Political and Social Issues

The Labour Ministry is making efforts to extend all benefits available to permanent workers to contract workers
Mr Kharge was responding to the demand of trade unions to amend the Contract Labour Act, 1970 to provide for automatic absorption of contract labour in the event of prohibition of employment of contract labour and opposition by employers' organisations.
the present system of verification (of trade unions) like secret ballot, check off, etc., needs to be closely examined further for evolving an improved system which is more transparent and brings out the proper representation.
The Minister also hinted at the need to have a National Labour Code, as suggested by the Arjun Sengupta Committee, to lay down “a floor of substantive labour rights or standards such as minimum wages, maximum hours of work, minimum standards of safety and health at workplace and so on.”

There is no need to amend the Right to Information Act even though some inbuilt weaknesses exist, the Union Minister of Corporate Affairs, Mr Veerappa Moily, said the RTI Act while empowering citizens, should not be used as an instrument for oppression or to cater to vested interests or agendas of political parties.
The Companies Bill 2009 is likely to be placed in the winter session of the Parliament and will replace the existing Companies Act 1956.
the national competition policy is likely to come into effect by the end of this year and would focus on high GDP growth and control inflation but Monetary policy should be the last option to tackle inflation.

Fauja Singh, a 100-year-old runner of Indian-origin, has set a Guinness record of being the oldest person to complete a full-distance marathon 42-kilometre marathon here.
He ran his first at the tender age of 89 and wasn't the first time he set a record.