A Parliamentary panel has recommended an urgent and comprehensive review of the Rs 1,000 minimum monthly pension under the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995, saying the amount is no longer sufficient to meet the basic needs of beneficiaries amid rising living costs, reported PTI.The recommendation assumes significance as pensioners have been demanding that the minimum pension be raised to Rs 7,500 per month. Beneficiaries under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS-95), administered by retirement fund body EPFO, had staged a three-day protest at Jantar Mantar from March 9 pressing for the hike.In its 15th report on ‘Demands for Grants (2026-27)’ of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill Development observed that the minimum pension has remained unchanged for a considerable period despite increasing inflation and healthcare expenses.The panel noted that it had received numerous representations from pensioners seeking an upward revision, particularly in view of the financial hardships faced by elderly and economically vulnerable beneficiaries.

The Committee also took note of the Ministry’s submission that the government is extending financial support to the scheme, including a contribution of 1.16 per cent for currently serving EPFO members and budgetary support to ensure the Rs 1,000 minimum pension.However, it said the existing pension amount is inadequate even to meet basic needs in the current economic environment and recommended that the Ministry undertake an urgent review to enhance the payout to a “more realistic and dignified level”.The panel further suggested exploring the possibility of increased budgetary support to ensure a reasonable minimum pension commensurate with present-day living costs, thereby strengthening social security and financial stability for lakhs of retired workers.Besides pension reforms, the Committee welcomed implementation of the Labour Codes and recommended setting up a Permanent Co-ordination and Interaction Board with representatives from the Centre and states to monitor rollout of labour schemes.It also flagged delays in relief and compensation for contractual labourers after workplace accidents and urged timely inclusion of such workers under social security schemes like Employees’ State Insurance and Provident Fund.Highlighting the growing role of gig workers in urban supply chains, the panel recommended mandatory registration of such workers by aggregators on the e-Shram portal, with continued access to benefits such as insurance and accident coverage.The Committee also called for realistic, evidence-based budgeting by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, systematic provisioning for awareness and IT infrastructure under the Labour Codes, faster filling of vacancies in DGMS, and stricter action against illegal mining to safeguard worker safety.It further recommended expediting revision of the wage ceiling under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation to expand coverage while ensuring the financial sustainability of the ESI fund.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Tuesday approved Adani Enterprises Ltd’s Rs 14,535 crore bid to acquire Jaiprakash Associates Ltd through the insolvency process. In a regulatory filing, Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) informed that the NCLT, Allahabad bench, has “orally pronounced an order on March 17, 2026 “approving the resolution plan submitted by Adani Enterprises Ltd. In November last year, a Committee of Creditors (CoC) approved the resolution plan by business tycoon Gautam Adani to acquire JAL. Adani Enterprises won the approval of creditors of JAL for its Rs 14,535 crore acquisition proposal for the bankrupt infrastructure group. It outbid Vedanta and Dalmia Bharat to win the bid for JAL. The COC of JAL, a company undergoing Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 (IBC), has approved the resolution plan submitted by Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL),” AEL had said in a stock exchange filing. Adani got the maximum 89 per cent votes from creditors, followed by Dalmia Cement (Bharat) and Vedanta Group, it added. The JAL, which has high-quality assets and business interests spanning real estate, cement manufacturing, hospitality, power and engineering & construction, was admitted to the CIRP in June last year after it defaulted on payments of loans aggregating Rs 57,185 crore. JAL has major real estate projects like Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida, a part of Jaypee Greens Wishtown in Noida (both on the outskirts of the national capital), and the Jaypee International Sports City, located near the upcoming Jewar International Airport. It also has three commercial/industrial office spaces in Delhi-NCR, while its hotel division has five properties in Delhi-NCR, Mussoorie, and Agra. JAL has four cement plants in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, and a few leased limestone mines in Madhya Pradesh. It also has investments in subsidiaries, including Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd, Yamuna Expressway Tolling Ltd, Jaypee Infrastructure Development Ltd, and several other companies.