Digital touch to India Post (Special article on Digital India Week)

Bruhaspati Samal

Postmaster, Ashoknagar MDG &

Secretary, AIPEU, Gr-C, Bhubaneswar

eMail : bsamalbbsr@gmail.com

“It makes the Post Office what under any other system it never can be the unrestricted means of diffusing knowledge, extending commerce and promoting in every way the social and intellectual improvement of the people” stated Lord Dalhousie, the father of India Post in his Minute dated 30th December, 1851. To prove this statement, honestly, if one searches about an organization which serves India, the land of heterogeneous racial, lingual, religious, and social culture upholding its rich cultural heritage through religious pluralism protecting the national unity, social cohesion, secular and federal structure and democratic ethos, certainly, the name of India Post comes to mind. Competently assisting the rulers, elite and mercantile community in its various forms in ancient and medieval times, it has conveniently served both the British rulers and general public in modern times as a forceful organization in raising national and political consciousness. Long before the times of email and mobile phones, pigeons, barefoot runners and bullock carts were used to carry messages from one part of India to another. Prior to independence, India Post, through a limited work force could be able to develop a vast network of communication even before the Railways and Telephones were introduced with wide spread impact on the socio-economic life of the nation through efficient and prompt service.

From pigeon to post, India Post has travelled a long way with the passage of time. From 23,344 post offices primarily opened in urban areas prior to independence catering to the needs of Britishers for development of their trade and exercising control over their vast Indian possessions with one post office serving 15038 persons covering an area of 53 square miles to 1,54,882 post offices (139182 i.e. 89.86% in rural area and 15700 i.e. 10.14% in urban area ) having 459948 employees (200344 Departmental and 259604 Gramin Dak Sewak) as on 31.3.2014, India Post has registered nearly a seven fold growth during the period of last seven decades focusing its expansion to rural areas and thus has been acknowledged as the largest postal network in the world with one post office serving 8221 people in average covering an area of approximately 21.2 sq. kms and providing postal facilities within reach of every citizen in the country at affordable prices adopting every mode of transmission from bare foot to air route with recorded delivery of 1,575 crore mails approximately every year.

The beginnings of this vast postal network can be traced back to 1727 when the first post office was set up in Kolkata. Subsequently, General Post Offices (GPOs) were also set up in the then three Presidencies of Kolkata (1774), Chennai (1786) and Mumbai (1793). To bring some uniformity amongst the then post offices, the Indian Post Office Act of 1837 was enacted. This Act was followed by the more comprehensive Indian Post Office Act of 1854. This Act reformed the entire fabric of the postal system. Its provisions granted the monopoly of carrying mail in the British territories in India to the Indian Post Office. The present postal system in India thus came into existence with the Indian Post Office Act of 1854. The same year, the Railway Mail Service was introduced as also the sea mail service from India to Great Britain & China. Thereafter, the India Post Office Act of 1898 was passed which regulated postal services in the country. In 1852, the first ever adhesive postage stamps in Asia were issued in Scinde; these stamps subsequently became famous as the Scinde Dawks. These stamps were in circulation up to June 1866. On 18th February, 1911, the world’s first airmail flight - from Allahabad to Naini - took place. It traversed a distance of 18 kilometers (approx.) across the river Ganges. The first postage stamp valid across the country was issued on 1st October, 1854 which provided an affordable and uniform rate of postage based on weight. Since then, the Department of Posts has proved to be one of the greatest institutions of the country which plays an important role in the socio-economic activity of the nation. The postal network of India touches the remotest corners of the country.

Briefing the Department’s long journey from pigeon post to e-post, it is evident that the Department of Posts actively entered into the digital era through counter mechanization installing 102 personal computer-based MPCMs in 22 selected post offices during the year 1990 – 91 and conceived the Project Arrow concept in April, 2008 under “Look & Feel Good” concept. The Government of India has approved the Department of Posts’ IT Modernization Project, 2012 with a total outlay of Rs.4909 crore in November, 2012. The IT Modernization Project aims at modernization and computerization of all post offices in the country including 129389 Branch Post Offices in rural areas. It is an ambitious IT transformation project undertaken by the Department of Posts. By setting up an IT infrastructure spanning across all Post Offices and Branch Post Offices in rural areas, the Department will be able to harness the benefits of consolidated information and capabilities across various functional silos as well as geographical reach. The transformation from physical to digital network will provide a national asset for all users apart from Post Offices including various Government Departments, business houses and citizens to use the IT enabled country wide network for communication, banking, insurance and service delivery needs. This mega IT driven transformation is the first of its kind undertaken by any postal operator in the world as well as any Government Department in the country. Upon completion of this project, the Department of Posts shall emerge as an engine to transform the rural economic landscape in the country besides providing value-added mail and financial services to the urban customers.

