-The Economic Times   Over half the country's workforce is self-employed and women receive less pay than men for similar jobs, latest government data shows. While 51% of the country's total workforce are self-employed, only 15.5% are regular wagers or salaried employees and 33.5% casual labourers, according to a survey by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), the key findings of which were released on Friday. The number of people selfemployed...

In the wake of mass protest by locals against land acquisition process The Union government on Sunday asked the Orissa government not to take precipitate action in the wake of a mass protest by locals against the land acquisition process launched at Govindpur village for the Posco steel plant. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in a statement that coercion was not the way to resolve the crisis. He hoped that the Orissa...

The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council has asked the Centre to ensure payment of the statutory minimum wages to domestic workers. In a note sent on May 4 to the government, which is framing a national policy for domestic workers, the council asked it to enshrine the right to pay without gender discrimination as laid down in the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976. Domestic workers were on a par with other workers...

As agriculture-related activities come to a standstill with the summer season reaching its peak, around 1,300 labourers and farmers in the rural areas have registered themselves for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The MGNREGS guarantees job for 100 days with daily remuneration. As many as 81 projects have been initiated in Pune district and the administration is planning to commence at least 100 more projects in the...

The scheme has reduced rural migration and promoted financial inclusion, but needs to create more durable assets. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) – the only government social welfare scheme named after the other Gandhi, not belonging to Nehru-Gandhi family – has recently completed five years. The performance of the scheme, considered a major pillar of UPA government's strategy of inclusive growth, has been a matter of debate. The...