sabha) include the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, and the Dam Safety Bill.
Special status of Jammu and Kashmir repealed; state reorganised into two UTs
Article 370, which provided special status to the state was amended and made inoperative. The state was reorganised into the UT of Jammu and Kashmir with a legislature, and UT of Ladakh without a legislature.
Competition Law Review Committee submits report on the Competition Act, 2002
Key recommendations include: (i) constitution of a governing body, (ii) automatic approvals for specified mergers and acquisitions cases, and (iii) dedicated bench in the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal to hear appeals.
NITI Aayog releases the Composite Water Management Index 2019
The report tracks the performance of states on key water management indicators over a period of three years. The index aims to increase competitiveness among states with regard to water use and conservation.
Cabinet approves export subsidy for sugar for the 2019-20 season
Export subsidy of Rs 10,448 per metric tonne (MT) has been approved for sugar for the 2019-20 season. An expenditure of Rs 6,268 crore has been approved for providing subsidy on up to 60 lakh MT of sugar.
Committee to review the Defence Procurement Procedure to be setup
Objectives of the Committee include revising the procedures in the Defence Procurement Procedure, 2016 and the Defence Procurement Manual, 2009, to speed up acquisition and enable greater participation of domestic industry.
UGC recommends 20 institutions for the status of Institutes of Eminence (p. 19)
Of these 20 institutions, 10 are in the public sector and the remaining are in the private sector. These institutions would be allowed greater autonomy in admitting foreign students, fixing fees, and recruiting foreign faculty.
Cabinet approves proposal to review FDI policy in various sectors (p. 9)
100% FDI under automatic route will be allowed for the sale of coal, commercial coal mining, and contract manufacturing. Single brand retailers can engage in online retail trading before opening of brick and mortar stores.
Parliament
Prachi Kaur (prachi@prsindia.org)
Budget Session 2019 of Parliament concludes
The Budget Session of Parliament ended on August 7, 2019.[1] Initially, the session was planned to be held from June 17, 2019 to July 26, 2019. Later, it was extended until August 7, 2019. This was the first session of Parliament after the elections for the 17th Lok Sabha.
40 Bills were introduced during the session. These included the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019, and the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019.
Parliament passed 28 Bills (excluding the Finance and Appropriation Bills). Bills that were passed include the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019, and the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019.
For more details on legislative business taken up during the Budget Session 2019, please see here. For details on the functioning of Parliament during the session, please see here.
Macroeconomic Development
Gayatri Mann (gayatri@prsindia.org)
GDP grows at 5% during the first quarter of 2019-20
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (at constant 2011-12 prices) of the country grew at 5% during the first quarter of 2019-20, over the corresponding period a year ago.[2] The quarterly trend of GDP growth is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: GDP growth (in %, year-on-year)
Sources: MOSPI; PRS.
GDP growth across economic sectors is measured in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA). The growth rate of combined GVA for all sectors decreased from 7.7% in the first quarter of 2018-19 to 4.9% in the first quarter of 2019-20. The growth rate of GVA decreased for all sectors, except for electricity and mining. It increased from 6.7% to 8.6% for electricity, and from 0.4% to 2.7% for mining. Note that, the manufacturing sector saw a decrease from 12.1% in 2018-19 (Q1) to 0.6% in 2019-20 (Q1). Table 1 shows details on sectoral GVA growth.
Table 1: Gross Value Added across sectors (growth in %, year-on-year)
Sector |
Q1 2018-19 |
Q4 2018-19 |
Q1 2019-20 |
Agriculture |
5.1% |
-0.1% |
2.0% |
Mining |
0.4% |
4.2% |
2.7% |
Manufacturing |
12.1% |
3.1% |
0.6% |
Electricity |
6.7% |
4.3% |
8.6% |
Construction |
9.6% |
7.1% |
5.7% |
Services |
7.1% |
8.4% |
6.9% |
GVA |
7.7% |
5.7% |
4.9% |
Note: GVA is measured at base prices (2011-12).
Sources: Central Statistics Office, MOSPI; PRS.
Policy repo rate reduced to 5.4%, reverse repo rate decreased to 5.15 %
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) released its third bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement of 2019-20.[3] The policy repo rate (the rate at which RBI lends money to banks) was decreased from 5.75% to 5.4%. Other decisions of the MPC include:
Industrial production grew by 3.6% in the first quarter of 2019-20
The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) grew by 3.6% in the first quarter (April-June) of 2019-20, as compared to the same period in 2018-19.[4] Electricity saw the highest increase of 7.2%, followed by an increase of 3.1% in manufacturing, and 3% in mining. Figure 2 shows the year-on-year growth in industrial production (overall and across sectors) for the first quarter of 2019-20.
Figure 2: Growth in IIP in the first quarter of 2019-20 (year-on-year)
Sources: MOSPI; PRS.
Home Affairs
Roshni Sinha (roshni@prsindia.org)
Special status of Jammu and Kashmir repealed
The special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 was repealed by the central government.[5] According to the Article, the power of Parliament to legislate with respect to Jammu and Kashmir was restricted to defence, external affairs, communications, and central elections. However, the President could extend other central laws, with the concurrence of the state government.
A resolution was adopted by Parliament recommending that the provisions of Article 370 be made inoperative, and that it be amended to state that all provisions of the Constitution would apply to Jammu and Kashmir.[6] On the basis of this resolution, the President issued a notification making Article 370 inoperative.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament
Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019.[7] The Bill reorganises the state of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Union Territory of Ladakh. Key features of the Bill are as follows:
For a PRS Bill summary, see here.