The transformation from physical to digital network will enable the Government to use the postal network for communication, banking, insurance, mails and service delivery needs of the citizens. The IT Modernization Project, particularly the rural ICT solutions will rebuild the rural postal network to create an institutional last mile infrastructure for delivery of all government services to citizens. The project will make the post office the focal point of delivery of social security and employment guarantee schemes including disbursement of wages under MGNREGS Schemes of theCentre and State under Direct Benefit Transfer, will provide biometric authentication of financialtransactions ,provide multiple channels like ATM, mobile banking, net-banking for savings bank customer. It will provide an electronic and secure mode of money transfer particularly in rural areas. The Core Banking Solution (CBS) Project will bring facilities of ATM Banking, Internet Banking, Mobile Banking and Phone Banking to the Post Offices Savings Bank (POSB) customers to perform transactions 24×7 in ATMs and to transfer money from their account to any bank account through National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS). Out of 25493 departmental post offices , India Post has already launched Core Banking Solution in 2590 post offices as on 30.06.2015.

Digital India Programme is a flagship programme of Government of India launched in 2014 with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. The thrust of the Digital India Programme is the Digital Empowerment of Citizen of India. In Digital India Programme, Department of Posts has been entrusted to shape up the post offices into a multi service centre. The Department is digitizing all its 154882 Post Offices including 129389 Gramin Dak Sewak Post Offices. The digitized post office may work as multi service centre. It may become the nodal centre for the dissemination of information vis-à-vis Government Policies; disbursement of social security benefits; financial inclusion of rural mass. These post offices will offer a digital means of communication, carrying physical goods and money transfers.

The Post is poised to play an important role in the society bridging the urban rural divide and bringing IT-enabled services to all sections of the society through 154882 IT-enabled post offices. The reduction of paper-based processing would enable an environmentally sustainable greener Post Office.

(Data Source : indiapost.gov.in)

What is net neutrality and why it is important?

If you like the current state of the internet, you should know about net neutrality. If you are not aware of it, don't worry.

Internet is built around the idea of openness. It allows people to connect and exchange information freely, if the information or service is not illegal. Much of this is because of the idea of net neutrality. If you like the current state of the internet, you should know about net neutrality. Many web users are aware of it. But if you are not, don't worry. We explain it here:


What is net neutrality?

Net neutrality is an idea derived from how telephone lines have worked since the beginning of the 20th century. In case of a telephone line, you can dial any number and connect to it. It does not matter if you are calling from operator A to operator B. It doesn't matter if you are calling a restaurant or a drug dealer. The operators neither block the access to a number nor deliberately delay connection to a particular number, unless forced by the law. Most of the countries have rules that ask telecom operators to provide an unfiltered and unrestricted phone service.

When the internet started to take off in 1980s and 1990s, there were no specific rules that asked that internet service providers (ISPs) should follow the same principle. But, mostly because telecom operators were also ISPs, they adhered to the same principle. This principle is known as net neutrality. An ISP does not control the traffic that passes its servers. When a web user connects to a website or web service, he or she gets the same speed. Data rate for Youtube videos and Facebook photos is theoretically same. Users can access any legal website or web service without any interference from an ISP.

Some countries have rules that enforce net neutrality but most don't. Instead, the principle is followed because that is how it has always been. It is more of a norm than a law.


How did net neutrality shape the internet?

Net neutrality has shaped the internet in two fundamental ways.

One, web users are free to connect to whatever website or service they want. ISPs do not bother with what kind of content is flowing from their servers. This has allowed the internet to grow into a truly global network and has allowed people to freely express themselves. For example, you can criticize your ISP on a blog post and the ISP will not restrict access to that post for its other subscribers even though the post may harm its business.

But more importantly, net neutrality has enabled a level playing field on the internet. To start a website, you don't need lot of money or connections. Just host your website and you are good to go. If your service is good, it will find favour with web users. Unlike the cable TV where you have to forge alliances with cable connection providers to make sure that your channel reaches viewers, on internet you don't have to talk to ISPs to put your website online.

This has led to creation Google, Facebook, Twitter and countless other services. All of these services had very humble beginnings. They started as a basic websites with modest resources. But they succeeded because net neutrality allowed web users to access these websites in an easy and unhindered way.


What will happen if there is no net neutrality?

If there is no net neutrality, ISPs will have the power (and inclination) to shape internet traffic so that they can derive extra benefit from it. For example, several ISPs believe that they should be allowed to charge companies for services like YouTube and Netflix because these services consume more bandwidth compared to a normal website. Basically, these ISPs want a share in the money that YouTube or Netflix make.

Without net neutrality, the internet as we know it will not exist. Instead of free access, there could be "package plans" for consumers. For example, if you pay Rs 500, you will only be able to access websites based in India. To access international websites, you may have to pay a more. Or maybe there can be different connection speed for different type of content, depending on how much you are paying for the service and what "add-on package" you have bought.

Lack of net neutrality, will also spell doom for innovation on the web. It is possible that ISPs will charge web companies to enable faster access to their websites. Those who don't pay may see that their websites will open slowly. This means bigger companies like Google will be able to pay more to make access to Youtube or Google+ faster for web users but a startup that wants to create a different and better video hosting site may not be able to do that.

