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Supreme Court allows iron ore exports for Karnataka miners, relaxes only e-auction route

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 In a big relief for Karnataka miners, the Supreme Court on Friday relaxed restrictions on selling of extracted iron ore through e-auction only as it allowed export the stocks, including pellets, produced from the mines in the state’s Ballari, Chitradurga and Tumakuru, as per the existing policy.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, said: “We are inclined to favourably consider the prayer made by the applicants and grant them permission to sell the already excavated iron ore stock-pile at various mines and stock yards located in the districts of Bellary, Tumkur, and Chitradurga in the state of Karnataka, without having to resort to the process of e-auction. Permission is granted to the applicants to enter into direct contracts to lift the excavated iron ore through inter-state sales.”

“We also grant permission to the applicants to export the iron ore and pellets manufactured from the iron ore produced from the mines situated in the state of Karnataka, to countries abroad, as is being done in the rest of the country, but strictly in terms of the extant policy of the Government of India.”

The bench, also comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli, said time has come to review the system that was put in place over a decade ago, on halting the unchecked excavation of iron ore in the three prime districts in Karnataka.

“Ever since then, e-auction has been the only mode available for disposal of the excavated iron ore. The said arrangement has worked out satisfactorily so far. The situation that was prevalent in the region prior to the year 2011, has now changed for the better,” it added.

The bench said it needs to relax the order passed in September 2011, against the backdrop of various steps taken by the government. “Having regard to the course correction that has taken place, the regeneration post the ruinous damage caused to the environment and the various steps taken by the government, we are of the opinion that the order passed on September 23, 2011 deserves to be relaxed,” it said.

Noting that consecutive e-auctions conducted by the monitoring committee have been receiving a poor response and sale of iron ore even at the reserve price is dismally low, it said that records reveal that repeated attempts to resort to the e-auction process for the sale of already excavated iron ore mined in the three Karnataka districts have not borne any fruitful results.

“As a consequence thereof, large stock of iron ore, including sub-grade iron ore, is lying unused. As on March 31, 2022, the stocks available in category ‘A’ and ‘B’ mines is stated to be 82,98,130.5 MT. The stocks available in the auctioned category ‘C’ mines as on the above date is 12,25,100.5 MTs. The stock in respect of e-auction category ‘A’ and category ‘B’ expired leases is 2,33,126.73 MTs and in mining leases outside the districts of Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur, is 93,181 MT. The closing balance of iron ore available in all the mines across the state of Karnataka as on March 31, 2022, adds up to 11,94,783.93 MT,” it added.

The top court has scheduled the plea for hearing on lifting the ceiling on extraction of iron ore for consideration in the second week of July. It also sought a view of an oversight authority appointed in April this year.

Business

Job postings in India stay above pre-Covid pandemic levels: Report

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New Delhi, Nov 27: Formal job creation in India softened in the month of October but despite this, job postings remained above the pre-Covid pandemic level, a report said on Thursday.

“Amid slowdown, Indian job postings are still 60 per cent above pre-pandemic levels, but have fallen 25 per cent since their peak in January 2023,” Indeed, a leading hiring platform, said in its report.

Over the past three months, job postings declined in almost three-quarters of occupations. Yet in a softening job market, there will still be some strong performers, and the past three months have been no exception, said the report.

Job postings in cleaning and sanitation rose around 20 per cent over the past three months, ahead of community and social service (17.4 per cent), dental (13.1 per cent), nursing (11.2 per cent) and food preparation and service (10.3 per cent).

Another positive was the posting for human resources, which climbed 2.3 per cent.

However, these gains were more than offset by weakness in banking and finance, where postings fell 25.6 per cent, along with legal (-22.4 per cent), retail (-16.7 per cent) and loading and stocking (-15 per cent), the report noted.

Every month, the Indian workforce gradually transitions towards more formal work arrangements. As the nation transitions, job creation in the formal sector is expected to outpace overall employment growth nationwide, said Callam Pickering, Indeed’s APAC Senior Economist.

“This transition is also why job postings in India have been stronger than in other Indeed markets, both during the post-pandemic job boom and the subsequent slowdown,” he added.

Meanwhile, during the month, 9.1 per cent of Indian job postings explicitly mentioned phrases such as ‘work from home’ or ‘work remotely’ in their job descriptions. That’s up from 7.6 per cent a year ago.

Remote opportunities are most common in IT infrastructure, operations and support at 18.2 per cent of postings in the October quarter 2025, ahead of community & social service (15.1 per cent) and industrial engineering (14 per cent).

