Book your train tickets through SMS from July 1, 2013

From July 1, you will be able to book your train ticket through your mobile phone at a cost of Rs. 6, through a simple text-messaging-based facility or a menu-based dialling service. The bookings can be made from anywhere and at any time in a secure manner. There is no need to log onto the internet or stand in a queue. Any mobile user can operate this system using handsets ranging from feature phones to smartphones.

IRCTC has developed a software, a menu-based dialling service. A system called unstructured supplementary data (USSD) is used where you have to dial the numbers on the menu offered. Payment is made through mobile wallet. There is no need for an internet connection and customers will not have to pay any data charges.

The IRCTC said that it has provided a simple user-guided menu to book tickets, search stations and check the availability of berths.

“For the SMS-based ticket service, passengers will have to register their mobile numberswith IRCTC and their respective banks (26 banks presently available) to generate Mobile Money Identifier (MMID), a seven-digit random number. For the menu-based USSD system, there is no need to register with the bank and payment can be authorized through a mobile wallet. Six berths or seats can be booked in a single transaction through the new systems”.

It is a two-SMS process — at the cost of Rs. 3 per SMS. The revenue for the mobile service providers come from the two SMSes and no other extra charge will have to be paid by the ticket purchaser. Banks will charge payment gateway at the rate of Rs. 5 for any transaction below Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10 for an amount in excess of this.

IRCTC is introducing the mobile wallet concept, from which the ticket fare and its service charge will be deducted. The advantage of the service is that tickets can be booked from anywhere in the country with a mobile tower reach. IRCTC has claimed that the mobile phone process will be faster, reliable and secure and no hard copy of the ticket will be necessary while undertaking the journey. The SMS confirmation will be valid.

Railway Minister C.P. Joshi will launch the scheme on July 1.

THE TWO OPTIONS ARE:

1. SMS-based booking

* Registered IRCTC users can use this service. You also need to register your mobile number with IRCTC as well as your bank, which provides Mobile Money Identifier (MMID) and one-time password (OTP)

* Send SMS to designated number in following format: BOOK

* You receive a transaction ID

* Make payment with an SMS to designated number in the following format

PAY

2) USSD (menu-based dialling)

* Dial designated number, select 'book tickets' option, select 'reservation' (user is prompted to enter his IRCTC user ID once only), enter details (station, train no., date, etc)

* Enter mPIN for authorizing payment through mobile wallet

* Booking confirmation SMS is sent by IRCTC

Courtesy : http://currentaffairs4examz.blogspot.in/

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Don't address grievances to Prime Minister: Government warns babus

Irked by a plethora of grievances of government employees reaching the Prime Minister's Office, the Centre has issued a warning to the officials, asking them to follow other channels for redressal of their complaints.

In a stern directive, the Department of Personnel and Training ( DoPT) said necessary 'disciplinary action' will be taken against central government employees if they address their grievances to the Prime Minister, Ministers or high functionaries like Secretary directly. 

"This Department is receiving a number of representations, on service matters, addressed to the Prime Minister, Minister, Secretary (Personnel) and other officers directly from the government servants... 

"In any matter connected with service rights or conditions, a government servant wishes to press a claim or to seek redress of a grievance, the proper course for him is to address his immediate official superior, or the head of his office, or such other authority at the lowest level as is competent to deal with the matter," said the order which cited an over 60-year-old government instruction in this regard. 

Of late, it is observed that there is an increasing tendency on the part of officers at different levels to by-pass the prescribed channels of representation and write directly to the high functionaries totally ignoring the prescribed channels, it said. 

"The problem is more acute in large departments where often very junior employees at clerical level address multiple representations to the Minister, Prime Minister and other functionaries. 

"Apart from individual representations, the service unions have also developed a tendency to write to the Ministers and Prime Minister on individual grievance," said the order issued recently to all central government departments.

Source:-The Times of India

To view Department of Personnel and Training ( DoPT) order please Click Here.

