CHEERS : RETIREMENT AGE MAY GO UP TO 62 YEARS....
The government is actively considering raising the retirement age of all central government employees, including those in the armed forces, from the present 60 to 62 years.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has submitted a report to the prime minister outlining all the pros and cons of the move, includingthe “cascading effects” on government employment and the huge savings, at least for two years, on account of retirement payouts.
If the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and the prime minister find the arguments forwarded by the finance ministry credible and convincing, the announcement may come as early as August 15, as part of Manmohan Singh’s Independence Day speech.
The Cabinet may discuss the matter tomorrow.
Although the finance ministry is making a strong case for the move, the DoPT is taking time to make up its mind, possibly out of consideration for the 1979 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and other central services. Officers of the 1979 batch have been empanelled for promotion to the ranks of additional secretary and secretary but can take up their posts only after the present incumbents retire. If an announcement extending the retirement age comes before November, a batch of empanelled joint secretaries stand to lose their future ranks. In turn, this will also affect those who joined the central administrative services in 1980. The DoPT also says that the age profile of Indian bureaucrats, instead of becoming younger, will become older, out of tune with the rest of the world.
For the finance ministry, the gains from the move are clear. The pension payout of all armed forces personnel of the rank of Lieutenant General and equivalent who were to retire this year will be postponed by 24 months; the government will also defer by two years the liability of paying pension to more than 100,000 employees. While salaries will have to continue to be paid, this will be cheaper than paying upfront benefits like gratuity.
This is all the more important given the government’s other financial liabilities on account of stimulus spending and one drought, though the effects of the latter will kick in only in the next fiscal year. The fiscal deficit is 6.8 per cent of gross domestic product this year and a two-year lag in paying pensions will help in bridging this.
In 1998, the National Democratic Alliance government had raised the retirement age from 58 to 60, a move that benefitted 90,000 government servants and 50,000 defence personnel. At the time, the logic was: the retirement of 140,000 employees would have cost Rs 5,200 crore whereas paying salaries cost only Rs 1,493 crore.
That move came in the wake of the 5th Pay Commission report which had just been implemented by the then United Front government. In 2003, the government also right-sized the central government employee workforce by 30 per cent.
Every time the Centre announces an increase or concession on pay packages, both public-sector units and state governments follow suit. If the prime minister does decide to raise the retirement age, state governments and Public Sector Units (PSUs) will mirror this action. This has its own implications for many cash-strapped states like Punjab.
NAVAL EX..
THE Indian Navy has recently completed the longest and the largest exercise in history lasting over three months.
Covering a cumulative distance of over 68,200 nautical miles, Sambandh 2009 was carried along with the Royal Navy of Great Britain and the French Navy undertook passage exercise with the navies of 14 countries apart from visiting 18 countries in all.
The task group comprising four indigenously-built frontline warships, including INS Delhi, INS Beas, INS Brahmputra and INS Aditya, started from Mumbai on April 27 while docking back in the city on August 2.
The exercise aimed at promoting mutual understanding, enhance interoperability and foster synergy between Indian Navy and other friendly foreign navies, was participated by 1,400 officers of the Indian Navy.
This was the largest deployment of the Indian Navy in the Western Hemisphere. The ships undertook passage exercises with navies of 14 countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Italy, Russia, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Algeria, Eritrea, Israel, Libya, France and Australia.
The Indian Navy undertakes annual bilateral naval exercises, called Exercise Varuna with the French Navy and Exercise Konkan with the Royal Navy. This was the first time that the Konkan and Varuna exercises were held in the
Atlantic Ocean. Hitherto, all such exercises were held in the Indian Ocean.
While addressing a press conference on board INS Delhi Rear Admiral S P S Cheema said: "The Sambandh 2009 was aimed at generate easy exchanges of expertise and understanding of each others' modus operandi, which can help us in case of emergencies. As it was the largest and longest exercise ever so during it sent a clear message to the world about our capabilities and our officers came to know various techniques of fighting terrorism, piracy, drug and human trafficking from the countries which faces it."
Cheema further said that for the first time this exercise was held in the Atlantic Ocean unlike Indian Ocean, the officers witnessed the different operating and environmental conditions which helped the Indian Navy to assess their capacity which built up their confidence.
New direct taxes code ; pay 10% tax on Rs10 lakh salary
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday initiated radical tax reforms through a draft code that aims at moderating income tax rates, abolishing Securities Transaction Tax and increasing deduction for savings up to Rs3 lakh.
Releasing the Direct Taxes Code that will ultimately replace the over four-decades old Income Tax Act and bring all other direct taxes like wealth tax under its purview, Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said if reasonable level of discussion happens on the code, a bill could be placed in the winter session of Parliament.
The code proposes to exempt the general tax payer from paying income tax if his income is Rs1,60,000 in a year. He would pay just 10% up to Rs10 lakh, 20% beyond that and Rs25 lakh and 30% beyond Rs25 lakh.
Currently, the general income tax payer does not pay tax till Rs1,60,000 of income in a year. However, he pays 10% tax on income between Rs1,60,000 and Rs3, 20% between Rs3 lakh and Rs5 lakh and 30% beyond Rs5 lakh.
