Cabinet approves Enhancement of age of superannuation of doctors other than Central Health Service (CHS) doctors to 65 years

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Cabinet

27-September-2017 18:32 IST

Cabinet approves Enhancement of age of superannuation of doctors other than Central Health Service (CHS) doctors to 65 years 

 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the enhancement of age of superannuation of doctors other than Central Health Service (CHS) doctors to 65 years in the following manner:

 i.  Ex-post facto approval to enhance the superannuation age of doctors of Indian Railways Medical Service to 65 years. 

 ii. Ex-post facto approval to enhance the superannuation age to 65 years for doctors working in Central Universities and IITs (Autonomous Bodies) under Department of Higher Education and doctors in Major Port Trusts (Autonomous Bodies) under Ministry of Shipping. 

iii. The superannuation age has been enhanced to 65 years in respect of doctors under their administrative control of the respective Ministries/Departments [M/o of AYUSH (AYUSH Doctors), Department of Defence (civilian doctors under Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Service), Department of Defence Production (Indian Ordnance Factories Health Service Medical Officers), Dental Doctors under D/o Health & Family Welfare, Dental doctors under Ministry of Railways and of doctors working in Higher Education and Technical Institutions under Department of Higher Education]. 

iv. The Union Cabinet has further approved that doctors shall hold the administrative posts till the date of attaining the age of 62 years and thereafter their services shall be placed in Non-Administrative positions. 

The decision would help in better patient care, proper academic activities in Medical colleges as also in effective implementation of National Health Programmes for delivery of health care services. 

Around 1445 doctors of various Ministries/Departments of the Central Government would be benefitted.

The decision will not have much financial implications as large number of posts are lying vacant and the present incumbents would continue to work in their existing capacity against sanctioned posts.

Background :

•         The age of superannuation of doctors of Central Health Service was enhanced to 65 years w.e.f 31st May, 2016. 

•         The doctors other than Central Health Service including doctors of other systems of Medicine of Central Government requested for enhancement of age of superannuation on the ground of parity with CHS and shortage.

UPU News : Technology can create single global postal network

26.09.2017 - UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein has said that technology, the one single factor that has profoundly impacted the Post, must be harnessed to the sector’s advantage.

“At the UPU, we believe that this can be done by using technology to address deficiencies in global supply chains,” said Hussein in his opening remarks to UPU World Postal Business Forum participants. 

He explained that while the uptake of the internet has accelerated mail substitution, it has also fuelled the growth of e-commerce, which is one of the greatest opportunities facing the sector. He noted that the Post’s adoption of technology would be critical to ensuring the cross-border transfer of e-commerce items.

“As an intergovernmental organization tasked with postal development in the world, the UPU is very much concerned with the linkages between national physical and digital infrastructures,” he said. “We strive to have all the 192 national networks of our member countries to act as one and the changes in technology allow us to do just that.”

Also present to open the forum was UPU Council of Administration Chairman and PTT Turkish Post CEO Kenan Bozgeyik, who echoed the UPU Director General’s message, adding that, “Some gaps that are present [in the postal network] will be filled in with technological products and help us become an even stronger sector.”

Supply chain focus

The annual UPU World Postal Business Forum brings together industry experts to discuss the latest trends, products, services, technologies and processes facing the postal sector. This year’s forum is focused on the global e-commerce supply chain.

Experts from the UPU’s Postal Technology Centre, the Post and the private sector will take the stage, leading discussions under the theme, “Connecting the dots: e-commerce, technology and the postal network”. They will discuss the Post’s role in the global e-commerce value chain, overcoming customs-related challenges, e-commerce payment solutions and the impact of cloud and mobile technologies on the digital economy.

The annual conference, which continues until tomorrow, is taking place at the POST-EXPO postal and parcel industry exhibition in Geneva. The UPU will also be available to answer any questions about its technical solutions between 26 to 28 September at its stand (#6095) in the POST-EXPO exhibition hall.