Instead of an open and free internet, without net neutrality we are likely to get a web that has silos in it and to enter each silo, you will have to pay some "tax" to ISPs.


What is the state of net neutrality in India?

Legally, the concept of net neutrality doesn't exist in India. Sunil Abraham, director of Centre for internet and Society in Bangalore, says that Trai, which regulates the telecom industry, has tried to come up with some rules regarding net neutrality several times. For example it invited comments on the concept of net neutrality from industry bodies and stakeholders in 2006. But no formal rules have been formed to uphold and enforce net neutrality.

However, despite lack of formal rules, ISPs in India mostly adhere to the principal of net neutrality. There have been some incidents where Indian ISPs have ignored net neutrality but these are few and far between.

Will the concept of net neutrality survive?

Net neutrality is sort of gentlemen's agreement. It has survived so far because few people realized the potential of internet when it took off around 30 years ago. But now when the internet is an integral part of the society and incredibly important, ISPs across the world are trying to get the power to shape and control the traffic. But there are ways to keep net neutrality alive.

Consumers should demand that ISPs continue their hands-off approach from the internet traffic. If consumers see a violation of net neutrality, they ought to take a proactive approach and register their displeasure with the ISP. They should also reward ISPs that uphold the net neutrality.

At the same time, as Abraham says, Trai needs to come out with a set of clear and precise rules that protect the net neutrality. "We have started seeing ISPs trying to take control of the traffic that flows from their servers but Trai can regulate them. It can keep the internet open and consumer-friendly by forming rules that protect net neutrality. These are early days so it is easy to do. If ISPs manage to change the system, it may become too late," he says.

Source :  The Times of India

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How to Prepare for Competitive Examinations

Every student will have their own and different pattern to prepare for competitive exams. Most common method is byheart the subject. But it’s not so useful method for further use. So first we have to understand the subject what we are going to prepare. For example when we are preparing for groups at first we should have to know the syllabus. And then get the examination pattern and view the previous exam papers. And then we will get a basic idea about what we have to prepare.

Now in this article you’ll get some basic and most useful tips for preparing competitive exams and how to get success in an easy way. So follow our ultimate tips about competitive exams and get success at first attempt.

Follow Schedule Timings:

Most successful people say’s that they prepared for competitive exams for minimum 12 to 14 hours per a day. But every one doesn’t need that much of time. Because when we do this type of study we can’t understand the content perfectly and there are chances to loss our memory permanently. So we have to give a gap between preparations. For example we have to do study 2 hours and then give half an hour gap and then prepare another 2 hours. This type of study gives you mind relaxation and it gives most strength to prepare for exams.

Important Content Preparing:

Another common mistake every one do’s that they read every lesson page to page, each and every word of the lesson. In this method they will forget the important content of the lesson and they remember only the simple and straight forward method in the lesson. To escape from this type of problem at first once we have to read the lesson and underline the important matter in the lesson. And we have to note down the important content in a separate book. Because, writing is a one of the great methods to remember the important matters in the subject and it is also a helpful technique to improve our writing skills for obtaining good marks in exams.

Reading Books Regularly:

For some examinations we have to do too hard work. Hard work means not to expose physical stamina. That means we have to read number of books and need to gather useful content. For example if we want to know about the topic ‘geography’ we read only one book about the subject. But only one book does not give complete information about the geography. So we should need to read number of alternative books about geography. Like this, when we start reading any particular subject we need to read number of alternative books. So it gives much information about the subject. For useful books we should need to go to library every day.

Conduct Self Examinations:

We have to examine by ourselves it will gives good hand writing, memory and time saving in competitive exam. At first collect previous year examination papers and then conduct exam by yourself. Prepare new question papers by yourself or by your lecturers or experts. It will help to increase student’s mental stamina. Like this we have to self-examine number of times. In many top and successful coaching centers this is a most common method they use to prepare their students properly. For good own preparation there are number of question banks, study materials are published by experts and available in market.

What We Have To Prepare?

Prepare toughest problems at first and apply easy methods to solve the problems. And then go for the easy one. Thus, you can save the time for exam. Read important paragraphs and questions then go for other questions. When you know perfectly about the subject then teach that subject to your friends. That increases your memory power.

Competitive Spirit:

In competitive exams we can’t get success at once. We can able to receive failure and success equally once we failure in the exam it’s not means that we cannot get the success forever. Failure is the first step for success. So that’s why we have to prepare mentally strong to receive the result. We need to know about those people who got success already in previous competitive exams. It is not important to obtain their methods but it gives an inspiration for our career. This is called competitive spirit it’s very important for those who trying for success very hardly.

Coaching:

To prepare competitive exams coaching is a very important thing because we can read number of books for preparation but we cannot understand everything so easily. That’s why we have to approach our lecturers or advisers that who can explain it easily to you. For this, there are so many coaching centers are available. In coaching institutes the faculty is more experienced and they will give correct advice to solve the problems and how to prepare for exams in a simple way.

