KAVALIPOST

Friday, 27 September 2013

First Time In History Departmental Employees,GDS Employees And Pensioners Are Getting Paid DA Arrears At The Same Time






Ministry of Railways Decides to Introduce Tatkal Scheme in Passenger Trains
The Tatkal scheme was initially introduced in 1997 with a view to provide reservation to those passengers who have to undertake journey at short notice and to save such passengers from the clutches of unscrupulous elements/touts. At present, this scheme is available in almost all Mail/Express trains and in all reserved classes except First Class and First AC Class. 

Ministry of Railways has now decided to introduce Tatkal scheme in reserved classes of passenger trains also. The Tatkal scheme in the passenger trains will be available in the reserved classes (2nd AC, 3rd AC, 3rd AC Economy, Chair Class, Sleeper Class and 2nd reserved sitting). For this purpose, Zonal Railways will identify the passenger trains and earmark Tatkal accommodation in that train/class in which average utilization during the previous financial year has been more than 60%. The extent of accommodation to be earmarked will be the same as applicable in case of normal Tatkal scheme. The minimum Tatkal charges prescribed for different classes will be applicable as flat Tatkal charges. All other conditions applicable to normal Tatkal scheme will be applicable in case of identified passenger trains. 

The Zonal Railways will issue train specific notification and date of effect of this scheme at their own level.

Consumer Price index Numbers for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) August 2013

According to a press release issued by the Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour & Employment the All-India CPI-IW for August, 2013 rose by 2 points and pegged at 237 (two hundred and thirty seven). On 1-month percentage change, it increased by 0.85 per cent between July and August compared with 0.94 per cent between the same two months a year ago.

The largest upward pressure to the change in current index came from Food group contributing 1.58 percentage points to the total change. At item level, Rice, Wheat, Wheat Atta,Goat Meat, Dairy Milk, Milk (Cow & Buffalo),Onions, Chillies Green, Tea (Readymade), Firewood, Doctors Fee, Private Tution Fee. Secendory School Books, Petrol, Tailoring Charges are responsible for the rise in index. However, this was compensated to some extent by Groundnut Oil, Fish, Fresh Vegetables and Fruit items, putting downward pressure on the index.

The year-on-year inflation measured by monthly CPI-IW stood at 10.75 per cent for August, 2013 as compared to 10.85 per cent for the previous month and 10.31 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year. Similarly, the Food inflation stood at 13.91 per cent against 14.10 per cent of the previous month and 12.20 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year.

At centre level, Chindwara recorded the highest increase of 8 points each followed by Jalpaiguri and Siliguri (7 points), Durgapur (10 points) and Ranchi, Hatia, Nagpur, Kolkata, Asansol and Tiruchirapally (6 points each). Among others, 5 points rise was registered in 8 centres, 4 points in 6 centres, 3 points in 12 centres, 2 points in 13 centres and 1 point in 19 centres. On the contrary, Goa reported a decline of 5 points followed by Ernakulam, Quilon and Surat (2 points each) and 3 other centres by 1 point each. Rest of the 6 centres’ indices remained stationary.

The indices of 39 centres are above All-India Index and other 38 centres’ indices are below national average. The index of Tiruchirapally centre remained at par with all-India index.

The next index of CPI-IW for the month of September, 2013 will be released on Thursday, 31 October, 2013. The same will also be available on the office website www.labourbureau.gov.in.




CONFEDERATION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES & WORKERS
(Central Head Quarters)
1st Floor, North Avenue Post Office Building, New Delhi - 110001


CIRCULAR NO. 8/2013                                                                                 DATED – 28.09.2013

IMPORTANT CIRCULAR

CONFEDERATION NATIONAL SECRETARIAT WILL MEET ON 23.10.2013 TO DECIDE FUTURE COURSE OF ACTION
STRIKE BALLOT DEFERRED
NO CHANGE IN THE CAMPAIGN PROGRAMME OF CONFEDERATION OFFICE BEARERS

Dear Comrades,

            The National Secretariat of the Confederation congratulate the affiliates and State Committees for the strenuous efforts put in by them to propagate and campaign amongst the mass of the employees of the need for an immediate wage revision and setting up of the 7th CPC and enlist the massive participation of the Central Govt. employees for a long drawn out struggle, which commenced in 2011 and the first phase of which was culminated on 12th December, 2012 in a one day strike action.  We are proud of the fact that our efforts has borne fruit  as the Government  had to announce the setting up of the 7th CPC  on 25th. Confederation, as you are aware, had always been in the forefront in formulating demands of the CGEs, presenting and articulating the issues in spearheading struggles and negotiating the demands to reach settlement.  This time also Confederation was the organization which raised the setting up of the 7th CPC and wage revision; demanded that the 7th CPC’s recommendation must be effective from 1.1.2011; insisting that the tenure of the recommendation of the 6th CPC must be ended on the expiry of the five years on par with the wage tenure of the Public Sector undertaking workers as early as in 2010.  It could justify the demands with facts and figures of the unprecedented erosion of the real value of the wages of the Central Government employees due to the high rate of inflation in the economy and shooting up of the prices of all essential commodities.  The campaign and propaganda unleashed by us together had its salutary impact on the thinking process of other sister organizations, compelled them to take note of the growing discontent amongst the rank and file of their membership and to realize the fact that the wage structure had become incapable of making both ends meet especially for those employees at the lower levels of the hierarchy. They had to perforce take up the issue of wage revision  and setting up the 7th CPC due to the ambience created by the Confederation and its affiliates by organizing series of struggles during  the period and at the same time spurning every of our attempt for a joint action. We are quite aware that sanctions cannot be generated without joint and united action of the workers.  This dichotomy practiced by the predominant organizations in the JCM inflicted irreparable damage to the cause of the Central Government  employees.

We are happy that the Government of India having realized that the large majority of the Central Government employees have become mentally attuned to the path of an inevitable struggle on wage revision  decided to avert a confrontation by announcing the setting up of the 7th CPC.   We must, however, realize that the decision of the Government  tantamount to a post dated cheque which is capable of encashment only after a long period of two and half years.  We must not take it lying down.  The agony and sufferings of the employees, especially those at the lower levels cannot be mitigated by promises and assurances.  There must be a rise in their emoluments to make them capable of meeting the ever increasing cost of essential needs.  The Government must be told categorically and compelled to agree for the merger of DA with pay; and interim relief, which had all along been the case ever since the advent of the system of Pay Commission for wage revision.  We must bring home the fact that there will be no question of any arrears arising from the recommendation of the 7th CPC as the Commission is mandated to make its recommendation before the crucial date of 1st January, 2016. 

Even though, it is stated that the terms of reference would be finalized in consultation with all stake holders, the question of inclusion of GDS within the ambit of the Pay Commission, in all probabilities would be resisted by the Government. In the light of the passage of the PFRDA Bill in the Parliament, the Government might not agree to include the retirement benefits in the terms of reference.  This apart, the Government will now refer all pending matters, be it at the National Anomaly Committee, National Council or various Departmental Councils  or taken up through inter departmental references  to the 7th CPC.  In other words for the next two and half years none of the issues of the CGEs will be either discussed or settled.  We must not allow the Government to succeed in this nefarious objective.

