New date of release of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) (Base 2004-05=100) for March 2016

New date of release of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) (Base 2004-05=100) for March 2016

Ministry of Commerce & Industry

06-April, 2016

In view of declaration of holiday on 14th April 2016 on account of birthday of Dr. B.R Ambedkar by Government of India, in exercise of power conferred by section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (26 of 1881), vide Office Memorandum no. 12/6/2016-JCA-2 dated 21st April 2016 by Department of Personal and Training, it is informed that the WPI for March 2016 will be released on 18th April 2016 instead of 14th April 2016.

PIB

One Rank One Pension – Nipping 7th CPC Anomalies In The Bud

The following questions arises from the recommendations of the 7th pay commission in relation to pensions of pre 01 January 2016 retirees of the defence services.

One Rank One Pension – Nipping 7th CPC Anomalies In The Bud – It may be fitting for services HQs and veterans associations to take up these specific issues for rationalization.

one rank one pension The following questions arises from the recommendations of the 7th pay commission in relation to pensions of pre 01 January 2016 retirees of the defence services.

@ Para 10.2.87 (i) of the recommendations mentions “Pay Band and Grade Pay” as a means of first “fixing” at minimum level in the 7 CPC matrix for calculating notional pay of pre 01 Jan 2016 defence retirees. But retirees of pre 01 Jan 2006 era only had a pay-scale and no grade pay to identify with the “levels” of the 7 CPC matrix. How will pre 01 Jan 2006 retirees fix their notional pay in the matrix as Grade Pay and Pay-Bands were introduced only after 01 Jan 2006 by VI CPC?

@ Then, the same para goes on to recommend that a retiree should add the number of increments “earned” in that level for arriving at the notional pay. Does that mean the increments actually granted or the number of increments from the last pay drawn counting back to the lowest stage of the pay-scale in which a pre 01 Jan 2006 retiree retired?

@ Para 10.2.86 (ii) of the 7 CPC recommendations provides an alternate calculation, viz., of multiplying by 2.57 the pension fixed at time of implementation of VI CPC. But pensioners are already drawing OROP pension with DR at 125%. Thus 2.25 X OROP pension presently being drawn is likely to be higher than the 2.57 X VI CPC pension recommended by 7 CPC. Does that mean 7 CPC will provide a negligible increase, if any, in pensions of defence retirees?

@ To take an example, if five increments plus two stagnation increments actually earned by a Lt Col (or equivalent) who retired with, say, 28 to 30 years of service in August 2004 are put in the matrix at “index” of 7, his notional pay will correspond to a Lt Col of post 01 Jan 2006/01 Jan 2016 era with 13+7=20 years of service i.e. 10 years less than the 2004 Lt Col. Even if the Aug 2004 Lt Col retiree is eligible to count total increments on the pay-scale of 13500-400-17100 down from his last pay (with stagnation increments) of 17900/-, the number of increments comes to 12. If that is put in the matrix, in level 12-A, the Lt Col’s notional pay would be fixed at index 12 which corresponds to a current Lt Col with 13+12=25 years of service, which will be about 4 to 5 years less than the actual service put in by the 2004 retiree. Does the 7 CPC intend to do away with the “equal service” clause of OROP in this fashion?

It may be fitting for services HQs and veterans associations to take up these specific issues for rationalization.

Modernization of Service Book

Modernization of Service Book

F.No.21011/ 15/ 2010-Estt.(Allowance)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

* * *

New Delhi, 5th April, 2016.

 Office Memorandum

Subject: Modernization of Service Book

The undersigned is directed to state that there is a proposal to modernize the Service Book to make it user friendly. The proposed format of the Service Book is annexed herewith.

2. All Ministries/Departments are requested to offer the comments, if any, within 15 days of this O.M.

Download signed copy here

28th SCOVA Intimation regarding Date and Time

28th SCOVA Intimation regarding Date and Time

F. No. 42/05/2016-P&PW(G)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare

3rd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhavan,
Khan Market, New Delhi -110003
Date: 4th April, 2016

To
All the Pensioners Associations included in SCOVA vide Resolution dated 25.08.2015

Subject:-28th meeting of Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies (SCOVA) under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble MOS(PP)

Intimation regarding Date and Time

Sir/Madam,

In continuation to this Department OM of even no. dated 22.02.2016 regarding holding of 28th meeting of Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies(SCOVA) under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble MOS(PP), the date and time of the meeting is indicated below:-

Date:- 16th May, 2016 (Monday) Time:- 11 am

2. Venue of the meeting will be intimated soon. Because of the constraint of space only one representative may attend the above said meeting. It is requested that that the name of the member nominated to attend the said meeting may kindly be sent to the undersigned.

