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<ul><li><keyword id="9875222" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="a-parliamentary-standing-committee" source="Orion">A Parliamentary Standing Committee</keyword> has taken note of the high air fares charged by some airline operators in the domestic sector.</li><li>The <keyword id="47865" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="committee" source="Orion">Committee</keyword> also pointed out the wrong information published by the private airlines on their websites, regarding the number of seats left in the flight and the prices of the tickets.</li></ul>New Delhi, A Parliamentary Standing Committee has taken note of the high air fares charged by some airline operators in the domestic sector, and held that they are misguiding the public and forcing passengers to pay more. The Committee also pointed out the wrong information published by the private airlines on their websites, regarding the number of seats left in the flight and the prices of the tickets. "The level of misinformation can be gauged from the fact that even after the last tickets have been sold, the same number of seats show on the website, as indicated before the tickets sale. This indicates that airline operators are misguiding the public and forcing passengers to pay more," the panel said in the Demand for Grants (2023-24) report of the <keyword id="58151" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="civil-aviation-ministry" source="Orion">Civil Aviation Ministry</keyword>. In view of the above, it recommended that the Ministry should formulate appropriate guidelines regarding rationalisation of fares and publishing the correct information on the website of the airlines. It also pointed out that 'Predatory Pricing' is being restored to by the domestic airlines sector. "A particular airline may sell its air tickets at such a low level, that other competitors cannot compete and are forced to exit the market. A company that does this will see initial losses, but eventually it benefits by driving competition out of the market and raising its prices again," said the report. The Committee desired to know whether aviation regulator, the <keyword id="6354787" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="dgca" source="Orion">DGCA</keyword> had at any point of time intervened to check the fares of air tickets. It also expressed concern at the fact that in the domestic sector, private airlines are charging different fares for the same sector, route and same direction of flights. This is specifically so for the northeastern region and hilly areas including Jammu &amp; Kashmir and Ladakh, where the prices of domestic sector tickets are, sometimes, even more than the international airline sector prices. The Committee took note of the fact that after the repeal of the Air Corporations Act, 1953, the airfare is market driven and depends on market fares, and is neither established nor regulated by the government. "It notes the DGCA's comments that the airfares were regulated for a fixed period during the Covid pandemic in compliance with <keyword id="1773277" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="aircraft-act" source="Orion">Aircraft Act</keyword>, 1934 and the regulation was withdrawn as the Covid pandemic abated and that airlines are free to fix reasonable tariffs under the Aircraft Rules, 1937, with regard to cost of operation, services, reasonable profit and generally prevailing tariff," said the report. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/how-is-gpt-4-different-from-chatgpt-and-what-makes-it-unique/articleshow/98688465.cms">How is GPT-4 different from ChatGPT, and what makes it unique?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/googles-new-ai-features-for-docs-gmail-and-more-to-rival-microsofts-workspace-toolsheres-what-it-means/articleshow/98657324.cms">Google’s new AI features for Docs, Gmail, and more to rival Microsoft’s workspace tools—here’s what it means</a>

Airlines misguiding people, forcing passengers to pay more, says Parl Panel

The Budget Session of <keyword id="6354721" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="parliament" source="Orion">Parliament</keyword> will commence on January 31 and end on April 6, according to an official statement. It will be the 259th session of the Rajya Sabha and the 11th session of the 17th <keyword id="6355187" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="Orion">Lok Sabha</keyword>. "The Eleventh Session of Seventeenth Lok Sabha will commence on Tuesday, the 31st January 2023. Subject to exigencies of Government Business, the Session is likely to conclude on Thursday, the 6th April 2023," a Lok Sabha secretariat notification said. A similar statement from the Rajya Sabha secretariat said the President has summoned the Rajya Sabha to meet on Tuesday, the 31st January 2023 at New Delhi and is scheduled to conclude on Thursday, the 6th April 2023. Parliament's Budget Session will begin from 11 am on January 31 with President Droupadi Murmu'<keyword id="16089537" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="s-address" source="Orion">s address</keyword> to the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget for 2023-24 at 11 am on Wednesday, the 1st February 2023. The session will have 27 sittings and will continue till April 6 with a month-long recess to examine the budget papers. "In order to enable the <keyword id="4555511" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="standing-committees" source="Orion">Standing Committees</keyword> to consider the Demands for Grants of Ministries/Departments and prepare their <keyword id="34464" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="reports" source="Orion">Reports</keyword>, the House will adjourn on 13th February 2023 to meet again on 13th March 2023," the Lok Sabha statement said. "Budget Session, 2023 of Parliament will commence from 31 January and continue till 6 April with 27 sittings spread over 66 days with usual recess. Amid Amrit Kaal looking forward to discussions on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, Union Budget and other items. "During the Budget Session, 2023 the recess will be from 14 February till 12 March to enable the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees to examine the Demands for Grants and make reports relating to their Ministries/Departments," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had tweeted. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/ongc-reliance-industries-paytm-siemens-among-stocks-in-focus/articleshow/97045293.cms">Sensex, Nifty50 end higher powered by L&amp;T, HDFC twins</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/gold-prices-hit-life-time-high-amid-looming-recession-hope-that-fed-will-slow-its-rate-hikes/articleshow/97061060.cms">Gold prices hit life-time high amid looming recession &amp; hope that Fed will slow its rate hikes</a>