We must note that the present announcement of setting up of the 7th CPC has also the hidden political agenda, for  many States including  Delhi  are to go to polls in the next few months.  The National Secretariat of the Confederation will meet on 23.10.2013 at Delhi. Formal notice is being sent separately. The Sectt. will decide upon the future course of action. In view of the present announcement of the Government setting up the 7th CPC it is necessary that we should defer the strike ballot decision, which is scheduled to be held on 11th to 13th November, 2013.  It is however, our considered opinion that unless we tread the path of struggle the demand for merger of DA with pay, date of effect, inclusion of GDS within the ambit of the 7th CPC and other issues in our charter of demands will not be settled at all.   The campaign chalked out must, therefore, be carried out with determination and understanding that we will succeed.   We request the leaders of the affiliates, State Committees and National Sectt. Members to ensure that the campaign programmes are implemented as planned.
With greetings,

Yours fraternally,



(K. K. N. Kutty)                                                                                            (M. Krishnan)

President                                                                                                    Secretary General



MOST URGENT/IMPORTANT
CONFEDERATION NATIONAL SECRETARIAT MEETING ON 23.10.2013 AT NEW DELHI

An urgent meeting of the National Secretariat of Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers will be held on 23rd October 2013 (Wednesday) at 10 AM at New Delhi, Venue: 1st Floor, North Avenue Post office building, New Delhi – 110001 (Confederation CHQ). All Office bearers of the Confederation are requested to attend the meeting without fail.


(M. Krishnan)

Secretary General

IMPORTANT CORRESPONDENCE

1. Payment of Productivity Linked Bonus to Postal employees for the Year 2012-13 reg.











LOCAL AGITATION – SHIMOGA DIVISION, KARNATAKA CIRCLE

Mandli NDTBO A/W Shimoga Market SO was ordered for abolition by Superintendent of Post Offices, Shimoga vide his letter dated 24.09.2013 and circulated on 27.09.2013 and order to be effected from 01.10.2013. Immediately Divisional union protested against the order of abolition of BO on the following grounds.

1.      Mandli was a good running BO having about 700 accounts.
2.    The BPM who is a lady had recently redeployed from Sagar, a place which is 75 KM away from Shimoga.
3.  By this abolition and her second redeployment she is forced to loose about Rs.2700/- pay.
4.     Due notice to public for abolition of BO was not served and the suggestions and representations of members of public and users of post office was not taken as per DG’s instructions.

Divisional union has given notice to SPOs against the orders and threaten spontaneous trade union action.  The members of public were also protested and raised slogan shouting against the abolition when ASP went for abolition action.  Local MLA and Councilors were also intervened. Police were called for to restore peace.  In the mean time Circle Secretaries and General Secretaries were also informed and they also intervened.  At last the local leaders were called for dialogue and SP took initiative and  himself contacted the higher authorities and put a halt for abolition.  

NFPE congratulates the Shimoga comrades for organising local agitation and also for their success in stopping the closure of the BO.


(M. Krishnan)
Secretary General

IMPACT OF KERALA THREE DAY’S STRIKE

The Postmaster General who had unleashed many anti worker and anti people policies in the Central Region Kerala Circle stands transferred out of Kerala. Postal and RMS employees of Kerala Circle had went on three day’s strike against the anti labour activities of the PMG.

Congrats to the Kerala Comrades.

(M. Krishnan)

Secretary General

National Symbols of India



National Symbols of India
Find here list of national symbols in India like national flag, anthem, song, fruit, currency, bird, game flower and many others.

National Flag - Tiranga By Pingali Venkayya
National Anthem - Jana Gana Mana By Rabindranath Tagore
National Song - Vande Mataram By Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
National Animal -'Tiger'
National Flower - Lotus
National Bird - Peacock
National Fruit - Mango
National Tree - Banyan
National Auatic Animal - Ganga Dolphin
National River - Ganga
National Emblem - (Lion Capital Of Asoka)
National Game - Hockey
National Calendar - (Saka Calendar)
National Currency - Rupee



AP CIRCLE - GDS TO POSTMAN EXAM KEY HELD ON 29/09/2013


Disclaimer:- Author of blog does not accepts any responsibility in relation to the accuracy, completeness, usefulness or otherwise, of the contents
Answers

MATHEMATICS
1- B , 2- A , 3- D , 4- B , 5- A , 6- C , 7- D 8- D, 9- A , 10- B, 11- A, 12- D, 13- C ,14 - B ,15- A , 16- B , 17- C, 18- B, 19- A, 20- B, 21- B, 22- D, 23- A , 24- C ,25-D,

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

1- B , 2- B , 3- A , 4- D , 5- A , 6- C , 7- B, 8- A, 9- B , 10- C , 11- C, 12- B, 13-C,14 - C ,15- B , 16- D , 17- A , 18- C, 19- B, 20- C, 21- B , 22- B,23- A, 24- A,25- C,

TELUGU
(KAA- A, CHA- B, TAA- C, THA- D)

1- D, 2- D, 3- D, 4- C, 5- B , 6- B, 7-A, 8-A , 9- A , 10- D , 11- C , 12- D ,13- C ,14- C , 15- C, 16- C , 17- B, 18- A, 19- B , 20- A, 21- C,22- A, 23- A ,24- A , 25- D


ENGLISH1- C, 2- A , 3-C, 4- D , 5- B , 6- B, 7- A , 8- C , 9- B , 10- D, 11- B, 12- A, 13- B ,14- B ,15- D , 16- A, 17- C , 18- B, 19- D , 20- B , 21- C , 22- B ,23- B , 24- C , 25- A 


With the amount of information we keep on our smartphones, it's increasingly vital that we protect them and the data they house. I don't want to sound like a fear-monger, but the fact is your phone can be lost or stolen, it can be destroyed, or its contents can be hacked via malware. Here are a few basic and advanced tips to consider to protect everything from your work files to contact information.


The Basics: Keep Your Phone Locked
It's extremely easy and effective to lock down access to your Android phone using built-in tools. Simply tap your way to the "Location and Security" setting. There you can create either a standard password or a screen lock pattern. If you use the screen lock pattern tool, be sure not to make an extremely easy and obvious pattern.


Android Mobiles Security Tips




For Added Security: Hidden Lock adds an extra layer of security that is easy to implement but hard for would-be thieves to crack. After you have unlocked your phone using a password, Hidden Locks requires you to tap a hidden button before you can use the phone.


Avoiding Malicious AppsViruses and other malware are increasingly targeting the Android platform, so it's important to take a few precautions to avoid infecting your own phone or tablet.

For the ultimate in security, I recommend only downloading apps from the official Google Play store, where they have been vetted. Scammers have been known to create fake versions of popular apps, which are loaded with malware and only available at third-party websites.

However, some apps may simply not be available on the app store. If you see an intriguing app, you can verify its reputation by searching for it on Google and seeing if it has been written about, positively or negatively. Be wary of totally obscure apps.

Note App PermissionsTake the time to learn what permissions an app wishes to access, from making phone calls to using your system tools. While it makes sense that a social network application may wish to access your contacts, it doesn't make sense that a "dancing dog" app would. Be wary when apps ask for more than seems to make sense.

Consider an Anti-VirusFinally, you can consider an anti-virus program for Android. Savvy users may not need these programs, but apps like Lookout Security & Antivirus do offer powerful features for added protection.

Find Your Lost Phone and Erase Data RemotelyThanks to GPS and wireless Internet, you can locate a missing Android phone using one of the several apps available. I recommend Android Lost (free). Even with your speakers turned off, you can use this app to play a sound, which is handy when you simply lose the phone in your house. Furthermore, this app also enables you to erase all the phone's data, saving your contact information and files from prying eyes.

You can also take pictures from your camera to know who is using your phone. And better yet: This app can be installed remotely, so you can install it after you have lost your phone. (However, I strongly recommend installing it right away.)

