NEW INTEREST RATE FROM 01.04.2013

Restricted Holiday for Holi on 28th March, 2013

28th March, 2013 has now been declared as Restricted Holiday. But, the Holiday for Holi will be on 27th March, 2013 as declared earlier

Revision of Interest Rates for Small Savings Schemes With Effect from 1ST APRIL, 2013

Based on the decisions taken by the Government on the recommendations of the Shyamala Gopinath Committee for Comprehensive Review of National Small Savings Fund (NSSF), the interest rates for small saving schemes are to be notified every financial year, before 1st April of that year. Accordingly, the rate of interest on various small savings schemes for the financial year 2013-14 effective from 01.04.2013, on the basis of the interest compounding/ payment built-in in the schemes, shall be as under :

Scheme	Rate of Interest w.e.f. 01.04.2012	Rate of Interest w.e.f. 01.04.2013
1	2	3
Savings Deposit	4.0	4.0
1 Year Time Deposit	8.2	8.2
2 Year Time Deposit	8.3	8.2
3 Year Time Deposit	8.4	8.3
5 Year Time Deposit	8.5	8.4
5 Year Recurring Deposit	8.4	8.3
5 Year SCSS	9.3	9.2
5 Year MIS	8.5	8.4
5 Year NSC	8.6	8.5
10 Year NSC	8.9	8.8
PPF	8.8	8.7

Interest rates for post office savings schemes reduced

Millions of small savers and PPF account holders would be earning less on their post office savings schemes, with the government deciding to reduce interest rates on them marginally by 0.10 per cent.

The interest rate of Public Provident Fund (PPF) has been lowered from 8.8 per cent to 8.7 per cent with effect from April 1, said a Finance Ministry statement. However, the rates on savings deposit schemes and fixed depositsup to one year operated by the post offices have been kept unchanged at 4 per cent and 8.2 per cent, respectively.

Further, Monthly Income Schemes (MIS) of 5-year maturity will earn an interest of 8.4 per cent.

The National Savings Certificates (NSC) having maturity of five and 10 yearswill now attract 8.5 per cent and 8.8 per cent interest respectively, down 0.10 per cent each. The interest rates would be applicable for the entire 2013-14 fiscal.

The rate for senior citizens savings scheme (SCSS) has been fixed at 9.2 per cent, down from 9.3 per cent.

The revision in interest rates follows a decision taken by government last year to link the small savings returns with the market rate. The new rates are required to be announced at the beginning of a financial year.

The decision was in line with the recommendations of Shyamala Gopinath Committee, which had suggested that returns should be in sync with market rates determined by the returns offered by other securities.

QUESTION PAPER POSTAL /SORTING ASSISTANT 2009

APTITUTDE TEST- DECEMBER 2009 PART 1 – ENGLISH

( Select the most appropriate word/set of words)

1. The word most nearly opposite in meaning to Valor

a. admonition   b. Injustice       c. Cowardice     d . Generosity

2. The word most nearly similar in meaning to tentative

a. Prevalent      b. Portable       c. Making          d. Experimental

3. The pair whose relationship is most like the relationship expressed in the pair beggar: beg

a. Medium- Advise        b. Mediator: Disagree   C. Mercenary : Demand            d. Mentor : Guide

Fill in the Blanks ( Question 4-10 )

4. We list confidence in him because he never ------------------his promise.

5. Her true feelings --------------- themselves in her sarcastic asides; only then was her ------------- revealed

6. Technically glass is a mineral and ---------------

a. Water so                   b. water is so                c. so is water                d. so water is

7. Rajasthan --------------- a very climate

a. has                           b. being                        c. having                      d. with

8 One of the least effective ways of storing information is leaning

a. how repeat               b. repeating                  c. to repeat                   d. Repeat

9 Many modern architects insist on------------------ materials native to the region

that will blend in to surroundings landscape .

a. use                           b. to use                       c. the use                     d. using

10. By the time a baby has reached its first birthday , he should , without the help of an

adult ----------------- sit up or even stand up.

