Quality standards must be rational, transparent and reliable to underpin self reliant national growth and sectoral recovery.
Quality is identified as central to national development and Aatmanirbhar Bharat; the Quality Council of India must expand and adapt its accreditation and National Quality Campaign activities to post Covid norms, pursue international best practices and Gap Analysis, and ensure that quality evaluation and certification are rational, transparent, reliable and free from malpractices. QCI should collaborate with Government e Marketplace to certify high value products, develop implementable standards across key sectors, and assist private sector adoption while exploring scalable online training models.

Accreditation improves food safety by ensuring reliable testing and coordinated surveillance across regulators and industry stakeholders.
Accreditation is advanced as the primary mechanism to improve food safety by ensuring credible testing and certification; priorities include virtual assessments, state laboratory accreditation, Proficiency Testing, more accredited Reference Materials Producers, development and accreditation of Rapid Test Kits, an accreditation scheme for certification, and an Integrated System for information exchange. Strategic actions include scaling conformity assessment nationally, using Public-Private Partnerships, formalising informal markets, initiating a crowd-sourced quality monitoring programme, and building a unified Market Surveillance and Rapid Alert e-platform to coordinate regulators and industry.

Essential commodities amendment limits regulation to extraordinary circumstances and sets price-rise triggers for stock limits.
The Ordinance amends the Essential Commodities Act, limiting regulation of specified foodstuffs to extraordinary circumstances and permitting stock-limit orders only upon objective price-rise triggers: 100% retail price increase for horticultural produce or 50% for non-perishable foodstuffs over the prior twelve months or five-year average (whichever is lower). It excludes PDS/TPDS orders and exempts processors and value chain participants whose stock does not exceed installed processing capacity or meets export demand. "Value chain participant" is defined to cover stages from production to final distribution.

Corporate insolvency resolution process suspension bars initiation for COVID-era defaults and limits related resolution professional applications.
Suspension of initiation of corporate insolvency resolution process is introduced for defaults arising on or after 25 March 2020, in view of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. No application for initiation of CIRP under sections 7, 9 or 10 may be filed for such defaults for six months, or for any further notified period not exceeding one year from that date. Defaults committed before 25 March 2020 remain outside the suspension, and section 66 is amended to bar applications by a resolution professional where CIRP initiation is suspended under section 10A.

Paperless IEM processing: electronic acknowledgements with QR codes enable online verification and instant notifications for industrial filings.
Establishes paperless mode for IEM applications under the I(D&R) Act, 1951: IEM Part A, Part B and Amendment applications must be filed and processed online, with native electronic Acknowledgment Certificates issued bearing an assigned QR Code for online verification and instantaneous email and SMS notifications to applicants and concerned state governments.

Merger approval: regulatory clearance granted for a cross border automotive combination between two global manufacturers.
Approval by the Competition Commission of India of a proposed cross border merger between Peugeot S.A. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. authorises the combination of PSA, a French automotive holding group offering vehicles and financing and mobility services, and FCA, a Netherlands organized global automotive manufacturer and distributor, and reflects merger control clearance under India's competition regime for a multinational automotive consolidation addressing overlaps in manufacturing, distribution and ancillary services.

Investment facilitation through an empowered interministerial group to accelerate clearances and promote targeted foreign and domestic investment.
An interministerial mechanism is approved to attract investments by creating an Empowered Group of Secretaries to coordinate timely clearances, set targets, evaluate projects on creation and actual investment, and provide investment facilitation; and by establishing Project Development Cells in line Ministries, led by officers of Joint Secretary rank, to prepare investible projects with approvals and detailed project reports, identify issues for escalation, and coordinate with States to build a pipeline for domestic and foreign investors.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package expands social assistance via cash transfers, foodgrain distribution and scheme-specific relief to vulnerable households.
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package uses direct benefit transfers, foodgrain and pulse distributions, Ujjwala LPG refills, PM KISAN front loaded payments, social pension instalments, support to construction workers, EPFO online advance withdrawals and a temporary EPF contribution measure to deliver expedited relief to vulnerable households, with central and state monitoring to ensure rapid disbursal and clearance of wage and material dues.

Expansion of advisory and capacity building services to industry and government to scale lean practices and environmental assessments.
National productivity body instructed to expand and monetise its Advisory & Capacity Building services by partnering with industry, SMEs and government entities, leveraging expertise in consultancy, energy, environment, business process and productivity improvement. Priorities include scaling Lean Manufacturing for MSMEs, expanding plastic litter assessment studies to additional cities, and reviewing the Boiler Certification training and certification scheme to improve efficiency, alongside administrative measures to co-locate offices and replicate an Automated Transfer & Posting System for other government organisations.

Minimum Support Prices increased for kharif crops to ensure remunerative farmer returns and promote crop diversification and procurement.
MSPs for all mandated Kharif crops for 2020-21 have been raised to ensure remunerative returns and to promote crop diversification, aligning MSPs to at least 1.5 times the All-India weighted average cost of production. Implementation is supported by procurement at MSP, the PM-AASHA umbrella scheme (Price Support Scheme, Price Deficiency Payment Scheme, and pilot Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme), State advisories to facilitate direct marketing, and complementary income and food-security measures under PM-KISAN and PM-GKY.

