JABALPUR

Monday, July 29, 2013

Why You Can Bank on India Post

Of the 26 aspirants who want to set up a bank, the government arm, India Post, appears to be best placed to fulfil the objective of financial inclusion. The Reserve Bank of India has said new banks will have to set up at least three branches in villages with a population of less than 10,000 for each branch they establish in other areas.

Unlike what many believe, a Post Bank of India (PBI) will be a completely new entity with no legacies of a government department and very little to do with its parent, except using some of its network. It will have an independent board and just two members from the government, one from the finance ministry and another from the department of post.

Geographically, the India Post network beats the entire banking system in the country. The ubiquitous mail carrier is present in more than 1,55,000 locations in India, 90 percent of them in villages. On an average, a post office serves an area of a little over 21 sq km and a population of 7,175, much lower than the RBI norm. In terms of experience with collecting deposits, the crucial left hand side of a bank balance sheet, again the department is unmatched. It manages over Rs 6 lakh crore in savings deposits and offers several financial services such as pensions schemes, insurance, recurring deposits and remittances.

That said, one of the crucial areas in which the department is short in experience is credit; the bread and butter for a bank.

To be sure, the idea of a PBI has been around for nearly 15 years as leaps in modern communications technology gradually made the snail mail unattractive and obsolete. On July 14, India Post shut down its 162-year-old telegraph service.

About five to six years ago, the Administrative Staff College of India prepared a report on turning the post office into a bank. It was more wishful thinking than a concrete business plan. It had proposed turning all post offices into bank branches. “That would have required about Rs 62,000 crore in capital and Rs 2 lakh crore in priority sector lending,” says Ashvin Parekh, Partner and National Industry Leader, Global Financial Services, Ernst & Young. RBI norms require all new banks to comply with reserve requirements from start.

The RBI and the finance ministry had also raised concerns about the department’s credit capability. It was clear that turning the entire network into a bank was a non-starter.

According to the plan prepared by Ernst & Young, India Post will become PBI’s banking correspondent. PBI, which will start with just 40 branches, will use the post office infrastructure but very frugally. In the beginning, it is only looking at a small, Rs 5,000 crore bank. That also means the government will not have to shell out huge amounts of capital. Anyway, the bank will need to bring in new shareholders and sell equity to the public for a stock market listing, as per RBI norms.

The bank can also leverage the technology backbone that is being put in place. The department has a Rs 4500 crore allocation in the 12th Plan for technology upgradation. Of that budget, Rs 1,200 crore will go only into financial services, including a core banking software, Infosys’ Finacle.

Carefully done, the PBI can be a game-changer in rural areas. It has a great brand recall and in many villages of India, the postman is a popular person. In fact, it can go one step ahead and even play a role in financial literacy in villages.

Courtesy:http://forbesindia.com/article/special/why-you-can-bank-on-india-post/35671/1#ixzz2aOhTT1tb

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Sunday 28 July 2013

Details/Pattern of Postal/Sorting Assistant (PA/SA) Phase-II Exam 2013 (Computer/Typing Test)
Now as Postal Department started publishing the List of Shortlisted Candidates for Paper-II based on the performance in Paper-I(Aptitude Test), its time now to understand the details of Paper-II (Computer Typing/Data Entry Test) & Practice it.

Results of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, North East, Odisha, West Bengal and Kerala Postal Circles already stands published in the official website.

Results of Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Bihar, Haryana, Himanchal Pradesh and Rajasthan Circles are expected soon.

Here is the list of number of candidates shortlisted from each Circle based on the results declared so far.

Name of Circle
No. of Shortlisted Candidates for Paper-II
Andhra Pradesh
2115
Gujarat
983
Karnataka
612
Maharashtra
1947
Tamil Nadu
1783
Assam
2114
Chhattisgarh
330
Jharkhand
640
Madhya Pradesh
1097
North East
153
Odisha
749
West Bengal
2023
Kerala
1000

Pattern of Paper-II (Computer / Typing Test):
The Typing Test shall be for a duration of 30 minutes (15 minutes each for Typewriting and data entry) consisting of one passage of 450 words in English or 375 words in Hindi to be typed with a minimum speed of 30/25 words per minute respectively & Data entry of some figures and letters each carrying equal marks on Computers.

The typing test and test of data entry operations will be conducted on Computer key board but not on type writer.

Note: The final merit shall be prepared on the basis of the aggregate marks obtained by the Applicants in the Aptitude Test (Paper I) only subject to their qualifying in Computer/Typing test ( Paper II). ie, there will be no marks for Typing/Data entry test. You have to just qualify the minimum criteria in Paper-2 and final merit list shall be prepared on the basis of marks of Paper-I only.


