-PTI The Government today said it is likely to table a White Paper on black money during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, but maintained that there is no authentic estimate of the quantum of illicit wealth. "The white paper is likely to be brought during the Budget Session," Minister of State for Finance S S Palanimanickam informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. The White Paper is expected to contain information...

The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) has released draft recommendations for a social security package for the country’s unorganized sector, which envisages providing life, disability and health cover, maternity benefits and old-age pension to workers. NAC, in a draft released on 7 March, suggested that the different welfare schemes being run by the ministries of women and child development, health and family welfare, Finance and labour and employment should be...

-The Economic Times India has lifted the week old ban on cotton exports following intense political protests, but stiff riders have been put in place to discourage overseas hoarding.  Exports will be allowed only of consignments that had been registered before the ban after scrutiny and revalidation to eliminate ``fictitious'' transactions while issue of fresh registration certificates has been put on hold. The group of ministers headed by Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee,...

-The Economic Times The government may be forced to trim its legislative agenda - including pushing through long-pending bills on pensions, insurance and banking - following Congress' debacle in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab assembly elections.  Pension, insurance and banking sector reforms are part of the legislative agenda of the UPA government but BJP leaders told Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee at an outreach session that the government should first set its House in...

A tectonic shift in the global climate negotiations got underway with the African group of countries siding with India in demanding that equity and 'common but differentiated responsibilities' be embedded in the talks for a future climate regime. The re-alignments became evident with several key groups of nations submitting their views on how countries should increase their ambition levels for cutting emissions in the coming years. The submissions from Association of Small...