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From Kachchhi Kharek to Kesar Mango: Over 10 treasures of Kutch and Saurashtra earn GI tag

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Gandhinagar, Nov 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently championed India’s indigenous and heritage products, placing local strength at the heart of national growth. His call for Vocal for Local and Aatmanirbhar Bharat has given visibility to artisans and farmers across the country.

In line with this vision, the Prime Minister has also actively promoted Geographical Indication (GI) products, highlighting them in his radio address Mann Ki Baat and personally felicitating artisans who preserve traditional crafts.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has set an ambitious goal of reaching 10,000 GI-tagged products across India by 2030 under the vision of “Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi.”

Gujarat has emerged as a strong contributor to this national mission by promoting its rich artisanal heritage, from Kutch’s celebrated crafts to Saurashtra’s premium agricultural produce on global platforms.

GI tagging reinforces the state’s commitment to “Viksit Gujarat to Viksit Bharat,” transforming local skills into global competitiveness. Kutch and Saurashtra together have secured GI recognition for over ten iconic products, including Ajrakh block printing, Bandhani tie-dye, Rogan art, Kutch shawls, the famed Kachchhi Kharek, and the globally loved Gir Kesar mango.

The upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) in Rajkot will spotlight the region’s craft excellence and export capacity, offering artisans a robust platform to scale their businesses.

Renowned for its blend of tradition and artistry, Kutch boasts GI-tagged crafts such as embroidery, Ajrakh printing, Bandhani, Rogan painting and the Kutch shawl. In the agricultural category, Kachchhi Kharek — a celebrated variety of date known for its rich flavour and nutritional value has also earned GI status.

Saurashtra’s signature products include Gir Kesar mango, often hailed as the “Queen of Mangoes,” the famed Jamnagari Bandhani, and the exquisite Rajkot Patola silk weaving tradition, cherished by Bollywood celebrities.

Surendranagar’s Tangaliya shawl, with its intricate weaving technique, has also built a loyal international following. The upcoming VGRC for Saurashtra and Kutch aims to accelerate the region’s artisan economy.

The two-day conference will bring together entrepreneurs, artisans, interior designers and product designers, creating avenues of collaboration with the Government e-Marketplace, private enterprises, investors and leading e-commerce platforms. The event promises to enhance innovation, expand market access and drive sustainable growth for traditional craft clusters.

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Young innovators worldwide can find inspiration from confidence of India’s Gen Z: PM Modi

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New Delhi, Nov 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded India’s Generation Z for their confidence and capacity building.

Speaking via video conferencing at the inauguration of the Infinity Campus of Indian space startup Skyroot and unveiling its first orbital rocket, Vikram-I, PM Modi praised the country’s Gen Z for their positive mindset and creativity.

“Our youth, our Gen Z, are developing solutions to challenges in every sector. Young innovators around the world can find inspiration from the confidence of India’s Gen Z,” PM Modi said.

“The capacity building, positive mindset, and creativity of India’s Gen Z can set a global benchmark for Gen Z across the world,” he said.

Emphasising that India’s youth always place national interest above all and make the best use of every opportunity, PM Modi remarked that when the government opened the space sector, the country’s youth, especially the Gen-Z generation, came forward to take full advantage of it.

He highlighted that today more than 300 space startups are giving new hope to India’s space future, and noted that most of these startups began with small teams — sometimes two people, sometimes five, sometimes in a small rented room — with limited resources but with determination to reach new heights.

“This spirit has given birth to the private space revolution in India,” said the Prime Minister. He noted that Gen-Z engineers, designers, coders, and scientists are creating new technologies, whether in propulsion systems, composite materials, rocket stages, or satellite platforms.

PM Modi stressed that India’s youth are working in areas that were unimaginable just a few years ago.

He remarked that India’s private space talent is establishing a distinct identity across the world and added that today, for global investors, India’s space sector is becoming an attractive destination.

The Prime Minister remarked that the changes being witnessed in the space sector are part of the broader startup revolution taking place in India.

“Over the past decade, a new wave of startups has emerged across diverse sectors such as fintech, agri tech, health tech, climate tech, edu tech, and defense tech, with India’s youth, particularly the Gen-Z generation, providing innovative solutions in every field,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi emphasised that “India has now become the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem”.

There was a time when startups were confined to a few big cities, but today they are emerging from small towns and villages as well, the Prime Minister said, underlining that the country now has more than 1.5 lakh registered startups, with many of them having achieved unicorn status.

“India is no longer confined to apps and services but is now advancing rapidly towards deep-tech, manufacturing, and hardware innovation,” said the Prime Minister, thanking Gen-Z.

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