Saturday 27 July 2013

THE MESSAGE IS LOUD AND CLEAR
AWAKE, ARISE, UNITE

The 9th Federal Council of NFPE held at Hyderabad from 9th to 13th June 2013, gave a clarion call to the five lakhs Postal and RMS employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) to be ready for an indefinite strike, in case our demand for setting up of seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC) and merger of DA with pay is rejected by the Central Government. The conference in one voice also demanded the Government to withdraw the Contributory Pension Scheme and scrap the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill. It further decided that even if Pay Commission is appointed, if the Government refuse to include the revision of wages and service conditions of GDS in the term of reference of the CPC and grant the DA merger benefit to GDS, entire employees shall go on indefinite strike.

The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, the united fighting organisation of Central Government Employees, in its 24th National Conference held at Kolkata from 4th to 6th May 2013 has taken a historic decision to go on indefinite strike demanding constitution of seventh CPC, DA merger, scrapping of New Pension Scheme and the settlement of the 15 point charter of demands. The decision of the Confederation clearly reflected the aspiration and commitment of about 28 lakhs of Central Government Employees and about 40 lakh Central Government Pensioners. Unlike in the past, this time, the Confederation has rightly decided to project the GDS demands as one of the main demands and in the 12th December 2012 strike the GDS participated in the strike en-masse as per the call given by NFPE, even though the so-called recognized union of GDS has not even given strike notice.

Finally, as in the past, as a logical corollary, the Railway and Defence employees Federations have also decided to go for an indefinite strike raising the 7th CPC and DA merger demand. Due to conscious and persistent effort made by Confederation, especially its versatile and undisputed leader Com. S. K. Vyas Ji, a joint meeting of AIRF, AIDEF and Confederation was arranged on 29thJuly 2013 and Joint Council of Action (JCA) is formed, the JCA decided to organize various campaign programmes, culminating in indefinite strike. As a first step it is decided to submit a letter to the Government listing out the demands and also its time-bound settlement. The seven point charter of demands includes setting up of 7th CPC, DA merger, compassionate appointment, regularization of GDS and Casual Labourers, Scrapping of PFRDA Bill, removal of bonus emolument ceiling, functioning of JCM and implementation of arbitration awards. Even though in the past, the dominant leadership of the National Council JCM has taken a stand that as GDS do not come under JCM, their demand cannot be included, this time the Confederation and NFPE leadership could convince them and they agreed for inclusion of GDS demands also.


Thus a situation has emerged wherein the entire Central Government employees stands united and determined to realize just and genuine demands. The message is loud and clear. Now it is the duty and responsibility of each and every one of us to carry the message to the grass-root level workers and build up broadest unity among the rank and file. Once such a rock-like unity for struggle is achieved, no Government can reject our justified demands. Time is short. Let us awake, arise and unite.

Friday, July 26, 2013




Saturday 27 July 2013

C. G. Employees and their dependents can avail treatment in a non empanelled Private hospitals in emergency conditions and get reimbursement

(G.I MH OM No. F. No. S. 14025/14/2012-MS, dated 11.06.2013)


Revision of rates for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred in emergency conditions under CS (MA) Rules, 1944
The undersigned is directed to state that the issue of revision of rates for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred on availing medical treatment in emergency conditions under CS (MA) Rules, 1944, when treatment is taken in a non-empanelled private hospital, has been under consideration of the Government for some time.
2. It has now been decided that, reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by a Central Government employee covered under CS(MA) Rules, 1944 on availing medical treatment for himself and his dependent family members in emergency conditions, would be allowed as per the prevailing non –NABH CGHS rates as applicable to a CGHS covered city and non-NABH rates applicable to the nearest CGHS covered city in case of non-CGHS city, as the case may be, or the actuals, whichever is less.
3. For the medical treatment in such cases where package rates are prescribed under CGHS, the non-NABH rates of the CGHS covered city and non-NABH rates of the nearest CGHS city (in case of non-CGHS covered city) or the actuals, whichever is less, will be applicable.
4. This OM supersedes all earlier orders issued from time to time under CS (MA) Rules, 1944 on this subject for allowing reimbursement of medical expenses in emergency conditions when treatment is taken in a non-empanelled private hospital.
5. This OM will come into effect from the date of issue.
6. This issue with the concurrence of the Integrated Finance Division vide their Dy. No. C-282, dated 22.05.2013.

Friday 26 July 2013

Thursday 25 July 2013


              DEPARTMENT CIRCULATED THE LIST OF OFFICE BEARERS OF NFPE