Aatmanirbhar Bharat policy package to promote self-reliance through fiscal stimulus and targeted support for farmers, workers, and MSMEs.
The address outlines executive, legislative and judicial measures framed as advancing national unity and inclusiveness, noting abrogation of special status provisions, a unanimous judicial settlement of a longstanding religious title dispute, prohibition of an identified personal law practice, and amendment to citizenship legislation. It summarises statutory reforms in consumer protection and chit-fund law, institutional reforms including a Chief of Defence Staff, and expanded social and economic programmes-farm support, pensions, rural water and education infrastructure-complemented by a pandemic-related fiscal package under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat policy to promote self-reliance.

Industrial output contraction: provisional April core industry index shows sharp sectoral declines after COVID related lockdown.
Release of the Index of Eight Core Industries for April 2020 records a provisional overall contraction due to the nationwide COVID 19 lockdown, with large year on year falls across most sectors. The Office of the Economic Adviser provides sectoral indices, weights (total 40.27% of IIP), monthly and cumulative growth rates, and methodological notes: industry weights are derived from IIP, electricity now includes renewables, a new steel product was added in March 2019, and Feb-Apr 2020 figures are provisional.

MSME credit guarantee extended to traders; government to provide B2B support and technical assistance for expansion.
Eligibility for credit support under the Aatmanirbhar package is extended to traders, with the Minister stating that the MSME credit guarantee covers traders and that changes to the MSME definition will assist them; unresolved issues on term loans and Mudra loans will be taken up with the finance ministry, while the government will facilitate B2B mechanisms and provide technical support to help retail traders expand their reach.

Merger clearance enables acquisition of Emami Cement by Nuvoco, consolidating overlapping cement manufacturing operations nationwide.
CCI approval granted for the proposed acquisition of 100% of the issued and paid up share capital of Emami Cement Limited by Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Limited, structured as a full share acquisition on a fully diluted basis; parties operate overlapping cement manufacturing and sales businesses producing a range of grey cements and ancillary products across multiple states, and a detailed CCI order will follow.

Ex post facto waiver of interest enables regularisation and audit closure for a public sector loan.
The government granted ex post facto waiver of interest on GoI loans to Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited to regularise an amount already written off in the accounts and to formalise relief provided under a prior rehabilitation package, thereby enabling HOCL to settle a pending audit observation.

Senior citizens annuity scheme extension: assured interest rate set with annual reset tied to senior savings returns.
Extension of the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana continues the annuity scheme with an initial assured rate of return set for the opening year and an annual reset tied to Senior Citizens Saving Scheme returns (subject to a ceiling and fresh appraisal on breach). The Finance Minister is delegated authority to approve the annual reset. Government financial liability is limited to the gap between LIC's market returns (net of expenses) and the guaranteed rate; management expenses are capped at specified percentages and minimum subscription levels for pension payouts are revised.

Revenue share auction for coal replaces fixed bids, sets payment formula and incentives, and extends coking coal linkage tenure.
Approval establishes a revenue-share auction for coal and lignite where bids are percentages of revenue payable to the government with a floor and defined increments; sale and utilization of coal are unrestricted. Monthly payments equal the bid percentage times the quantity of royalty-bearing coal times the higher of notional or actual price. An upfront amount based on estimated geological reserves is payable in instalments subject to upper ceilings. Commercial exploitation of Coal Bed Methane is permitted and revenue-share rebates are available for early production and for coal used in gasification or liquefaction. Tenure for coking coal linkage in the non-regulated sector is increased up to thirty years.

Economic support measures under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan: fifth tranche announced to bolster COVID-19 affected sectors.
Presentation of the fifth tranche of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan sets out a package of economic support measures announced by the Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister to address COVID-19 economic disruption, outlining scope, beneficiary categories, financial instruments, sectoral relief objectives, and implementation mechanisms, and referring to accompanying presentation materials and a press release for operational details.

Economic relief package under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan announces additional tranche measures to support the economy amid COVID-19.
Presentation outlines an economic relief package component announced under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, providing details of an additional tranche intended to support the Indian economy in response to the COVID-19 crisis, issued as a press release presentation dated 16-5-2020 and referencing accompanying presentation materials.

Non-compete restrictions: proposal to remove Form I disclosure while parties remain responsible for competition compliance under law.
The Commission's Guidance Note treats non-compete clauses as ancillary restraints when limited to the business sold and its territory, accepting longer durations where goodwill and know how transfer occur, and clarifies that a non-ancillary finding is not a presumption of infringement. To reduce information burden and allow contractual flexibility, the Commission proposes deleting the Form I disclosure requirement for non-compete justifications; parties remain responsible for ensuring competition compliance and substantive concerns may be examined under competition law.