a. to be able                 b. able to                      c. to be able                 d. be able to

PART II: MATHEMATICS

11. A jar contains 10 red marbles and 30 green Ones. How many red marbles must be added to the jar so that 60 % of the marbles will be red?

a. 25                            b. 30                            c. 35                             d. 40

12. Driving at 48 miles per hour, how many minutes will take to drive 32miles.

a. 23                            b 32                             c. 40                             d. 45

13. If a = 9*8321 and b=9*7321 what is the value of a –

a. 8000                        b. 9000                        c. 7000                         e. 6000

14. From 1989 to 1990, the number of applicants to a college increased 15 % to 5000.

How many applications were there in 1989?

a. 759                          b. 4301                        c. 4400                         d. 5819

15. Find two numbers whose sum is 27 and product is 182

a. 11, 12                      b. 12, 13                      c. 13, 14                       d. 14, 15

Launching of Electronic Indian Postal Order — e'IPO'.

No. 1/44/2009-lR

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

Department of Personnel & Training

North Block, New Delhi                                                                        Dated the 22th March, 2013

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject : Electronic Indian Postal Order — launching of.

On the initiative of Department of Personnel and Training, Department of Posts has launched a service called "elPO (Electronic Indian Postal Order) w.e.f. 22.03.2013. This is a facility to purchase an Indian Postal Order electronically by paying a fee on-line through e-Post Office Portal i.e.http://www.epostoffice.gov.in. It can also be accessed through India Post website www.indiapost.gov.in . As per RTI Rules, 2012, fees may be paid by electronic means, if facility for receiving fees through electronic means is available with the public authority.

2. At present, this facility is provided only for Indian Citizens abroad across the globe to facilitate them to seek information from the Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs) under the RTI Act, 2005, Debit and Credit cards can be used to purchase elPO.

3. The user needs to get himself registered at the website. He has to select the Ministry/Department from whom he desires to seek the information under the RTI Act and the elPO so generated can be used to seek information from that Ministry/Department only. A printout of the elPO is required to be attached with the RTI application. If the RTI application is being filed electronically, elPO is required to be attached as an attachment.

4. It may be noted that this facility is only for purchasing an Indian Postal Order electronically. All the requirements for filing an RTI application as well as other provisions regarding eligibility, time limit, exemptions etc., as provided in the RTI Act, 2005 will continue to apply.

5. An elPO so generated must be used only once with an RTI application. To check any multiple use of the same elPO, the CPIOs shall maintain a record of the elPOs so received from Indian Citizens abroad. In case of any doubt, the details of elPO can be verified from the above mentioned site/portal of India Post.

sd/- (Sandeep Jain)

Deputy Secretary

The impact of Price rise will take Dearness Allowance to 100% soon

By the end of this month the rate of  Dearness Allowance  is getting ready to touch 80% level. We can expect that the rise in prices will take it  to 100% level with in a couple of year.

Dearness Allowance Vs Price Rise

The central government employee’s confederation opined that The Dearness allowance which the cg employees are receiving now is not enough to meet the price rise of essential commodities.

The effect of 50% Dearness allowance on our Pay

The sixth pay commission recommended that Whenever the DA reaches 50% level , Some allowances have to be increased by 25 % . Where as in Fifth CPC , it had been recommended that when the DA reaches 50% it should be merged with Basic Pay. It has been implemented with effect from 2004. And the fifth cpc also recommended that the Pay and Allowance should be revised after every five years. But it was not accepted by the Government.

The objectives of increasing Allowances by 25% as per the 6 CPC or merging DA with Basic pay as in the case of 5CPC, when  DA reaches 50% level, is to make the central government employees to balance the financial burden caused by Price Rise through increasing their pay package.

The impact of DA Reaches 100%

According to fifth CPC, the 50 % DA had been merged with Basic Pay and in 6CPC , some allowances have been increased by 25%. But 5th CPC didn’t say anything about what should be done when DA touch 100% level. Because the govt servants receiving their pay as per pre revised pay were not granted merging of another 50% of DA in 5th CPC scale.

