Cabinet clears key bills, approves census budget

The Union Cabinet on Friday 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.

- HT Correspondent

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 Rs 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.