-PTI Government has provided Rs 70,585 crore as fertiliser subsidy in this year's budget A ministerial panel today recommended increase in fixed cost paid to urea by Rs 350 per tone but there will be no increase in the rate of crop nutrient for farmers as government will subsidise the additional cost, pegged at Rs 900 crore. Fertiliser Ministry had moved the proposal for modified New Pricing Scheme (NPS) III, according to which...

-PTI NEW DELHI: India's retirement savings and income system index has improved over the last year and the performance is likely to improve significantly as pension coverage of the unorganised sector increases, says a report. According to the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index, India's overall value increased from 42.4 in 2012 to 43.3 in 2013, out of 100. Of the 20 nations on the list, India is ranked at the 19th position. However,...

-PTI President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday gave his assent to the Pension Bill, which provides for investment of funds in equity market and opens the sector to up to 26 per cent FDI. The long-pending Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill was passed by Parliament on September 6. "The PFRDA Bill, 2013 has received the assent of the President of India," an official statement said. The legislation provides subscribers a wide choice...

-The Indian Express Increasing provident fund contributions within a faulty system is not the answer The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is moving towards increasing the mandatory contributions made towards an individual’s provident fund (PF). Contributions to the PF are 24 per cent of basic wages. Earlier, employers would exclude allowances such as the housing allowance (HRA) to make the basic wage look smaller, and pay lower amounts. If the EPFO has...

The dust is yet to settle on the admission procedure and several schools have already begun to screen children — a violation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009. As per the Act, children between the ages of six to 14 years cannot be subject to any form of screening. Hassled parents, who wanted to change their children’s school, have been forced to rethink their decision...