7th Pay commission

Even after the rate of DA is increased to 50% level it is not enough to increase some allowance by 25% as it will not help to handle the expenses caused by inflation. So The central government employees are expecting that government should constitute 7th pay commission immediately.

source : govtempdiary

SB Order no 3/2013

Identification of PPF(HUF) accounts and admissibility of interest in such acconts - SB Order no 3/2013
CLICK HERE to view SB Order no 3/2013 dated 12.03.2013 on the above subject matter

Status of your application for Direct PA/SA Recruitment

Status of your application for Direct PA/SA Recruitment 

 To view click below

http://www.eonlineapply.com/dop/pages/doplogin.aspx

Constituting 7th Central Pay Commission is the need of the hour – Union Minister Shri. Ajay Makan

With a little over a year to go before the next general election, the demand for a Seventh Pay Commission has started to gather momentum. Union housing and urban poverty alleviation minister Ajay Maken has taken the lead in endorsing the Central government employees' request for setting up of the new pay panel, citing the erosion of real wages due to high inflation since implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendations.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Manmohon Singh, Maken underlined how every pay panel since the Second Pay Commission, barring the Sixth Pay Commission, were set up in the third year of the decade. "We are again in the third year of the ongoing decade and Central government employees are justifiably looking forward to the Seventh Pay Commission," he said.

Recalling that it was under Singh that the last pay panel was set up in 2005, after the NDA government failed to do so in 2003, Maken, in the communication dated March 14, requested that a decision be "taken on priority" for constitution of the Seventh Pay Commission. A notification for constitution of the 7th Central Pay Commission is the need of the hour, which is bound to have bearing upon about 20 million employees," he said.

HOLDING OF PA/SA DIRECT RECRUITMENT FOR THE VACANCIES OF 2011 AND 2012- TENTATIVE SCHEDULE.

D.G. Posts No. A-34012/5/2011-DE dated 15^th March, 2013.

The tentative schedule of the examination has now been finalized. The examination is proposed to be held in three phases with dated as follows:

                                             Phase                 Date of Examination

                                                 I                    April 21, 2013 (Sunday)

                                                 II                  May 05, 2013 (Sunday)

                                                 III                May 19, 2013 (Sunday)

PC Code	Postal Code	Phase
16	Gujarat	I
21	Kerala	I
22	Karnataka	I
24	Maharashtra	I
11	Andhra P	I
29	Tamil Nadu	I
12	Assam	II
23	Madhya Pradesh	II
14	Chhattisgarh	II
20	Jharkhand	II
25	North East	II
26	Odisha	II
32	West Bengal	II
15	Delhi	III
17	Haryana	III
18	H.P.	III
19	J&K	III
27	Punjab	III
28	Rajasthan	III
30	U.P.	III
31	U.K.	III
13	Bihar	III

4.         The examination will be held in about 75 cities across the country. There would be multiple examination centres in each city. There would be a total of 1500 examination centres across the country, the circle-wise list of which will be circulated shortly. As already intimated, the examination will be conducted through an approved outsourced agency. However, two Observers per examination centre would need to be deployed by the concerned Circle.

5.         The detailed instructions relating to the examination will be circulated shortly

Infosys to power online services at 1.3 lakh post offices

Infosys has partnered with India Post for developing a service delivery platform that will allow more than 1,30,000 rural post offices to offer online services.

The platform will also connect and manage more than 130,000 handheld devices used by rural postal workers for distribution of social benefits under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and process Electronic Money Orders, Infosys said in a statement.

With this agreement, Infosys will facilitate India Post's Rural Systems Integration (RSI) programme, which will increase adoption of the department's services and enhance the reach of postal services to the country's rural population.

As part of an earlier agreement, Infosys is also partnering with India Post to transform its financial services operations and end-user experience under the Financial Services System Integration programme.

