Scrapping unnecessary regulations to boost ease of doing business and district-level growth while safeguarding environment.
A standing committee chaired by the Secretary, DIPP, will review and recommend scrapping unnecessary regulations identified to improve ease of doing business; industry is asked to nominate regulations for early consideration. Six districts in five states are selected as pilots to implement measures aimed at raising district growth by three percent, linking regulatory simplification to increased revenue and job creation, while explicitly preserving environmental protection.

Regional trade potential in South Asia can be unlocked through CEPA, border haats, and open regionalism boosting connectivity.
Regional trade in South Asia remains underdeveloped and requires policy measures to reduce barriers and deepen integration. The report promotes open regionalism and calls for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, establishment of border haats, services sector liberalisation and improved connectivity to expand market access, integrate disadvantaged regions, and enable cross border cooperation such as energy trade.

Sustainable development cooperation between government and UN to support national priorities and mobilize multi sector finance.
The Government of India and the United Nations signed the Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) 2018-2022 to align UN support with India's national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals. The UNSDF identifies thematic focus areas-poverty and urbanization; health, water and sanitation; education; nutrition and food security; climate change and resilience; skilling and job creation; and gender equality and youth development-targets specified low income states, the North East and aspirational districts, emphasizes reaching marginalized groups, and includes scalable UN flagship programs aligned with major government schemes and multi source resource mobilisation.

High Level Advisory Group on trade policy to recommend a pragmatic framework for India's international trade engagement and priorities.
A High Level Advisory Group has been constituted to examine prevailing international trade dynamics-including rising protectionist tendencies, non-engagement on outstanding negotiation issues and premature negotiation mandates-and to recommend a balanced, pragmatic framework for India's future international trade engagement that protects national interests, promotes consensus-building, and provides implementable policy options. The Group will meet regularly, may invite special invitees, and will receive secretariat support from the Centre for WTO Studies.

Sustainable Development Framework establishes UN India cooperation with NITI Aayog as national counterpart and seven shared development priorities.
Government of India and the United Nations formalized a Five Year Sustainable Development Framework with NITI Aayog as the national operational counterpart; nineteen UN agencies endorsed the Framework. The Framework specifies seven priority areas-poverty and urbanization; health, water and sanitation; education and employability; nutrition and food security; climate change, clean energy and disaster resilience; skilling, entrepreneurship and job creation; and gender equality and youth development-to guide UN agency activities aligned with national priorities.

Public Sector Bank performance review: presentation released outlining regulatory and supervisory expectations after the annual meeting.
A presentation by the Department of Financial Services was released after the Finance Minister's annual performance review meeting with Public Sector Bank chief executives; delivered by the Department's secretary at a press conference, it summarises PSB performance issues and sets out Departmental expectations on governance, supervisory oversight, performance monitoring and remedial measures as communicated at the annual review.

Startup India Yatra expands outreach to Maharashtra, providing pitching, incubation access, boot camps and a grand finale.
The Startup India Yatra is a government outreach initiative engaging Tier 2/3 cities to identify entrepreneurial talent through a mobile van, district stops, and boot camps presenting the Maharashtra Startup policy, offering ideation workshops and pitch sessions that select participants for a Grand Finale; entrepreneurs must register online to participate.

Debt sustainability concerns prompt fiscal consolidation and calls for targeted grants and disaster mitigation funding.
Debt sustainability is central, prompting fiscal consolidation, FRBM amendments, and requests for post-devolution revenue deficit support; the State sought realistic GST revenue projections, inclusion of Fiscal Capacity Distance and performance on national priorities in devolution criteria, SDRF and mitigation funding for disaster vulnerability, and a share-setaside for hill and northeast states to offset cost disabilities and low credit-deposit ratios.

Memorandum of Understanding establishing bilateral cooperation in applied science and industrial technology to promote sustainable development.
The central government was notified of a Memorandum of Understanding between India and South Korea creating a framework for bilateral cooperation in applied science and industrial technology to promote sustainable development and enhance quality of life, executed during a state visit.

Professional cooperation agreement enabling mutual knowledge sharing and trainee exchange to build accounting capacity and CPD.
Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding establishes a framework for bilateral professional cooperation to pursue knowledge sharing through joint research, benchmarking initiatives, capacity building, Continuous Professional Development courses, workshops and conferences, informal work placements under agreed schedules, jointly promoted awareness activities, and trainee accountant exchange programmes to enhance professional standards and mobility.

