Departmental proceedings against Government servants - Procedure for consultation with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

No. 39034/07/2012-Estt (B)

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

(Department of Personnel and Training)

North Block, New Delhi, 15th May 2012

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: - Departmental proceedings against Government servants - Procedure for consultation with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

The undersigned is directed to make a reference to this Department’s O.M. No. 39021/4/81-Estt (B) dated 29th May, 1982 and 0M. No.39034/1/2009-Estt (B) dated 12th January, 2010 which inter-alia provide that the Disciplinary Authority should not express any opinion regarding the penalty to be imposed on the officer while forwarding a disciplinary case for consultation with the Union Public Service Commission UPSC has brought to the notice of this Department that in many cases the Disciplinary Authorities (DAs) 

while referring the disciplinary case to the Commission for advice proposed the quantum of penalty. Such recommendation by Disciplinary Authorities at this stage recommending a penalty by Disciplinary authority is not in keeping with the proviso(s) to Rulel 15 (3) & 15 (4) of CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965. The consultation prescribed by the Constitutional provision is to afford proper assistance to the Government in assessing the guilt or otherwise of delinquent officer as well as the suitability of penalty to be imposed.

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Selling Online Air Tickets by IRCTC

Ministry of Railways

Selling Online Air Tickets by IRCTC

Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has been selling air tickets at its website since May 6, 2010 as a white label arrangement with a backend content provider. However, now IRCTC has launched air ticketing website on its own since May 7, 2012. This initiative has been taken to improve customer satisfaction and provide a seamless passenger movement over various modes of transport. IRCTC has developed in house air ticketing module for booking tickets for domestic and international airlines through website irctc.co.in and railtourismindia.com.

IRCTC now has directly entered into agreement with the major airlines and the low cost carries in the country like Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher, Spicejet, Indigo and Go Air. Initially, the customer will be able to book tickets for these airlines for domestic travel and later the international airlines for international travel.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways, Shri Bharatsinh Solanki in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

PIB

Bank Accounts with Zero Balance

Ministry of Finance

Bank Accounts with Zero Balance

With a view to achieve the objective of greater financial inclusion, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued instructions to all Scheduled Commercial Banks in November 2005, to make available a basic banking ‘no-frills’ account either with ‘nil’ or very low minimum balances as well as charges that would make such accounts accessible to vast sections of population. As per RBI, the number of no-frills accounts outstanding with Public Sector Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) and Private Sector Banks at end of March 2012, is 1032.06 lakhs.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Finance, Shri Namo Narain Meena in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

NPS (New Pension System) and the old defined benefit (DB) pension system

Ministry of Finance

New Pension System

The Government has implemented the New Pension System (NPS) for Government employees who join Central Government (except armed forces) on or after 1st January, 2004.

The NPS and the old defined benefit (DB) pension system are two different pension systems. Therefore, there can not be any comparison between the two in so far as the benefits to employees are concerned. The Pension benefits under the DB system are defined, however, under NPS the amount of pension would depend on the investment returns, the accumulation upto the age of retirement and level of annuitisation and type of annuity chosen.

Some representations of Employees’ Associations have been received by the Government. The major reasons for its opposition by the Employees’ Associations are minimum pension, safety and returns on investment. Many measures have been taken to protect the interests of the NPS subscribers, like prescribing a flexible investment pattern, establishing a regulator in the form of the Interim Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority and creating the modern institutional architecture of NPS, which is low cost.

There is no proposal from the Government to reconsider the NPS.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Finance, Shri Namo Narain Meena in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

PIB

Grant of Ration Money Allowance to the Non-Gazetted personnel of Andaman & Nicobar Police, including personnel of India Reserve Battalion

Press Information Bureau 

Government of India

Ministry of Home Affairs 

17-May-2012 20:22 IST

Grant of Ration Money Allowance to the Non-Gazetted personnel of Andaman & Nicobar Police, including personnel of India Reserve Battalion

The Union Cabinet today approved the following:

(i) The grant of Ration Money Allowance at the rate of Rs.1697/-per month per head to the non-gazetted personnel of A&N Police and such personnel of India Reserve Battalions (IRBn) as are posted in Andaman & Nicobar Islands with immediate effect; and

(ii) The revision of the rate of Ration Money Allowance from time to time in accordance with the same formula as is currently applicable to the non-gazetted personnel of Central para military forces.

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