Timeline for NRC appeals extended
Under the Citizenship (Registration of Citizenship and National Identity Card) Rules, 2003, a National Register of Indian Citizens (NRC) is being prepared in Assam.[8] Any person whose name has been excluded or incorrectly included in the NRC can register a complaint with the Local Registrar of Citizen Registration. Earlier, appeals against decisions of the Registrar could be made to the Tribunals constituted under the Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 1964, within 60 days. The Rules were amended to extend the timeline for appeal from 60 to 120 days.[9]
Note that the final National Register of Indian Citizens in Assam was published on August 31, 2019. The list leaves out 19,06,657 persons.[10]
Finance
RBI board accepts recommendations of the Committee to review the existing Capital Framework of RBI
Anurag Vaishnav (anurag@prsindia.org)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in consultation with the central government, had constituted a Committee (Chair: Dr. Bimal Jalan) to review the current economic capital framework, in November 2018.[11] The Committee has submitted its report.[12] The economic capital framework provides a methodology for determining the appropriate level of risk provisions and profit distribution to be made under Section 47 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. The terms and reference of the Committee included determining whether RBI is holding reserves in surplus/deficit and proposing a suitable surplus distribution policy. In this regard, the Committee recommended:
The current surplus distribution policy targets only the total economic capital. The Committee recommended that the target should also include realised equity. The realised equity (which would be required to cover monetary, financial stability risks, credit risks and operational risks) must be maintained between 5.5% to 6.5% of the RBI’s balance sheet (current target: 3% to 4%). The total economic capital should be maintained between 20.8% to 25.4% of the balance sheet (current target: 28.1% to 29.1%).
The RBI Board has accepted all the recommendations of the Committee. Based on accounts for 2018-19, the available realised equity stood at 6.8% of balance sheet. This is higher than the upper bound recommended by the Committee. The Board decided to maintain the realised equity level at 5.5% of balance sheet, and transfer the resultant excess risk buffer of Rs 52,637 crore to the government.
As per the revised framework, the economic capital of RBI (as on June 30, 2019) stood at 23.3% of balance sheet, which is within the range recommended by the Committee. Hence, the Board decided to transfer the entire net income for 2018-19, that is Rs 1,23,414 crore, to the government.
For a PRS summary of the Committee report, see here.
Government announces consolidation, capital infusion for several PSBs
Anurag Vaishnav (anurag@prsindia.org)
The Finance Minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, announced several measures related to public sector banks (PSBs). This includes merging 10 PSBs into four PSBs in order to help achieve scale and higher capacity to increase credit.[13] The banks to be merged are:
The Minister also announced capital infusion of Rs 55,250 crore into 10 PSBs. These include Rs 16,000 crore into Punjab National Bank, Rs 11,700 crore into Union Bank of India and Rs 7,000 crore into Bank of Baroda, among others.
Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
Anurag Vaishnav (anurag@prsindia.org)
The Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha.[14] The Bill amends the Chit Funds Act, 1982. Key features of the Bill include:
For more details on the Bill, see here.
Task force on Offshore Rupee Markets submits report
Anurag Vaishnav (anurag@prsindia.org)
The Task Force on Offshore Rupee submitted its report.[15],[16] It was setup by the RBI in February 2019 to examine issues related to the offshore rupee markets, its effect on rupee exchange rate, and recommend appropriate policy measures.[17]
Offshore markets enable participants to trade in non-convertible currency, keeping trading outside the ambit of domestic authorities. RBI’s policy focus has been to align incentives for non-residents to gradually move to the domestic market. However, in recent years, there has been a sharp growth in offshore rupee markets, which has implications for currency stability. Key recommendations of the task force include:
Ministry of Finance increases monetary thresholds for appeal by tax departments
Suyash Tiwari (suyash@prsindia.org)
The Ministry of Finance has increased the monetary thresholds for filing appeals by the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.[19],[20] These thresholds are applicable for filing appeals before appellate tribunals, High Courts, and the Supreme Court. The thresholds have been increased with the aim of improving litigation management by helping the departments focus on litigation of substantial value. Table 2 shows the revised limits for filing departmental appeals before the different appellate forums.
Table 2: Monetary thresholds for filing departmental appeals (in Rs)
Appellate Forum |
Previous Limit |
Revised Limit |
Appellate Tribunals |
20 lakh |
50 lakh |
High Courts |
50 lakh |
One crore |
Supreme Court |
One crore |
Two crore |
Sources: Ministry of Finance; PRS.
In case of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, the revised limits will be applicable to appeals related to central excise and service tax (including all the pending cases). Further, the limits will not apply to cases which involve substantial point of law. These include cases where: (i) the constitutional validity of the provisions of an Act or rule is under challenge, and (ii) notification, order, instruction, or circular has been held illegal or ultra vires.
RBI releases Enabling Framework for Regulatory Sandbox
Anurag Vaishnav (anurag@prsindia.org)
The Reserve Bank of India released the enabling framework for Regulatory Sandbox.[21] An inter-regulatory Working Group was setup in 2016 by the RBI to review the regulatory framework in the financial technology sector.[22] It recommended introducing a framework for a regulatory sandbox to provide regulatory guidance, increase efficiency, manage risks and create new opportunities for consumers.
The sandbox provides an environment which allows market participants to test new products, services or business models with customers in a controlled environment. The objective of the sandbox is to foster innovation in financial services, promote efficiency and bring benefit to consumers. Key features of the framework include:
RBI permits lending by banks to NBFCs for on-lending to be classified as Priority Sector
Anurag Vaishnav (anurag@prsindia.org)
The Reserve Bank of India has issued guidelines that bank credit to registered Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) for the purpose of on-lending to certain sectors will be eligible to be classified as priority sector lending.[23] These sectors include agriculture, micro and small enterprises and housing.
The total bank credit to NBFCs for the purpose of on-lending should not exceed 5% of the bank’s total priority sector lending. These guidelines are valid till March 31, 2020.
Note that the above changes are not applicable for NBFCs which are micro finance institutions (NBFC-MFI). A NBFC-MFI is a non-deposit taking NBFC with a minimum net worth of Rs 5 crore and 85% or more of its assets as loans which meet certain thresholds such as, loans given to households with annual income below Rs 1 lakh in case of rural households and Rs 1.6 lakh in case of semi-urban or urban households.[24]
Corporate Affairs
Roshni Sinha (roshni@prsindia.org)
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by Rajya Sabha.[25] It amends the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. The Code provides a time-bound process for resolving insolvency in companies and among individuals. Key features of the Bill include:
For more details on the Bill, see here.
Competition Law Review Committee submits report
The Competition Law Review Committee (Chair: Mr. Injeti Srinivas) submitted its report recommending amendments to the Competition Act, 2002. [26] The Act establishes the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to promote competition, prevent anti-competitive practices and protect consumer rights. Key recommendations include:
For a PRS Report summary, see here.
