· Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a series of measures to soften an unpopular pension reform, in an apparent attempt to stem a fall in his approval ratings.
· Mr. Putin suggested raising the state pension age by five years to 60 years for women, instead of the earlier proposed eight years to 63, among other measures.
· The proposed increase in the retirement age for men would still be by five years to 65, as originally planned.
· He also suggested early retirement for mothers with large families.
· He said companies that fire or refuse to hire employees because they are nearing pension age should face administrative or criminal liability.
· The proposed reform has sparked a rare outburst of public anger, with tens of thousands rallying across Russia in recent weeks.
· The state pension age in Russia is among the lowest in the world.
· And given Russians’ low life expectancy — 65 years for men and 76 for women — many will not live long enough under the reform to receive a state pension.
Source : The Hindu