5 stories you must read today, November 21: From implementation of new labour code to Cyclone Senyar alert and more

The Union government on Friday announced the enforcement of the four Labour Codes – the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Code on Social Security, 2020; and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. According to Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the new labour codes will ensure a guarantee of timely minimum wages for all workers, appointment letters for the youth, equal pay and respect for women, gratuity for fixed-term employees after one year of employment, free annual health check-ups for workers above 40 years of age, double wages for overtime, 100% health security for workers in hazardous sectors, and social justice for workers as per international standards. Read more

The India Meteorological Department has issued an alert for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to intensify from November 21. The IMD said that the low-pressure area over Southeast Bay of Bengal around November 22 may intensify into depression over central parts of south Bay of Bengal around November 24. The name “Senyar,” meaning “lion,” was submitted by the United Arab Emirates and is part of the pre-approved list of tropical cyclone names used in the region. Read more

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said that the fight for the state’s rights and federalism will continue, asserting that elected governments cannot be pushed to the backseat when it comes to decision-making. “Our fight for State rights and true federalism will continue,” he said a day after the Supreme Court’s advisory opinion on the Presidential Reference. He added that he will not “rest until the Constitution is amended to fix timelines for Governors to clear Bills”. Read more

Pakistan has agreed to introduce major reforms to its asset declaration system, after the International Monetary Fund raised grave concerns about the country’s anti-corruption framework. Under the IMF’s short-term action plan, Pakistan will start publishing the asset declarations of high-level federal civil servants in 2026. The IMF review described Pakistan’s asset declaration system as “fragmented,” with separate rules for government officials, public office-holders, the armed forces and the judiciary. Read more

Google on Thursday unveiled Nano Banana Pro, a new image-creation and editing engine that marks the company’s latest leap in AI tools. Built on the Gemini 3 Pro system, Nano Banana Pro is intended to deliver far more precise and flexible visual output. It also integrates with Google’s writing assistant, NotebookLM, as well as the company’s developer, enterprise, and advertising platforms. The tool is already live within the Gemini app, where users can test it with a limited number of free image generations. Read more