Coal block allocation under amended MMDR Act: blocks offered to public sector companies for specified end use.
Initiation of coal block allocation under the amended MMDR Act establishes a Government allocation process for Government Companies/Undertakings limited to designated purposes. The Government offers blocks by intended use (specified end use and mining), has published detailed block data on the Ministry website, and has placed pre-determined evaluation criteria and required applicant particulars. Applications must be submitted to the Ministry within the announced application window.

Annual Survey of Industries 2010-11 shows rises in factories, fixed capital, employment, emoluments and GVA across manufacturing.
Provisional ASI 2010-11 results show estimated factories at 211,660 (33.22% rise under revised status treatment), 19% growth in fixed capital (12.5% in constant prices), 7.8% rise in total persons engaged, and 24.8% increase in emoluments in current prices. GVA grew 19.5% (13.1% constant). Industry and state shares concentrate in Basic Metals, Food Products, Coke & Refined Petroleum, and leading states include Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Structural ratios display marginal improvement in capital productivity with slight declines in NVA:output and capital:NVA; results are provisional.

Natural rubber price monitoring: Government notes domestic prices above import landed cost and reviews protections for producers.
Ministers reviewed a fall in domestic natural rubber prices and observed domestic prices remain above the landed cost of imported rubber. An Expert Committee met with stakeholders and the Department of Commerce will continue monitoring international and domestic price movements to inform potential measures to protect producers.

Restriction on government-owned entities entering broadcasting to bar their participation, ensure public broadcaster independence and administrative disqualifications.
The Authority recommends that Central Government ministries, government departments, government-owned companies, government undertakings, joint ventures involving government and private partners, and government-funded entities should be prohibited from entering broadcasting or distribution of TV channels; the arm's-length relationship between the public broadcaster and government should be strengthened to ensure functional independence; disqualifications should be implemented through Rules, Regulations and Guidelines pending new legislation; and an appropriate exit route should be provided where prior permissions exist.

Adjusted Gross Revenue definition refined for ISP licences, affecting minimum presumptive AGR and revenue reporting obligations.
Definition and scope of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) for Internet service licence agreements are proposed to be clarified for ISP Category Licence (1998) and ISP-IT Category Licence (2002/2007), with corresponding licence amendments. The paper examines applicability and level of a minimum presumptive AGR for BWA spectrum holders under Internet Service/Access Service licences in light of auction obligations, and proposes amendments to the "Format of Statement of Revenue and Licence Fee" to standardise revenue reporting; stakeholder comments are invited.

Public Procurement Policy expands mandatory sourcing from MSEs, reserving targets for SC/ST suppliers and promoting vendor development.
The Ministry promulgated a Public Procurement Policy mandating central procuring entities to source from MSEs with a reserved sub-target for SC/ST-owned units and directed vendor development, buyer-seller matchmaking and data-bank creation; complementary measures include cluster development with online applications, a multi-component competitiveness programme, marketing and international cooperation supports, credit guarantee and capital subsidy schemes for technology upgradation, targeted skill and entrepreneurship training with stipends and institutional assistance, and a mentoring helpline for first generation entrepreneurs.

Plan flexibility directs consultation with states to prioritize agriculture, infrastructure, backward areas and address fuel-related power constraints.
The Plan is a directional and aspirational document permitting modification through State consultation; the lowered growth target reflects external constraints while States may aim higher. Priority sectors include agriculture, power, other infrastructure, health, education and skill development. Special measures for low income and extremely backward States and areas will be pursued via existing allocation formulas, State specific packages and a restructured Backward Regions Grant Fund to provide substantial additional funds. The Planning Commission must review fuel shortages affecting power plants and solar initiatives, report promptly, and accept detailed inputs from Chief Ministers.

Agricultural policy focus: strengthen investment, markets and innovation to secure food supplies and improve farmer incomes.
The 12th Five Year Plan prioritizes food security and improving farmer incomes through higher investment, private-sector participation, diversification, R&D and strengthened market frameworks. It emphasizes efficient irrigation completion, water-use efficiency, targeted support for rainfed and dryland areas, and continuation of state-incentivizing measures such as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. Institutional measures include strengthening extension services, soil testing, public-private partnerships, horticulture and post-harvest development, promotion of farmer collectives, and research and innovation programmes to attract youth to agriculture.

Licensing of port land for PPP projects expands concessionaire access and accelerates port capacity development under government PPP policy
Approval is granted for licensing of land to concessionaires for seven maritime infrastructure projects under the Government's Public Private Partnership policy, enabling private parties to obtain land rights necessary for project execution at major ports. The licensing is an administrative mechanism to align land allotment with PPP concession arrangements to expedite port capacity augmentation and improve operational efficiency through concessionaire-led development, subject to the terms and governance of the extant PPP policy.

Minimum Support Price for wheat approved, increasing procurement support and market guarantee for the coming marketing year.
Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat was approved for the 2012-13 season to be marketed in 2013-14, constituting an upward revision from the prior year and serving as the government-set procurement price and operative price signal for procurement operations and market interventions during the specified marketing year.