And Don't Forget Physical Mishaps
All the security measures in the world won't matter if your phone breaks from a simple drop. Be sure to invest in a quality case.

Previous GATE Papers with Answer Keys



Leave Travel Concession - FAQ




Whether a Govt Servant completing his first year of service in the Grace Period of LTC Block is eligible for LTC ?


NO . CCS (LTC) Rule 7 specify that any Govt Servant who has put in one year of service on the date of journey in a BLOCK - not during the GRACE period - is entitled to LTC to Home Town or Anywhere in India , even if his total service is less than two years. ( Rule 10 )



Whether a Govt Servant can avail Home Town LTC on THREE occasions in a block of 4 years by surrendering his claim for Anywhere in India LTC ?

NO . LTC to visit Home Town by a Govt Servant with his family members is admissible only on TWO occasions during a block of four years.(Circular dt. 20.10.1997)




Whether reimbursement of entitled class by train against actual journey by Private Airlines is admissible ?

No. Claim for journey by Private Airline is not admissible at all in LTC Rules. NO claim is payable (even admissible train fare) if mode of travel itself is a NON PERMISSIBLE mode of travel. (Clarification (1) of DOPT Circular dt. 31.03.1999)

What is the LTC admissibility for Family residing at HOME Town of the employee and visiting to the HEADQUARTER of the Employee ?
LTC is admissible only for visiting HOMETOWN ( or Any Place in India) of the employee and NOT the HEADQUARTER of employee.(Rule 8/OM dt.11.06.1985)

How the LTC Claim is to be regulated when journey is performed by the shortest route BUT IN DIFFERENT CLASSES OF ACCOMMODATION by train ?
LTC Rule allows reimbursement for expenses of journey under LTC "only on the basis of a point-to-point journey on a through ticket over the shortest direct route". So if route is the shortest direct one,and train travel is in NOT in ENTITLED class, the method of PROPORTIONATE calculation of fare will apply . Actual fares in entitled classes for the direct shortest route shall be admissible.(Rule 13)

How the LTC claim is to be regulated when journey is performed by the LONGER ROUTE and also in DIFFERENT CLASSES OF ACCOMMODATION in train or by DIFFERENT MODE OF TRANSPORT?
LTC Rule allows reimbursement for expenses of journey under LTC "only on the basis of a point-to-point journey on a through ticket over the shortest direct route".The method of proportionate calculation is applicable since journey is performed by Longer Route,in different classes/ by different mode of transport.(Rule 13)

Whether a Govt Servant's wife - completing his first year of marriage in the Grace Period of LTC Block - is eligible for LTC ?

LTC during the GRACE period is admissible only to those who are ENTITLED to avail LTC in that particular block - must have completed one year of entitlement in that block.Since first year of marriage i.e. first year period ,entitling his wife for LTC is completing in Grace period- NOT in the LTC Block Period, LTC is NOT admissible in this case.(Rule 10)




Whether the "Emergency Passage Concession " en route to Home Town is available under LTC Rules to a person posted in N.E.Region?

LTC is only a concession to the employee and not treated as a journey in public interest hence NO special concession like "Emergency Passage Concession for employees posted in NE Region " is available in LTC Rules. 



Whether in case of Travel by non-entitle mode of travel ,reimbursement of entitled class by train against actual journey by Indian Airlines is admissible ?
Yes. LTC claim for journey by non-entitled mode of transport is to be restricted to the rail fare of the entitled class.Entitled class means the fare of the HIGHEST entitled class of accommodation by rail available on the particular route. (GIO(1) below SR 46) 

Who can avail LTC facility for an "ESCORT "?

LTC for an ESCORT is available ONLY to a Handicapped Employee and NOT to any of his/her family member.

38 Point Charter of Demands for Strike Ballot by AIRF

ALL INDIA RAILWAYMEN FEDERATION


38 POINT CHARTER OF DEMANDS FOR STRIKE BALLOT


The 88th Annual Conference of the All India Railwaymen’s Federation, held at Visakhapatnam on 18-20 December, 2012, decided that, if the following burning grievances of the Railwaymen are not resolved in a time-bound programme, AIRF would be compelled to conduct strike ballot as a first step for a decisive struggle:-

  1. Filling-up all vacant posts.
  2. Sanction additional posts in commensurate with increase in the number of trains and workload.
  3. Stop outsourcing of perennial nature jobs, violating the provision of Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970.
  4. Scrap New Pension Scheme and cover all the staff with pension and family pension schemeas available to staff appointed prior to 01.01.2004.
  5. Implement recommendations of Cade Restructuring Committee.
  6. Remove all the anomalies of the 6th CPC as agreed upon in the meeting of Departmental Anomaly Committee and resolve all the anomalies pending before National Anomaly Committee.
  7. Recommendations of the Joint Committee constituted to study the Career Progression and Package for Trackmen has been diluted arbitrarily. The recommendation should be implemented in to to.
  8. Merger of grades of Technician Gr. II and Gr. I duly grant GP of Rs.2800.
  9. Provision of GP of Rs.4800 in place of Rs.4600 to all Senior Supervisors.
  10. Upgradation of 15% apex level Group `C’ posts to Group `B’.
  11. Grievances of the Running Staff, such as granting of Running Allowance w.e.f. 01.01.2006 duly improving ALK, reduction in Duty Hours, Provision of Additional Allowance to Running Staff working in Goods Trains and also to Traffic Running Staff working as Goods Guards and Passenger Guards, improvements in the condition of Running Rooms etc.
  12. Upgrade all categories of staff in Grade Pay of Rs.2400 to Rs.2800.
  13. Parity of grade pay to Stenographers between the field staff and the staff working in Secretariat.
  14. Reckoning of 100% Casual Labour Service rendered as Qualifying Service for seniority and pensionary benefits is still pending in spite of Hon’ble Supreme Court judgment.
  15. Stepping up of pay of seniors who are drawing less pay than the juniors consequent on fixation of pay due to implementation of VI CPC recommendations between the direct recruits and promotees.
  16. Stepping up of pay of senior employee on par with junior employee consequent on modification of ACP Scheme as MACP is pending with the Railway Board.
  17. Safety Related Voluntary Retirement Scheme has been modified as LARSGESS permitting the Railway employees in Safety Categories to give Voluntary Retirement so as to enabletheir wards getting appointed. Lot of conditions were imposed diluting the intention of this scheme by introducing Written Examination. Large number of wards of the employees who have applied for appointment under LARSGESS in 2010 cycle have failed in the PET. Later, PET was abolished for the wards appearing under LARSGESS 2012. AIRF has demanded waival of PET for failed candidates of LARSGESS 2010 and requested the Board to issue necessary orders to Zonal Railways for absorbing them in the Railways. The matter is yet to be resolved at Board’s level.
  18. Granting of one increment for the employees in the categories like MCMs, Loco Running Staff, SMs, P. Way Supervisors etc. when they get horizontal promotions without reckoning the same as “Promotion” for the purpose of granting financial upgradation under MACP.
  19. The demand of recruitment of wards of Railwaymen as Substitutes has not been implemented by the GMs of the Zonal Railways due to several restrictions imposed in the orders of the Railway Board.
  20. Welfare Schemes announced in the Railway Budget, such as opening of Nursing Colleges, Medical and Engineering Colleges, Polytechnics, Kendriya Vidyalas for the children of the Railwaymen, extension of medical facilities and pass to both dependant father and mother of Railway employees etc. are yet to be implemented by the Board. The announcement of the scheme - “House to All” has also not seen the light of the day.
  21. Entitlement of Privilege Passes to travel by “Duronto Express” trains is yet to be finalized.
  22. As per decision taken in the DC/JCM Meeting, 5% of the sanctioned strength of the Section Officers in the pre-revised scale of Rs.6500-10500 was earmarked to non-qualifying Appendix III Accounts Assistants. Consequent upon implementation of VI CPC recommendations, the same was revised to 1% of the combined strength of SOs & SO(A)s , reducing the percentage. The demand of increasing the same to 5% on the combined strength of SOs and SSO(A)s is still pending with the Railway Board.
  23. Grievances of AC Mechanics and AC Attendants deputed to work on trains is yet to be resolved by the Board.
  24. Running Allowance should be paid to medically de-categorized Running Staff kept on supernumerary posts.
  25. Even though technical categories working in Electrical, Mechanical, Civil Engineering(Works), erstwhile Mistries and supervisors have been merged in the cadre of JE, in the Civil Engineering the Senior P. Way Supervisors are rotting in their category without merger with JE category. This issue is pending with the Railway Board.
  26. Even though several times the issue of absorption of quasi-administrative offices staff was discussed, no orders have been issued so far for the absorption of quasi-administrative offices staff in the Railways.
  27. Improvement in the conditions of Railway Hospitals and filling up of all the vacancies of Doctors, Nurses and Paramedical Staff. Provide medical facilities to the staff posted at roadside stations and ganghuts.
  28. Increase the amount of Fixed Medical Allowance and issue Smart Card to all RELHS beneficiaries.
  29. Grant parity in pension and family pension to the staff/family retired prior to 01.01.2006.
  30. Revise the rates of Patient Care Allowance and Risk Allowance and grant Patient CareAllowance to the staff of Medical Department working in Kitchen, Store, Watching duties etc.
  31. Exempt Transport Allowance and Special Duty Allowance for the purview of Income Tax deduction.
  32. Raise the ceiling limit of Rs.3500 for the purpose of payment of PLB.
  33. Raise the ceiling of Income Tax deduction from Rs.2.00 lakh to Rs.3.00 lakh, as recommended by the Standing Committee on Finance.
  34. Repair quarters, roads, drains and do not compel staff to stay in inhabitable quarters and pay House Rent Allowance to such staff.
  35. Limit duty hours of the staff to a maximum of 7 hours a day.
  36. Scrap classification of duty hours as “Essential Intermittent” and “Excluded”.
  37. Pay T.A., O.T., N.D.A., National Holiday Pay etc. regularly.
  38. Increase the rate of Special Duty Allowance by 25% with retrospective effect from 01.01.2011.