High Level Committee on CSR submits report
The High Level Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility (Chair: Injeti Srinivas) submitted its report.[28] Under the Companies Act, 2013, companies above a specified net worth, turnover or profits are required to spend 2% of their average net profits in the last three financial years, towards their CSR policy. The Committee made several recommendations on the current CSR framework, ranging from its applicability to operational practices. Key recommendations include:
Ceiling on shares with differential voting rights increased
Under the Companies Act, 2013, private companies could issue shares which had different rights as to dividends/voting. These shares could not exceed 26% of the total paid-up equity share capital of the company. These shares are called shares with Differential Voting Rights (DVRs). The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has amended the rules notified under the Act to allow issuance of shares with DVRs up to 74%.[29]
Commerce and Industry
Gayatri Mann (gayatri@prsindia.org)
The National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by Rajya Sabha
The National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by Rajya Sabha and is pending in Lok Sabha.[30] The Bill seeks to amend the National Institute of Design Act, 2014, which declares the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad as an institution of national importance.
For a PRS summary of the Bill, see here.
Cabinet approves proposal to review FDI policy in various sectors
The Union Cabinet approved certain amendments to the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy across various sectors.[31] Key changes to the policy include:
Defence
Anurag Vaishnav (anurag@prsindia.org)
Government approves setting up Committee to review Defence Procurement Procedure
The Ministry of Defence has approved setting up a Committee to review the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), 2016 and Defence Procurement Manual (DPM), 2009.[32] The objective of the Committee is to revise and align the procedures to ensure efficient procurement process for defence equipment and strengthen the ‘Make in India’ initiative. The terms and reference of the Committee include:
The Committee is required to submit its report in six months.
Government extends child care leave benefits to single male service personnel
The Ministry of Defence has approved extending benefits of child care leave to single male service personnel.[33] Presently, such leave is granted only to woman officers in defence forces.
An age limit of 22 years was prescribed for availing child care leave in case of a child with 40% disability. This restriction has now been removed. Further, the minimum period for which child care leave can be availed at a time has been reduced from 15 days to five days.
Government approves re-organisation of army headquarters
The Ministry of Defence has approved creating a separate vigilance cell under the chief of army staff.[34] The cell will include representation from all three services (one colonel-level officer each from the Army, Air Force and Navy). Currently, there is no single agency for vigilance under the Chief of Army Staff.
Further, a special human rights section will be setup under the Vice Chief of Army Staff for enhanced focus on human rights issues. This section will be headed by an Additional Director General (Major General rank officer) directly under the Vice Chief of Army Staff. This will be the nodal point to examine any reports of human rights violation.
Law and Justice
Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament
Roshni Sinha (roshni@prsindia.org)
The Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament.[35] It replaces the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The key features of the Bill include:
For a PRS Bill summary, see here.
Department of Consumer Affairs issues draft guidelines related to e-commerce
Suyash Tiwari (suyash@prsindia.org)
The Department of Consumer Affairs has released draft guidelines on e-commerce for protection of consumers under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.[36] The draft guidelines have been issued as a model framework to prevent unfair trade practices and protect consumers in e-commerce. The guidelines will be applicable to B-to-C (business to consumer) e-commerce businesses. Key features include:
Comments are invited on the draft guidelines till September 16, 2019.
Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament
Roshni Sinha (roshni@prsindia.org)
The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament.[37] It amends the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The Act contains provisions to deal with domestic and international arbitration, and defines the law for conducting conciliation proceedings. Key features of the Bill are:
For a PRS Bill summary, see here.
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament
Roshni Sinha (roshni@prsindia.org)
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament.[38] It amends the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The Act provides special procedures to deal with terrorist activities, among other things. Key provisions of the Bill include:
For a PRS Bill summary, see here.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament
Gayatri Mann (gayatri@prsindia.org)
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced and passed by Parliament.[39] The Bill amends the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. The Act seeks to protect children from offences such as sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pornography.
For a PRS summary of the Bill, see here.
Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament
Roshni Sinha (roshni@prsindia.org)
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament.[40] It amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. The Act fixes the maximum number of the judges in the Supreme Court at 30 judges (excluding the Chief Justice of India). The Bill increases this number from 30 to 33.
For a PRS Bill summary, see here.
Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament
Roshni Sinha (roshni@prsindia.org)
The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament.[41] The Bill repeals 58 Acts in whole and makes minor amendments to two other laws. Key features of the Bill include:
For a PRS Bill summary, see here.
Transgender (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 passed by Lok Sabha
Roshni Sinha (roshni@prsindia.org)
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 was passed by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha.[42] Key features of the Bill include:
For more details on the Bill, see here.
Appellate Authority under NDMC Act constituted
Roshni Sinha (roshni@prsindia.org)
The central government has constituted the Appellate Tribunal for deciding appeals under the New Delhi Municipal Act, 1994.[43] The Act establishes and governs the New Delhi Municipal Council.[44] Under the Act, the Council may pass orders on various matters, including sanction of lay out plans, or stoppage or erection of works. Certain decisions of the Council (such as, decisions on cancellation of sanction, or demolition of buildings) can be appealed before the Appellate Authority.
Labour
The Code on Wages, 2019 passed by Parliament
Gayatri Mann (gayatri@prsindia.org)
The Code on Wages, 2019 was passed by Parliament.[45] It seeks to regulate wage and bonus payments in all employments where any industry, trade, business, or manufacture is carried out. The Code replaces the following four laws: (i) the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, (ii) the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, (iii) the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, and (iv) the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
For more details on the Bill, see here.
Draft Employees' Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, 2019 released
Anya Bharat Ram (anya@prsindia.org)
The Ministry of Labour and Employment released a draft of the Employees' Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, 2019. [46] The Bill amends the Employees' Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. The Act provides for a pension fund for employees in factories and other establishments. Key amendments include:
Health and Family Welfare
Gayatri Mann (gayatri@prsindia.org)
The National Medical Commission Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament
The National Medical Commission Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament.[47] The Bill repeals the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and provides for a medical education system which ensures: (i) availability of adequate and high quality medical professionals, (ii) adoption of the latest medical research by medical professionals, (iii) periodic assessment of medical institutions, and (iv) an effective grievance redressal mechanism. Key features of the Bill include:
For a PRS summary of the Bill, see here.
