-Business Standard Factories with up to 300 workers can fire without government approval After failing to get the Centre’s approval to the ordinance route, the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday passed a single Bill to amend eight major labour laws; seven other laws would be changed through compounding provisions, etc. With this, Madhya Pradesh became the third state in a year, after Rajasthan and Gujarat, to pass its own labour law amendments...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Government may face some tough questions during the monsoon session of Parliament with its ambitious national AIDS control program in jeopardy due to the lack of funds. At least 15 states have reported severe shortage of free condoms, while five to six of them have announced they are out of stock, sources said. Though shortages have been continuing for over a year now, many states like...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Corporate India and public sector undertakings are likely to fail Narendra Modi government's ambitious plan to have toilet in each and every school. With the August 15 deadline fast approaching, HRD ministry has decided to take help of state governments and if need be get directly involved in construction of toilets. A senior HRD official said, "Eleven big corporates, 67 public sector undertakings including banks had...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi began work with unions and employers today to build support for the biggest shake-up of labour laws in decades, in an attempt to revive a reform agenda that has suffered setbacks ahead of the Parliament session. It is a change of tack for Modi, who is smarting from widespread opposition to land purchase rules he has so far failed, to push through Parliament following...

-The Times of India MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Medicines widely used to treat diabetes, infections, pain and digestive disorders will cost 5-40% less with immediate effect, with the drug price regulator issuing an order to fix the prices of 39-odd formulations. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority's (NPPA) order, issued on Wednesday, includes drug combinations such as ciprofloxacin hydrochloride, cefotaxime, paracetamol, domperidone and metformin + glimepiride and amoxycillin + potassium clavulanate. These drugs and combinations are...