UPSC Civil Services Final Results 2016 declared at upsc.gov.in; Karnataka’s KR Nandini is the topper

The Union Public Service Commission has declared the UPSC Civil Services final results 2016 today on its official website, upsc.gov.in.

New Delhi :

The Union Public Service Commission has declared the UPSC Civil Services results 2016 today on its official website, upsc.gov.in. Civil Services Examination, 2016 held by the UPSC in December, 2016 and the interviews for Personality Test held in March-May, 2017, the commission has selected 1099 candidates for the appointment in various services. 

Karnataka girl Nandini K R topped the exams. Talking to news agency PTI, Nandini said she always wanted to be an IAS officer. You can check civil services exam results here: upsc.gov.in

Download complete result here

A total of 1099 candidates have been recommended for appointment to IAS, IFS, IPS and central services. 500 students qualified in general category while 347 candidates were selected in OBC category. 163 and 89 candidates were selected in SC and ST categories respectively. There are 220 other candidates in the waiting list.

Approximately 11.36 lakh aspirants had appeared in the prelims exam of the civil services. 15,000 candidates qualified for the main exam and 2,961 were shortlisted for the personality test as per IAS result 2018

How to check UPSC Civil Services Final Results 2016:

1. Visit official website upsc.gov.in 

2. Click on the activated result link 

3. Enter required details 

4. Click on Submit 

5. Check the result 

6. Download Take a printout

Read More>>

7th Pay Commission: A list of allowances Central government employees may not get after June 1

The Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) is likely to deliberate on the recommendations of the Ashok Lavasa panel report tomorrow and subsequently present it to the Union cabinet for the final approval.

Central government employees' representatives, miffed with the long delay in implementation of allowances, met on Tuesday to discuss the same.

At the meeting of the National Council (Staff side) Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM), several issues were taken up, including the proposed slash in House Rent Allowance by the Seventh Pay Commission.

The JCM said it will wait for a week or two before it decides on the future course of action if Narendra Modi government were to further delay the implementation of revised allowances.

As Central government employees wait for some positive news on revised allowances, here's a list of the 53 allowances the Seventh Pay Commission recommended doing away with and the 36 allowances that could be subsumed into bigger ones.

Acting Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed 'Additional Post Allowance'.

Air Despatch Pay: Abolished.

Air Steward Allowance: Abolished.

Assisting Cashier Allowance: Abolished.

ASV Allowance: Abolished.

Bad Climate Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in Tough Location Allowance-III.

Breakdown Allowance: Abolished.

Camp Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in the newly proposed Territorial Army Allowance.

Caretaking Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed 'Extra Work Allowance'.

Cash Handling Allowance: Abolished.

Clothing Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in the newly proposed Dress Allowance.

Coal Pilot Allowance: Abolished.

Command Allowance: Abolished.

Commando Allowance: Abolished.

Commercial Allowance: Abolished.

Compensation in Lieu of Quarters (CILQ): Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed provisions for Housing for PBORs.

Condiment Allowance: Abolished.

Court Allowance: Abolished.

Cycle Allowance: Abolished.

Desk Allowance: Abolished.

Diet Allowance: Abolished.

Dual Charge Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed 'Additional Post Allowance'.

Electricity Allowance: Abolished.

Entertainment Allowance for Cabinet Secretary: Abolished.

Entertainment Allowance in Indian Railways: Abolished.

Extra Duty Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed 'Extra Work Allowance'.

Family Accommodation Allowance (FAA): Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed provisions for Housing for PBORs.

Family Planning Allowance: Abolished.

Fixed Monetary Compensation: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed 'Additional Post Allowance'.

Flag Station Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed 'Extra Work Allowance'.

Flight Charge Certificate Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed 'Extra Work Allowance'.

Flying Squad Allowance: Abolished.

Funeral Allowance: Abolished.

Haircutting Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in Composite Personal Maintenance Allowance.

Handicapped Allowance: Abolished.

Headquarters Allowance: Abolished.

Higher Proficiency Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by Language Award or Higher Qualification Incentive for Civilians.

Holiday Compensatory Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by National Holiday Allowance.

Hutting Allowance: Abolished.

Initial Equipment Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in the newly proposed Dress Allowance.

Instructional Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by Training Allowance.

Investigation Allowance: Abolished.

Judge Advocate General Department Examination Award: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed Higher Qualification Incentive for Defence Personnel.

Kit Maintenance Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in the newly proposed Dress Allowance.

Language Reward and Allowance: Abolished.

Launch Campaign Allowance: Abolished.

Library Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed 'Extra Work Allowance'.

Metropolitan Allowance: Abolished.

Night Patrolling Allowance: Abolished.

Official Hospitality Grant in Defence forces: Abolished.

Operation Theatre Allowance: Abolished.

Organization Special Pay: Abolished.

Out of Pocket Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by Daily Allowance on Foreign Travel.

Outfit Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in the newly proposed Dress Allowance.

Out-turn Allowance: Abolished.

Overtime Allowance (OTA): Abolished.