The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 passed by Lok Sabha
The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 was passed by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha.[48] The Bill defines surrogacy as a practice where a woman gives birth to a child for an intending couple and agrees to hand over the child to them after the birth. Key features of the Bill include:
For a PRS Bill Summary, please see here.
Cabinet approves setting up of 75 new medical colleges
The Union Cabinet approved setting up of 75 new government medical colleges by 2021-22.[49] These medical colleges will be attached with existing district hospitals with a minimum of 200 beds. For the purpose of this expansion, an amount of Rs 24,375 crore has been approved.
Previously, the government had approved the establishment of 82 new medical colleges in two phases. Of these, 39 colleges have already started functioning.
Road Transport and Highways
Prachee Mishra (prachee@prsindia.org)
Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament.[50] The Bill seeks to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to provide for road safety. The Act provides for grant of licenses and permits related to motor vehicles, standards for motor vehicles, and penalties for violation of these provisions. The Bill provides for recall of vehicles, exempting good samaritans at an accident from any legal proceedings, regulation of taxi aggregators and increasing penalties for various offences. Other key features of the Bill include:
For a PRS summary and analysis of the Bill, see here.
Civil Aviation
Prachee Mishra (prachee@prsindia.org)
The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament
The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament.[51] It amends the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008. The Act established the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA). The AERA regulates tariffs and other charges for aeronautical services provided at civilian airports with annual traffic above 15 lakh passengers. It also monitors the performance standard of services across these airports.
For a PRS summary of the Bill, see here. To understand issues with the Bill, please refer to our blog here.
Housing and Urban Affairs
Prachee Mishra (prachee@prsindia.org)
The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament
The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament.[52] The Bill amends the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971. The Act provides for the eviction of unauthorised occupants from public premises in certain cases.
For a PRS Bill summary, see here.
Jal Shakti
The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by Lok Sabha
Prachee Mishra (prachee@prsindia.org)
The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha.[53] It amends the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. The Act provides for the adjudication of disputes relating to waters of inter-state rivers and river valleys.
For a summary of the Bill, see here.
The Dam Safety Bill, 2019 passed by Lok Sabha
Prachee Mishra (prachee@prsindia.org)
The Dam Safety Bill, 2019 was passed by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha.[54] The Bill provides for the surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of specified dams across the country. It also provides for an institutional mechanism to ensure the safety of such dams. Key features of the Bill include:
For a summary of the Bill, see here.
NITI Aayog released the Composite Water Management Index 2019
Prachi Kaur (prachi@prsindia.org)
NITI Aayog has developed the second edition of the Composite Water Management Index to report the performance of states on key water management components.[55] In its report, it has noted that currently, about 82 crore Indians face water scarcity and about two lakh people die every year due to inadequate access to safe water. In addition, by 2030, the country’s water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity and an eventual loss of 6% to the country’s GDP.
Through the Composite Water Management Index, NITI Aayog has: (i) identified states that are high or under-performers, and (ii) recognised areas that need deeper investment and engagement. The index aims to increase competitiveness among states for water use and conservation and develop a national data management platform for water. Key findings of the report include:
Education
Gayatri Mann (gayatri@prsindia.org)
UGC recommends 20 institutions for the status of Institutes of Eminence
The University Grants Commission (UGC) recently recommended 20 higher educational institutions for the status of ‘Institutions of Eminence’.[56] Of these 20 institutions, 10 are in the public sector and the remaining are in the private sector. These institutions were selected on the basis of recommendations of the Empowered Expert Committee (Chair: Mr. N. Gopalaswami).[57]
In February 2018, the UGC constituted an Empowered Expert Committee to enable 10 public and 10 private higher educational institutions to emerge as world-class teaching and research institutions i.e., as Institutions of Eminence.[58] These institutions would be allowed greater autonomy in admitting foreign students, fixing fees, and recruiting foreign faculty, among others. Further, each public higher educational institution will get financial assistance of up to Rs 1,000 crore for a period of five years.
Note that, of the 20 institutions recommended by UGC, six institutions have already been declared as Institutions of Eminence in July 2018.[59]
Agriculture
Suyash Tiwari (suyash@prsindia.org)
Cabinet approves export subsidy for sugar for the 2019-20 season
The Union Cabinet approved an export subsidy of Rs 10,448 per metric tonne (MT) for sugar for the 2019-20 season.[60] The export subsidy will cover costs incurred by sugar mills in marketing, including handling, upgrading, and processing, and transport. The subsidy has been approved for export of up to 60 lakh MT of sugar. This has been done with the aim of reducing the surplus stock of sugar, which is estimated to be 162 lakh MT at the end of the 2019-20 season (starting with an opening stock of 142 lakh MT).
The subsidy amount payable to mills will be given directly to sugarcane farmers, and will be settled against the sugarcane dues that they owe to farmers. Subsequent balance, if any, will be provided to the mills.
An expenditure of Rs 6,268 crore has been approved for providing the subsidy.
Fourth advance estimates of production of major crops for 2018-19 released
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare released the fourth advance estimates of production of major foodgrains and commercial crops for the year 2018-19.[61] Table 3 gives a comparison of the fourth advance estimates for 2018-19 with the final estimates for 2017-18. Following are some of the highlights:
Table 3: Fourth advance estimates of production for 2018-19 (in million tonnes)
Crop |
Final 2017-18 |
4th advance estimates 2018-19 |
% change over 2017-18 |
Foodgrains (A+B) |
285.0 |
285.0 |
0.0% |
A. Cereals |
259.6 |
261.6 |
0.8% |
Rice |
112.8 |
116.4 |
3.2% |
Wheat |
99.9 |
102.2 |
2.3% |
Coarse Cereals |
47.0 |
43.0 |
-8.6% |
B. Pulses |
25.4 |
23.4 |
-7.9% |
Tur |
4.3 |
3.6 |
-16.3% |
Gram |
11.4 |
10.1 |
-11.0% |
Oilseeds |
31.5 |
32.3 |
2.5% |
Soyabean |
10.9 |
13.8 |
26.1% |
Groundnut |
9.3 |
6.7 |
-27.6% |
Cotton* |
32.8 |
28.7 |
-12.5% |
Sugarcane |
379.9 |
400.2 |
5.3% |
*million bales of 170 kg each.
