Consultancy Contracts

A sample study of consultancy procurement tenders floated by central government procuring entities on GeM during the last three financial years revealed issues with the eligibility and qualification criteria for consultancy tenders. GeM (Government e-Marketplace) is a digital platform for procurement of goods & services by central/state ministries/departments and public sector units. The Govt has made it easier for domestic consultancy firms to bid for government contracts, giving them a level playing field under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

In their memorandum dated July 22, the Department of Expenditure (DoE) has relaxed key conditions including high turnover requirements (presently 5-10 times the assignment value), weightage assigned to experience and minimum payroll staffing for a project. The revised norms discourage procuring entities from setting excessively high turnover thresholds and stipulate that minimum payroll staff requirements maybe proportionate to the manpower actually needed for an assignment. These guidelines reiterate and clarify provisions under existing procurement manuals and the General Financial Rules.

The advisory addresses bottlenecks that historically favored major multinational entities (such as the "Big Four" - Ernst & Young, PwC, Deloitte and KPMG), opening complex government mandates to specialized domestic firms under the Atmanirbhar Bharat framework.The DoE’s advisory to all central government departments and ministries for easing of eligibility criteria in government consultancy tenders is a measure that would pave the way for domestic consultancies to be on an equal footing with multinational consulting firms.

Read more here: https://www.newindianexpress.com/business/2026/Aug/14/govt-depts-asked-to-ease-eligibility-norms-for-consultancy-firms

Hope the impact is felt soon

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Previous : Registration of Births and Deaths

Registration of Births and Deaths

The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026) was passed in Parliament this monsoon session. This has tightened the process of registration of births, making a few essential changes. While at present, even adults could easily obtain their birth certificates at any time, strict deadlines have now been laid down.

Under the law as it currently stands, any birth or death reported more than a year after it occurred can only be registered on the strength of an order from a District Magistrate, a Sub-Divisional Magistrate, or an Executive Magistrate specially authorised for the purpose. This single-tier system applies regardless of how long the delay has been, whether it is thirteen months or thirteen years. Also the birth certificate was a stand-alone document. The amendment makes the process of delayed registration of births and deaths considerably more stringent, particularly for entries reported long after the actual event.

Once the rules are framed, any registration of birth, beyond 21 days requires payment of fees. Also an order is required to register a birth, beyond 30 days, with escalation depending on the period of delay. For a delay of more than two years, the order may be issued only by a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class. Before issuing an order, the authority concerned must satisfy itself of the "correctness" of the event being registered. This eliminates the role of the executives and politicians. More details can be seen here

https://lawbeat.in/news-updates/registration-of-births-and-deaths-amendment-bill-2026-introduced-in-lok-sabha-key-changes-in-delayed-registration-rules-1617372

While this appears to be a small change in procedure, it may be remembered that the data of Aadhar card etc of the parents would be linked to the centralised National Intelligence Grid or NATGRID - an integrated intelligence master database structure. After the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls, the data base of the parents and birth data is instantly cross-referenced. Any mismatch can potentially impact all linked documents – passport, property registration, bank accounts, PAN Card, ration card etc.

Let us now watch actual implementation of this amendment.

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