-TheWire.in The law will benefit only a minuscule percentage of women, while ignoring the majority who are working as contractual labour, farmers, self-employed women and housewives. New Delhi: The passage of the landmark Maternity Benefits Act 1961 by the Indian parliament, which mandates 26 weeks of paid leave for mothers as against the existing 12, has generated more heartburn than hurrahs due to its skewed nature. The law will also facilitate ‘work from...
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A new deal for mental health
-The Hindu The Mental Health Care Bill, 2016, passed by the Rajya Sabha is a watershed Legislation that lays down clear responsibilities for the state and has provisions that empower individuals and families. Crucially, it can expand access to treatment, which is dismally poor today. According to a recent review in The Lancet, of gaps in mental health treatment, although both India and China have renewed their commitment to address the...
More »India’s forests valued at Rs 115 trillion, but tribals unlikely to get a share -Kumar Sambhav Shrivastava
-Hindustan Times New Delhi: India’s forests are worth as much as the combined market value of BSE-listed companies with a notional value of Rs 115 trillion but the money collected from diverting parts of this land for industries won’t go to communities that live in and are dependent on the jungles. The Union environment ministry accepted most recommendations of a 2013 expert panel that hiked the rates at which industrialists pay for...
More »RS passes Bill decriminalising suicide
-PTI A Bill which seeks to decriminalise suicide and provide better healthcare for people with mental illness was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The Mental Health Care Bill, 2013, says that any person who attempts suicide shall be presumed, unless proved otherwise, to have mental illness and shall not be liable to punishment under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code. Now, a person who attempts suicide is charged under the...
More »GST: Tax rate likely to be higher than 18%
-The Hindu The decision will be taken by GST Council, comprising Union and State Finance Ministers: Adhia. A day after the Bill to amend the Constitution was approved by the Rajya Sabha, paving the way for the Goods and Services tax (GST), the Centre seemed to concede that the rate at which the new indirect tax will be levied on most goods is likely to be higher than 18 per cent. While the...
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