Second UPU World CEO Forum starts in Moscow

18.09.2017 - Some 60 postal chief executives have gathered at the exclusive UPU event, where they will discuss leading multidimensional growth and promising postal business strategies.

The forum, organized by the UPU and hosted by Russian Post, will guide CEOs through the process of diagnosing the environment in which Posts operate before having them determine the exact business models they can implement to progress with changing global dynamics.

UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein thanked Russia for their gracious hosting in his opening remarks and encouraged all CEOs to take an active role in discussions.

“We want you to embrace this forum as a critical space where your views, ideas and inputs into the UPU can be harnessed and channelled,” said the Director General.

For his part, Russian Post CEO Nikolay Podguzov added that forum participants should not only keep in mind, but also take advantage of the Post’s unique role as a public-facing organization in all reaches of the world. 

“This is why Posts need to diversify to create more sustainable and profitable business opportunities,” he explained. 

High-level support

Also present to welcome CEOs were several high-level guests from the Russian Federation, including Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich and Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Mass Media Rashid Ismailov. Both stressed the postal sector’s critical role as a public infrastructure network.

“The digital economy is characterized by growth rates and will become the main driver for growth of the global market and inclusion of populations, which means there needs to be development in infrastructure to match this,” explained Dvorkovich.

“The Post is something that exists in some places where there is nothing else, we cannot live without the Post,” he said.

Ismailov reiterated the importance of the Post as an intermediary for public services, adding that the forum would “play a positive role in the development of the postal industry by facilitating [Posts’] cooperation”.

Second edition

The 2017 event is the second edition of the forum, which was designed by the UPU as an exclusive space for CEOs to discuss the latest challenges and opportunities facing the industry.

Their first day of deliberations focused on the sector’s current challenges in a changing global environment before examining how postal operators are meeting the needs of two important stakeholders: governments and customers.

Tomorrow, forum participants will examine the gap between customer expectations and what the Posts are doing about it, finishing with business strategies they can take back to their organizations.

Tune into #UPUCEOs on Twitter to follow along with the discussions.

Happy Durga Puja

SOCIAL SERVICE BY NFPE UNIONS OF HOWRAH DIVISION

RED SALUTE TO THE COMRADES OF HOWRAH DIVISION

            BY DONATING ONE MONTH'S 1% DA ARREAR ,THE MEMBERS OF NFPE, HOWRAH DIVISION HAS CREATED A HISTORY. ON THE AUSPICIOUS OCCASION OF OUR GREAT FESTIVAL, DURGA PUJA,  STARTED A NEW PROJECT CALLED " AMADER DURGA".

 IN WHICH, DISTRIBUTED ABOUT 304 NEW DRESSES AMONG THE STREET CHILDREN, ORPHANAGE, FLOOD AFFECTED AREA CHILDREN, CHILDREN OF VERY POOR REMOTE VILLAGES OF MEDINIPUR DISTRICT, EVEN TO THE CHILDREN OF VERY POOR MINORITY VILLAGES TOO.

            NOT ONLY THE EMPLOYEES OF HOWRAH DIVISION, ALSO MANY OTHERS FROM OTHER DIVISIONS HELPED US IN THIS PROJECT.

       

            AIPEU, Group-C, Bhubaneswar Division  greets all the NFPE members of  Howrah Division for  such noble works.

