The facility of Free Monthly Season Ticket (MST) is available for boy and girl students, for travel n 2nd class of all passenger/local trains between stations serving places of their residence and school/college/Madrasa. In case of boys, this facility is available upto class 12th while in case of girls, it is available upto the level of Graduation which also includes professional/vocational courses such as B. Tech., B.Sc. (Engineering), M.B.B.S. etc.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri K. H. Muniyappa in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Department of Posts has won the Today's Traveller Award for Best Customer Service Organisation for the year 2011. The award was presented by Shri Subodh Kant Sahai, Union Minister of Tourism here on 23rd August 2011.
The award citation says "Department of Posts has done a commendable job in reaching every citizen of India with its path-breaking innovations. There has been a major transformation in Department of Posts’ manpower development, whereby both the front and back office staff and the entire personnel make sincere efforts to understand and address customer's needs, respond to their inquiries/complaints and provide efficient and reliable services with a good degree of enthusiasm."
The Union Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Shri Kapil Sibal today informed Rajya Sabha in written reply to a question that the Telecom Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC) Regulation, 2007, issued by the TRAI has not been fully effective and needed revision. Accordingly TRAI has issued “The Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2010” on 1st December 2010 with the objective to provide an effective mechanism for curbing Unsolicited Commercial Communications.
The Union Labour & Employment Minister Shri Mallikarjun Kharge has informed the Rajya Sabha that the Expert Committee constituted by the Central Government to review the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 has submitted its report on 5th August, 2010, which is under consideration of the Central Board of Trustees (EPF). The report also includes recommendations on contribution to be made by all concerned viz. employers, employees and Central Government under various options.
The Minister was replying to a written question whether Government has completed a review of the recommendations of the committee appointed to look into the various aspects of Employees Pensions Scheme (EPS) 1995.
The Government constituted a Committee to evolve a comprehensive policy on the issue of autonomy of Higher Educational Institutions. The Terms of Reference of the Committee are as under:-
(i) To review the state of autonomy of Central Educational Institutions (CEIs) such as Central Universities, IITs and IIMs vis-à-vis bodies like the UGC as well as the Central Government.
(ii) To recommend mechanism for norm-based funding of CEIs for development and maintenance with an aim to enhancing financial autonomy of the institutions.
(iii) To examine the diffusion of autonomy within the CEIs and to suggest measures by which institutional autonomy can percolate to governance structures within the university and to the teacher.
(iv) To review and recommend measures on the present governance structures of the CEIs and to provide for substantive and procedural autonomy to them vis-à-vis the UGC and other Central Regulatory Bodies and the Central Government.
(v) To recommend measures for fostering accountability of CEIs as public institutions.
(vi) Any other issue relevant to the promotion of autonomy of Central Educational Institutions in a manner to achieve the objectives of the universities as stated in their respective statues and in the light of the recommendations of the Committee on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education (Yashpal Committee) and the National Knowledge Commission (NKC).
The Committee held consultations with stakeholders such as Directors of Indian Institutes of Management, Directors of Indian Institutes of Technology and Vice Chancellors of Central Universities before finalizing its report and submitting the same to the Ministry. The Ministry have constituted a Task Force to formulate the modalities for implementation of the recommendations of Committee.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Dr. D. Purandeswari, in a written reply to a question, in the Lok Sabha today.
By the close of 2011, the global population would have reached 7 Billion. (That’s more than double the number of people living just 50 years ago.) About half of them are women and girls.
The Cabinet today approved lowering the age limit for the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) from 65 years to 60 years and increasing the rate of pension from Rs. 200 to Rs. 500 to persons of 80 years and above. The revised norms would be applicable with effect from 1st April, 2011.
It is estimated that lowering of the age limit would benefit about an additional 72.32 lakh persons in the age group of 60-64 years and living below the poverty line. It is estimated that 26.49 lakh persons above the age of 80 years and living below the poverty line, would become eligible to receive enhanced central assistance @ Rs. 500 per month. At present 169 lakh persons above the age of 65 years and living below poverty line are receiving central assistance under IGNOAPS.
As announced in the Railway Budget 2011-12, the Ministry of Railways has decided to extend the Rail Yatri Sevaks with modern trolleys to six more stations. These six stations are New Delhi (Platform No. 1 and 16), Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram.
Modern Luggage Trolleys with brakes, similar to those provided at airports (standard dimensions) will be provided for round the clock service. These trolleys should be provided by service providers who will be engaged for each station through a separate open-tender process to be followed by the zonal Railways. The contractual period shall be for one year.
As part of the 150 years’ celebrations of the Institution of the CA&G of India, a national level on-line essay competition for the graduate and post graduate students in all the disciplines has been organized from today. The subject is “Role of CAG in Meeting Challenges of Good Governance.” The competition is open only for Indian citizens who are not more than 25 years of age.
The length of essay is 3000 words. The essay can be emailed to CAG’s Office from 1st June to 30th June 2011 till 5:00 Pm. Only one entry from one student is allowed. The essays can be sent either in Hindi or in English. There will be three prizes in both the languages. The award money for the first prize is Rs. 50,000, for the second prize Rs. 40,000 and for the third prize Rs.30,000. There will also be 10 consolation prizes in both the languages amounting to Rs. 10,000 each.
A 12 member panel has been constituted for selecting the winners.
The details regarding the competition rules and details are available at the websites: www.Saiindia.in/www.cag.gov.in.
The Union Cabinet today approved the inclusion of the names of some castes and communities in the Central List of OBCs.
The National Commission for Backward Classes advised the Central Government for amendment in the Central list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) for the States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Union Territories(UTs) of Andaman & Nicobar Islands & Puducherry.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment will make amendments in the Central lists of OBCs in respect of these States and UTs. Inclusion of these castes/communities in the Central list of OBCs would enable them to avail the benefits of reservation in Central Government services and posts as well as in the Central education institutions, thus contributing to the goal of equity and inclusiveness.