Sources: Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare; PRS.
Contract farming exempted from limits under the Essential Commodities Act
The Department of Consumer Affairs has exempted agricultural produce purchased under contract farming from certain stock restrictions specified under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.[62] The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 provides for the control of production, supply, distribution, and trade of certain commodities, such as certain food items, seeds, and drugs.
Under contract farming, production is carried out on the basis of a pre-harvest agreement between buyers and producers. Post-harvest, the producers sell the produce to the buyers as per the terms and conditions of the agreement. The Department has granted exemption to contract farming produce from stock limit provisions specified under any order made under the Act. The exemption is applicable to buyers who are registered under any of the respective state Acts pertaining to contract farming. However, the produce purchased by these buyers will continue to be subject to maximum limits as specified under the respective state Acts.
Energy
Saket Surya (saket@prsindia.org)
Certain recommendations of the High-Level Empowered Committee on stressed thermal power projects implemented
The Ministry of Power had constituted a High-Level Empowered Committee to resolve issues related to stressed thermal power assets in July 2018.[63] The Union Cabinet approved some of the Committee’s recommendations in March 2019. The Ministry has released implementation details of some of these recommendations.
The Ministry has approved a mechanism to ensure that the debt of stressed thermal power projects is serviced on priority.[64] This will apply to projects using coal linkages under the SHAKTI policy. The SHAKTI policy provides for the allocation of coal linkages for the power sector in a transparent manner. The Committee had suggested that the net surplus generated by the developer of the stressed power project, after meeting operating expenses, must be used for servicing debt.
As per the mechanism, all the revenues of the project will be deposited into a Trust and Retention Account (TRA). A cash flow monitoring agency will be appointed by lenders to verify actual cash flow and costs of the project. The priority order for expenditure from TRA will be as follows: (i) statutory payments including taxes and duties owed to the government, (ii) fuel cost, (iii) transmission cost, (iv) operation and maintenance expenses, (v) interest payment to lenders, and (vi) principal payment to lenders.
Auction of coal linkage for short-term
The Ministry has released a draft methodology for auction of coal linkages under the SHAKTI policy for the short term.[65] The objective of auctioning short term linkages is to cater to the dynamic requirements and demand variation in short-term and day-ahead markets.
The power plants which do not have a power purchase agreement (PPA) will be eligible to participate in the auction. The duration of linkage will be a minimum of three months and a maximum of one year. This auction will be carried out at frequent intervals (at least twice a year). The power generated under these coal linkages will have to be sold in: (i) the day-ahead market and intraday market through power exchanges, and (ii) short term through a transparent bidding process using Discovery of Efficient Energy Price (DEEP) portal. The DEEP portal is an e-bidding and e-reverse auction portal for procurement of short term supply of power by distribution companies.
Framework for a real-time market for electricity proposed
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has proposed a framework for a real-time market for the trading of electricity.[66] Comments are invited on the draft regulation till September 5, 2019.
Currently, most of the power procurement is done through long term contracts of duration up to 25 years.[67] Remaining procurement is through medium-term (up to five years) or short term contracts (day-ahead markets). CERC has also developed certain mechanisms to address any additional intra-day requirements and system imbalances. Power exchanges operate intra-day energy market based on continuous trade.67
Key features of the proposed market include:
Guidelines for implementation of phase-II of Grid-connected Rooftop Solar Programme announced
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has announced the operational guidelines for the phase-II of Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar Programme.[68] The objective of the phase-II of the programme is to add a capacity of 38,000 MW through rooftop solar by 2022. Table 4 Out of this, a capacity of 4,000 MW is to be added in the residential sector with central financial assistance. The rest 34,000 MW will be added through other sectors including social, government, educational, PSUs and industries. In the case of sectors other than residential, central financial assistance will not be provided.
The residential sector will be provided central financial assistance as described in Table 4.
Table 4: Central financial assistance for rooftop solar deployment in residential sector
Type of Residential Sector |
Central Financial Assistance |
Maximum up to 3 kW capacity |
40% of the applicable cost* |
Between 3kW and 10kW capacity |
40% up to 3kW and 20% up to 10 kW |
Group Housing Societies/Residential Welfare Associations for common facilities up to 500 kWp (@10 kWp per house) |
20% |
Sources: Official Memorandum, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; PRS.
Note: *Applicable Cost: For a given state/UT, lower of the benchmark cost of MNRE or lowest of the costs discovered under tenders.
The distribution companies will act as the implementing agency for the programme. They will be eligible for incentives based on the specified criteria.
Ocean energy declared as a renewable energy
Ocean energy including tidal energy, wave energy, ocean thermal energy conversion and marine current energy have been recognised as renewable energy.[69] Accordingly, the energy produced using various forms of ocean energy will be eligible for meeting the non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO). RPO refers to the obligation of certain entities who have to meet a part of their energy consumption by using energy from renewable sources.
The total identified potential of tidal energy is about 12,455 MW. The total potential of wave energy and ocean thermal energy conversion is 40,000 MW and 1,80,000 MW respectively.
State Rooftop Solar Attractive Index (SARAL) launched
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has launched the State Rooftop Solar Attractive Index (SARAL).[70] It will rank states based on the measures adopted to facilitate rooftop solar deployment. It seeks to incentivise rooftop solar deployment by creating healthy competition among the states. SARAL will evaluate the following aspects of the development of rooftop solar in the state: (i) robustness of policy framework, (ii) implementation environment, (iii) investment climate, (iv) consumer experience, and (v) business ecosystem.
In the rankings announced this month, Karnataka has achieved the first rank. Telangana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh have achieved 2nd, 3rd and 4th rank respectively.
Mining
Saket Surya (saket@prsindia.org)
Criteria for suspension of mining operations on the ground of sustainable mining practices relaxed
The Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, 2017 mandates mining lease holders to undertake sustainable mining practices.[71] Sustainable mining refers to the development of minerals and energy resources, onshore and offshore, in a way that maximises the economic and social benefits while minimising the environmental impacts of mining.
