In a move that could benefit more than 62 lakh school teachers in government, municipal and private unaided schools, the Centre plans to provide them with life insurance and Health insurance at highly subsidized rates. The HRD ministry has already held detailed discussions with LIC, with the public sector insurance giant coming up with an "indicative scheme" with two components. The first component on life insurance would be available for...

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As many as 35 lakh families in the State are likely to figure in the below poverty line (BPL) list. The Centre is likely to approve the list. The process adopted by the Local Self-Government Department for identifying the families is understood to have been approved by the Centre. The system may be emulated in other States too. Time has come to initiate proceedings for the latest survey based on...

Noting that it was committed to extending social security cover to all sections, the Government on Tuesday said it had decided to set up a National Social Security Fund for workers in the unorganised sector. “The National Social Security Fund for workers in the unorganised sector would cover weavers, toddy tappers, rickshaw pullers and bidi workers with an initial allocation of Rs. 1000 crore,” the UPA government's Report to the People...

There may be succour in store for the exploited lot of `domestic workers' with a key government panel recommending that `placement agencies', which work as mediators in employment of helps, should be regulated. It has also decided that government should ask states to declare minimum wages for these workers. The panel said that the Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1953, should regulate placement agencies. If this is implemented, the agencies...

Domestic helps, the faceless engine without which daily life will grind to a halt in India, are finally set to get the right to a weekly off and other benefits most citizens take for granted. The Centre is coming up with a policy that stipulates the compulsory weekly off for domestic helps and a few more benefits. Some homes do already extend a few of these benefits but countless others do...