Interest rates on PF deposits increased

NEW DELHI: Retirement fund body EPFO today decided to pay 8.5 per cent interest rate to its over five crore subscribers on their PF deposits for 2012-13, higher than 8.25 per cent provided in the previous fiscal.

The decision was taken at the meeting of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), the highest decision making body of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). The meeting was chaired by the labour minister.

"A decision has been taken to pay 8.5 per cent interest on PF deposits, but we have expressed our reservations as we wanted higher interest rate," said D L Sachdev, Secretary All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) after the CBT meeting.

(The notification on interest rate is issued by the government after concurrence with the finance ministry).

Transfer and Posting order of the JAG Officers of the Indian Postal Service Group-A

The following transfer and posting order of the JAG Officers of the Indian Postal Service Group-A has been issued vide Directorate Memo No.2-8/2013-SPG dated 21^st February, 2013.

Sl. No.	Name of the Officer	Presently Posted	Posting on Transfer
1	Sh. Pranav Kumar (IPoS-1995)	Director New Delhi GPO, Delhi Circle	Director (Mails& SP), Delhi Circle
2	Sh. A.K. Sing(IPoS-1989)	DPS, North Region, Muzaffarpur, Bihar Circle	Director (BD & Mktg), Odisha Circle
3	Sh. Pranoy Sharma (IPoS-1998)	OSD to Secretary (Posts)	AGM (BP), BD & M Directorate, New Delhi
4	Sh. Pawan Ku. Sing (IPoS-2000)	Director (BD, Tech & Mktg), Odisha Circle	DPS (HQ), Odisha Circle
5	Sh. Aman Sharma	Director (Mails& SP), Delhi Circle	OSD to Secretary (Posts

Clarification on change of Nominee and Insurant name

To view the details, please CLICK HERE. 

Regarding payment of incentive to SDl/ASP Sub Divisions for verification of RPLI proposals

To view the copy issued by Directorate of PLI, please CLICK HERE. 

Bank Account Number Portability: Lok Sabha Q&A

CLICK HERE FOR SEE DETAILS

Requests for re-allotment / change of posting rejected

Copy of Postal Directorate letter No. 9-23/2012-SPG dated 15/02/2013 is reproduced below.

To,

All Heads of Circles,

All PTCs,

PCSI Ghaziabad

Sub : Promotion/postings of officers in PSS Group B grade.

Madam/Sir,

                I am directed to refer to this Directorate’s Order No. 9-23/2012-SPG dated 28/12/2012 on the subject cited above and to say that Competent Authority has observed that some officials have not been relieved to join their new place of posting as they have represented for re-allotment / change of posting. This scenario has caused administrative problems and non-compliance of Directorate’s orders.

2.            As such I am directed to request that all the officers, who have not been relieved so far, for one reason or other, may be relieved immediately with the directions to report for duty to the office concerned as per posting orders immediately without taking into consideration of any re-allotment requests.  The re-allotment requests received from officials, who are yet to join the new post on promotion to PS Group B are not being considered at this stage.

3.            It may be ensured that all officers should join the new assignment immediately and date of joining of such officers may be intimated to this Directorate latest by 28/2/2013. In respect of officers who decline the promotion, their refusal letter may also be sent by 8/3/2013. It is requested to accord priority to this case.

Yours faithfully,

Sd/-

(Raj Kumar)

Director (Staff)

011-23036656

FR SR, Part III Central Civil Services - Leave Rules

FR & SR Part III
Central Civil Services - Leave Rules

1. Short title and commencement

(1) These rules may be called the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972.

(2) They shall come into force on the 1st day of June, 1972.


2. Extent of application

Save as otherwise provided in these rules, these rules shall apply to Government servants appointed to the civil services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union, but shall not apply to-

(a) Railway servants;

(b) persons in casual or daily-rated or part-time employment;

(c) persons paid from contingencies;

(d) workmen employed in industrial establishments;

(e) persons employed in work-charged establishments;

(f) members of the All India Services;

(g) persons locally recruited for service in Diplomatic, Consular or other Indian establishments in foreign countries;

(h) persons employed on contract except when the contract provides otherwise;

(i) persons in respect of whom special provisions have been made by or under the provisions of the Constitution or any other law for the time being in force;

(j) persons governed, for purposes of leave, by the Fundamental Rules or the Civil Service Regulations;

(k) persons serving under a Central Government Department, on deputation from a State Government or any other source, for a limited duration.

