CCI approves acquisition of up to 100% equity shareholding of Apollo Fertility Centre (AFCPL) and Apollo Specialty Hospitals (ASHPL) by Kids Clinic In...
NBFC loan servicing governance retains lender control through deterministic decision rules, maker-checker controls, reconciled migration and optional AI assistance. Lokta Next 100 offers RBI-registered NBFCs with loan books up to Rs 100 crore post-approval loan servicing, accounting, reporting, analytics, collections, recovery and partner-management functions, excluding pure-play microfinance NBFCs. Credit, approval and money decisions remain with the lender. Maker-checker approval applies to every change, and migration requires line-by-line reconciliation before cutover. Records remain lender-owned, hosted in India and exportable. AI may propose changes but cannot post to the ledger; deterministic lender-policy rules decide changes. Platform fees are deferred for up to 24 months, subject to stated loan-book thresholds.
RTI access to maintained records does not require creation of Aadhaar date-of-birth update data on demand. UIDAI did not maintain separate Aadhaar data on date-of-birth updates in Bihar following the announced social security pension enhancement, including month-wise or district-wise compilations. No internal review or flagging of unusual update patterns was available or applicable in its records. The Central Information Commission clarified that the RTI framework does not require a public authority to create, compile or generate information that it does not maintain in the form requested. The initial CPIO response treating the information as outside the RTI Act was considered inappropriate.
Transgender arrest and detention safeguards prompt calls for a standard operating procedure and clearer procedural protections. Legal and regulatory issues include safeguards for arrest and detention of transgender persons, consultation requirements in Bar Council policy-making, and procedural accountability in electoral administration and policing. Personal insolvency proceedings raise questions about tribunal powers to constitute an expanded bench. Hospitality operators are expected to comply strictly with food-safety and hygiene norms. Proposed restrictions on minors' social-media accounts address cyberbullying, online exploitation, and harmful screen exposure.
Railway equipment purchase orders and export order expand IC Electricals' domestic and international business pipeline. IC Electricals Company Limited has secured railway purchase orders for electrical and electronic supplies and an export order, creating combined order inflow across domestic railway operations and international markets. Its product portfolio includes regulators, battery chargers, emergency lights, inverters, microprocessor-based control systems, alternators, traction motors, and permanent magnet alternators with controllers. Forward-looking statements on business plans, projects, and research and development remain subject to risks and uncertainties and may differ materially from actual results.
Double deflation explains negative manufacturing GVA deflators when input prices rise faster than output prices. Double deflation in manufacturing separately deflates gross output and intermediate consumption, with real GVA derived from their difference. Where input prices rise faster than output prices, nominal GVA may grow more slowly than real GVA, producing a negative implicit GVA deflator despite rising output and input prices. A negative manufacturing GVA deflator therefore does not establish a fall in manufactured-product prices or lower real growth. The implicit GDP deflator is a derived ratio between current-price and constant-price GDP and differs from CPI and WPI because of their distinct coverage, weights, and price concepts.
Data centre ease-of-doing-business reforms target reliable power, prepared land, streamlined approvals and building standards for faster infrastructure deployment. Ease-of-doing-business reforms for India's data-centre ecosystem focus on faster and sustainable infrastructure deployment through reliable power, ready-to-use land, streamlined approvals and suitable building regulations. Proposed power measures include cluster-based transmission planning, first-day sanctioned load, dual feeders and cross-border renewable-energy procurement. Data-centre-ready land banks and power-ready parcels are intended to reduce development timelines. The National Building Code 2026 recognises data centres under Group E and contains a dedicated annex on fire-risk assessment and data-centre-specific performance indicators.
Trade facilitation and customs cooperation drive follow-up action on connectivity, regulatory coordination, investment promotion and bilateral commercial engagement. India-Afghanistan bilateral trade and economic cooperation is being advanced through institutional engagement on trade facilitation, customs cooperation, connectivity, investment and commercial exchange. Priority areas include customs and data-sharing cooperation, visa facilitation for traders, banking and financial cooperation, pharmaceutical and agricultural trade, energy cooperation, tariff concessions, cargo connectivity and port-related matters. Follow-up action covers regulatory cooperation, improved connectivity, investment promotion and business-to-business engagement.
