-The Indian Express Through this month, regional provident fund offices have been sending out queries in a specified format to companies seeking “employment data of the proportion of SC & ST employees in total employment”. THE MINISTRY of Labour and Employment has kicked off a survey that requires establishments contributing to the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), including from the private sector, to furnish information on the number of SC and...

-IANS The move to not extend non-captive mining lease will impact 334 mines belonging to cos like Tata & Vedanta. NEW DELHI: In a setback for the mining industry, the government is set to reject a proposal to extend non-captive mining leases of companies that are expiring after completing 50-year period in March, 2020. The move will impact about 334 mines belonging to companies such as Tata Steel, Vedanta Limited, Essel Mining, V.M....

-PTI Earlier in July, the Centre changed the terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission and mandated the panel to suggest ways for allocation of non-lapsable funds for defence and internal security. New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the government should have taken chief ministers' views before changing the terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission, adding that unilateralism is not good for federal policy and...

-The Indian Express This comes even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the 14th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification on Monday, mentioned that “we are focusing on ZBNF”. India’s premier academic body of agricultural scientists has hit out at Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), terming it as an “unproven” technology bringing no incremental value gain to either farmers or consumers. “The government should not needlessly invest capital...

-The Telegraph Kerala surpassed other states in access to good healthcare, nutrition and quality education New Delhi: A report on child well-being in India rated Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh as the best states. The report released last week covered most of the major aspects of child well-being, health, nutrition, education and protection. The India Child Well-Being report by World Vision India, a humanitarian organisation, and IFMR LEAD, a non-profit research organisation,...