-Press release by National Alliance of Peoples' Movements  dated 28 November, 2019 In yet another of its egregious legislative misadventures, the BJP Government with support from some other parties, passed the regressive 'Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights)' Bill, in the Rajya Sabha yesterday, despite wide-spread opposition by members of the transgender, intersex and gender non-confirming communities, seeking referral of the Bill to a Select Committee. We have all been witness to...

-The Indian Express Government data always come with limitations. Now, they have a political dimension A new data-related controversy has erupted after the government aborted the publication of the report of the household consumer expenditure survey (CES) conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) during 2017-18. This survey is one of the oldest series of surveys — undertaken by NSSO since the 1950s — and is the precursor to the...

-The Telegraph Trade unions insist that there should only be a binding minimum wage instead of a dual wage rate The draft rules for the implementation of a new wage law have kept the criteria opaque for deciding the floor wage, binding across the country, prompting fear that it will allow the states to pay “distress wages” to workers. The trade unions are unhappy with the concept of a dual wage rate —...

-The New Indian Express Unfortunately, even MGNREGS, which is providing succour to lakhs of poor people, has also been rendered ineffective by the present government, he observed. VIJAYAWADA: Expressing dismay and concern over the delay in the payment of wages under MGNREGS and clearing the bill submitted for the works done, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu shot off a letter to Chief Minister YS Jagan MoHAn Reddy demanding immediate release of funds...

-The Telegraph Nearly 10 crore children have the midday meal in 11 lakh schools every working day New Delhi: The Centre has allowed privately managed centralised kitchens to be engaged to serve food to schoolchildren in rural areas under its midday meal scheme — a decision it had earlier announced in May 2017 only to roll back in April this year — raising fears of loss of jobs for thousands of cooks. Trade...