Congrats ISRO

ISROfef  

congratulates all its fellowmen in ISRO  

for the brilliant performance of  PSLV-C30  with ASTROSAT

DA increase for Pensioners - Orders issued

Dearness Relief from July 2015 for Central Government Pensioners and Family Pensioners – Order issued by Department of Pension – DR increased from 113% to 119%.

OM No. F. No. 42110/2014-P&PW(G)  -   Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions - Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare - Date : 28th Sept.  2015

World of FAKEs !

Is this a Fake World  OR  World of Fakes ?   I don't know. But one thing is clear. There are  many "fakes" around us now , be it humans, products, food, services, information, or even Gods !

The latest we have come across is the report on :

-------  The Taxes Dept  now says that the order circulated a few weeks back extending the date  of filing IT returns is FAKE !  No such extention was granted !!

------   A news paper  media carried a report that the highlights of 7CPC report is now available. Next day other reports came saying that's all fake !

I am certainly NOT confused. But I am doubtful as how to ensure the truth in the news that would be coming ?  I know that's difficult.  Take a caution, Apply your common sense and ask your friends to confirm !

30 % increase in salary/pension

CNN/IBN  reports that 7CPC would recommend 30% increase in salaries (and hence in pensions too). 

Pension - a burden ?

The Minister says " The award of 7 CPC and its impact on Govt finances poses a risk."

The Judiciary has reaffirmed many times that " The pension is not a bounty, not a grace, not the tax-payers' money, and is a deferred wages. Pension is a right, and entitlement."

Then, why is that our Govt (the Politicians and Bureaucrats (who themselves would be pensioners later) ) consider the Pension as a burden ??

7CPC Report - the FAKE one !

GConnect.in reports thus :

Yesterday, a fake copy of the 7CPC report was circulated by some mischievous person(s), and the news was also published in some newspapers  and net editions. Soon after that the social media went wild with shares, comments, etc., etc not knowing that the report was a ‘FAKE’.

However, just read the recommendations !

According to Dainik Bhaskar, the following recommendations have been made in the 7th Pay Commission report :

• Recommendations have been made regarding salary, it is expected that the employees and officers salary will increase threefold.
• The recommendations has provision for increment 1st July every year.
• IAS, IFS and IRS officers will be in the same pay grade. The IFS and IRS officers were demanding equal paygrade with IPS officers for quite some time now. If this recommendation is accepted their salary will be on par with IAS.
• The present pay structure has 32 Pay Grades.  This pay scale structure has been reduced to 13.
• There is also a provision for education allowance for the wards of the Government Employees,  In this regard it is recommended that Children studying from class 1st to 10th will get Rs.40/- and children studying from 11th to 12th will get Rs.50/- monthly as education allowance.
• Physically & Mentally retarded wards and children studying away from parents home will get Rs.100/- per month.
• If a child is studying staying in hostel, the commission has recommended for Rs.300/- per month as allowancewith a condition that 3 children if born before 1987 and 2 children if born after 1987 will get this benefit per family.
• The minimum pay for Grade I has been recommended as Rs.21,200/-  ; The pay of Secretary has been recommended to increase to Rs.2,00,000 per month.
• The retirement age has been fixed at 60 years or maximum of 33 years Service.
• Option for VRS, after 55 years or 30 years of service.
• HRA fixed as 25% for A, B1 and B2 Cities and 20% for rural areas.

Pay Scale	Proposed Minimum and Maximum pay in the Scale
S1 to S4	Rs.21,200 to Rs.67,700
S5 to S6	Rs.22,100 to Rs.67,700
S7 to S8	Rs.25000 to Rs.68,000
S9 to S12	Rs.39,900 to Rs.81,600
S13 and S14	Rs.40,980 to Rs.82,080
S15	Rs.43,140 to Rs.83,040
S16 and S17	Rs.62,600 to Rs.82,320
S18 to S20	Rs.Rs.62,740 to Rs.92,500
S21 to S23	Rs.68,440 to Rs.93,940
S24 & S25	Rs.1,38,520 to 1,57,840
S.26 & S27	Rs.1,39,060 to 1,58,080
S30	Rs.2,00,000

Source: Dainik Bhaskar

Building Retirement Communities

A few former ISROites were attempting at making "Retirement Homes' in this City. But it seems, it didn't happen !!

In this context,  I am reproducing two advertisements from news papers today. 

Oh.... this is just for a study, for those planning such things !

7CPC Report coming soon ! ?

7CPC may file its report soon. They are ready with its recommendations.  !!

NDTV News reports

Why Pay Commission recommendations are important ?

Pay Commission recommendations are important from different perspectives. 
It has the potential to kick start the economy that has not seen growth revival for quite some time.   By putting more money in the hands of the employees, government might succeed in creating more demand for goods and services. With States following in the footsteps of the Centre, it is likely to sustain the enhanced demand for a longer time. At least with a time lag it is likely to have a rub off effect on pay and allowances in the organized private sector.

