A look back at key Cabinet decisions in '14
Source: The Sangai Express / Agencies

New Delhi, December 29 2014: A look at some of the important Cabinet decisions taken during the year, notably after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Government took charge on May 26 .

Feb 28: The 7th Pay Commission approved.

May 27: Constitution of Special Investigating Team (SIT) approved to implement Supreme Court decision on probing ill-gotten money stashed by Indians abroad.

June 18: As many as 62 Ministerial groups scrapped, saying accountability must lie within the Cabinet.

June 20: Railway fares hiked by 14.2 percent, going ahead with the proposal mooted by previous Manmohan Singh Cabinet, but partially rolled back five days later due to strong opposition.

July 24: A hike approved in foreign direct investment in the insurance sector to 49 percent from 26 percent - a move followed by an ordinance to amend relevant legislation in December.

Aug 6: Nod for amending the Juvenile Justice Act to let a competent authority decide whether a juvenile over 16 years can be tried for heinous crimes such as rape.

Aug 6: Nod for 100 percent foreign equity in railway infrastructure and hike in the limit for defence production from 26 percent to 49 percent.

Aug 20: Digital India campaign cleared to transform the country into an electronically empowered society and knowledge economy.

Aug 22: Collegium, or internal system of making appointments to the higher judiciary scrapped in favour of a commission comprising, among others, the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India.

Aug 29: Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, an ambitious financial inclusion scheme, launched with 15 million bank accounts opened; each of the holders provided Rs 100,000 insurance cover.

Sep 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat campaign approved, with a five-year mandate, by converting the existing Nirmal Bharat Programme.

Oct 20: Approval for ordinance to be promulgated to pave the way for the auction of 214 coal blocks, ordered by the Supreme Court to be cancelled, followed by norms for e-auction in December.

Ordinance re-promulgated in December, as Rajya Sabha unable to discuss.

Dec 3: Strong anti-hijacking Bill cleared to provide for stringent punishment, such as death penalty, for such acts in the aviation space.

Dec 18: Bill approved for pan-India goods and services tax (GST) Bill to rationalise State and Central indirect taxes into a harmonised system.

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