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BSNL decided to shut down 160-year-old telegram services from July 15

Smartphones, emails and SMS seem to have pushed the humble telegram service to a quiet corner with the BSNL deciding to discontinue the 160-year-old telegraph service from July 15. Once the main source of quick and urgent communication, the service delivered many happy and sad news to people spread all over the country.

But with the advent of technology and newer means of communication, the telegram found itself edged out. As per a circular issued by Shameem Akhtar, Sr. General Manager (Telegraph Services) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) Corporate office, New Delhi, the telegraph service is to be discontinued with effect from July 15, 2013.

 The circular sent to various telecom district and circle offices as per the instruction of a competent authority denotes that telegram services will be closed from July 15 and as a result all telegraph offices under the management of BSNL will have to stop booking telegrams from that date. The circular has also directed the telecom offices to maintain the log books, service messages, delivery slips only for six months from the date of bookings. However, complaints, press reports and other messages from different consumer forum are to be kept for one year.

Sources at BSNL Delhi said, “We had asked the government to support the service as it was not commercially viable and the government said the BSNL board should decide on it.

“We have taken a decision to close the service after consultation with the Department of Posts. They also said that there are better options available,” the sources said.

The BSNL has instructed that surplus telegraph staff members would be deployed to mobile services, landline telephony, broadband services and shifting could take place within the next 3 months. Faced with declining revenues, the government had in May 2011, revised the telegram charges after a gap of 60 years. The telegram charges for inland services was hiked to Rs. 27/50 from Rs. 350, 4/50 earlier.

Two months ago, telegram services for overseas communication was withdrawn by BSNL. Within a short time of BSNL handling telegram services in 1990s, the PSU had a rift with the Department of Posts following which telegrams were accepted as phonograms from various villages and other centres from telephone consumers. This too had restrictions and embargo during certain hours.

Talking to PTI over phone, R. Pattabhiraman, the state secretary of National Federation of Telecom Employees said, “Before taking such a decision, the PSU should have consulted trade unions on the issue of deployment of the so-called surplus employees. There will be many issues and dissatisfaction among staff members when the exercise of shifting staff to some other portfolio or locations is made.

“Similarly, it is not known whether the Government consulted or took the guidance from stakeholders like consumer councils, consumers of telegraph services and judiciary,” he said.

Mr. Pattabhiraman pointed out that Indian courts had accepted only telegrams and telegram receipts as proof of evidence in civil or criminal suits. It was also a handy mode of communication for jawans and armed forces for seeking leave, transfer or joining reports. Similarly, rural India was using telegram services to communicate. Instead of scrapping the service, it should have been handed over to the postal department which was handling the services right from its inception in the 1850s.

R. Shanmugham, a social activist, said stopping a live wire service like this can be decided only by an enactment of a suitable law or amendment.

Source : http://currentaffairs4examz.blogspot.in/

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SBCO UTILITY V3.0 Released on 13/06/2013...

SBCO UTILITY V3.0 :  Download

Installation Guide: Download


Changes From V2.1.6 to V3.0

1) Added SBCO OM Register.
2) Added Closed PB Register.
3) Added Missing SB-3 Card Register.
4) Added Will Follow Voucher Register.
5) Added NREGS Live Accounts.
6) Added NREGS With Balance and Without Balance Report.
7) Added NREGS LOT.
8) Added NREGS Summary.
9) Added NREGS Transaction Summary.
10) Added NREGS Consolidation.
11) Added SB-NREGS Summray Total.
12) Added Find OBC Corrections Between Two Dates.
13) Added Office Entry ModificationDelete.
14) Fixed Bugs in Transaction Summary.
15) Given option to generate Closed Accounts with Balance for Single office.
16) Fixed Bug in Transfer Out.
17) Give Option to Clear All Settings.
18) Fixed bugs in Deleting Transaction and Delete Duplicate Accounts.

Courtesy : http://sbcoutility.blogspot.in/

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