-The Hindu Noting that whistleblowers who raise their voice against corruption in government need to be protected, the Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the Centre a week’s time to report back on the time required for setting up a foolproof interim mechanism to receive complaints and protect the lives of whistleblowers till a law is enacted in Parliament. “Till the time there is a law, you [the Union government] create a mechanism...

-The Indian Express Women who adopt infants, opt for surrogacy may get three months leave. Employers in both government and private sectors will soon be required to provide crèche facilities for employees, either on the office premises or within a 500-metre distance. The Ministry of Labour is expected to introduce a new provision in the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, which will mandate all establishments with 30 women or 50 employees, whichever is...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Congress student wing has publicly criticised the passage of the juvenile justice amendment act and promised to take the matter up with the parent party, which helped pass the bill last week. Under the amended act, now waiting for presidential assent, juveniles aged 16 to 18 can be tried as adults for heinous crimes, a provision children's rights activists have condemned as draconian. "We are against the passage...

-The Times of India Cigarette consumption in India is falling steadily even as the number of women smokers is rising, making it home to the second largest number of female smokers after the United States. According to the latest data on cigarette consumption given by the health ministry in Parliament, the consumption in 2014-15 was 93.2 billion sticks — 10 billion less than in 2012-13. The production of cigarettes too fell from...

-The Hindu The National Democratic Alliance government has just introduced a cess of 0.5 per cent on all taxable services for the Swachh Bharat campaign. In February 2016, it will introduce a 2 per cent cess on airfares for all domestic flyers except those flying to remote locations, and international travellers. This cess is meant to fund losses that airlines may incur in connecting to hinterland locations. The Central government loves...