-Live Mint   Voters who gave the Congress its worst drubbing did not reject its welfare agenda, but its performance There are many who interpret the emphatic rejection of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the significant endorsement of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the elections of 2014 as a mandate to end the architecture of rights-based legislation for social and economic welfare constructed during the 10-year UPA regime. Commentators opposed...

-The Indian Express   RAJE Govt: Clears amendments to Industrial Disputes Act, Contract Labour Act, Factories Act Mumbai: The Vasundhara Raje-led government in Rajasthan has taken the lead in bringing about dramatic changes to Central labour laws, which reformists have long argued are holding back job creation in the country. Labour laws form part of the Concurrent List and the Union government has often claimed pre-eminence in allowing amendments proposed by states to...

-The Business Standard     They were unimpressed by the UPA's misguided socialism, but they worry about the new regime's free-market orientation too Consider this paradox. The Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was decimated in the elections in spite of several years of good monsoon and rising agricultural production. Consider another paradox. This was the regime that implemented policies that were presumed to be pro-farmer: the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the...

-The Hindu     Erode (Tamil Nadu): Farmers here believe the BJP Government's commitment to link agriculture to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) would result in revival of village economy in the long run. Several public works, particularly those aimed at strengthening water bodies, and improving ecological balance, under the programme are already agriculture linked. The works include digging new agriculture ponds, renovating existing ones and other small water bodies, cleaning...

-Down to Earth   New minister, Prakash Javadekar, says India will present its case on climate change forcefully at international forums The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (name changed by the new government) will now accept the online applications for environment clearances for the development projects. Prakash Javadekar, the new environment minister, launched the system for online applications for environment clearances after he took charge of the ministry on May...