Cabinet approvals on January 16th 2025

On January 16 2025, the Union Cabinet , chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi  has approved the following proposals:

i.Construction of a Third Launch Pad (TLP) for Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh (AP).

ii.Formation of the 8th Pay Commission to revise salaries of central government employees and pensioners.

iii.Refarming of 687 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum from government ministries and ISRO to support 5th Generation (5G) and future  6th Generation (6G) services.

iv.Revival plan for Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) at a total cost of Rs 11,440 crores.

v.Creation of 2 new Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) reserve Battalions.

Cabinet approves construction of TLP for ISRO 

i.The Union Cabinet has approved the construction of a TLP at the ISRO’s SDSC in Sriharikota to enhance its space infrastructure and support the development of Next Generation Launch Vehicles (NGLV).

• The project costs Rs. 3,984.86 crore and is expected to be completed in 4 years.

ii.The TLP will be versatile, supporting both NGLV and Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) vehicles, including advanced features like horizontal rocket integration.

iii.This new pad will boost India’s space capabilities, enabling the launch of heavier spacecraft, with the ability to carry 30,000 tonnes (t) into low Earth orbit, compared to the current 8,000 t.

iv.The project aligns with India’s growing space ambitions, including upcoming missions like the ‘Bharatiya Antariksh Station(BAS)’ and crewed lunar missions.

Note: Indian Space Transportation Systems are completely reliant on two launch pads viz. FirstLaunch Pad (FLP) & Second Launch Pad (SLP)

Cabinet approves formation of the 8th Pay Commission :

i.The Union Cabinet approved the formation of the 8th Pay Commission to revise the salary and pension of over 1.2 crore central government employees and pensioners. The term of the 7th Pay Commission will conclude on December 31 2025, after which the 8th Pay Commission will come into effect.

• This will increase the minimum basic salary of central government employees from Rs 18,000 to over Rs 40,000 per month.

ii.The salary hike, expected to be between 25% and 30%, will also include allowances, perks, and performance pay.

• Approximately 50 lakh central government employees and 65 lakh pensioners will benefit, including defence personnel and government employees in New Delhi (Delhi).

iii.The fitment factor is estimated to range between 2.6% and 2.85%, compared to 2.57% under the 7th Pay Commission.

About Pay Commissions:

• Pay Commissions are typically formed once every 10 years to advise the government on revising the pay structure and scale for its employees.
• Since 1947, a total of 7 Pay Commissions have been constituted, with the most recent one being implemented in 2016.
• The 7th Pay Commission was formed by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on 28 February 2014. It was chaired by Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur.

Cabinet approves refarming of 687 MHz spectrum for 5G, 6G :

i.The Union Cabinet has approved the refarming of 687 megahertz(MHz) of spectrum from government ministries and ISRO to support 5G and future 6G services.

• This spectrum, valued at Rs. 2 lakh crore, will be auctioned to telecom operators.
• Of the 687 MHz, 328 MHz will be released immediately, with the remaining portion becoming available in phases by 2030.

ii.The refarming aims to address the rising demand for telecommunication spectrum, projected to reach 2000 MHz by 2030.

iii.This initiative increases the total available spectrum from 900 MHz to 1,587 MHz, narrowing the gap to 413 MHz.

iv.The refarming reallocates spectrum from key government departments, including Ministry of Defence(MoD), ISRO, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoI&B), to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communication(MoC) .

CCEA Approves revival plan for RINL :

i.The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a revival plan for Visakhapatnam(Andhra Pradesh, AP) based Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL),with a total investment of Rs.11,440 crores.

• This plan includes an equity infusion of Rs.10,300 crores into RINL and the conversion of Rs.1,140 crores of working capital loans into 7% Non-cumulative Preference Share Capital, redeemable after 10 years.

ii.RINL is a Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Steel(MoS), fully owned by the Government of India(GoI), and operates the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) in AP.

• The plant has an installed capacity of 7.3 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of liquid steel.

iii.The goal is for the plant to reach full production capacity, that includes starting full production with 2 blast furnaces in January 2025 and 3 blast furnaces by August 2025.

iv.This strategic move aligns with the ‘National Steel Policy of 2017’, and ensuring India’s self-reliance in the steel sector as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

MHA approves Creation of 2 new CISF reserve Battalions

i.The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the creation of two new battalions for the CISF to enhance its capacity and manage increasing security demands.

• The two newly sanctioned battalions will consist of 1,025 personnel, bringing the total number of CISF battalions from 13 to 15 and creating 2,050 new posts.

ii.With this expansion, the CISF’s total strength will rise to nearly 2 lakh personnel.

Note: The CISF is one of India’s Central Armed Police Forces(CAPF), established under the CISF Act, of 1968.