Mentor network initiative seeks volunteer leaders to guide students in school innovation labs, fostering future skills and mentorship.
The initiative establishes a national mentor network to connect volunteer leaders with school-based tinkering labs to teach design, computational thinking and other future skills; it invites corporates, professionals, academicians and students to commit weekly mentoring hours, provides for corporate adoption and institutional collaboration, and proposes mentor recognition through digital certificates and honour boards, with applications submitted online by a stated deadline.

Closure of loss-making CPSE approved, with voluntary retirement scheme and one-time grant to wind up operations.
Approval to close BWEL, a loss-making CPSE, was granted due to sustained poor performance and low revival prospects. The plan provides a voluntary retirement scheme for 626 employees at the 2007 pay scale and a one-time grant to cover the severance package and current liabilities. Implementation is to follow DPE time bound closure guidelines, with the objective of stopping further public financial support and effecting an orderly wind-up of operations.

Drug demand reduction and illicit trafficking prevention: bilateral MoU enables cooperation and information exchange to curb trafficking.
Approval is granted for a Memorandum of Understanding between India and Nepal establishing a bilateral framework for drug demand reduction and prevention of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals. The MoU defines areas of cooperation, identifies competent authorities for implementation, and provides mechanisms for operational, technical and general information exchange, including sharing laws, procedures, best practices, and cooperation on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.

Mentor India campaign to connect leaders with Atal Tinkering Labs for weekly mentorship and future skills development.
Launch of Mentor India campaign to provide leadership mentoring for Atal Tinkering Labs under the Atal Innovation Mission, engaging leaders as enablers who commit one to two hours weekly to guide students (Class 6-12) in experiential learning of design thinking, computational thinking and other future skills using lab equipment such as 3D printers, robotics, electronics tools and Internet of Things sensors, with the Mission scaling a network of 900+ labs towards a larger national rollout.

Interoperability between recordkeeping agencies enables subscriber choice and streamlined portability of NPS accounts.
PFRDA-directed upgrades enabled interoperability between CRAs allowing annual CRA choice and shifting; introduced mobile and web features including Aadhaar seeding, OTP password reset, captcha-based contributions, bilingual apps, 'remember PRAN', online Tier II withdrawal to registered bank accounts, e-Sign via Aadhaar, a second payment gateway, and updated transactional messaging replacing Service Tax with GST. Enhancements also included transaction/holding statement access, PRAN dispatch notifications, missed-call balance enquiry, limited-access status checks without login, and strengthened grievance escalation to NPS Trust with specified escalation after unresolved thirty-day periods.

Intellectual property enforcement: introduce police IPR training modules and boost inter-agency coordination to curb counterfeiting.
Enforcement of intellectual property focuses on strengthening law enforcement capacity to prevent counterfeiting and piracy by introducing specialised IPR training modules in police training institutes and academies, promoting inter-agency coordination, experience-sharing among enforcement agencies, IP professionals and industry, and supporting technology and innovation protection through Technology and Innovation Support Centres.

Intellectual Property cooperation: India and Sweden to exchange best practices and jointly develop IP awareness and systems.
The Cabinet-approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Sweden establishes a flexible mechanism, governed by a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), to exchange best practices, conduct joint training and technical exchanges, and raise IP awareness. Planned cooperation covers IP awareness initiatives, training and expert exchanges, engagement with industry and academia, best practices for disposal and enforcement of patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights and Geographical Indications, IP automation and modernization, protection of Traditional Knowledge, and addressing digital environment infringements.

Executive Director appointment at IBBI highlights regulatory leadership change and appointee's insurance, finance and legal qualifications.
Appointment of Executive Director at the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India: Dr. Mamta Suri assumed charge as Executive Director, previously serving as Chief General Manager at the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority, and holds a Ph.D. in Finance, an M.Sc. in Insurance Risk and Management, a law degree, and a Chartered Financial Analyst designation, with additional scholastic recognition.

Strategic disinvestment mechanism sets ministerial Alternative Mechanism for sale terms and empowers secretaries for procedural decisions.
The executive establishes an Alternative Mechanism of specified ministers to decide terms and conditions of sale from inviting Expressions of Interest through financial bids, and empowers the Core Group of Secretaries to take policy decisions on procedural matters and permit necessary deviations to enable effective implementation of disinvestment decisions.

Wholesale price inflation rises month on month, driven by primary articles and food, while fuel and power ease.
Wholesale Price Index for July 2017 rose month on month to 113.9 (base 2011 12=100) with an annual inflation rate of 1.88 percent. Primary Articles increased substantially-driven by Food Articles-while Fuel & Power fell due to lower mineral oil prices. Manufactured Products showed a small overall rise with mixed subgroup movements. The WPI Food Index increased from the prior month. The release also reports a finalized May 2017 index and sets the next monthly release date.

