Connect with us
Friday,25-July-2025
Breaking News

National News

UP’s total outstanding debt shot up by nearly 39% in five years

Published

on

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has been borrowing so heavily from the market that its total outstanding debt has shot up by almost 39 per cent in five years.

However, spending on education declined while spending on health increased only marginally during this period.

What is even more surprising is the fact that in four out of five years, the state government was unable to spend even the full budgeted amount, leading to a revenue surplus.

The full support given to the Yogi Adityanath government by the Narendra Modi government — the so-called ‘double engine’ advantage — also does not seem to have helped, either in terms of finances or in planning.

According to the latest data available with the Reserve Bank of India, which compiles state government finances, the UP government has outstanding liabilities worth as much as Rs 6.5 lakh crore, as estimated in the state Budget for 2021-22.

This is 38.3 per cent more than the Rs 4.7 lakh crore debt it inherited when it took over in 2017.

The bulk of this debt mountain is owed to financial institutions, such as banks. These are called market borrowings and are taken at hefty rates of interest.

According to sources in the state finance department, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on UP government’s finances, released last month, pointed out that of the total public debt at the end of 2019-20, Rs 1.99 lakh crore (or 47.7 per cent of the total) would be payable after seven years.

The CAG report referred to earlier made a shocking revelation.

The state government transferred a princely sum of Rs 71,000 crore from a sinking fund illegitimately to its “non-tax revenue” head in its books in March 2020. By rules, this should have been invested elsewhere.

The CAG roundly criticised this brazen violation, recommending that “the transfers out of the fund (Sinking Fund) are not to be treated as Revenue Receipts and the amount equivalent to loan repaid should be transferred from Sinking Fund to Major Head 8680 (Miscellaneous Government Account) on redemption of debt”.

The effect of this ‘creative’ book-keeping was that revenue receipts were boosted in the books only, there was no cash actually transferred. This is what caused the next year’s revenue surplus.

It is a common feature for some states to end the year with huge unspent amounts from their budgetary allocations. Poor and backward states are particularly prone to this aberrant thinking. And UP is no exception.

Under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, four of the five years have seen a revenue surplus adding up to a huge Rs 1.32 lakh crore.

The figure given for 2021-22 is just estimated, presented in the Budget, and the actual amount may be larger. The deficit would have been even bigger but for the illegitimate transfer of sinking fund money to non-tax revenue accounts.

The year 2020-21 was the first year of the Covid pandemic and some extra spending took place. So, the state government ended up actually spending all of its allocated funds, running a small deficit of Rs 13,161 crore.

Despite borrowing Rs 1.8 lakh crore in five years, the state government has ended its term with an accumulated revenue surplus, i.e., unspent funds of Rs 1.32 lakh crore, which indicates bad planning.

Sources said that spending on two crucial sectors – education and health – was important but as a proportion of total revenue expenditure, the share spent on education declined from about 14.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 12.5 per cent in the budget estimates (BE) for the current financial year.

In 2020-21, when students of the state were struggling to keep up with their studies during the pandemic with schools/colleges and hostels closed and online mode was the dominant way of teaching, the state government saved a lot of money when actually more spending was needed to compensate for academic losses being suffered by the students.

In fact, teachers were not paid salaries, staff were denied wages, and mid-day meals were stopped.

Now, with the crucial Assembly elections looming, the government is busy distributing smartphones and tablets.
Even more disturbing is the minuscule increase in the share of health expenditure in total revenue expenditure — from 5.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 5.9 per cent in 2021-22 (BE) — at a time when the pandemic was at its peak.

Reports based on official data show that the healthcare system in UP remained inadequate to deal with the pandemic. All this would have been avoided if more funds had been allocated and applied by the state government.

National News

Government Cracks Down on OTT Platforms Over Obscene Content

Published

on

New Delhi, July 25, 2025 — In a significant move targeting explicit digital content, the Government of India has taken steps to block several over-the-top (OTT) platforms accused of streaming obscene and vulgar material. Platforms such as ALTBalaji, ULLU, and a few others have come under the scanner for allegedly violating Indian content regulations and societal norms.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, acting on multiple complaints from citizens and civil society groups, initiated the ban after conducting an internal review. Authorities stated that certain shows and web series available on these platforms contained content that was “sexually explicit,” “vulgar,” and “not suitable for public viewing,” especially in households with children.

The decision has stirred a wider debate around content regulation and creative freedom in India’s rapidly growing digital entertainment sector. While officials maintain that the step was necessary to uphold decency standards and protect cultural values, critics warn of overreach and censorship.

