Monday, November 2, 2015
20 commercial banks want to tie up with India Post Payments Bank
About
20 commercial banks have initiated talks with the department of posts
for a strategic tie-up with its proposed payments bank India Post
Payments Bank.
Department
of posts is among the eleven applicants to have received approval from
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to float a payments bank. The tie-up
will involve payments banks sourcing loans for commercial banks, while
commercial banks will offer credit cards to customers of payments
banks.
Speaking to ET, PN Ranjit Kumar, PMG Mumbai Region..
Read more at:
Recent media report suggests minimum 30% hike in Basic salary after 7th pay commission
The print and web media is
being flooded with possibilities and rumors of which most of them are baseless.
But Govt. employees are desperately looking for any information about the
possible recommendations of the seventh pay commission. They have been patiently
waiting for the last eighteen months, after the pay commission set up. The
tenure has been extended and so the waiting period.
The recent media report published in India Today has emphasized on some key points of seventh pay commission which is reproduced below. Please note that, it is not exactly the view of the publisher of this blog, especially about the retirement age factor as described below. As per our information, seventh CPC is not going to suggest any reduction of retirement age.
Following are the key points as per media report :
"1. Around 48 lakh
central government employees and 55 lakh pensioners will benefit from the
Seventh Pay Commission.
2. The Pay Commission was set
up by the UPA government during its regime. The recent changes have come under
the influence of the NDA government.
3. Former IAS officer Vivek
Rae, economist Rathin Roy and Commission secretary Meena Agarwal are members of
the commission among others.
4. The salaries of IPS and IRS
officers will get at par with that of IAS officers under the new commission.
5. In order to cut down
parity, the number of pay bands will be reduced. At present, there are 32 pay
bands, which will reduce to 13.
6. The central government's
salary bill will rise by 9.5 percent to Rs 1,00,619 crore after the commission
takes effect.
7. Under the pay commission,
the government can cut down salaries of the 'underperforming' central
government by 5 to 6 percent.
8. The duration of service
will also be reduced to 55 years of age or 33 years of service.
9. The Seventh Pay Commission
is said to increase basic salaries by 30 to 40 percent. The basic salary set in
the First Pay Commission was Rs 35 per month."
Commemorative Stamps on Third Africa-India Forum Summit (AIFS-III) – 29th October 2015.
India and Africa have a historic relationship and this has grown into a sustainable partnership. India hosted the Third Africa-India Forum Summit (AIFS-III) at Indira Gandhi National Stadium Complex, New Delhi from 26th to 29th October 2015. The summit was attended by representatives of 54 countries, including 41 heads of State and governments of African countries. India and a resurgent Africa have a vision of a close partnership. India-Africa partnership is anchored in the principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit. The third edition of IAFS summit enabled consultations at the highest political level between the heads of government of 54 nations across Africa and the Indian government to give a new thrust to age-old partnership.
To
commemorate the Summit, Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi,
President of Zimbabwe and AU Chairperson, Rober Mugabe and other
dignitaries released a Set of Six commemorative stamps and Miniature
Sheets on Third Africa-India Forum Summit (AIFS-III) at New Delhi on
29th October, 2015.
Two
Miniature Sheets having same design but one with stamps embossed in
Golden and Silver colours called innovative Miniature Sheet priced at
Rs. 300 with presentation pack and another with normal printing priced
at Rs. 70 have been issued. Four stamps are in denomination of Rs. 5 and
two stamps are in denomination of Rs. 25 each. Stamps depict Indian and
African Rhinoceros, Black Buck, Thomson's gazelle, Indian Lion and
African Lion.
Miniature
Sheet on 3rd India – Africa Forum Summit with innovative technologies is
having Hot-Foil stamping and embossing. The Indian Rhino, African Rhino
and Black Buck are Hot-foil stamped with Gun metal foil, the two Lions
are Gold foiled and the Thomson Gazelle with Copper foil. After foiling,
all the designs are embossed.
