Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mallikarjun Kharge said the major challenge facing India today was that of the unorganised sector. He was speaking at the second World Social Security Summit organised by the International Social Security Association in Capetown, South Africa, on Friday. Mr. Kharge is heading a six-member high-level delegation from India, which held discussions with several Labour Ministers of the nearly 120 countries participating in the meet. Mr. Kharge...

The home ministry is opposing a proposal by the rural development ministry to merge a census to identify families living below the poverty line with the caste census, raising the possibility of a conflict between two key ministries. “We have objected to the move as it would lead to many complications,” said a home ministry official. The rural development ministry had recommended carrying out the two enumerations simultaneously to accelerate the process...

Food Ministry asked how it proposed to reform PDS to plug leakages “Present procurement of foodgrains is between 50 and 55 million tonnes” In the first meeting on Friday of the experts group set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to examine the recommendations of the National Advisory Council (NAC) on the proposed National Food Security Bill, senior officials were asked to come up with firm calculations. Chairman of the Prime Minister's Economic...

The experts group, chaired by chief of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council C. Rangarajan, set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to examine the recommendations of the National Advisory Council (NAC) on the proposed National Food Security Bill, will hold its first meeting here on Friday. Even as the NAC is formulating the draft Bill, the experts group will examine the proposals and come up with its suggestions. A meeting of...

Thirteen Dalit families living under an open sky for the past two months at Satpuda village in Chittaurgarh district of Rajasthan after their houses on the government's surplus land were destroyed by the people of dominant castes have demanded action against the culprits and land allotment under the ongoing “Prashasan Gaon Ke Sang” (administration with villages) campaign. Influential people of Satpuda demolished the houses of Meghwal and Kalbelia Dalits settled for...