Budget Session of Parliament from January 31 to April 6

New Delhi, Nov 29 () RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) on Friday demanded that the government should send the Industrial Relations Code Bill to a parliamentary standing committee for a redraft as certain provisions are against the interest of workers.
 Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid protest by the opposition parties.
 "Government should withdraw the provisions going against the interest of the workers in IR Code and send to Parliamentary Standing Committee to redraft it," the BMS said in a statement.
 The union also asked the government that it should urgently find ways to address industrial failures otherwise the burden is being conveniently shifted to the shoulders of workers in the name of labour reforms.
 The union has decided to discuss its further course of action on the provisions and about industrial failure in a meeting to be held in Haridwar from 11-13 December 2019.
 It pointed out that the draft law will create a battleground in the industrial sector as its many provisions are against the interest of workers.
 The large exemption regime proposed will create jungle Raj where parties will be compelled to settle their disputes with muscle power. Lack of expertise and vision is explicit in such an exercise of redrafting India's labour laws, it added.
 It is of the view that the present provisions prohibiting strike will make the industrial sector a conflict zone destroying industrial peace and will create friction at floor level.
 The bill provides for a notice of strike before 14 days and within 2 months.
 The union thinks that it is clearly a restraint on strike and asked to remove penalty for "illegal" strike.
 Fixed-term employment is a new definition in the bill, which was not in the last draft.
 Casualisation and contractualisation is going to create an explosive situation in the near future and it will also lead to below quality productive activities in Industrial sector and create an India of "casualised" labour, the union added.
 The BMS also said that the government has no business in interfering with internal matters of Trade Unions like fixing the rate of subscriptions payable by the members, prohibition on person holding an office of profit as office bearer, restraining outsiders as office bearers, protecting members of trade unions who do not participate in strike thereby creating split and weaken trade union etc.
 In the new chapter IX and X on the permission for retrenchment, closure and lay off has been reduced/retained at 50-100.
 Due to high mechanisation, companies can now run with 20-30 workers compared to 100 workers for same operations in olden times, BMS noted while suggesting that the existing threshold limit of 100 itself is on the higher side.
 It was of the view that if each unit in an industrial establishment or undertaking is considered as a separate unit, it is easy for the employer to split up into smaller units and get out of the threshold limit to circumvent the coverage of various provisions of the labour laws.
 On the definition of "wages", it said that it excludes a long list of allowances etc. which will assist unscrupulous employers to avoid payment to ESI (employees state insurance) and EPF (employees' provident fund) etc. which is against the Supreme Court decision in Group Four case.
 The union also objected to the definition of "worker" which expressly excludes apprentice.
 It is also against the provision which makes oral evidence in disputes about standing orders inadmissible and arbitrary powers given to the government to nullify the awards of Tribunals passed after a long trial.
 The time limit prescribed for the worker to apply for the execution of recovery of money as "within one year" is also an anti-worker provision whereas the general civil law says 12 years. This is to support unscrupulous employers, it pointed out.
 Different dates for implementing different provisions, exclusion clauses, Government's power to give exemption, complicated definitions, the threshold limit for coverage of certain chapters etc. are age old methods which are against the spirit of Codification and simplification, the union added. KKS KKS MR

