-The Indian Express Niggling procedural hassles stymie efforts to modernise antiquated labour regulations.   As it completes one year in office, the NDA government seems to have finally bit the bullet and taken up the controversial Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, for amendments that would allow easier retrenchment and closure norms for firms with up to 300 workers though ensuring that the employees get higher compensation in return. The draft code on industrial relations has...

-Business Standard The Centre proposed a slew of measures for workers ahead of Labour Day. Suggesting flexibility for employers in hiring and firing labour, it also proposed provisions for a better compensation package. Union Labour Secretary Shankar Aggarwal tells Somesh Jha both workers and employers should be ready for a change demanded by the new dynamism of the economy. Edited excerpts: * How important is rationalisation of TRADE UNIONs? Unions are formed so...

-Economic and Political Weekly Ten years on, the progressive provisions of the amended Indian Patents Act are being watered down. Ten years have passed since the Indian Patents Act, 1970 was amended in 2005 to bring the country’s laws in line with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The most important of the 2005 amendments was the introduction of product patents for 20 years, including for pharmaceutical products,...

-Livemint.com While economists disagree on the extent of rigidity in India’s labour regime, there is a broad consensus on the need to simplify labour laws After showing a sense of urgency initially, the Modi government seemed to have put labour law reforms on the backburner in between. Now, things are simmering once again as the government contemplates integrating three laws—the TRADE UNIONs Act, the Industrial Disputes Act and the Industrial Employment...

-Business Standard According to a proposal by the Union labour ministry, 10 per cent of the employees or 100 workers will be needed at least to form a TRADE UNION Barely a week after TRADE UNIONs across the country celebrate the Labour Day, the National Democratic Alliance government will meet workers' and industry representatives on May 6 to discuss proposals to make forming unions tougher and union activities more rule-bound. The proposals to...