Insurance of Rail Passengers

Ministry of Railways
Insurance of Rail Passengers

01 AUG 2018

An Optional Travel Insurance Scheme was launched w.e.f 01.09.2016 for the Confirmed/RAC Railway passengers who book e-ticket through official website of Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) portal at the premium of Rs. 0.92 per passenger. Under the scheme, sum assured is paid to the victim/family or legal heir of the victim as the case may be in case of death/injury of reserved passengers due to train accident/untoward incidents as defined under section 123 read with Sections 124 and 124A of the Railways Act, 1989, subject to the qualification that the coverage will be valid from the actual departure of train from the originating station to actual arrival of train at the destination station including 'process of entraining' and 'process of detraining' the train.

Subsequently, to promote digital/cashless transaction, insurance is being provided free of cost from 10.12.2016 to all the Confirmed/RAC Railway passengers buying online ticket from IRCTC and no premium is being charged from the passengers.

The sum assured to be given to victim/family or legal heir of the victim are as follows:-

(i) In case of Death- Rs. 10 lakh,
(ii) Permanent Total Disability - Rs.  10 Lakh,
(iii) Permanent Partial Disability upto -  Rs.  7.5 Lakh,
(iv) Hospitalization Expenses for Injury - Rs.  2 Lakh,
(v) Transportation of mortal remains - Rs.  10 Thousand.

IRCTC which is a wholly owned undertaking of Ministry of Railways has entered into an agreement with three Insurance Companies through Limited Tender, namely (i) Shriram General Insurance Company Ltd., (ii) ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd., & (iii) Royal Sundaram General Insurance Co. Ltd..

Compensation liability of Railway for death or injury of Railway passengers in train accidents and untoward incidents is laid down in Section 124 and 124A read with Section 123 of Railways Act, 1989. The amount of compensation is Rs. 8 Lakh in case of death and Rs. 64000 to Rs. 8 Lakh in the case of injury, depending upon the gravity of injury.

The insurance scheme is available to passengers of all reserved classes (SL, 1AC, 2AC, 3AC) of all trains (except passenger trains & sub-urban trains) for only tickets booked online on the IRCTC websites. Passengers booking reserved tickets through the manually operated Railway reservation counters and those travelling on unreserved tickets are not entitled to avail of this insurance scheme.
This information was given by the Minister of State of Railways, Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today
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Cabinet approves opening of 13 new Kendriya Vidyalayas in seven States

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
Cabinet approves opening of 13 new Kendriya Vidyalayas in seven States and opening of second Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya at Alot, District Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh

01 AUG 2018

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for opening of 13 new KendriyaVidyalayas (KVs) in seven States and a second JawaharNavodayaVidyalaya(JNV) in Alot, District Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh.

These 13 schools are in Banda (Uttar Pradesh), Washim (Maharashtra), Chakpikarong (Manipur), Parbhani (Maharashtra), Nawada (Bihar), Mirjapur (Uttar Pradesh), Bhadohi ("Uttar Pradesh), Palamau (Jharkhand), Siddipet (Telangana), Kudamalakunte, (Karnataka), CISF Surajpur (Uttar Pradesh), Devkund (Bihar) and Baoli (Uttar Pradesh).

The CCEA also approved the establishment of an additional Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya(JNV) at Alot, Ratlam District, Madhya Pradesh.

Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh has a high percentage of SC and ST population and there is huge demand for establishing an additional JNV in that district. Moreover, the State Government has also shown readiness to earmark the required extent of land and temporary accommodation for setting up the Vidyalaya.

Benefits:

At present the KVs are imparting quality education to more than 12 lakh students and JNVs are providing modern education free of cost to nearly 2.50 lakh students in different parts of the country. With the openingof these 13 new KVs about 13000 more eligible categories of students will be able to access affordable quality education and an additional 560 students will be benefitted from the second JNV at Alot once it becomes fully functional from Class VI to XII.

Background:

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had at its meeting held in March, 2017 approved a proposal for setting up of 50 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) under Civil/Defence Sector in the country under "Challenge Method" at an estimated outlay of Rs.1160 crore. These new KVs were to be opened only in those locations where the sponsoring authorities come forward and offer land as well as provide temporary accommodation as per norms of KVS, on 'first come first served' basis and the sanctions were to be utilized accordingly.

