-The Economic Times   Maruti's decision to locate expanded production in Gujarat, following strikes at its plants in Haryana, is being widely interpreted as an instance of virtuous policy being rewarded and worker militancy as well as official failure to check it being penalised. Gujarat's industrial peace is the virtue, and its reward is flow of investment to the 'peaceful' state. However, the posited linear relationship between workforce docility and popular welfare...

-The Hindu   The Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) has strongly opposed the new National manufacturing Policy approved by the Union Cabinet recently and termed it as an attempt by the government to give back door entry to the so-called labour reform of ‘hire and fire' being pressed by the business houses. “The national manufacturing policy will create new islands of lawlessness with bountiful concessions to business houses and absolute jungle raj...

Water, the most vital of all resources, has emerged as a key issue that would determine if Asia is headed toward cooperation or competition. After all, the driest continent in the world is not Africa but Asia, where availability of freshwater is not even half the global annual average of 6,380 cubic metres per inhabitant. When the estimated reserves of rivers, lakes, and aquifers are added up, Asia has less than...

Six years of RTI’s existence has empowered the Indian citizen as a  proactive partner in governance like never before since Independence. But the government has not been able to digest it, ever since its implementation. Instead of trying to dilute or scuttle the Act, it’s time the government abides by Section (4) norms of ‘suo motu’ disclosure Apart from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose innocence and ‘clean image’ stands exposed thanks...

-ENS Economic Bureau   The government today approved a national policy for manufacturing that aims to increase the sector’s share in the economy to 22 per cent from 16 per cent and create 100 million jobs over 10 years. The policy will ensure this by facilitating national manufacturing investment zones, which will offer faster clearances. “It hopes to... give comfort to investors through a single-window clearance mechanism,” Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma...