-The Telegraph Labour ministry weighs proposal for essential goods, economists advise time limit The central government is likely to allow select factories that produce essential items to engage workers beyond the stipulated eight hours a day. The move is aimed at curbing footfall to ensure social distancing at workplaces and also averting a disruption in the supply chain of products like grocery items, medicines and processed food. The suggestion for such a step —...

-Scroll.in The Central government is using outdated population figures to determine grain allocations to states under the food security law.   Millions of Indians live on the verge of hunger even in normal times. Now, with the coronavirus epidemic sweeping the world and India declaring a five week-long economic lockdown to contain it, hunger threatens an even larger population which has no INCome to buy food. As part of its economic central government has...

-The Hindu INCidents spurred by propaganda campaigns by motivated people, they say New Delhi: The National Hawkers Federation, the National Coalition for INClusive and Sustainable Urbanisation and a group of activists, academics and lawyers on Wednesday in a statement condemned the reported “discrimination against Muslim vendors” during the lockdown. “We are alarmed and disheartened to learn that hawkers continue to be intimidated and physically attacked in various parts of the country...These INCidents seem...

-The Indian Express A large number of migrants in the Persian Gulf come from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and the Philippines. The loss of INCome will not just affect the workers but will also echo across continents in their home countries, which receive billions of dollars in remittances every year. New Delhi: As multiple countries across the globe try to grapple with the lockdown imposed due to coronavirus pandemic, migrants in the...

-The Hindu Business Line In a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the ongoing lockdown till May 3. While the move was imperative to save lives, taking stock of the massive impact of the extended lockdown on jobs and livelihoods is equally critical. More importantly, the Centre will have to announce big bang fiscal measures soon, to address the fallout of the virus-induced lockdown that...