    39. Source : AIRF

BSNL salary will be equal to MTNL in 2017


Govt to bring parity between pay scales of MTNL, BSNL.

The Government has decided to bring parity between the pay scales of employees at Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd with their counterparts in Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. This will be done at the time of next wage revision in 2017. At present, MTNL workers get higher pay compared to BSNL employees.

REHAB PLAN
The move to bring parity is part of Government’s overall plan to revive the two public sector telecom companies. This will also mean that pension benefits of the two companies will be brought at par.
“The liability of the Government towards pension of absorbed employees of MTNL may be restricted to the equivalent scales of similarly placed employees in BSNL. In case MTNL decides to pay pension on the basis of existing pay scales, the liability arising from the same shall be borne by MTNL,” a top Government official said, adding that this was decided at the last meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers.
MTNL has been told to get a written agreement with the employees to this effect. However, MTNL employees said the Government proposal may not be accepted by the workers’ union. High wage costs have been a concern for MTNL. Salary and pension expenses of MTNL employees are more than its revenues.
In addition to the pay scale, the Department of Telecom has presented to the EGoM a multi-pronged strategy to revive the two PSUs. For example, the DoT has offered to take over the debt of MTNL and BSNL in return for their surrendering broadband spectrum.
While MTNL has a debt of around Rs 8,400 crore, BSNL has taken loans of Rs 2,500 crore.

When you should not use your Credit card!


Credit card is one of the most important financial inventions in modern times. However, this much-sought after boon can be a real bane to your finances if not used with care. Here are a few instances when you should restrict the use of credit cards in order to keep your finances in order.

Using credit cards for everyday expenses: This is one of the most common instances when people use credit cards - to buy their day to day items. While using credit cards to purchase groceries and household items is not always bad, using it regularly may result in your overspending and crossing your monthly budget. Always draw up your budget for such purchases and use your credit cards within this limit. Beyond this, it is better to use cash or debit cards. 


Using credit cards for cash advances: Drawing money from an ATM through your credit card to meet emergencies is an easy way to combat cash shortage; but have you realised the impact it will cause on your finances? Not only is the interest rate charged on the advanced amount exorbitant at 2.5%-3.5% per month, but this also gets charged from day one itself. Besides you will also have to pay a flat transaction charge as well. 

During the months you have restricted cash inflows: Credit cards come with a free credit period of 20-50 days. If you do not pay your bills within the due date, you will be charged a hefty late payment fee, high interest of 2.5%-3.5% per month and also taxes on these charges. Hence if you think you will not be able to generate cash flows to make payment on your credit card within the due date, it is best to refrain from using it. 

Using credit cards when you travel abroad: When you use your credit card for transactions in a foreign country, you are usually required to pay a charge on foreign currency transactions. Also, do not forget the exchange rate fluctuations, which determine the amount you will have to pay. If you instead opt for a prepaid currency card, it will help you better. 


Using credit cards only to accumulate reward points: In order to attract customers, credit card companies offer various offers and high reward points on purchases made. While accumulating reward points is good, spending on your card only for this reason is not very healthy. You will soon realise that even though you have high reward points on your card, you will have to pay hefty bills, sometimes even on unnecessary purchases made without forethought. 

When you shop at unsecure websites: Online shopping has off late become very popular. While it is a convenient way of shopping, you must refrain from using your credit card and sharing confidential information on websites which are not secure. Always check for security levels before making credit card payments in such cases

8 Tips to Speed up your PC

Over time, any computer tends to slow down a bit or get bogged down with unwanted files. Here is how you can use free apps to restore much of the lost storage & performance
Find and remove duplicates
You may advertently end up copying the same files to different locations on the computer. This leads to clogging of precious hard drive space. Both Windows and MAC users can use the free Easy Duplicate Finder (easyduplicatefinder.com) — a lightweight and feature-rich program that does the job fast. 


It lets you search various drives (including external storage such as flash drives and portable HDD) and generates reports of each scan. For photographers who want to find and remove duplicate photographs, a free program called Duplicate Photo Cleaner (duplicatephotocleaner.com) finds duplicates even if they were resized or edited. 

Remove temporary files


Temporary files usually refer to browser files or those that get leftover when you install new applications. Ideally, they should be removed automatically by the respective program, but it doesn't always happen. 


As more and more temporary files clog up your computer, they eat up hard drive space and slow it down. Get the free CCleaner (piriform.com/ccleaner) which is available for both Windows and Mac. It makes short work of cleaning up your system's temporary files. Mac users can also use OnyX (titanium.free.fr) which offers advanced cleaning options. 

Remove unwanted shortcuts


Most of us like having shortcuts to often used programs and files — this saves time and improves productivity. However, too many shortcuts can build up over time and make your desktop a mess. 


Several programs also automatically place a shortcut on the desktop during installation. Windows XP comes with a desktop cleanup wizard that scans your desktop for unused icons and removes them. Windows Vista, 7 and 8 users can use Bad Shortcut Killer to remove unwanted shortcuts from the desktop and start menu. 