Discuss The Subject With Friends:

When we know a little about the subject we should need to express the doubts with your friends and core students. And it boost up our eagerness to know more about the subject and you can request your friends to know more about the subject and make a discussion about it at weekly once. And it gives fresh thoughts how to prepare for competitive exams.

Before The Examination:

Before examination we don’t have to read because it makes stress in our mind. Just we have to rewind the whole syllabus what we prepared previously. Some people take books in examination center and then read them so eagerly before the exam. In that time only some answers of questions will keep in our mind that what we read at last. So it’s becomes a big problem in an exam because we can’t get back answers of other questions quickly. So only we can write one question answer perfectly what we read before the exam eagerly. So we have to avoid reading before the examination time.

In Examination Time:

Few minutes before the examination we should have to relax ourselves and then read the question paper first to last and mark the questions what you can answer perfectly. Maintain good hand writing give a space between Para to Para and word to word. Write answers in an order. When you are writing objective type test first mark the answers that you know perfectly. Leave what you don’t know because in competitive exam you can gain negative marks for wrong answers. That’s why carefully answer the question. After marking the well-known answers you go for the next what you don’t know the question answers. But don’t waste the time because time is very important while competitive exams. Five minutes before the exam time coming to over you have to recheck the answer sheet that you can sure you didn’t make any mistake.

So friends follow our tips if useful and get success in competitive exams. God bless you and best of luck.

March 22 – World Water Day 2014: Water and Energy

Water and energy are closely interlinked and interdependent. Energy generation and transmission requires utilization of water resources, particularly for hydroelectric, nuclear, and thermal energy sources. Conversely, about 8% of the global energy generation is used for pumping, treating and transporting water to various consumers.

In 2014, the UN System - working closely with its Member States and other relevant stakeholders - is collectively bringing its attention to the water-energy nexus, particularly addressing inequities, especially for the 'bottom billion' who live in slums and impoverished rural areas and survive without access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, sufficient food and energy services.It also aims to facilitate the development of policies and crosscutting frameworks that bridge ministries and sectors, leading the way to energy security and sustainable water use in a green economy. Particular attention will be paid to identifying best practices that can make a water - and energy-efficient 'Green Industry' a reality.

Objectives of World Water Day in 2014

• Raise awareness of the inter-linkages between water and energy
• Contribute to a policy dialogue that focuses on the broad range of issues related to the nexus of water and energy
• Demonstrate, through case studies, to decision makers in the energy sector and the water domain that integrated approaches and solutions to water-energy issues can achieve greater economic and social impacts
• Identify policy formulation and capacity development issues in which the UN system, in particular UN-Water and UN-Energy, can offer significant contributions
• Identify key stakeholders in the water-energy nexus and actively engaging them in further developing the water-energy linkages
• Contribute as relevant to the post-2015 discussions in relation to the water-energy nexus.

Why do cellphones explode and how to prevent it

Mobile phones may be treated like playthings these days. However, these flashy gadgets can prove dangerous if not handled with care. Several instances have been reported about the phones blasting off suddenly, the latest victim of which was a 14-year-old child of daily wage workers from Seoni. The blast was so bad that the boy narrowly escaped death and ended up with severe disfigurement to his jaw, nose, mouth and face. TOI tells you the do's and don'ts of handling mobile phones.

What are the things to be kept in mind while buying mobile phones?

Buy a branded phone as far as possible. Ensure that the phone has a proper IMEI number, which is a code that identifies each phone. Check that the number on the phone corresponds to that on the box and receipts.

It is considered wise to check the accessories such as earphones, battery and charger. Make sure the battery description such as voltage value matches with that of the charger to avoid overcharging which sometimes lead to explosion of handset.

How and why do mobile phone blasts happen?

The most common reasons for a cell phone to explode are using it while the phone is being charged and 'call bombing'. Charging puts pressure on the motherboard of the phone, using it during charging increases this pressure manifold. This causes the cheap electronic components in some mobiles to explode. Call bombing refers to calls or missed calls received from international numbers. If one receives or calls these numbers back and the call exceeds a certain amount of time, the phone will blast. There is also a malware, or bug, found in some Android-based smartphones, that can also cause explosion by exerting extra pressure on the motherboard during charging.

What care should be taken to ensure not much pressure is put on the phone?

Avoid using the phone while the battery is being charged. If you wish to receive a call during this time, disconnect the phone from charger before connecting the call. Ensure it is not over-charged by removing the electric supply when the battery is fully charged. If your battery seems to have swollen, replace it immediately.

Why is it dangerous to buy cheap phones?

Most cheap models, like those of Chinese make, use hardware and components that are not branded and often substandard. The quality of vital accessories such as battery and earphones are compromised which can have disastrous outcome. Such components cannot be used continuously for as long as their high-quality substitutes. Their shelf life is also shorter.

Is it more harmful to surf internet or download anything on mobile phones?