3. Only one outstation member will be paid TA/DA and local members will be paid conveyance charges in accordance with rules/instructions. Outstation members will be paid TA/DA as per their last entitlement on retirement. Therefore, members are requested to bring copy of their PPOs for determining the entitlement of TA/DA claims. However, for journey above 1000 kms, TA/DA to non-official members will be regulated as per this Department’s OM no. 42/11/2014-P&PW(G) dated 19.05.2014.

4. This Department looks forward to your participation in the meeting.

Yours faithfully

(Sujasha Choudhary)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India

Download signed copy here

Government job aspirants may not have to give non-creamy layer proof

Government job aspirants may not have to give non-creamy layer proof

There may be no need for production of multiple non-creamy layer certificates for candidates belonging to Other Backward Class (OBC) seeking reservation in government jobs and instead they can provide self-attested photocopy of such documents, as per new rules being considered by the Centre.

Every candidate seeking reservation in central government posts and services as OBC candidate is required to submit a certificate confirming his or her status and also produce non-creamy layer status certificate.

“The appointing authorities would accept production of self-attested photo copy of the non-creamy layer certificate, subject to verification of the original non-creamy layer certificate, as is the practice being followed for verification of other original documents,” the Personnel Ministry has proposed.

It has sought comments from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Department of Higher Education, Union Public Service Commission and Staff Selection Commission on this proposal.

It has also sought feedback on a new format for issue of non-creamy layer certificate suggested by National Commission of Backward Classes.

The non-creamy layer certificate would be applicable to OBC candidates who are covered under income or wealth test criterion. The income limit is decided on the basis of income earned during three previous financial years preceding the year of appointment, the Personnel Ministry has said.

To illustrate, the validity of non-creamy layer certificate issued during any month of the financial year 2016-17 covering three preceding financial years is accepted by the authorities concerned for any appointments or recruitments which would be valid during the period April 2016 to March 2017, it has proposed.

PTI

7th Pay Commission award to stoke inflation, push up GDP: RBI report

7th Pay Commission award will put an upward pressure of 1-1.5 per cent on inflation, but is expected to boost GDP by around 40 bps during the current fiscal, RBI said in a report today.

At the same time, the central bank remained confident of meeting its March 2017 retail inflation target of 5 per cent.

“Assuming that the government implements the 7th Pay commission recommendations by the second quarter of 2016-17, CPI inflation could be, on average, 100-150 bps higher than the baseline in 2016-17. Its impact is expected to persist up to 24 months,” Governor Raghuram Rajan said in the a report released along with the monetary policy document.

The report, however, noted that the 7th Pay Commission award will boost GDP by around 40 bps during the current fiscal.

The 7th Pay Commission award impact will also jack up food prices, the report said, adding that “food prices could consequently increase, leading to inflation rising above the baseline by 80-100 bps in 2016-17, even assuming effective government policies relating to food stocks, procurement and minimum support prices”.

On achieving the inflation target (6 per cent in January this year), the Governor said inflation has evolved along the projected trajectory and the January 2016 target was met with a marginal undershoot.
“Going forward, CPI inflation is expected to decelerate modestly and remain around 5 per cent in FY17 with small inter-quarter variations,” he said, but warned that there are uncertainties surrounding this inflation path emanating from recent unseasonal rains, the likely spatial and temporal distribution of monsoons, the low reservoir levels by historical averages, and the strength of the recent upturn in commodity prices, especially oil.

Persistence of inflation in certain services warrants watching, mainly due to 7th Pay Commission award, he said, while there will be some offsetting downside pressures stemming from tepid demand in the global economy. But the government’s effective supply-side measures keeping a check on food prices, and “the government’s commendable commitment to fiscal consolidation” will have a salutary impact on inflation.
On growth, which it has retained at 7.6 percent for this fiscal, the report said, “The uneven recovery in growth in FY16 is likely to strengthen gradually in FY17, assuming normal monsoons, the likely boost to consumption demand from the implementation of the pay commission and OROP, and continuing monetary policy accommodation.”

The gross value add growth projection for 2016-17 is retained at 7.6 per cent, “with risks evenly balanced”.

PTI

Compulsory Retirement – Cracking down on Central Government Employees

Since the exercise is believed to have been kicked off at the instance of the Prime Minister’s Office, chances are that several more employees may be shown the door.