No exclusive pacts for India Post Payments Bank

TNN | Sep 27, 2017, 04:00 IST

Mumbai: India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) will follow a business strategy of putting up payment platforms in the form of public infrastructure that can be used by all players. The bank has said that it would not enter into an exclusive deal with any participant.
"Of the 11 payments banks that are licensed, we are the only one that is government-owned. There is a difference in terms of our business objective. We do not seek profit but want to create public value," said A P Singh, CEO, IPPB.
"We will be putting up payment infrastructure that can be used by all — banks, e-wallet companies, insurance companies. Basically, we will shun exclusivity and there will be no discrimination on anyone coming on our platform," said Singh. He was speaking at the Digital Money 2017 conference that marked 10 years of the digital payment industry.
IPPB, which was launched in January, has opened eight access points — four in Jharkhand and four in Chhattisgarh. "Since, we are a post office and have a large customer base, acquiring customers is not a problem. But getting them to transact is a huge challenge," said Singh. He added that offering higher interest rates on savings was not working.
IPPB has started business with a paid up capital of Rs 125 crore from the government. It has also received Rs 375 crore as grant-in-aid according to the Output-Outcome Framework for Schemes 2017-18 for the department of posts.
"The grant is to deepen and widen the market, not just for us but for everyone. The postman will do assisted transactions and help self-service transactions," added Singh.Speaking at the summit Srikrishnan H, MD & CEO, Jio Payments Bank (a joint venture between Reliance Industries and SBI), said that the journey for digital finance through the e-wallet route did not seem to be valid any more and the stored value model is not holding good.
Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank MD & CEO Sudhakar Ramasubramanian said that although telco-promoted banks could get the size and scale, the challenge was to get customers to transact. "For payment banks, this is a daily labour model. We do not have the advantage of annuity income that a 'spread' business brings," he added. 

Source :  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

GRANT OF DEARNESS RELIEF TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT PENSIONERS/FAMILY PENSIONERS - REVISED RATE EFFECTIVE FROM 1.7.2017

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Outsourcing of Services – engaging workers through contractors by Ministries/Departments of Central Government Employees – compliance with provisions of Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act 1970

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Rate of Dearness Allowance applicable w.e.f. 01.07.2017 to employees of Central Government and Central Autonomous Bodies continuing to draw their pay in the pre-revised pay scale/Grade Pay as per 6th Central Pay Commission

No. 113/2008-E.II(B)

Government of India

Ministry of Finance

Department of Expenditure

New Delhi dated. the 26th September, 2017.

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject- Rate of Dearness Allowance applicable w.e.f. 01.07.2017 to employees of Central Government and Central Autonomous Bodies continuing to draw their pay in the pre-revised pay scale/Grade Pay as per 6th Central Pay Commission

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Department’s OM. of even No. dated 7th April, 2017 revising the rate of Dearness. Allowance wet. 01.01.2017 in respect of employees of Central Government and Central Autonomous Bodies continuing to draw their pay in the pro-revised pay scale i Grade Pay as per 6th Central Pay Commission.

2. The rate of DA admissible to above categories of employees of Central Government and Central Autonomous Bodies shall be enhanced from the existing 136% to 139% w.e.f. 01.07.2017.

3. The provisions contained in paras 3, 4 and 5 of this Ministry’s .O.M.No;1(3)12008-E.II(B) dated 29th August, 2008 shall continue to be applicable while regulating Dearness Allowance under these orders.

4. The contents of this Office Memorandum may also be brought to the notice of all organisations under the administrative control of the Ministries/Departments which have adopted the Central Government scales of pay.

Sd/-

(Nirmala Dev)

Deputy Secretary to the Govt. of Indi

I need to speak up now

Yashwant Sinha writes: The economy is on a downward spiral, is poised for a hard landing. Many in the BJP know it but do not say it out of fear

I shall be failing in my national duty if I did not speak up even now against the mess the finance minister has made of the economy. I am also convinced that what I am going to say reflects the sentiments of a large number of people in the BJP and elsewhere who are not speaking up out of fear.

Arun Jaitley is considered to be the best and the brightest in this government. It was a foregone conclusion before the 2014 elections that he would be the finance minister in the new government. His losing his Lok Sabha election from Amritsar was not allowed to come in the way of this appointment. One may recall that in similar circumstances Atal Bihari Vajpayee had refused to appoint Jaswant Singh and Pramod Mahajan, two of his closest colleagues in the party, to his cabinet in 1998. His indispensability was established further when the prime minister rewarded him not only by giving him the finance ministry including the department of disinvestment, but also the ministries of defence and corporate affairs. Four ministries in one go out of which he still retains three. I have handled the ministry of finance and know how much hard work there is in that ministry alone. Finance ministry, in the best of times, calls for the undivided attention of its boss if the job has to be properly done. In challenging times it becomes more than a 24/7 job. Naturally, even a superman like Jaitley could not do justice to the task.

