Thursday 26 April 2012

Centre clears Banking Bill


The cap on voting rights in private sectors can be raised to 26 % in a phased manner
The Union Cabinet, on Thursday, decided to retain the voting rights in the private sector banks at 10 per cent and felt it could be raised progressively to 26 per cent as suggested by the Standing Committee.
The decision, according to the sources, was taken by the Cabinet while approving changes in the proposed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2011. It has been decided that the cap on voting rights in the private sectors, which is now at 10 per cent, could be raised to 26 per cent in a phased manner.
In December last, the Parliamentary Standing on Finance had recommended raising voting rights of investors in private sector banks but with a cap of 26 per cent with a view to maintaining a balance between economic control and promoting corporate democracy.
The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2011, introduced in the Lok Sabha in March, 2011, had proposed providing voting rights to investors commensurate with their shareholding in the private sector banks.
At present, the voting right is capped at 10 per cent irrespective of the share holding in private sector banks.
The Committee in its report on the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2011, tabled in the Lok Sabha had suggested the RBI must ensure that regulatory mechanism is adequate and strictly complied with to prevent any misuse of the provision of increasing the limit.
It had recommended that RBI, being the nodal agency in the banking sector, should conduct due diligence of “fit and proper persons/entities...” 
PTI

Hacking of Websites



Preliminary discussions have been held on establishment of a multi stakeholder Cyber Coordination Centre which will detect malicious cyber activities in the Indian Cyber space and issue early warning alerts. 

The Minister of State For Communications and Information Technology ,Shri Sachin Pilot informed the Lok Sabha yesterday that such alerts will facilitate mitigation of cyber attacks with coordinated efforts of all stakeholders in Government, academia and Industry.

Shri Pilot said, according to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), 133 Government websites were hacked during January to March this year. A total of 92, 204 and 248 Government websites were hacked in 2009,2010 and 2011 respectively. 

He further informed that according to the Norton Cyber Crime Report published in 2011, US $ 4 billion were lost due to cyber crime in India compared to US $ 114 billion world-wide. The Report further noted that 80% of the people surveyed experienced cyber crime. The data is not validated but the report is based on a survey involving over 19,000 people across 24 countries including 600 from India. 

 The Minister informed that according to Reserve Bank of India, 2232 Internet fraud cases involving nearly Rs 1234.94 lakh were registered in the year 2010. CBI registered 2 cyber crime cases involving Rs. 17 Lakhs in 2010.

Shri Pilot informed that the Government has taken the following measures to tackle cyber crimes:

(i) Legal Framework in the form of Information Technology Act, 2000. The Act provides legal framework to address the issues connected with cyber crime, cyber attacks and security breaches of information technology infrastructure.

ii) Setting up of Early Warning and Response to cyber security incidents through the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and collaboration at national and international level for information sharing and mitigation of cyber attacks.

iii) CERT-In regularly publishes Security Guidelines and advisories for safeguarding computer systems from hacking and these are widely circulated. CERT-In also conducts security mock drills, workshops & training programs on regular basis to enhance security posture of infrastructure and awareness.

iv) The organizations operating critical information infrastructure have been advised to implement information security management practices based on International Standard ISO 27001. Ministries and Departments have been advised to carry out security audit of their information technology infrastructure regularly to ensure robustness of their systems.

v) The Government has circulated Cyber Security Policies and Guidelines for implementation in all Ministries/ Departments.

vi) Government is facilitating skill & competence development in the area of cyber security by providing domain specific trainings on Cyber Forensics, Network & System Security Administration. Labs for training in collection and analysis of digital evidence for Law Enforcement & Judiciary have been setup.

vii) The Government has formulated Crisis Management Plan for countering cyber attacks and cyber terrorism. This is being implemented by all Ministries/ Departments of Central Government, State Governments and their organizations and critical sectors.


Source : PIB  (Release ID :82665)

Google launches storage service for personal files



Google is hoping to build the world’s largest digital filing cabinet in the latest attempt to deepen people’s dependence on its services.
The Internet search leader’s latest product stores personal documents, photos, videos and a wide range of other digital content on Google’s computers. By keeping their files in massive data centres, users will be able to call up the information on their smartphones, tablet computers, laptops and just about any other Internet-connected device.
Google announced the long-rumoured service on Tuesday. Available immediately, Google Drive is offering the first five gigabytes of storage per account for free. Additional storage will be sold for prices starting at $2.49 per month 25 gigabytes.
Google Inc. will be competing against similar storage services offered by Microsoft, Apple and rapidly growing start-ups such as Dropbox.

