Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Government of India

Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) takes suo moto cognizance against 5 Delhi Restaurants for non-refund of Service Charge

National Consumer Helpline (NCH) receives complaints against the Restaurants regarding mandatory levy of Service Charge and non-refund of Service Charge Amount

Posted On: 29 APR 2025 9:53AM by PIB Delhi

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken suo moto action against five restaurants — Makhna Deli, Xero Courtyard, Castle Barbeque, Chaayos, and Fiesta by Barbeque Nation for failing to refund mandatory service charges despite judgment held by Hon’ble High Court of Delhi. Notices have been issued under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, directing the restaurants to refund the service charge amounts.

This measure is aimed at reducing the undue pressure on Consumers to pay additional amount at the time of availing services at any Restaurant as no Hotel or Restaurant shall force a consumer to pay Service Charge or Service Charge shall not be collected from consumers by any other name.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued guidelines on 04.07.2022 to curb unfair trade practices and protect consumer interests regarding service charges in hotels and restaurants. The guidelines stipulate that:

1. No hotels or restaurant shall add service charge automatically or by default in the food bill.
2. No collection of service charge shall be done by any other name.
3. No hotel or restaurant shall force a consumer to pay service charge and shall clearly inform the consumer that service charge is voluntary, optional and at consumer’s discretion.
4. No restriction on entry or provision of services based on collection of service charge shall be imposed on consumers.
5. Service charge shall not be collected by adding it along with the food bill and levying GST on the total amount.

On 28.03.2025, the Delhi High Court upheld the CCPA guidelines on service charges. Subsequently, it came to the notice of the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), through complaints received on the National Consumer Helpline (1915), that grievances had been registered alleging that certain restaurants continued to impose a mandatory service charge without obtaining prior consent from consumers, thereby disregarding consumer rights and indulged in unfair trade practices as per the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) was established under Section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Its primary mandate is to regulate matters related to the violation of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and false or misleading advertisements that are detrimental to the interests of the public and consumers at large.

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Abhishek Dayal/Nihi Sharma

(Release ID: 2125045) Visitor Counter : 120

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 29 APR 2025 2:16PM by PIB Delhi

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today extended his congratulations to Mr. Mark Carney on his election as the Prime Minister of Canada and to the Liberal Party on their victory. He highlighted the shared democratic values, unwavering commitment to the rule of law, and vibrant people-to-people ties that bind India and Canada together. 

In a post on X, he wrote:

“Congratulations @MarkJCarney on your election as the Prime Minister of Canada and to the Liberal Party on their victory. India and Canada are bound by shared democratic values, a steadfast commitment to the rule of law, and vibrant people-to-people ties. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our partnership and unlock greater opportunities for our people.”

 

 

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MJPS/SR

(Release ID: 2125115) Visitor Counter : 40

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 29 APR 2025 2:18PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister for Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju extended his heartfelt wishes to all 1,22,518 pilgrims undertaking the sacred Haj  journey . The first flights took off with  288 pilgrims from Lucknow and 262 pilgrims from Hyderabad. In his X post, the Union Minister tweeted that under the leadership of Prime Minister , Shri Narendra Modi, the Government of India remains committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless Haj pilgrimage. He also prayed for a safe, blessed and spiritually enriching pilgrimage.

 

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SS/ISA

(Release ID: 2125117) Visitor Counter : 116

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 29 APR 2025 2:20PM by PIB Delhi

Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs  chaired an internal review meeting on PMJVK projects to assess progress of the scheme and address challenges. The meeting focused on ensuring wider outreach and effective implementation of PMJVK across India. The Secretary directed the officials to enhance and improve the scheme further.

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SS/ISA

(Release ID: 2125118) Visitor Counter : 104

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​A spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) said today (April 29) that emergency repairs to its telephone system, which broke down this morning, have been completed. Some of the DH’s telephone enquiry services were temporarily suspended due to the incident, but all services have resumed as normal.

Source: Government of India

India and Egypt deliberate to strengthen ties through avenues of strategic collaboration in skill development

Both delegations expressed a shared commitment to creating a globally competitive, future-ready workforce

Posted On: 29 APR 2025 1:15PM by PIB Delhi

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, hosted a high-level Egyptian delegation led by H.E. Prof. Dr. Ayman Bahaa El Din, Deputy Minister of Technical Education, for a pivotal round of deliberations at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi on 28^th April, 2025. This engagement marks another milestone in the ever-strengthening India-Egypt relationship, building on the momentum of the 2023 elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership and the recent recognition of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with Egypt’s highest civilian honour.

Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, highlighted the enduring people-to-people and institutional linkages between the two nations. He emphasized India’s vision to become the “Skill Capital of the World” through the Skill India Mission, under which already close to 400,000 individuals have already been trained in advanced domains such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data, while nurturing over 1.3 million entrepreneurs.

India’s efforts to align its vocational education and training (TVET) ecosystem with global standards, and the establishment of world-class Skill India International Centres, were presented as models for international collaboration.

The Egyptian delegation shared insights into Egypt’s comprehensive TVET reforms, including the EU-supported TVET Egypt Reform Programme and the establishment of Sector Skill Councils, which resonate with India’s scalable and affordable skilling models. Both sides acknowledged the success of ongoing collaborations, such as the 2024 MoU between India’s NIELIT and Egypt’s Information Technology Institute, the El-Sewedy Group’s partnership with Amity University, and the Indian-supported Vocational Training Centre in Cairo.

Looking ahead, the two countries identified several promising avenues for future cooperation. These include joint certification programmes, faculty and student exchanges, digital skilling and entrepreneurship initiatives, and the establishment of Centres of Excellence in priority sectors like information technology, agriculture, tourism, and green skills. Both delegations expressed a shared commitment to creating a globally competitive, future-ready workforce and to using their partnership as a template for broader South-South cooperation.

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Beena Yadav/Shahbaz Hasibi

(Release ID: 2125101) Visitor Counter : 49

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, released the following information today (April 29) on the traffic and public transport arrangements for the upcoming Labour Day Golden Week of the Mainland.

     During the Labour Day and the Birthday of the Buddha holidays, in anticipation of a large number of members of the public, vehicles and Mainland visitors travelling to and from the Mainland or Macao via various land-based BCPs, particularly on May 1, 3 and 5, the Transport Department (TD) urged the public and visitors to plan their trips in advance and allow sufficient travelling time.

     The TD has co-ordinated with local and cross-boundary public transport operators (PTOs) to strengthen their services during the holidays, including increasing the frequency of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) shuttle bus (Gold Bus) to less than one minute during peak hours, and the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus (Yellow Bus) to about two minutes at its highest frequency, as well as increasing the quota of cross-boundary coaches to strengthen services. The frequency of local franchised bus B routes connecting various land-based BCPs will also be increased to a level higher than that of normal weekends or Sundays while franchised bus operators concerned will reserve sufficient vehicles and manpower to meet the travel needs of passengers. The MTR Corporation Limited will enhance the train services of the East Rail Line between Admiralty and Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau at different times from May 1 to May 5 to provide convenience for the travelling public and visitors. It is anticipated that the waiting time for public transport services, including the Gold Bus, may be longer. Passengers should make their journeys during non-peak hours, observe order while queuing and heed advice from on-site Police and staff of PTOs concerned. Passengers of cross-boundary coaches are also advised to reserve their coach tickets in advance.

     Of note, motorists are advised that, subject to actual traffic conditions, special traffic arrangements may be implemented at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point and the Shenzhen Bay Port from May 1 to 5 to allow smooth access of public transport vehicles to the above control points. Cross-boundary private cars may need to queue up for crossing the BCPs. Motorists should pay extra attention to variable message signs and traffic signs along the roads. In case of traffic congestion, they should remain patient and follow the instructions of on-site police.

     For the HZMB, to plan their journeys ahead, members of the public can make use of the TD’s HKeMobility mobile application (hkemobility.gov.hk/en/traffic-information/live/cctv) to access snapshots of traffic conditions at inbound and outbound vehicle plazas of the HZMB Hong Kong Port. They can also check real-time situations of the vehicle clearance plaza of the Zhuhai Port through WeChat official accounts “hzmbzhport” or “zhuhaifabu” (traffic-info.gzazhka.com:5015/#/) (Chinese only), and check the forecasts of peak hours of inbound and outbound vehicles at the HZMB Zhuhai Port through the WeChat official account of the HZMB integrated information dissemination platform (mp.weixin.qq.com/s/PXLza25svheLQZuTXSbwFQ) (Chinese only). Moreover, motorists are reminded to always comply with the traffic control measures implemented by the Zhuhai authority when driving on the HZMB Main Bridge. Vehicles shall not occupy the emergency lane unless instructed by the Zhuhai authority.

     The TD’s Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre will continue to operate 24 hours to closely monitor the traffic conditions and public transport services of different districts including various BCPs and major stations. The TD will disseminate the latest traffic information through various channels. Members of the public are advised to check the latest traffic news through radio and television broadcasts, and the HKeMobility application.

     The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements is tasked with holistically co-ordinating and steering the preparatory work of various government departments for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong during the Labour Day Golden Week of the Mainland, as well as strengthening information dissemination to enable the public and visitors to plan their itineraries according to the latest situation.