Qualification Grant: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed Higher Qualification Incentive for Defence Personnel.

Rajbhasha Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed 'Extra Work Allowance'.

Rajdhani Allowance: Abolished.

Rent Free Accommodation: Abolished.

Risk Allowance: Abolished.

Robe Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in the newly proposed Dress Allowance.

Robe Maintenance Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in the newly proposed Dress Allowance.

Savings Bank Allowance: Abolished.

Secret Allowance: Abolished.

Shoe Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in the newly proposed Dress Allowance.

Shorthand Allowance: Abolished.

Single in Lieu of Quarters (SNLQ): Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed provisions for Housing for PBORs.

Soap Toilet Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in Composite Personal Maintenance Allowance.

Space Technology Allowance: Abolished.

Special Appointment Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed 'Extra Work Allowance'.

Special Compensatory (Hill Area) Allowance: Abolished.

Special Compensatory (Remote Locality) Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed Tough Location Allowance-I, II or III.

Special DOT Pay: Abolished.

Special NCRB Pay: Abolished.

Special Scientists' Pay: Abolished.

Spectacle Allowance: Abolished.

Study Allowance: Abolished.

Sumptuary Allowance in Training Establishments: Abolished.

Sumptuary Allowance to Judicial Officers in Supreme Court Registry: Abolished.

Sunderban Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in Tough Location Allowance-III.

TA Bounty: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in the newly proposed Territorial Army Allowance.

Technical Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Eligible employees to be governed by the newly proposed Higher Qualification Incentive for Defence Personnel.

Training Stipend: Abolished.

Treasury Allowance: Abolished.

Tribal Area Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in Tough Location Allowance-III.

Uniform Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in the newly proposed Dress Allowance.

Vigilance Allowance: Abolished.

Washing Allowance: Abolished as a separate allowance. Subsumed in the newly proposed Dress Allowance.

Read More>>

Hizbul Mujahideen latest terrorist batch picture released, training underway in Muzaffarabad, PoK

Hizbul Mujahideen's latest batch of terrorists which is reportedly being trained at a camp in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Muzaffarabad

Read More>>

Make cow national animal, give life imprisonment for slaughter: Rajasthan High Court tells Centre

The Rajasthan High Court today recommended life imprisonment for cow slaughter while also calling to make the bovine, considered holy by many Hindus, as India's national animal.

The state High Court was hearing the Hingonia Gaushala case, in which over 8000 cows had died between January 1 and July 31 last year due to ill health and accidental injuries in what is considered one of "Asia's best" cow shelters.

"Keeping in mind Articles 48 and 51A(g) of the Constitution and to provide legal entity for their proper protection and conservation of cow, it is expected from the government that cow is declared a national animal," Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma said in a 145-page order.

The court said India was a predominantly agriculture-based country where animal husbandry played an important role.

The judge appointed the Chief Secretary and the Advocate General of Rajasthan in loco parentis (custodians) for the protection and conservation of cows.

These officials will work for the protection and conservation of cows and to declare cow a national animal, the ruling said.

BEEF BAN OUTRAGE ACROSS INDIA

The court's recommendation to the central government comes amid a massive outrage across the country over a controversial notification issued by the Centre on the sale and slaughter of cattle.

The Environment Ministry last week notified the stringent Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, banning the sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for the purpose of slaughter.

The Centre's rules defined cattle as a bovine animal, including bulls, bullocks, cows, buffaloes, steers, heifers and calves and camels.

The decision drew flak from various Opposition parties as well as organisations who claimed it would hit the export and trade of meat and leather.

Following protests by various states and business community, the government on Tuesday said it could reconsider the notification regulating the sale of cattle and may exclude buffaloes from it.

The Madras High Court on Tuesday stayed the central order and issued notice to both the Union Government and the state government seeking their reply

Read More>>

Massive Kabul truck bomb kills 80, wounds hundreds

A huge plume of smoke could be seen rising from the area but it was not clear what the target was and there was no immediate confirmation of any casualties.

KABUL: At least 80 people were killed and hundreds wounded Wednesday when a massive truck bomb ripped through Kabul's diplomatic quarter, bringing carnage to the streets of the Afghan capital and shattering windows hundreds of metres away. 

Bodies littered the scene and a towering plume of smoke rose from the area, which houses foreign embassies, after the blast in the morning rush hour blew out the windows in several missions and residences. 

Witnesses described dozens of cars choking the roads as wounded survivors and panicked schoolgirls sought safety. Men and women struggled to get through security checkpoints to search for loved ones. 

It was not immediately clear what the target was. But the attack underscores spiralling insecurity in Afghanistan, where a military beset by soaring casualties and desertions is struggling to beat back the insurgents. Over a third of the country is outside government control. 

More than an hour after the explosion, ambulances were still taking the wounded to hospital and officials were pulling bodies from the rubble as firefighters struggled to control blazes in several buildings. 

"Unfortunately the toll has reached 80 martyred (killed) and over 300 wounded, including many women and children," said ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh, adding the figures would continue to climb as more bodies are pulled from the debris. 