Send Industrial Relations Code Bill to standing committee for review: BMS

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>The Republican National Committee <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-immigration-travel-ban-remains-suspended-federal-appeals-court-2017-2">defended</a> President Donald Trump's travel ban on Thursday night, after an appeals court ruled unanimously against a government bid to reinstate Trump's now-suspended executive order banning refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries.A three-judge panel <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-immigration-travel-ban-remains-suspended-federal-appeals-court-2017-2">refused to reinstate the travel ban</a> on Thursday after a Washington state judge ordered it suspended last week.The decision means that refugees and citizens from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen can continue entering the US - striking a blow to Trump's ability to deliver on one of his key campaign promises.Trump has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-responds-appeals-court-slaps-down-travel-ban-2017-2">accused the judges of playing politics</a> on the matter, and vowed to take the case to the Supreme Court, if necessary.<div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-federal-courts-political-bias-immigration-travel-ban-executive-order-muslim-iraq-syria-2017-2">'Courts seem to be so political': Trump calls out Federal Courts for freezing the travel ban</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VqZDhqOTE6xW4AOsZx4ORtv4SRsipW9I" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Republican National Committee: 'We stand with Trump'

Amid a tussle between the <keyword id="6362177" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-government">Union government</keyword> and <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> over the new IT rules, members of a <keyword id="85516" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parliamentary-panel">parliamentary panel</keyword> on Friday strongly objected to Twitter India officials' observations that they abide by their policy and categorically told them that the rule of land is supreme. According to sources, members of the Parliamentary Panel on <keyword id="6363148" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="information-technology">Information Technology</keyword> also asked Twitter why it should not be fined as it has been found "violating" rules of the country. Earlier this month, the Centre issued a notice to Twitter giving it one last chance to "immediately" comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act. The Parliamentary <keyword id="6355940" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="standing-committee">Standing Committee</keyword> on Information and Technology, chaired by Congress leader <keyword id="42749" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shashi-Tharoor">Shashi Tharoor</keyword>, had last week summoned Twitter over issues related to misuse of the platform and protection of citizens' rights. Twitter India's public policy manager Shagufta Kamran and legal counsel Ayushi Kapoor deposed before the panel on Friday. Members of the panel asked some tough and searching questions to Twitter India officials but there answers lacked clarity and were ambiguous, sources said. They strongly objected to the observation of Twitter India officials that its policy is on par with the rule of land and categorically told them "rule of land is supreme, not your policy", sources said. Twitter and the Centre have been at loggerheads over several issues for the last few months. The microblogging site had faced backlash when it briefly removed the 'blue tick' verification badge from the personal account of Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and of several senior RSS functionaries, including its chief Mohan Bhagwat. Earlier, Delhi Police had sent a notice to Twitter, seeking an explanation of how it described an alleged "Congress toolkit" against the Central government as manipulated media. The police reportedly had also questioned Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari on May 31 and visited the Twitter India offices in Delhi and Gurgaon on May 24 over the toolkit issue. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/low-skilled-it-jobs-in-india-are-definitely-at-risk-as-per-different-reports/articleshow/83633565.cms">Whether it's half a million or three million — 'low skilled' IT jobs in India are definitely at ris</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/el-salvadors-bitcoin-experiment-is-gaining-momentum-even-if-the-world-bank-doesnt-want-to-lend-its-support/slidelist/83634654.cms">Here’s how El Salvador’s Bitcoin experiment is playing out so far — the good, the bad and the ugly</a>

Rule of land supreme, not your policy: Parliamentary panel on information technology to Twitter

