Merger control: regulator clears acquisition of a minority stake in a state power generator, enabling private participation.
The Competition Commission of India approved a proposed combination under merger control in which Adani Power Limited, a publicly listed power generation company, will acquire 49% of the total equity share capital of Odisha Power Generation Corporation Limited (OPGC). OPGC is a state-incorporated joint venture formed by the Government of Odisha and AES entities and operates as a state government company in the business of power generation. A detailed order from the regulator will follow.

Presentation of credentials formalises India's Permanent Representative accreditation to the WTO and affirms India's role in the organisation.
Presentation of credentials formalises Brajendra Navnit's accreditation as India's Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization; the Director-General received the credentials and emphasised India's important role, establishing the ambassador's authority to represent India in WTO deliberations, institutional interactions, negotiations, and official duties on India's behalf.

Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill not reintroduced; government confirms no decision to reintroduce the measure.
The Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017 (FRDI Bill) was referred to a Joint Committee and later withdrawn for further comprehensive examination and reconsideration; the Government clarifies that no decision has been taken to reintroduce the FRDI Bill.

Trade transparency should underpin global supply chains, enabling trust and equitable access to medicines during pandemics.
Calls for enhanced transparency and mutual trust in international trade to sustain global supply chains and support trade-led recovery; urges inclusive, balanced and consensus-based WTO reform to preserve openness, fairness and non-discrimination; criticises intellectual property rules that impede affordable access to medicines during a pandemic and asserts that IPRs should not block critical medical supplies while promoting expansion of domestic manufacturing and integration into global value chains.

Procurement restrictions on bidders from neighbouring border countries require prior registration and mandatory political and security clearance.
Bidders from countries sharing a land border with India are eligible to participate in public procurement only if registered with the Competent Authority and granted mandatory political and security clearance; the Order covers goods, services and works across central entities, public financial institutions, autonomous bodies, CPSEs and government supported PPP projects, requires state implementation with state level competent authorities, allows limited pandemic and development assistance exemptions, and applies to new tenders with disqualification or re tendering where registration requirements were unmet.

Central Consumer Protection Authority strengthens enforcement, imposing e commerce transparency requirements and new product liability protections for consumers.
The Act establishes the Central Consumer Protection Authority with powers to investigate violations, order recalls, discontinue unfair trade practices and impose penalties; it imposes e commerce transparency and grievance redressal obligations, introduces product liability covering manufacturers, service providers and sellers for compensation claims, and streamlines dispute resolution by enabling electronic filing, review powers for commissions, deemed admissibility, videoconferencing and mediation for early settlement.

Property tax administration reforms to vest ULBs with valuation, rate-setting and collection powers for equitable local revenue enhancement.
The document calls for strengthening property tax administration by vesting ULBs with responsibility for property data collection, valuation, rate-setting and tax collection to correct undervaluation and fragmented administration, and proposes objective cadastral assessment systems. It summarizes MoHUA's non-financial measures-revised tax conditions, tied grants, public health grants, urban reforms and shared municipal services-and financial proposals to increase municipal devolutions, create a Programme Management Unit, build institutional capacity, harmonize accounts, and fund revenue enhancement and shared services, asking the Finance Commission to consider these in its fiscal recommendations.

Medical oxygen supply: procurement registration and capacity expansion to ensure readiness for demand surges and remote-area access.
Review found national manufacturing, storage, transport and distribution capacity for Medical Oxygen adequate to meet projected near-term requirements, with substantial strategic stocks and capacity expansion underway. Operational measures focus on procurement streamlining via registration of cylinder, cryogenic vessel and generator manufacturers on the Government e Marketplace, enhancement of storage capacity, and directives to ensure preparedness for sudden demand surges and for areas affected by seasonal connectivity challenges.

National Pension System adoption expands as employer-led enrolments and regulatory outreach boost subscriber participation during the pandemic.
The National Pension System, a government-sponsored defined contribution pension scheme, saw substantial private sector subscriber growth in Q1 driven by employer facilitated corporate enrolments and voluntary individual sign ups. PFRDA emphasized proactive service continuity measures and conducted outreach with industry bodies to educate citizens and expand enrolment through corporate and all citizen channels.

