Somesh Jha &Amp; Subhayan Chakraborty

Stories by Somesh Jha &Amp; Subhayan Chakraborty

Universal social security coverage to workers junked

Universal social security coverage to workers junked

Rediff.com   20 Sep 2019

In the latest draft of the Code on Social Security Bill, 2019, the government has decided to stick to the current thresholds for providing social security benefits to workers by industry.

Finance secy Rajiv Kumar to meet PSBs on Sep 19

Finance secy Rajiv Kumar to meet PSBs on Sep 19

Rediff.com   13 Sep 2019

The government is set to ask PSBs to expeditiously introduce repo-rate linked products "to step up affordable credit".

Digital frauds continue to plague Mastercard

Digital frauds continue to plague Mastercard

Rediff.com   8 Sep 2019

Mastercard recently launched an authentication product called Identity Check Express that enables customers to verify transactions on their own.

Nitin Gadkari's mega plan for small biz

Nitin Gadkari's mega plan for small biz

Rediff.com   3 Sep 2019

The plan includes step-wise expansion of a crucial credit guarantee net, establishment of an unprecedented number of functional clusters and increased government procurement from MSMEs.

Why your take-home salary may rise soon

Why your take-home salary may rise soon

Rediff.com   3 Sep 2019

The government wants to reduce the rate of contribution - part of the employee's share - for a class of workers depending upon age, income or gender, without changing the contribution from the employer's share.

Banks may seek your OK for fund transfer to your account

Banks may seek your OK for fund transfer to your account

Rediff.com   28 Aug 2019

Under the proposed mechanism, the finance ministry has said banks will notify customers when someone tries to deposit money in their accounts, a government official said.

Flipkart 'beaten' by govt e-commerce platform

Flipkart 'beaten' by govt e-commerce platform

Rediff.com   5 Aug 2019

Three years and Rs 28,710 crore worth of transactions later, it has more than double the number of sellers than Flipkart.

No overtime without employee consent

No overtime without employee consent

Rediff.com   29 Jul 2019

The Bill states a worker will be paid twice his or her wage if he or she is allowed to work overtime. A majority of workers in India worked more than 48 hours in a week, which is higher than the International Labour Organisation's prescribed time-limit.

Garg leaves without signing off on Jalan panel report

Garg leaves without signing off on Jalan panel report

Rediff.com   26 Jul 2019

Garg had refused to sign on the report finalised by the former Reserve Bank of India governor Bimal Jalan-led committee reviewing the central bank's economic capital framework (ECF).

To ease compliance, govt plans major labour reforms

To ease compliance, govt plans major labour reforms

Rediff.com   24 Jul 2019

Single registration will be coupled with single licence, along with a single return, for executing projects for five years.

Govt to extend minimum wages to 100% of workforce

Govt to extend minimum wages to 100% of workforce

Rediff.com   24 Jul 2019

Under the New Code on Wages Bill 2019, employers will be required to give the minimum wages, notified by either the state or the Centre, to the unorganised sector, too.

Exports fall in June, 2nd time in one year

Exports fall in June, 2nd time in one year

Rediff.com   16 Jul 2019

According to data released by the commerce and industry ministry, exports stood at $25.01 billion in the month. The fall is only the second time exports contracted in the past year.

Banks likely to freeze accounts of shell firms

Banks likely to freeze accounts of shell firms

Rediff.com   11 Jul 2019

Government suspects that many of these bank accounts were used to launder money, especially after the demonetisation in November 2016.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan: How govt plans to tackle India's water woes

Jal Shakti Abhiyan: How govt plans to tackle India's water woes

Rediff.com   1 Jul 2019

The aim of the programme is to increase the water table in the stressed areas through dams, ponds, and afforestation. According to a NITI Aayog study, by 2030, the country's water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people and an eventual 6 per cent loss in the country's GDP.

Will Modi govt manage to push labour reforms this time?

Will Modi govt manage to push labour reforms this time?

Rediff.com   26 Jun 2019

After assuming power in 2014 with a full majority of its own, the BJP-led NDA government started an ambitious process of reforming labour laws in the form of codes aimed at making the framework less cumbersome with a variety of alterations. It had planned four codes each for industrial relations, wages, social security and welfare, and occupational safety, health and working conditions. To this end, 35 central labour laws were to be converted into four codes that would have had the virtue of streamlining labour relations. But none of the proposed code Bills could be converted into a law principally because neither trade unions nor industry representatives came on board. They hold the key to India's low-growth-high unemployment paradigm but the government may struggle to push them through this time as well. Somesh Jha explains why

UAE urges India to revise air services pact

UAE urges India to revise air services pact

Rediff.com   25 Jun 2019

Emirates and Etihad Airways have over the past year continued to lobby India to allow them more flight slots, which won't be possible until the 2007 pact is revised.

RBI's new stressed asset resolution is 'practical'

RBI's new stressed asset resolution is 'practical'

Rediff.com   17 Jun 2019

'If there is a technical issue and the borrowers can resolve it within 30 days, you don't have to go through the bankruptcy court.' 'If the borrower is expecting a large disbursal of a facility or expecting a payment or receivables, in such cases it becomes practical to give a window for taking care of such circumstances. 'If banks had aggregated the assets and benefited with a long relationship with borrowers and now when assets get into a trouble, it is incumbent on banks to find resolution and take responsibility.'

From FDI to e-com, traders now want a bigger say in policy matters

From FDI to e-com, traders now want a bigger say in policy matters

Rediff.com   17 Jun 2019

However, in recent times, the clout that trader bodies such as CAIT and other organisations like Swadeshi Jagran Manch and Laghu Udyog Bharati has is steadily increasing. Earlier this year, trader bodies were able to convince the government not to extend the deadline for implementation of the new norms in FDI policy on e-commerce.

India hits back at Uncle Sam with tariff hikes

India hits back at Uncle Sam with tariff hikes

Rediff.com   15 Jun 2019

The commerce department has said that earnings through the new tax will equal the losses faced by Indian industry after the US tariffs on steel and aluminium.

India likely to be among top 20 global FDI sources by 2021

India likely to be among top 20 global FDI sources by 2021

Rediff.com   14 Jun 2019

While the UN report said that FDI inflows rose 6 per cent in 2018 to $ 42 billion, the government's own data for the entire FY19 period has shown that inbound equity investments declined for the first time in six years in FY19.