Admitting to irregularities in the export of non-basmati rice to some African countries during UPA-I tenure, the government on Friday said it has referred the matter to the CVC after slapping show-cause notices on officials of PSUs, involved in the transactions. The action follows an internal enquiry by the Department of Commerce which found that "the exporting public sector units did not follow the transparent procedure for selection of domestic associates...

Striking workers at Foxconn India in Sriperumbudur near Chennai take on the corporate giant, demanding better wages. WORKERS at Foxconn-India in Sriperumbudur in Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu, have been on strike from September 24 demanding better wages. They also want the reinstatement of 24 suspended colleagues and the withdrawal of an eight-day wage cut slapped on some workers. That they have held out for so long is remarkable, not least...

Denmark (Rank 1) Denmark along with two other countries have been ranked as the world's least corrupt countries. With a score of 9.3, Denmark has consistently topped the Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. The country has a strong tradition of openness to global trade and investment, and transparent and efficient regulations are applied evenly in most cases. Denmark also boasts an efficient, independent judiciary that protects property rights, and the level of corruption is...

The National Advisory Council (NAC), led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, may have suggested doubling food subsidies to keep an electoral promise, but the country’s food and agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar, is not amused. Pawar has expressed frustration at the NAC’s suggestion to provide subsidised food to 75% of the population. “It (the NAC proposal) reminds me of an old AICC (All Indian Congress Committee) resolution when I was a young...

The Planning Commission has made a strong pitch for opening up the country’s retail sector to foreign direct investment (FDI). The longstanding debate on this issue has gained an added edge with the forthcoming visit of US President Barack Obama next month. US business has for long been demanding that India open up its retail sector. “FDI in multi-brand retail trading should be permitted, since it will have both positive direct...