Five must-read stories—January 7

GDP growth to slow to 7.1% in 2016-17, says government

India’s economic growth is likely to decelerate to 7.1% in 2016-17 from 7.6% the previous year, chiefly due to an industrial slowdown, the government said on Friday, sidestepping the possible impact of demonetisation, reports The Mint.

EC asks Centre to respond to Opposition’s Budget delay demand

The Election Commission of India has written to Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha seeking a response by January 10 on the Union Government’s stand regarding the Opposition’s demand to postpone the Budget presentation to a day after March 8, the last date of polling in Uttar Pradesh, according to The Indian Express.

Aadhaar now mandatory for EPF pension scheme

The Centre has made obtaining an Aadhaar number mandatory for 2.5 crore members of the Employees’ Pension Scheme of 1995, one of the benefits available to Employees’ Provident Fund subscribers, reports The Hindu.

Railways sniffs sabotage, seeks CBI probe into UP track damage

Detection of missing fish plates and elastic rail clips on the tracks near Kanpur in poll-bound UP on January 1, a day ahead of PM Narendra Modi's Lucknow rally, has prompted the railways to seek a CBI inquiry into a suspected sabotage bid, reports The Times of India.

Vladimir Putin 'ordered' operation to get Trump elected, claims US intelligence report

Russian president Vladimir Putin interfered in the US presidential election to aid Donald Trump, according to a declassified assessment by the NSA, CIA and FBI, reports The Guardian.