In pursuance of this approval, KVS has so far issued administrative orders for opening of 37 new KVs consequent upon, the sponsoring authorities fulfilling the requisite norms.

Detailed guidelines for consideration of proposals under the "Challenge Method" were issued in September, 2017. Thereafter, all the remaining proposals and other new proposals received by KVS were considered by a duly constituted committee which recommended the proposals for opening of new KVs to be considered under the "Challenge Method". 13 proposals scoring maximum weightage points under "Challenge Method" were recommended by the committee for being placed before the competent authority for approval.

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Cabinet approves: Raising of Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) for Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)

Cabinet

Cabinet approves: Raising of Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) for Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) [SBM(G)] amounting up to Rs. 15,000 crore during the financial year 2018-19; and


Expansion of scope of work of the erstwhile International Centre for Drinking Water Quality, to rename as National Centre for Drinking Water, Sanitation and Quality (NCDWS & Q) and to authorize it to work as a receptacle for receiving EBR for SBM(G).

01 AUG 2018

​The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the following:

Raising funds up to Rs.15,000 crore as Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) (Gol Fully Serviced Bonds) for Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) [SBM(G)] during the financial year 2018-19 through NABARD.

Expansion of the scope of work of the Society named International Centre for Drinking Water Quality to authorise it for receiving EBR funds for SBM(G), disbursement of the same to the Sates/UTs implementing agencies, and its repayment.

To change the name of the Society to "National Centre for Drinking Water, Sanitation and Quality" in place of "International Centre for Drinking Water Quality".


Impact:

This decision will benefit around 1.5 crore rural households eligible for incentive under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), and also Gram Panchayats for Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) activities.

The funds will be utilized to achieve and sustain Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in the villages across the country.

Expenditure involved:

The loan amount of Rs.15,000 crore will be repaid to NABARD as single bullet payment at the end of 10th year from the date of loan disbursement as per the agreed terms and conditions.

The EBR funds will be raised through NABARD after considering (he exact requirements/expenditure of the States/UTs and released to the States/UTs implementing agencies. For receiving the funds for SBM(G), disbursement of the same to the Sates/UTs implementing agencies, and repayment of loan and interest amount, National Centre for Drinking Water, Sanitation and Quality shall work as a receptacle agency.

This will help provide adequate and timely funds to the States/UTs for achieving the goal of SBM(G) within the targeted timelines.


Background:

SBM(G) was launched with effect from 2nd October, 2014, with the goal to achieve universal sanitation coverage in rural areas by 2nd October, 2019. For IHHLs, financial incentive of Rs. 12,000 is provided to the eligible beneficiaries for construction of individual household toilets in the prescribed funding share pattern between the Centre and the States. For SLWM activities, the financial assistance is provided with a cap of Rs.7/12/15/20 lakh to Gram Panchayats having up to 150/300/500/more than 500 households respectively. For 1EC, up to 5% of the total project cost can be spent at State/District levels and 3% at Central level. For Admin expenses, up to 2% of the total project cost can be made. The funds sharing pattern for these activities between the Centre and the States (except North. Eastern States, Jamrau & Kashmir and Special Category States) is 60:40. For North-Eastern States, Jammu & Kashmir and the Special Category States, the funding pattern is 90:10.

The Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin has made rapid progress in advancing sanitation in rural India. As on 31.07.2018, sanitation coverage in India is 88.9%. Over 7.94 crore toilets have been built since 2nd October 2014, with 4.06 lakh villages, 419 districts and 19 States & UTs already being declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). The pace of progress is constantly accelerating and India is on track to achieve ODF by October 2019.

The Cabinet had approved the SBM(G) on 24th September, 2014, with effect from 2nd October, 2014, with the goal to achieve universal sanitation coverage in rural areas by 2nd October, 2019. Significant progress has already been made under SBM(G), and with the mission nearing its final, accelerated progress is being seen across States and UTs.

In order to meet the financial requirements for achieving the goals of SBM(G), for the year 2018-19, in the Budget announcements made by Finance Minister, an amount of Rs.30,343 crore was allocated for SBM(G). This was proposed to be met by Rs. 15,343 crore from General Budgetary support and remaining Rs. 15,000 through Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR). Thereafter, the Steering Group on EBR under the chairmanship of Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs had recommended for raising of the EBR up to Rs.15,000 crore during 2018-19 for SBM(G) through NABARD.

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