Yes, because the anti-virus softwares for mobile phones are not as effective. That is why one should avoid downloading anything from a third party vendor, ie directly from the internet browser. Instead use the in-built store or market application provided by the operating system. Malware, which is software that creates a bug in the operating system of the phone, often gets downloaded with third party tools. The sites that you visit using the phone must start with an https (which means they are encrypted or safe sites).

Avoid using public or unsecured Wi-Fi connections. A hacker could access the mobile device through a port that is not secured. Make sure the Bluetooth connectivity is not switched on in public places as it can be used to send malicious files which corrupt the operating system.

Are there certain precautions that must be practiced while using a mobile phone?

While communicating using your cell phone, try to keep the cell phone away from the body as this would reduce the strength of the electromagnetic field of the radiations. Whenever possible, use the speaker-phone mode or a wireless blue tooth headset. For long conversations, use a landline phone.

Avoid carrying your cell phone on your body at all times. When in pocket, make sure that key pad is positioned toward your body so that the transmitted electromagnetic fields move away from you rather than through you. Do not keep it near your body at night such as under pillow or a bedside table, particularly if pregnant. You can also put it on 'flight' or 'offline' mode, which stops electromagnetic emissions. Avoid using your cell phone when signal is weak or when moving at high speed, such as in car or train.

How to deal with a wet phone?

After removing the phone from water, dismantle it by removing battery, SIM and memory cards and switch it off (only SIM card in case of an iPhone). Dry each component thoroughly (but gently) with a towel until the phone is dry to the touch. Then put all components in a bowl of uncooked rice in a way that all components are totally covered. If you have any silica packets (the ones that come with products like new shoes), put them in to the bowl too. Leave it there for 12-24 hours.

Never use a hair dryer to try to dry the phone quicker. Drying it with a heated hair dryer can cause important parts to melt, while forcing water further into the phone. Drying it will a cold hair dryer will just force water deeper into the phone.

Why you shouldn't hold your mobile in your mouth?

Using mobile phones too close to your mouth regularly or holding cell phone in your mouth frequently could lead to malignant salivary gland cancer and tumors in mouth. Regular cell phone users who speak with the phone held too close to the mouth face the problems of sleep disturbance, migraine and headache.

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Why-do-cellphones-explode-and-how-to-prevent-it/articleshow/32100765.cms

Challenges before the Seventh Pay Commission: Financial Express Article

Challenges before the Seventh Pay Commission: Raj Kumar Ray

Growth has fallen in the last couple of years eroding revenue while inflation remains stubbornly high. The new pay commission will have to factor in both concerns

Why does the government appoint a pay commission every decade?

A pay panel is appointed every decade to review and recommend the pay structure for central government employees taking into account various factors such as cost of living, inflation rate, revenue growth and fiscal deficit of the government, growth in workforce, private sector job scenario and wages, and economic growth. The government has so far appointed six pay commissions. The demand for a permanent pay commission set up through an Act of Parliament has been raised once but it was not accepted by the government.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved the constitution of the Seventh Pay Commission—to be headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ashok Kumar Mathur—to suggest the extent of hike in salaries of the 7-million-plus central government staff and pensioners with effect from 2016. Petroleum secretary Vivek Rae has been appointed as a full-time member, NIPFP director Rathin Roy will be part-time member and Meena Agarwal will be member-secretary of the new pay panel.

How did the process of pay hikes evolved?

The pay panel recommendations have evolved with time. The first central pay commission (CPC) adopted the concept of “living wage” to determine the pay structure of the government staff. The third CPC adopted the concept of “need-based wage”. The fourth CPC had recommended that the government constitute a permanent machinery to undertake periodical review of pay and allowances of its employees, but this was not accepted by the government. The sixth CPC suggested performance related incentive scheme (PRIS) to replace the ad hoc bonus and productivity-linked bonus schemes. The pay panel also suggested that the running pay band be extended to all grades of officers. Also, the sixth pay panel suggested slashing of the number of grades to 20 and one distinct pay scale for secretaries from the 35 existing earlier.

By how much have the public sector salaries increased every decade following the pay panels’ recommendations?

By and large, the salaries of central government staff have tripled every decade. The sixth CPC suggested 3 times increase in salaries from that of fifth CPC levels—it was 2.6 times for lower grade officials and slightly above 3 for higher grade staff. The increase in salary during fifth CPC was 3-3.5 times the fourth CPC levels.

What has been the fiscal implication of pay hikes?

Government finances have come under strain after implementations of each CPC. After the fourth CPC, the combined fiscal deficit of centre and states rose to 9.5% of GDP in FY87 from 7.7% in FY86. The impact was significantly harsh during the fifth CPC, especially for states—the combined fiscal deficit rose from 6.1% in FY97 to 7% in FY98 and then to 8.7% in FY99 with the aggregate deficit of states surging from 2.6% to over 4%.