Residential rooftop solar subsidy requires eligibility, prior approval, registered installation, net metering, commissioning, and verified bank details for direct transfer. PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana provides central financial assistance for eligible grid-connected residential rooftop solar systems, capped at Rs. 78,000 for systems of three kilowatts or more. Applicants must be Indian citizens who own a suitable house, hold a valid electricity connection, and have not received an earlier solar-panel subsidy. Applications require portal registration, distribution-company feasibility approval, installation through a registered vendor, net metering, inspection, commissioning and submission of bank details. Assistance is transferred directly after verification. State-specific net-metering procedures, approvals and additional incentives may apply.
Sovereign credit rating upgrade reflects solid growth, stronger financial systems, and improving fiscal and external resilience. JCR upgrades India's foreign-currency and local-currency long-term issuer ratings to A- with a stable outlook, citing sustained economic growth, productivity-oriented policies and improved financial-system soundness. Fiscal constraints include elevated deficits, intergovernmental fiscal transfers, electoral-cycle sensitivity, and high combined government debt and interest burdens. Greater emphasis on infrastructure capital expenditure has improved the quality of fiscal spending. External resilience is supported by a contained current account deficit, services surplus and foreign-exchange reserves exceeding short-term external debt.
Personal insolvency bench constitution and repayment-plan eligibility remain contested where a larger tribunal bench stays a third-member order. Personal insolvency proceedings raised a challenge to the National Company Law Tribunal's authority to constitute a five-member bench after a split verdict. The challenge contended that the mechanism for differing views permits reference to another member or members, but does not authorise a five-member bench. The larger bench stayed the third member's order, restricted asset alienation, and suspended an order permitting settlement of personal-guarantee claims. The dispute concerned the validity of that bench, the split-verdict reference procedure, repayment-plan eligibility, and pending creditor appeals.
Digital lending app verification enables borrowers to identify regulated lenders, grievance channels, and warning signs before accepting loans. GoCredit's Loan App Checker allows borrowers to search lending apps against the public Digital Lending App directory and identify the regulated lender, grievance contact and RBI Ombudsman escalation route where a match exists. Regulatory reporting by regulated entities enables app-level verification, while borrowers should also check the lender named in app disclosures and loan agreements. A directory listing is a regulated-entity disclosure, not RBI approval or endorsement. Unmatched apps should be assessed through verification steps and reported through official channels where appropriate.
Rupee depreciation in early trade reflected oil-price pressures, risk aversion, higher Treasury yields and broad dollar strength. Early foreign-exchange trading saw the rupee weaken against the US dollar amid renewed US-Iran tensions, risk aversion, higher Brent crude prices, and a stronger dollar. Safe-haven demand, inflation concerns linked to potential oil-supply disruption, expectations of a September Federal Reserve rate increase, and higher US Treasury yields supported the broad dollar rally. RBI monitoring of the rupee's decline was noted.
Responsible AI governance requires ethical safeguards, privacy protection, accountability and adaptive oversight to build lasting corporate stakeholder trust. Responsible artificial intelligence governance requires continuous innovation, inclusive development, responsible deployment and trust-based governance. AI systems should be ethical, safe, transparent, fair and human-centric, with safeguards for privacy, bias, security and accountability. Proportionate and adaptive regulation should provide clear accountability, standards, monitoring, auditability and grievance redressal. Good governance, cybersecurity, personal data protection and responsible AI together strengthen organisational resilience, stakeholder trust, transparency and sustainable innovation.
E-auction of surplus public land enables transparent outright sale of RINL parcels through registered, KYC-verified bidding. National Land Monetization Corporation will facilitate the e-auction and outright sale of 459 encumbrance-free RINL land parcels, including residential plots and parcels suited for commercial and logistics use. Competitive bidding will occur through the RailTel E-Nivida e-procurement platform. Participation requires online registration, KYC verification, and plot-wise submission of an earnest money deposit within prescribed timelines. The process supports transparent monetisation of surplus land and non-core public assets.