Link : https://drive.google.com/
Source : thehindu dtd 25/04/2012

Objective Type Question - Based on Savings Bank Account




Q1     SB – 5  denotes

     a. Pass Book     c . Pay in  Slip   c. SB  LOT

Q2.  For each Sub Post office , the  --------------- will  fix the authorized stock  of Pass Book.

   a. Head Post master      b. Sub Divisional Heads            c. Divisional  Heads

Q3.  When a  Pass  Book is made over by a depositor to a Post offices for a dispatch to another Post office , it should be dispatched by ---------------


a. Ordinary  Post   b. Service registered Post c. Registered Post

Q4. The  pay - in – slip can be filled either in English or in Hindi or the regional language

The above  said statement  is  

  a. True   b. False

Q5  All transactions as and when  they  occur will be entered in a  -------------


a. Stock  Book   b. rough  book    c. Long Book

Q6   A person can open two  joint accounts with two different partners at the same post office.


The above  said statement  is  

  a. True   b. False

Q7   The Joint ‘B’ Type of account  can be  opened in NREGA


The above  said statement  is  

  a. True   b. False

Q8 At the time  of  opening of individual savings account the ---------------of  the depositor is necessary  .

a. Introduction   b . Identification  c. None of the above

Q9. The intial deposit for opening  of savings account shall  be accepted in cash wef

a. 01.01.1990   b 05.02.2000  c.12.02.2005

Q10   Workers wages account (NREGA) account  cannot be opened in Joint B Type

The above  said statement  is  

  a. True   b. False

Q11.  If the  depositor has more than one account , the total  balance of all accounts together with his share in a joint account if any, should not exceed Rs

a. 150000   b 100000   c. 200000

Q12  Counter Assistant can accept subsequent deposit  up to   Rs---------------- independently  in SB accounts

a. 10000 b. 2000 c.  5000

Q13 SB 103  denotes   

a.  Preliminary  receipt  b .Voucher for Withdrawal  c. Pay – in – slip 

Q14    SB 7  denotes

a. . Pay – in – slip    b .Voucher for Withdrawal    c.  Preliminary  receipt 

Q15   A person holding a power of attorney from the depositor can withdraw  money  from the depositor’s account  in SB account

The above  said statement  is  

  a. True   b. False

Q16    When the amount of withdrawal  (from  SB account  at Branch office )  is more than --------   then it  should be noted in withdrawal register at Sub office

a. 1000 b. 2000 c. 5000

Q17  when will  issue  memo of Admission of Payment ?

a. warrant of payment is lost before its submission  b . the amount of withdrawal more than 50000/-  c None of the above .

Q18  ---------- is generated instead of manual long book  in  Sanchay Post 

a. LOT   b. Journal      c. LIT

Q19  . SB-7A  denotes

a.  Withdrawal form  b. closure  form  c. Pay – in- slip 


Q20    The LSG office can close individual savings accounts (Single or Joint) directly without referring the documents  to the head office .


The above  said statement  is  

  a. True   b. False

Q21  Whenever a transaction   cannot be posted by the HO in a  particular  account for any reason a  remark------------------ will be made by the HO  against the entry in LOT

a. not posted  b unposted  c . remain to  post


Q22  The SB 60  denotes 


a. journal  b . SB  Pass  Book  c. LOT


Q23  The  SB slips (SB 27 )  is used for ------------------

a. SB document is sent by the HO to SO  b. withdraw money from counter  c. None of the above

New post offices to come up near LoC:(Line of Control)