The interior ministry, which put the number of wounded at 320, said a suicide bomber had detonated an explosives-packed vehicle in Zanbaq Square around 8:30 am. "More than 50 vehicles were either destroyed or damaged," it said in a statement. 

The ministry called on Kabul residents to donate blood, saying hospitals were in "dire need". 

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack came as the resurgent Taliban step up their annual "spring offensive". 

The Islamic State group has also claimed responsibility for several recent bombings in the Afghan capital, including a powerful blast targeting an armoured NATO convoy that killed at least eight people and wounded 28 on May 3. 

Manpreet Vohra, India's envoy to Afghanistan, told the Times Now television channel the bomb went off around 100 metres from India's embassy, one of several in the area. 

"We are all safe, all our staff, all our personnel are safe. However, the blast was very large and nearby buildings including our own building have considerable damage in terms of broken glass and shattered windows and blown doors etc," he said. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "We strongly condemn the terrorist blast in Kabul. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased & prayers with the injured." 

The explosion also shattered windows at the Japanese embassy. "Two Japanese embassy staffers were mildly injured, suffering cuts," a foreign ministry official in Tokyo told AFP. 

France also reported damage to its own embassy and the German one, but there was no information on possible casualties. Bulgaria said its mission had been damaged and its staff evacuated. 

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis has warned of "another tough year" for both foreign troops and local forces in Afghanistan. 

Afghan troops are backed by US and NATO forces, and the Pentagon has reportedly asked the White House to send thousands more troops to the country to break the deadlock in the fight against the Taliban. 

US troops in Afghanistan number about 8,400 now, and there are another 5,000 from NATO allies. They mainly serve in an advisory capacity -- a far cry from the US presence of more than 100,000 six years ago. 

Wednesday's blast was the latest in a long line of attacks in Kabul. The province surrounding the capital had the highest number of casualties in the first three months of 2017 due to multiple attacks in the city, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.

Read More>>

Made-in-India arms will help us win wars: Arun Jaitley

"No country can indefinitely win wars and battles only on the strength of trying to buy or import equipment from outside," Jaitley said

NEW DELHI: India's military preparedness, which has to be fully backed by indigenous manufacture of weapon systems and platforms through a healthy competition between the public and private sectors, is the best deterrent to guarantee peace in the region. 

“No country can indefinitely win wars and battles only on the strength of trying to buy or import equipment from outside. Its security preparedness would be incomplete if it relies only on that,“ said defence minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday . 

Speaking at an awards function for defence PSUs, in the backdrop of the government recently finalising the “strategic partnership (SP)“ policy to expand the Indian private sector's role in defence production, Jaitley stressed the need for India to “unleash its own poArun tential“ to become an arms-manufacturing hub. 

Under the SP policy , selected Indian private sector companies will partner with global armament companies to jointly manufacture fighter jets, helicopters, submarines and armoured vehicles like tanks under the “Make in India“ framework. 

Sloppy performance by the DRDO and its 50 labs, five defence PSUs, four shipyards, and the 41 ordnance factories as well as the failure to attract the private sector to jump into defence production in a major way has meant that India still continues to import around 65% of its military hardware and software. 

“Security requirements are dictated by the kind of neighbourhood you have, and obviously in view of the pecu liar situation here from a geopolitical point of view, our preparedness is the best deterrent and which is a guarantee for peace as far as our region is concerned,“ said Jaitley. He said, “Healthy competition between defence PSUs and private sector will bring out the best potential. Competition is always the best guarantee for competence, efficiency , and price control.“ Turning to the economy , Jaitley said it has been logging impressive growth over last three years. “Having completed seven decades after Independence, we have now for three years in a row achieved the distinction of being the fastest growing global economy among the major economies,“ he said.

Read More>>

RBI wants you to keep your account number while switching banks

Just like your mobile number, you could soon move your account from one bank to another without having to change the account number. 

Batting for the move, RBI deputy governor S S Mundra said technological innovation and linking accounts to Aadhaar can make it easier for this to happen. Mundra was speaking at an event organized by the Banking Codes and Standards Board of India.

How does this help? 

For unhappy banking customers, this could be a relief as it will save them the trouble of going through the process of opening a new bank account each time they want to switch banks. This will also help you do away with multiple bank accounts. The enhanced competition could lead to better services too.

But will banks oblige? 

Taking this step is not going to be an easy task for banks as there are many loopholes that need to be addressed on the technology and data-integration front. Adhil Shetty, CEO of Bankbazaar, says, "Banks will have to restructure their account numbering systems. Many of them have different methods and streamlining these will take time. This will also involve changes in their software integration systems." 

Another roadblock could come in the form of know your customer (KYC) procedures. The KYC and the due diligence done vary between banks and may not be accepted uniformly. Experts believe that there are chances that some people may switch banks too often to escape the net of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. So, banks need to have a secure KYC norm in place to distinguish the genuine customers from the fraudsters. 