Defrag to speed things


Up defragmentation organises the contents of your hard drive in a way which minimizes the time taken by the drive to access the stored files. The robust Defraggler (piriform.com/defraggler) is a great tool that offers the option to defrag the entire hard drive or just specific folder. It displays a drive map that shows how the space of your hard drive is utilised. 


Mac users usually do not need to defrag their drives because the OS automatically defrags files that are less than 20MB in size. (Note that if your computer uses flash-based storage, there is no need to defragment it) 

Make it boot faster


As you install more programs, you might notice that your PC takes longer to boot up. This happens because many applications and services automatically initialise during the boot process. Soluto (soluto.com) is a free Windows utility that analyses your PC's boot up time and removes unnecessary startup programs. 


It even lets you individually select the programs you want to remove from startup. MAC users can do the same by going to System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items and removing applications that you do not want to open automatically when you log in. 

Sort out the registry


Unknown to many, but one of the main causes of a slow Windows PC is a corrupted registry. The Windows registry configures and handles every hardware and software operation on your computer and tends to get corrupted by obsolete/invalid entries. Get the free Registry Repair from glarysoft .com/registry-repair. 


It scans your system registry for a number of common issues and fixes them instantly. It also makes a backup of any registry change so that if your system becomes unstable, it can be restored back to its original state. 

All-in-one solution


If you need a single solution to take care of everything, try TuneUp Utilities (tune-up.com). The software will set you back 2,900 but is well worth the price. Once you create a profile of your usage, it recommends various steps to improve performance. All the tools you need to scan and fix issues with your system are built in. 


You can also improve your PC's boot up and shutdown time, delete files safely as well as uninstall programs. The 'one click' system maintenance mode is particularly useful — it scans various areas of your PC and fixes everything in the background without disturbing you. 

Ask for help


If you're not too confident of meddling with advanced settings, ask a a tech-savvy friend for remote assistance. LogMeIn, TeamViewer & CrossLoop are some free tools available using which a remote user can easily log into and take over control of your PC (with your permission, of course). 


Problems can be identified and fixed remotely by your friend and all you need is the software & a reliable broadband connection on both ends.

Answer Key for IPO Exam 2013 held on 14/09/2013 & 15/09/2013 ( Updated )
The Inspector of Posts Examination Key is prepared by a private Team in good faith of IPO exam aspirants.  Author of blog does not accepts any responsibility in relation to the accuracy, correctness of answers or otherwise, of the contents. 


The Key Published by India Post is final.


View / Download
Prepared by

Kaushik Srinivas,
IP aspirant,
Chennai, TN

VLC Media Player 2.1.0 Rincewind: New features & revie


VLC Media Player, the best media player for Windows, has become even better with its 2.1 release named “Rincewind”. Bugs have been fixed, quality has been improved, and for sure new features have been added. Bugs have been fixed in large amounts and now VLC supports many new inputs and devices. VLC 2.1.0 is the first release to be officially get ported to iOS and Android, and partially to Windows Store App and Windows RT.
VLC 600x402 VLC Media Player 2.1.0 Rincewind: New features & review
VLC Media Player

Rincewind has a rewritten audio core which allows better volume outputs and better device management. In order to support the new core, some of the modules have also been rewritten. Rincewind also correctly support multi-channel layouts in all formats: 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1. All new audio outputs have been added to give its user a good and smooth audio experience.
If we see video improvements, most of them are done for Mobile Versions, as color conversion shaders are now supported on Android and iOS, and a new filter for side-by-side 3D has been successfully introduced. Moreover Open GL output has been ported to OpenGL ES and as a result of which VLC has introduced new video outputs for iOS using OpenGL ES2.
Hardware encoding for various platforms has been added and VLC now supports Microsoft Smooth Streaming. Now VLC shows support for fragmented MP4, Wave/RF64 files and for FLAC, Atrac, ADPCM, DV Type 1, 12bits DV audio in AVI files.
Some of the extended features are
  • Better support for AVI and MKV files
  • Audio fingerprinting using AcoustID
  • Developments on Blu-Ray, Dash and HTTP inputs
  • Better windowless integration for HTML
  • Many more features…
There are many other features included, out of which some are very useful for developers and rest for all the VLC lovers. This release has added something essential to the software and it has been made better. Rincewind update is considered to be as one of the important VLC updates since it includes a lot major and minor improvements.
We’ve seen many bugs fixed and many new features added. The best ever media player has become even better. You will find the updates very useful, as all the codec upgrades can play maximum file formats smoothly.
Click here to download VLC Media Player.


General Awareness Questions Asked in IBPS RRB Office Assistant (Clerk) Online Exam 2013 (Afternoon Shift): 29 September 2013



Friends.. Here is some General Awareness Questions asked in today's (29.09.2013) IBPS RRB Office Assistant (Clerk) Online Exam(Afternoon Session). These questions were shared by our friends Mandeep and Vinayak.. We thank them on behalf of our team as well as all aspirants and Wish them all the very best for their success!!!

1) Name of Bangladesh parliament: Jatiyo sangshad
2) 15th Loksabha elections held in: 2009
3) Summer Olympics in 2016 going to be held in: Brazil
4) Union home affairs minister of India: Sushil Kumar Shinde
5) Vice president of India: Hamid Ansari
6) UN day celebrated on: 24th October
7) Chief of naval staff : Admiral D K Joshi
8)18th SAARC summit going to held at: Nepal
9) Leander Peas related to: Tennis
10) Dronacharya Award 2013 for lifetime contribution given to:  K P Thomas
11) Dhyan chand award given to hockey coach: Syed Ali
12) Full form of CIS : Commonwealth Independent States
13) Sanchi stupas belonging to lord Buddha and king Asoka were found in India at:Madhya Pradesh
14) About SIDBI
15) Currency of South Korea: won
Visit : http://sapost.blogspot.in/ for latest informatioms
16) President of Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai
17)Abhinav Bindra related to: shooting
18) Best Actor award in 85th Oscar awards: Daniel day Lewis
19) Which film got more awards in Filmfare Awards: Kahaani
20) Important Functions of Bharat Nirman
21) Mary kom won medal in olympics for which sport?: boxing
22) HQ of IBS-: Basel, Switzerland
24)ASEAN have ___ countires.: 10
25)UNCTAD full form: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
26)Midnights children book written by: Salman Rushdie
27) Name of the submarine recently in news in Aug. 2013: INS Sindhurakshak
28) Devdas Book written by: Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya
30)BPL families 50% for sc/st, : % for minorities, 3% for PWD: 15%
31)Capital of Andaman and nicobar: Port Blair

32) 15th Rajya Sabha elected in the year?

33) Number of Members of ASEAN.
34) Next SAARC meeting to be held at?
35) Head of the Planning Commission
36) Why Renjith Maheshwary was recently in news?
37) Mary Kom is associated with which sport?
38) Author of the book Dev Das.
39) Capital of Andaman and Nicobar
40) Capital of Mauritius.
41) Dhyan Chand Award 2013 for Atheletics
42) Home Minister of India
43) Dronacharya Award 2013 for Hockey
44) UNCTAD Abbreviation
45) Afghanistan President
46) Head of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Goods and Service Tax
47) Author of 'Midnight's Children'
48) Total Goods and Service Produces excluding Depreciation.
49) Headquarters of International Civil Aviation Organization
50) Film that won maximum awards in 60th National Film Awards: Vicky Donor
51) NREGA Abbrevation
52) Chief of Naval Staff
53) Lok Sabha Speaker
54) Name of Bangladesh Parliament
55) % from Minorities covered by National Rural Livelihood Mission
56) South Korean Currency
57) Leander Adrian Paes associated with which sport?
58) Abhinav Bindra associated with which sport?
59) Tehri Dam is built across which river?
60) Vice President of India
61) UN Day observed on which date?
62) Best Actor Award in Oscar 2013
63) A question related to objectives of Bharat Nirman Plan with one missing objective - The missing objective mentioned in option was Drinking Water Supply
64) Which bank is focused on the growth of MSME?
65) Nationality of Yelena Isinbayeva.
66) Headquarters of Bank for International Settlements.
67) Name of the submarine that exploded recently in India.