Rule 7(1) - Leave cannot be claimed as of right.

Rule 7(2) - The leave sanctioning authority may refuse or revoke leave of any kind, but cannot alter the kind of leave due and applied for.

Rule 10(i) - Leave of one kind taken earlier may be converted into leave of a different kind at a later date at the request of the official and at the discretion of the authority who granted the leave. For example, extraordinary leave may be retrospectively converted into leave not due and earned leave into half pay leave or earned leave on MC into commuted leave, as the case may be. The Government servant should apply for such conversion within thirty days of completion of the relevant spell of leave. This, however, cannot be claimed s a matter of right by the official.

Rule 10, GID - Conversion of one kind of leave into leave of a different kind is permissible only when applied for thy the official while in service and not after quitting service.

Rule 32(6) - Leave sanctioning authority may commute retrospectively periods of absence without leave into Extraordinary leave.

Rule 12 - No leave of any kind can be granted for a continuous period exceeding five years except with the sanction of the President.

Rule 13 - An official on leave should not take up any service or employment elsewhere without obtaining prior sanction of the Competent Authority.

Rule 19(1) - Grant of Leave on Medical grounds. – Government servant (Gazetted or non-Gazetted) – (1) who is CGHS beneficiary and resending within the limits of CGHS at the time of illness should produce medical certificate/fitness certificate from a CGHS doctor.

Rule 19(2) - Who is not CGHS beneficiary and CGHS beneficiaries who proceed outside the Headquarter on duty, leave etc., should produce the certificate from AMA, and in such cases, a non-Gazetted Government servant may produce certificate from RMP if there is no AMA if there is no AMA available within a radius of 8 kms of his residence.

Where a non-Gazetted Government servant finds it difficult to obtain Medical Certificate / Fitness Certificate from CGHS / AMA, the leave sanctioning authority may consider grant of leave on the basis of the certificate from an RMP after taking into account the circumstances of the case.

Rule 19(3) - In the case of hospitalization / indoor treatment permitted in a private hospital recognized under the CGHS CS (MA) Rules, a Government servant (Gazetted or non-Gazetted) may produce MC / FC from the authorized Doctor in such a hospital in case his hospitalization / indoor treatment is on account of the particular kind of disease (e.g. heart, cancer, etc.,) for the treatment of which the concerned Hospital has been recognized. This relaxation is not admissible is case of any day-to-day / outdoor treatment or indoor treatment in respect of any other disease.

Leave sanctioning authority any secure second medical opinion if considered necessary – Rule

Rule 24 (3) and Rule 19 - A Government servant who is on leave on medical certificate will be permitted to return to duty only on production of a medical certificate of fitness from the AMA / CGHS Doctor/Registered Medical Practitioner, as the case may be.

Rule 25(1) - Overstayal of leave without proper sanction, will be debited against the HPL account of the Government servant to the extent HPL is due and the excess treated as EOL. No leave salary is admissible for the entire period of overstayal and the period of such overstayal will not count for increment, leave and pension.

Rule 25(2) - Wilful absence from duty after the expiry of leave renders a Government servant liable to disciplinary action.

Rule 25(1) - Absence without leave not in continuation of any authorized leave will constitute an interruption of service unless it is regularized.

Rule 20(2) - Permanently incapacitated Government servants not to be invalided. – A Government servant who has been permanently incapacitated from Government service on account of mental or physical disability shall not be invalided or reduced in rank. If he is not suitable ofr the present post, he could be shifted to some other post with the same pay scale and service benefits post becomes available or his superannuation, whichever is earlier. No promotion shall be denied.

Kinds of Leave:-

EARNED LEAVE
HALF PAY LEAVE
COMMUTED LEAVE
LEAVE NOT DUE
EXTRAORDINARY LEAVE
LEAVE ENTITLEMENT FOR VACATION DEPARTMENT STAFF
MATERNITY LEAVE
PATERNITY LEAVE
LEAVE TO FEMALE ON ADOPTION OF CHLID
CHILD CARE LEAVE
SPECIAL DISABILITY LEAVE
HOSPITAL LEAVE
STUDY LEAVE

Source: CG Staff News

DO’s AND DON’Ts FOR CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

The central civil service conduct rules, 1964 impose various restrictions on central govt employees. Some Do’s and Don’ts applicable to employees are given below.