Competition approval for infrastructure finance restructuring covers acquisition, minority transfer, investment divestment, and merger of regulated NBFCs. Competition Commission of India approval applies to the acquisition of Aseem Infrastructure Finance Limited by TPG Nicobar SG Pte. Ltd., a subsequent minority share acquisition by ICICI Bank Limited, and Aseem's divestment of its shareholding in NIIF Infrastructure Finance Limited to National Investment and Infrastructure Fund II. Following the acquisition, Climate Finance India Private Limited is intended to merge into Aseem as the surviving entity. The entities involved include RBI-registered non-deposit taking NBFCs operating in infrastructure finance, investment and credit, and infrastructure debt financing.
Healthcare merger approval enables KCIL to acquire fertility and specialty hospital businesses alongside related equity issuances and investment. Competition Commission approval covers KCIL's acquisition of up to 100% equity shareholding in AFCPL and 100% equity shareholding in ASHPL. The combination includes KCIL issuing equity shares and optionally convertible debentures to AHLL, representing 9.9% fully diluted shareholding as partial consideration, together with a further KCIL equity investment by Arvon Investments Pte. Ltd. KCIL operates mother and baby care hospitals, while AFCPL provides assisted reproductive treatment and reproductive-medicine services.
Money-laundering investigation into alleged District Mineral Fund diversion examines purported liaison activity and asset acquisition through proceeds of crime. Money-laundering proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act concern alleged diversion of District Mineral Fund resources through the Chhattisgarh Seed Corporation. The investigation alleges siphoning of public funds by contractors in collusion with government officials and political executives. A businessman was identified as an alleged liaisoner and financial coordinator between public servants, district authorities and private vendors. Allegations also include receipt of commissions, acquisition of immovable assets from purported proceeds of crime, non-production of records, and contradictory statements during questioning.
Foreign exchange market dynamics: rupee appreciation reflected portfolio inflows, domestic growth, and possible central-bank intervention amid external pressures. The rupee appreciated against the US dollar, supported by domestic growth, controlled fiscal slippage, portfolio-related inflows and possible Reserve Bank of India intervention. Its gains were limited by weak equity markets, rising crude oil prices and a stronger dollar. External geopolitical tensions and hawkish US monetary signals remained potential pressures. Domestic indicators showed strong economic activity, while the current account deficit widened because of a higher merchandise trade deficit. Foreign portfolio inflows continued despite investors remaining net sellers during the year.
Current account deficit widened as merchandise trade deficit increased, notwithstanding stronger services receipts, remittances, and foreign direct investment inflows. India's current account deficit widened in the first quarter of 2026-27 as the merchandise trade deficit increased. Higher net services receipts, increased personal transfer receipts and lower net primary-income outgo partly supported the external account. Financial-account movements included higher net foreign direct investment inflows, a shift in foreign portfolio investment from net inflow to net outflow, and lower net inflows through non-resident deposits and external commercial borrowings. Foreign exchange reserves declined on a balance-of-payments basis during the quarter.
Technology-enabled tax compliance and enforcement supported higher commercial tax collections, while GST rate reductions moderated sectoral net GST growth. Technology-enabled tax administration supported commercial tax and net GST collection growth in Andhra Pradesh during August 2026 and the cumulative period through August. AI-based analytics and scrutiny, IGST reversals, UPI-based enforcement, registration verification, Aadhaar authentication, digital payment enablement, predictive analytics and data sharing strengthened compliance, scrutiny and revenue mobilisation. Petroleum VAT, professional tax, liquor VAT and IGST settlement also increased, while GST rate reductions moderated net GST performance in specified product sectors.
Union Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee released the first Budget Manual of the Union Government, here today. Releasing the Manual, the Finance Minister said that the Union Budget has evolved over the past six decades to reflect the strength of India's democratic processes in shaping its economy, and has emerged as a crucial tool for Public Finance Management. He said that this Manual is an attempt to bring together the entire Budget related activities and procedures etc. which were hitherto available in a dispersed manner in the form of executive instructions and guidelines . The Manual has been prepared by the Budget Division of the Department of Economic Affairs. Finance Minister Shri Mukherjee congratulated the Division for taking this initiative.