Health sector financing: revised state-specific grants and performance-linked incentives proposed to bolster primary and urban health infrastructure.
The Ministry requested that the Finance Commission include a dedicated Chapter on Health and revise XVFC-period funding to reflect COVID-19 lessons and National Health Policy targets. It proposed earmarking a minimum share of untied funds for health with two-thirds for primary care, using state funding gaps as allocation criteria, instituting performance-linked incentives based on a Composite Health Index, supporting urban health and medical education expansion, and adopting partial back-loading of disbursements.

Monitoring of Global Indices to drive systemic reforms and improve national performance and international perception through coordinated dashboards.
A coordinated monitoring framework led by NITI Aayog will assist nodal ministries in tracking select global indices, liaising with publishing agencies, and implementing identified reforms; Index Monitoring Cells and Program Management Units will operationalize monitoring, while a unified dashboard will consolidate official and publisher data to track central and state performance and reform progress.

Merger control clearance under competition law approves cross shareholding and joint control in agricultural machinery businesses.
The Competition Commission of India approved under Section 31(1) the notified combination whereby Kubota will acquire a specified equity tranche in Escorts (9.09% becoming approximately 10% post capital reduction) and Escorts will acquire a 40% stake in Kubota Agricultural Machinery India Pvt Ltd, resulting in a 60:40 shareholding between Kubota and Escorts in KAI; a detailed CCI order will follow.

Fiscal support for vulnerable households and SMEs is warranted now, with medium-term consolidation to follow.
The IMF advises additional near-term fiscal support focused on vulnerable households and SMEs, stressing full implementation of existing relief measures. It warns that medium-term fiscal space will be limited and calls for a credible fiscal consolidation plan once the pandemic subsides. WEO revisions incorporated a longer partial lockdown and slower recovery assumptions, producing projections of a materially higher fiscal deficit and an elevated public debt-to-GDP ratio driven by weak revenues and a negative nominal GDP effect.

Merger control approval: combination of Eros, STX and Marco cleared, involving a two-step merger and share subscription.
CCI approves a two-step combination in which an indirectly wholly owned subsidiary of Eros International Plc will merge into STX Filmworks Inc (STX continuing as survivor), and Marco Alliance Limited will subscribe to shares in the merged entity, resulting in direct or indirect economic and voting interests and certain rights for Eros, STX and Marco in the combined enterprise.

Capital infusion for three public sector general insurers to strengthen solvency and support profitable growth under KPI oversight.
Cabinet approved a government capital infusion into three Public Sector General Insurance Companies with an immediate first tranche to be released and the balance to follow in one or more tranches; authorised share capital of the companies will be increased to give effect to the infusion. The merger process has been put on hold and the infusion is accompanied by government-issued KPIs to ensure utilisation aimed at profitable growth, improved solvency, greater resource-raising capacity and enhanced risk management.

Health financing focus: Finance Commission to include dedicated chapter shaping grants, capacity-building and performance incentives.
The Fifteenth Finance Commission will include a dedicated chapter on health financing, examining a threefold funding approach of grants to raise per capita spending, block grants for capacity building, and performance incentives linked to outcomes. The Commission will align its analysis with inputs from its High Level Group and the World Bank, assess Centrally Sponsored Schemes, and focus on reforms in public financial management, needs-based transfers, equity-focused allocations, and strengthening surveillance and institutional preparedness for epidemics.

App Innovation Challenge promotes Indian apps and startups with awards, evaluation, leaderboards and government adoption pathway.
The government launched a two track App Innovation Challenge to promote Indian apps and support startups: Track 1 promotes and scales existing apps with awards, leader board visibility and potential government adoption and GeM listing; Track 2 will support ideation, incubation, prototyping and development of new apps. Applications are submitted online via MyGov within a specified window, evaluated by expert juries across eight categories using parameters such as UI/UX, robustness, security and scalability.