Pay and pension of central government employees amount to 1% of nation’s GDP. More pay will only further add to the burden of the exchequer.   According to the estimates submitted to the Parliament, government employees are likely to get a pay hike of around 16%.  This would be around 0.2 to 0.3% of GDP. 

Apart from pay hike, there are other expectations from this pay panel. Keeping in view the rise in life expectancy and dearth of competent staff, the age of retirement may be tweaked in favour of the employees. Performance-linked pay is another area the commission may take a serious look at. Flexible working hours to facilitate women and persons with certain disabilities deserve consideration by the pay panel.  The recommendations, therefore, are significant and have far-reaching impact.

From GConnect.in

Armed Forces Vs Bureaucrats

Its true that the top Bureaucrats take the best of the brew, and push others to take the last. Armed Forces (and ofcourse the other Govt employees as well ) know this very well and that's why they raised the gun now.

" Every IAS or IFS officer reaches apex scale because of NFU, the rules are different in armed forces. 99 per cent of  military officers  do not make it to the apex scale. For them, each pay commission would separately determine smaller pension raises. .. "

Not to be left out,  the Amed Forces officers have now approached the 7CPC again, to consider their demands. The armed forces want at least five “core anomalies” in their salary structures to be resolved to establish the “correct baseline” for recommendations of the 7CPC.

From GConnect.in

General's sermon !

Union Minister V K Singh ( a retired Military General ) says " There are other means than stir to get OROP"

Poor guy !  He don't need OROP, so he can give sermons.  OK General, please act on OROP for all Govt employees . Don't wait for their stir !

(Reserve Bank of India) RBI staff Unions have already demanded OROP . All Govt staff are demanding. Are you listening General ?  Don't wait for the stir !

OROP is very complex, and fuming !

An article in GConnect,in says,

'" The still unresolved, OROP agitation has exacerbated the lack of trust between the military, on the one hand, and politicians and bureaucrats, on the other. In a double defeat for the government, it will pay out at least Rs 18,000-22,000 crore for a settlement, but still leave most ex-servicemen grumbling."

More on this :

ExServicemen chief says "We are going to scale up the agitation."

The government has misunderstood the nature of the OROP agitation: it is less a demand for money than an expression of outrage at being discriminated against vis-à-vis the cordially disliked IAS. 

Many veterans have told that they would accept the status quo on pensions, provided OROP benefits are also withdrawn from the IAS and IFS.

Another long-standing grievance of “non-functional upgradation”  is yet to be addressed.

Effectively this means that every central services officer makes it to top pay grades, albeit with a two-year time lag behind the IAS.

Every IAS and IFS officer anyway reaches the government’s highest grade of pay, called the “apex scale”, which brings in a salary of Rs 80,000 a month. However, 99 per cent of military officers do not make it to the apex scale. 

The IAS and IFS keep getting promoted, regardless of merit and performance.

The IAS wrangled an order after the 6th Pay Commission that officials drawing salaries in the apex scale would be automatically entitled to OROP.

The double benefit to the IAS and IFS – i.e., apex scale salaries for all, and OROP for all – is doubly infuriating to the military (and others in other depts._

Yes,  OROP is very very complex, and getting more complex. But, our Government is not worried. Probably they  (Politicians and Bureaucrats) are waiting for the flash !

OROP (Full parity) for State employees

Are  you aware that OROP (Full parity) is implemented in Kerala State for its employees ?

So, why it's not for Central employees ?

7CPC expectations !

" 7CPC have indicated the use of Dr.Aykroyd formula and 15th ILO norms for estimating Minimum wages".  Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, Karnataka Branch  have worked out minimum wages as Rs.25,000/- on the basis of these methods. 

The exercise is to educate the Central Government Employees and prepare for the struggle path in case the  important demands expected of the 7CPC are not met.

*  Minimum wage of Rs 25,000/- as per Government prices.

*  Fitment formula of 3.5

*  Wage hike of more than 60%.

*  Proper pay scales with proper increment rate.

*  Better promotion policies and allowances.

*  Wage revision wef 1/1/2014.

DA,  likely on 1st Jan 2016 is  125%.

After 7CPC implementation,  DA will be zero %

Existing Basic Minimum wage is Rs 7000/- as on 1/1/06

Read the full story

OROP for Central Govt staff too

The JCM for Central Govt staff has demanded that OROP be implemented (by 7CPC) for all current and future pensioners.

Read the full story in GConnect.in

Highlights :

OROP granted now to Defence staff. It already exists for Judges, CAG, and many others under Central staff.

Government cannot adopt a step motherly treatment, giving benefits to one set of people and setting aside the others.

OROP scheme  (Full parity)  should be universal, and not limited to a few Offices alone.

OROP (Parity  between Past And Future Pensioners) should be  implemented for all current and future pensioners. 