“We expect to have better compliance and better collection of taxes,” Mukherjee said.
While the code proposes abolition of the controversial STT, it also suggests reintroduction of tax on long term capital gains on securities trading.
Union home minister P Chidambaram, who during his tenure in the finance ministry had initiated work on the Code, said that this was a brand new Code written from scratch.
“There is no point looking at this with reference to the 1961 (I.T.) Act. Hours of work have gone into it preparing it... you will be doing a dis-service if you look at it from the present income tax law,” he said.
The present tax laws were only a feast to lawyers and the best way to read the provisions of the Code would be to study the relevant chapter before going into the provisions, Chidambaram said.
The attempt, Mukherjee said, “is to simplify the language to enable better comprehension and remove ambiguity to foster voluntary compliance”.
The thrust of the code, would be to “improve efficiency and equity of our tax system by eliminating distortions in the tax structure, introducing moderate levels of taxation and expanding the tax base,” he said.
The new code is based on well accepted principles of taxation and best international practices, the finance minister said, adding, “it will eventually pave the way for a single unified tax reporting system”.
It would also meet the aspirations of “our young and professionally mobile population,” he added.
The process to frame the new code began with Mukherjee’s predecessor P Chidambaram announcing the intention to come out with a new law in the 2005-06 Budget speech.
Govt not keen on police reforms
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 12
Stating the obvious, the Commonwealth Human Right Initiative’s, report today said “Irrespective of the party in power, the Government of India has never exhibited the political will to make the police a professional force…..”
The CHRI released a report “Feudal forces reform delayed - Moving from Force to Service in South Asian Policing”. It focuses on the status of the much-delayed police reforms in the country and also other neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Union Minister of Human Resource development Kapil Sibal released the report at function here this evening. It has been authored by Sanjay Patil, consultant with CHRI. Sibal made it clear that his remarks were not in his capacity as minister as he said: “The rot is so endemic that reform is not going to be easy”. The police cannot be reformed in isolation we have to reform several systems around the police. He pointed out that the Congress had included the issue of police reforms in its election manifesto.
Maja Daruwala, Director CHRI, pointed out: “With its manifesto and subsequent statements, this government has committed itself to democratic policing. Therefore, concrete steps must be taken immediately”. The CHRI report said India and other South Asian countries are on “life support”. But instead of having professional law enforcement, poor police performance in South Asia is inevitable because the system of governance in these countries is dysfunctional. The report says in the absence of political will or a committed effort on the part of the police to engage in internal reform, the abusive and corrupt practices of law enforcement throughout South Asia will remain the same. It details how police complaints authorities (PCAs) that deal with police excesses, exist only on paper even in the few states that have set up such authorities. No state has so far enacted a legislation to establish its PCA. The report quoted the finding of torture across 47 district in the country.
“Police throughout South Asia ought to be focused on providing a service as a means to uphold the law, rather than utilising force to impose the law,” said Patil. The police in India have a history of being underfunded and unaccountable. The SC has issued directives compelling the Union and State governments to implement comprehensive police reforms yet all governments continue to undermine the letter and spirit of those instructions.
UPA fumbled in dealing with swine flu, drought, price rise: BJP
PTI | New Delhi
Accusing the UPA Government of "fumbling" in dealing with drought, price rise and swine flu, BJP on Wednesday said that "indecision" has compounded the problems for the common man.
"People are reeling under three disasters: drought, price rise and swine flu. But, the Government's response to all the problems shows a cyclical pattern of denial, insensitivity, inadequate measures and indecision. The Government has actually fumbled," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.
He said BJP was willing to "suggest and support" the Government in dealing with the situation. "That is if the Government really means business," he added.
Referring to swine flu, Javadekar said the Government had initially was in denial. "But when the pandemic had spread, the Health Minister blamed the first victim Rida Sheikh of Pune to be the cause of the spread...This shows the insensitivity," he added.
On the issue of drought, the BJP MP said while Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan had predicted drought like situation, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had denied it.
"On the price rise front too, the Government was in denial mode and failed to take effective steps. Lakhs of tonnes of imported pulses are dumped at several ports while people face shortage," Javadekar said.
The BJP demanded the Government provide five kg of pulses at Rs 30 per kg and five kg of sugar at Rs 15 per kg to all ration card holders through PDS on a monthly basis.
"Our other demands are release of sufficient funds for states reeling under drought and provision of potable water,fodder and employment opportunities in the affected areas," he added.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/195372/UPA-fumbled-in-dealing-with-swine-flu-drought-price-rise-BJP.html
CRPF's Cobra unit to combat insurgency
Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (Cobra), a new unit of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), would soon be deployed for fighting insurgency and terrorism in the country, a top CRPF official said today.
"Currently those selected for Cobra battalion are undergoing training at CRPFs anti-terror school in Silchar (Assam). After the training, initially about 10 battalions will be formed and deployed in states affected by terrorism and insurgency," CRPF special director general (Training) Yashwant Malhothra told reporters here.