Do’s:-

1. Maintain absolute integrity all times.

2. Maintain absolute devotion to duty at all times.

3. Those holding responsible posts – maintain independence and impartiality in the discharge of your duties.

4. Maintain decent and responsible conduct in their private life.

5. Observe proper decorum during lunch break.

6. Render prompt and coureous service to the public.

7. Report to the superiors the fact of your arrest or conviction in a Criminal court and the circumstances connected therewith, as soon as it is possible to do so.

8. Keep away from deomonstrations organized by political parties in the vicinity/ neighbourhood of government offices.

9. Manage private affairs in such a way as to avoid habitual indebtedness or insolvency.

10. Maintain political nutrality.

11. Act in accordance with the government policies.

12. Observe courtesy and consideration to Members of Parliament and State Legislatures.

13. If any legal proceedings are institued for the reocovery of any debt due from you or for adjusting you as an insolvent, report the full facts of such proceedings to the competent authority.

14. In perfomance of duties in good faith, communicate information to a person in accordance with the ‘Right to Information Act, 2005′ and the rules made thereunder.

Dont’s:-

1. Do not indulge in acts unbecoming of a government servant.

2. Do not be discourteous, dishonest of partial.

3. Do not make joint representations in matters of common interest.

4. Do not adopt dilatory tactics in your dealings with public.

5. Do not convey oral instructions to subordinates.

6. Do not practise untouchability

7. Do not associate yourself with any banned organizations.

8. Do not join any association or demonstration whose objects or activities are prejudicial to the interest of the sovereignity and integrity of India, Public order or morality.

9. Do not give expression to views on Indian or foreign affairs, while visiting foreign countries.

10. Do not get involved in unauthorized communication of any official document or any pat thereof or classified information to any government servant or any othere persons to whom you are not authorized to communicate such document of classified information.

11. Do not joint or support an illegal strike.

12. Do not enter into any private correspondance with foreign Embassies or Missions.

13. Do not accept lavish or frequent hospitality from any individual, industrial or commercial firms, organizations, etc having official dealings with you.

14. Do not accept any offer of the cost of passage to foreign coutries or hospitality by way of free board and lodging there, if such offers are from foreign firms contracting with Govt.

15. Do not accept invitations to you and members of your family for free inaugural flights offered by Air India, Indian airlines Corportation or foreign Airlines.

16. Do not give or take or abet giving or taking of dowry or demand any dowry directly or indirectly from the parent or guardian of a bride or bridgegroom.

17. Do not accept any gift from any foreign firm which is having official dealings. 
18. Do not engage yourself in canvassing business of life insurance Agency, commission agencey or advertising agency owned or managed by the members of your family.

19. Do not lend or borrow money from or deposit money as a member or agent, with any person, firm or private company with whom you likely to have official dealings. Do not otherwise place yourself under pecunary obligation with such person, firm or private company.

20. Do not approach your subordinates for standing surety for loans taken from private sources either by your / your relatons / friends.

21. Do not undertake private consultance work.

22. Do not speculate in any stock, share or other investment.

23. Do not purchase shares out of the quota reserved for friends and associates of Directors of ompanies.

24. Do not bid at any auction of property where such auction is arranged by your own officers.

25. Do not stay as guest with foreign diplomats or foreign national in India.

26. Do not invite any foreign diplomat to stay with you as a guest in India.

27. Do not accept or permit your wife or dependants to accept passage money or free air transport from a foreign Mission/ Government or Organization.

28. Do not bring any political influence in matters pretaining to your service. 29. Do not consume any intoxicating drinks or dugs while on duty.

30. Do not appear in public place in a state of intoxication.

31. Do not indulge in any act of sexual harassment of any woman at her work place. 32. Do not employee children below 14 years of age.

33. Do not accept award of monetary benefits instituted by private trusts/ Foundations , etc.

Source : www.govtempdiary.com/

FAQs related to the New Pension Scheme (NPS)

1.            Whether a retiring Government servant is entitled for leave encashment after retirement under the NPS?

 Answer : The benefit of encashment of leave salary is not a part of the retirement benefits admissible under Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972. It is payable in terms of CCS (Leave) Rules which will continue to be applicable to the government servants who join the government service on after 1-1-2004. Therefore, the benefit of encashment of leave salary payable to the governments/to their families on account of retirement/death will be admissible.

2.            Why is it mandatory to use 40% of pension wealth to purchase the annuity at the time of the exit (i.e. after the age of 60 years) from NPS?

 Answer :  This provision has been made in the New Pension Scheme with an intention that the retired government servants should get regular monthly income during their retired life.

