Five must-read stories—February 27

More layoffs likely as India’s manufacturing sales shrink

Manufacturing companies’ sales contracted 3.7% in 2015-16, exacerbating other problems that predated demonetisation. Facing rising costs and declining sales, manufacturers are expected to lay off more workers in the coming months and be vulnerable to loan defaults, says IndiaSpend.

NCP to join hands with Congress in corporations, Zilla Parishads: Sharad Pawar

Pawar told reporters in Nanded. He said, “If both the parties form an alliance, it can come to power in some 17 to 18 Zilla Parishads of the total 25 that went to polls. A meeting is scheduled in Mumbai in coming days, where it (the alliance) will be finalised.” In The Times of India.

Vyapam scam: 96 candidates lied that middlemen had died

The CBI probe into the Vyapam scam has found at least 96 instances where candidates lied that the middlemen who hired proxies to appear for the entrance test were dead, reports The Times of India.

Majority of US Governors throw in their lot with India after shooting

A majority of America's governors, who directly deal with violence of the kind that killed Srinivas Kuchibhotla, have thrown in their lot with India even though the White House continues to insist that "any correlation" between the fatal shooting in Kansas and President Donald Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric is "absurd", reports The Telegraph.

Tata Sons has the power to force Mistry family to sell stake

Tata Sons Ltd’s articles of association gives it the power to ask shareholders to sell their holdings by passing a special resolution, a rule that can be potentially used to force Mistry family firms to exit the Tata group holding firm amid a bitter battle, reports Mint.