Army Vice Chief Launches CGDA’s Rail E-Ticketing

            Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen PC Bhardwaj launched a pilot project of Rail e-ticketing for the Armed Forces, here today. The project, being implemented by the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), will initially be available at 20 locations spread across the country. Armed Forces personnel will now have the convenience to book and print tickets through IRCTC website at unit locations. The project will enable automatic generation of all accounting, payment and financial reports.


            Speaking on the occasion, General Bhardwaj said that the new system will cut tedious paperwork and introduce seamless processing “in one stroke”. He hoped that the ‘PCDA (Principal Controller of Defence Accounts) Travel System’ will slowly make the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) irrelevant and become a precursor to automation and better management. In her address, the CGDA, Smt Bulbul Ghosh said that the pilot project will gradually be expanded to more than 5,000 Army, Navy and Air Force units across the country. The e-ticketing system will be completed in four phases, - the first phase will cover Rail Travel, Air Travel will be covered in the second phase, Defence civilians will be included in the third phase and TA processing will be completely online in the final phase.

            The main features of the e-ticketing facility are availability round-the-clock, user friendly, ease of operation and accounting while taking care of security concerns. In the new system, the units will be enabled to have a virtual PRS of the railways in the units itself, which will be enabled to issue tickets through a centralised portal operated by the CGDA office. For this purpose, the CGDA has entered into an agreement with the IRCTC. With this facility, the system of railway warrants which obliged Armed Forces personnel to go in for manual tickets at the PRS counter and involved a lot of paperwork, will gradually be replaced.

         Over six million warrants are issued to the Armed Forces every year, involving worth over 580 crore rupees.
-PIB-

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Cabinet approves revision of pay scales of faculty of Autonomous Medical Education Institutions

          The Cabinet has approved enhanced Pay Scales of Faculty of Autonomous Institutions of Medical Education under the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

         As for RIMS, Imphal and LGBRIHM, Tezpur these two institutions were taken over by the Ministry in the 2007 from North Eastern Council and are currently affiliated to local universities. Faculty members of these two institutions will be given University Grants Commission (UGC) Pay Scales.

           The revised pay scales will be effective from 01.01.2006 and other allowances from 01.09.2008 and pay of existing incumbents will be fixed as per the formula given in the CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008.

               2420 faculty members will get benefit of these enhanced pay scales. The financial implication for budget is Rs. 91.20 crores annually.

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Reservation in autonomous bodies,institutions etc

No.360111612009-Estt.(Res.)

Government of lndia
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training
North Block,
New Delhi-110001
Dated the 23rd December, 2009.

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject:-Reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in autonomous bodiesl institutions etc.

The undersigned is directed to say that instructions were issued vide Ministry of Home Affairs' O.M. No. 39/40/74-SCT (I) dated 30.9.1974 that the autonomous bodiesl institutions, which receive grant-in-aid from the Government of lndia, would make suitable provision in the relevant Statutes or in the Articles of
Association of the respective bodies to provide reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in services under their control. After introduction of reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) on 8.9.1993, the autonomous bodies etc. were expected to make provision in this regard also.

It has been brought to the notice of this Department that some of the autonomous bodiesl institutions have not made suitable provision about reservation in their Statutes1 Articles of Association.

2. All the Ministriesl Departments etc. are requested toensure that suitable provisions of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs are made in the Statutes1 Articles of Association of all the autonomous bodiesl institutions under them and such provisions are implemented scrupulously.


Under Secretary to the Governhenot f lndia

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IISERs demand statutory status

                Directors of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) today demanded enactment of a legislation in Parliament to make these statutory bodies, thereby recognising their degrees.

             During their first meeting with Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, the directors of the five IISERs said the future of students in their institutes would be affected if these are not made statutory bodies, sources said.

                  The government has set up five IISERs during the past three years. These institutes are offering five-year Masters in Science courses.

                 However, they cannot award degrees unless they are made statutory bodies. They have been demanding that the Human Resource Development Ministry should bring an IISER Bill to make them statutory bodies. For the time being, the ministry may bring an amendment to the National Institute Act to include the IISERs under it, they said.

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Abolishing FBT transfers the Tax burden on Employees

            The government had announced in Budget 2009-10 that Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) on perks provided by employers would be abolished but its impact is going to kick in from next month with the Central Board of Direct Taxes issuing a notification on Friday which transfers the tax burden on the employee.

