<ul><li>The One Nation, One Election proposal has been approved by the <keyword id="19916620" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Cabinet" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Union Cabinet" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Union Cabinet">Union Cabinet</keyword>.</li><li>A report of the high-level committee on 'One Nation, One Election’ was placed before the Union Cabinet.</li><li>The high-level committee was led by former President Ram Nath Kovind.</li></ul>The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="Orion">Narendra Modi</keyword> on Wednesday approved the “One Nation, One Election” proposal which proposes simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections across the country. The proposal also states that urban body and panchayat polls should be held within 100 days. The recommendations were made in a report of a high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind that was formed in September 2023. Addressing a press conference Union Minister <keyword id="19904138" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ashwini-Vaishnaw" source="keywords">Ashwini Vaishnaw</keyword> said, "The Union Cabinet has accepted the recommendations by the high-level committee on 'One Nation, One Election’. Cabinet approved the proposal unanimously." He further said that the proposal would be implemented in two phases. "In the first phase, <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha elections</keyword> and Assembly elections will be held and in the second phase, local bodies elections (Gram Panchayat, Block, Zila Panchayat) and urban local bodies (municipality and municipal committees or municipal corporations)," Vaishnaw said. Vaishnaw said that recommendations of former President Ram Nath Kovind's panel will be discussed across India on various forums. "Implementation group to be formed to take forward recommendations of <keyword id="20946647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kovind-panel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Kovind panel" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Kovind panel">Kovind panel</keyword> on simultaneous polls," he said. Vaishnaw also said that a large number of parties across the political spectrum have supported the One Nation, One Election initiative. "When they interact with high-level meetings, they give their input in a very succinct manner and with a lot of clarity. Our government believes in creating a consensus on items that affect democracy and the nation in the long run. This is a subject, a topic that will strengthen our nation," the Union Minister said. The Kovind-led High-Level Committee on 'One Nation-One Election' in its report stated that frequent elections create an atmosphere of uncertainty and impact policy decisions, adding that holding simultaneous elections would bring enhanced certainty in policy making. The report, comprising 18,626 pages, is an outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts and research work over 191 days, since the constitution of the High-Level Committee on September 2, 2023. While highlighting the advantages of simultaneous elections, the committee stated that '<keyword id="20229583" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="One-Nation-One-Election" source="keywords">One Nation One Election</keyword>' ensures ease and convenience to voters, avoids voters' fatigue, and facilitates greater voter turnout. The Committee was briefed by these bodies that intermittent elections had adverse consequences on economic growth, quality of public expenditure, and educational and other outcomes, besides upsetting social harmony. The panel headed by former president Kovind submitted the report in March ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. The proposal will now be tabled in Parliament and must be cleared in both houses the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - before it becomes law. With inputs from ANI. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/amazon-great-indian-festival-sale-to-begin-on-september-27/articleshow/113445238.cms">Amazon Great Indian Festival sale to begin on September 27</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/triumph-speed-t4-launched-in-india-with-a-price-tag-of-2-17-lakh/slidelist/113429766.cms">Triumph Speed T4 launched in India with a price tag of ₹2.17 lakh</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/xiaomi-and-samsung-accused-of-colluding-with-amazon-and-flipkart/articleshow/113381204.cms">Xiaomi and Samsung accused of colluding with Amazon and Flipkart</a>

‘One Nation, One Election’ may soon be a reality – Union Cabinet approves proposal