"We are very happy to partner with Infosys on one of the largest transformational journeys India Post has ever undertaken. We are confident that Infosys will help make the Rural Systems Integration project a success," India Post said.

Source:-The Times of India

INDIA POST READIES PLAN TO START BANK

New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India having opened the window for new bank licences , the postal department is finalizing the blueprint to set up a bank of its own at your neighbourhood post office, a move that will challenge the dominance of large public sector lenders in smaller towns and rural India.

"This will hugely benefit rural areas. There are nearly 1.55 lakh post offices and no capital cost of building is required . As it is, we offer savings in post offices, this is a natural progression. The matter is under discussion with the finance ministry and RBI," communications miniter Kapil Sibal told TOI.

The postal department has appointed Ernst & Young as a consultant for the banking project and based on the detailed project report, it will approach the Union cabinet for a final go ahead to set up a bank.

After cabinet clearance, RBI will decide on whether India Post should be given a banking licence. While the department already has a balance sheet of Rs 6.2 lakh crore, which includes deposits of around 5.5 lakh crore, it is expected to set up a new entity that will function as the bank.

Transferring the existing deposit base to the bank or converting the entity into a bank will entail an initial capital base of around Rs 55,000 crore to meet RBI's requirement, which the government will find difficult to provide. So, the proposed bank will start with the minimum capital requirement of Rs 500 crore, said a source familiar with the development.

Asource said the new entity will have its own board and norms that comply with RBI regulations. Although there are examples of postal departments getting into banking — ranging from the German and Italian model, to those in South Africa and Japan — sources said India model will be a lot different given the country's vast geographical spread and low level of banking penetration.

Among the various suitors, the postal department has one of the strongest cases to set up a bank given its massive reach across the country with 1.5 lakh post offices, almost all offering savings bank facilities. In all, there are 23.3 crore savings bank accounts with deposits adding up to Rs 3.8 lakh crore at the end of March 2012. "In a way it is already a savings bank. All that we want to do is make it a commercial bank," said a source. The plan is to penetrate rural areas and smaller towns, which is also in line with the government's stated aim of offering banking facilities in the hinterland. Over a period of time, services like investment banking will be added so that the bank becomes a full-fledged financial services entity.

Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

The postal department can deliver banking services to India's ignored hinterlands

The Reserve Bank of India's policy initiative for allowing non-banking finance companies and private players to enter the banking sector has come at an apt time for the postal department. This is something vast swathes of the country's rural population may soon have cause to be grateful for. As matters stand, existing banks have a combined network of some 87,000 branches, with a little more than a quarter of them in rural India. Compare this to the 1.55 lakh post offices the postal department can boast of, already providing various financial services. More importantly, about 90% of these offices — about 1.4 lakh of them — are in rural India.

 This is a godsend for the government if exploited adequately. The low level of banking penetration has been a long-running problem, one that is unlikely to be solved by the entry of new banks. The capital costs of establishing banking networks in rural areas as well as the fear of an inadequate customer base are likely to serve as bottlenecks. The evolution of the postal department into a banking entity would neatly swerve around these bottlenecks. This has already worked in countries from Germany to South Africa. 

 The benefits are obvious. Extending banking facilities to the hinterlands is an essential prerequisite for equitable development. And on the other side of the equation, such a move would bring a vast number of customers — the postal department's small savings schemes have over 250 million takers — into the formal economy in one stroke, providing more assets to be piped to the markets and loaned to corporations, catalysing economic activity. Snail mail may be turning into a thing of the past. But the postal department, if it can exploit this opportunity, will belong to the future. 

 Source:-The Times of India

First Phase locations identified for CBS & PLI

It is learnt from Directorate that following 7 Postal Circles have been identified for CBS and PLI as pilot Circles in phase I project.