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">Guang Niu / GettyZhou Yongkang (L) and <keyword id="191809" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Xi-Jinping">Xi Jinping</keyword> (R) in 2007.</div></div></div>
Zhou Yongkang, <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>'s former security chief, has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-puts-former-security-chief-under-house-arrest-2013-12">placed under house arrest</a> while the government investigates him on charges of corruption and "violating party discipline." He's the most powerful politician to go down since the Communist party took over in 1949, and his arrest is more evidence that President Xi Jinping is embracing authoritarianism in a big way.
Think of Zhou's arrest like the President taking down the retired head of the FBI or the CIA.
The difference in China, though, is that those two security apparatus' are controlled by the party, and within the party, Zhou still had a great deal of influence. He's a former members of the <keyword id="982769" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Politburo-Standing-Committee">Politburo Standing Committee</keyword> (the 7 to 9 men that run the country) and in arresting him "Xi has broken with an unwritten understanding that members of the Standing Committee will not be investigated after retirement,"<a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1378361/former-security-chief-zhou-yongkang-under-house-arrest"> writes the South China Morning Post.</a>
The investigation in Zhou started earlier this fall, and this arrest takes him a huge step closer to going the way of former Communist Party darling Bo Xilai - never to be seen again.
If you're in the ever-growing camp of China watchers who believes President <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverbarron/2013/11/13/xi-jinping-grabs-the-reins-vladimir-putin-meets-ronald-reagan/">Xi Jinping is going the way of Putin</a> in terms of consolidating power, this whole situation is a massive red flag.
Here's why: A<a href="http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2012/11/05-china-leaders-li">ccording to Brookings Institute scholar Cheng Li</a>, China's Communist party is divided into two factions. There are the free market guys who take their cues from former President Jiang Zemin and think the economy has grown too slowly.
Then on the other side, there are more conservative communists who identify with former President Hu Jintao.
Zhou is a Hu man.
President Xi is on the Jiang side. It's a good side to be on. Last year, the Jiang faction showed some major muscle by grabbing almost every spot on the Politburo Standing Committee. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/world/asia/jiang-zemin-ex-leader-of-china-asserts-sway-over-top-posts.html?_r=0">The New York Times</a> basically called it his comeback.
Hu's people, on the other hand, only got only one spot, Prime Minister Li Kequiang, and his power has been reduced since Xi took away a great deal of his responsibility over the economy during the Third Plenum.
Until today, Zhou, Li, and former Prime Minister Wen Jibao stood as partial outsiders in a Jiang/Xi-loyal regime, though outsiders with power.
It's important to keep in mind that there is a faction of the Chinese intelligentsia who thinks Xi's power consolidation is a great thing.
They believe in something called neo-authoritarianism and to them, China needs a strongman who also believes in capitalism to really get China's economy in gear.
Xiao Gongqin, a history professor at Shanghai Normal University started arguing this in the 1980s, and based it on Deng Xiaping, an authoritarian economic reformer.
From the <a href="http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/15/xi-in-godfather-mold-looks-assertive-and-even-imperial/">New York Times:</a>
"Xi Jinping marks the arrival of a golden age for Chinese neo-authoritarianism," the professor said.
"It's essential to concentrate power now," he said. "This period requires a strong man, a very powerful leader, and this powerful leader must have both prestige and also institutionally guaranteed powers."
So as the government <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/anti-western-post-going-viral-in-china-2013-12">ramps up its propaganda machine</a>, remember that there is a base of support for Xi's power grab. That base could spread, and as it spreads, anyone on the outside needs to watch their backs.
It doesn't matter who they are.

China's President Just Shattered An Unwritten Rule In His Ongoing Power Grab

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table center"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>The Republican Party's House campaign arm released an advertisement praising one Congressman for standing up to Donald Trump.The National Republican Congressional Committee quietly released a TV advertisement in Illinois this week, touting Republican Rep. Bob Dold as "an independent voice who stood up to Donald Trump months ago."The ad was first spotted by <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/441506/nrcc-praises-bob-dold-having-stood-donald-trump">The National Review</a>. According to the Review, while some House Republicans have released their own ads distancing themselves from Trump, who is the Republican Party's presidential nominee, none of those were created by the NRCC - the committee that works to elect Republicans to the House.Dold is fighting to hold his seat in a solidly Democratic district. In May, he told a Chicago radio station he would <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/10/politics/donald-trump-republican-opposition/">not support Trump</a> in the November election, saying "we're looking for a uniter, not a divider."<h2>Watch the ad below:</h2><div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/david-cay-johnston-donald-trump-tax-returns-election-president-2016-10">David Cay Johnston: 'There's very good reason to believe Trump's been engaged in tax fraud'</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="55djltNjE6R3GjRh7Z7AOTti393w4Z_u" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Republican committee makes ad praising GOP Congressman for standing up to Trump

Municipal Corporations have been trying to encourage people to use toilets across India, but they have failed every time. But now <keyword id="50451" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ahmedabad-Municipal-Corporation">Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation</keyword> (<keyword id="6358378" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="AMC">AMC</keyword>) has come up with an innovative idea; it has decided to pay one <keyword id="6355302" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rupee">rupee</keyword> to people who use the nearest public toilets, promoting cleanliness drive cross the city. 
 As per a <keyword id="6356641" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="times-of-india">Times of India</keyword> report, this innovative idea was first implemented in Darechowk, <keyword id="18568" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="kathmandu">Kathmandu</keyword> <keyword id="12266" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Nepal">Nepal</keyword>); the state started paying people to pee at the right spots and it worked very well for them. No wonder this encouraged AMC to try it out in Ahmedabad too. 
	 

