New govt staff to get family, disability pension: Govt

23 Feb 2009, 2232 hrs IST, PTI NEW DELHI:
The government on Monday approved temporary measures to provide benefits like family and disability pension to staff recruited after January 1, 2004.

"The Cabinet has decided that on a provisional basis existing rules in respect of these special pensionary benefits, which apply to government servants prior to January 1, 2004 will also apply to those recruited after that date", Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters after the meeting.

The government employees, except defence personnel, who have joined the service after January 1, 2004 are covered by the defined pension scheme which does not address situations like dying in harness, indirect pension, family pension and disability pension, the Minister said.

Pending report by the high level task force looking into the issue and formulation of new rules, the temporary provisions would continue, he said.

Bidding not an end in itself: Allow single bid projects

Government is considering a proposal to permit single-bid road projects to go through. Earlier, the railways had thought of seeking Central

Vigilance Commission (CVC) protection before awarding diesel and electric engine manufacturing projects to sole bidders, but eventually decided to do it in-house.

Clearly, these instances indicate the process of awarding projects seems to have become more important than getting the project started quickly. The basic idea behind competitive bidding for any project is to give an opportunity to everyone and, through a market mechanism, obtain the least cost solution.

Clearly, to the extent there is an open bidding the first purpose of giving an opportunity to everyone has been served. If only one bidder chooses to participate in such a bidding, then so be it. The second issue is more important. In a single-bidder situation, the lack of competition would mean the quoted price may not be the best from the perspective of the one inviting the bids or awarding the project.

In such an event, there are two choices, both entailing some costs. One, the entire process can be aborted and bids called again. There is direct calculable costs of this action, escalation in project cost through delay and the loss of opportunity; there is a also the lesser cost of the bid process itself. As opposed to this, if the project is awarded to the sole bidder, the only cost is the possibility of a better price discovery, if there were more bidders. However, there is no way of knowing if in a multiple bid situation the price discovered would have been lower.

Therefore, it makes sense to award a project even if there is only a single bidder. However, the government must make an internal assessment of costs or tariff, depending on the nature of the project, and set a sort of reserve price. If the single bid betters the reserve price then the projects should be awarded.

In the current environment when investment sentiment is extremely poor, the priority should be to facilitate projects and not get too caught up in procedures. The bid documents should provide for the possibility of projects going to a single bidder and the CVC would do well to ensure that such awards do not become controversial.
Courtesy: Economic Times

Vacany at Department of Biotechnology, last Date 1/4/2009

VIRTUAL ISSUE

Hosts liable only for own content on Net
Manoj Mitta | TNN

New Delhi: While internet users may face libel for what they write themselves, the “intermediaries” who host such content are liable only if they are consciously complicit to the offence or fail to remove the offending material immediately after it is brought to their notice by the authorities.
This is evident from the amended Information Technology Act, which came into effect barely 20 days ago. Hence, when the Supreme Court rebuffed this week an internet user’s plea to quash criminal action, it steered clear of making any observations about the corresponding liability of intermediaries.
The new Indian law is in keeping with the international trend of limiting the liability of intermediaries to situations where they act as “publishers” (with scope to moderate or edit the content) rather than as “distributors” (aggregators of information like libraries and book shops).
Accordingly, the amended section 79, which was in the Bill that was passed by Parliament in December 2008, says that where the intermediary in effect acts as no more than a distributor, he “shall not be liable for any third party information, data or communication link made available or hosted by him.”
Section 79 provides that the intermediary is exempt from liability in all cases where:
the function of the intermediary is limited to providing access to a communication system over which information made available by third parties is transmitted or temporarily stored or hosted;
the intermediary does not (i) initiate the transmission, (ii) select the
receiver of the transmission, and (iii) select or modify the information contained in the transmission;
the intermediary observes due diligence while discharging his duties under this Act and also observes such other guidelines as the Central Government may prescribe in this behalf.
An ‘‘intermediary’’ has been defined in the amended law as “any person who on behalf of another person receives, stores or transmits that record or provides any service with respect to that record and includes telecom service providers, network service providers, internet service providers, web-hosting service providers, search engines, online payment sites, online auction sites, online market places and cyber cafes.”
The elaborate safeguards for intermediaries contained were drafted in the wake of the industrywide scare spread by the 2004 DPS-MMS scandal, which led to the arrest of the CEO of auction site baazee.com where a CD containing the salacious clip was offered on sale by a user.
Conversely, section 79 says that the immunity against criminal liability shall not apply in cases where “the intermediary has conspired or abetted or aided or induced whether by threats or promise or otherwise in the commission of the unlawful act.”
But the police had sought to justify the CEO’s arrest by accusing him of taking too long to remove the CD from the auction site. Now the amended section 79 stipulates that the intermediary is liable to criminal action where “upon receiving actual knowledge, or on being notified by the appropriate government or its agency that any information ... the intermediary fails to expeditiously remove ... that material’’.
Courtesy: TOI