In the case of the sixth CPC, the government expenditure increased by about Rs 22,000 crore during 2008-09—Rs 15,700 crore on the general budget and Rs 6,400 crore on the rail budget. The Rs 18,000 crore arrears were distributed in two years—40% in FY09 and 60% in FY10. The fiscal implication of sixth CPC coupled with fiscal stimulus in the form of higher spending and tax cuts after the Lehman crisis, increased Centre’s fiscal deficit to 6% in FY09 and 6.5% in FY10 from less than 3% in FY08.

What are the challenges before seventh CPC?

The new pay panel faces many challenges when it starts the process of reviewing the pay structures of babus. First, the economic growth has slowed sharply in the last 10 years—from over 9% between FY06 and FY08 to 4.5% in FY13. This means slower revenue growth and little room for scaling up expenditure on salaries.

Second, the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) target has already been revised more than twice after the Lehman crisis and the new target for lowering the fiscal deficit target to 3% of GDP is FY17. This again binds the government to restrict spending on salaries and wages.

Third and the most important factor, inflation has stayed high in the past few years—the CPI inflation (CPI-Industrial Workers and the new CPI) has averaged over 9% in the past eight years, which means cost of living has gone up significantly and hence necessitates higher compensation for workers. The dearness allowance of government staff has already touched 100%, which along with the rise in other allowances have more than doubled salaries since 2006.

Analysts expect the seventh pay panel to suggest 3-3.5 times hike in salaries across various grades from sixth CPC levels apart from a further rationalisation of government staff. Already, direct or permanent jobs in public sector have been shrinking while engagement of contract labour and outsourcing is on the rise. This trend is likely to continue given the fiscal imperatives of the government.

There is a perception that government salaries should rise faster at the higher grades and slowly at the lower grades to keep pace with private sector. It needs to be seen whether the seventh CPC retains the minimum:maximum ratio at sixth CPC level of 1:12. A hike in the ratio should not impinge the fisc much as the top level officials—joint secretaries and above—comprise less than 5% of the overall public sector workforce. The performance related incentives could also be reviewed to retain talent within the public sector. More than the fiscal implication, what matters is the productivity of the public sector. For instance, sluggish clearances needed for large projects have ruined investment and halved the growth rate in last three years. The silver-lining of the next CPC could be that it may boost the services sector growth and help revive the faltering economy from 2016 as higher salaries boost spending on housing, automobiles and consumer electronics.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/

Top 10 People Skills To Put Your Career On A Fast Track

Smart resumes are useful only in getting a job.

To sustain it, one requires not just expertise in one’s field but, more importantly, inter-personal skills. Here are the top people skills that will help you put your career on a fast track.

1. EXPRESS BOLDLY 

Be assertive. The team needs your inputs and ideas, so learn to express yourself verbally and in writing. Be direct and clear, using simple language and minimum words. Assertiveness is not aggression, so stick to positive language, learn to accept a ‘No’ and don’t alienate people by bragging. Observe how people react to your words and choose them accordingly.

2. LISTEN SINCERELY 

If speaking up is important, learning to listen is critical. Getting the communication right the first time saves you trouble later. Be 100% present in every conversation and listen sincerely, and with humility and empathy. Do not fidget, worry about your problems or sit in judgement. With time, you will understand different communication styles and avoid misunderstandings.

3. RESOLVE CONFLICTS 

Conflict resolution is the biggest skill that managers and leaders need. Start by building trust. Being fair will help people listen to you during disagreements. To resolve issues, seek common ground between both parties and present both sides equally. Find consensus and hold people accountable for their actions. Focus on the solution, not on the problem or people concerned.

4. SHOW INTEREST 

The workplace is for teams, not individuals. Success comes only thro ugh team work. The closer the bonds you build with people, the easier your work will be. Break the ice with a smile and increase quality time spent with people, both in and outside office. Genuine interest for team members will bring them closer to you.

5. SAY THANK-YOU 

Even if it appears difficult or corny, learn to say thank-you and express gratitude. Be sincere and specific in your words. Acknowledge your subordinate who stayed back late to complete the presentation for your meeting. Your acknowledgement helps people feel energised and creates an enabling environment for the team.

6. BODY LANGUAGE 

Each organisation and team has its code of conduct besides the expected workplace behaviour. Pay close attention and follow both general and local etiquette. Master non-verbal communication: have clear eye contact and a confident posture. Only if your body language and behaviour are in line with expectations, will your words have an impact.

7. ASK QUESTIONS 

Learn how to question people and respond in the right way. Questions are vital to learn how things work, foster close relationships in a team, manage people and projects and avoid needless conflict. The right way causes people to calm down and reach an agreement. Avoid a manner that assumes wrong intention or wrongdoing on the other person’s part. 

8. USE THE MIRROR 

Japanese legends respect the power of mirror or self-knowledge. Introspect to know what makes you thrive and what makes you lose focus and motivation. Figure out the same for people around you. You will soon realise that there are many right approaches to getting the work done. Your sensitivity to what people say will also reduce, making you resilient and persistent in challenging times.