	The AMC would initially implement the scheme in 67 nuisance spots in the city. Once successful, the scheme would come into force across all public toilets in the city. "The whole motive of the scheme is to popularize the <keyword id="6355373" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="public-toilet">public toilet</keyword>. We plan to generate revenue through advertising," said a senior AMC official. On Thursday, the <keyword id="6355940" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Standing-committee">standing committee</keyword> of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has taken up the proposal for consideration. The AMC sanitary department plans to motivate people to use toilets through advertising the scheme near open defecation sites. The corporation is even planning to impose heavy fines on offenders. 
	 

	Standing committee chairman Pravin Patel said: "We are going to implement this project because people near 67 pay and use toilets are found defecating in the open. Some even defecate on footpaths and pose a major public health risk. Our move will encourage people to use public toilets and AMC officials will also explain their family to do the same." 
	 

	"There are around 300 public toilets in the city out of which the service will be available in 67 public toilets. Most of them are located near slum areas," Patel added. 
	 

	The government and health workers have been trying to encourage people to use toilet. This would help to combat the spread of diseases, like diarrhea and typhoid which kills many children each year. 
	 

	Moreover, lack of toilets poses threat to women safety. They go to fields in early mornings or late nights to attend the nature’s call, leaving themselves vulnerable to sexual assault or predation by big cats.

	 
	(Image: Indiatimes)

Now, pee in Ahmedabad’s public toilets to make a quick buck!

The government is expected to propose amendments to the competition law after taking into consideration various suggestions of a Parliamentary panel, in the upcoming <keyword id="105431" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Budget-session" source="Orion">Budget session</keyword> of <keyword id="6354721" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="parliament" source="Orion">Parliament</keyword>, according to a senior official. Besides, discussions are going on with respect to amendments to the <keyword id="6354456" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="insolvency-and-bankruptcy-code" source="Orion">Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code</keyword> (<keyword id="192838" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ibc" source="Orion">IBC</keyword>) as well as the Companies Act, 2013. The official also said that the corporate affairs ministry is examining a Parliamentary panel's suggestions for having a new digital competition law. The ministry is implementing the Competition Act, IBC and the Companies Act, and amendments to these laws are expected this year. A bill to amend the competition law was introduced in Parliament on August 5 last year and was later referred to the <keyword id="403206" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="parliamentary-standing-committee-on-finance" source="Orion">Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance</keyword>. The panel tabled its report on December 13 last year and the ministry will now be coming up with an amendment bill after taking into consideration various recommendations of the committee. The senior official said the bill to amend the competition law is expected in the <keyword id="6358021" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="budget" source="Orion">Budget</keyword> session of Parliament. The introduction of a 'Settlement and Commitment framework to reduce litigations' and incentivising parties in an ongoing cartel investigation in terms of lesser penalty to disclose information regarding other cartels were among the proposals in the bill that was introduced in August last year. In its report, the Parliamentary panel recommended various changes to the bill to amend the competition law, including bringing cartels under the scope of settlements as a "pragmatic recourse". The Budget session of Parliament will commence on January 31 with President <keyword id="2848422" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="droupadi-murmu" source="Orion">Droupadi Murmu</keyword>'s address to the joint sitting of <keyword id="6355187" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="Orion">Lok Sabha</keyword> and <keyword id="48510" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rajya-sabha" source="Orion">Rajya Sabha</keyword>. The session will have 27 sittings and will continue till April 6 with a month-long recess to examine the budget papers. The first part of the session will conclude on February 14 and after a break, reconvene on March 12. In another report on 'Anti-Competitive Practices by Big Tech Companies', the Parliamentary panel, on December 22, proposed a new digital competition law, ex-ante regulations and the creation of a category of systemically important digital intermediaries to curb anti-competitive practices in the digital market. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/i-belong-to-middle-class-understand-their-pressures-sitharaman-before-budget/articleshow/97031282.cms">I belong to middle class, understand their pressures: Sitharaman before Budget</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/over-5-4-lakh-housing-units-to-be-completed-across-top-7-cities-in-2023-anarock-report/articleshow/97029912.cms">Over 5.4 lakh housing units to be completed across top 7 cities in 2023: Anarock report</a>