To adopt sustainable mining practices, the Ministry of Mines has prescribed a Sustainable Development Framework for mining lease holders.[72] The Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) awards a rating from one to five stars to leased mines for their efforts towards the implementation of this framework every year.[73] As per the 2017 Rules, mining operations can be suspended by IBM in those mines which have not received at least four-star rating within two years of commencement of mining operations.71
The Ministry of Mines has amended these 2017 Rules to reduce the minimum rating requirement from four-star to three-star.[74] The period for achieving the required rating has been revised to four years from the date of commencement, or four years from Feb 27, 2017, as applicable.
A joint venture of NALCO, HCL and MECL to be set up for mining activities overseas for strategic minerals
The Ministry of Mines has set up a joint venture (JV) namely Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) with the participation of three central public sector enterprises. These are National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) and Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL).[75]
The objective of KABIL is to ensure a consistent supply of strategic minerals to the domestic market and work toward the overall objective of import substitution. Strategic minerals are those which are critical to the economy and defence of a country but are not available in that country in commercially viable quantities. India has identified 12 such minerals including lithium, cobalt, tin, tungsten and selenium.[76]
This JV will carry out identification, exploration, development, mining and processing of strategic minerals overseas for commercial use and meeting India’s requirement of these minerals.75
The minerals will be sourced in following ways: (i) creation of trading opportunities, (ii) government-to-government collaborations with the producing countries, and (iii) strategic acquisitions or investments in the exploration of mining assets in the source countries.75
Steel
Saket Surya (saket@prsindia.org)
Draft Safety Code for iron and steel sector published by the Ministry of Steel
The Ministry of Steel has published a Draft Safety Code for the iron and steel sector.[77] The objective of the safety code is to develop a common safety standard across the sector. It aims to provide a basic framework to facilitate improved management of occupational safety issues at the workplace.
The safety code covers various aspects of operations in the sector including the following:
The safety code will be applicable to the following types of entities:
Culture
Gayatri Mann (gayatri@prsindia.org)
The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by Lok Sabha
The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha.[78] It amends the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951. The Act provides for the erection of a National Memorial in memory of those killed or wounded on April 13, 1919, in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar. The Act creates a Trust to manage the National Memorial.
For a PRS summary of the Bill, see here.
Telecommunications
Saket Surya (saket@prsindia.org)
TRAI invites consultation on review of the scope of Infrastructure Provider Category-I registration
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a consultation paper on review of the scope of Infrastructure Provider Category I (IP-I) registration.[79] Comments on the paper are invited till September 16, 2019.
The Infrastructure Providers are entities which own, establish and maintain telecom infrastructure and lease, rent or sell these to telecom service providers (TSPs). Telecom tower companies are registered under this category. Currently, IP-I companies are allowed to provide passive infrastructure.79 Passive Infrastructure Sharing involves sharing of non-electrical and civil engineering elements of telecom networks. These include right of way, tower sites, towers, poles, room for equipment, power supply, and air conditioning facilities.79
The consultation paper seeks to widen its scope by allowing provisions for sharable active infrastructure and providing end-to-end bandwidth through leased lines to TSPs. This is to facilitate the faster rollout of active infrastructure elements at competitive prices.79 Active Infrastructure Sharing involves sharing electronic network elements. It includes base stations, access node switches, antenna, and the management system for fibre networks.79
Information and Broadcasting
Saket Surya (saket@prsindia.org)
TRAI invites consultation on tariff-related issues for the broadcasting and cable services
TRAI has published a consultation paper on tariff-related issues for the broadcasting and cable services.[80],[81] Comments on the paper are invited till September 16, 2019.
As per the framework introduced in 2017, consumers pay a Network Capacity Fee (NCF) which is a fixed minimum fee to keep the connection and in return, get access to a hundred free to air channels.80 The subscription model for pay channels involves broadcasters offering its pay channels to Distributed Platform Operators (DPOs) as: (i) a single channel, called a-la-carte channel, and (ii) a group of channels, called bouquet. The DPOs are the broadcasting and cable services distributors. The DPOs may offer the channels to consumers for subscription in the form of : (i) a-la-carte channel, (ii) broadcaster’s bouquet and, (iii) DPO’s own customised bouquet comprising of channels from one or more broadcasters.80
The aim of the framework is to provide flexibility and freedom to consumers in choosing channels.80 However, heavy discounts offered by broadcasters on bouquets has led to : (i) adverse impact on the choice of a-la-carte channels by consumers, (ii) unwanted channels as part of bouquet being pushed to consumers, and (iii) non-level playing field for other broadcasters.80
The consultation paper primarily discusses issues related to discount given on the bouquet, the ceiling price of channels for inclusion in bouquet, need for the formation of the bouquet by broadcasters and DPOs, variable NCF and discount on long term subscription plans.
External Affairs
Anya Bharat Ram (anya@prsindia.org)
Prime Minister visits France
The Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, visited France. The countries signed four agreements in various areas including: (i) collaboration in skill development and vocational training, (ii) promotion of solar energy, (iii) collaboration in maritime domain awareness, and (iv) cooperation between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and ATOS, a French IT company.[82]
Minister of External Affairs visits China
The Minister of External Affairs, Mr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, visited China. The countries signed five agreements in various areas including: (i) cooperation in bilateral relations, (ii) general administration of sports, and (iii) traditional medicine.[83]
Environment
Prachee Mishra (prachee@prsindia.org)
Ministry of Railways to ban single use plastic
The Ministry of Railways has announced a ban on usage of single use plastic material from October 2, 2019.[84] In addition, all railway vendors must avoid use of plastic carry bags. Railway staff should reduce, reuse and refuse plastic products. IRCTC will implement return of plastic drinking water bottles as part of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR is a policy approach under which producers are responsible for the treatment or disposal of their products that are no longer deemed useful by consumers. Such responsibility may be financial, physical, or both.
[1] Parliament session wrap, August 7, 2019, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/Session%20wrap%20Budget%20Session%202019%2017th%20LS.pdf.
[2] ‘Press Note on Estimates of Gross Domestic Product for the First Quarter (April-June) 2019-20’, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, August 30, 2019, http://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/press_release/PRESS_NOTE-Q1_2019-20-30.8.19.pdf.
[3] “Third Bi-Monthly Policy Statement 2019-20”, Press Release, Reserve Bank of India, August 7, 2019, https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=47941.