Compulsory Retirement – Cracking down on CG Employees – While there was always a rule to compulsorily retire bureaucrats, the rule applies to only those who are at least 50 years old.

CG employees may get 3-4 times the salaries of their private sector counterparts, especially at the lower-to-medium levels, but the security of tenure that they enjoyed is now under threat because of the compulsory retirement threat.

A study for the 7th Pay Commission found a fresh government nurse earned 3.4 times her private sector counterpart, a teacher 2.7 times and a driver 2.3 times. While there was always a rule to compulsorily retire bureaucrats, the rule applies to only those who are at least 50 years old – on grounds of either corruption or inefficiency, this has rarely been used.

According to The Economic Times that reported the use of an obscure Rule 56(j) to sack 15 customs and central excise officials —including two at the level of commissioners—this was last invoked three decades ago. Indeed, a few months before it demitted office in 2014, the UPA government reiterated the rule, but it did precious little about it. The NDA reissued the order last September, but made its intentions clear since, while doing so, the order excerpted various Supreme Court judgments on this – in other words, CG employees were warned that the highest court in the land had ruled in favour of this in the past.

In the case of State of Gujarat vs Umedbhai M Patel, the SC had ruled that “whenever the services of a public servant are no longer useful to the general administration, the officer can be compulsorily retired for the sake of public interest”. It then went on to say, according to the DoPT circular, “For better administration, it is necessary to chop off dead wood, but the order of compulsory retirement can be passed after having due regard to the entire service record of the officer.”

Since the exercise is believed to have been kicked off at the instance of the Prime Minister’s Office, chances are that several more employees may be shown the door.

However, there are enough checks since there will be review panels before the compulsory retirement and then there is the process of appeal to the tribunal as well as to the courts.

Source: FE

Educational qualification for recruitment to Group ‘C’ posts in S&T Departments on the Railways

Educational qualification for recruitment to Group ‘C’ posts in S&T Departments on the Railways

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (BHARAT SARKAR)
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (RAIL MANTRALAYA)
(RAILWAY BOARD)

RBE No. 25/2016
No. E(NG) II/2001/RR-1/6

New Delhi, Dated : 7.03.2016

The General Manager (P),
All Zonal Railways/Production Units
Chairmen/ Railway Recruitment Boards.

Sub: Educational qualification for recruitment to Group ‘C’ posts in S&T Departments on the Railways.

Attention in invited to this office letter of even number dated 29/8/2014 (RBE No. 92/2014) and 17/6/2015 (RBE No. 66/2015) prescribing minimum educational qualification for open market recruitment to the post of Junior Engineer and Senior Section Engineer in various departments on the Railways. Minimum educational qualification for open market recruitment to post JE/SSE in S&T Department has been prescribed as under:-

Junior Engineer (Signal)Junior Engineer (Tele) Junior Engineer (Drawing, Design & Estimation)	PB-2, Rs. 9300-34800(GP: Rs. 4200)	Three years Diploma in (a) Electrical/ Electronics/ Information Technology/ Communication Engineering OR (b) a combination of any sub stream of basic streams of Electrical/Electronics/ Information Technology/ Communication Engineering from a recognized University/ Institute.
Sr. Section Engineer (Signal)Sr. Section Engineer (Tele.) Sr. Section Engineer (Drawing, Design & Estimation)	PB-2, Rs. 9300-34800(GP: Rs. 4600)	Four years Bachelor’s Degree in (a) Electrical /Electronics/ Information Technology/ Communication Engineering or M.Sc. Electronics OR (b) a combination of any sub stream of basic streams of Electrical/Electronics/ Information Technology/ Communication Engineering from a recognized University/ Institute.

2. Pursuant to references received from field units, review of the same has been undertaken in consultation with Signal & Telecommunication Directorates of this Ministry and it has been decided by the Board that henceforth minimum qualification for open market recruitment stand modified as under:-

Junior Engineer (Signal)Junior Engineer (Tele) Junior Engineer (Drawing, Design & Estimation)	PB-2, Rs. 9300-34800(GP: Rs. 4200)	Three years Diploma in (a) Electrical/ Electronics/ Information Technology/ Communication Engineering/ Computer Science & Engineering/Computer Science/ Computer Engineering OR (b) a combination of any sub stream of basic streams of Electrical/Electronics/ Information Technology/ Communication Engineering from a recognized University/ Institute.
Sr. Section Engineer (Signal)Sr. Section Engineer (Tele.) Sr. Section Engineer (Drawing, Design & Estimation)	PB-2, Rs. 9300-34800(GP: Rs. 4600)	Four years Bachelor’s Degree in (a) Electrical /Electronics/ Information Technology/ Communication Engineering/Computer Science & Engineering/ Computer Science/ Computer Engineering or M.Sc. Electronics OR (b) a combination of any sub stream of basic streams of Electrical/Electronics/ Information Technology/ Communication Engineering from a recognized University/ Institute.