IRCTC levy any registration charges for opening Rolling Deposit Scheme..?

Rs.250/- is charged as registration charge for opening Rolling Deposit Scheme (RDS) which can be redeemed against the tickets booked by the users.

Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has launched the Rolling Deposit Scheme (RDS) on 22.08.2012 for individual users as a pilot project for a period of six months, with the following objectives:
(i) Reduction in time taken to book tickets
(ii) Reduction in the number of unsuccessful transactions on account of delays/network failure on part of the banks
(iii) Reduction of transaction cost
(iv) Faster crediting of refunds to customer account
(v) Improvement in overall system performance


Train Ticket Booking Authorised Agent List - IRCTC


Train Ticket Booking Authorised Agent List - IRCTC

IRCTC Authorised Agents
Ticket booking authorisation has been given as follows across the country, Indian Railways Authorised Agents –3, Authorised Air Travel Agents-5, State Govt Schemes-12, GSAs in Abroad –10, IRCTC Authorised Agents of Public Sector-3, Internet Cafe / Internet Chain of Stores-32, Services Scheme (B2B Scheme)-29, OTA Scheme (B2C Scheme)-6. The detailed list of agents as given under…

Indian Railways Authorised Agents :-
1. RTSA (Rail Travel Services Agents)
2. Town Booking Agency (TBA)
3. City Booking Agency

Authorised Air Travel Agents -:
1) International Air Transport Association (IATA)
2) Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI)
3)  Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI)
4) Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO)
5) Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI)
State Govt Schemes :-
1. e Seva (Andhra Pradesh Govt.)
2. E – Mitra (Rajasthan Govt.)
3. Manipur Electronics Development Corp.Ltd (Manipur)
4. Samadhan Samiti, Indore (Govt. of Madhya Pradesh)
5. Community Information centre, Sivasagar (Govt. of Assam)
6. 3i Infotech (Haryana)
7. Bangalore One (Karnataka Govt.)
8. National Level Service Agency (Kerala Govt)
9. E-Suvidha, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh))
10. Sukhamani Society Citizens Services, Kapurthala (Punjab)
11. Suwidha society (Nawansahar/ Punjab)
12. Sukmani Society for citizen services, Muktsar (Punjab)13. District Magistrate (Lokvani), Bareilly
GSAs in Abroad :-
1. Orient Paradise (GSA Nepal)
2. Rex Travels (GSA Nepal)
3. Sharjah National Travel & Tourist Agents (GSA, UAE)
4. Jetmal choice Travel Pvt. Ltd.(GSA, Singapore)
5. Florida World Wide Travels (GSA, Thailand)
6. Golden Holiday & Travel Company (GSA, Kenya)
7. GILL International Travel (GSA, Canada)
8. Jaya Ganga Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd (Nepal)
9. Flight Raja Travel Service (Bangladesh)
10. Hemas Travels Pvt. Ltd. (Sri-Lanka)
IRCTC Authorised Agents of Public Sector : –
1. IOCL (Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.)
2. BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.)
3. HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.)
Internet Cafe / Internet Chain of Stores :-
1. Aarvy Online Stores P. Ltd., Hyderabad (Contact No. 040- 65974744/45)
2. Alankit Technologies Ltd., New Delhi (Contact No. 011- 42541771/3)
3. Axon Pixel Pvt Ltd., Delhi (Contact No. 011- 47065788)
4. BSS Information Technology Mission (Contact No. 0471- 2335852)
5. Compark E Services Pvt. Ltd., Ghaziabad (Contact No. 0120-3102206/09212244769)
6. Customer Needz India P. Ltd., Bangalore (Contact No. 080- 42848484)
7. Done Card Utility Ltd, Mumbai (Contact No. 022-66846684)8. Easy Bill, New Delhi (Contact No- 011- 30818888)
9. Encore Digitech Pvt. Ltd, Kolkata (Contact No. 033- 22263871/22657424)
10. G I Technology Ltd., Chennai (Contact No. 044-42886000)
11. Grameen Sanchar Society, Kolkata (Contact No. 033-23577075)
12. Hope All Infoline, New Delhi (Contact No. 011- 22446622)
13. Hughes Communications India Ltd., Gurgaon (Contact No. 0124-3072500)
14. ITZ Cash Card Ltd, New Delhi (Contact No. 011- 27106129/27184608)
15. M/s Neptune Travels India Pvt. Ltd , Bangalore (Contact no- 080 41786200) (Formerly Lognbuy.com)
16. Oxigen Services (India) Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon (Contact No. 0124- 4153888)
17. PC Training Institute, New Delhi (Contact No. 011- 47591477/88)
18. Paul Merchants (Contact No. 0172-5041786/5025090)
19. Pay Point India Network Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai (Contact No. 022- 28604343)
20. RMS E Services India Pvt. Ltd (Contact No. 040- 23544124)
21. Shanti Multiple Services, Lucknow (Contact No. 0522- 4026021/4026512)
22. SIFY Technologies Ltd, Chennai (Toll Free No- 18603458888)
23. Sugal & Damani Utility Services Pvt. Ltd. (Payworld), New Delhi
(Contact No. 011- 43758800/28753882)
24. Travel Port Holidays (I) P. Ltd., Mumbai (Contact No. 022- 26748000)
25. Virmati Software and Telecommunication Ltd., Ahmedabad (Contact No. 079- 26733161/62/63)
26. Suvidhaa Infoserve, Mumbai (Contact No. 022-67159999/ Toll Free No. 1800225225
27. OSS Retailer Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai (Contact No. 022 66846684)
28. Flight Raja Travels Pvt Ltd. Bangalore (Contact No. -080-40433000)
29. Travis Internet Pvt. Ltd , Mumbai (Contact no. 022 32166459)
30. Poona Auto & Miniature Bulb Industries, Bareilly (Contact No. 0581-2588870)
31. MOS Utility Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai (Contact No. 022- 42383838)
32. Fourwings International Travels Pvt. Ltd. Mangalore (Contact No. 0824- 2440531/32/34)Web
Services Scheme (B2B Scheme) :-
1. Akbar Online Booking Co. Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai (Contact No. 022- 40996000)
2. Bangalore One, Bangalore
3. Bird Group Technologies P. Ltd. (Contact No 011-46092654,30616651)
4. Done Card Utility Ltd, Mumbai (Contact No. 022-66846684)
5. Flight Raja Travels Pvt Ltd. Bangalore (Contact No. -080-40433000)
6. GMG Associates (Muthoot Travelsmart), Cochin (Contact No. 0484- 4028774/75/76/77)
7. G I Technology Ltd., Chennai (Contact No- 044-42886000)
8. Gisil (Indepay), New Delhi (Contact No. 0124-4671700)
9. Hughes Communications India Ltd., Gurgaon (Contact No. 0124-3072500)
10. ITZ Cash Card Ltd, New Delhi (Contact No. 011-27106129/27184608)
11. Neptune Travels India Pvt. Ltd , Bangalore (Contact no- 080 41786200) (Formerly Lognbuy.com)
12. OSS Retailer Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai (Contact no. 022-66846684)
13. Oxigen Services (India) Pvt. Ltd, Gurgaon (Contact No. 0124-4153888)
14. SREI Sahaj E-Village, Kolkata (Contact No. – 033-39873548)
15. Sugal & Damani Utility Services Pvt. Ltd. (Payworld), New Delhi (Contact No. 011-43758800/28753882
16. Suvidhaa Infoserve, Mumbai (Contact No. 022-67159999/ Toll Free No. 1800225225)
17. Tata Teleservices Ltd., Mumbai (Contact No. – 022-66671414)
18. Travel Boutique, New Delhi (Contact No- 011-41646222)
19. Virmati Software and Telecommunication Ltd., Ahmedabad (Contact No. 079- 26733161/62/63)
20. Pay Point India Network Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai (Contact No. 022- 28604343)
21. Pinelabs Pvt. Ltd., Noida (Contact No. 0120-4174000)
22. Spring Travels Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi (Contact No. 011-40404040)
23. Clear Trip Travel Services P. Ltd., Mumbai (Contact No. 022-41300300)
24. Make My Trip India Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon (Contact No. 0124-4395000)
25. Easy Trip Planners Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi (Contact No. 011-43030303/43131313)26. Suvidha Starnet Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi (Contact No.011-43310000)
27. Yatra Online Pvt. Ltd. (Contact No. 09871800800)
28. Easy Bill, New Delhi (Contact No- 011- 30818888)
29. Compark E Services Pvt. Ltd., Ghaziabad (Contact No. 0120-3102206/09212244769)
OTA Scheme (B2C Scheme) :-
1. Clear Trip Travel Services P. Ltd.
2. Ezeego1 Travel & Tours Ltd
3. Make My Trip India Pvt. Ltd.
4. Thomas Cook India Ltd
5. Yatra Online Pvt. Ltd.
6. G I Technology Ltd
INTERNET BOOKING AGENTS CELL :-
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd.
9th Floor, Bank of Baroda Building,
16, Parliament Street, New Delhi 110001.
Telephone: 011-23311263 / 264 extn. 155 & 144
e-mail id: iata@irctc.co.in

