Hybrid annuity model revives nonviable highway projects by sharing financing and insulating developers from traffic and inflation risk.
The Hybrid Annuity Model combines government funding of a significant portion of construction costs with private design, build and maintenance obligations; the private developer partly finances the project and is remunerated through annuity payments after commissioning, while the Authority assumes traffic and inflation risks to improve lender and developer comfort and enable implementation of otherwise nonviable highway projects.

Procurement clarifications for IT application development: RfP scope, secure multi site hosting, DMS, mobile integration and support obligations reaffirmed.
Pre-bid clarifications require agencies to follow RfP evaluation criteria, propose end-to-end solutions for hosting with multiple geographically separated data centres, ensure secure handling of sensitive data, implement a Document Management System with archival and version control, integrate mobile applications with the web portal for registration and compliance functions, provide configurable workflow automation, support specified languages, deliver training and helpdesk support per SLA, and meet the RfP timelines and functional requirements; proposed solutions will be scored on suitability to the documented scope.

Financing agreement for flood recovery enables reconstruction and resilience measures under a multi-component loan with contingency response.
A Financing Agreement between the Government of India and the World Bank (IDA), together with a Subsidiary Agreement with the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, establishes a loan-funded Jhelum and Tawi Flood Recovery Project. The project aims to support recovery and enhance disaster resilience by restoring and strengthening critical infrastructure with resilient design, strengthening disaster risk management capacity, and providing a Contingency Emergency Response. It comprises seven components and is to be implemented over a five-year period with the Government of Jammu & Kashmir as implementing agency.

International financing agreement to strengthen flood resilience and boost agricultural productivity through targeted project components.
A Financing Agreement provides concessional external funding for a five year Bihar Kosi Basin Development Project, with the State government as implementing agency and a Contingent Emergency Response mechanism to enhance flood resilience and disaster response capacity. The project targets rural producers and households in the Kosi River Basin and is structured into five components: Flood Risk Management; Agricultural Productivity and Competitiveness; Connectivity; Contingent Emergency Response; and Implementation Support, aiming to increase agricultural production, expand irrigation access and improve transport connectivity.

Government co-contribution under Atal Pension Yojana extended to allow more eligible unorganised workers to qualify for central support.
Extension of availability of Government co-contribution under the Atal Pension Yojana to permit additional eligible unorganised sector workers to join and receive central co-contribution; the Central Government will contribute fifty percent of the subscriber's prescribed contribution subject to the existing per-subscriber contribution ceiling for the designated five-year co-contribution period while retaining the scheme's original eligibility criteria and co-contribution calculation method.

Board meetings: mandatory notice, agenda, quorum, electronic participation rules, and procedures for resolutions by circulation.
SS-1 mandates procedures for convening and conducting Board and Committee meetings: written Notice, serial numbering, Agenda and explanatory Notes at least seven days before meetings (subject to limited exceptions), secure Electronic Mode participation with roll call and recording, Quorum rules (one third of total strength or two directors), disclosure and exclusion of Interested Directors, delegation of powers by meeting resolution, and detailed rules for Resolutions by circulation including timelines, requisite majorities and requirement to record such Resolutions in subsequent Minutes.

General meetings: mandatory SS-2 rules govern notice, quorum, proxies and electronic voting to standardise meeting procedures.
SS-2, mandatory under Section 118(10) of the Companies Act, 2013, prescribes procedures for convening, noticing, conducting and recording General Meetings. Notices must state meeting particulars and accompany explanatory statements for special business; service may include prescribed electronic means and website hosting; minimum notice periods and short-notice consent rules apply. Quorum must be present throughout, Directors/Auditors/Secretarial Auditor have attendance obligations, proxies are governed by form, stamping and deposit rules, and voting may occur by show of hands, poll, ballot, postal ballot or mandatory e-voting where prescribed, with specified interactions between remote e-voting and in meeting voting.

Investment outreach invites international investors to leverage Indian reforms and expanded foreign direct investment opportunities.
Finance Minister will lead a six day visit combining investor outreach and bilateral economic dialogue to promote investment across infrastructure, manufacturing and services, highlighting policy measures such as tax rationalisation, regulatory simplification and expanded foreign direct investment avenues, and encouraging participation through the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund.

Sovereign Gold Bond issue price fixed on simple average of prior week's high-purity gold closing prices under Scheme rules.
Sovereign Gold Bond subscription for the tranche is opened for a defined window and the issue price is fixed per gram of high-purity gold by reference to the simple average of prior week's published closing prices. The price determination and issuance are authorised under the Scheme's implementing notification and a central bank circular.

Expedited income-tax refunds allow small claims to be issued without adjustment of outstanding arrears for minor amounts.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes directed CPC Bengaluru and field officers to expedite refunds below Rs. 50,000 and further instructed that refunds up to Rs. 5,000, and refunds where outstanding arrears are up to Rs. 5,000, may be issued without adjustment of outstanding arrears, as set out in an office memorandum dated 14 January 2016.

