Public consultation on insolvency regulations invited to inform amendments and update the regulatory framework through stakeholder comments.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India invites public comments on Regulations under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 via its website portal, requiring commenters to identify stakeholder category, select the specific Regulation(s) and choose between general or specific comments. The IBBI will process submissions together, consider amendments where necessary and aims to notify modified Regulations for subsequent enforcement; this complements pre notification drafts and seeks broader stakeholder input to address inconsistencies, implementation difficulties and gaps.

Index of Eight Core Industries shows annual growth with mixed sectoral performance driven by coal, cement and electricity gains.
The press release reports the Index of Eight Core Industries (base 2011 12=100) at 138.0 for March 2018 with year on year and cumulative April-March 2017-18 growth, noting sectoral performances: increases in coal, refinery products, steel, cement and electricity, a decline in crude oil, and modest gains in natural gas and fertilizers. Detailed monthly indices and growth rates for each core industry and the overall index are provided; January-March 2018 figures are provisional and electricity from renewables is included since April 2014.

Recording of Unique Identity Number required on invoices for diplomatic and UN supplies to enable refund claims and ensure compliance.
Recording of the Unique Identity Number on tax invoices is mandatory for supplies to foreign diplomatic missions, consulates, embassies and UN organisations; this enables those entities to claim refunds and does not change supplier tax liability. Suppliers must update processes and software to capture UINs when requested by authorised officials, as invoice recording of the UIN is a compliance requirement under GST rules and circular guidance, and failure to do so may invite action. UINs are verifiable via the GST Common Portal search function.

Restructured National Bamboo Mission boosts value chain development and empowers guideline changes to strengthen livelihoods.
The restructured National Bamboo Mission is a centrally sponsored, value chain focused programme to expand bamboo plantations on non forest lands, promote superior planting material, establish primary processing, treatment and product development units, and develop market and skill infrastructure. The Executive Committee is empowered to formulate and revise guidelines and cost norms with ministerial approval. Implementation emphasizes integration across Ministries/Departments, R&D, capacity building, and targeted deployment in States with commercial advantage to enhance farm income, employment and climate resilience.

Innovation funding: Atal New India Challenge provides grants and mentorship to innovators and startups for product commercialization.
The Atal New India Challenge, run by the Atal Innovation Mission under NITI Aayog with five ministries, invites innovators, MSMEs and start-ups to design market-ready products across 17 focus areas; eligible applicants demonstrating productization potential will receive grant funding together with mentorship, incubation and stagewise support to facilitate commercialisation and wider deployment.

National e commerce policy framework: task force to prepare comprehensive recommendations covering infrastructure, regulation, taxation, data and FDI.
A think tank has been constituted to advise on a National Policy on E commerce and has decided to form an expert task force. The task force will include government, industry and domain experts in sub groups and will prepare recommendations addressing infrastructure, regulatory regime, taxation, data flows and localisation, FDI, technology flows, skill development and trade aspects, with final recommendations to be completed within six months.

Minimum Support Price increase for raw jute ensures minimum returns to farmers and promotes investment in jute cultivation.
Approval of an upward revision in the Minimum Support Price for Fair Average Quality raw jute for the 2018-19 season, raising the guaranteed floor price to provide returns above the weighted A2+FL cost of production. The increase is intended to secure minimum returns to farmers and promote investment, production and productivity in jute cultivation. The revision follows recommendations by the statutory price advisory mechanism which factors cost of production, demand supply, price parity and macro economic impact, and price support operations will be conducted by the central nodal agency in jute growing states.

Digital Trade Desk to facilitate SME international collaboration and secure cross-border data exchange after international SME convention
Establishment of a Digital Trade Desk is announced to facilitate international collaboration among SMEs and enable exchange of data between Indian and foreign SMEs. The Desk is intended as a ministry-level mechanism to operationalise convention-driven cooperation and to support sustained cross-border SME engagement and matchmaking.

Loan Agreement supports commercialization of indigenous healthcare innovations through public private academic consortia and pilot to market acceleration and monitoring.
A Loan Agreement between the Government of India and the World Bank finances the Innovate in India for Inclusiveness Project to support indigenous healthcare innovation by funding public private academic consortia that bridge skill and infrastructure gaps, accelerate pilot to market commercialization for specific products, and provide project management with monitoring and evaluation; the project comprises strengthening the pilot to market ecosystem, accelerating product commercialization, and project management, with a closing date of 30 June, 2023.

State fiscal assessment to identify structural reforms and resource augmentation measures to accelerate Assam's development.
Assessment of Assam's fiscal position and developmental deficits by the Fifteenth Finance Commission, focusing on identifying time bound measures to address endemic structural issues and to augment and better utilise state resources. The Commission will review the State's finances, socio economic indicators, and administrative capacities through meetings with government officials and stakeholders to explore structural and administrative changes to accelerate growth and narrow the per capita income gap.