[4] “Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production and Use Based Index for the Month of June, 2019 (Base 2011- 12=100)”, Press Release, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, August 9, 2019, http://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/press_release/Press%20Note%20June%2719.pdf.
[5] G.S.R. 562(E), Ministry of Law and Justice, August 6, 2019, http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/210243.pdf.
[6] Bulletin-I, Rajya Sabha, August 5, 2019, http://164.100.47.5/Bullitensessions/sessionno/249/050819.pdf, Bulletin-II, Lok Sabha, August 6, 2019, http://loksabhadocs.nic.in/bull1mk/17/I/6.08.2019.pdf.
[7] The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, Ministry of Home Affairs, August 5, 2019, https://prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/Jammu%20and%20Kashmir%20Reorganisation%20Bill%2C%202019.pdf.
[8] Citizenship (Registration of Citizenship and National Identity Card) Rules, 2003, http://www.nrcassam.nic.in/images/pdf/citizenship-rules.pdf.
[9] G.S.R. 586(E), Gazette of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, August 21, 2019, http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/211112.pdf.
[10] "Publication of Final NRC on 31st August, 2019", Office of the State Coordinator, NRC, August 31, 2019, http://www.nrcassam.nic.in/pdf/English%20-Press%20Brief%2031st%20August%202019.pdf).
[11] ‘RBI constitutes Expert Committee on Economic Capital Framework’, Press Releases, Reserve Bank of India, December 26, 2018, https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=45826.
[12] ‘Reserve Bank releases the report of the Expert Committee to Review the Extant Economic Capital Framework of the RBI’, Press Releases, Reserve Bank of India, August 27, 2019, https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=47993.
[13] ‘Merger of Public Sector Banks’, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, August 30, 2019.
[14] The Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/Chit%20Funds%20%28Amendment%29%20Bill%2C%202019.pdf.
[15] ‘Task Force on Offshore Rupee Markets submits report to the Governor’, Press Releases, Reserve Bank of India, August 8, 2019, https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=47839.
[16] ‘Report of the Task Force on Offshore Rupee Markets’, Reports, Reserve Bank of India, August 8, 2019, https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/PublicationReportDetails.aspx?UrlPage=&ID=937.
[17] ‘RBI constitutes the Task Force on Offshore Rupee Markets’, Press Releases, Reserve Bank of India, February 28, 2019, https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=46423.
[18] ‘Report of the Internal Working Group on Comprehensive Review of Market Timings’, Draft Reports, Reserve Bank of India, July 10, 2019, https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/PublicationDraftReports.aspx?ID=935#C3.
[19] “Monetary limits for filing of appeals by Income Tax Department further enhanced by CBDT”, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Finance, August 8, 2019.
[20] F. No. 390/Misc/116/2017-JC, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, August 22, 2019, http://www.cbic.gov.in/resources//htdocs-cbec/instruction-220819.pdf;jsessionid=57726819F3621CE71952F11277550B91.
[21] Enabling Framework for Regulatory Sandbox, Reports, Reserve Bank of India, August 13, 2019, https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/PublicationReport/Pdfs/ENABLING79D8EBD31FED47A0BE21158C337123BF.PDF.
[22] ‘RBI sets up Inter-regulatory Working Group on Fin Tech and Digital Banking’, Press Releases, Reserve Bank of India, July 14, 2016, https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=37493.
[23] ‘Priority Sector Lending – Lending by banks to NBFCs for On-Lending’, Notifications, Reserve Bank of India, August 13, 2019, https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=11659&Mode=0.
[24] ‘Master Circular- ‘Non-Banking Financial Company-Micro Finance Institutions’ (NBFC-MFIs) - Directions’, Master Circular, Reserve Bank of India, April 20, 2016, https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_ViewMasCirculardetails.aspx?id=9827.
[25] The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/Insolvency%20and%20Bankruptcy%20Code%20%28Amendment%29%20Bill%2C%202019_0.pdf.
[26] “Report of the Competition Law Review Committee,”, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, July 26, 2019, :http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/pdf/ReportCLRC_14082019.pdf.
[27] F.No. CCI/CD/AmendComb. Regl./2019, Gazette of India, The Competition Commission of India, https://www.cci.gov.in/sites/default/files/notification/210553.pdf.
[28] “Report of the High Level Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility”, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, August 7, 2019, http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/pdf/CSRHLC_13092019.pdf.
[29] Companies (Share Capital and Debentures) Amendment Rules, 2019, http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/pdf/ShareCapitalRules_16082019.pdf.
[30] The National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/NID%20Bill%2C%202019.pdf.
[31] ‘Cabinet approves proposal for review of FDI policy in various sectors’, Press Information Bureau, Cabinet, August 28, 2019.
[32] ‘Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh approves a Committee to review Defence Procurement Procedure to strengthen Make in India’, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence, August 17, 2019.
[33] ‘Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh approves extension of benefits of Child Care Leave to single male service personnel’, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence, August 10, 2019.
[34] ‘Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh approves decisions regarding re-organisation of Army Headquarters’, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence, August 21, 2019.
[35] The Consumer Protection Bill, 2019, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/Consumer%20Protection%20Act%2C%202019.pdf.
[36] “Advisory to State Governments / Union Territories: Model Framework for Guidelines on e-Commerce for consumer protection”, Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, August 2, 2019, https://consumeraffairs.nic.in/sites/default/files/file-uploads/latestnews/Guidelines%20on%20e-Commerce.pdf.
[37] The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2019, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/Arbitration%20and%20Conciliation%20%28Amendment%29%20Act%2C%202019.pdf.
[38] The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/Unlawful%20Activities%20%28Prevention%29%20Amendment%20Act%2C%202019.pdf.
[39] The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Ministry of Women and Child Development, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/Protection%20of%20Children%20from%20Sexual%20Offences%20%28A%29%20Bill%2C%202019.pdf.
[40] The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2019, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/Supreme%20Court%20%28Number%20of%20Judges%29%20Amendment%20Act%2C%202019.pdf.
[41] The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/Repealing%20and%20Amending%20Act%2C%202019.pdf.
[42] The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/The%20Transgender%20Persons%20%28Protection%20of%20Rights%29%20Bill%2C%202019%20Bill%20Text.pdf.
