NEW DELHI: Serious about attracting businesses from China, a central task force, set up to improve India’s ranking in the World Bank’s ‘ease of doing business’ scale, has been holding regular weekly review meetings on ‘enforcing contracts’ and various other reforms.

One of the important measures in promoting India as favourite investment destination is how efficiently commercial disputes are settled in courts across the country by enforcing contracts. In view of this, the Union law ministry has written to the High Courts of Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Karnataka to ensure that no judge under their jurisdiction gave more than three adjournments in a case, particularly in the commercial division of the HCs.

The law ministry, which is part of the task force, has also incorporated eight ‘standard formats’ in the commercial courts rules which are essential for enforcing contracts. The World Bank is currently conducting surveys in Delhi and Mumbai for its 2021 report. The registrars general of Calcutta and Karnataka High Courts have been added to the task force along with the representatives of the respective state governments for coordinated action.

The justice department of the law ministry had recently participated in the World Bank’s survey on enforcing contracts in Delhi and Mumbai for its 2021 report. The High Courts of Delhi, Bombay and Karnataka have already issued instructions to all judges dealing with commercial cases to restrict the number of adjournments to three to comply with the Centre’s directives.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with his senior Cabinet colleagues last week asking them to ensure all related reforms are implemented to improve India’s ranking in ease of doing business. The PM and his Cabinet colleagues also discussed strategies to attract industries looking for new markets. The US and some other countries are encouraging its industries to locate outside China in view of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, India jumped 14 places to be ranked 63rd among 190 countries in the World Bank’s ease of doing business report. The PM has set a target of being within the top 50 countries in the World Bank’s ranking and initiated several related reforms.

Source : PTI