Companies (Cost Records and Audit) Amendment Rules, 2017 update comprehensive cost accounting and cost audit requirements for companies.
The Companies (Cost Records and Audit) Amendment Rules, 2017 amend the 2014 Rules to define Indian Accounting Standards, substitute Forms CRA-1 and CRA-3 and replace the Annexure. The substituted provisions prescribe detailed requirements for recording, valuing and assigning material, employee, utility, overhead, depreciation, transportation, royalty, R&D, pollution control and other costs, set principles for amortisation and exclusion of abnormal costs, and require comprehensive cost audit reporting, reconciliation with financial accounts and disclosures on related party transactions and capacity determination.

Economic Survey release: Presentation of Volume-II summarising macroeconomic analysis and policy findings for public dissemination.
Presentation of the Economic Survey 2016-17 Volume-II announced the public release of the Survey and accompanying presentation, conveying a consolidated macroeconomic analysis and policy findings and directing readers to the full document for detailed empirical findings and policy discussion.

Agricultural risk management reforms to strengthen value chain infrastructure, irrigation, credit access and seed quality standards.
Reforms prioritise reducing agricultural risks by strengthening value chain marketing infrastructure, expanding irrigated area through water saving systems, enforcing seed quality standards, ensuring predictable trade and domestic policies, earmarking funds to boost women's involvement in dairying, improving formal credit access for small and marginal farmers, and adopting timely intervention regimes. In industry, measures include diversifying railway non fare revenues, developing non major ports, and market oriented aviation reforms. Social sector actions focus on investing in health and education, outcome based skilling, digitisation of labour registers, and regulatory standardisation in health services under the National Health Policy.

Dividend declaration and export credit support reaffirmed; insurer reports profit and substantial export coverage benefiting MSME exporters.
ECGC declared a dividend and reported increased profit before tax while reducing premium rates; it supported about 15% of merchandise exports in 2016 17 with 85% of support to MSME exporters, maintained over twelve thousand covers with a stated maximum liability, expanded coverage to focus markets including Africa, provided ECIB facilities enabling bank finance, and administered NEIA Trust for medium and long term export credit insurance.

Medium-term Expenditure Framework Statement strengthens budget-fiscal integration by requiring multi-year rolling expenditure targets and scheme projections.
The Medium-term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) establishes rolling multi-year expenditure targets with specified assumptions and risks, integrates departmental spending plans with the fiscal framework presented alongside the Annual Financial Statement and Demands for Grants, and-per the amendment to the FRBM Act, 2003-must be laid in both Houses of Parliament as a formal fiscal statement.

GST payments: generate a challan, pay via netbanking/card/NEFT/RTGS/OTC and funds post to the Electronic Cash Ledger.
Taxpayers must generate GST challans online and remit liabilities through Internet banking, credit/debit card, NEFT/RTGS or OTC; receipts are credited to the Electronic Cash Ledger for use against IGST, CGST, SGST and cess. Saved challans persist up to seven days (max ten saved); generated challans are valid 15 days. NEFT/RTGS and OTC require bank name prior to generation; OTC payments described are limited to INR 10,000 per challan. The system updates payment status near real time, reconciles with banks, and allows taxpayers to retry or await reconciliation on failed transactions.

Industrial corridor planning: request to expedite master planning and environmental assessment and allow flexible governance arrangements.
Tamil Nadu requested expedited master planning and environmental impact assessment for the Ponneri Industrial Node, close State association at all project stages, and flexibility in institutional governance; DMICDC has initiated master planning for Ponneri, Krishnapatnam and Tumkur.

Modified Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme approval for two Andhra Pradesh clusters to upgrade infrastructure and boost employment.
Approval under the Modified Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (MIIUS) was granted for two Andhra Pradesh industrial cluster projects-Hindupur/Gollapuram and Bobbili-approved 1 March 2016 with project costs and central grants (partly released) to fund roads, drainage, power, water and ancillary services; projects are intended to be functional by 31 March 2018 with stated direct and indirect employment potential.

Model Salt Farms and financial assistance bolster salt industry quality and worker welfare under a code of principles.
Government programmes establish Model Salt Farms in collaboration with the Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute and state governments to improve salt quality and competitiveness. Training and master trainer development are provided for worker skill upgradation. The Government also provides financial assistance for labour welfare and development works under a framed code of principles, with expenditures incurred and reported through the Salt Commissioner's Organisation and state implementing agencies.

Digitisation of Self Help Groups improves bookkeeping and MIS, facilitating informed bank credit decisions without affecting group recognition or finances.
e-Shakti is a NABARD pilot for digitisation of Self Help Groups to improve bookkeeping and create a Management Information System enabling banks to take informed credit decisions; the pilot covered 25 districts and had digitised 1,30,176 SHGs by 31 March 2017, with 69,696 credit linked by 31 July 2017, and NABARD reported no de-recognition of SHGs due to digitisation and no impact on SHG profit or loss.