New Delhi, Jul 31: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a Central Sector Scheme for providing Rs 2,000 crore as grant-in-aid to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) over four years from 2025-26 to 2028-29. The funding will be provided in equal annual instalments of Rs 500 crore. The grant will enable NCDC to leverage Rs 20,000 crore from the open market during the same period, which will be used to offer loans to cooperative societies for setting up new projects, expanding existing facilities, and meeting working capital needs.

The scheme is expected to benefit approximately 2.9 crore members from over 13,000 cooperative societies operating in sectors such as dairy, fisheries, livestock, sugar, textiles, food processing, storage, cold storage, labour, and women-led cooperatives.

Under the scheme, NCDC will act as the implementing agency, overseeing fund disbursement, project monitoring, and loan recovery. Loans will be offered either directly to eligible cooperatives or through state governments, in line with NCDC’s direct funding norms.

The scheme is projected to generate employment across various skill levels and improve liquidity, infrastructure, and capacity in the cooperative sector. It aims to foster inclusive rural development by enhancing productivity, profitability, and economic participation, particularly among women and small farmers. India currently has over 8.25 lakh cooperative societies with more than 29 crore members, making them a crucial part of the rural economy and socio-economic development.

New Delhi, Jul 31: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has completed the preparation of the Electoral College for the upcoming Vice Presidential Election, 2025.

In accordance with Article 66 (1) of the Constitution, the Vice President is elected by an Electoral College consisting of elected and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and elected members of the Lok Sabha.

As per Rule 40 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections Rules, 1974, the Commission has updated and finalised the list of eligible members, arranged in serial order by State and Union Territory.

The list will be available for purchase at the Election Commission’s office once the official notification for the election is issued, which is expected shortly.

The post of the Vice President fell vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday formally resigned from his post, citing health concerns and medical advice as the reason behind his decision.

In his emotional farewell note, Dhankhar expressed deep gratitude to the President for her “unwavering support and the soothing, wonderful working relationship” shared during his tenure. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Council of Ministers, calling their support “invaluable” and stating that he had learned immensely during his time in office.

“The warmth, trust, and affection I have received from all the Hon’ble Members of Parliament will ever be cherished and embedded in my memory,” Dhankhar wrote, reflecting on his journey in public service.

Calling it a privilege to have witnessed India’s exponential growth and transformative development, Dhankhar said he leaves the office with pride in Bharat’s global rise and unwavering confidence in the nation’s future.

He also thanked the Parliament for the experiences and insights gained as Vice President, terming it a “true honour” to have served during this pivotal period in India’s history. Dhankhar signed off his resignation with “deepest respect and gratitude,” marking the end of his tenure in one of the country’s highest constitutional posts.

New Delhi, July 31: The Centre has invited tenders for the construction of the 1,856 MW Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab river near Sidhu village in Ramban District of Jammu and Kashmir.

This development adds to Pakistan’s woes, which already stand on the back foot after the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, following the Pahalgam terror attack.

NHPC has released an official notification, inviting e-tenders for the project that was originally conceived in the 1960s.

The last date for submission of online bids is September 10.

The project site is located near Sidhu village in Ramban district, roughly 120 km from Jammu and 130 km from Srinagar,

Construction of the Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project is a major step to optimise India’s use of Indus water as the treaty remains suspended. The Indus Water Treaty was put in abeyance as one of India’s strict actions against Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Yesterday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised the importance of the Indus Water Treaty is and criticised Congress for agreeing to various terms with Pakistan.

“The Indus Water Treaty, in many ways, is a very unique agreement. I cannot think of any agreement in the world where a country has allowed its major rivers to flow to the next country without having rights on that river,” Jaishankar said.

He also targeted Jawaharlal Nehru over his statement in Parliament back in 1960 regarding the treaty.

“On November 30th 1960. He (Jawaharlal Nehru) says I would like to know if this house is to judge the quantum of supply of water or money to be given. People objected to that. PM also said, ‘Let me do this treaty for the interest of Pakistani Punjab, not a word about farmers of Kashmir or Punjab. Not a word about Rajasthan or Gujarat,’” Jaishankar said.

He also added that PM Modi has “corrected” Jawaharlal Nehru’s “mistakes” when it comes to handling the Indus Water Treaty and Article 370.

“We were told for 60 years that nothing could be done. Pandit Nehru’s mistake can’t be corrected. The Narendra Modi government showed it can be corrected. Article 370 was corrected, and IWT is being corrected. The Indus Water Treaty will be held in abeyance until Pakistan irrevocably gives up its support of terrorism. We have warned that Blood and water will not flow together,” he said.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank and signed in 1960, governs the distribution of water from the Indus River system between India and Pakistan. The treaty has withstood multiple wars and diplomatic crises, but recent tensions have prompted fresh discussions on its future.

The treaty allocates the eastern rivers (Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej) to India and the western rivers (Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum) to Pakistan, with some provisions for India to use the western rivers for limited irrigation and non-consumptive uses like power generation.

New Delhi, July 31: Air India’s Dreamliner Boeing 787-9, which was to fly to London, aborted takeoff at the Delhi airport due to a technical issue on Thursday.

“Flight AI2017, operating from Delhi to London on July 31, returned to the bay due to a suspected technical issue. The cockpit crew decided to discontinue the takeoff run following standard operating procedures and brought the aircraft back for precautionary checks,” an airline spokesperson said in a statement to PTI.

According to a source, the flight was to be operated with a Boeing 787-9 plane.

“An alternative aircraft is being deployed to fly the passengers to London at the earliest. Our ground staff is extending all support and care to the guests to minimise inconvenience caused due to this unexpected delay,” the statement said.

Details about the number of passengers onboard could not be immediately ascertained.

In recent weeks, there have been various issues involving Air India planes, and the airline has also come under the regulatory scanner.

On June 12, Air India’s Dreamliner Boeing 787-8 plane en route to London Gatwick crashed into a building soon after take off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.