A senior official said, “This is not about targeting creative freedom. This is about ensuring that OTT content does not cross legal and moral boundaries. There are clear guidelines, and platforms are expected to adhere to them.”

The platforms affected reportedly failed to comply with warnings issued earlier regarding their programming. Despite advisory notices and reminders to filter or restrict adult content, several web series continued to feature nudity, explicit scenes, and suggestive themes without proper age-gating or viewer discretion tools.

In recent years, OTT platforms have grown in popularity, especially among younger audiences, with many bypassing traditional film and TV regulations. The government had previously introduced a self-regulation framework for digital content providers, but critics say enforcement has been lax, leading to the current clampdown.

Some media rights advocates and artists expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the banning process and called for an independent review mechanism. Others, however, welcomed the move, stating that unchecked access to graphic content could have a detrimental effect on social behavior and minors.

As of now, the banned platforms remain inaccessible in India. The Ministry has hinted at further actions if other OTT providers do not align their content with the prescribed code of ethics and IT rules.

This development marks a turning point in India’s digital media regulation and sets the stage for possible stricter content monitoring across streaming platforms in the future.

Continue Reading

National News

2 Teachers Killed, 10 Injured In Van-Truck Collision In Chhattisgarh’s Korba

Published

on

Korba: Two women teachers were killed and ten other persons injured after a van in which they were travelling collided with a trailer truck in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district on Thursday, police said.

About The Accident

The accident occurred in the morning near Tanakhar village when 11 staffers and two students of Eklavya Model Residential School, run by the tribal development department, in Pondi Uproda village were heading to their institute from Katghora town, a police official said.

As per preliminary information, the van driver attempted to overtake another vehicle and ended up colliding with a truck, coming from the opposite direction.

A total of 12 occupants of the van sustained injuries, he said.

The victims were taken to the Community Health Centre Katghora, from where the seriously injured persons were referred to different hospitals, he said.

Two teachers, identified as Anjana Sharma (30), a resident of Delhi, and Manju Sharma (32) of Haryana, succumbed to their wounds during treatment at a hospital, he said.

The two deceased were staying in rented houses in Katghora.

Five injured persons have been admitted to a hospital in Korba, two in Bilaspur, and three others, who sustained minor injuries, in Katghora, he said.

A case has been registered and a probe is underway, he added.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Supreme Court Stays Bombay High Court’s Acquittal in 2006 Mumbai Train Blasts Case

Published

on

New Delhi, July 24, 2025 — The Supreme Court of India has issued a stay on the Bombay High Court’s recent decision to acquit 12 men previously convicted in the 2006 Mumbai suburban train bombings. The apex court, however, clarified that the accused will not need to return to jail while the legal process continues.

The move comes days after the Maharashtra government filed a challenge against the High Court’s ruling, expressing serious concern over the acquittal of all 12 individuals who had been found guilty nearly a decade earlier. The Supreme Court agreed to examine the appeal and put the acquittal order on hold until further notice.

Background of the Case

On July 11, 2006, a series of coordinated bomb blasts targeted local trains on Mumbai’s Western Railway line during evening rush hour. The attacks resulted in the deaths of around 190 people and left over 800 injured. It was one of the deadliest terror strikes in India’s history.

In 2015, a special court convicted 12 men under anti-terror laws, sentencing five to death and the remaining to life imprisonment. However, the Bombay High Court overturned these convictions in July 2025, citing weak and unreliable evidence, inconsistencies in witness testimonies, and procedural lapses in the investigation.

Supreme Court’s Intervention

Responding to the state’s petition, the Supreme Court noted the seriousness of the matter and temporarily suspended the High Court’s decision. The court stated that although the acquittal order is stayed, the accused who had already been released will not be required to surrender at this stage.

Government’s Stand

The Maharashtra government described the High Court’s judgment as deeply concerning, arguing that the earlier trial had followed due process and that crucial evidence—such as confessions and material recovered—was improperly dismissed. The government urged the Supreme Court to uphold the original convictions in the interest of justice for the victims and their families.

What Lies Ahead

The Supreme Court is expected to conduct a detailed review of the High Court’s findings and the prosecution’s evidence. The final verdict could have a significant impact on how terrorism-related cases are investigated and prosecuted in the future, especially with respect to the handling of confessional statements, forensic evidence, and procedural safeguards.

The case continues to be a matter of national attention due to its historical gravity and implications for the justice system. Families of the victims, legal experts, and civil rights advocates are all watching closely as the country’s top court re-evaluates one of India’s most complex terror cases.

Continue Reading

Trending