3. These instructions will be effective from the date of its issue and ongoing recruitment for the above said categories where notification has been published will be governed by past instructions on the subject.

4. Advance Correction Slip (ACS) to Indian Railway Establishment Manual, Volume-I (Revised Edition – 1989), First Re-print Edition, 2009 will follow.

Please acknowledge receipt
(This disposes of West Central Railway’s letter No. WCR/HQ/Rectt/122/CG/12/14-15 dated 29/6/2015)

(Neeraj Kumar)
Director Estt (N)-II
Railway Board

Source: NFIR

CSD Canteen facility to Defence Family Pensioners – DDGCS letter issued on 10.3.2016

CSD Canteen facility to Defence Family Pensioners – DDGCS letter issued on 10.3.2016

Grant of Canteen Facilities to the Family Pensioners of Retired Defence Civilians: DDGCS letter

Annexure-I

Integrated HQ of MOD (Army)
Quartermaster General’s Branch
Dy Dte Gen Canteen Services
Wing-III, West Block-III, RK Puram
New Delhi – 66

No. 95350/Q/DDGCS/POLICY/15/2016

10 Mar 2016

GRANT OF CANTEEN FACILITIES TO THE FAMILY PENSIONERS OF RETIRED DEFENCE CIVILIANS

1. Further to this HQ letter No. 96301/Q/DDGCS/Policy dated 12 Aug 2015.

2. Govt of India, MoD vide letter No. 8(14)/2015 dated 04 Mar 2016 has extended Canteen facilities to family pensioners of retired Defence Civilian employees. The procedure for processing of application will be as per this Dte letter No. 96301/Q/DDGCS/Policy dated 12 Aug 2015. The applicant must write Family Pensioner of retired defence civilian on the application form.

3. All HQ are requested to disseminate this letter to all Fmns/Units/URCs in their jurisdiction.

sd/-
(MP Varghese)
Col
OIC Smart Card Cell
Canteen Services
For DDGCS

Source: http://www.aimesccgdea.org/index.php

Order issued on 10.10.2016

Order issued on 31.17.2015

Declaration of assets filing of Returns by public servants on or before 15.4.2016

Declaration of Assets and Liabilities by public servants under section 44 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 —filing of Returns by public servants on or before 15th April, 2016 – regarding

No. 407/02/2016-AVD-IV(Lok Pal)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training

North Block, New Delhi,
Dated: the 2nd April, 2016

Office Memorandum

Subject: Declaration of Assets and Liabilities by public servants under section 44 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 —filing of Returns by public servants on or before 15th April, 2016 – regarding

The undersigned is directed to invite attention to the provisions of section 44 of Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 whereby every public servant i.e. all categories of public servants as defined under section 2 (0) read with section 14 (1) (a) to (h) of Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, shall make a declaration of his assets and liabilities. The timelines for filing the declarations/information/annual returns under the said Act are as under:

i. The first return of assets and liabilities as on 1st August, 2014 under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 – on or before 15th April, 2016

ii. The annual return of assets and liabilities as on 31st March, 2015 under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 – on or before the 15th April, 2016.

iii. The annual return of assets and liabilities as on 31st March, 2016 under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 – on or before 31st July, 2016.

iv. The annual return of assets and liabilities for subsequent years as on 31st March every year should be filed on or before 31st July of that year.

The aforesaid timelines have already been intimated vide this Department’s OM No. 407/12/2014-AVD-IV(B) dated 28.03.2016 ,

2. All Ministries/Departments are requested to ensure compliance of the aforementioned provisions of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 and in this regard inform and sensitize the societies/Association of persons/trusts under their administrative/financial control about the requirement of the law and deadlines for filing of necessary declarations/returns. To facilitate smooth compliance & information/provisions of section 44 of the Lokpal & Lokayuktas Act, 2013, this department has already placed in the public domain all the relevant rules framed under the said Act, forms in which declarations are required to be made, FAQs etc..

3. This may please be accorded due priority keeping in view that the declarations & returns for the years 2014 & 2015 are required to be filed by all public servants by 15.04.2016 mandatorily.

sd/-
(Jishnu Barua)
Joint Secretary to the Govt. of India

Click to view the order
Authortiy: www.persmin.gov.in