Jaitley was, to begin with, a lucky finance minister, luckier than any in the post-liberalisation era. Depressed global crude oil prices placed at his disposal lakhs of crores of rupees. This unprecedented bonanza was waiting to be used imaginatively. The legacy problems like stalled projects and bank NPAs were no doubt there and should have been managed better like the crude oil bonanza. But the oil bonanza has been wasted and the legacy problems have not only been allowed to persist, they have become worse.

So, what is the picture of the Indian economy today? Private investment has shrunk as never before in two decades, industrial production has all but collapsed, agriculture is in distress, construction industry, a big employer of the work force, is in the doldrums, the rest of the service sector is also in the slow lane, exports have dwindled, sector after sector of the economy is in distress, demonetisation has proved to be an unmitigated economic disaster, a badly conceived and poorly implemented GST has played havoc with businesses and sunk many of them and countless millions have lost their jobs with hardly any new opportunities coming the way of the new entrants to the labour market. For quarter after quarter, the growth rate of the economy has been declining until it reached the low of 5.7 per cent in the first quarter of the current fiscal, the lowest in three years. The spokespersons of the government say that demonetisation is not responsible for this deceleration. They are right. The deceleration had started much earlier. Demonetisation only added fuel to fire.

And please note that the methodology for calculation of the GDP was changed by the present government in 2015 as a result of which the growth rate recorded earlier increased statistically by over 200 basis points on an annual basis. So, according to the old method of calculation, the growth rate of 5.7 per cent is actually 3.7 per cent or less.

Even the SBI, the largest public sector bank of the country, has stated with unusual frankness that the slowdown is not transient or “technical”, it is here to stay and the slowdown in demand has only aggravated the situation. It has openly contradicted what the BJP president said just a few days ago that the slowdown in the last quarter was on account of “technical” reasons and will be corrected soon. According to the SBI chairman, the telecom sector is the latest entrant to the long list of stressed sectors.

The reasons for this decline are not far to seek nor have they appeared suddenly. They have been allowed to accumulate over time to cause the present crisis. It was not difficult to anticipate them and take counter measures to deal with them. But that called for devoting time to the task, serious application of mind, understanding of the issues and then working out a game plan to tackle them. It was perhaps too much to expect from a person who was carrying the heavy burden of so many extra responsibilities. The results are there for all of us to see.

The prime minister is worried. A meeting convened by the prime minister with the finance minister and his officials appears to have been postponed indefinitely. The finance minister has promised a package to revive growth. We are all waiting with bated breath for this package. It has not come so far. The only new thing is the reconstituted Economic Advisory Council of the prime minister. Like the five Pandavas they are expected to win the new Mahabharat war for us.

The performance of the monsoon this year has not been flattering. This will further intensify rural distress. The farmers have received “massive” loan waivers from some state governments varying from one paise to a few rupees in some cases. Forty leading companies of the country are already facing bankruptcy proceedings. Many more are likely to follow suit. The SME sector is suffering from an unprecedented existential crisis. The input tax credit demand under the GST is a whopping Rs 65,000 crore against a collection of Rs 95,000 crore. The government has asked the income tax department to chase those who have made large claims. Cash flow problems have already arisen for many companies specially in the SME sector. But this is the style of functioning of the finance ministry now. We protested against raid raj when we were in opposition. Today it has become the order of the day. Post demonetisation, the income tax department has been charged with the responsibility of investigating lakhs of cases involving the fate of millions of people. The Enforcement Directorate and the CBI also have their plates full. Instilling fear in the minds of the people is the name of the new game.

