The Union Cabinet cleared a bill on coal block auctions to replace the Coal Mines Special Provisions Ordinance, 2014, which was promulgated to facilitate the process. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister last night. The bill enables the provision that could pave the way for commercial mining of coal by private companies, instead of limiting it to government companies such as Coal India.

The Union cabinet also approved a comprehensive Anti-Hijacking Bill 2014, which provides stringent punishment including death penalty to hijackers. An official release said, the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also decided to repeal the Anti-Hijacking Act, 1982 as amended in 1994 and withdrawal of the

Anti-Hijacking Amendment Bill, 2010. The Anti-Hijacking Amendment Bill, 2010 was brought after incident of hijack of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in 1999 from Kathmandu. The Bill was pending in Rajya Sabha since it was introduced in August, 2010. The new Bill is expected to be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing session.

Besides, Cabinet gave it's nod to amendments in the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976 to enhance authorized and issued capital to strengthen their capital base. The amendment also aims at bringing flexibility in the shareholding between Central Government, State Government and Sponsor Bank.

A decision for the introduction of the Companies Amendment Bill, 2014 in Parliament to make certain amendments in the Companies Act, 2013 was also take last night.