9. DON’T LOSE YOUR COOL 

US President Barack Obama is known to never lose his cool even in the most stressful situations. Doing so will give you power over the 0situation and people involved. The first step towards learning to control your anger is to shut up and walk out or walk away till you have calmed down. You can come back later with a planned response to achie ve your aims with minimum disturbance to you or your team.

10. ASK WHAT YOU WANT 

The quickest secret to success is to ask yourself: ‘What do I want?’ Figure out what you want from the situation or the person you are dealing with. This will help formulate a plan and take the best action possible. Knowing what you want from people will empower you to redirect a challenging relationship or even terminate it with minimum pain, if the need arises.

FIVE CRITICAL WORK SKILLS

BEAT THE BELL 

Be on time, every time. It includes being seated at your desk when the office begins and being punctual for a meeting called by your team leader. To remember non-routine commitments, set up a reminder 15 minutes prior to the meeting through your online Google calendar.

BATTING AVERAGE 

Your work reputation depends on tasks and projects you complete successfully. Constantly find ways to solve problems that crop up invariably. Your batting average improves with every task you complete on your own and drops when you go back to ask for solutions.

MOVE EVERY MONKEY 

All communication that you receive, be it a request for information or a new task for you, goes on your to-do list. Keep the list moving by replying to every e-mail and confirming tasks on completion. Don’t let any monkey sit on your back for too long.

STAY IN SIGHT 

‘Out of sight’ can result in ‘out of job’. Be visible to your team or make sure that your work is visible at all times. People tend to remember who was around when the going was tough, so be present to help your team when the big project deadline is near.

RAISE YOUR HAND 

Many people find it tough to ask for help. Also, there are tasks that no one wants. In both cases, raise your hand. Volunteer to help colleagues and complete unsavoury tasks. This is the fastest route to being indispensable.

Devashish Chakravarty, Director, Executive Search at Quetzal

Source: The Economic Times

Why Should we visit Temples

There are thousands of temples all over India in different size, shape and locations but not all of them are considered to be built the Vedic way. Generally, a temple should be located at a place where earth's magnetic wave path passes through densely. It can be in the outskirts of a town/village or city, or in middle of the dwelling place, or on a hilltop. The essence of visiting a temple is discussed here.

Now, these temples are located strategically at a place where the positive energy is abundantly available from the magnetic and electric wave distributions of north/south pole thrust. The main idol is placed in the core center of the temple, known as "*Garbhagriha*" or *Moolasthanam*. In fact, the temple structure is built after the idol has been placed. This *Moolasthanam* is where earth’s magnetic waves are found to be maximum. We know that there are some copper plates, inscribed with Vedic scripts, buried beneath the Main Idol. What are they really? No, they are not God’s / priests’ flash cards when they forget the *shlokas*. The copper plate absorbs earth’s magnetic waves and radiates it to the surroundings. Thus a person regularly visiting a temple and walking clockwise around the Main Idol receives the beamed magnetic waves and his body absorbs it. This is a very slow process and a regular visit will let him absorb more of this positive energy. Scientifically, it is the positive energy that we all require to have a healthy life.

Further, the Sanctum is closed on three sides. This increases the effect of all energies. The lamp that is lit radiates heat energy and also provides light inside the sanctum to the priests or *poojaris* performing the pooja. The ringing of the bells and the chanting of prayers takes a worshipper into trance, thus not letting his mind waver. When done in groups, this helps people forget personal problems for a while and relieve their stress. The fragrance from the flowers, the burning of camphor give out the chemical energy further aiding in a different good aura. The effect of all these energies is supplemented by the positive energy from the idol, the copper plates and utensils in the *Moolasthan*am / *Garbagraham*. *Theertham*, the “holy” water used during the pooja to wash the idol is not plain water cleaning the dust off an idol. It is a concoction of Cardamom,*Karpura* (Benzoin), zaffron / saffron, *Tulsi* (Holy Basil), Clove, etc...Washing the idol is to charge the water with the magnetic radiations thus increasing its medicinal values. Three spoons of this holy water is distributed to devotees. Again, this water is mainly a source of magneto-therapy. Besides, the clove essence protects one from tooth decay, the saffron & *Tulsi* leafs protects one from common cold and cough, cardamom and *Pachha Karpuram* (benzoin), act as mouth fresheners. It is proved that *Theertham* is a very good blood purifier, as it is highly energized. Hence it is given as *prasadam* to the devotees. This way, one can claim to remain healthy by regularly visiting the Temples. This is why our elders used to suggest us to offer prayers at the temple so that you will be cured of many ailments. They were not always superstitious. Yes, in a few cases they did go overboard when due to ignorance they hoped many serious diseases could be cured at temples by deities. When people go to a temple for the *Deepaaraadhana*, and when the doors open up, the positive energy gushes out onto the persons who are there. The water that is sprinkled onto the assemblages passes on the energy to all. This also explains why men are not allowed to wear shirts at a few temples and women are requested to wear more ornaments during temple visits. It is through these jewels (metal) that positive energy is absorbed by the women. Also, it is a practice to leave newly purchased jewels at an idol’s feet and then wear them with the idol’s blessings. This act is now justified after reading this article. This act of “seeking divine blessings” before using any new article, like books or pens or automobiles may have stemmed from this through mere observation.