1. Assam    2. Delhi    3. Karnataka   4. Maharashtra   5. Rajsthan   6. Tamil Nadu   7. Uttar Pradesh 

CSB Project likely to be implemented in 110 HOs and 12 SOs. (i.e. 122 locations) 

PLI Project likely to be implemented in 8 HOs and 192 SOs. (i.e. 210 locations)

Source:-http://postalinspectors.blogspot.in/

Transfer Posting in ASP Cadre in Berhampur Region

The following transfer posting order in ASP cadre has been issued Vide PMG Berhampur Memo No. ST/11-20/2010 (Sub-I) Dated Berhampur 08.03.2013 to have immediate effect . 

Sl No		Name of the Officer		Present Place of Posting		Place of Posting on transfer
1		Sri Sanjaya Kumar Patra		ASP I/C Chatrapur Sub Division		ASP (H.Q), Berhampur Division
2		Sri Mangulu Majhi		ASP (HQ), RMS, BG Division		ASP I/C Chatrapur Sub Division
3		Sri Madhu Mirdha		ASP I/C, Bhawanipatna		ASP (HQ), Bhawanipatna
4		Sri Sanjaya Biswal		ASP (HQ), Bhawanipatna		ASP I/C, Bhawanipatna

Introduction of Barcode for Parcels

Government of India
Ministry of Communications & IT
Department of Posts
Mail Business (Development & Operations) Division
Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi-110001

No.30-49/2012-D                                                                                             Dated: 06.03.2013

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: - Introduction of Barcode for Parcels: Specifications regarding.

The matter regarding restricting of the existing network for parcel operation is currently under examination at this Directorate. It has been decided to provide track and trace feature for the three proposed parcel products, i.e., “Express Parcel”, “Business Express Parcel” and “Business Parcel” as well as for Registered Parcel. It has further been decided to introduce barcode on all categories of parcel articles and bags including ordinary parcels. However, track and trace feature would not be available for ordinary parcels.

2. A new application software for processing of parcels at Parcel Processing Centres (nomenclature yet to be decided for these mail offices) is being developed by CEPT Mysore. Provisions are also being made for computerized booking and printed barcode stickers shall also be used for posting/ acceptance of parcel in bulk at Centres to be created for this purpose.

3. The structure of the bar code for parcel articles will be the same as prescribed for Speed Post articles, i.e., Code 39 symbology with 13-character alpha numeric combination as per the UPU standards. The first two alpha characters would be in the range of “CA to CZ” for parcels. For example, a parcel booked in Maharashtra Circle will have a barcode as “CMxxxxxxxxxIN”, where “CM” reflects the bar code series allotted to Maharashtra Circle for parcels, the next 8 digits being in serial order and the 9th digit being the check digit and “IN” denoting “India”. The bar code series allocated to the Circles for the purpose of prcels is given in the Annexure 1. Same series of barcodes would be used for all categories of parcels. Further, the same series of bar code, as allotted to the Circles, will be used for both domestic and international parcels. Accordingly, this memo supersedes Directorate memo No.28-2/2003-CF dated 9.11.2004 and 13.12.2004 containing barcode series for international parcels. Specifications for barcodes to be used on parcel articles are given in Annexure 2.

4. All parcel bags would carry a bag label containing a barcode. The barcode series allocated to the Circles for parcel bags is given at Annexure 3. There would be two separate bags label for parcels bags- One for “Express Parcel” bag and the other for rest of the parcel bags. The design and specification for Express Parcel bags and other categories of parcel bags are given Annexure 4 and Annexure 5 respectively.

5. The new network for parcel operations, use of the new software and track and trace features are likely to be operationalzed in April 2013. Therefore, Circles may complete action on assessment of the quantity of barcode stickers (articles level) and bag labels required for booking and processing of parcels and place the orders for procurement of these items by 31st March 2013.

(Rishikesh)

Director (Mail Management)

All Heads of Circles
All Postmaster(s) General

8th March - International Women's Day

First All Women Post Office opened in New Delhi

On the occasion of the International Women`s Day today, the Union Minister of Communications & IT Sh. Kapil Sibal inaugurated India`s First All Women Employees Post Office at Shastri Bhawan, here today. This office is a Project Arrow Office and has three counters. Two counters offer Multi Purpose services like booking of Speed Post, Registration, Sale of IPOs, Booking of Money Orders etc. and one counter is for Sale of Stamps. All these counters of this Post Office will now be manned by Women employees only. The working hours of this Post Office will be from 9.30 a.m. till 5.30 p.m. 

