Faq's on Digital Signature Certificate

What is a Digital Signature Certificate?

Digital Signature Certificates (DSC) are the digital equivalent (that is electronic format) of physical or paper certificates. Examples of physical certificates are drivers' licenses, passports or membership cards. Certificates serve as proof of identity of an individual for a certain purpose; for example, a driver's license identifies someone who can legally drive in a particular country. Likewise, a digital certificate can be presented electronically to prove your identity, to access information or services on the Internet or to sign certain documents digitally.

Why is Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) required?

Like physical documents are signed manually, electronic documents, for example e-forms are required to be signed digitally using a Digital Signature Certificate.

Who issues the Digital Signature Certificate?

A licensed Certifying Authority (CA) issues the digital signature. Certifying Authority (CA) means a person who has been granted a license to issue a digital signature certificate under Section 24 of the Indian IT-Act 2000.

What are the different types of Digital Signature Certificates valid for MCA21 program?

The different types of Digital Signature Certificates are: Class 2: Here, the identity of a person is verified against a trusted, pre-verified database.

Class 3: This is the highest level where the person needs to present himself or herself in front of a Registration Authority (RA) and prove his/ her identity.

What is the cost of obtaining a Digital Signature Certificate?

The cost of obtaining a digital signature certificate may vary as there are many entities issuing DSCs and their charges may differ.

How much time do CAs take to issue a DSC?

The time taken by CAs to issue a DSC may vary from three to seven days.

What is the validity period of a Digital Signature Certificate?

The Certifying Authorities are authorized to issue a Digital Signature Certificate with a validity of one or two years.

What is the legal status of a Digital Signature?

Digital Signatures are legally admissible in a Court of Law, as provided under the provisions of IT

Grant of Non-productivity linked bonus for the year 2008-09

Condition for release of 60% of arrear of employees of Quasi-Government/Autonomous/statutory organisations

Levy of service tax on educational institutions- regarding

Levy of service tax on educational institutions- regarding

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Reduction in tatkal charges from 1st October 2009

As announced by the Minister for Railways, Kumari Mamata Banerjee while presenting Railway Budget 2009-10 in the Parliament, the Ministry of Railways has decided to reduce the Tatkal Charges w.e.f. October 1, 2009.

The new Tatkal charges will be at the rate of 10 per cent of basic fare for second class and 30 per cent of basic fare for all other classes subject to minimum and maximum as given in the table below:

Class of Travel	Minimum Tatkal Charges (in Rs.)	Maximum Tatkal Charges(in Rs.)
Second (sitting)	10.00	15.00
Sleeper	75.00	150.00
AC Chair Car	75.00	150.00
AC 3 Tier	200.00	300.00
AC 2 Tier	200.00	300.00
Executive	200.00	300.00

The above charges will be levied uniformly both in peak period and non-peak periods. Tatkal tickets will be issued for actual distance of travel, instead of end-to-end, subject to the distance restriction applicable to the train. The same Tatkal berth/seat may be booked in multiple legs till preparation of charts. At the time of preparation of charts, unutilized portion may be released to the General RAC/Waiting list passengers.

Tatkal facility will be introduced in Executive Class of Shatabdi Express trains also, by earmarking 10 per cent of the accommodation available i.e. 5 seats per coach

The existing refund rules of tatkal tickets will remain unchanged.

Earlier, the Ministry of Railways has decided to reduce the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) under Tatkal Scheme from five days to two days (excluding the date of journey) for journey commencing w.e.f. 01.08.2009.

Online Certificate Course on RTI by DoPT

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India (GoI) has launched an 'Online Certificate Course on RTI' for various stakeholders on, both, the demand and supply sides of the RTI implementation regime.

This Online Certificate Course on RTI is launched in association with the Centre for Good Governance, Hyderabad.

This Online Certificate Course is aimed at:

• Public Information Officers (PIOs)
• Assistant Public Information Officers (APIOs)
• Appellate Authorities
• Officials assisting the above designated officers or other public officials
• Citizens
• Representative of Civil Society Organisations (including Media Organisations)
• Any other person(s) who could be a direct / indirect stakeholder

Registration for the 1st batch starts from 24.08.2009, 9.00 AM and ends on 03.09.2009, 9.00 PM.

