-Business Standard No consensus as yet on social security code  Even though the Indian Labour Conference (ILC) could not build a consensus on forming a labour code on social security schemes, it recommended a slew of measures to broaden their coverage. The two-day conference, a tri-partite platform of trade unions, industry and the government, concluded here on Tuesday with a series of recommendations. It recommended that Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) coverage be expanded...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: India is often dubbed as the hub of human trafficking in Asia, especially those of children and young women for slavery and prostitution. Now for the first time, the government is bringing together all states, enforcement and intelligence agencies, paramilitary forces engaged in border areas in the eastern region, NGOs and other stakeholders to discuss a solution to end the menace. Over 600 officers from Centre/states...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Prospective parents looking to adopt might in future have to choose the child they want as their own by going through photographs, with the government planning to end the practice of allowing them to meet several children before they take one home. Under existing rules, prospective parents can meet at least three children - referred by an adoption agency - before they take a decision. Draft guidelines the women...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Centre today urged the Supreme Court to vacate its two-year-old stay on making Aadhaar cards mandatory for welfare benefits, praising the "tremendous success" of a programme Narendra Modi had trashed as a "scam" while in Opposition. Moving an application in the apex court, the government pleaded that the court stay was hobbling various social-sector programmes, including the direct benefit transfer schemes. It said that while beneficiaries' money was...

-Hindustan Times With the key Land Acquisition bill stalled by political differences with the Opposition, the Centre may change tack and get states to enact their own land legislation, enabling it to push along the economic reform process.   Finance minister Arun Jaitley said on Wednesday that the states that wanted speedy development could take the lead in framing such laws with the Centre's backing, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “political considerations”...