"Cobra personnel will be armed with a wide range of hi-tech weapons, and latest communication systems," he said, adding they can also fight in the jungles and carry out surveillance operations.
Speaking on the occasion of passing out parade at the CRPF training centre in suburban Avadi, Malhothra said the syllabus had been revamped in order to train the cadres in the latest equipment.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/226305_CRPF-s-Cobra-unit-to-combat-insurgency
Protesters clash in Valley over alleged assault by CRPF men
Srinagar , Aug 12 At least seven persons, including three policemen, were injured in clashes between security forces and protesters today after two CRPF personnel allegedly misbehaved with a sister-brother duo in Qazigund town in Jammu and Kashmir.
The two CRPF personnel were taken into custody and an inquiry ordered into the incident, 80 kms from here, which brought traffic on Srinagar - Jammu National highway to a standstill for nearly three hours, officials said. The trouble started this afternoon when the CRPF personnel on duty at village Vassu allegedly made some offensive comments against the girl. When her brother Arif Ahmad Bhat raised an objection, the CRPF personnel allegedly assaulted him and the girl. Locals immediately took to streets and raised slogans demanding the arrest of the accused. Police fired teargas shells and used batons to chase away the stone-pelting mob and the ensuing clashes left seven persons including three policemen injured.The condition of a policeman, who suffered a head injury, was stated to be critical and he was shifted to Soura Medical institute here. CRPF personnel Paramjeet Singh and Kanveera Ram, who allegedly misbehaved with the two youths, were taken into custody and a case was registered against them.
http://search.indopia.in/begin.php?txtsearch=Srinagar&newsCatId=1
Army's surveillance grid proving effective on LoC
In the last four months, Army has been able to kill around 70 – 75 infiltrators on the LoC in North Kashmir and most of the militants groups were spotted by the Army‘s Surveillance Grid soon after the infiltrators sneaked into Valley through treacherous and rugged mountainous routes and passes.
Army recently had killed 14 militants believed to be fresh infiltrators in six different encounters in Nowgam, Tanghdar and Keran sectors of the Valley. Sources said the movements of these small militant groups were picked up by the Army’s Surveillance Grid installed on the LoC and operations were launched soon after the militant movements were caught on thermal imagers and other gadgets.
“Our sophisticated surveillance grid is proving very effective on the LoC in tracking down the movements of infiltrators,” Defense spokesman Lt Col J S Brar said. “The success rate of these latest gadgets is very good and the use of these equipments has been rated as highly successful,” he said.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Army--s-surveillance-grid-proving-effective-on-LoC/500726
PMF : MEDICAL COLLEGE REQUIRED ( OLD NEWS BUT A MUST KNOW..IF U MISED IT )
New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) The troopers who guard India’s borders and fight terrorists are faced with a huge shortage of doctors, often resulting in deaths due to delay in treatment. Now, the country’s seven paramilitary forces hope to reduce casualties with the move to set up their own medical college.
“We have recently sent a proposal to the home ministry to set up our own medical institute where children of officers of paramilitary forces would be trained as doctors. A small percentage of civilians would also be given admission,” M.L. Kumawat, who retired as director general of the paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) July 31, told IANS.
The institute will be on the lines of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) in Pune.
“The government has liked the idea very much and has in principle given the approval to set up the medical institute. They have asked for a detailed proposal and concerned officers are meticulously working on it now,” said Kumawat, who was also chairman of recruitment board for hiring doctors for the central paramilitary forces this year.
Kumawat said there is a sanctioned strength of over 1,900 medical officers in the seven paramilitary forces — BSF, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Security Guard (NSG), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Assam Riffles.
However, over 700 posts are lying vacant and there is no doctor available to troopers in many far-flung areas.
“One of the reasons these positions are lying vacant is we don’t get good candidates. Even if we do, they don’t turn up at the time of joining. The other reason is they do not want to go to far-flung areas because of which timely medical services don’t reach troopers,” Kumawat said.
“We have been severely hit with this problem, so we decided to set up our own medical institute on par with the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), where students are asked to sign a mandatory bond of serving the nation for at least 15 years,” he added.
Of the paramilitary forces, the BSF is stationed at the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, the CRFP is tasked to help state police forces across the country and the CISF guards vital installations.
The ITBP is deployed along the India-China border, the SSB not only guards the India-Nepal border but also fights Maoists. The NSG is called out to tackle incidents like the 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai.
At present, the combined strength of all the paramilitary forces is around 600,000. And the government has decided to raise their strength and asked each of the forces to brace to join the fight against Maoists active in several states.
A senior paramilitary official tackling the Maoist problem told IANS on condition of anonymity that most of the casualties occur due to delay in treatment.
“It’s a bitter truth that many of our injured men, fighting Maoists and unwanted elements, die due to excessive blood loss on road to the primary treatment centre. It usually takes one-two hours to take the injured to hospital. Many lives can easily be saved if immediate treatment can be administered to them near the ambush site by doctors,” the official said.
“But no one wants to risk their lives. So there is no other option except to rush the injured troopers to hospital, which results in loss of crucial time,” he added.
No comments:
Post a Comment