Chief Postmaster General J&K Circle, John Samuel on Tuesday, said new post offices would be set up in the frontier areas near Line of Control (LoC) and four more mobile post offices would come up along 300-km Srinagar-Jammu Highway.
 “Initially it was difficult to think to introduce new post offices in JK particularly in far-off areas. But now we have ensured that every village and every town has a post office and we have decided to introduce post offices near LoC which will connect people with external world,” Samuel told Greater Kashmir  on the sidelines of a news conference here.  
 He said post office would be introduced in north Kashmir’s frontier town of Uri in May or June this year. “Apart from introducing post offices in areas close to border, we are planning to establish mobile post offices on Srinagar-Jammu Highway for Amarnath Yatris,” Samuel said, adding that postal services were on the path of revival.
 Chief Postmaster General said his thrust was to develop staff in the General Post Office. “Another topmost priority for me is to develop staff and encourage them to maintain excellent customer relationship and in fact we have been focusing on that part by tying up with universities who ensure us staff development,” he said.
 Samuel said for the first time in the history of postal services in the state, an All India Postal Football Tournament would be held in Srinagar this year. “Last year after a gap of 37 years an All India Athletics Meet was held here. This year all the football teams from every state of India will participate in the football tournament. It will be a great passion for the people of Kashmir and a great opportunity as well,” he said, adding that holding of the tournament was an honor given to Kashmir.   
 He said new staff members will be recruited according to the sports quota. “Organizing tournaments is part of a strategy to develop staff and priority will be given to sports quota in further recruitments,” Samuel said.
 He said other tournaments will be organized in future. “The concerned postal circle will hold cricket, football, badminton, athletics and kabbadi tournaments. Various cultural events will also be organized in future,” he added.
 “Three more invitation tournaments are scheduled to be held which will include central institutions as well. Among them will be: Speed Post Football Tournament, Postal Life Insurance Cricket Tournament and India Post Badminton Tournament.”
via-saparavur.blogspot.in

Booking of LPG by SMS and IVRS Introduced in 18 States Covering 4.36 Corre LPG Custmers

Booking of LPG by SMS and IVRS Introduced in 18 States Covering 4.36 Corre LPG Custmers

With a view to provide better services to the customers and to reduce the scope for irregularities, Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies, OMCs namely, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) have introduced the facility of refill booking through Short Messaging Service (SMS) and Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) in 18 States. These States are, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry and UT of Chandigarh, covering, 2965 LPG distributorships and about 4.36 crore LPG customers. Giving this information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today, the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri R.P.N. Singh stated that under this system, there is a facility for confirmation of the refill booking and the time of the booking to the customers along with information on the likely date when the refill would be supplied.



Further, he added, OMCs have planned to expand the facility further in remaining areas with objective to cover 63 lakh customers through 490 LPG distributorships.

The Minister also informed that in most of the cities, more than 80% of the customers are using the system successfully whereas, it is more than 90% in some cities. No specific survey on customer satisfaction on this initiative has been undertaken so far, he added.

Shri Singh stressed that the OMCs have prescribed a norm to their LPG distributors to effect the delivery of the refill LPG cylinder ordinarily within two working ways of the booking. However, due to factors such as product supply constraints, strikes, road breaches, floods, unplanned shutdown, natural calamities along with huge growth of demand, it has been seen that the distributors take some more time to deliver the refill LPG cylinder.

He underlined that whenever OMCs receive complaints on deliberate delay in refill supplies, these are investigated. If the complaint is established, action is taken against the erring LPG distributor in accordance with the provisions of the Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG).
PIB

Train Fare Concession to Patients Suffering from Sickle Cell Anaemia/ Aplastic Anaemia.

As announced by the Minister of Railways in the Railway Budget Speech for 2012-13, the Ministry of Railways has decided to grant concession in train fares to patients suffering` from Sickle Cell Anaemia/Aplastic Anaemia, when travelling for treatment/periodical check-up to the Government recognised hospitals, and return after treatment/periodical check-up. The element of concession will be 50 per cent in the basic fares of Sleeper, AC Chair Car, AC 3-tier and AC 2-tier classes.

The concession will not be admissible in Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Jan Shatabdi/Duronto/Garib Rath trains. The decision will come into effect on tickets issued from June 1, 2012.

The concession will be admissible in basic Mail/Express fares only and not in other charges, like reservation fee, superfast surcharge, Development Surcharge, etc., which shall be recovered in full as per existing rules. Concession will be granted directly by Station Masters on production of the certificate in prescribed form issued by Officer-in-Charge of the Government recognized Hospital where the patient is being treated.

Concession will be admissible without any Minimum distance limit, subject to the distance restrictions otherwise applicable in individual Mail/Express trains.

The detailed circular is available on Ministry of Railways’ website i.e indianrailways.gov.in.