The Punjab unit of BJP on Tuesday constituted an eight-member committee to reach out to farmers to apprise them of the benefits of the new farm laws, which have triggered protests by peasants and opposition parties in different parts of the country. Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma, who constituted the committee, said the panel members would talk to the agitating farmers and make them aware of the benefits of the new laws for the peasant community. Farmers in Punjab and some other parts of the country are opposing the farm laws, dubbing them as "anti-farmers". Former Punjab Minister, Surjit Jyani, has been nominated as the chairman of the committee, Sharma said here. The other members of the committee include <keyword id="10025154" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-kisan-morcha">National Kisan Morcha</keyword>'s former general secretary Harjit Singh Grewal, its present secretary Sukhminder Singh Grewal and former president of National Kisan Morcha, Jatinder Singh Atwal. Ashwani Sharma said the committee would also hold discussions with the agitating farmers and take note of their reservations and demands. The committee will also get in touch with the leaders of the various farmer organisations of the state and talk to them. The committee will later submit a detailed report to him within ten days, he said. Farmers in Punjab have been protesting against the new laws meant to deregulate the sale of their crops, with their unions saying that these legislations will lead to the dismantling of the <keyword id="76332" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Minimum-Support-Price">minimum support price</keyword> (MSP) system. The Congress, along with other opposition parties and farmers' organisations, held demonstrations against the new farm laws across the country on Monday. President <keyword id="6354561" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ram-nath-kovind">Ram Nath Kovind</keyword> on Sunday assented to the three contentious bills -- the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/battle-for-bihar-congress-to-discuss-seat-sharing-with-allies-today/articleshow/78397283.cms">Battle for Bihar: Congress to discuss seat sharing with allies today</a>

Punjab BJP sets up 8-member panel to tell farmers the benefit of the new agricultural laws

<ul><li>President Ram Nath Kovind to address joint sitting of both houses of Parliament on the first day </li><li>Union Budget to be presented on July 5.</li><li>Triple Talaq among 10 key ordinances on table</li><li>Virendra Kumar to be pro-term speaker, Speaker elections on Wednesday. </li></ul>The 17th Lok Sabha is all set to begin functioning on Monday, June 17 a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government took charge of the office. On the top of government’s agenda are Union Budget, along with clearing a pending bill on abolishing triple talaq amongst other key legislations. The Union Budget will be presented on July 5, at 11:00 am, by the new Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar <a href="https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/next-parliament-session-from-17-june-26-july-ls-speaker-to-be-elected-19-june-1559311708760.html">confirmed</a> at a press briefing on June 14. The Economic Survey, which summarises the annual economic development in the country, will be presented on July 4. The govt has promulgated as many as 10 ordinances for the session. Along with triple talaq,<a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/in-its-first-lok-sabha-session-modi-govt-2-0-plans-to-convert-10-ordinances-into-law-2175295.html"> key ordinances</a> lined up are an amendment of the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, and the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance. Also on the list are Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Ordinance, the Aadhar and other laws (Amendment) Ordinance, the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Ordinance, the Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, the Special Economic Zone (Amendment) Ordinance and the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teacher’s Cadre) Ordinance. The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance will hope to allow a committee run the scam-infected Medical Council of India (MCI). The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Scheme <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/in-its-first-lok-sabha-session-modi-govt-2-0-plans-to-convert-10-ordinances-into-law-2175295.html">Ordinance</a> seeks to curb the menace of false schemes and set punishment for unregulated deposit schemes. This will help set-up a checking system on illicit deposit activities such as Shradha scam and Rose Valley chit fund scam. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, popularly known as the<a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/triple-talaq-bill-to-be-reintroduced-in-parliament-1560348286816.html"> Triple Talaq Bill</a>, one of the signature legislative initiatives of the previous NDA government, was stuck in Rajya Sabha by the opposition over demand for closer scrutiny by a select committee. This will also to be re-presented to make it a law. Issued in February-March 2019, the previous government could not turn them into Acts in the last Parliament session. These ordinances will have to be converted into laws within 45 days once the 17th Lok Sabha begins, else they will lapse. On the first day, President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting of the two houses of Parliament. A pro-tem Speaker, who performs the duties of the Speaker from the day the session starts till the election, is also likely to be appointed the same day. Virendra Kumar is expected to be appointed as the protem speaker. He will be assisted by a panel of senior members. The first two days of the session will be devoted to oath-taking by 542 members of the lower houses of the Parliament. Two MPs will be nominated by the President from the Anglo Indian community. The Speaker of Lok Sabha will be elected on Wednesday. Both houses will also take up the Motion of Thanks on which PM Modi will give his response.