Vacancy at NIFT , Last date 12/03/2009

Important Instructions

Candidates should read the instructions and conditions carefully, before applying.

For posts to be filled up on Deputation basis :

Candidates working in Government Ministries/Departments/Organizations/PSUs/Autonomous Bodies/Universities/Research Organizations should apply through proper channel alongwith ACRs and Vigilance/Cadre Clearance for consideration. No fee is required to be paid. Appointments will be on standard deputation terms and condition as issued by DOPT from time to time. The maximum age limit for applying on deputation for all posts is 56 years as on last date of receipt of applications.

Candidates should ensure that they fulfill the qualification/experience requirements given below, for applying on deputation basis.

How to apply:-

Application forms can be downloaded from the NIFT website (www.nift.ac.in). Applications in the prescribed proforma should be addressed to Registrar (Establishment), National Institute of Fashion Technology, NIFT Campus, Hauz Khas, Near Gulmohar Park, New Delhi-110016. The last date of receipt of the applications is 12th March, 2009.

Eligibility requirements for posts on Deputation basis

S. No.	Name of the Post	Pay Band + Grade Pay	Centres	Eligibility Criteria
1.	Director	PB 4 - Rs. 37400-67000 + 8700 (GP)	Patna, Delhi, Kolkata, Rae Bareli, Head Office, Kannur, Kangra.	Officers of the rank of Dy. Secretary/Director or in Senior Scale in Govt. of India from All India Services, Other Central Services and State Civil Services
2.	Registrar	PB 3 – Rs. 15600-39100 + 7600 (GP)	Kolkata, Patna, Kannur, Bangalore, Kangra	Officers of the Central Govt. / State Govt. / UT/ Autonomous Organization / PSUs holding analogous post on regular basis in their service / department or with atleast 5 years of service in the scale of Rs. 10000-325-15200 with relevant experience in dealing with Establishment & Administrative matters.
3.	Deputy Registrar	PB 3 – Rs. 15600-39100 + 6600 (GP)	Head Office	Officers of the Central Govt. / State Govt. / UT/ Autonomous Organization / PSUs holding analogous post on regular basis in their service / department or with atleast 5 years of service in the scale of Rs. 8000-275-13500 with relevant experience in dealing with Establishment & Administrative matters
4.	Deputy Registrar (Finance & Accounts)	PB 3 – Rs. 15600-39100 + 6600 (GP)	Bhopal, Patna, Kannur, Shillong, Gandhinagar, Kangra.	Officers of the Central Govt. / State Govt. / UT/ Autonomous Organization / PSUs holding analogous post on regular basis in their service / department or with atleast 5 years of service in the scale of Rs. 8000-275-15200 with relevant experience in dealing with Finance and Accounts matters.
5.	Executive Engineer	PB 3 – Rs. 15600-39100 + 6600 (GP)	Delhi, Kolkata, Rae Bareli, Chennai	Must have atleast 3 years experience as Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil) in CPWD / PWD or related Government organizations/ autonomous bodies/ PSUs/ reputed private industries holding analogous post on regular basis in their service / department.
6.	Deputy Director	PB 3 – Rs. 15600-39100 + 6600 (GP)	Head Office	Officers of the Central Govt. Services holding analogous post or with at least 3 years of service in the pay scale of Rs.8000-275-13500 or 5 years in Rs.6500-200-10500 with relevant experience in dealing with Administration, Establishment, Vigilance & Legal matters
7.	Head Resource Centre	PB 3 – Rs. 15600-39100 + 5400 (GP)	Kolkata, Rae Bareli, Gandhinagar	Officers of the Central Govt. / State Govt. / UT/ Autonomous Organization / PSUs holding analogous post on regular basis in their service / department or with at least 5 years of service in the pay scale of Rs. 6500-200-10500 with relevant experience in Library Management holding analogous post on regular basis in their service / department.
8.	Accounts Officer	PB 3 – Rs. 15600-39100 + 5400 (GP)	Kolkata, Patna, Delhi, Rae Bareli, Bhopal, Kannur, Kangra	Officers of the Central Govt. / State Govt./UT/Autonomous Organization / PSUs holding analogous post on regular basis in their service / department or with at least 3 years of service in the scale of Rs. 6500-200-10500/- (pre revised) with the relevant experience in Accounts, Purchases and Finance.