 There are 1003 women employees at the operative level in Delhi circle and their percentage in the total work force is about 14%. In the administrative cadres the percentage is 22%. In a co-incidence the Junior Engineer [Civil] who is Incharge of maintenance of this Post Office building, the Assistant Superintendent of Post Offices of the Postal Sub Division as well as Senior Superintendent of Post Offices of Delhi Central division who are controlling officers of this Post Office are also women.

Not considering proposal to set up 7th Pay Commission: Government

Admitting that there have been demands for setting up of 7th Pay Commission, government said that no such proposal is under consideration for such exercise, which would have resulted in upward revision of centre's over 85 lakh employees' and pensioners' pay scales. 

"The recommendations of the previous .. 6th Central Pay Commission were given effect to from January 1, 2006. Therefore, at present no proposal to constitute the 7th Pay Commission is under consideration of the government," Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena told Lok Sahba on Friday in a written reply. 

Meena further said, "There have been some demands received for setting up of the 7th Central Pay Commission. In the past, there has generally been a gap of a minimum 10 years between two successive Pay Commissions. 

According the information available, the central government employees had also gone for a day long token strike for their various demands including setting up of 7th Pay Commission in December last year. 

At present the number of central government employees and pensioners are about 50 lakh and 35 lakh respectively. 

 Source:-The Economic Times

Expected DA from January 2013 to the Central Government Employees and Pensioners

As per the Average AICPI Numbers for Industrial workers for the past 12 months from January 2012 to December 2012, it is arrived that the rate of Dearness Allowance to be increased over existing rate of 72% will be 8% and total 80% of the Basic pay (band pay + Grade pay) will be paid as Dearness Allowance to all the central government employees with effect from 01-01-2013. So let us hope that the Union Cabinet may give its approval for increasing the rate of dearness allowance probably in its next meeting which is to be held on 8th March or 15th March 2013.

Gazette Notification issued for Revised Recruitment Rules

  IPs & ASPs

• To view Inspector Posts revised Recruitment Rules, please CLICK HERE
• To view Assistant Superintendent Posts revised Recruitment Rules, please CLICK HERE

Union Budget 2013-14: India post finds CBS proposal as a great developmental step

Union Budget of 2013-14 has come with a major development proposition for India post. Not only postal department big shots, but even small postal service agents are also happy with the announcement of Finance Minister. 

 "Government has initiated an ambitious IT driven project to modernize the postal network at a cost of Rs. 4,909 crore. Post offices will become part of the core banking solution and offer real time banking services. I propose to provide Rs. 32 crore for the project in 2013-14," said the FM in his budget speech. 

Clear enough, the initiative will be a big shot in the arm of India post that already is a major small savings service provider in India. "We are happy with the decision as we have been asking for this since long. CBS will empower us to go full fledged in banking services," said Mr. John Samuel, Chief Post Master General of J & K who also plays a vital role in visualizing India post's modernization and new business sector.

Although India post has always traditionally remained as a major agency facilitating small savings especially in rural areas, it was never allowed to initiate full-fledged banking services. 

Moreover, manual operation of postal department versus electronic and cyber age core banking solution of all other banks have pushed India post to back bench in providing financial services. 

But, "India post has 1.55 lakh establishments in India touching deepest interiors. This is almost double of total 83,000 establishments of all banks put together. With introduction of modernized services, now we will be able to contribute in a big way to GoI's targeted financial inclusion drive in India," said Mr. Samuel. 

Beside the postal top brasses, "It is great for us too as now we can increase our service volume and earn even higher through postal services," said Mr. T K Das, a veteran postal savings agent. 

 Source : The Economic Times