New Delhi, June 9: The Supreme Court, in an interim order passed on Monday, stayed the operation of a Madras High Court decision, which had restrained the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) from collecting toll on the Madurai-Tuticorin national highway.

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan agreed to examine the special leave petition (SLP) filed by the NHAI and issued notice to V. Balakrishnan, a retired Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation assistant executive engineer from Tuticorin district, on whose plea the Madras HC passed the impugned order on June 3.

The stay order was opposed by senior advocate P Wilson, who termed toll collection “daylight robbery” since the Madurai-Tuticorin highway remained in an unsatisfactory condition.

The apex court told the respondents to complete pleadings, saying that it would examine the matter in detail at a later stage.

In its order, the Madras HC said that the collection of toll fees on the Madurai-Tuticorin national highway was “impermissible” and the road users are entitled to a “good condition” highway, and then alone they are liable to pay toll fees as prescribed by the NHAI.

It ordered the NHAI authorities not to collect toll fees from the road users, who are travelling from Madurai to Tuticorin or from Tuticorin to Madurai, till such time, the road is relaid or maintained as per the standards prescribed under the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988.

However, the bench of Justices S.M.Subramaniam and A.D.Maria Clete clarified that after the highway road is maintained in a good condition as per the standards prescribed under the law, the NHAI would be at liberty to collect toll fees from the road users. The Madras High Court took note of the fact that the contract for maintaining the Madurai-Tuticorin national highways came to be terminated on March 17 last year on the finding that the contractor failed to maintain the road as per the NHAI standards.

New Delhi, June 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India has witnessed rapid transformations across diverse sectors in the last 11 years, and the NDA government, guided by the principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’, has delivered pathbreaking changes with speed, scale and sensitivity.

Marking the 11 years of the NDA government at the Centre, PM Modi on Monday took to social media to highlight the efforts made across key sectors. India has undergone a decade of remarkable transformation, driven by the principles of Seva, Sushasan, and Garib Kalyan, he said.

PM Modi said there has been a clear focus on good governance and transformation.

“Powered by the blessings and collective participation of 140 crore Indians, India has witnessed rapid transformations across diverse sectors. Guided by the principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’, the NDA Government has delivered pathbreaking changes with speed, scale and sensitivity,” PM Modi wrote on his X post.

He said that from economic growth to social upliftment, the government’s focus has been on people-centric, inclusive and all-around progress. India today is not just the fastest-growing major economy, but also a key global voice on pressing issues like climate action and digital innovation.

“We are proud of our collective success but at the same time, we look ahead with hope, confidence and a renewed resolve to build a Viksit Bharat!” said the Prime Minister.

PM Modi shared links about India’s Vikas Yatra, showcased through interesting videos, infographics, and articles on the NaMo App, and urged people to explore these.

He said the last 11 years have brought many positive changes and boosted ‘Ease of Living.’

“The NaMo App takes you through this transformative journey in an innovative manner, through interactive games, quizzes, surveys and other such formats that inform, engage and inspire. Do have a look…,” PM Modi shared and urged people to participate.

The Centre has released an e-book, “Viksit Bharat ka Amrit Kaal: Seva, Sushasan, Garib Kalyan ke 11 Saal”, on its achievements across all the sectors over the past 11 years under the leadership of PM Modi.

“The year 2025 marks 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. These 11 years have been dedicated to bring about development which is inclusive, progressive, and sustainable. The government under Prime Minister Modi has been steadfast in its commitment of creating equity and opportunity for all citizens. PM Modi has brought the politics of development – Vikasvaad – into the mainstream, making it the focal point around which political discourse and policy action now revolves,” said its introduction

Divided into 14 chapters, the book covers issues ranging from schemes for the poor and marginalised, farmer welfare, economy, healthcare, women/youth empowerment, infrastructure development, tech revolution, ease-of-living for middle class, the progress made in northeast, national security and foreign policy, environment and sustainability initiatives, and preservation and propagation of the country’s rich culture and heritage

“Since assuming office in 2014, PM Modi has remained firm in his resolve of keeping ‘India First’ in every policy formulation and action. This resolve is evident in government’s handling of both external and internal security, economic management, empowerment schemes for marginalised groups, efforts at cultural conservation and so on,” it said.

New Delhi, June 9: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that India is embracing a cashless revolution with world-class digital initiatives like unified payments interface (UPI).

In the last 11 years, India has seen a remarkable journey under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the finance minister said on a post on X.

“India is embracing a cashless revolution. With Rs 70,000 crore+ worth UPI transactions daily and 59.6 crore transactions in a single day, digital payments are now the norm,” the minister added.

From making life easier for the common citizen to boosting business confidence, it’s been a decade of real and visible change, she further stated.

India today is not just the fastest-growing major economy, but also a key global voice on pressing issues like climate action and digital innovation.

In the month of May, UPI posted a robust growth by processing 18.68 billion transactions, up from 17.89 billion in April. As per data by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the UPI transactions mark a 33 per cent year-on-year (YoY) surge compared to 14.03 billion transactions in the same month last year.

The UPI transactions rose to Rs 25.14 lakh crore (by value) last month, a 5 per cent increase from Rs 23.95 lakh crore in April. This reflects a 23 per cent rise from Rs 20.45 lakh crore in May last year. The average daily transaction volume stood at 602 million, while the average daily transaction value reached Rs 81,106 crore.

The UPI has strengthened its dominance in India’s digital payments system with its share in the total transaction volume rising to 83.7 per cent in 2024-25 from 79.7 per cent in the previous financial year.

The RBI’s annual report shows that UPI facilitated 185.8 billion transactions during 2024-25, which represents a 41 per cent year-on-year increase. In value terms, UPI transactions rose to Rs 261 lakh crore from Rs 200 lakh crore in FY24.