SOCIAL SECURITY CODE
Hamara gaon, hamara digital push
While smartphone adoption among low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities is growing, usage is limited to social media and messaging apps. This indicates that critical challenges continue to hinder the use of digital payments for close to 1 bn LMI people, especially women and people from marginalised communities.
Budget 2024: Skilling industry demands incentives, tax rebates and labour codes in meeting with FM Sitharaman
Ahead of the Union Budget for 2024-25, the Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs held the eighth Pre-Budget Consultation in New Delhi, focusing on employment and skill development. Key figures like Anshuman Magazine and Suchita Dutta emphasized the need for skilled workers and job readiness among graduates. Discussions also highlighted incentives for skill improvement and formal employment practices, including lowering GST rates for employment services. There were calls for greater inclusion of women in the workforce and the expansion of social security measures. Startups advocated for foreign language education to tap into global job markets.
Budget FY25: Central trade unions call for scrapping of four Labour Codes and the new pension scheme
In their pre-budget meeting with finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday, the joint platform of 10 central trade unions, barring the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, suggested government to enhance resource mobilization through enhanced corporate tax and wealth tax, raise the ceiling limit for the income tax rebate for the salaried class, set up the social security fund and fill up all the existing vacancies in the central government departments and public sector undertakings with regular employment while doing away with contract jobs.
Fashion designer gets security after threats for yoga at Golden Temple
Vadodara fashion designer Archana Makwana received police protection after death threats for performing yoga at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Her acts sparked criticism and a legal case under IPC section 295-A. Makwana apologised, explaining her intention was unity and fitness, not offense. The Vadodara police provided protection for a week, extendable, as Makwana thanked them and the Gujarat government for their support against the backlash.
Expectation is that reforms will continue, but it may not be as simple as that: Ketan Dalal
"Let’s take a look at some key areas where reforms are needed, but could be impacted; a crucial area of reforms is that of land reforms, given the need to promote India as a manufacturing hub and to leverage the China + 1 opportunity."
Centre urges states to align labour rules with model guidelines, WB asked to draft rules for all labour codes
The Centre has urged West Bengal to expedite the drafting of rules under the four Labour Codes, emphasizing the benefits for all societal sections, including women and migrant workers. The Centre reassured Delhi and Tamil Nadu that existing state schemes will remain unaffected post-implementation. Labour secretary Sumita Dawra led discussions on state readiness and rule alignment.
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Pakistan's ISI honey traps get hyperactive on Indian social media
Pakistan's ISI has been luring Indian defence officials through spies posing as attractive women, with cases like Nishant Agrawal's leak of military secrets to Pakistan coming to light. Pankaj Awasthi, an Uttar Pradesh ATS officer, revealed during Agrawal's trial that 'Sejal' from Pakistan recruited Agrawal through social media, leading to the theft of classified information.
Capacity boost for EPFO, ESIC to pave way for labour reforms
The Social Security Code, 2020, passed by Parliament in 2020, entails extending social security to gig and platform workers. Some of the changes envisioned for retirement fund body EPFO in the short, medium, and long term include restructuring of its offices, business process re-engineering, and leveraging IT for automatic settlement of claims and cadre restructuring.
Labour Codes: Secy to meet officials to take stock of state rules
The BJP-led NDA government is preparing to implement the four labour codes and will hold a meeting on June 20 with state labour secretaries and commissioners to review state rules. The aim is to align state rules with the Centre's model rules to ensure uniformity. Labour reforms are part of the government's 100-day agenda to enhance ease of doing business and attract investments. The government consolidated 29 central labour laws into four codes, with most states having framed rules across these codes.
Kangana Ranaut slap row: CISF woman constable gets offer of legal assistance
Some farmer outfits supported the CISF constable who allegedly slapped Kangana Ranaut at the Chandigarh airport over her stance on farmers' protests. The constable, Kulwinder Kaur, has been suspended and an FIR lodged against her.
Amid the heatwave, a Re 1 water brand is out to upend branding with social impact
A husband-wife duo takes an unusual approach to advertising their product to ensure they can sell affordable drinking water.
Bobby Kataria arrested in human trafficking case. A look into past controversies of the social media influencer
Controversial social media influencer Bobby Kataria arrested over human trafficking allegations by Arun Kumar and Manish Tomar from Uttar Pradesh and defrauding them of Rs 4 lakh for fake overseas jobs via Instagram and YouTube ads. This arrest adds to Bobby Kataria's controversial history, which includes being detained in 2022 for smoking on a plane, facing a non-bailable warrant, assault charges, and misconduct with police.
Xi Jinping's recipe for total control: An army of eyes and ears
A police officer in a Beijing apartment complex uses a color-coded system to identify high-risk residents. Xi Jinping aims for pervasive surveillance in China, expanding control and embedding the party in daily life.
Out of school, into startups: Young founders are on the rise, ready to even pause studies to chase their entrepreneurial dreams
In 2023, Ayush Pathak and Aryan Sharma founded Induced, assisting businesses in automating workflows with AI. Apoorv Singh launched Connect AI with Asta. Himanshu Rajpurohit's startup, Strangify, provides corporate mental health solutions. Dyumna Madan's ProjectClay helps students find career paths.