Source:pib

Filling up of the Posts of AD(Training) at PTC Mysore - Calling of volunteers

Applications from the willing Group B  officers have been called for from all Circles to fill up the Posts of Assistant Director(Training) at PTC Mysore vide Director PTC Mysore letter no STA/2-26/2 III dated 23.04.2011 addressed Heads of Circles. The Posts of Assistant Director(Training) will carry 15% of Basic pay as Training Allowance. The last date for receipt applications along with copies of APARs for 5 years from Circles at PTC Mysore is 15.05.2012.
 
Click here to view the said PTC Mysore letter in original.

Think before you “like”

Networking can increase carbon dioxide emissions. File photo
The Hindu Networking can increase carbon dioxide emissions. File photo 
 
Do we realise that each time we network or send email, we pollute the planet through the carbon emissions from fossil fuels burned to power our computers, servers and databanks?
If you are a member of green groups, you must get at least one petition a week that you're expected to sign. You dutifully click in, and go to bed happy you've done your good deed for the day. Good deed? Think again, says an Agence-France Presse report, pointing to an irony behind that act. Take the campaign for Earth Hour, it says. You were asked to turn off lights to save the earth, but “with every email, every tweet, every appeal watched on YouTube or “liked” on Facebook, environmentalists are stoking the very problem they want to resolve.” You network, and you give out carbon dioxide through the fossil fuels burned to power your computers, servers and databanks that store or relay your message. On the Earth Hour campaign emails went to 130 countries.
The French government energy efficiency agency ADEME has figured that in emails alone, the typical officeworker in France is responsible for 13.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. The more people you forward copies to and the bigger the mail, the greater the carbon emissions, ADEME said. How many emails does your office send/receive a year on average?
Buzz about this has gone around. Greenpeace collected 700,000 signatures for a “greener” Facebook, Twitter posted last year that the company added only 0.02 grammes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere with each 140-character tweet, but 50 million tweets equalled one metric tonne of carbon dixoide a day. Sure, the Internet keeps down carbon compared to snail mail, phone calls, and travel for face-to-face meetings. But the number of people using Internet connectivity tools is leaping ahead, right?
There's plenty we can do to help. No, I'm not asking you to read in candlelight. When a Google group, I'm part of, decided to go easy on carbon footprints, members volunteered to add only their own words to the discussion, not the entire thread. We've learnt to write concisely. We provide links rather than paste text. We express opinions only when necessary. Earth Hour suggests that we use Yammer, an intranet social platform to cut down on internal emails.
There are cooler ways to compensate for our digital networking sins. For one, “topping up” our gadgets by leaving them in the sun should get a grand welcome. Start with a SolarKindle case; it comes with a built-in solar panel and battery. This is said to give you three months of reading time in “normal” sunlight, without dipping into Kindle's own power.
Count in the solar keyboard that runs on natural or house light through built-in solar panels. LED bulbs run for 15 years and are good for your wallet and the earth. Energiser solar torchlights charge from a built-in solar panel, and on cloudy days, from a carabineer clip. The hybrid Solio Mag charger, claims the company, is compatible with over 3200 portable tech-gizmos — take mobile phones, PDAs, iPhones, iPods, MP3/MP4 players, GPS devices and cameras.
Envirogadget.com has its own list of solar gadgets. Buy a solar-powered inverter, it says, to bring down those shocking electricity bills. If you are investing in a generator, look for the solar option again — use them when indoors or outdoors. In our power-starved existence, owning solar radios should get serious thought too. Festivals can be brightened by sunshine, if you choose solar lights to decorate your house on Diwali or the tree for Christmas.
Enjoy the wonderful experience of solar cooking with solar ovens. The best-selling solar ovens are light and compact, have a large surface area and keep the food warm for a long time. Solar cookers have been around for a long time. Ever tried them? They work!
The coolest ideas are about what you can do with printed circuit boards (PCBs) that get chucked without a backward glance. Did you know many PCBs are discarded before use because they don't meet the strict standards? If the increasing piles of PCBs (3 per cent of all e-waste) give you a guilt-trip ticket, read on.
Friends say the fashion and gift business in discarded — and recycled — circuit boards is huge. On sale for a while are PCB photo frames, business card-holders and wall clocks. Now unused PCBs find themselves in fashion markets as funky pendants for slip-knot-cord necklaces. Depending on how it is cut, each PCB can have a unique size and shape – pick what you like! Remember PCB accessories when you go hunting for a gift!