A report on bank account number portability by Finacle, the banking solutions product of Infosys Technologies, states that this facility is already present in Europe and Australia in different forms. In the United States, every bank account number indicates the bank and pin code of the branch owning the account. However, the mechanism to handle subsequent bank switches is still not in place

Read More>>

ATM machine stolen in Anantnag

Representative image

SRINAGAR: Unknown persons decamped with an ATM machine of the State Bank of India from Anantnag town in Kashmir,  police said today.

The unidentified men pulled out and took away the ATM machine along with the cash from Anantnag district town during the intervening night, a police official said.

He said the amount of cash present inside the machine was not known yet.

Police have registered a case and started investigations.

Read More>>

50 Killed Or Hurt In Kabul Blast Near Indian Embassy, Officials Safe

Sources said the Indian Embassy does not appear to be the target of the explosion.

Kabul: Over 50 people have been killed or wounded in a suicide car bombing in Kabul's diplomatic quarter this morning, a few hundred metres from the Indian embassy. The powerful blast damaged windows and doors of the Indian embassy but External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has tweeted that all officials are safe.

"By God's grace, Indian Embassy staff are safe in the massive #Kabul blast," Ms Swaraj said.

 Thick smoke could be seen rising from the centre of the city but it is not clear what the target was.

The area where the explosion took place is not too far from the presidential palace and several foreign embassies are located there.

Houses hundreds of metres away from the blast were damaged with windows and doors blown off their hinges.

Witnesses said dozens of cars were blocking roads and some wounded people could be seen. 

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack came as the resurgent Taliban are stepping up their annual "spring offensive". 

The ISIS group has also claimed responsibility for several recent bombings in the Afghan capital, including a powerful blast targeting an armoured NATO convoy that killed at least eight people and wounded 28 on May 3.

The blast was the latest in a long line of attacks in the Afghan capital. Kabul province had the highest number of casualties in the first three months of 2017 because of multiple attacks in the city. 

Read More>>

Day after Sabzar Bhat is killed, 1292 Kashmiri youths appear for army recruitment exam

"It is a clear rejection of regressive bandh calls, for choosing a brighter future," the official said.

A day after Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Sabzar Bhat was killed and amid separatists’ shutdown call, around 1300 Kashmiri youths on Sunday appeared for the common entrance written exam for the selection ofjunior commissioned officers and other ranks in the Indian Army. The army is asserting this development as a “clear rejection of the regressive bandh calls”. 

Defying the two day bandh, 799 candidates out of the 815 who had registered for the exam appeared at Pattan in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Out of 500 candidates, 493 appeared for the exam in Srinagar. This totals to 1292 candidates who had appeared at the two locations. The army said that the 20 odd candidates who were absent is nothing unusual. 

Talking to media in Baramulla, Major General A.K. Singh, the Kilo Force General Officer Commanding (GOC), said, "The Kashmir youth need employment. You have seen how hundreds of Kashmiri youth participated in the army recruitment examination on Sunday despite shutdown called by the separatists." 

"If we continue to take appropriate measures in this direction, we will bring Kashmiri youth on the right path," he added.

Another officer said, “Those who are interested in their life and career are not falling prey to the bandh and turmoil,” said an army officer. 

"It is a clear rejection of regressive bandh calls, for choosing a brighter future," said the official. 

Furthermore, the large number of candidates appearing for the exam happened despite curfew like restrictions in several parts of Kashmir, following the killing of Bhat in an encounter with security forces on Saturday. 

The written examination is held after due registration, physical tests and medical tests. Successful candidates who qualify after these three stages only can undertake written examination. 

Read More>>

To counter OBOR, India and Japan propose Asia-Africa sea corridor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the pitch for developing an Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC), with support from Japan, while addressing the annual general meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Gujarat’s capital of Gandhinagar last Tuesday, May 23.

The next day, both the Indian and Japanese governments presented a “vision document”for the project that is largely meant to propel growth and investment in Africa, by curtailing the ever-increasing presence of the Chinese on the continent. More concrete details on this corridor are expected to emerge when Prime Minister Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe meet later this year.

What is Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC)? How will Japan and India contribute to the project?

The AAGC is an attempt to create a “free and open Indo-Pacific region” by rediscovering ancient sea-routes and creating new sea corridors that will link the African continent with India and countries in South-Asia and South-East Asia. The project stakeholders hope the sea corridors will be “low-cost” and have “less carbon footprint” when compared to a land corridor. For instance, under the AAGC, there is a plan to connect ports in Jamnagar (Gujarat) with Djibouti in the Gulf of Eden. Similarly, ports of Mombasa and Zanzibar will be connected to ports near Madurai; Kolkata will be linked to Sittwe port in Myanmar. India is developing ports under the Sagarmala programme specifically for this purpose. Apart from developing sea corridors , the AAGC also proposes to build robust institutional, industrial and transport infrastructure in growth poles among countries in Asia and Africa. The idea is to enable economies in Asia and Africa to further integrate and collectively emerge as a globally competitive economic bloc.