Result of MTS Examination of Odisha Circle held on 22/09/2013


To view please Click Here.


10 Tips to manage high BP without pills


Hypertension on the high? Here are top 10 tips to get it down and keep it down.


Seven in 10 adults are at a greater risk of stroke or heart attack because their blood pressure is too high. Desk jobs, lack of exercise and eating salty fast foods have contributed to the problem, even among the young. If your level is consistently at or above 140mmHg/ 90mmHg (referred to as 140 over 90). The 140 figure is the systolic pressure — the pressure reached when the heart forces the blood around the body — and 90 is the diastolic pressure — the lowest pressure that occurs between heartbeats when the heart relaxes.


In India, experts say, the prevalence of hypertension ranges from 20-40 per cent in urban adults and 12-17 per cent among rural adults. But there's no reason to worry. Simple measures will help to cut your risk.


1. Go for a weekly jog
Jogging for just an hour a week can increase your life expectancy by six years, according to a Copenhagen City Heart cardiovascular study of around 20,000 men and women aged from 20 to 93.


Researchers believe jogging delivers multiple health benefits, improving oxygen uptake and lowering blood pressure, as well as many more benefits. However, any physical activity can help lower blood pressure by strengthening the heart so it can pump more blood with less effort, thereby decreasing the force on the arteries. Power walking can be just as effective as jogging.


2. Enjoy yoghurt
Just one small pot a day can reduce your chances of developing high blood pressure by a third, according to a study presented at the University of Minnesota in the US. Scientists think naturally occurring calcium can make blood vessels more supple, enabling them to expand slightly and keep pressure low.


They found those who ate a 120g pot daily were 31 per cent less likely to develop high blood pressure over a 15-year period than those who did not.


3. Go bananas
Eating potassium-rich foods, such as bananas, and reducing salt intake could save thousands of lives every year, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal online.
Potassium is an important mineral that controls the balance of fluids in the body and helps to lower blood pressure. Making sure you eat five.


4. Down with salt
Salt draws in fluid, raising the volume and pressure of blood in your arteries. But it's not just the salt cellar you have to worry about — processed foods such as biscuits, breakfast cereals, takeaways and ready meals contain 80 per cent of the salt we consume, says the Blood Pressure Association. Check labels: more than 1.5g salt per 100g is a lot, but less than 0.3mg per 100g is a little.


5. Lose weight
Research has shown that dropping just a few kilos can have a substantial impact on your blood pressure. Excess weight makes your heart work harder and this strain can lead to high blood pressure.


6. Don't smoke
The nicotine in cigarettes stimulates your body to produce adrenaline, making your heart beat faster and raises your blood pressure, making your heart work harder.


7. Work less
Regularly putting in 40 hours per week at the office raises your risk of hypertension by 14 per cent, the University of California, US, found.The risk rises with overtime. Compared with those who worked fewer than 40 hours a week, workers who clocked up more than 51 hours were 29 per cent more likely to have high blood pressure. Overtime makes it hard to exercise and eat healthily, say researchers. So try to down tools with enough time to relax in the evening and eat a healthy supper. Set a message on your computer as a reminder to go home.


8. Seek help for snoring
Loud, incessant snoring is a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. And more than half of those with this have blood pressure significantly higher than expected for their age and general health.


Cutting out cigarettes and alcohol and losing weight will help.


9. Switch to decaf
Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina, US, found caffeine consumption of 500mg, roughly three cups, increased blood pressure by three points. Effects lasted until bedtime.


Scientists say that caffeine can raise blood pressure by tightening blood vessels and magnifying the effects of stress.


10. Think beetroot
A study published in the journal Hypertension found drink ing a 250ml cup of the juice can cut blood pressure readings in those with high blood pressure by around seven per cent. It's thought the effect is produced by beetroot's naturally high levels of nitrate. Eating other-rich foods — cab bage and spinach — might also help

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

No need to wait for separate DR orders for Pensioners.



Recommendations on Improving Telecom Services in the North Eastern States - TRAI


Recommendations on Improving Telecom Services in the North Eastern States – TRAI
TRAI Releases Recommendations on ‘Improving Telecom Services in the North Eastern States: An Investment Plan’

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today issued its recommendations on “Improving Telecom Services in the North Eastern States: An Investment Plan”. On 22nd April, 2013, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) requested Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to carry out a gap analysis and prepare an investment plan for providing quality telecom services in the North Eastern States. The intention was to formulate a comprehensive telecom plan for revamping and augmentation of telecom services in North Eastern Region.