DOS AND DON’TS

* Use “Reply all” only when necessary.
* Use “cc” sparingly. Don't forward chain e-mails.
* Just a 10 per cent reduction in the number of emails leads to a gain of one tonne of carbon dioxide.
* Switch off computers, printers, photocopy machines, TV, VCRs, DVD players, after every use.
* Ditto with kitchen appliances, e-clocks.
source:-the hindu

RISAT-1 satellite launch a “grand success”: ISRO


ISRO's launch vehicle PSLV-C19, carrying the RISAT-1 satellite, lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, near Chennai on Thursday. Photo: K. Pichumani
 
The Hindu ISRO's launch vehicle PSLV-C19, carrying the RISAT-1 satellite, lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, near Chennai on Thursday. Photo: K. Pichumani
The PSLV-C19, the newest in the series of polar satellite launch vehicles of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), burst off the launch-pads of Sriharikota in the wee hours of Thursday on its space mission of placing indigenously developed Radar Imaging Satellite the RISAT-1 in a polar circular orbit.
After a customarily tense countdown at the ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, at precisely 5.47 a.m., the launch vehicle’s core stage igniters and set of six strap-on motors ignited within seconds of each to signal the successful lift-off of the PSLV-C19 with the RISAT -1 firmly docked inside its metal frames.
Click here to download the PDF version of the RISAT-1 graphic
The RISAT-1 with a payload of 1858 kg, the heaviest satellite being launched yet by the PSLV, is a state-of-the-art Active Microwave Remote Sensing Satellite carrying a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload that will operate in the C-band. In simpler terms, the RISAT-1 can beam back imaging of the earth surface features during day and night and under all imagined weather conditions. The SAR which gives the RISAT-1 its magic lens also makes it superior to the generation of optical remote sensing satellites in terms of clearer imaging at all times and under any condition.
Once the PSLV-C19 successfully completed each of the four stages of its flight in a span of 18 minutes and reported normal parameters, congratulatory scenes broke out at the Mission Directorate at Sriharikota.
Addressing the team of scientists and engineers, ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan said he was happy to announce that the PSLV-C19 was a “grand success” and had injected into polar orbit India's first Radar Imaging Satellite. Prof. Radhakrishnan also laid out the roadmap of PSLV launches during the year ahead and the stated that the ground tests of the GSLV driven by indigenous cryogenic technology had been promising and was scheduled completion in September-October this year.
Prof. Yashpal and Prof. U.R. Rao, two of ISRO's founding fathers were also present to partake in the celebrations of what they described as a landmark event.
According to ISRO scientists, once the satellite onboard propulsion system will raise the orbital altitude to 536 km with orbital inclination of approximately 97 degrees to place the RISAT-1 into a polar sun-synchronous orbit, the satellite will begin its daily routine of 14 orbits with a of 25 days. During its mission life of five years, RISAT-1 will use its active microwave remote sensing capability for cloud penetration and day-night imaging of the earth surface and provide critical data inputs for a range of applications.
The satellite’s applications will range across agriculture — paddy monitoring in the kharif season — and management of natural disasters like flood and cyclone and could greatly assist food security planning in India.
The PSLV C-19 is the 21st flight in the PSLV series of satellite launches and the third to involve the high-end version (PSLV-XL) equipped with six extended strap-on motors, each carrying 12 tonnes of solid propellant. The two earlier flights of PSLV-XL were used to launch Chandrayaan-1 and GSAT-12 communication satellite.
The RISAT-1 is expected to unfold its sensors and send back active imaging in five days.

Money Order Videsh

Money Order Videsh is a new offering of India Post to facilitate remittances to foreign countries and receiving of remittances from foreign countries through the medium of your neighbourhood Post Office. The service was launched on 24/10/09 by Honourable Minister of Communications and IT Sri A Raja. Initially the service will be offered through head post offices.
Salient features of the service
Outward remittance payable to beneficiaries in cash, by cheque, as well as crediting of the payment into the account of beneficiaries.
There will be two types of remittance charges
Charges collected from the remitter as in the case of domestic MO-Option(A)
Charges deducted from the amount payable to the beneficiary -Option(B)
Monetary limitations
Inward remittance upto Rs 50000/- can be received in cash.
Remittance above Rs 50000/- will be paid by cheque or credited into account of the payee.
Each inward remittance shall not exceed 5000 USD at a time and a maximum of 12 inward remittances are allowed in a year.
Outward remittances are subject to RBI limitations.
Limit of outward remittance would be different for different countries depending on the bilateral agreements with the countries Watch out for more information on the countries to which the facility will be available and other related information. Form A2 (Application for Remittance Abroad) is available for download. This needs to be submitted in original at the PO Counter.

