Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (Department of Consumer Affairs) sought public comments/suggestions on draft Consumer Protection (Direct selling) Rules, 2021.  As per the draft rules, direct selling companies are banned from promoting pyramid schemes or money circulation schemes. Direct selling companies have to register themselves under relevant Indian laws and also with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for allotment of a registration number.

“Start-up Accelerators of MeitY for Product Innovation, Development and growth (SAMRIDH)” programme, was launched by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology so as to create a conducive platform to Indian Software Product star-ups to enhance their   products and securing investments  for  scaling  their  business. The programme is being implemented by MeitY Start-up Hub (MSH).

The Commerce and Industry Ministry is set to introduce further reforms in the patent filing process to expedite the application, examination, and approval of all intellectual property rights, according to sources. The focus remains on patent filings, which has been pushed by the government over the past three years.

The commerce ministry said it unveiled plans for freight smart cities to improve urban freight efficiency and create an opportunity for reduction in the logistics costs. Under the freight smart cities initiative, city-level logistics committees would be formed, and they will have related government departments and agencies at the local and state levels. These would also include the private sector from the logistics services and users of logistics services, the ministry said in a statement.

To enhance the necessary infrastructure to facilitate a rapid transition to electric mobility in the country, the NITI Aayog released a handbook to help state governments and local bodies to frame policies and norms towards setting up charging networks for electric vehicles.
Jointly developed by the NITI Aayog, the Power Ministry, the Department of Science and Technology, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, and the World Resources Institute, India, the handbook provides a systematic and a holistic approach for adoption by implementing authorities and other stakeholders involved in planning, authorisation and execution of electric vehicles charging infrastructure.

• Exempting Battery Operated Vehicles from paying fees for the issuance or renewal of registration certificates, as well as the assignment of new registration marks. Read more>>

• Order specifying types of Motor Vehicle on the basis of its usage Read more>>

• Regarding Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement for Road Safety Read more>>

• Procedure for Accreditation of Testing Agencies.

• Implementation of Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017. Read more>>

• Ensuring full compliance of Public Procurement product (Preference to ‘Make in India’ Order), 2017 Read more>>

• Misclassification of Goods as Works in procurement

States which can install smart prepaid meters before December 2023 will also be eligible for an additional incentive of Rs 450 per meter. According to an office memorandum released by the Union power ministry on the contours of the discom scheme, the new meters are to be installed first in the 500 cities covered under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut) programme where aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses — an indicator of pilferage — are greater than 15%.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has chalked out a 1,000-day agenda, aiming to make India a $1 trillion digital economy over the next few years. Key to the initiative will be making India the largest connected nation in the world, bringing coherence into digital governance, simplifying rules and legislations for technology and social media companies, and focusing on building India’s high-tech prowess.

• Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Amendment Rules, 2021. Read more/download>>

• Order on Testing power system equipment for use in the Supply System & Network in the country for Cyber Security. Read more>>

• Seeking comments Draft Electricity (Promoting renewable energy through Green Energy Open Access) Rules, 2021. Read more>>

Guidelines for Encouraging Competition in Development of Transmission Projects and TBCB Guidelines.