After Ujjwala, Govt Push For Piped Gas For The Poor; India Plans To Switch To Living Wage Norms

After Ujjwala, Centre Pushes For PNG For Poor Households

The petroleum and natural gas ministry is drawing up plans to offer free piped natural gas (PNG) connections and consumption subsidies to poor households to help wider adoption on the lines of the Ujjwala scheme, the Economic Times reported.

The Ujjwala scheme is said to have popularised LPG usage among the poor. The PNG plan is likely to be part of the ministry's proposal for the first 100-day agenda of the government after the general elections. The Modi government has asked all ministries to propose new ideas and plans that could be launched or implemented in the first 100 days. More here 

India Seeks ILO Help To Switch From Mnimum Wages To Living Wages

India is set to replace its minimum wage system with a living wage by 2025, the Economic Times reported. The government has sought technical assistance from the International Labour Organization (ILO) to develop a framework for estimating and implementing it.

India has more than 500 million workers, with 90 per cent in the unorganised sector. While many earn a daily minimum wage of Rs 176 or more, the national wage floor, stagnant since 2017, lacks enforceability across states and leads to wage payment discrepancies. This lack of upward movement in wages has led to disparities in wage payments across different states. Here’s more 

DGCA Eases Deadline For New Pilot Resting Rules

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has lifted the June 1 deadline for implementing the new rest norms for pilots, the Business Standard reported. The flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms guaranteed sufficient rest for pilots, minimising the risk of untoward incidents. The new FDTL norms, which were issued in January, increased pilot rest time.

The regulator said airlines can continue to comply with the old FDTL norms issued in 2019. Last month, the Federation of Indian Airlines — which comprises IndiGo, Air India, Vistara, and SpiceJet — had written to the regulator asking it to defer the June 1 deadline by a year. More here

Government Using AI To Streamline Coal Supply, Spam Calls

Various ministries in the government are trying out artificial intelligence (AI) to improve processes to ease the workload, the Business Standard reported. Government sources said the ministries are trying out use cases for AI in their departments to test the waters.

For instance, the Coal Ministry recently drafted a logistics plan and policy to transport coal seamlessly across the country. This was in consultation with stakeholders in the supply chain and entailed building an AI-powered platform integrating all existing central and state-level coal transport-tracking systems. Similarly, the telecom ministry is making efforts to curb spam through AI. More here

Property Developers Make A Beeline For Ayodhya, Varanasi, Tirupati

Property development is seeing a new gold rush to cities known for their places of worship, the Economic Times reported. The development has been fuelled by a rise in spiritual tourism. Cities like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Vrindavan, Haridwar and Tirupati are seeing developers from Delhi and Mumbai acquire land and launch residential projects.

With millions of visitors flocking to these destinations, the economic scenario of the area tends to improve, offering numerous opportunities and enhancing the purchasing power of residents as well as industrial development in these cities. The Uttar Pradesh government is also acquiring land in these cities to develop theme-based townships. More here 

Bombay HC Order Brings Respite To Small Borrowers But Can Delay Recovery 

Small borrowers arm-twisted into settling loans have much to be thankful for after a recent Bombay High Court ruling, the Economic Times reported.  The order directed commercial banks to produce evidence to defaulting customers before invoking the master circular on willful default. While it may bring respite to some, it may also encourage large borrowers to go to courts and delay recovery, said industry experts.

This landmark order delivered by the high court last week and the banking regulator's directive to banks that the defaulter be given an in-person hearing will significantly change the way banks tag borrowers as willful, they added. More here