[43] G.S.R. 578(E), Gazette of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, August 16, 2019, http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/210643.pdf.
[44] The New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994, https://www.ndmc.gov.in/ndmc/NDMCAct/NDMC%20ACT%201944%201.1.pdf.
[45] The Code on Wages 2019, Ministry of Labour and Employment, July 23, 2019, https://prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/Code%20on%20Wages%2C%202019.pdf.
[46] Draft Employees' Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Ministry of Labour and Employment, August 23, 2019, https://labour.gov.in/sites/default/files/Annexure-A_B_C.pdf.
[47] The National Medical Commission Bill, 2019, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/NMC%202019%281%29.pdf.
[48] The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, https://www.prsindia.org/sites/default/files/bill_files/Surrogacy%20%28Regulation%29%20Bill%2C%202019.pdf.
[49] ‘Cabinet approves 75 new Medical Colleges; To add 15,700 MBBS seats’, Press Information Bureau, August 28, 2019.
[50] The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, As notified in the Gazette, August 9, 2019, http://164.100.47.193/BillsPDFFiles/Notification/2019-154-gaz.pdf.
[51] The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2019, As passed by Parliament, August 6, 2019, http://164.100.47.4/BillsTexts/RSBillTexts/PassedBothHouses/XX-F_2019_RS_Eng.pdf.
[52] The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Act, 2019, As notified in the Gazette, August 9, 2019, http://164.100.47.193/BillsPDFFiles/Notification/2019-145-gaz.pdf.
[53] The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019, As passed by Lok Sabha, July 31, 2019, http://164.100.47.4/BillsTexts/LSBillTexts/PassedLoksabha/187-C_2019_LS_Eng.pdf.
[54] The Dam Safety Bill, 2019, As passed by Lok Sabha, August 2, 2019, http://164.100.47.4/BillsTexts/LSBillTexts/PassedLoksabha/190C_2019_LS_Eng.pdf.
[55] Composite Water Management Index 2019, NITI Aayog, August, 2019, https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2019-08/CWMI-2.0-latest.pdf.
[56] ‘20 Institution recommended for status of ‘Institutions of Eminence’ Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Human Resource Development, August 2, 2019.
[57] Report of the Empowered Expert Committee, University Grants Commission, July 11 2018, https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/3275454_IoE-EEC-FinalReport11-May2018-9AM-.pdf,
[58] Notification on the constitution of the Empowered Expert Committee, University Grants Commission, February 20, 2018, https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/2796069_Notification-- -EEC--IOE.pdf.
[59] ‘Government declares 6 educational ‘Institutions of Eminence’ 3 Institutions from Public Sector and 3 from Private Sector shortlisted’, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Press Information Bureau, July 9, 2018.
[60] “Cabinet approves Sugar export policy for evacuation of surplus stocks during sugar season 2019-20”, Press Information Bureau, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, August 28, 2019.
[61] Fourth Advance Estimates of Production of Foodgrains and Commercial Crops for 2018-19, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, August 19, 2019, https://eands.dacnet.nic.in/Advance_Estimate/4th%20Adv%20Estimates%202018-19%20Eng.pdf.
[62] S.O. 2826 (E), Gazette of India, Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, August 6, 2019, http://www.egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/210264.pdf.
[63] “Report of the High Level Empowered Committee
to Address the issues of Stressed Thermal Power Projects”, November, 2018, https://powermin.nic.in/sites/default/files/webform/notices/20_Nov_R1_Draft_Report_HLEC_Final_20_Nov.pdf.
[64] “Office Memorandum: Mechanism to be followed to ensure that net surplus generated after meeting operating expenses are entirely used for servicing debt in the first place”, Ministry of Power, August 5, 2019, https://powermin.nic.in/sites/default/files/webform/notices/Mechanism_dated_05_08_2019.pdf.
[65] “Draft Methodology for allocation of coal as per provisions as Para B (viii) (a) of SHAKTI Policy of Ministry of Coal amended as per Para 2.1 (a) of HLEC Recommendations”, Ministry of Power, August 21, 2019, https://powermin.nic.in/sites/default/files/webform/notices/Draft_Methodology_for_allocation_of_coal_as_per_provisions_as_ParaB.pdf.
[66] Explanatory Memorandum- Proposed framework for Real-Time Market for Electricity, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, August 6, 2019, http://www.cercind.gov.in/2019/draft_reg/RTM-EM-2019.pdf.
[67] “Discussion Paper on Re-designing Real Time Electricity Markets in India”, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, July 2018, http://www.cercind.gov.in/2018/draft_reg/RTM.pdf.
[68] Guidelines on implementation of Phase – II of Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Programme for achieving 40 GW capacity from Rooftop Solar by the year 2022, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, August 21, 2019, https://mnre.gov.in/sites/default/files/schemes/Notification-20082019-184419.pdf.
[69] “Power Minister Shri RK Singh approves proposal to declare ocean energy as Renewable Energy”, Press Information Bureau, August 22, 2019, https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1582638.
[70] “Power Minister Shri RK Singh launches SARAL – State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index during RPM Meeting”, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, August 21, 2019, https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1582543.
[71] The Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, 2017, http://ibm.nic.in/writereaddata/files/04192017182323MCDR_2017.pdf.
[72]Sustainable Development Framework, Ministry of Mines Website as accessed on August 23, 2019, https://mines.gov.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/SDF_Overview_more.pdf.
[73] Star Rating Scheme, Indian Bureau of Mines Website as accessed on August 23, 2019, https://mitra.ibm.gov.in/Pages/Star-Rating.aspx.
[74] Mineral Conservation and Development (Amendment) Rules, 2019, The Gazette of India, August 13, 2019, http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/210554.pdf.
[75] “KABIL Set up to Ensure Supply of Critical Minerals”, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Mines, August 1, 2019, https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1581058.
[76] “Report Of Working Group On Mineral Exploration And Development (Other Than Coal & Lignite) for the 12th Five Year Plan”, Planning Commission, http://planningcommission.gov.in/aboutus/committee/wrkgrp12/wg_rep_min.pdf.
[77] “Draft Safety Codes for Iron and Steel Sector”, Ministry of Steel, August 19, 2019, https://steel.gov.in/safety/draft-safety-codes-iron-steel-sector-seeking-comments-stakeholders.
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