Realty mogul Frank McCourt plans bid for TikTok in US
Frank McCourt, a former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and executive chairman of investment firm McCourt Global, is an unlikely contender for the ByteDance Ltd-owned app . TikTok's US assets were valued at $35 billion to $40 billion by Bloomberg Intelligence analysts.
TCS employee says he got suspended for reporting security breach in viral social media post
A TCS employee faced suspension after reporting a security incident involving the use of personal laptops and shared login credentials, actions against TCS policy. Despite whistleblower protection policies, the employee claimed lack of support from HR or managers due to strained relations. Reddit users advised escalating the issue within the Tata group and using social media to raise awareness.
Government exploring options to roll out labour codes
The ministry of labour and employment is considering several options including a gradual repeal of the old labour laws to ensure there is no legal void in states that are yet to draft rules. Besides, the ministry is holding talks with states that are behind in publishing rules, urging them to expedite their compliance.
Encryption Clash Explained: WhatsApp's existence in India hangs in the balance
WhatsApp's encryption debate in the Delhi High Court has sparked a discussion on the balance between privacy and security. The court is considering a rule that requires social media companies to disclose message senders, raising concerns about privacy and data storage. WhatsApp argues that breaking encryption would violate user rights, while the government emphasizes the need for traceability in cases like communal violence. The court will continue hearings, with potential implications for messaging platforms and user privacy in India.
Labour codes may top new govt’s 100-day plan
Social security for informal sector workers, shift toward living wages likely to be part of near-term agenda. Insiders reveal that the upcoming government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), may prioritize the swift implementation of streamlined labor codes within its first 100 days post-election. A senior government official disclosed that the objective is to introduce these labor codes at the onset of the next fiscal year, commencing April 1, 2025, to align with the business cycle
Centre to fast-track enrolment of unorganised workers on e-Shram
The Center is expediting the enrollment of unorganized sector workers on the e-Shram portal, which provides a universal account number (UAN) and supports them with skilling and employment initiatives. Discussions with various ministries and state governments are underway to integrate data and eliminate duplication, ensuring accurate records of unorganized workers. The move precedes the Lok Sabha elections, anticipating future social security benefits or the implementation of Labour Codes. The portal currently has 295 million registered workers, aiding the government in tracking the impact of social sector schemes.
Lok Sabha elections: Delhi Police tightens security in border areas
Delhi Police steps up border checks to halt illegal liquor supply and cash movement post Model Code of Conduct. Ajay arrested for transporting liquor. Regular patrolling stock taken; vigil in sensitive areas increased. Deputy Commissioner Ravi Singh ensures Election Commission's directions are followed.
Budget 2024: If not you, your domestic help may be happy with the budget
Interim Budget: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the interim budget on February 1. There are hopes and expectations from various segments of the population regarding the budget. Some believe that Sitharaman might deliver a populist budget due to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, while others think the government is not under pressure to please different voting segments. Another argument is that the budget might provide benefits to the bottom rungs of the economy, including rural and urban poor. The budget could also extend social security benefits to domestic workers as part of the proposed Social Security Code.
Budget 2024: India likely to announce social security fund for informal workers
Interim budget: The fund, proposed in the Social Security Code, 2020, would be a step toward universal social security for workers. The code, which is not yet rolled out because all the states have not framed rules, allows partial implementation of certain provisions.
Apple iPhones lift electronics exports; Udaan CFO exits
Apple’s iPhone led the charge in India’s booming smartphone exports, contributing significantly to a record 22.24% growth in overall electronics exports, which surpassed $20 billion in the first nine months of FY24.
Budget 2024: Domestic staff may get minimum wage, pension ahead of general elections
Union Budget 2024:The Labour Bureau, under the ministry of labour and employment, has conducted an all-India domestic workers' survey and is in the process of finalising it. The government will work on cost implications after examining the data and work profile before arriving at the contours of the proposed social security benefits.
Align norms with Centre's labour codes: Govt to states
The Indian government is planning to encourage states to re-evaluate their rules across four Labour Codes and align them with those notified by the union labour ministry to avoid legal issues and divergence. The move follows a study by the VV Giri National Labour Institute, which highlighted wide differences in rules between central and state and union territories.
10 States/UTs hold up labour codes rollout
Labour, being a concurrent subject, the Centre wants the rollout of the codes only when all states are on board to avoid legal issues after implementation. Here’s a look at the state-wise progress.
Almost all states have prepared draft rules on four labour codes, says Union Minister Bhupender Yadav
In 2019 and 2020, 29 central labour laws were amalgamated, rationalised and simplified into four labour codes, viz, the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Code on Social Security, 2020; and the Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020.
Aggregators need to take responsibility of gig workers: Labour Secretary Arti Ahuja
Union Labour Secretary Arti Ahuja said that the 'National Steering Committee' is there to ensure that aggregators do their responsibilities towards their Gig workers and provide health insurance, accidental insurance and social security for them. Ahuja further added that portability of social security should be ensured so that Gig workers receive the benefits.
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