3.            Whether any minimum age or minimum service is required to quit from Tier-I?

Answer :  Exit from Tier-I can only take place when an individual leaves Government service.

4.            Whether Dearness Pay is counted as basic pay for recovery of 10% for Tier-I?

 Answer :  As per the New Pension Scheme, the total Dearness Allowance is to be taken into account for working out the contributions to Tier-I. Subsequently, a part of the “Dearness Allowance” has been treated as Dearness Pay. Therefore, this should also be reckoned for the purpose of contributions.

5.            Whether contribution towards Tier-I from arrears of DA is to be deducted?

 Answer :  Yes. Since the contribution is to be worked out at 10% of (Pay+ DP+DA), it needs to be revised whenever there is any change in these elements

6.            Who will calculate the interest PAO or CPAO?

 Answer :  The PAO should calculate the interest.

7.            What happens if an employee gets transferred during the month? Which office will make deduction of Contribution?

 Answer :  As in the case of other recoveries, the recovery of contributions towards New Pension Scheme for the full month (both individual and government) will be made by the office who will draw salary for the maximum period.

8.            Whether NPA payable to medical officers will count towards ‘Pay’ for the purpose of working out contributions to NPS?

 Answer :  Yes. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has clarified vide their O.M. no. A45012/11/97-CHS.V dated 7-4-98 that the Non-Practising Allowance shall count as ‘pay’ for all service benefits. Therefore, this will be taken into account for working out the contribution towards the New Pension Scheme.

9.            Whether a government servant who was already in service prior to 1.1.2004, if appointed in a different post under the Government of India, will be governed by the CCS (Pension) Rules or NPS?

 Answer :   In cases where Government servants apply for posts in the same or other departments and on selection they are asked to render technical resignation, the past services are counted towards pension under CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972. Since the Government servant had originally joined government service prior to 1-1-2004, he should be covered under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972.

Coming soon, Post Bank of India

The postal department plans to enter the banking business with the Reserve Bank of India deciding to grant new bank licences to entities with credible track-record.

Consultant appointed : 
Sources said the Department of Posts, which has a strong foot print in rural areas, has appointed Ernst and Young (E&Y) as the consultant for the proposed ‘Post Bank’

“Ernst and Young is expected to submit a detailed project report by April, after which all the necessary measures will be taken up to apply for banking licence,” a source at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology told PTI.

The sources added that the Department of Post (DoP) might need Cabinet approval for setting up Post Bank of India.

Of the 1.55 lakh post offices in the country, around 24,000 district offices may be ready to offer banking services in the next two years.

The DoP is in process of setting up 1,000 ATMs.

“Post Bank shall not only take care of the banking needs of the rural poor but shall also converge with micro-insurance and micro-remittance services of the DoP,” the source said.

As per data shared with Parliament, there were over 26 crore operational small savings accounts in post offices as on March 31, 2012, having deposits worth Rs.1.9 lakh crore.

Courtesy – The Hindu, 23rd Feb, 2013

Address by the Hon'ble President of India to Parliament.

Today, Budget Session starts with Hon'ble President's address to Parliament. In his an hour-long address to joint sitting of Parliament he said that the government is also considering amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act to punish the guilty and protect the honest public servants "more effectively". He further stated that, The Department of Posts is rolling out a rural ICT programme, through which all post offices will be connected electronically. Computers will be provided to 1,30,000 post offices, which would facilitate both postal and banking services at post offices.

To view the full text of Hon'ble President Pranab Mukherjee's address to Parliament, please CLICK HERE. 

Schedue for Inspector Posts Induction Training.

Directorate vide letter No. 1-39/2009-Trg. dated 18.02.2013 has issued the following schedule to all PTCs for imparting Induction Training to the 189 departmental Inspector Posts candidates declared successful in the IP Examination held on 13th and 14th October 2012. Besides, the backlog of 2011 will also be covered. The Induction Training will be commenced in multiple batches at PTCs. 

Name of the circle	Name of Training Centre	No. of IP candidates	Tentative dates
AP, Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, NE Orissa, TN	PTC Mysore	64 (including 4 of IP Exam 2011)	04/03/2013
Delhi, Haryana, HP J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and UP	PTC Saharanpur	93 (including 31 of IP Exam of 2011)	04/03/2013
Bihar & West Bengal	PTC Vadodara	32 (including 23 of IP Exam 2011)	25/03/2013

Revision in Standard Tender Document for Carriage of Mail by Private Mail Motor Service

To view the orders issued by Directorate, please CLICK HERE. 

