Prime Minister Narendra Modi denied reports claiming the government plans to impose a surcharge or tax on foreign travel, calling the claims “totally false” and having “not an iota of truth.” Responding on X, he said there is no question of restricting international travel and reiterated commitments to improve ease of doing business and ease of living. The clarification comes after Modi’s earlier appeal to tackle global disruptions, supply chain strain, and rising prices linked to conflict-driven energy costs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a Council of Ministers meeting on May 21 in what observers call a long-delayed mid-term stocktaking exercise. The push comes as the NDA government edges toward two years in its third term, amid growing claims that a cabinet reshuffle is overdue. The agenda will reportedly review reforms since June 2024, with ministries submitting department-wise summaries grouped into legislative, statutory, policy, and administrative changes. Officials from nearly a dozen ministries are expected to brief the council.
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The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is conducting a special audit of 101 cities to assess citizens’ ease of living, with a focus on transport and logistics. The effort is linked to discussions on urban mobility at the BRICS summit in Bengaluru. The government argues that strong, integrated mobility systems—beyond just infrastructure—are critical for jobs and GDP growth.
DPIIT secretary outlined the push to simplify governance for businesses and improve ease of living. The department previously identified about 32,000 compliances, and claims that roughly 26,000 have already been reduced. Of the remaining 6,000, around 3,500 reportedly do not actually need to be reduced, narrowing the true reform workload.
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