-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Even as the Centre on Wednesday stepped in to import onion from China and Pakistan in a bid to cool down prices of the staple, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar warned that the crisis may continue for another two to three weeks. "Next two to three weeks will be tough. Ultimately, we have to find a solution. We have to import as early as possible," Pawar...

-The Business Standard Contrary to earlier claims, farm growth may be robust The projection by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) of robust agricultural growth of above five per cent and a consequential handsome rise in rural incomes comes as a silver lining to India's otherwise gloomy economic scene. The CACP's reckoning, based on a rigorous mathematical model, virtually discounts the agriculture ministry's kharif crop output estimates (called first advance...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: As many as nine central government departments, including the railways and the ministries of finance, commerce and petroleum, could be in the dock for flouting employment laws governing contract workers. The Central Labour Commissioner has sought compliance reports for contract workers deployed in several ministries, including the commissioner's own office in the labour ministry, which uses the services of 20 contract employees via a private software firm. The...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Onion prices have again hit the roof in Mumbai, Delhi and other major cities after stabilizing briefly in August, leading the Centre to suggest that traders and speculators might be "artificially" increasing onion prices and has asked whether a seasonal shortage in supplies is being exploited. "Governments of Delhi and Chandigarh were addressed to look into the possibility of traders and speculators creating an artificial...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Private players have placed orders to import around 7,000 tonnes of onions, while the government leaned on a public sector company to ship the key kitchen ingredient to beat the domestic shortage. The moves came even as the food and consumer affairs ministry said it will seek export curbs if prices did not ease in a fortnight. Senior government officials said Project Export Corporation was on...