College degree doesn't close wage gap, steep fines for excess luggage on trains, and more top news

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Indian men earn 30% more than women with the same qualifications, according to a report by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Though higher education improves women's earnings manifold, it does little to help them narrow the wage gap with men having similar credentials – a graduate woman earns ?609 a day on average compared to ?805 for a man. Earlier, an Accenture study (pdf) showed that Indian women make 67% less than men – a gap that will take more than 100 years to close.

Soon, you'll have to shell out hefty fines for carrying excess luggage in trains. That's because Indian Railways has decided to enforce its three-decades-old baggage allowance rules that allow it to charge six times the stipulated amount as penalty. Besides, the national transporter will ensure that all luggage adheres to the maximum size of 100cm x 60cm x 25cm.

Aviation advisory CAPA has advocated 100% stake sale in Air India. In a report, the think tank said that continued public ownership of the Maharajah would mean an "indefinite drain on the exchequer and the airline's eventual closure." If not fully divested, CAPA predicted, Air India's market share could slip below 10% due to heightened competition from low-cost rivals, leading to an even higher debt burden.

The earnings of most Indian millennials are determined by their families' socio-economic status – not individual merit. A World Bank study shows that three-fourths of the average income of an Indian millennial depends on parents' connections, legacy, or political power. That means there is only a three-in-10 chance that a person born in a less-educated background in the 80s has been able to overcome the disadvantage. “In India, even though relative mobility has been improving, it is low by international standards..." the study said, pointing out better performance by Brazil, China, Egypt, Indonesia and Nigeria.

India is the world's fifth-biggest generator of e-waste. A joint study by ASSOCHAM and NEC Technologies shows the country churns out 2 million tonnes of e-waste (comprising computer monitors, motherboards, mobile phones, headphones, etc.) a year, but it recycles just 5% of this. Earlier, an ASSOCHAM-cKinetics study predicted India will generate 5.2 million tonnes in e-waste by 2020.

Idea of the Day: Finding your feet as a leader? Learn to be people-oriented and task-oriented in equal measure, says Pidilite Industries' Chandramouli Venkatesan. #LinkedInStudio

"Start doing for your direct reports the things you'd expect your manager to do for you. You’ll automatically become a good leader."

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Abhigyan Chand  and Disha Sharma / Share this using #DailyRundown