15 Simple Ways To Add Ayurveda In Everyday Life.

When we hear Ayurveda, we quickly associate Ayurveda with herbs and ‘jaddi-puddi’, don’t we? But it isn’t all true. In fact, the truth about Ayurveda is that it is governed by the fact of what we eat, how we live, in which environment we live, and the state of our mental health. Ayurveda tells us of the framework in which we can modify our lifestyles to optimize our bodily functions. Ayurveda teaches us how to age with dignity and grace as Ayurveda emphasizes the role of mental health in maintaining physical health. Today, we share 15 simple and easy Ayurveda principles which you can add in your daily routine to help you feel fitter, healthier and happier.

Tip 1: Wake up early

To enjoy the benefits of Ayurveda make sure you rise up before dawn, say at around 4.30-5.00 am. This is the most fresh and pure time of the day. Grasp this freshness that is present in the air, so that you spend your rest of the day with positive vibes and energy.

Tip 2: Include Ayurveda Eating

If you want to stay‘disease-free’ then have a close look at what you eat. Emphasize more on fresh, seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables. Stay away from oily-junk food, as far as possible. If you include ayurveda eating in your diet, then your body will start developing energy and help to clear toxics.

Tip 3: Start your day with sweetness

Start your day with “honey water” using a teaspoonful of good quality honey in half a pint of still water. This is the best step, to kill all toxics from your body. Besides, it also possesses various bacteria-killing properties.

Tip 4: Restful sleep is important

Our body needs time to rejuvenate and to detoxify, and the best time for this process is sleeping. When we get good sleep, our inner cells work in harmony to strengthen our immune system and circulate vibrant energy throughout our body. To get good sleep, try taking a warm bath before bed and use essential oils such as lavender or sandalwood to calm you down. Complement this with slow and deep breathing.

Tip 5: Walk for better life

Go for a morning walk or just walk to take a break from a very stressful day at work. Walking is one of the best forms of exercise. It provides mental, physical and emotional peace without straining your body.

Tip 6: Make a schedule

Construct a schedule of all the things that you will be doing throughout the day and stick to it. Sticking to a planned schedule will help to avoid disturbance and will create a mental, physical and emotional balance in your body.

Tip 7: Eliminate your toxins

As soon as you get up, try to clear your bodily toxins in the form of urine or poop. If you delay your excretion process, then indirectly you will be poisoning yourself which can further create chronic problems later in life. So maintain a schedule to get rid of dirt from your body.

Tip 8: Healthy herbs is important

Start using healthy herbs and spices like fresh ginger, turmeric, garlic, cumin seeds and black pepper in your cooking as far as possible. All these herbs have properties to reduce bad cholesterol, protect vital organs and trigger the body’s metabolism.

Tip 9: Hydrate yourself well

Drink sufficient amount of water every day. Water is the best source to flush out toxins from the body and to ensure smooth running of the digestion system.

Tip 10: Oil massage

Try oil massage every morning to safeguard yourself from wrinkles and other aging damage. Oil massage in the morning will prevent drying out of the tissues and nurtures your mind and body. Besides, it also gives a healthy looking complexion to your skin.

Tip 11: Exercise is essential

Include exercises like cycling, yoga or any other aerobic exercise in your daily regime. A good 30 minutes of exercise will help to keep disease away, maintain your weight and will enhance your body’s blood circulation.

Tip 12: Meditate

Just disconnect yourself from the outer world by taking a break. Just sit down and close your eyes for few minutes. This technique will help to give you inner peace and you will feel healed after the session.

Tip 13: Do the milk therapy

If you frustrated because you are tirelessly shifting position because you are not getting sleep, in spite of a tiring day, then drink a glass of warm milk. This technique will help you to fall asleep quickly. Milk should be organic and free of additives, and boiled with a pinch of cardamom before it is drunk in order to make it easier to digest.

Tip 14: Make your own skin pack

Instead of using artificial skin products, opt in for totally naturally products on your skin. The best way to nourish your skin is by making your skin-packs by yourself. Make your skin-packs using those ingredients which are totally safe to eat like honey, rose water, cucumber, almonds, milk and yoghurt to moisturize your skin.

Tip 15: Bond with nature

When you have a break, instead of spending time with your gadget spend time with flowers and trees. If you give up your gadgets for a day and surrender yourself to the nature, then the sense of connection with Mother Nature will soothe you and make you forget all your worries, problems and stress.