Japan’s contribution to the project will be its state-of-the-art technology and ability to build quality infrastructure, while India will bring in its expertise of working in Africa. The private sector of both countries are expected to play big role by coming together to form joint-ventures and consortiums, to take up infrastructure, power or agribusiness projects in Africa.

Where did the idea of AAGC originate?

The proposal for an AAGC was first mentioned in the joint declaration issued by prime ministers Modi and Shinzo Abe in November 2016. The declaration included their intention to work jointly and cooperatively with other countries to promote development of industrial corridors and networks in Asia and Africa.

What is the AAGC vision document? Which institutions were behind its creation?

A 30-page booklet, the AAGC vision document was unveiled by the Indian and Japanese government officials at the African Development Bank (AfDB) annual general meeting held at Gandhinagar on May 24. It is just a broad framework for the creation of the project. In the first phase, the corridor attempts to link Africa with India and countries in South-Asia including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, say officials.

After the Modi-Abe meeting in November 2016, work on creating a vision document for AAGC was entrusted to the three think-tanks: the New Delhi-based Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), linked to the Ministry of External Affairs; the Jakarta-based ERIA (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia) and the Japanese research organisation IDE-JETRO (Institute of Developing Economies-Japan External Trade Organisation).

Apart from the trio, research institutions and individuals from Africa were also invited for detailed consultations at Jakarta on April 21, 2017, at the ERIA headquarters.

Which were the other countries consulted for the Asia Africa Growth Corridor? Was China part of the process?

Apart from India and Japan, South Africa, Mozambique, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia sent representatives for the consultation process. Quizzed about China, Anita Prakash, Director General of ERIA, said her organisation represented the ASEAN region and six other countries including China. Moreover, she added, ERIA also has Chinese scholars working for it on this project.

Is AAGC a counter to OBOR?

Unlike OBOR which entails development of a land corridor, AAGC will essentially be a sea corridor linking Africa with India and other countries of South-East Asia and Oceania. It is being presented as a “distinct initiative” borne out of a consultative process which would be profitable and bankable, unlike the “government-funded model” of OBOR (One Belt One Road) project. “Firstly, we are making this process more consultative, because this was one objection India came up with when OBOR was presented. Secondly, the centrality of people in Africa needs to brought up front, rather than excessive emphasis on trade and economic relations alone. Thirdly, Japan’s ability to deliver quality infrastructure will play a major role in developing this corridor,” says Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General of IRS.

Why is Africa lucrative? What kind of presence do the Chinese have across the continent?

In 2015, the five of the fastest growing economies in Africa were non-resource rich, with Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire and Rwanda leading the pack with GDP growth rates of 10.2 per cent, 8.8 per cent and 7.1 per cent, respectively. Similarly, in 2016, countries like Senegal clocked a growth rate of 7.5 per cent, while Ethiopia (8 per cent), Kenya (6.5 percent) and Tanzania (7 per cent) all recorded impressive growth.

The Chinese influence on the African economy can be gauged from the 2017 African Economic Outlook, released at the AfDB summit, which showed that country was still the major consumer of African goods, accounting for 27 per cent of Africa’s total global exports. China is also a leader in greenfield investment in Africa; in 2015-16, the country invested a whopping USD 38.4 billion (24 per cent of total greenfield investment). In comparison, India during the same year, invested just USD 2.2 billion (1.3 percent of total greenfield investments) across 64 greenfield projects. Japan investments at present are minuscule.

What has been the initial response of African nations to the AAGC vision document?

The African Development Bank has welcomed the AAGC vision document. “Trade corridors have always existed between Africa and Asia and when PM Modi mentioned this we at AFDB welcome it. It is important because infrastructure is costly and you cannot have infrastructure everywhere. There has to be particular zones where you have to build infrastructure. We are already working on growth corridors within Africa,” said AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina.

What is the way forward for AAGC?

More studies will be undertaken to list the current demands and challenges of economic, socio-cultural and political partnership pertaining to AAGC. It will bring out the existing challenges and barriers to this project. It will also spell out the cooperation aspects of sustainable growth and development exchange of best practices. Based on all these aspects, future AAGC studies will make recommendations to the governments of India and Japan and to governments in Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania on the way forward for deepening this partnership.-

Will AAGC feature in Indo-Japan talks anytime soon?