Fiscal consolidation secured through improved budget execution and reduced effective revenue shortfall, strengthening inclusive development outcomes.
Government commits to promoting inclusive and sustainable development while preserving fiscal consolidation by ensuring effective utilization of annual budget funds. Prudent 2015-16 policies improved the fiscal position by end-November 2015, reducing the fiscal deficit relative to the Budget Estimate and lowering the Effective Revenue Deficit. Plan Expenditure execution for capital asset creation rose to a higher share of the Budget Estimate than in the previous year, and total expenditure as a percentage of the Budget Estimate increased, indicating strengthened budget implementation and public expenditure management.

Uniform premium structure for crop insurance secures farmers' entitlement to full insured cover with government subsidy support.
The scheme establishes a uniform premium paid by farmers with the Government bearing the balance premium without any upper subsidy limit, removes prior premium capping so farmers receive full sum insured, mandates technology use (smartphone data capture and remote sensing) for faster claim settlement, and expands coverage to include on-account payments, prevented sowing and wider post-harvest loss protection under a unified national framework.

Empowered Committee of Secretaries to screen pay commission recommendations for holistic, expeditious administrative processing.
An Empowered Committee of Secretaries, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, is constituted to act as a Screening Committee to process the recommendations of the seventh Central Pay Commission in an expeditious, detailed and holistic fashion, considering all relevant factors for further administrative action.

Social security measures for children, women and seniors sought to expand protections and funding across health, education and agriculture.
Inclusive growth is prioritized with measures to ensure social security for children, women and senior citizens. Recommendations include increased pensions and inclusion of grandparents in health insurance, strengthened funding and transparency for child protection and education, comprehensive universal crop insurance and expanded support for small and tenant farmers, creation of a National Social Security Board for informal workers, targeted use of the Nirbhaya Fund and higher allocations for maternal, child and adolescent health, nutrition and child welfare schemes.

Transfer of captive mining leases permitted subject to prescribed conditions, facilitating asset recovery and corporate restructuring.
The Bill inserts a proviso in section 12A to permit transfer of captive mining leases granted otherwise than through auction, subject to compliance with terms and conditions prescribed by the Central Government; transfers aim to enable enforcement of Performance Security, adherence to a Mine Development and Production Agreement (MDPA), and realisation of any appropriate amount as may be prescribed.

Procurement of 7000 brass paperweight lions via cost-based selection; technical and financial bids required by deadline.
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion issued an RFP for procurement of 7000 brass paperweight lions under Cost Based Selection (CBS). Applicants must submit separate technical and financial proposals via the Central Public Procurement Portal by the deadline, with a mandatory Earnest Money Deposit of Rs. 3,00,000. Technical proposals are scored and only those meeting the minimum technical score (60) will have financial bids opened; the award goes to the lowest financial bid among technically qualified applicants. The RFP prescribes delivery within 15 days, no advance payment, provisions for forfeiture of EMD for prohibited practices, termination rights, Force Majeure, indemnity and dispute resolution procedures.

Foreign Direct Investment policy invites stakeholder comments to inform the upcoming consolidated circular and incorporate recent policy changes.
The forthcoming consolidated Foreign Direct Investment Policy Circular will compile prior press notes and clarifications and incorporate policy changes made since the last consolidated edition. Stakeholders are invited to submit written comments by the stated deadline by post or email to the designated contact so that their input can be considered for inclusion in the updated consolidated policy instrument.

Comprehensive MSME policy to integrate sectoral supports and invite public consultation following drafting by a high-powered committee.
A high-powered committee chaired by former Cabinet Secretary Prabhat Kumar will draft a comprehensive MSME policy to integrate existing measures affecting MSMEs-covering access to raw material, capital, manufacturing and marketing-and produce a unified policy framework. The draft will be opened to public debate and will incorporate suggestions from industry associations emphasizing integrated supply chain, finance, production and market-access solutions.

Credit Guarantee Fund expansion enables refinance through member lending institutions, linking guarantee cost to rating and recovery performance.
Creation of a Credit Guarantee Fund for MUDRA loans and conversion of MUDRA Ltd. into a SIDBI subsidiary establishes MUDRA (SIDBI) Bank to undertake refinance operations and support services focused on portal management and data analysis. MFIs may become Member Lending Institutions for refinance and credit guarantee access, subject to eligibility criteria and capacity assessment, with guarantee costs linked to rating and recovery performance.

Credit guarantee mechanism enables institutional loans to SC/ST and women entrepreneurs, with refinance support and handholding services.
The Stand Up India Scheme uses institutional bank credit to support greenfield non farm enterprises by SC/ST and women through loans repayable up to seven years, backed by a credit guarantee operated by NCGTC with DFS as settlor, and a refinance window via SIDBI. The Scheme couples financial support with pre and post loan handholding, contemplates margin money up to twenty five percent (with state convergence to reduce actual requirements), and seeks to build borrower credit histories through Credit Bureaus.