The Finance Minister said Budget Manual is a comprehensive document explaining in detail the procedures and activities connected with the preparation of Budget. Mr Mukherjee said that Budget Manual will serve as a guidance document to the officials involved in Budget making in the Finance Ministry as well as in other Ministries/Departments. He said that it is also expected to act as a good reference document for interested readers and stakeholders. He said that this document is an effort in the direction of fostering greater transparency and better understanding about procedures and systems relating to making of Union Budget.
At the outset, the Manual brings out the Constitutional provisions related to the Budget. It describes the contents of various Budget documents. The Finance Minister said that the Manual also deals with the Organizational aspects, roles and responsibilities of the Parliament, Parliamentary Committees and the responsibilities of various wings of the Executive in the Budget making process. The Union Government's accounting and classification systems have also been explained apart from the working of the Consolidated Fund of India, the Contingency Fund of India and the Public Account of India, the Finance Minister added.
Minister of State for Finance, Shri Namo Narain Meena alongwith the Secretaries of different departments of the Ministry of finance including Finance Secretary, Shri Ashok Chawla, Revenue Secretary, Shri Sunil Mitra, Expenditure Secretary, Smt. Sushma Nath, Secretary, Financial Services, Shri R. Gopalan, Secretary, Disinvestment, Shri Sumit Bose and Chief Economic Advisor, Dr. Kaushik Basu were also present on this occasion among others.
The core sections of the Manual explain the entire chain of activities related to Budget preparation right from the issue of Budget Circular in September to the Budget Day in February, including the processes of estimation of receipts and expenditure, their firming-up and finalization through the Pre-Budget Meetings and their compilation. The comprehensive calendar of Budget related activities, their timelines, details of the related duties and responsibilities of the officers and staff together with the Security and 'Lock-in' procedures have also been brought out. Finally the Manual deals with the Implementation and Reporting of various Budget announcements. There are also a series of Annexes which provide a holistic perspective on the related subjects. An attempt has been made to incorporate all the Budget related issues in the Manual so as to make it a self contained and one stop guidance document.
Text of the Finance Minister's address on the occasion is given below:
"I am pleased to participate in this function to release the Budget Manual for the Union Government. The Budget process of our country predates the Independence and has evolved over the past six decades to reflect the strength of our democratic processes in shaping our economy. It has emerged as a crucial tool for public finance management.
Budget was first introduced on 7th April, 1860, two years after the transfer of Indian administration from East-India Company to British Crown. The first Finance Member, who presented the Budget, was James Wilson. Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan, Member of the Interim Government presented the Budget of 1947-48. After Independence, India's first Finance Minister, Shri Shanmukham Chetty, presented the first budget of independent India on 26th November, 1947.
Toni Morrison, the famous author and winner of the Pulitzer and Nobel Prize for literature, had once stated, I quote-
"If there's a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it".
~Toni Morrison
The Union Government Budget Manual is one such book, the need for which has been felt for long. I am happy to note that the Budget Division has brought out this Manual. Large areas of the Budget making procedures and processes have not been in public domain, leading at times to some misinterpretations and conjectures. The Budget Manual will shed such misconceptions. I am sure this Manual will bring about greater transparency and better understanding about the Union Government Budget making procedures and systems.
The Manual attempts to outline the entire chain of events leading to the Union Budget. The purpose of this Budget Manual is to provide guidance and a training tool for the officers and staff engaged in the Budget preparation, not only in the Finance Ministry but in other Ministries/Departments as well.
Finally, I would also like to express my appreciation to the officials of the Finance Ministry for taking this initiative and completing the task of preparing the Union Government Budget Manual.
With these words I would now like to release the Budget Manual for the Union Government."
DSM/GN (Release ID :66030)
Budget Manual consolidates Union Budget procedures and roles, standardising accounting, timelines and transparency for public finance management.
The Budget Manual consolidates dispersed executive instructions into a single guidance document describing Constitutional provisions, contents of budget documents, accounting and classification systems, and the operations of the Consolidated Fund of India, the Contingency Fund of India and the Public Account of India. It delineates roles of Parliament, parliamentary committees and executive wings, and outlines the full sequence of budget formulation from the Budget Circular to Budget Day, including timelines, officer duties, security and lock-in procedures, implementation and reporting, with annexes for related subjects.
Note: It is a system-generated summary and is for quick reference only.
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