Vacancy of Deputy Chief Accounts Officer at DDA , Last Date with in 45 Days

Cancellation charges under Tatkal Ticket System

A flat refund of 25% of total fare charged on the ticket, excluding Tatkal charges is granted on cancellation of confirmed Tatkal ticket, which are presented for cancellation upto 24 hours before the schedule departure of the train. Thereafter, no refund is granted on cancellation of confirmed Tatkal tickets.

However, full refund of fare and Tatkal Charges is granted on the tickets booked under Tatkal Scheme in the following circumstances:-

1. If the train is delayed by more than 3 hours at the journey originating point of the passenger & not the boarding point if the passenger’s journey originating point and boarding point are different;

2. If the train is to run on a diverted route and the passenger is not willing to travel;

3. If the train is to run on diverted route and boarding station or the destination station or both the stations are not on the diverted route;

4. In case of non-attachment of coach in which Tatkal Accommodation has been earmarked and the passenger has not been provided accommodation in the same class;

5. If the party has been accommodated in lower class and does not want to travel. In case the party travels in lower class, the passenger will be given refund of difference of fare and also the difference of Tatkal charges, if any;

In case of wait list/partially confirmed Tatkal tickets, refund rules of normal tickets are applicable.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Ministry of Railways, Dr. R. Velu in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

Don’t compel customers to drop cheques in boxes: RBI to banks

Banks have further been asked to create customer awareness by displaying on the cheque drop box itself that “customers can also tender the cheques at the counter and obtain acknowledgment on the pay-in-slips”

PTI

New Delhi: With a number of incidents of cheque theft from the drop boxes coming to light, the Reserve Bank has asked the banks not to force their customers to drop the cheques in the boxes only, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
“(The) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has informed that a few such incidents have been reported by the complainants to the offices of the banking ombudsman,” minister of state for finance P.K. Bansal said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
RBI has further reported that the details of such cases are not compiled separately as they are categorised as 8(1)(a) of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006, i.e. non-payment or inordinate delay in the payment of collection of cheques, he said.
“RBI has advised the banks that they should ensure that customers are not compelled to drop the cheques in the drop box,” the minister said.
Banks have further been asked to create customer awareness by displaying on the cheque drop box itself that “customers can also tender the cheques at the counter and obtain acknowledgment on the pay-in-slips”.
The banks have also been advised to make absolutely full proof arrangements accounting for the number of instruments each time the box is opened so that there are no disputes and the customer’s interest are not compromised.