The Indian
rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), also called the greater one-horned
rhinoceros and great Indian rhinoceros, is a rhinoceros native to the
Indian subcontinent. Creating folds that look like armor, the skin of
the Indian rhinoceros is a brownish-gray hue with raised wart-like bumps
on the neck, shoulders, and legs. Its single horn distinguishes the
Indian rhinoceros from its African counterparts, who all have two horns.
Historically, the Indian rhinoceros once existed across the entire
northern part of the Indian subcontinent, along the Indus, Ganges and
Brahmaputra River basins, from Pakistan to the Indian-Burmese border,
including parts of Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Currently, the Indian
rhinoceros exists in a few small subpopulations in the Nepal and India.
There are
two species of African rhinoceros – the white and the black. Despite
their names, both are the same dark grey-brown colour. It’s thought that
the name ‘white rhino’ is a misinterpretation of the Afrikaans word
‘wyd’, referring to its square upper lip. Black rhinos have hooked lips.
White rhinos mainly live in South Africa, but they have also been
reintroduced to Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. Southern
white rhinos have been introduced to Kenya, Zambia, and Cote d’Ivoire.
The majority of the black rhino population—98%—is concentrated in four
countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. South Africa
houses 40% of the total black rhino population. There are some black
rhinos in the region spread between Cameroon and Kenya.
The
Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), also called Kala Hiran, Sasin, Iralai
Maan or Krishna Jinka is the only representative of genus antilope found
in India. It is one of the most graceful animals and used to be seen in
thousands at the beginning of this century all throughout the plains of
India except the Western coast. Due to extensive poaching and habitat
loss, blackbuck populations have been reduced drastically. Now they can
be seen in a few protected areas like the Guindy National park and IITM
campus, Point Calimere and Vellanadu Sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu and
Rollapadu (Andhra Pradesh), Velavadar (Gujarat) and Chilka (Orissa)
other than few parts of Rajasthan and Haryana.
Thomson’s
gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii), named after researcher Joseph Thomson,
sometimes referred to as a "tommie" have light-brown coats with darks
stripes running down their sides, a white patch on their rumps extending
underneath the tail, and ridged horns that curve backward. Females may
have shorter, smoother, and slimmer horns than males or none at all.
Grant’s gazelles are sometimes confused with Thomson’s. However,
Thomson’s is distinguished from Grant’s by its smaller size and the
white patch on its rump. On Grant’s gazelles, the patch always extends
above the tail. It is considered by some to be a subspecies of the
red-fronted gazelle and was formerly considered a member of the genus
Gazella within the subgenus Eudorcas, before Eudorcas was elevated to
genus status. Thomson’s gazelles prefer savannas and grassland habitats,
particularly in the Serengeti region of Kenya and Tanzania.
The Asiatic
lion (Panthera leo persica), also known as the Indian lion or Persian
lion, is a lion subspecies that exists as a single population in India's
Gujarat state. The Asiatic lion is one of five big cat species found
in India, apart from Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, snow leopard and
clouded leopard. It formerly occurred in Persia, Palestine, Mesopotamia,
Baluchistan, from Sindh in the west to Bengal in the east, and from
Rampur and Rohilkund in the north to Nerbudda in the south. It differs
from the African lion by less inflated auditory bullae, a larger tail
tuft and a less developed mane.
The lion
(Panthera leo) is one of the five big cats in the genus Panthera and a
member of the family Felidae. The commonly used term African lion
collectively denotes the several subspecies found in Africa. African
lions are the biggest of the African carnivores. Color is tawny to sandy
brown. The long tail has a distinctive black tuft at the tip. The adult
males have manes which vary in color from tawny to black. Though lions
used to live in most parts of Africa, they are now found only in the
south Sahara desert and in parts of southern and eastern Africa.
Army Postal Cover on Bicentenary of The First Gorkha Rifles – 29th October 2015.