MICRO POSTAL LIFE INSURANCE WITHOUT HEALTH CHECK UP FOR RURAL PEOPLE

People living in rural parts of the country will soon be able to avail insurance cover without being subject to mandatory health check-ups as is the norm for life insurance policies. The Department of Posts is set to launch a major micro life insurance policy which will no more require the insurees to disclose their present health condition or diseases at the time of buying the policy, a move aimed at expanding the coverage in rural India. The proposed insurance scheme, which can be availed by economically weaker sections (EWS) of the society and particularly women, will provide a risk cover up to Rs 25,000, said an official in the ministry of communication and information technology. The aim is to cover around one-tenth of Indians and become one of the potent players in the Indian insurance sector by easing out the procedural formalities that precedes purchase of any life insurance scheme.
While the new scheme has been made customer friendly, the postal department will put in place system and process to address the issue of fake claims. To ensure that relaxation over disclosing the insuree’s health condition does not lead to wrong claims, the claimant has to file a death certificate issued by a government doctor on the deceased’s cause of death, the official said. If the medical report says that the insuree was suffering from any ailment that existed prior to the purchase of the insurance policy, the postal department has an option not to honour the insurance claim. The policy premium will vary according to the age of the insuree and the duration of the policy.
India Post expects to cover around 100 million Indians by the end of 2011 under the scheme, this policy is assumed to play a major role in attaining this objective. The move is a part of the initiative taken by India post to put a major thrust on its insurance services and have a strong presence in the insurance sector specially in rural areas,” the official added.
Eight million lives and a sum of Rs 40,000 crore have been insured, since the launch of rural postal life insurance scheme launched in 1995, under various policies offered by India Post under the rural postal life insurance. The department also plans to align its investment norms for life insurance policies to pump in part of its daily collections in revenue-generating instruments including stocks, a move which is likely to start from October 1, 2009.
With a huge presence in the country with around 1.55 lakh post offices, the postal department is slowly developing itself as a centre for distributing diversified services like National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), life insurance and financial solutions to its customers apart from its mail delivery system.

Children Education Allowance/Hostel Subsidy- clarifications thereon


Government of India 
Ministry of Railways 
Railway Board

No. E(W)2012/ED-2/1

New Delhi , Dated 11/04/2012

The General Manager,
All Indian Railways & Production Units.

Sub: Children Education Allowance/Hostel Subsidy- clarifications thereon.

In terms of Railway Board’s letter No. E(W)/2008/ED-2/4 dated 01-10-2008 revised instructions were issued on Grant of Children Education Allowance to Railway employees based on the recommendations of Sixth Central Pay Commission. These instructions provide that Children Education Allowance shall be admissible to Railway servants up to a maximum of two children at the maximum rate of Rs.12,000 (since revised to Rs.15,000/-) per annum per child to cover expenses on education of children under various heads of fee as mentioned in the said letter. In respect of aforesaid policy it was further clarified under Board’s letter No. E(W)2008/ED-2/4 dated 10/06/2009 based on the advice received from Department of Personnel and Training and adopted by Railway Board, that reimbursement of Children Education Allowance is admissible for eldest two surviving children studying in schools affiliated to Board of Education.


2. It has come to the notice of Railway Board that reimbursement of Children Education Allowance has been allowed in certain cases prior to 10-06-2009 in respect of any two children of the Railway employees. Clarifications have been sought from Railway Board as to whether the Children Education Allowance paid prior to issue of Board’s guidelines dated 10-06-2009 in respect of any two children other than the eldest two children may be recovered. This issue has been examined in consultation with associate finance in Railway Board and it has been decided that no recovery need be made from such Railway employees where Children Education Allowance has been paid in respect of any two children other than eldest two surviving children prior to 10/06/2009.
3. This issues with the concurrence of Finance Directorate of Ministry of Railways.
4. This also disposes of North ‘Central Railway’s letter No.613/NCR/HQ/A/Cs/Admin/CEA dated 31-05-2010.