Amendments to competition law likely in Budget session

Amidst all the celebratory din on the clearing of the GST bill, the <keyword id="6377229" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Child-labour">Child Labour</keyword> (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016 passed both the houses of Parliament without the attention it deserved. The Bill amends the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 which had banned the employment of children, that is those below 14 years of age, in 83 specified occupations/processes. The amendment prohibits engagement of children, which it now defines as 14 years or as specified by the Right to Education (RTE) Act, in all occupations except in family or family-based enterprise (after school hours or during vacations) and in the audio-visual entertainment industry or sports activity. It also created a new category of “adolescent”, which includes those between 14 to 18 years of age, and prohibits their employment in hazardous occupations, or hazardous processes. 
 
There have been widespread criticisms of the exceptions for family or family-based enterprises since it was cleared by the Cabinet in May last year. The government did away with the blanket ban on child labour, proposed when the bill was first introduced in 2012, to strike “a balance between the need for education for a child and reality of the socio-economic condition and social fabric in the country”. 
 First, if the reality of the socio-economic condition is forcing parents to keep their child working, this situation can’t be expected to improve anytime soon if status quo remains and children keep missing out on their education. And since, according to a study, parents are the reason for a child’s employment 62% of the time (Syed et al. 1991), the status quo would persist. There is much to be lost if India can’t capitalise on its demographic dividend being unable to tear itself away from the shackles of an uneducated population. The bill does restrict working hours to after-school timings, but where would the child have the time for any effective learning of things taught at school if he is at work later? Secondly, these exceptions have enough loopholes to nullify the amendment itself. They are not even restricted to the child’s immediate parents but extends to his/her “brother, sister and father’s sister and brother and mother’s sister and brother”. Any employer could claim to be a relative and it would be difficult to prove otherwise. Even the <keyword id="6355940" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Standing-committee">Standing Committee</keyword> recognised this issue and suggested removal of exceptions and prohibition of employment in all occupations. The recommendation was ignored. 
 
The exceptions also make the law weaker than the earlier one when the purpose of amendments are the exact opposite. Earlier, a child weaving carpets was a blatant violation of the law. Now, it must first be determined who he is working for; if it is for his family in after-school hours, he is legally entitled to carry on. The bill has effectively legalised employment of children in home-based units rolling bidis and making aggarbattis. This makes the bill highly regressive in nature and tougher to implement. It is an uncomfortable relaity that it has passed both houses of Parliament with hardly any public scrutiny. 
 
Some other issues with the Bill are its various inherent contradictions. The Juvenile Justice Act puts the age of a child at 16 years while the RTE Act, which this bill has tied itself with, fixes it at 14. There is a need for clarity on the definition of a child. Moreover, the Bill is in contradiction with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as it fails to define the number of hours a child can work. Another issue of contention was that of provisions for the employment of adolescents. The Standing Committee recommended that the meaning of hazardous occupations and processes be widened to include all occupations/processes that may jeopardise health, safety and morals of adolescents, in line with the ILO Convention 138. Again, the recommendation was ignored. 
 A group of organisations and activists have raised their voices against these amendments time and again with no avail. Back in March, Kailash Satyarthi wrote in a letter to <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> that a complete abolition of child labour would attract more global investment as reports of their products being made by children tarnish their image. For instance, Gap was caught in an embarrassing scandal in 2007 after an Observer investigation found its products being manufactured by children in Delhi, despite Gap’s rigorous audit systems. The company claimed that it contracts out work to various vendors in India and it becomes difficult to keep track on each one of them. Therefore, a better child labour law in India which is easy to implement would diminish such problems. In fact, it would act as a double-edged sword cutting down on child labour along with improving investment prospects. Perhaps the country should pay more heed to the child-rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner it takes so much pride in! 
 