The First Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha infantry regiment of the Indian Army comprising Gurkha soldiers of Nepalese origin. The Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army is known for their Khukris, their ‘Aayo Gorkhali’ battle cry and their motto being 'Kayar Hunu Bhanda Marnu Ramro' (Better to die than live like a coward). The Gorkhas were first recruited by the East India Company and later fought under the British in several battles including World War I and II and continued in the Indian Army after Independence. The first regiment of Gorkhas was raised by Sir Robert Colquhuon on 24th April, 1815 in Uttaranchal with men from Gorkhas, Kumaon and Garhwal regions. Two battalions, 1/1 GR and 1/3 GR, were raised. There are roughly around 30,000 Gorkhas currently serving in the Indian Army’s seven Gorkha Rifles or regiments (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th and 11th), each of which has five to six battalions (around 800 soldiers each). The Gorkhas are highly decorated having earned 117 gallantry and distinguished awards since Independence including an Ashoka and Kirti Chakra, two Shaurya Chakras and a Padma Bhushan among others. India's first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw belongs to this regiment as does the current Army Chief General Dalbir Singh.
The First Gorkha Rifles
completed 200 years of their raising and to mark the Bicentenary of The
First Gorkha Rifles Army Postal Service released an Army Postal Cover on
29th October 2015 at 14 GTC Subathu, Himachal Pradesh.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
India Post collects Rs 800 cr from COD facility
Emerging as a leading
distribution channel for the e-commerce sector, India Post collected
over Rs 800 crore through cash-on-delivery (CoD) facility and is looking
to further strengthen its position in the segment by starting a pilot
service for same-day delivery.
The postal department has also earned around Rs 70-80 crore through speed post in the year 2014-15 from e-commerce business.
Since the introduction
of CoD facility, the Department of Post has collected more than Rs 800
crore and remitted to customers," an official said.
In order to generate
more business, the postal department is reviewing its service features
to attract more number of e-commerce customers, the official further
said.
"As part of this
exercise, the Department of Posts has started pilot for same/next day
delivery in identified cities for identified PIN codes. A national
account facility has also been introduced under Speed Post," he added.
The CoD facility was
launched in December 2013 to cater to the needs of customers and
benefits from the growing e-commerce market.
The CoD has emerged as
one of the most sought after services for e-commerce entities. Customers
in the country tend to prefer CoD as the online payment modes are yet
to catch up in many parts of the country while many people are not
comfortable with advance payments for products purchased online.
The initiatives taken by the department for parcel segment have resulted in revenue of Rs 105.51 crore in 2014-15.
With dwindling letter or
document traffic, the department is focusing on the fast-growing parcel
segment and various measures have been taken to modernise the
department under the Digital India initiative.
As part of initiatives
to leverage the e-commerce sector, the department has forged tie-ups
with leading online market places like Snapdeal, Amazon, Paytm and Yepme
for parcel delivery and has also set up modernised 48 centres to handle
the packages.
The e-commerce sector in
India is growing at 47 per cent CAGR and India Post is the only
delivery agency with a pan-India reach, the official said.
Communications and IT
Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had earlier said that India Post with the
world's largest postal network was best suited to offer delivery
services to e-commerce firms.
The Minister had suggested that India Post should strive to become the largest player in the e-commerce segment.
The Postal Department
has 1,54,882 post offices, of which 1,39,182 are in rural areas. The
department employs around 4,60,000 personnel and handles close to six
billion mail pieces in a year.
Source: Business-standard.com
Source: Business-standard.com
Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme (ATAS) called “VIKALP” to be Introduced from Tomorrow i.e. 1.11.2015 on Pilot Basis
A Major Passenger Friendly move to Provide Confirmed Accommodation to Waitlisted Passengers in Alternate Trains
Facility to be Available Initially for E-Ticket (Internet Booking) Only
The Scheme to be Available Initially on Mail/ Express Trains of Two Sectors Namely Delhi –Lucknow and Delhi –Jammu
Later, The Scheme to be Extended to PRS Counter Bookings as well as on Other Journey Sectors
· With a view to provide confirmed accommodation to waitlisted passengers and also to ensure optimal utilisation of available accommodation, a scheme Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme(ATAS) called “VIKALP” has been conceptualised and is to be introduced from tomorrow i.e. 1.11.2015. Initially this scheme will be available only for the tickets booked through internet (E-ticket) as a pilot project for six months. More over initially this scheme would be provided on Mail/ Express Trains running on two sectors only namely Delhi-Lucknow and Delhi-Jammu sectors of Northern Railway. In this scheme, wait listed passengers of a train will be given option for getting confirmed accommodation in alternate trains. Based on the feedback, this scheme will be extended to PRS counter bookings and also on other journey sectors. This is a major passenger friendly move to provide confirmed accommodation to waitlisted passengers in alternate trains.