sd/- 
(Dehasis Mazumdar)
Joint Director Estt. (Welfare)
Railway Board

Source: NFIR

Conduct and Discipline Rules-Glossary H to N


Habitual late attendance/absence: Unless there are particularly extenuating circumstances requiring consideration on their merits, habitual absence or habitual late attendance will mean recurrence of the offence or more than six occasions within a period of three months from the date of his first occurrence. This will apply to Industrial Employees also.
Hearsay evidence: In department inquiries, the hearsay evidence is admissible. “All materials, which are logically probative for a prudent mind, are permissible. There is no allergy to hearsay evidence provided it has some reasonable nexus and credibility.”
Honourable acquittal: The concept of ‘honourable acquittal’ and ‘full exoneration’ are unknown to criminal law. Courts are only concerned to find whether the prosecution has succeeded in proving beyond a reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused. As in court judgments, the use of expression “exoneration on merits” and the like may not be found, it is left to the authority ordering reinstatement to determine from the circumstances of each case whether the acquittal should be taken to mean exoneration or merits or not.
Human rights means the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India”.
Illegal strike: The question whether a strike or lock out is legal or illegal does not present much difficulty for resolution since all that is required to be examined to answer the question is whether there has been a breach of the relevant provisions. A strike may be illegal if it contravenes the provisions of Sections 22, 23 or 24 of the I.D. Act or of any other law or of the terms of employment depending upon the facts of each case.
Immunity from disciplinary action: As per the general principle, bona fide exercise of quasi-judicial functions cannot be subject matter of disciplinary action. However, In Union of India v. K.K. Dhawan Supreme Court has ruled that disciplinary action can be taken in the following cases:
Where the officer had acted in a manner as would reflect on his reputation for integrity or good faith or devotion to duty;
If there is prima facie material to show recklessness or misconduct in the discharge of his duty;
If he has acted in a manner which is unbecoming of a Government servant;
If he had acted negligently or that he omitted the prescribed conditions which are essential for the exercise of statutory powers;
If he had acted in order to unduly favour a party;
If he had been actuated by corrupt motive, however small the bribe may be because Lord Coke said long ago “though the bribe may be small, yet the fault is great”.
The Apex Court added that the above catalogued are not exhaustive and that for a mere technical violation or merely because the order is wrong and the action is not falling under the above enumerated instances, disciplinary action is not warranted. The Court further cautioned that each case will depend upon the facts and no absolute rule can be postulated.
Integrity: Rigid adherence to a code of behaviour, probity.
Inquiry Officer: An authority appointed under Rule 14 (2) of CCS (CCA) Rules or under the provisions of Public Servants (Inquiries) Act, 1850 to inquire into the truth of any imputation of misconduct or misbehaviour against a Government servant.
Jurisdiction: Power or authority in general.
Jurisprudence: It is the name given to a certain type of investigation into law, an investigation of an abstract, general and theoretical nature which seeks to lay bare the essential principles of law and legal systems.
Law: The word “law” has to be given general and wide meaning to include the rules framed under constitutional provisions (e.g. under Art. 309). Rules framed under Art. 309 of the Constitution are legislative in character and they are laws for all purposes.
Leading question: A question suggesting the answer, which the person putting it wishes or expects to receive.
Leading questions are not permitted in examination or re-examination of witnesses in departmental inquiries. However, they are permissible in cross examination.
Legal Practitioner: One who is engaged in the exercise or employment of legal profession; a person who practises law, such as an advocate, vakil or attorney.
Legal Practitioner-assistance of- in departmental inquiry: “A delinquent Government servant in a departmental inquiry may take the assistance of any other Government servant posted in any office either at his headquarters or at the place where the inquiry is held, to present the case on his behalf, but may not engage a legal practitioner for the purpose, unless the Presenting Officer appointed by the disciplinary authority is a legal practitioner, or, the disciplinary authority, having regard to the circumstances of the case, so permits.”
Legal Practitioner in the context of departmental inquiry: Legal Adviser or lawyer is for this purpose somewhat liberally construed and must include “whoever assists or advises on facts and in law must be deemed to be in the position of a legal adviser.” In the last analysis, a decision has to be reached on a case to case basis on the situational particularities and the special requirements of justice of the case.”
Mandatory: Where some thing is required to be done and consequences of failure to do so are also provided then it is known as mandatory.
