NewsBytes
Parliament approves Finance Bill 2025, completes Budget FY26 exercise
The Rajya Sabha returned the Finance Bill 2025 to the Lok Sabha, along with 35 government amendments, including one that abolishes a 6 per cent digital tax on online advertisements, thus completing the 2025-26 budgetary exercise that started on February 1. The House also returned the Appropriation Bill (3) with a voice vote. Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had moved the two Bills in the House. The Lok Sabha had passed the Finance Bill on March 25 and passed the Appropriation Bill on March 21. The Union Budget 2025-26 envisages a total expenditure of Rs 50.65 lakh crore, an increase of 7.4 per cent over the current fiscal.
Installed nuclear energy capacity to reach 13 GW by 2029-30: Minister
The government informed the Rajya Sabha that the installed capacity of nuclear energy in the country will reach 13 GW by 2029-30 from present 8.18 GW, and it will further enhance to 22.5 GW once all sanctioned projects are completed by 2032. This was informed by Minister of State of Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh in the House during the Question Hour. About private players' participation in the nuclear sector, Singh said an important component of the nuclear mission is that India will go in with the public-private participation, in a big way, in the manufacturing of small modular reactors, which are particularly relevant to a country like India. Beyond 2030, Singh said, there are two national goals for the country – 'Energy Independence by 2047' and 'Net Zero by 2070'.
669 Asiatic lions died in past 5 years, maximum in 2024
A total of 669 Asiatic lions have died in the last five years but no deaths were recorded due to poaching, the government said. The Gir forest in Gujarat is the only natural habitat of the Asiatic lions. Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said 142 lions died in 2020, 124 in 2021, 117 in 2022, 121 in 2023 and 165 lions died in 2024. "As reported by the (Gujarat) state government, the reported causes of lion deaths include old age, illness, injuries from fights, cub mortality, falling into open wells, electrocution, accidents etc." he said. The minister also said there were no incidents of poaching leading to death of lions during these years. The most recent estimate in June 2020 put the Asiatic lion population in Gujarat at 674, up from 523 in 2015.
India offered $3.73 billion loans to 6 partner countries during 2022-2025
India has offered new loans of $3.73 billion, under the Lines of Credit and Concessional Financing Scheme, through a lending bank to six partner countries during January 2022-January 2025, the Parliament was informed. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said this in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha. The Ministry of External Affairs was asked the details of foreign aid, developmental assistance, and loans provided by India to other countries between January 2022 and January 2025. "Government of India has offered new loans, under the Lines of Credit (LOCs) and Concessional Financing Scheme (CFS), through a lending bank to six partner countries during January 2022-January 2025.