Energy lost in a day’s work is regained through a temple visit and one is refreshed slightly. The positive energy that is spread out in the entire temple and especially around where the main idol is placed, are simply absorbed by one's body and mind. Did you know, every Vaishnava(Vishnu devotees), “must” visit a Vishnu temple twice every day in their location. Our practices are NOT some hard and fast rules framed by 1 man and his followers or God’s words in somebody’s dreams. All the rituals, all the practices are, in reality, well researched, studied and scientifically backed thesis which form the ways of nature to lead a good healthy life.

The scientific and research part of the practices are well camouflaged as “elder’s instructions” or “granny’s teaching’s” which should be obeyed as a mark of respect so as to once again, avoid stress to the mediocre brains

Courtesy : http://akulapraveen.blogspot.in/

'Children, this is a Post Office!'

KOCHI: Six-year-old Yacoob Shaheem has never seen a postman. She has read about one and seen his pictures in the school book. In the age of texting and Twitter, when the friendly postman is slowly losing significance, Shaheem along with her classmates got to meet a postman and see how a post office works at the Thammanam post office as part of the postal week celebrations.

"For the first time, I met a postman. We also saw old and new stamps. The postman showed us his big brown bag which was full of letters," said Shaheem, a senior KG student at Peace International School. Along with other students, she send Eid Mubarak greetings to her parents on a postcard. "The teacher showed us the red box to drop letters in which we dropped our postcards," added Shaheem.

Schools in Kochi are organizing various programmes as part of the postal week celebrations to create awareness about the importance of writing letters. While some schools took their students to a post office, others staged a play that showed the importance of the postal system. Some asked students to write letters to their loved ones on a postcard.

"We recreated the good old days when grandparents used to receive letters from a postman. We also explained to children how posts were the only means of communication earlier and how much time a letter took to reach its destination," said Annie Anthony, vice principal, Choice School. However, the kids were pretty sharp and observed how the appearance of the postman differed from the typical textbook image. "When we described a typical postman to the kids, they pointed out how the postman in their area never wore the brown uniform or a cap," said Shireen Furtil, KG section in charge, Assissi Vidyaniketan. Explaining the reason for celebrating the postal week, Beena John, KG in charge, Bhavan's Adarsh Vidyalaya, said, "When we asked our students if they knew about postmen, they replied in the negative. But they said they would often send SMSs from their father's phone!"

Source : http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

An ode to Indian Postal system

              Trailing the journey of the Indian postal system from 1668 till 2007, Arvind Kumar Singh’s book“Bharatiya Dak: Sadiyon Ka Safarnama” has been chosen by the Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development for the Shiksha Puraskar or the Education Award for the year 2009. The award was launched by the Government of India in 1992 for encouraging original writings in Hindi in the field of education.

Published by National Book Trust, the book has already been translated into three languages -- English, Hindi and Assamese -- and is going to be translated in seven to 12 more languages.

“This book has been a best-seller on the subject and that the new editions will have a new look,” said an NBT representative.

One of its chapters titled “ Chittiyon KI Anokhi Duniya – the unique world of letters” has also been included in the NCERT book of Class VIII which runs into seven pages.

Titled the “Moving encyclopaedia of Indian Post” in English, the book has 43 chapters and explains in detail the postal systems during the times of kings and nobility, modern and rural postal systems, postmen’s lives and the hardships they face, postcard, letterbox, earlier postal services through pigeons to dak-bunglows to horses and elephants and from male runners to rail, air etc.

It notes that that stalwarts in their own fields like Noble Laureate C.V. Raman, authors Munshi Prem Chand, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Nirad C. Chaudhary and Mahashewta Devi, actor Dev Anand and celebrated Dogri writers Shivnath and Krishna Bihari ‘Noor’ were once postal department employees.

Arvind Singh’s book has been written for the layman and is about the post Independence status of the postal services. It covers the challenges met by the carriers of postal services and its heroic survival despite the onslaught of technology via mobile, internet and private couriers.

Recalling a story about another person who wanted to write on the subject, the 52-year-old author, who hails from UP, said: “A postman in Allahabad wanted to write a book on the subject but due to financial constraints and ill health he died. He would get me my money order which I used to wait desperately for in my college days in Allahabad. Once when I didn’t get any money order, I went to see him. He was ill. I came to know that day that he used to give me money from his own pocket if my money order didn’t reach on time. It humbled me immensely and raised my curiosity to know more about the lives of postmen. But due to the lack of any research material, I had to run across the whole of India and meet almost every postman, virtually every post office to know the reality behind this unique service.”

Source :  http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/an-ode-to-indian-postal-system/article5219695.ece