Master servant relationship: Master servant relationship with State and holder of civil post is indicated by the State’s right to select and appoint the holder of the post, its right to suspend and dismiss him, its right to control the manner and method of his doing the work and the payment by it of his wages or remuneration. A relationship of master servant may be established by the presence of all or some of these indicia, in conjunction with other circumstances and it is a question of fact in each case whether there is such a relationship between the State and the alleged holder of a post.
Memorial: A statement of facts forming the basis of or expressed in the form of a petition to a person of authority, a government etc.
Misconduct: It is the action or inaction of a Government servant which is in violation of a rule of conduct, written or unwritten. It is conduct incompatible and inconsistent with the faithful discharge of duties. Whatever conduct of the civil servant is regarded as being contrary to an ideal master servant relationship between the two may be regarded as a lapse on the part of the civil servant and may be considered to be a misconduct in varying degrees.
Moral Turpitude: Moral Turpitude is an expression, which is used in legal as also societal parlance to describe conduct, which is inherently base, vile, depraved or having any connection showing depravity.
Natural justice is the justice based upon the innate moral feeling of mankind.
Negligence: Want of attention to what ought to be done or looked after; lack of proper care in doing something; omission to do something which a reasonable man, guided upon the considerations which ordinarily regulate the conduct of human affairs, would do or doing something which a prudent and reasonable man would not do.
Nemo debet bis vexari means that a man must not be put twice in peril for the same offence. He can plead as a complete defence his former acquittal or conviction. This rule of natural justice is embodied in Article 20 (2). The Article guarantees immunity against ‘prosecution and punishment for the same offence ‘ for a second time.
Nemo debet esse judex in propria causa means that no one shall be a judge in his own case or that the tribunal or the quasi-judicial authority which adjudicates the dispute must be impartial and without bias.
Nemo punitur pro alieno delicto: No one is punished for the fault of others.
Non-employment certificate: A certificate to the effect that he was not engaged in any other employment, business, profession or vocation to be furnished every month in prescribed form by a suspended employee for receiving subsistence allowance.
Notice: A formal written announcement.
Notice for termination of services of a temporary Government servant: For the termination of services of a temporary employee, either by the employee himself or by the appointing authority, the notice to given is of one month. Without giving this notice or by giving a shorter notice also, the services can be terminated. Then the Government servant shall be entitled to claim a sum equivalent of pay plus allowances for the period of the notice or for the period by which the notice falls short of one month.
Notification or Public Notification shall mean a notification published in the gazette of the State or the Central Government and the word ‘notified’ shall be construed accordingly.
Notification means a notification published in the Official Gazette.
No work no pay: Deliberate abstention from work, whether by resort to strike or go slow or any other method, legitimate or illegitimate, resulting in no work for the whole day or days, will entitle the management to deduct, pro rata or otherwise, wages of the participating workmen notwithstanding absence of any stipulation in the contract of employment or any provisions in the service rules, regulations or Standing Orders. In case of such undisputed mass misconduct, deduction of wages will not require disciplinary proceedings. Amount of deduction of wages will depend on facts and circumstances-Payment of Wages Act, 1936 Sections 7 (2) (b)9 and Mere physical presence in office is not enough; employees must perform work for payment of wages.

the words from O to be continued…..

3.86 crore Aadhaar cards in process of being delivered: Government


The government today said as many as 3.86 crore Aadhaar letters are in the process of being dispatched while 6.46 lakh cards could not be delivered by the postal department due to various reasons such as incomplete address. 
As on April 20, 2012 a total of 17 crore Aadhaar numbers had been generated and 10.44 crore have been dispatched, Minister of State for Planning Ashwani Kumar said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. 

"Out of these (10.44 crore letters), 6.58 crore Aadhaar letters have been delivered as reported by India Post and the remaining 3.86 crore letters are in transit," Kumar, who is also Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Science said. 

He further said that as per the portal of the Department of Posts, the total returned letters as on April 20, 2012, stood at 6.46 lakh. This is 0.98 per cent of total Aadhaar letters delivered. 

"There are five reasons for returned letters -- refused, deceased, insufficient address, addressee cannot be located and unclaimed," he said adding there was no bogus Aadhaar registrations. 

"The letter being returned are having clear remarks of the concerned postman of the area and they are one of the five mentioned reasons...," he said. 

Mandate of UIDAI is to issue Aadhaar numbers to all residents of India. 

Aadhaar aims to provide a identity infrastructure which can be used to improve delivery of public services. 

Source : The Economic Times