Union Budget and Triple Talaq are among key bills as the first session of India's new Parliament rolls on

<ul><li><keyword id="5293670" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="OTT-platforms">OTT platforms</keyword> and <keyword id="10257445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="news-content-providers">news content providers</keyword> in India will no longer be regulated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) but by the Information and Broadcasting (I&amp;B) Ministry instead. </li><li>The changing of the guard comes with its own set of challenges like figuring out how user-generated content will be handled versus curated content.</li><li>The <keyword id="57751" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="IB-ministry">I&amp;B Ministry</keyword> will also have to figure out how to navigate the multilingual landscape where more and more players are popping up by the day.</li></ul><keyword id="2976376" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Prime-Video">Amazon Prime Video</keyword>, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar and other over-the-top (OTT) platforms will no longer fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Instead, their content will be regulated by the Information and Broadcasting (I&amp;B) Ministry, according to a notification signed by India's President Ram Nath Kovind. This is contrary to the ‘self regulation’ that the platforms prefer. However, the move has not come as a surprise. “Convergence of various ministries is extremely necessary with changes that are coming only in the country but also beyond,” said Amit Khare, secretary of the I&amp;B Ministry, during a <a href="https://eframes.24x7attend.in/">FICCI webinar</a> back in July when he hinted that a changing of the guard may be in the works. <div type="twitter" handle="barandbench" handlename="Bar &amp; Bench" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1304761912068984833/5-qPfQOb_normal.jpg" favoritecount="295" retweetcount="74" status="Cabinet Secretariat amends Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules to bring online news and current affa… https://t.co/JwWP7pEVYN" createdat="1605072916000" id="1326398066203758592"></div> Distinguishing between user-generated content and curated content According to the Counterpoint analyst Tarun Pathak, the change in regulation marks a significant change. But the challenge now will be to distinguish between streaming platforms that curate content — like Netflix, Amazon Prime and others — and platforms that host user-generated content, which includes the likes of YouTube and Facebook. The latter are deemed ‘intermediaries’ under the IT Act and do not have active control over the content available on such platforms. The IT Act also recognizes this distinction between different platforms. It is uncertain as of right now whether that same distinction will be made under the I&amp;B Ministry's rule as well. The surge in online content The regulatory regimes for platforms in India — print, radio, television, films, and now, OTT — have largely been developed as per the platform. Some are self-regulated, some are pre-regulated, some are post-regulated and one still stands unregulated. Until now the likes of Amazon, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar and others fell under the jurisdiction of the MeitY since they are digital solutions. Moreover, at the time of the formation of the IT Act, the OTT platforms had limited penetration. And, since then, their content has been largely unregulated with the exception of any self-regulation they put in place for themselves. The explosion in use of these platforms due to cheap smartphones and affordable data tariffs made the debate on regulation inevitable. “As many platforms are user content-driven and multilingual, it is almost impossible to set up a film like certification system. The internet by nature is free to circulate content, and there is always a very thin line between regulation and censorship,” Tanu Banerjee, the Media &amp; Entertainment Partner at Induslaw, told Business Insider. “In my view, it should be a collaborative approach between the Govt and OTT platforms players to come up with a mechanism to make the internet a better place for its users.” I&amp;B vs MeitY Two years ago, I&amp;B formed a committee to devise ways to regulate online media and other Internet content was <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ministry-of-information-and-broadcasting-panel-to-be-replaced-soon/story-xZEXuPqIyoitGmRyFIt3gN.html">disbanded</a> after the Prime Minister’s cabinet was reshuffled. Its mandate was handed over to a panel overseen by MeitY. Then earlier this, when the topic of regulation was broached again, MeitY asserted that the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000 and its intermediary guidelines governed the conduct for all third party content — including content pushed by OTTs. This meant that the regulation of online platforms stands with MeitY, not the I&amp;B Ministry. I&amp;B, on the other hand, has been asking streaming services to come up with a code of conduct and finalise the details of the Digital Content Complaints Committee (DCCC), similar to the Broadcast Content Complaints Committee (BCCC). It was only in September 2020, that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/news/self-regulation-code-adopted-by-disney-hotstar-amazon-prime-and-other-ott-platforms-what-is-this-code/articleshow/78009955.cms">17 large OTT players signed a self regulation code to govern content on their platform</a>, which included the mandate to have a DCCC set up. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/checkout-here-bihar-assembly-election-2020-results-and-updates-online/articleshow/79142084.cms">Bihar Election Results 2020: Final tally puts NDA in the majority with 125 seats as RJD remains the single largest party</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/americans-cant-resist-the-alibaba-singles-day-sales-us-tops-in-gmv-for-sales-from-the-chinese-e-commerce-giant-so-far/articleshow/79165246.cms">Americans can’t resist the Alibaba Singles’ Day Sales – US tops in GMV for sales from the Chinese e-commerce giant so far</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/psu-bank-employees-wage-revision-finalised-after-three-years-of-waiting-only-a-1500-increase-in-salary-for-officers/articleshow/79166497.cms">PSU bank employees wage revision finalised after three years of waiting — only a ₹1,500 increase in salary for officers</a>