More details of how to proceed on building the AAGC corridor will be presented either when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Abe on the sidelines of the G20 meet at Hamburg (Germany) in July or when India hosts the Japanese Prime Minister in September, say officials

Read More>>

JKPSC Jobs for Lecturer posts in GMC

JKPSC invites applications through online mode for Jobs in J&K from the permanent residents possessing the prescribed academic/ professional qualifications and age for the posts of Lecturer in various disciplines of Government Medical College, Jammu/ Srinagar as per the category-wise break-up tabulated below: -

Important Dates:

a) Date of commencement for submission of online applications = 03^rd May, 2017

b) Last date for submission of online applications = 15th June, 2017

c) Last date for submission of fee/bank challan = 16th June, 2017

Pay Scale: The posts carry the pay scale of Rs.9300-34800 with Grade Pay of Rs.5400

Lecturer in various disciplines (GMC, Srinagar) in Health & Medical Education Department

Item No., Name of the Discipline and Total Vacancy:

02. Anatomy (OM-02) Total- 02

03. Pathology (OM- 01) Total- 01

04. Orthopedic (OM-01)  Total-01

05. Pharmacology (OM-01) Total-01

06. Gynae & Obst  (OM-01) Total-01

07. Paediatrics Micro Biology (OM-01) Total - 01

Item No., Name of the Discipline and Total Vacancy:

08. Anatomy: (OM- 01, RBA-01) Total-02

09. Radio Diagnosis: (OM- 01, RBA-01) Total-02

10. Anesthesiology: (OM- 01, SC-01) Total-02

11. Dermatology: (ST-01,) Total 01

12. Obst & Gynes: (OM- 03, RBA-01,ST- 01) Total-05

13. Paediatrics: (OM- 01, ALC-01) Total-02

14. Pathology: (OM- 01, RBA-01) Total-02

15. Pharmacology: (ST-01) Total-01

16. Physiology: (ALC-01) Total 01

17. Forensic Medicine:  (OM- 01) Total-01

18. CD&TB: (RBA-01) Total-01

Item No.,  Designation, Qualification & Experience

1. Item No. 02&08

Anatomy

i) For Medical Persons:- Post graduate degree in Anatomy i.e. M.S. For Non-Medical Persons:- Ph.D in Anatomy.

ii) As Registrar/Tutor, Demonstrator/Tutor or a Senior Resident for a period of two years in a recognized Teaching Medical Institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or the University of Jammu/Kashmir. The teaching experience, if any gained before or during post-graduation studentship shall not be considered while determining the eligibility for the posts of lecturers.

2. Item No. 03&14

Pathology

i) Post-graduate degree in pathology i.e MD Pathology/Path. And bact., Ph.D., D.Sc. Specialty board of Pathology (USA) or MRCP, Path. (UK)

ii) As Registrar/Tutor, Demonstrator/Tutor or a Senior Resident for a period of two years in a recognized Teaching Medical Institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or the University of Jammu/Kashmir. The teaching experience, if any gained before or during post-graduation studentship shall not be considered while determining the eligibility for the posts of lecturers.

3. Item No. 04

Orthopedics

i) M.S. (Ortho). M.Ch.(Ortho)/ specialty board of Orthopedics Surgery (USA) or equivalent qualification.

ii) As Registrar/Tutor, Demonstrator/Tutor or a Senior Resident for a period of two years in a recognized Teaching Medical Institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or the University of Jammu/Kashmir. The teaching experience, if any gained before or during post-graduation studentship shall not be considered while determining the eligibility for the posts of lecturers.

4. Item No. 05&15

Lecturer Pharmacology

i) For Medical Persons: - Post-graduate degree in Pharmacology i.e. M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc.

For Non-Medical Persons: - Ph. D in Pharmacology.

ii) As registrar / Tutor, Demonstrator / Tutor or a Senior Resident for a period of two years in a recognized Teaching Medical Institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or the University of Jammu/Kashmir. The teaching experience, if any, gained before or during post graduation studentship shall not be considered while determining the eligibility for the posts of lecturers.

5. Item No. 06&12

Lecturer Gynae&Obst

i) M.D (Obst. &Gynae.)M.S. (Obst. &Gynae.), M.O./M.R.C.O., M.D/M.S. (Midwifery and Gynae.), Specialty board of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (USA)

ii) As registrar / Tutor, Demonstrator / Tutor or a Senior Resident for a period of two years in a recognized Teaching Medical Institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or the University of Jammu/Kashmir. The teaching experience, if any, gained before or during post graduation studentship shall not be considered while determining the eligibility for the posts of lecturers.

6. Item No. 07

Lecturer Paediatrics Micro Biology

i) M.D. Microbiology Two years Demonstrator-ship in Microbiology.

ii) As registrar / Tutor, Demonstrator / Tutor or a Senior Resident for a period of two years in a recognized Teaching Medical Institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or the University of Jammu/Kashmir. The teaching experience, if any, gained before or during post graduation studentship shall not be considered while determining the eligibility for the posts of lecturers.

7. Item No. 09

Lecturer Radio­Diagnosis

i) M.D (Radio Diagnosis and Imaging); M.D./M.S Radiology; Specialty board of Radiology (USA) or equivalent qualification.

ii) As Registrar/ Tutor, or an equivalent post in Radio-Diagnosis and Imaging for 2 years in a Medical College or a Recognized Teaching Medical Institution such as AIMS New Delhi, Chandigarh, JIMER Pondicherry and such other institutions, as are recognized by the Medical council of India.

8. Item No. 10

i) Anesthesiology

ii) M.D /M.S. AnesthesiologyDFACS Specialty board of Anesthesiology (USA) or equivalent qualification.