Allocation of foodgrains at BPL prices ensures subsidised supply during Kumbh Mela for designated beneficiaries.
Approval authorised allocation of specified wheat and rice from the Central Pool for distribution at BPL prices to ensure subsidised availability to tourists, devotees, kalpavasis, sadhus, religious organisations, security forces and officials connected with the Kumbh Mela; the allocation responds to the State Government's request and gives rise to a central subsidy obligation for the released quantities.

Procedural compliance in Supreme Court appeals: ensure correct vakalatnama, affidavits, and prompt filing to prevent delays.
Procedural compliance failures in Supreme Court appeals-delayed or improperly executed Vakalatnama, absence of Commissioner stamping, incorrect format, and filing additional documents without supporting affidavits-have led to revenue risk and critical Supreme Court observations. To remedy these defects, the Directorate of Legal Affairs must organise zonal Sensitisation-cum-Awareness Programs and training for officers handling Curative Applications and Special Leave Petitions, with mandatory attendance and immediate scheduling at the zonal level to standardise practices and prevent delay.

Companies Bill 2012: comprehensive reform of incorporation, securities regulation, corporate governance and insolvency procedures.
The Bill modernises company law by prescribing incorporation formalities, detailed prospectus and securities regulation (including dematerialisation, public offers and private placement rules), comprehensive share capital and transfer mechanisms, and extensive corporate governance standards (directors, independent directors, audits, managerial remuneration). It establishes adjudicatory and enforcement architecture-National Company Law Tribunal, Special Courts, Serious Fraud Investigation Office-together with inspection, investigation and insolvency and winding-up procedures, penalties for mis-statements and powers for Central Government and Securities and Exchange Board to make regulations.

Access Facilitation Charges set for submarine cable landing stations to lower international bandwidth costs and spur competition.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India issued regulations, effective 1 January 2013, prescribing Access Facilitation Charges payable by International Long Distance Operators and Internet Service Providers to cable landing station owners for defined capacity blocks, with distinct per-unit annual charges for access at Cable Landing Stations and at alternate meet-me room locations, replacing the previously higher charges and aiming to lower international carriage and IPLC prices and stimulate competition.

Price control notices: provisional overcharging allegations trigger scrutiny and, if confirmed, a demand for deposit of overcharged amounts.
NPPA issues provisional notices for alleged pricing violations based on regulatory reports, market samples, or complaints accompanied by product evidence; these preliminary notices do not create an immediate payment obligation. Company submissions-which may assert differing composition, absence of a fixed ceiling price, SSI exemption, or pre notification manufacture-are critically examined and may be followed by personal hearings. Only after establishing overcharging does NPPA issue a demand notice directing deposit of the overcharged amount with interest, and NPPA publishes details of demand cases for public information.

Import reliance on active pharmaceutical ingredients prompts coordination and SME support to bolster domestic API capacity and quality.
Reliance on imported Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) is presented as a key industry issue, with significant imports and a substantial share from a single foreign market; a High Powered Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee reviews implementation of commitments to ensure quality medicines. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises details support measures for pharmaceutical SMEs-including technology upgradation subsidies, credit guarantee mechanisms, certification reimbursement, cluster development, public procurement preference and competitiveness programmes-and records uptake and subsidy disbursement under those schemes.

Regional economic and strategic partnership advances India ASEAN cooperation on trade, connectivity, maritime security, and institutional integration.
India and ASEAN should deepen a comprehensive strategic partnership building on strong historical ties and expanding economic engagement; the recently concluded Free Trade Agreement in Services and Investments, together with the FTA in Goods, are presented as catalysts for greater trade and investment across multiple sectors. Connectivity-physical, institutional, people to people, digital and maritime-is prioritised through projects such as the India Myanmar Thailand Trilateral Highway and sea based links, with innovative financing and private sector involvement urged. The partnership is also to expand political and security cooperation, including maritime security, defence and counter terrorism consultations, and support for ASEAN centrality and institutional integration.

Spectrum retention option lets 900 MHz holders retain limited bandwidth at auction-determined price subject to bidding and merger payments.
Existing telecom providers may retain up to 2.5 MHz in the 900 MHz band at renewal by paying the auction-determined price and participating in bidding; where merged entities succeed to spectrum acquired by payment of an entry fee, the transferee must pay the pro rata differential between the entry fee and current auction price for the remaining license period. Intra-service area mergers of UAS/CMTS licences require that both licensees have paid one-time spectrum charges, and spectrum obtained by auction remains subject to auction conditions.

Preference for domestically manufactured telecom equipment: procurement access granted when minimum value addition conditions are met.
The policy mandates promotion of the full telecom manufacturing ecosystem and sets progressive domestic supply share and minimum value addition targets. Procurement policy grants preference to domestically manufactured telecom products for security sensitive items and government use, implemented by notifications that prescribe graded preferential market access for domestically produced equipment subject to specified minimum value addition requirements.

Revision of replanting subsidy unit costs proposed, with scheme extension and a technology transfer and welfare programme.
Revision of unit cost ceilings for replantation subsidies is proposed for Arabica and Robusta coffee, based on stakeholder inputs and Costing Committee recommendations, with consideration to extend the replanting scheme to cooperatives and corporates. Separately, an independent technology strengthening programme is proposed comprising transfer of technology, capacity building, and welfare support for labourers and tiny growers.