MSME policy strengthening linkages with large enterprises to drive inclusive growth and employment through SHGs and startups.
MSMEs are characterised as agents of inclusive growth and employment, reducing inequality and carbon footprints; their complementary supply chain relationship with large enterprises is necessary for integration into global value chains. Policy priorities include an Industrial Policy emphasising Self Help Groups, leveraging Start up India for MSMEs, strengthening linkages between big and small firms, creating international MSME networks, and coordinated institutional support via relevant ministries and agencies.

Centrally Sponsored Scheme reorientation expands Panchayati Raj capacity building and funding patterns to advance SDG aligned local governance.
Approval establishes the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan as a national capacity building Centrally Sponsored Scheme for PRIs, combining a fully centrally funded national component with a State component funded on specified Centre:State ratios; it extends to all States, UTs and non Part IX rural local institutions, aligns implementation with SDGs, Mission Antyodaya and aspirational districts, and requires demand driven State Annual Action Plans, programmatic convergence with other ministries, institutional structures at national/state/district levels, prioritisation of social inclusion and incentivisation of Panchayats.

Lesser penalty provisions secured reduced cartel penalties following disclosure-based cooperation in the battery sector investigation.
The Commission applied the Lesser Penalty framework under Section 46 and the Lesser Penalty Regulations to recognise disclosure based cooperation during a cartel probe into coordinated pricing, production limits and market allocation, conducted search and seizure operations while the investigation was pending, and computed penalties by applying statutory penalty criteria and multipliers to profits and receipts, granting differential reductions based on timing and value of cooperation.

Fiscal transfers must balance support for less developed states with aspirations of better performing states, per finance commission dialogue.
A Tamil Nadu delegation submitted a memorandum asking the Finance Commission to balance support for less developed states with the aspirations of better performing states; the Commission stated that the fiscal needs of each state will be assessed individually with regard to their special characteristics and announced a state visit for further consultation.

Electoral bond anonymity safeguarded: security features and invisible serial numbers prevent donor or transaction tracing by banks or third parties.
Electoral Bonds are bearer instruments sold only after fulfillment of KYC requirements and bank-account payment; bonds contain no purchaser or payee identifiers and no recorded details of political parties depositing them. The scheme includes anti-forgery and confidentiality measures, notably a random serial number invisible to the naked eye that SBI does not record in linkage to buyers or party deposits and does not share with any third party, preventing use of the serial number to trace donations or buyers.

Loan agreement for community-led landscape management strengthens local resource governance and restoration under World Bank financing.
A Loan Agreement between the Government of India and the World Bank finances the Meghalaya Community Led Landscapes Management Project, implemented with a Project Agreement with Meghalaya authorities. The Project comprises three components: strengthening knowledge and capacity for natural resource management; community led landscape planning and implementation; and project management and governance, aimed at restoring degraded landscapes, improving water and soil productivity, and strengthening traditional institutions and community livelihoods.

Return of illegal migrants: MoU enables verified nationality-based removals and streamlined return procedures after approval.
The Memorandum of Understanding provides a framework for returning persons without a lawful basis in the territory of the other Party, conditioned on verification of nationality to the satisfaction of the requested State and streamlining time bound repatriation procedures; it also contemplates visa free travel for diplomatic passport holders and liberalisation of the UK visa regime for lawful travellers upon conclusion of the MoU.

Exemption from petroleum licensing allows coal lessees to exploit coal bed methane without PNG Rules applications.
Amendment to the notification under the Oil Fields (Regulation and Development) Act relaxes requirements under the Petroleum & Natural Gas Rules, 1959 so that Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries need not apply for a separate license or lease under those rules to explore and exploit coal bed methane within areas subject to their coal mining leases.

Public-private partnership to develop India's pavilion at the World Expo, with government and industry defining participation terms.
India executed a participants contract securing an extra large plot in the 'Opportunity' segment for a national pavilion to be developed through a public-private partnership, with Central and State governments, industry associations and private businesses coordinating design, participation mechanics and sectoral showcases focused on Space, Pharma, IT, Renewable Energy and Telecom for the six month Expo period.

District-led economic growth: pilot districts to adopt bottom-up action plans boosting local economic activity and coordination.
An initiative to raise district-level growth by 3-4% annually using a bottom-up planning framework that designates districts as planning and execution units, selects pilot districts to prepare profiles of strengths and local resources, integrates those profiles across sectors, converges government and private initiatives, and establishes handholding and mentoring mechanisms through inter-ministerial and state coordination to prepare an Action Plan promptly.