Economies are destroyed more easily than they are built. It took almost four years of painstaking and hard work in the late nineties and early 2000 to revive a sagging economy we had inherited in 1998. Nobody has a magic wand to revive the economy overnight. Steps taken now will take their own time to produce results. So, a revival by the time of the next Lok Sabha election appears highly unlikely. A hard landing appears inevitable. Bluff and bluster is fine for the hustings, it evaporates in the face of reality.

The prime minister claims that he has seen poverty from close quarters. His finance minister is working over-time to make sure that all Indians also see it from equally close quarters.

The writer, a member of the BJP, is a former Union finance minister

Source : http://indianexpress.com

UPU World CEO Forum develops “clear vision for postal transformation”

Thursday, September 21st, 2017

The Universal Post Union (UPU) has reported that postal chief executives have wrapped up their discussions at the second annual UPU World CEO Forum in Moscow with a “clear vision for postal transformation”.

The event, organized by the UPU and hosted by Russian Post between 17-19 September, gathered nearly 60 postal chief executives from around the globe to discuss “Leading multidimensional growth: the hows and whys of postal strategy”.

“After gathering our CEOs for a second time, it is clear that this forum is a vital space for our postal executives to put their heads together to find ways to drive the sector forward. With participants from all corners of the world represented at this forum, we have heard a diversity of proven strategies that CEOs can take back to their Posts,” said UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein.

Russian Post CEO Nikolay Podguzov added: “The CEO Forum is a great place for exchanging thoughts on important topics and to meet our partners. We thank the UPU for this opportunity. We met here with our colleagues from Slovenian Post. Today we started test shipments from China to Slovenia via Mongolia by railroad. The first bulk of parcels and small packets reached Ulaanbaatar by truck, and then reloaded onto an RZD carriage to Moscow. After that the dispatches will be delivered to Slovenia by trucks.”

This year’s forum guided CEOs through the process of diagnosing the global environment in which Posts operate; examined how they are currently delivering stakeholder needs; and considered potential business models they could implement at their respective Posts.

In a statement sent to Post&Parcel today (21 January), the UPU said: “It became clear that growth of the economy and trade, changing demographics, the e-commerce explosion were all broad factors affecting the Post. These factors – in combination with customers’ desire for immediate, personalized digital services and government stipulations for universal service – have created both challenges and opportunities for the Post.

“CEOs noted that pressure from governments to deliver some services at a loss coupled with a lack of government investment in postal infrastructure, as well as limitations in managing capital, made it difficult for them to transform their service offering. In addition to this, they remarked on the challenge of raising employees’ awareness of the need for transformation. It became clear that some developing countries also faced the challenge of serving two different customers: the internet-connected urban client and the rural one relying on traditional paper-based services.

“Despite the challenges, postal executives were quick to name potential solutions. For example, CEOs suggested that Posts work with governments to redefine their universal service obligation and increase awareness of the Post’s potential as a driver of socioeconomic sustainability. Another proposal was integrating employees more into the transformation process—whether through retraining or the creation of new positions—so that they become advocates of change within the Post.

“Postal leaders later examined specific business models they could use, discussing several dichotomies seen in successful postal strategies, namely margin-based vs. volume-based focus, progressive growth vs. leapfrogging, mono-product vs. diversification and competition vs. coopetition approaches.

“It was clear that spaces created by the UPU, such as the CEO Forum, would be important to give postal leaders the opportunity to benchmark. The UPU Director General reminded CEOs that the UPU was available to them to help countries define and redefine their universal service obligation, as well as to provide governments, regulators and operators with technical solutions and assistance toward postal infrastructure development.

“The UPU has already started preparations for the 2018 edition of the forum, announcing Turkey as the next host country. The UPU Director General said he was confident that next year’s event would be just as successful after Turkey’s seamless hosting of the 2016 Universal Postal Congress in Istanbul. The exact timing of the 2018 forum will be announced by the UPU at a later date.”

