-The Indian Express Women who adopt infants, opt for surrogacy may get three months leave. Employers in both government and private sectors will soon be required to provide crèche facilities for employees, either on the office premises or within a 500-metre distance. The Ministry of Labour is expected to introduce a new provision in the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, which will mandate all establishments with 30 women or 50 employees, whichever is...

-Business Standard Chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian discusses the Budget, goods and services tax, Centre-state relationship and larger issues facing the economy with Dilasha Seth, Arup Roychoudhury and Indivjal Dhasmana. Edited excerpts: * In the mid-year economic analysis, you talked of revisiting the fiscal numbers for 2016-17. Is it a view of the chief economic advisor (CEA) or that of the government? I see my role as a member of the government. I...

-The Hindu Business Line Says more responses on ‘Free Basics’ than actual Consultation Paper The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been stumped by the nature of responses it received on its discussion for ‘Differential Pricing for data Services’. Rather than expressing views around ‘differential pricing for data services’, majority of the responses have centred around comments on Facebook’s ‘Free Basics’ campaign for free internet for all. Not satisfied with such ‘invalid’ answers,...

-Business Standard Investments in the health sector are far lower than those in the transport and energy sectors Of the 4,000-odd multi-crore infrastructure projects in the country, only nine (0.21%) - with a total investment of Rs 938 crore - are in the health sector, according to data published by the finance ministry. The public-private partnership (PPP) projects range from diagnostic centres to super-specialty hospitals. Investments in the health sector are far lower...

-The Hindu The Modi government’s policy is choking domestic demand at a time when global demand is also weak. This is hardly a recipe for double-digit growth. The title seems provocative. After all, for the last several months, we have all heard that India is now the fastest growing large economy in the world. The Finance Minister keeps assuring us that the country’s economic revival is on a firm footing and that...