Prime Minister Narendra Modi told bureaucrats: Do not use social media for self-promotion or spend too much time online

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told bureaucrats: Do not use social media for self-promotion or spend too much time online

Use social media for public service and not self-promotion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told bureaucrats on Friday, even as he pulled up a section of officials who he said spent too much time online.

"If the social media is used for announcing the date for the anti-polio vaccination then it’s very good," Modi said in his address to bureaucrats on the 11th civil service day, asking officials to make better use of online interaction tools.

"But giving two drops of polio vaccine and then circulating the photo through social media should not be done," he added.

Modi has more than 29 million Twitter followers with whom he constantly interacts besides using the 140-character interface to highlight government programmes.

The Prime Minister said the power of social media should be used only for people’s welfare and public causes.

"I see officers of district level so busy on social media that most of the time is spent on this (social media)," Modi said.

Modi said he was aware of the power of social media but added that at his meetings with bureaucrats through video conferences, he has often seen them busy taking pictures of the meeting on their mobile phones

Source : http://www.hindustantimes.com

Bureaucrats on central deputation abroad and within the country will not get deputation allowance beyond five years of such tenure

To check overstay, Centre cuts deputation allowance of bureaucrats

Bureaucrats on central deputation abroad and within the country will not get deputation allowance beyond five years of such tenure

Norms allow a maximum of seven-year, in break-up of five plus two years in usual cases, central deputation term for officers to work outside their state cadre or abroad.

The admissibility of deputation (duty) allowance would be up to the fifth year, if the deputationist has opted to draw such monetary benefit, an order issued recently by the Personnel Ministry said.

The decision has been taken to check overstay of central deputation period by officers including those in Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others, officials said.
The move comes after the government noticed a few cases where officers central deputation tenure was being extended, mainly while they were working abroad, by ministries concerned beyond the maximum period of seven years citing "exigencies", they said.

The Personnel Ministry has already issued a directive to warn officers that they may lose their job for overstaying on foreign posting.

In case of deputation within the same station, the allowance will be paid at the rate of 5 per cent of basic pay subject to a maximum of Rs 2,000 per month; and in other cases, it will be payable at the rate of 10 per cent of the employee's basic pay subject to a maximum of Rs 4,000 per month.

PTI

Retiring central government bureaucrats may be told to write 1,000-word essay on achievements

Retiring central government bureaucrats may be told to write 1,000-word essay on achievements

NEW DELHI: All retiring central government bureaucrats will soon be able to leave behind a 1,000-word note on their significant achievements during service that can be put up online so that serving officers can draw inspiration and build on those ideas.

The ministry of personnel, which reports to the prime minister, has circulated a concept paper to all ministries, proposing to create a platform for retiring employees to volunteer to showcase “commendable work” done during service.

“While the retiring employees can look back with satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment, this would also create a database of useful suggestions and information… It will also act as a motivator for serving employees,” the concept paper says, asking the ministries to give their comments by November 30.

The ministry has, however, specified that comments which are religious or political or against national interest must not be included in the note. It has also specified that commendable work will include “any work that has contributed to the efficiency, economy and effectiveness in government functioning, any innovation which led to improved work culture or manuals or publications related to work created by the retiring employee”.
The bureaucrats will be required to submit a write-up of not more than 1,000 words six months before their retirement when they apply for pension. “Since most successful ventures would have contributions of the entire team, retiring persons must ensure that names of other members of the team are indicated in the write-ups,” the ministry has said in the concept paper.

According to the ministry, initially an online facility will be provided only to retiring employees for submitting the note. “The exercise would be completed at least one month before retirement and the result uploaded on the departmental website. The website will clearly indicate that the contents and suggestions are as provided by the retiring employee,” the concept paper says.

The retiring babus will also be asked to mention if they would be willing to volunteer for social work post-retirement. “This would be a wonderful opportunity to garner the resource of retiring employees for voluntary contribution to nation building post-retirement,” the paper says.

The ministry has also implemented a programme to provide counseling to employees who are about to retire as the government intends to utilise the services of these officials for useful interventions in society like evaluation of development schemes being implemented across India. As per a government estimate, there are about 40,000 fresh retirees every year from central government civil establishments alone, while the number could be over a lakh if personnel from defence, railways, posts and telecom were to be included. There is already a pool of 50 lakh existing pensioners.

Source:http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-11-05/news/55798129_1_concept-paper-work-culture-ministry