New Delhi (TIP)- The Union Cabinet on Friday, Dec 12, approved the budget for the upcoming census and a new economic partnership with Oman, allowed the export of coal, and cleared key bills proposing a unified national education regulator, opening up the insurance sector fully to foreign direct investment, bringing in sweeping changes to the atomic energy sector to attract private players, and renaming the national rural jobs scheme, people aware of developments said on Friday.
Union information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal to conduct the Census which will be the first digital exercise, and approved ?11,718 crore as budget. He added that around three million enumerators will be involved in the exercise, the 16th edition of the census since Independence which will also provide an option of self enumeration to the citizens.
The decadal exercise, which was scheduled to take place in 2021, was initially postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the first census since independence to enumerate all castes.
“The outcome of the Census 2027 will serve as the new compass for development, mirroring India’s latest population data with more accuracy. The precision in data will accelerate Modi ji’s vision of delivering the benefits of good governance and development to citizens of every demographic denomination, making the slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ a grand reality of New India in the Amrit Kaal,” Union home minister Amit Shah said on X.
The Cabinet also approved the introduction of several important bills.
The government may introduce the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 – which proposes raising foreign direct investment in the insurance sector from 74% to 100% on condition that foreign firms would invest the entire premium thus collected in the country itself – in Parliament next week, the people cited above said.
Proposed 100% FDI in the sector will give significant freedom to foreign entities in managing affairs of their firms with adequate safeguards that would be part of the rules framed in consultation with the sector regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), they said, adding that the legislation is in line with the government’s plan to deepen insurance penetration and to achieve ‘Insurance for All by 2047’.
“The insurance bill could be introduced next week, perhaps on Monday, depending on the situation,” one of the people cited above said. The session is scheduled to conclude on December 19. Besides allowing 100% FDI in the insurance sector, the government may also bring significant reforms through the bill for ease of doing business and protection of consumers. “The proposed legislation will also simplify certain procedures and rules,” the person added.
The cabinet also approved a bill to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to the ‘Poojya Bapu Grameen Rozgar Yojna, and hike the number of workdays from 100 to 125.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, better known as MGNREGA or NREGA, is a flagship scheme of the government aimed at enhancing livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
The programme became a lifeline for the rural population in the aftermath of Covid19. According to the government data, currently 7813434 workers are expected on 1049150 worksites as on Friday. Last year, 308.7 crore person days of work were generated in this programme.
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