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.

Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme increases guaranteed credit access for MSMEs, enabling widespread sanctioned loans under government guarantee
The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme provides a 100% government-backed guarantee to expand credit for MSMEs and eligible businesses, permitting additional loans calculated as a proportion of existing borrowings at capped interest rates. The scheme, part of the Aatmanirbhar package, is implemented through public and private banks, with recorded sanctioned and disbursed amounts and state-wise reporting to monitor uptake and assistance to business units.

Education incentive framework: commission seeks measurable learning outcomes and state targets to guide funding recommendations.
The Commission sought clarity on seven specified learning indicators-language and mathematics scores at Classes 3, 5 and 8, plus gender difference in transition to secondary-and requested state wise targets and preparatory measures so incentive linked grants can be awarded based on performance and improvement. The Ministry outlined digital and multi modal initiatives (DTH channels, DIKSHA, e pathshala, PM eVIDYA), proposed use of a Performance Grading Index with third party school level assessment, and submitted multi year financial projections tied to National Education Policy implementation and ICT provisioning for Commission consideration.

Statistics Day celebration focusing on Sustainable Development Goals: health, gender equality, virtual event with awards and report release.
The Government will observe Statistics Day virtually on 29 June to promote the use of statistics in policy formulation and public awareness, adopting themes from the Sustainable Development Goals emphasising health and well being and gender equality. The programme includes participation by senior statistical and policy officials and international stakeholders, presentation of national awards for official statistics and research, release of an updated National Indicator Framework progress report, and launch of the Indian Statistical Services Cadre Management Portal, with workshops and seminars planned to strengthen statistical application in socio economic planning.

Maintenance funding for rural roads: Commission to consider state eligibility, governance conditions, and utilisation linked grants.
The Fifteenth Finance Commission met the Ministry of Rural Development to consider proposals for a dedicated Maintenance Grant for PMGSY roads for the 2021-26 period. The Commission emphasised the need for recurring, predictable funds for the large PMGSY asset base and indicated post-five year maintenance funding would be addressed in its recommendations, conditioned on resource availability and demonstrable state earmarking. The Ministry's proposal sought eligibility proxies (state backwardness and road length), higher cost norms for hill roads, governance preconditions, separate budget heads, transfers to executing departments, state shares, and utilisation linked releases.

Fiscal transfers face uncertainty as the pandemic disrupts tax revenues, expenditure burdens and prospects for public debt consolidation.
The Advisory Council reviewed pandemic effects on Union and State fiscal positions, highlighting uncertainty in GDP growth, asymmetric reductions in tax revenue due to disrupted supply chains, and resultant pressures on deficits and general government debt. Members emphasised expenditure burdens from health and social support and discussed constraints and options for establishing a path for public debt consolidation, stressing the challenge of designing equitable fiscal transfers and the need for ongoing monitoring of economic and fiscal indicators to inform assessments.

Competition clearance granted for acquisition of minority stake in Jio Platforms by Facebook subsidiary Jaadhu.
The Competition Commission approved Jaadhu Holdings LLC's proposed acquisition of an approximately 9.99% minority stake in Jio Platforms Limited, a combination involving Jaadhu as an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Facebook and Jio Platforms as the parent of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, with the approval to be formalised in a detailed CCI order under the statutory merger review framework.

National online Quiz on the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code promotes awareness; single attempt 20 MCQs, time based ranking and prizes.
The IBBI, as the statutory regulator for insolvency professionals and related processes, launched a national online Quiz on the IBC to promote awareness. The Quiz runs 1-31 July 2020 on MyGov, is open to Indian citizens aged 18+, requires unique registration permitting one attempt, comprises 20 MCQs to be answered in ten minutes, and is evaluated by maximum correct answers with time as a tie breaker. Top performers receive medals, cash prizes and certificates; winners must submit identity details and the IBBI may amend or cancel the Quiz, its decision being final.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package continues delivering targeted cash transfers and free food grains to millions, tracking implementation progress.
The summary documents implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package, reporting operational progress across cash transfers (PM-KISAN front-loaded payments; Jan Dhan instalments; NSAP pensions), EPFO advances and contribution transfers, support to construction workers, and rural workfare fund releases. It also records large-scale distribution of free food grains and pulses, emergency rations and chana for migrants, PMUY free LPG cylinder deliveries, District Mineral Fund spending, and an operational health-worker insurance scheme, with aggregate beneficiary and disbursement figures presented to demonstrate programme reach.

Rural employment scheme to deploy focused public works and create infrastructure, providing jobs for returnee migrant workers.
Launch of Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan: a centrally coordinated 125 day rural employment and infrastructure programme targeting 116 districts in six States to implement 25 categories of public works, generate local employment for returnee migrant workers, and create durable rural assets through a specified resource envelope.

Competition approval granted for acquisition of equity and convertible instruments in multiple Indian pharmaceutical and healthcare companies.
Competition approval under Section 31(1) clears MacRitchie Investments Pte. Ltd.'s acquisition of equity and certain convertible instruments in 91 Streets, Ascent and API. The Proposed Combination comprises purchase of percentages of compulsorily convertible debentures, compulsorily convertible preference shares and/or common shares. 91 Streets operates an e commerce pharmacy and tele medical platform, B2B wholesale pharmaceutical distribution and logistics; Ascent conducts pan India wholesale B2B distribution and provides an order management application for pharmaceutical sales; API is not engaged in business.