Maharashtra to Mandate FASTag for All Vehicles from April 1

09 Jan 2025 CW Team

The Maharashtra Cabinet has announced that starting April 1, FASTag stickers will be mandatory for all vehicles in the state. In line with this, the government plans to amend the Public-Private Partnership Policy of 2014 to streamline infrastructure development and toll collection under the new directive.

The move is aimed at promoting digital payments and reducing congestion at toll booths, thereby improving efficiency across Maharashtra’s road network. Officials emphasised that the implementation of FASTag is crucial for simplifying toll payments and easing traffic flow.

Additionally, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced updated guidelines to support the wider adoption of FASTag.

This development follows the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) initiative, "One Vehicle, One FASTag," launched on April 1, 2024. The initiative seeks to prevent the misuse of FASTags, such as issuing multiple tags for a single vehicle or linking several FASTags to one vehicle. The NHAI introduced this measure due to concerns over the issuance of FASTags without completing the mandatory KYC process, violating Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines.

(India Today)

Infrastructure Urban

08 Sep 2025

DRDO Transfers Key Defence Materials Tech to Industry

The Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) of DRDO in Hyderabad has transferred three advanced indigenous materials technologies to leading Indian industry partners, marking a major step towards self-reliance in strategic defence manufacturing. The Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology (LAToT) documents were handed over by Dr Samir V Kamat, Secretary of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, at a ceremony held at DMRL on 30 August 2025.The transferred technologies include:High-Strength Radomes: Transferred to BHEL, Jagdishpur, this technology enables the manufacture of high-p..

Coal Ministry Honours Top Mines for Safety and Sustainability

The Ministry of Coal hosted the Star Rating Award Ceremony in Mumbai to recognise outstanding coal and lignite mines for their achievements in safety, environmental responsibility, scientific operations, and community welfare. Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy, accompanied by Minister of State Shri Satish Chandra Dubey and Secretary Shri Vikram Dev Dutt, presented the accolades.The awards celebrate mines that have demonstrated excellence across key parameters such as safety, productivity, scientific mining, environmental stewardship, and socio-economic impact. The Minister ..

Modi Highlights Decade of Bold Economic Reforms

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi reaffirmed the government’s steadfast commitment to economic reforms over the past decade, highlighting transformative measures that have redefined India’s fiscal structure and enhanced its global economic position.Citing major initiatives such as corporate tax cuts to encourage investment, the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to unify the national market, and reforms in personal income tax to improve Ease of Living, Modi emphasised that the reform agenda has consistently been citizen-focused and pro-growth.He welcomed the ongoing #NextGe..