The likes of Hotstar, Netflix and even news content providers will now be regulated by the I&B Ministry, contrary to what the platforms would like

<ul><li>The total rain from south west monsoon has been 40% less than the average.</li><li>The deficit is as high as 56% in south India and farmers have been asked to avoid sowing for crops like rice that need a lot of water.</li><li>Central India comes a close second with a rain deficit of 41% until June 19.</li><li>The crisis in rural India may become a significant factor in the upcoming budget.</li></ul> India is already suffering from a severe water shortage in many parts of the country and the rain Gods have not been merciful yet. That would put pressure on the Narendra Modi government, particularly on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, ahead of the upcoming budget to ensure the rural distress in the country does not worsen any further. The total rain from south west monsoon has been 40% less than the average. The deficit is as high as 56% in the southern peninsula --Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Goa. The central parts of the country, states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhatisgarh, come a close second with a rain deficit of 41% until June 19. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 The shortage is therefore the worst in the rice growing areas and therefore the farmers have either delayed or reduced the sowing of crops like rice, sugarcane and cotton, all of which need a lot of water, according to government data. This is part of the government's contingency plan in the 648 worst-hit districts of the country. What's worse, farmers have <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/indl-goods/svs/chem-/-fertilisers/fertilisers-to-turn-10-costlier-as-potash-rates-rise/articleshow/69657956.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">to pay up to 10% more for fertilisers</a> this sowing season, than what they paid last winter, thanks to a rise in global prices for potash due to stronger demand, the key raw material, and a weaker rupee. Tractor sales Expectations of a poor monsoon also affect the purchase of farm equipment like tractors. The impact has been visible already in the 15% fall in tractor sales in May compared to the same time last year. That's bad news for Mahindra and Mahindra, which makes nearly 31% of its revenue from tractors alone and things have been far from rosy for a while now. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 The gloomy expectations have been evident in the share price too, which has lost over 31% in the last one year. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 All eyes are now on the budget, and both the country's millions of farmers as well as companies like M&amp;M hope for some sort of relief package that soften nature's blow on the rural economy. There are some encouraging signs with the President Ram Nath Kovind announcing a ₹25 trillion fund to protect the rural economy. The income guarantee scheme of ₹6,000 a year has been extended to the country's 145 million farmers. India has also appealed to China to lower tariffs on agricultural exports from India. Rural consumption has already slumped sharply and a poor monsoon may only worsen it. The government will have to think of other measures to support the economic recovery. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/there-is-a-lot-of-bad-news-that-modi-has-to-budget-for-this-year/articleshow/69635372.cms">There is a lot of bad news that Modi has to budget for this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/modi-government-sets-up-two-cabinet-panels-to-check-falling-gdp-employment/articleshow/69670523.cms">Modi government sets up two cabinet panels to check falling GDP, employment</a>

You Searched For "Kovind panel" and got 5 results

‘One Nation, One Election’ may soon be a reality – Union Cabinet approves proposal

BI India Bureau

Punjab BJP sets up 8-member panel to tell farmers the benefit of the new agricultural laws

PTI

Union Budget and Triple Talaq are among key bills as the first session of India's new Parliament rolls on

BI India Bureau

The likes of Hotstar, Netflix and even news content providers will now be regulated by the I&B Ministry, contrary to what the platforms would like

Prabhjote Gill

The shortfall in rains is the worst in South India and it will affect rice and oilseeds production as well as tractor sales

Sriram Iyer