Public procurement marketplace expansion increases online government procurement adoption and vendor onboarding across agencies.
Government e Marketplace (GeM) is the National Public Procurement Portal offering an online end-to-end procurement mechanism for common-use goods and services to central and state ministries, public sector undertakings, autonomous institutions and local bodies. The National Mission focuses on buyer and vendor onboarding drives, trainings, workshops and operational support to increase awareness, accelerate procurement on the portal and ensure seamless transactions, with reported broad uptake and material procurement savings.

Payroll reporting: Employment Outlook uses EPFO, ESIC and NPS administrative records to track formal employment trends.
The Central Statistics Office released the fourth Employment Outlook extending the reference period to September 2017-July 2018, measuring formal employment by consolidating administrative records from major social security schemes (provident fund, social insurance and pension schemes) to construct periodic indicators of formal sector employment; the release follows earlier updates that progressively extended the covered period and refers readers to a detailed methodological note.

Small savings interest rates revised for the quarter, updating applicable rates and compounding frequencies across schemes.
The Government revised interest rates for Small Savings Schemes for the quarter 1 October 2018 to 31 December 2018, following the quarterly notification process with approval of the Union Finance Minister. The announcement lists amended rates for Savings Deposit, 1/2/3/5 year Time Deposits, 5 year Recurring Deposit, Senior Citizen Savings Scheme, Monthly Income Account, National Savings Certificate, Public Provident Fund, Kisan Vikas Patra (with changed maturity months) and Sukanya Samriddhi Account, and records the compounding or payment frequency for each instrument.

Equity investment approved to capitalise a coal gasification fertilizer joint venture, with procedural board approvals required.
The executive authorised a government equity infusion by the public sector fertilizer company into the Talcher joint venture to support a coal gasification-based fertilizer project, noting that while some promoter boards are competent to approve their subscriptions, the fertilizer company's proposed investment exceeds its board's delegated financial powers and requires higher sanction.

Revised Cost Estimate of dam rehabilitation project approved with World Bank financing and a two-year extension.
Approval of a Revised Cost Estimate for the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project updates funding allocations including World Bank assistance, state/implementing agency contributions and Central Water Commission share, and grants a two-year extension to 30 June 2020 to support rehabilitation works, institutional strengthening of Dam Safety Organisations, and project management for 198 dams.

Government-owned convention centre project to boost MICE sector using mixed public and private investment and phased delivery.
The government is establishing an integrated India International Convention and Exhibition Centre through a 100% government owned company to deliver trunk infrastructure and the convention/exhibition core, designed to IGBC Platinum green building standards and phased completion; core facilities and infrastructure will be funded and delivered by the government entity while mixed use components including hotels, retail, office space and the arena will be developed through private investment, with dedicated transport links and substantial open green areas to support national and international events and employment generation.

Combination approval under the Competition Act subject to divestments to preserve competition and establish independent competitors.
Approval under Section 31(7) of the Competition Act, 2002 was given for the combination of Linde and Praxair subject to divestments: Linde India's shareholding in Belloxy; Praxair's three on site East Region plants and two cylinder filling stations; and Linde's JSW 2 on site plant and two cylinder filling stations in the South. These assets must be sold to independent entity(ies) meeting Commission parameters to eliminate regional overlap and establish or strengthen independent competitors in industrial gases markets.

Bid rigging in joint ethanol procurement led to penalties and cease-and-desist action for collusive tendering.
Collusive submission of similar or identical bids by sugar mills, coordinated through ISMA and EMAI, violated Section 3(1) read with Section 3(3)(d) of the Competition Act by lessening competition and manipulating a 2013 joint ethanol procurement tender; CCI issued Cease and Desist relief and imposed penalties calculated on relevant turnover from ethanol sales-sugar mills at 7% of average relevant turnover and trade associations at 10% of average receipts.

Fiscal sustainability concerns prompt review of revenue-generation and decentralization measures ahead of commission visit to Maharashtra.
The Finance Commission will examine Maharashtra's fiscal sustainability, noting compliance with FRBM deficit limits but a persistent revenue deficit driven by rigid revenue expenditures. It identifies declining trend growth in total and own-tax revenues, a low tax-to-GSDP ratio, and the need to address debt sustainability through higher revenue generation rather than expenditure contraction. The Commission will also assess decentralization progress, the skew in transfers toward rural local bodies, capital expenditure trends, and inter-regional socio-economic disparities affecting service delivery.

WTO reform as a priority: push for a forward looking multilateral trade reform agenda to address protectionism and digital economy challenges.
WTO reform and a forward looking multilateral trade agenda are identified as primary priorities, with emphasis on countering protectionist measures and strengthening the multilateral trading system. The Ministerial will promote an inclusive trade system to integrate small and medium sized enterprises into international trade and leverage the digital economy and new technologies, addressing global value chains, the new industrial revolution and the international trade outlook through G 20 cooperation.