             For instance, while a car of upto 1.6 litre engine capacity in the pre-FBT regime would call for Rs 1,200 tax outgo at the hands of an employee, the same is now fixed at Rs 1,800. Anything above this engine capacity would amount to a monthly tax outgo of Rs 2,400. Add Rs 900 as tax on your monthly salary bill if the company has also provided you a chauffeur, said Kuldip Kumar, an executive director with PricewaterhouseCooper.

                In case the employer has provided a car to an employee for his personal use, the entire expenses borne by the company on the running of the car and its maintenance would be liable for tax at the hands of the employee.

              Accommodation, car, salary of your gardener, assistant at home, watchman, your electricity, water, club, credit card and holiday bills will all be taxed on actual expenses and as per the limit specified in the new notification.

             In the FBT regime introduced by then finance minister P Chidambaram in 2005, perks were taxed to employers while fringe benefits enjoyed by employees were tax free.

             Now, your club membership will be taxed to you unless it is specified in your work contract that it is for official purpose.

                In fact, the CBDT notification should have come just after the Budget to make it easy for employees to spread his tax outflow over the entire fiscal. However, it has come at the fag end of the year when in the remaining three months entire tax will be calculated and deducted at source resulting in lower pay cheque for employees
source:Times of India

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Salient features of ‘Yuva Trains’ finalized

                   The Ministry of Railways has finalized the salient features of the first ever ‘Yuva Trains’ which are targeted mainly for the unemployed youths of the country. These new class of trains are to be introduced soon. Initially two separate weekly trains will be introduced as a pilot service between Mumbai to Delhi and Delhi to Kolkata. If successful it will be extended to other areas of the country.

              The Minister of Railways, Kumari Mamata Banerjee in her Railway Budget 2009-10 speech has announced as under about these trains:- “The young generation is our asset and we are proud of them. Due to economic difficulties poor youth are not able to travel on our trains. I will run “Yuva Trains” dedicated specially for the young generation. These trains will be introduced between major cities to ensure that the youth and low income groups can travel at low rates between these cities. The new low-priced fast train service will be started to connect youth in rural hinterlands to major metros/cities.”

              The total chargeable fare for Yuva passengers inclusive of all other charges like Reservation Fee, Superfast Train Charge and Development Charge would not exceed Rs.299/- up to a distance of 1500 kms and Rs. 399/- for distance beyond 1500 up to 2500 kms. Minimum distance for charge will be 100 kms for both Yuva and Non-Yuva passengers. Children of 5 years and above but below 12 years will continue to be charged half fare.

           The ‘Yuva Train’ fares will be applicable to unemployed persons between the age group of 15 to 45 years who fulfill the criteria of Yuva to be ascertained on the basis of Certificate issued under National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) and valid Registration card issued by a Government run Employment Exchange. Tickets will be issued on production of original of any of the above certificates at the counter, a photocopy of which should be retained along with reservation requisition as in the case of other concessions. Tatkal scheme would not be applicable in ‘Yuva Trains’.

               In case the above certificates do not specify age, an age certificate like Identity Card, Ration Card, Driving License., Pass Port, educational Certificate, Certificate from Local Bodies like Panchayat/Corporation/Municipalty or any other authentic and recognized document on which date of birth is recorded, must also be carried in original.

            Initially, 60 per cent of the total number of coaches will be earmarked for ‘Yuva’ category. The remaining will be earmarked for general passengers (non-Yuva). This will be reviewed after 6 months of introduction of trains. Normal cancellation rules will be applicable for the train. The detailed guidelines about the reservation procedures have been communicated to Zonal Railways.

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Grade Pay Rs.4600 to Assistants Belonging to Central Secretariat Service.

Department of Personnel and Training (DOP&T) issued an order regarding extending the pay structure of Grade pay of Rs.4600 in the Pay Band-2 to Assistants Belonging to Central Secretariat Service with effect from 1.1.2006 .
To view the Order CLICK HERE

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Corporal Punishment in Schools

                 The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has registered 27,50 and 31 cases of corporal punishment in school during 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 (till date) respectively and has also taken suo-moto cognizance of 10 such incidents since January, 2009.

         This Ministry has issued instructions to all States and Union Territories in December, 20067 to prohibit corporal punishment in all schools under their jurisdiction. Section 17 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 prohibits physical punishment and mental harassment to children in school.

          This information was given by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Smt. D. Purandeswari, in a written reply to a question, in the Rajya Sabha yesterday.

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