Source: Universal Postal Union (UPU)

PM Narendra Modi Releases Postage

Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today released a postage stamp on different aspects of Lord Ram's life at the historic Tulsi Manas Mandir Varanasi, and said he was a source of inspiration for every individual. "There have been many stamps on Lord Ram, but this is the first of its kind stamp, which depicts different aspects of his life. This has not been done in the past. I am happy that I have got the opportunity to do this from the holy soil of Manas," he said.

The Tulsi Manas temple has great historical and cultural importance in Hinduism as it was here that Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas was said to have been originally written by poet-saint Goswami Tulsidas. "The life of Lord Ram is a source of inspiration for every individual. If we look at the life of Mahatma Gandhi, we see Lord Ram became a mantra for him since his childhood. Every aspect of the life of a great man (mahapurush) and chetnapurush (man who awakens consciousness) like him (Lord Ram) motivates us." 

The Prime Minister said he could have released the stamp either at New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan or his own residence, but then a thought came to his mind that it is the auspicious period of Navaratra, and in the life of Lord Ram, Navratra and Vijayadashami hold special significance.

"A place where memories of Tulsidas are still alive.... There cannot be a better place than this Manas Mandir for releasing the postge stamp," he said.

He said postage stamps the world over contained history.

A collection of such stamps would show what transformations a country went through, he said.

The prime minister later visited the Durga Mata Mandir.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/

JUSTIFICATION OF DEMAND RAISED BY CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS FOR MAHAPADAV NEW DELHI ON 9-11 NOVEMBER 2017

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Your postman may soon become the point of contact for all your financial work

NEW DELHI: Come 2018 and the humble postman will be armed with a high-tech device that will enable him to carry out various financial transaction at the door step of people. 

The India Post Payment Bank, which plans to launch nationwide operations by March 2018, is coming up with a large contract to source such devices for more than 1.5 lakh postmen. 

The equipment, a micro-ATM of sorts, will have a biometric reader, a printer and a debit card and credit card reader attached to it. A tender for 2 lakh such devices is almost ready and will be released in a month’s time, India Post Payment Bank chief executive AP Singh told ET. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has already been chosen to build the backend for India Post Payment Bank as a system integrator. 

“The idea is to streamline and focus on payments through the bank. We have identified close to one dozen payments, including utility bills such as gas and electricity, mobile, DTH, school fees, etc.”, which the payments bank will seek to facilitate, Singh said. India Post is working on an app that will enable these payments. 

It will also allow booking of bus and unreserved train tickets, categories which are highly cash dependant. “Even small payments such as for fruits and vegetable, and welfare payment transfers under the direct benefits transfer scheme are on the radar,” said Singh. 

“We have to focus on payments rather than deposits,” said Singh. Reserve Bank of India rules don’t allow payments banks to take deposits, the key and cheap source of funds for conventional banks. To generate revenue, India Post Payment Bank will charge each payment transaction that happens through its app, either from the customer or the bill company, Singh said. 

“The Post Office already has 35 crore accounts, we are targeting around 8 crore households in the next five years (as customers for the payments bank).” 

At a recent UN conference, Singh had said while private sector rivals such as Paytm and Airtel Payments Bank would skim the market from the top, India Post would have a bottoms up approach. Arming the postman with the micro-ATM and turning him into a sort of a banking correspondent may be part of the plan to target rural and the semi-urban areas. 

“The micro ATM and the banking correspondent model has been tried and may help in turning cash into digital at the last leg, even though it may take some time,” said Vivek Belgavi, partner and India FinTech Leader at PwC. 

In a village, the nearest bank branch may be 10-25 kms away and the India Post, with its huge network of post offices and postmen, may be able to effectively cater to that audience, he added. The proposed India Post app will allow person-to-person transactions. 

In the dozen key bill payments it is targeting, those who aren’t familiar with operating an app on their own can approach the postmen armed with micro-ATMs to help them make payments. 

Meanwhile, as opposed to the earlier plan of having separate branches for the payment bank, India Post is looking to capitalise on the existing network of 1.55 lakh post offices and 3 lakh employees on the postal network.  

Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/