Policy Pulse #2 | June 16, 2022
Policy Pulse #2 | June 16, 2022
This Week in Policy
Labour and Employment
India advocates for Social Security and Labour Mobility Agreements at International Labour Conference
The hon’ble Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Shri Bhupender Yadav, has advocated the signing of Social Security Agreements and Labour Mobility Agreements before the International Labour Conference in Geneva. Read more
Social Security Agreements allow “totalisation”, where immigrant workers may be exempt from making social security payments abroad if they also do so in their home country. Labour Mobility Agreements lay down the general conditions for labour migration, and establish protections for immigrant workers in the host nation.
NSO releases annual Periodic Labour Fource Survey report
The National Statistical Office has released the fourth annual Periodic Labour Force Survey report, covering the period between July 2020 and June 2021. The report highlights an increase in the Labour Force Participation Rate from 40.1% to 41.6% between the years 2019-20 and 2020-21. Further, it finds a decline in the unemployment rate from 4.8% to 4.2% in the same period. Read more | Report
PM Modi’s recruitment drive: Govt to hire 10 lakh employees in the next 18 months
PM Narendra Modi has issued a direction to all ministries and government departments to recruit 10 lakh people in the next 18 months.
Finance
MPC raises repo rates
The Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India voted unanimously to increase the repo rate by 50 basis points, to 4.90%. The move is a bid to retard inflation, which, in the view of RBI, will average 7.5% in the April-September quarter. The MPC also voted to continue its focus on removing the accommodations granted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
RBI proposes linking credit cards with UPI
The Reserve Bank of India has proposed to permit the linking of credit cards with the UPI network, given its wide reach. Rupay credit cards will be the first to be linked with the UPI. Read more
Technology, Media and Telecommunication
IPL media rights: Disney Star, Viacom big winners, Times Internet gets int’l media
The 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) media rights auction is over, with Disney Star acquiring TV broadcast rights, Viacom winning the bid for digital rights and Times Internet getting the international media rights. The combined value of all three media rights is Rs. 48,390 Cr, making IPL the second most valued sporting league worldwide (per match value-wise), according to BCCI Secretary Jay Shah. Read more
MIB advisory on online betting adverts
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued an advisory to print, electronic and digital media to refrain from advertising online betting platforms.
In its brief advisory, MIB has noted that there are several instances of online betting being advertised on social media platforms and electronic/print media. It has issued this advisory in ‘public interest’ to prevent promotion of betting and gambling activities, which are largely prohibited, across the country. Read more
Cabinet approves IMT/ 5G Spectrum auction
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal put up by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for auction of 5G spectrum. Successful bidders will be assigned the spectrum for providing 5G services in India. Read more
Government issues guidelines on misleading advertisements; bans surrogate advertising
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has issued new guidelines to prevent misleading advertisements, with a specific focus on advertisements targeting children or falsely making claims that a product, good or service is free. The guidelines also prohibit surrogate advertising, a practice through which companies advertise products like alcohol by purporting that the advertisement related to an alternative good or service. Read more | Guidelines
E-commerce
Food Delivery apps to give nutritional information
The FSSAI has issued an order directing e-commerce FBOs to enable provisions on their mobile applications for the display of nutritional information and other requirements, such as the allergen content of the food being sold therein. These requirements shall be effective from July 1, 2022. Read more | Order
E-commerce FBOs directed to submit proposals on improvement of grievance redressal mechanisms
The Department of Consumer Affairs has directed major e-commerce food businesses to furnish their current means of grievance redressal, as well as proposals on improving the same in the next 15 days. This was in response to consumer complaints regarding the veracity and reasonableness of delivery and packaging charges, differences between quoted prices and those actually offered by restaurants and fake reviews, among others. Read more
Amazon-Future dispute: NCLAT upholds CCI order
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has upheld the December 2021 order by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) suspending the deal between Amazon India and Future Coupons on the grounds that Amazon did not make full disclosures of the investment. The NCLAT has ordered Amazon to pay the penalty amount of Rs. 200 Cr within 45 days. Read more
CCI mulls digital market unit
The Competition Commission of India is planning to set up a digital market unit in order to evaluate anti-competitive conduct by e-commerce platforms and other digital enterprises. This unit shall specialise in analysing the behaviour of digital businesses, and assist the CCI with the complexity and opaqueness associated with digital markets. Read more
Sustainability
BIS introduces performance standard for battery swapping
The Bureau of Indian Standards has established performance standards for the perofrmance of lithium-ion batteries that shall be used in electric vehicles. These standards incorporate test procedures for basic characteristics of performance, reliability and functionality for battery packs. It is not mandatory for EV manufacturers to adopt these standards, however. Read more | Standards (Link for purchase)
Miscellaneous
Bihar releases textile and leather policy
The Government of Bihar released the Bihar Industrial Investment Policy (Textile and Leather Policy), 2022, aimed at increasing the attractiveness of textiles, apparel, silk and leather products for investors. The policy intends to attract investment through a variety of incentives, infrastructural support and subsidies for employment generation. Policy copy | Read More
Home Ministry seeks comments from states on framing rules for Criminal Identification Act
Ministry of Home Affairs has reached out to state home departments and other stakeholders on framing of rules for the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 which was enacted during the Budget Session earlier this year and allows law enforcement agencies to collect and store biometric data of convicted and accused individuals in crimes. Read more
Govt establishes the NDIAC
The Ministry of Law and Justice (Government of India) has, by notification, established the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre, in furtherance of the New Delhi Arbitration Centre Act which was passed in 2019. Read notification
A Few Good Reads
Pradeep S. Mehta and Sneha Singh write in the Economic Times about the approach India should take at the World Trade Organisation’s Twelfth Ministerial Conference.
Moshumi Das Gupta, Sowmiya Ashok and Sonal Matharu explore the urban job guarantee schemes enacted by various states, as well as the Centre’s reluctance to adopt such a scheme, in The Print.
K. Sathish Kumar and Ritika Roy write in the India Business Law Journal about the costs and logistical challenges associated with India’s proposed data protection regulation
Crypto-crazy? Read about metaverse development and a possible new monetary system at CoinDesk.
Dr Prabhash Ranjan shares his perspective in the Hindustan Times on the high-stakes WTO ministerial meeting that is currently underway in Geneva.
Upcoming Events
India Energy Transition Summit
June 16 | FICCI, Federation House, New Delhi
FICCI is launching its annual India Energy Tradition summit on June 16, 2022, to convene Indian and international policymakers and energy sector stakeholders to discuss India’s energy transition, and the opportunities and challenges it brings. For details, see here.
First and Last Mile Mobility Conclave 2022
June 17 | Virtual
FinancialExpress.com is hosting a day-long event to bring together stakeholders, policy makers and industry insiders to discuss policies and solutions for developing sustainable mobility solutions in the future. For details, see here.
MSME Business Conclave 2022
June 27-July 1 | Virtual
FinancialExpress.com is hosting a week-long event to celebrate the contribution of small businesses to India and its economy, in celebration of MSMEs Day on June 27. The conclave shall bring together regulators, MSME associations, small business owners, bankers, and technology service providers for discussion on solutions for the growth of small businesses in India. For details, see here.
Publications
Sujaya Sanjay (Aakhya India) analyses the notification released by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 9 May 2022 on the mandatory sharing of sports broadcasting rights with Prasar Bharati, in the Financial Express. Read here