Click here to register

60 % of Pension arrears- Latest by 30/9/2009

Payment of second instalment of arrears on account of implementation of Sixth Central Pay Commission's recommendations

Non-admisibilty of preprations such as primary food, tonics,cosmatics and vaccines

Revision of Pension of Pensioners of Additional Secretary & Equivalent Level

Family Pension - Extension of the scope FP to the dependent disabled siblings(i.e brother/sister)- reg

Post Budget TDS / TCS Rate Chart and Provisions applicable from 01.10.2009

Post Budget TDS / TCS Rate Chart and Provisions applicable from 01.10.2009

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Revision of flat rates of licence fee, w.e.f 1/7/2007

Amendment to Rule 33-B of GPF (CS) Rules, 1960 - Issue of Notification dated 27th May, 2009, published in the Gazette of India on 6th June, 2009 -

CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964 - Guidelines regarding prevention of sexual harassment of working women in the workplace, GoI OM dated 3/8/2009

Regulation of additional pension- proof of age, GoI OM dated 11/08/2009

Payment of interest on accounts frozen by banks

RBI/2009-10/119
DBOD.No.Leg.BC.30 /09.07.005/2009-10

August 12, 2009

All Scheduled Commercial Banks
(Excluding RRBs)

Dear Sir,

Payment of interest on accounts frozen by banks

Please refer to paragraph 5.8.9 of our Master Circular DBOD.No.Leg.BC.9/ 09.07.006/ 2009-10 dated July 1, 2009 on Customer Service, wherein banks have been advised to follow the procedure laid down thereunder in respect of Term Deposit Accounts frozen by the enforcement authorities.

2. In terms of paragraph 5.8.9 (i), banks were advised to obtain a request letter from the customer for renewal for a term equal to the original term, on maturity. On a review, it is felt that instead of renewing it for a term equal to the original term, it would be appropriate if the depositor is given the option to choose the term for renewal of the deposit.

3. Banks may, therefore, while obtaining the request letter from the depositor for renewal, also advise him to indicate the term for which the deposit is to be renewed. In case the depositor does not exercise his option of choosing the term for renewal, banks may renew the same for a term equal to the original term.

Yours faithfully

(B.Mahapatra)
Chief General Manager

Government mulls raising retirement age to 62 yrs

Aditi Phadnis / New Delhi August 13, 2009, 0:56 IST

Move aimed at easing strain on finances in a drought year.

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, including the “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.

If the decision is finally taken, it will only be the third time the government will have raised the retirement age. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first prime minister to have increased the age of superannuation from 55 to 58 following the 1962 war with China. The Atal Bihari Vajpayee government did it a second time in 1998.

Courtesy: Business Standard

New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) The Central Administrative Tribunal has held that only a medical expert, not a departmental authority, is "competent" to certify if treatment administered on a government employee is an emergency case deserving medical reimbursement.

"Medical reimbursement cannot be claimed as a right in the context of financial burden on the government but when a laid down policy is there... then the authority, which is competent to certify an emergency, cannot be a departmental authority," the tribunal comprising members Shanker Raju and Veena Chhotray said.

"It is only an expert in the field, which is competent and has jurisdiction to certify whether the treatment incurred was in a state of emergency or not," the CAT said.

CSIR - LEADERSHIP FOR INNOVATION AND FUTURE FRAMEWORK (CLIFF)

CSIR- LEADERDHIP FOR INNOVATION AND FUTURE FRAMEWORK (CLIFF) is a consultative system which work at institutional as well as at CSIR corporate levels to constantly add values to the learning process pf the participant s and also to suggest proactive, relationship based and systematic changes in CSIR. The CLIFF launched on 15 October, 2008, seeks to provide a platform which will make this consultative process facile, interactive and transparent.

VISION :

An apolitical structure to act as a think-tank to delib

erate on new perspectives

on S&T policy, new initiatives and roadmaps

MISSION :

1. RESPONSIVENESS- Anticipate, adapt to and address the changing needs

of the nation

2. ENTERPRISE- Evolve and strengthen CSIR

3. INNOVATION- Seek continual improvement in science, technology,

management, business and administration

4. EFFICACY- Ensure CSIR’S Viability in globally competitive environments

LDP 08-01