-IANS The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Monday warned of the emergence of a global jobs crisis, noting that around 50 million jobs that were lost during the financial crisis are still missing today. Despite signs that economic growth has resumed in some regions, the global employment situation is alarming and shows no sign of recovery in the near future, the ILO said in a report entitled "World of Work Report 2012: Better...

With some States defaulting on payment of their share of funds for providing meals to children in government schools, adversely affecting the implementation of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, the Centre has now asked all States to consider adopting Andhra Pradesh's model ‘Green Channel Scheme.' The A.P. model makes funds available throughout the year. “All States and Union Territories may take the lead from Andhra Pradesh and streamline the release of funds,”...

The government has removed from a proposed bill a clause that would have made builders liable to be jailed for making false promises about houses to customers, housing ministry sources have said. The initial draft of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, which is awaiting cabinet clearance, provided for a jail term of up to three years as well as a compensation of up to 10 per cent of the...

-The Economic Times One in four posts of government statisticians are lying vacant, the government has told a parliamentary committee. The news comes amidst repeated criticism by analysts of the quality of official government data in recent months. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has told the parliament standing committee on finance that there are about 26% vacancies in the Indian statistical Services and Subordinate Statistical Service. According to the report...

Speaking at an international workshop on Equity and Climate Change, held on April 12, the minister for environment and forests, Jayanthi Natarajan, sought to build a consensus on the inter-relationship between equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in the Climate Convention, and the nature of the obligations they entail in the new arrangement that is to be negotiated. By focusing on a technical definition of equity the approach...