Central Government Employees can go skiing, rock climbing at government’s expense

Central Government Employees can go skiing, rock climbing at government’s expense

New Delhi: Central government employees can now go skiing in the sylvan surroundings of Gulmarg or rock climbing in Manali, all while enjoying a special casual leave granted by the government which will also bear the expenses for their outing.

To foster the spirit of risk-taking and team work, the Modi government has asked the 50 lakh central government employees to participate in adventure sports.

The measure was also aimed at tackling “the alarming situation of stress and impact of sedentary life” on them.

“It would create and foster spirit of risk taking, cooperative team work, capacity of readiness and vital response to challenging situations and endurance,” the Office Memorandum No.125/1/2015-16/CCSCSB dated December 4 issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

As per the scheme, the DoPT will sponsor programmes for five to seven days by six institutes–including Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, Himachal Pradesh, Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir, National Institute of Water Sports, Vasco da Gama, Goa and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi–for this purpose.

The activities under the programme will include trekking, mountaineering, rock-climbing, cycling in a difficult terrain, skiing, surfing, boat sailing, snorkeling, rafting, parasailing, ballooning, paragliding, jungle safari, desert safari, beach trekking and environmental awareness camps.

An expense of upto Rs 20,000 will be reimbursed by the government, besides grant of special casual leave to the employees to help them participate in these activities, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on Friday said.

Financial assistance of 100 per cent of programme fee would be provided in a calendar year to two officials of each ministry or department who have been awarded for excellence in service and nominated for the programme.

PTI

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Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP)-7th Pay Commission Report

Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP)-7th Pay Commission Report

Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP):

i. This will continue to be administered at 10, 20 and 30 years as before.

ii. In the new Pay matrix, the employees will move to the immediate next level in the hierarchy.

iii. In the interest of improving performance level, the benchmark for MACP has been recommended to be enhanced from ‘Good’ to ‘Very Good.’

iv. The Commission has proposed withholding of annual increments in the case of those employees who are not able to meet the benchmark either for MACP or a regular promotion within the first 20 years of their service. (paras 5.1.44-5.1.46)

Withholding Annual Increments of Non-performers after 20 Years

There is a widespread perception that increments as well as upward movement in the hierarchy happen as a matter of course. The perception is that grant of MACP, although subject to the employee attaining the laid down threshold of performance, is taken for granted. This Commission believes that employees who do not meet the laid down performance criterion should not be allowed to earn future annual increments. The Commission is therefore proposing withholding of annual increments in the case of those employees who are not able to meet the benchmark either for MACP or a regular promotion within the first 20 years of their service.

This will act as a deterrent for complacent and inefficient employees. However, since this is not a penalty, the norms for penal action in disciplinary cases involving withholding increments will not be applicable in such cases. This will be treated as an “efficiency bar”. Additionally, for such employees there could be an option to leave service on similar terms and conditions as prescribed for voluntary retirement.

Source: CentralGovernmentNews.com

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Government order on One Rank One Pension: Salient features of the OROP

One Rank One Pension

Government order on One Rank One Pension (OROP) has been issued on 07.11.2015.

Salient features of the OROP are as follows:

• Pension of the past pensioners would be re-fixed on the basis of pension of retirees of calendar year 2013 and the benefit will be effective with effect from 01.07.2014.
• Pension will be re-fixed for all pensioners on the basis of the average of minimum and maximum pension of personnel retired in 2013 in the same rank and with the same length of service.
• Pension for those drawing above the average shall be protected.
• Arrears will be paid in four equal half yearly instalments. However, all the family pensioners including those in receipt of Special / Liberalized family pension and Gallantry award winners shall be paid arrears in one instalment.
• In future, the pension would be re-fixed every 5 years.

Certain ex-servicemen associations have been demanding for changes in methodology for fixation of pension, periodicity of its revision, coverage of future PMR cases etc. The Government has decided to appoint a Judicial Committee to look into anomalies, if any, arising out of implementation of OROP.

Personnel who opt to get discharged henceforth on their own request under Rule 13(3) 1(i)(b), 13(3)1(iv) or Rule 16B of the Army Rule 1954 or equivalent Navy or Air Force Rules will not be entitled to the benefits of OROP. It will be effective prospectively and in future, the pension would be re-fixed every 5 years.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply to Shri Gopal Shetty and others in Lok Sabha today.

PIB

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Provision of E-Catering Facilities in Railways

Provision of E-Catering Facilities in Railways

In order to widen the range of food options available to passengers, E-catering services have been introduced, through Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in trains without pantry car or Train Side Vending as well as on 45 designated stations from where passengers of originating/passing trains can avail of this facility. The details of stations selected for this purpose are as follows:-

 Howrah, Sealdah, Guwahati, New Jalpaiguri, Patna, Bhubaneshwar, Visakhapatnam, Mughalsarai Junction (Jn.), Kanpur Central, Lucknow Jn., Varanasi, Jaipur, Bilaspur, Kharagpur, Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Anand Vihar Terminal, Hazarat Nizamuddin, New Delhi, Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Secunderabad, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Ernakulam Jn., Kozhikkode, Madurai Jn., Thrisur, Tiruvananthapuram Central, Bangalore City, Yasvantpur, Nagpur, Pune, Agra Cantt., Gwalior, Jhansi, Bhopal, Ahmedabad Mumbai Central, Surat & Vadodara. IRCTC has tied up with renowned, reputed and established brands in the field of catering services so that the passengers can order good quality and hygienic food of their choice. Further, Janta Khana is also being made available through E-catering services.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

PIB

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Ministry of Railways revises Child Fare Rule

Ministry of Railways revises Child Fare Rule

New provision will come into effect from April, 2016

Ministry of Railways has decided to revise the child fare rule. Under the revised provision, full adult fare will be charged for children of age 5 years and under 12 years of age if for whom berth/seat (in reserved class) is sought at the time of reservation. However, in case berth/seat is not sought for the children of age 5 years and under 12 years of age at the time of reservation, then half of the adult fare shall continue to be charged subject to the minimum distance for charging.

Necessary changes shall be carried in the reservation form so that the passenger can indicate their option for requirement of full berth/seat for child or not.

There shall be no change in the rule for child fare of unreserved tickets i.e. fare for children of 5-12 years for unreserved tickets shall continue to be half of the adult fare subject to the minimum distance for charging.
Children under five years of age will continue to be carried free (without berth).

The revised child fare rule shall be applicable for travel from April, 2016 onwards. Exact date of commencement of this provision will be notified separately at a later date.

PIB

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