About the author: The article is written by <keyword id="209438" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amit-Kapoor">Amit Kapoor</keyword>, in collaboration with <keyword id="1914448" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chirag-Yadav">Chirag Yadav</keyword>, researcher with Institute for Competitiveness, India 
 
<a href="http://cdn.shareyouressays.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/child-labour-causes.jpg">Image source</a>

Failing our children

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rep. Jim Himes said Trump's claims of a "standing order" to declassify any documents he took are "utter baloney."</li><li>Himes said the declassification process is complex and can often take months.</li></ul>Rep. Jim Himes, a Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, said that Donald Trump's claims that he had a "standing order" to declassify any documents he took are "utter baloney."Himes told <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-prime/watch/-utter-baloney-rep-himes-knocks-trump-s-new-claim-of-standing-order-to-declassify-146081349581">MSNBC</a> that while the president is a declassifying authority, there is a "really elaborate documented process for declassification," which can often take months."Of course, he's going to say that because it creates a little bit of confusion and throws a bit of mud into the water. But I can tell you as someone who also sees the most sensitive information this country has, that's utter baloney."The FBI recovered <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-11-sets-classified-documents-mar-a-lago-raid-2022-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">11 sets of classified records</a> from Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, some of which were marked top secret and meant to be stored in special government facilities because of their sensitive nature, according to the inventory of seized items.In a <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1558261235883311106">statement to Fox News</a>, the former president defended himself by claiming that he had a "standing order" whereby documents were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-claims-standing-order-automatically-declassify-docs-2022-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">declassified "the moment" they left the Oval Office.</a>Himes, the representative for Connecticut's 4th congressional district, dismissed Trump's claims and described the stringent security process for accessing sensitive documents in government facilities."If I take documents out of that facility, I have committed a felony. And if a president takes them out of a facility, he too has broken the law," he said.Himes said he did not believe that Trump thought the documents were declassified and would have been immediately corrected even if he had expressed that belief."If he thought that that was, or told anybody that that would be the case, you know, there would have been about 50 people that say 'no sir, that doesn't work.'"Himes suggested that Trump's latest claim is just an attempt to deflect the issue, such as his unrelated comparison of former <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-obama-allowed-take-white-house-records-but-not-trump-2022-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">President Barack Obama taking documents </a>to Chicago after leaving office."We should try to keep our eyes on the main thing here, which is we're in the world of the typical Trump defense," Himes said.Following the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, the Department of Justice is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/doj-investigating-if-trump-violated-espionage-act-classified-records-2022-8">investigating whether Trump broke three laws</a>, including the Espionage Act, when he took government records after he left office, according to the <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.617854/gov.uscourts.flsd.617854.17.0_6.pdf">warrant unsealed</a> on Friday.The possible crimes being investigated do not depend on the classification of the documents, as they relate to the handling of national security information.

Intelligence Committee Rep. rubbishes Trump's claim of a 'standing order' to declassify documents as 'utter baloney'

New Delhi, Jan 28 () Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar on Tuesday expressed confidence that Occupational, Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) code will get Parliament approval in the Budget session beginning this Friday.
"We are quite hopeful of getting back the OSH Code from standing committee. It is most likely to be considered and passed by Parliament during this Budget Session scheduled to begin on January 31, 2020," Gangwar said on the sidelines of a conference on safety of mines.
However, the minister said the labour ministry will push all three codes, including OSH, for passage in both the Houses of Parliament.
There are greater chances of Parliament approval for Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019 in the Budget session as it was referred to standing committee in October last year.
The ministry is expecting that the committee would submit its report on the OSH Code during this Budget session. If no major changes are contemplated then it can be pushed for passage during this session only as it would continue till April first week.
In December, the ministry had sent The Industrial Relations Code, 2019 and The Social Security Code to the standing committee for scrutiny. The three codes were introduced in the Lok Sabha last year and subsequently sent for the committee's scrutiny.
The Code on Wages was also sent for standing committee's perusal.
As per the recommendations of the 2nd National Commission on Labour, the ministry is codifying existing 44 central labour laws into four codes by simplifying, amalgamating and rationalizing the relevant provisions of the legislations.
The Code on Wages has already been approved by Parliament last year. The law would be implemented after framing rules under the code.
The process of labour reforms began after 2nd National Labour Commission gave its report in 2004. But the process was expedited in 2014 (when NDA government came in power at centre). KKS BAL

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