As registrar / Tutor, Demonstrator / Tutor or a Senior Resident for a period of two years in a recognized Teaching Medical Institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or the University of Jammu/Kashmir. The teaching experience, if any, gained before or during post graduation studentship shall not be considered while determining the eligibility for the posts of lecturers.

9. Item No. 11

Dermatology

i) M.D. in Dermatology; Specialty board of Dermatology (USA).

ii) As registrar / Tutor, Demonstrator / Tutor or a Senior Resident for a period of two years in a recognized Teaching Medical Institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or the University of Jammu/Kashmir. The teaching experience, if any, gained before or during post graduation studentship shall not be considered while determining the eligibility for the posts of lecturers.

10. Item No. 13

Paediatrics

i) M.D. in (Pediatrics), specialty Board of Pediatrics (USA).

ii) As registrar / Tutor, Demonstrator / Tutor or a Senior Resident for a period of two years in a recognized Teaching Medical Institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or the University of Jammu/Kashmir. The teaching experience, if any, gained before or during post graduation studentship shall not be considered while determining the eligibility for the posts of lecturers.

12. Item No. 16

Physiology

i) For Medical Persons: - Post-graduate degree in Physiology i.e. M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc.

ii )For Non-Medical Persons: - Ph. D in Physiology.

As registrar / Tutor, Demonstrator / Tutor or a Senior Resident for a period of two years in a recognized Teaching Medical Institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or the University of Jammu/Kashmir. The teaching experience, if any, gained before or during post graduation studentship shall not be considered while determining the eligibility for the posts of lecturers.

13. Item No. 17

Forensic Medicine

i) M.D in (Forensic Medicine) M.D. (Pathology); MD (Path and Bact); Ph.D., D.Sc Speciality board pathology (USA) M.RC. Path (UK).

ii) As registrar / Tutor, Demonstrator / Tutor or a Senior Resident for a period of two years in a recognized Teaching Medical Institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or the University of Jammu/Kashmir. The teaching experience, if any, gained before or during post graduation studentship shall not be considered while determining the eligibility for the posts of lecturers.

14. Item No. 18

CD&TB

i) M.D in (tuberculosis and Chest diseases) or equivalent qualifications.

ii) As registrar / Tutor, Demonstrator / Tutor or a Senior Resident for a period of two years in a recognized Teaching Medical Institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or the University of Jammu/Kashmir. The teaching experience, if any, gained before or during post graduation studentship shall not be considered while determining the eligibility for the posts of lecturers.

Age as on _1st January 2017:

i. Minimum = 18 Years

ii. Maximum = 40 Years

iii. Physically Challenged candidates = 42 years

iv. Candidates belonging to RBA/SC/ST/ALC/SLC categories = 43 years

v. Candidates in Govt. Service fin respect of candidates already working in H&ME Department) = 45 years

vi. Ex-serviceman = 48 years

Examination Fee:

General Category = Rs.805.00

Reserved Categories = Rs.405.00

How to Apply:

Candidates are required to apply online through the website (www.jkpsc.nic.in) of the

Commission. No other means/ mode of application shall be accepted.

On successful submission of the online application, the candidate should take a printout of the fee payment challan and can deposit fees in any of the branches of Jammu and Kashmir Bank in the designated account number only printed on the e-challan. A counterfoil copy of the application fee payment e-challan duly authenticated by the bank with (a) branch name & code no and (c) date of deposit filled by the branch official shall be enclosed with the hard copy to be submitted in the office of the Commission alongwith other requisite documents.

Certificates to be attached with the photocopy of the application form.

i. Date of Birth Certificate.

ii. Permanent Resident Certificate.

iii. Educational Qualification Certificate Prescribed for the Post.

iv. Experience Certificate duly issued by Competent Authority

v. Internship certificate.

vi. Registration certificate of MS/MD/DNB/MCH

vii. Result Notification of MS/MD/DNB/MCH

viii. Valid Category certificate as per SRO 294 dated 21.10.2005 as amended from time to time and read with other relevant SRO’s.

ix. For Physically Challenged Candidates, Disability Certificate on the prescribed format.

Download notification for JKPSC Jobs for Lecturer posts in GMC

Also Read:

JKPSC Jobs In J&K Forest Department

JKPSC Recruitment 2017 for Medical Officer - 371 posts

Subscribe for more updates in future

Like US on facebook

Read More>>

7th Pay Commission: The countdown to implementation of revised allowances has begun

It can be a wait for just a few more days before the Narendra Modi government makes an announcement on implementation of revised allowances under the Seventh Pay Commission.

According to some reports, the Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) may have finalised its draft report on Ashok Lavasa panel's recommendations at a meeting on Monday.

Earlier Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha had assured representatives of Central government employees that the Empowered Committee of Secretaries will go through the Lavasa report on revised allowances before June 1.

If reports are to be believed, the Empowered Committee of Secretaries may table its report on Seventh Pay Commission before the Union cabinet on June 1.

HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE STATUS OF ALLOWANCES UNDER SEVENTH PAY COMMISSION:

The Committee on Allowances under Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa submitted its report on revised allowances to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on April 27.

The Ashok Lavasa Committee on Allowances was constituted by the Narendra Modi government in July last year after Central government employees expressed their dissatisfaction with the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission.

The Seventh Pay Commission recommended abolishing 53 of the 196 allowances that Central government employees get, besides merging 36 of the smaller allowances into bigger ones.

The Seventh Pay Commission also suggested reducing the House Rent Allowance (HRA) for employees by varying percentage depending on the category of cities. For those living in metros, the pay commission suggested bringing down the HRA from 30 per cent to 24 per cent.

The Ashok Lavasa panel which was initially given a four-month deadline to submit its revision report on allowances failed to meet the extended deadline of February 22, and finally submitted the report last month.

While the Ashok Lavasa committee met various stakeholders before finalising its report on allowances under Seventh Pay Commission, representatives of Central government employees recently wrote to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha stating they were not aware of what the Ashok Lavasa panel recommended.

In their letter to the Cabinet Secretary, the Central government employees also expressed their anguish over the inordinate delay in implementation of revised allowances by the government. Earlier, it was speculated that the Modi government would implement revised allowances from the start of the new financial year.

The pay hike of 14.27 per cent under the Seventh Pay Commission is the lowest Central government employees have got in the last 70 years. Employees are hoping that the revision in allowances will take factors like inflation, price rise in consideration.

The Empowered Committee of Secretaries after screening the Ashok Lavasa report on allowances will present the same to the Narendra Modi cabinet for its final approval.

Read More>>

Undisclosed funds in someone else's account can be seized: HC

The I-T department had raided the premises of a Delhi-based businessman and after following the money trail, seized unexplained funds lying in different bank accounts.

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Monday upheld the validity of one of the first post-demonetisation raids and seizures carried out by Income Tax authorities in the capital this year. 

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Chander Shekhar also said the department had powers to seize unexplained funds lying in bank accounts not owned by the person who has been raided if the money trail leads there. 

The I-T department had raided the premises of a city businessman and after following the money trail, seized unexplained funds lying in different bank accounts of eight companies and an associate of the man. 

Money parked in a bank account is “certainly a valuable thing,“ the bench observed, referring to the I-T Act and noted that “a sum in a bank account is not outside the ambit of Section 132(1) of the Act and can be subject to search and seizure“ as a “person could be in possession of undisclosed income not only in his or her own account but in someone else's account.“ 

In January , intensifying its drive against black money post demonetisation, the I-T wing had raided the premises of Mohnish Mohan Mukkar, accusing him of controlling a number of paper entities. 

The department told HC that most of these companies did no substantial operations but merely lent funds to each other to mask the real source of funds and evade taxes. After examining bank records and detailed cash trail, the I-T department traced Rs 24 crore lying in eight bank accounts of several companies and one account of a woman employee. 

Against this seizure, the affected people approached HC challenging the action of the department. Senior advocate P Chidambaram defended the eight companies whose bank accounts had been frozen. But HC imposed costs of Rs 1 lakh each on the companies and one individual petitioner for trying to mislead it.The bench also ordered their prosecution for filing false affidavits where they tried to hide that forged documents were presented before the department during post-search enquiries. 

“It is sought to be suggested by Chidambaram that the writ petitions were drafted in a hurry . However, if that were true then in the rejoinder affidavits filed by both sets of petitioners some attempt ought to have been made to justify their missing out the material facts in the main petition. On the contrary , both rejoinders only serve to confirm the deliberate suppression of material facts by both sets of petitioners,“ the bench noted, asking the registrar to start prosecution.

Read More>>

Srinagar-Jammu highway closed over separatists’ protest call

The chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, and JKLF chief Yasin Malik – had asked people to reach Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district in large numbers today to pay tributes to the slain militants

Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu and Srinagar-Leh national highways, besides the historic Mughal road, remained suspended for the second day today for security reasons. Situation was tense in Kashmir valley after the killing of Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, successor of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani, and another militant in an encounter at Tral in south Kashmir district of Pulwama on Saturday.

Traffic on the highway, linking the valley with the rest of the country, was suspended yesterday for security reasons, a traffic police official told UNI. He said no vehicle was allowed from Srinagar or Jammu on the highway for security reasons.

Similarly, traffic on the historic 86-km-long Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, also remained suspended for the second day today. He said traffic also remained suspended on the highway, linking Ladakh region with Kashmir.

He said no traffic was allowed from Srinagar to Drass on the highway. However, traffic was plying from Drass to Leh normally. Traffic on the highways and Mughal road was suspended as a precautionary measure, he said, adding the decision to resume traffic on all roads would be taken later in the day. After the killing of Sabzar, the separatists had called for a two-day strike, while authorities imposed restrictions in the valley. Today, the separatists had called for Tral Chalo.

Read More>>