The North Eastern Region (NER) comprises the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The region is characterized by extremely tough terrain with relatively poor infrastructure, such as rail, roads, electricity and telecom. Attempts have been made in the past to increase telecom connectivity and teledensity in the region. However, the results so far have not been very encouraging. As on May, 2013, of the eight States in the NER, teledensity in five States is below the national average wireless teledensity of 70%. Similarly, in four States, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram, the percentage of villages not having mobile coverage ranges from 55.9% to 24.3%. This is very high when compared with most other States where the percentage of uncovered villages is less than 10%.
To assess the present status of telecom infrastructure and the gaps in the NER, detailed consultation was held with various stakeholders, namely, Universal Service Obligation Fund Administrator (USOFA), Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) operating in the NER, Public Sector Undertakings entrusted with laying optical fibre cable in the NER viz. BSNL, Railtel and PGCIL. As the State Governments are vitally important stakeholders in this exercise, four teams of senior officers of TRAI met the Chief Ministers and top-level State Government officers of some the NER States to understand their perspective and concerns about the telecom infrastructure in their States.
The Authority’s recommendations are grounded in three main constituents:
(a)    The Gap Analysis;
(b)    The State-wise suggested telecom plans;
(c)    The estimation of investment required for implementation of the suggested overall plan. The gap in telecom infrastructure essentially falls under four categories. These are:
(a)    The desired bandwidth and existing transmission bandwidth at the State Capital and District Head Quarters;
(b)    The minimum required infrastructure and existing infrastructure to support basic 2G mobile coverage;
(c)    The desired infrastructure to have ‘state-of-the-art’ connectivity for data and the existing infrastructure, and
(d)    The desired connectivity and existing connectivity across National Highways passing through the States.
The gap analysis for telecom infrastructure and services in the NER has been done in terms of the above four categories and, accordingly, the investment required has been worked out. In these recommendations:
•    Keeping in view the future bandwidth required for broadband in the NER, the core network has been strengthened to provide connectivity with redundancy/diversity between all State capitals and State capitals and the District Headquarters.
•    Investment has been estimated for providing 2G mobile coverage in towns and villages having population of more than 250 persons;
•    As the penetration of 3G services is very poor in NER, initially it has been planned to provide 3G services in all urban areas in the NER;
•    In addition, the Authority has also recommended investment requirement for providing seamless connectivity along all National Highways in the NER.
The overall investment required for implementing the envisaged plan in the NER States has been estimated to be approximately Rs.2918 crores. The recommendations also contain certain policy and supporting action that would be necessary for successful implementation of this programme. Some of these are:
(i)    Discount of 2% of AGR of license fee to TSPs who cover at least 80% of the habitations with a population of 250;
(ii)    Providing subsidy from USO Fund for bandwidth charges through satellite connectivity; (iii)    Subsidy for installation of solar power units at telecom towers;
(iv)    PGCIL and BSNL to lease their dark fibre to other TSPs and also to reduce their bandwidth leasing charges in the NER to make them comparable to those charged in other parts of the country;
(v)    The TSPs in the NER to enter into inter and intra circle roaming agreements amongst themselves within a period of six months for all the BTS along the National Highways passing through NER States;
(vi)    State Governments to ensure –
(a)    Availability of commercial power for BTSs on priority;
(b)    Provide land and Government buildings for erection of BTS;
(c)    Rescind the levy of taxes/charges on the use of diesel generators (DGs) by TSPs;
(d)    To allow pulling of Optical Fibre Cable on transmission towers/poles of state electricity boards;
(e)    To facilitate availability of sufficient diesel supply to the TSPs particularly during bandhs/strikes;
(f)    Whenever the BTSs are running on DG sets they are able to run round-the-clock so that the people get uninterrupted telecom connectivity;
(g)    Set up a single-window clearance system for all telecom related clearances/NOCs like pollution/noise control certificate, environment clearance, site acquisitions, commercial power supply etc.
The recommendations have been placed on TRAI’s website www.trai.gov.in

India Post pushes ahead with banking plan despite opposition

Postal department to seek cabinet approval for banking capital even after finance ministry reservations
India Post needs the government’s permission for the Rs.500 crore that is needed to set up a bank if it gets a licence from RBI. Photo: Hindustan Times
Mumbai: Despite strong opposition from the finance ministry, the postal department plans to approach the Union cabinet next month seeking capital of up to Rs.1,900 crore for a proposed commercial bank, according to two people familiar with the development.
To be called Post Bank of India, its branches will be linked to India Post’s vast network of post offices and will promote goals of financial inclusion, its supporters say.
“The department has decided to move the cabinet by October to seek the capital for Post Bank,” said a senior bureaucrat familiar with the proposal. The official requested anonymity, citing sensitivity of the matter. The second person, a consultant, also declined to be identified.
An email sent to financial services secretary Rajiv Takru on Tuesday remained unanswered at the time of writing this story.
India Post needs the government’s permission for the Rs.500 crore capital that is needed to set up the bank if it gets a licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). While many government departments support the plan, some—mainly the department of financial services—have raised serious reservations, the official quoted earlier said.
India Post estimates an immediate requirement of Rs.700 crore and an additional Rs.1,200 crore in the first five years of its operations.
The move comes as the government prepares to launch a new bank exclusively for women with a capital base of Rs.1,000 crore.
The postal department, one of 26 contenders for banking licences, decided to rush with the proposal to the cabinet because it needs to convince RBI that it has enough funds if indeed Post Bank is shortlisted, the official said.
Global consultancy firm Ernst and Young LLP (EY) has drafted the blueprint for the proposed bank.
RBI governor Raghuram Rajan wants new banking licences to be issued by January-end, before deputy governor Anand Sinha, who has been spearheading the licensing process, retires. RBI is currently scrutinizing the applications and is also in the process of setting up a high-profile panel, to be headed by former RBI governor Bimal Jalan, to screen them.
Contenders for the new banking licences include L&T Finance Holdings Ltd, Aditya Birla Financial Services Group, Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Ltd, LIC Housing Finance Ltd, Tata Capital Ltd, IDFC Ltd, Reliance Capital Ltd and Bajaj Finserv Ltd.
In August, the expenditure department of the finance ministry had rerouted an earlier draft cabinet note from India Post seeking Rs.1,900 crore for the banking entry to another wing of the ministry. It asked the postal department to first seek the approval of the expenditure finance committee.
The expenditure finance committee, headed by the expenditure secretary, normally scrutinizes proposals for amounts of more than Rs.300 crore and for the creation of new autonomous organizations, regardless of the amount.
Within the finance ministry, the department of financial services opposes the move, saying the postal department does not have the expertise to run a bank, including handling credit and other banking functions. It feels the business proposal is unlikely to be viable.
But the postal department does not agree with this view, saying it has several years’ experience in deposit mobilization and that Post Bank of India will be run by professional management using its strong network. The postal department has close to 155,000 offices spread across the nation, as many as 139,040 of which are in rural areas.
Each rural post office covers around 6,000 people on an average, and urban post offices cover about 24,000 people each, according to a 2011 estimate.
As of 31 March, the outstanding balance under the Post Office Savings Scheme stood at Rs.6.05 trillion, equivalent of half the deposits of State Bank of India, the country’s largest commercial bank, and double that of the largest private lender ICICI Bank Ltd.
According to an interim report by EY in April, the proposed bank will focus on those at the bottom of the pyramid, or the poor, in non-metro centres, and avoid urban areas that are already well-served by existing banks.
People who already hold deposits with the Post Office Savings Scheme will have the option to transfer these to the proposed new bank, but this will not be compulsory, according to the official quoted earlier.
To begin with, Post Bank of India plans to open 300-400 branches, each also managing a specific number of postal outlets.
Globally, countries such as Germany and Japan run banks linked to their post office networks.
“India Post is the only player among the applicants with experience in deposit-taking. This is the core of financial inclusion. The finance ministry may have reservations about the Post, but its strength can’t be ignored,” said Abizer Diwanji, partner and head of financial services, EY India.
Entry into banking may also help India Post to leverage its branch strength in a profitable manner. It made a loss of Rs.6,346 crore in fiscal 2012, as letter-writing dwindled and private courier firms took away much of its business.
Naina Lal Kidwai, president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries and country head of HSBCIndia, said given that financial inclusion is the key criterion for issuing new bank licences, India Post has a definite edge over other applicants.
“Not only do 90% of their branches already exist in rural India, but their reach is evident even in the most remote, inaccessible and therefore often un-banked locations in the country, thereby automatically dispensing with the problem of access to branches,” Kidwai said.
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