Salient Features of the scheme
· The Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme (ATAS) is presently being launched under the name “Vikalp” on pilot basis only for the tickets booked through internet (E-ticket) on two sectors i.e. Delhi-Jammu and Delhi-Lucknow sectors. Based on the feedback it will be extended on PRS as well as on other sectors.
· The scheme is presently being implemented only across Mail/Express trains of same category.
· No extra charges shall be taken from passenger or any refund shall be provided for difference of fare.
· The scheme is applicable to all waiting list passengers irrespective of booking quota and concession. In pilot phase the scheme will be available on few pre-designated trains in the above sectors only.
· Under this scheme, waiting list passengers will give choice to opt for ATAS scheme.
· ATAS opted passengers who remain fully waitlisted after charting will only be considered for allotment in the alternate train.
· Fully WL passengers opted for ATAS should check PNR status after charting.
· Either all passengers of a PNR or none will be transferred to alternate train in same class. The passenger can be considered for shifting to a train leaving from any station amongst the cluster of stations defined by Railways based on the convenience of the passengers to a station serving the destination station on the same analogy.
· The ATAS opted passengers who have been provided accommodation in the alternate train will not figure in the waitlisted charts of their original train. A separate list of passengers transferred in alternate train will be pasted along with the CONFIRMED and WAITLIST charts.
· The passenger allotted alternate accommodation can travel in the alternate train on authority of original ticket.
· Waitlisted passengers of original train shall not be allowed to board the original train if allotted alternate accommodation. If found travelling, they will be treated as travelling without ticket and charged accordingly.
· Passengers once provided alternate accommodation in alternate train will be treated as normal passengers in alternate train and will be eligible for upgradation.
· In rare situations, passengers who have been provided alternate accommodation might get dropped/re-allotted in alternate train due to last minute change in composition of the alternate train at the time of chart preparation. So, passengers who have been provided alternate accommodation should check PNR status also after preparation of charts of the alternate train for final status.
· This information will be available on Call Centre (139), PRS Enquiry Counters, Passenger Operated Enquiry Terminals installed at stations and WEB ENQUIRY on
· Passenger will also get SMS alert on their Registered mobile phone number about getting confirmed alternate accommodation.
· When an ATAS opted passenger opts to cancel, after he/she has been given an alternate accommodation, he/she will be treated as a CONFIRMED passenger and the cancellation rules will apply accordingly.
· No refund for difference of fare between the original train and the alternate train, including Tatkal charges, if any, will be given to re-allocated passengers.
· Once an ATAS passenger has been allotted alternate accommodation, journey modification will not be permitted. If required, the passenger will have to cancel the ticket and book a fresh ticket for modified journey.
· When a passenger who has been allotted alternate accommodation has not performed his journey in the alternate train, he can claim for refunds by filing a TDR request.
IMPORTANT PASSENGER INFORMATION
1. Opting for VIKALP does not mean that confirmed berth will be provided to passengers in alternate train. It is subject to train and berth availability.
2. Once confirmed in Alternate train, Cancellation charges will be as per your berth/train status in alternate train.
3. In this scheme, your boarding and terminating station might change to nearby cluster stations.
4. You can be transferred to any alternate train available within 12 hrs from the scheduled departure of original train, in which you have booked
5. Please check PNR status after charting.
Source: http://www.pib.nic.in/
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