A huge disparity between pre-2006 and post-2006 retirees has been created by the 6CPC.

Read the full story in GConnect.in

7CPC and political games

7CPC may submit its report ahead of time.

Highlights of the article in GConnect.in

The Govt may decide execution time of the pay commission’s proposals after the pay panel submits its report, which will be possibly a pre-election ‘special package’ for West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which are all due for polls by May 2016”.

OROP was announced this month ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections , to get majority seats in Bihar.

The recommendations of 7CPC, will be implemented before the announcement of West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu states assemblies’ election in May 2016. BJP needs to win most state elections in the next four years to gain control of the Rajya Sabha. Government is ready to give any sop to win states assemblies elections.

The political games are playing a major role in 7CPC and OROP. Any doubts ??

Manned mission

Please read on a report from the Press.

OROP – The Government wins !

OROP – The ExServicemen splits !

Planned rally may not happen with the Indian Ex-Servicemen League withdrawing from the league citing, ‘The movement is no longer cohesive’.

Now we understand that the Government won its political game. They succeeded in splitting the unity of ExServicemen.  Now, implementation of OROP is totally uncertain. 

Why do we need a Pay Commission ?

GConnect today gives an article "Why do we need a Pay Commission ?".

The highlights are : 

Pay Commission, ensures that a Government Employee gets a hike in pay at least once in ten years.

Pay Commissions attempts to sort out Inter cadre pay differences so that Cadres that are functionally different are equal in status.

7CPC is likely to make a total change in the system . 

Please read the full article .Click the link above.

DA increase ! Public's perception

Hurry .... Please go to the Yahoo news on DA increase to Govt employees.  Don't forget to read the Readers' Comments. It looks as if the whole public is against Govt employees and pensioners !
Please click the link below.
Yahoo news 

Global AgeWatch Index - Not so good news

Following is a reproduction (an article) from Business Line.

Though not in Switzerland (the Best Place to live for Seniors ! ) , I hope our Country be better !!

Gandhi Peace Prize for ISRO

Congrats ISRO !

Our PM congratulated ISRO for this honor , saying it was a fitting tribute to the hard work of generations of scientists. 

DA increase

DA increase of 6%  (from 113%  to 119 % ) wef  1-7-2015   is not a news  now !!

OROP for all Pensioners

OROP for the Ex-Servicemen : Demands raised by Paramilitary forces (CAPF) and retired Railway Employees.

Await more demands ! 

All you wanted to know about 7CPC

An article in Business Line today is copied below. Its nice that someone says positive of pay and pension revisions !
Please read on... Don't miss this .

OROP criticisms

Media is celebrating OROP with bricks and bats !!
Yes... today there is lot many pages written about the OROP. Mostly critical of it !
Here is a cross section of such news.

THE HINDU  in its Editorial ( "OROP and after" ) says about the political angle in announcing the OROP.   They also attempt to seal off any others making such demands. They conclude the editorial saying  : " The Govt must meanwhile remain determined to discourage any unrealistic expectations and demands that may now come up from other sectors following the OROP announcement."


Business Line, in its Editorial ( " Postponing the problem") says :  "By accepting the OROP demand, the Centre has solved one problem, but created many  others in the process." They conclude by saying : " it is estimated that implementing OROP is set to take pension outlay almost equal to wage outlay for the defence forces this year. This is unsustainable , unless the Centre gets  serious about reducing the size of the military while focusing on modernisation, so hat the quality of defence is not compromised."




Now, some of the comments from the public :

"Periodical hikes to the pay and pension to Govt employees appear to be eating away a major chunk of  revenue which is quite discomforting."

"When the service conditions provide for premature retirement voluntarily after putting in the prescribed and minimum period of service to earn a pension, it is unjustified to deny OROP to such personnel".

" A few thousand crores of what is considered a "financial burden" is a pittance when one has to maintain and operate one of the largest military forces in the world."

" The bureaucracy has to mend its attitude and treat our armed forces personnel with the respect they deserve. Imagine this, the OROP could have been solved 42 years ago."

"It is not justified that all people should bear the cess likely to be levied to pay the OROP bill"

" The Govt's decision on OROP may pave way for a number of Govt entities and undertakings to raise demands on similar lines. While it may be relatively easy to implement OROP in the Defence sector seniority is given weightage , this is not the case in other organisations."

" What about the rest ?
If one set of Govt employees get OROP, why not the others? Where would that leave the exchequer ? As much as 70% of the population continues to remain deprived of basic necessities; they are unfortunately not part of any pressure group. The demand for OROP is unsustainable"

OROP thoughts

The media is talking loud on OROP.  All real useless talk !
But there is something  interesting too. Read the quotes below..

"OROP is a scheme where all veterans who retired at the same rank and had the same length of service become eligible for a uniform pension  , regardless of their date of retirement . .....
For the current FY the overall outgo is estimated at 8000 crores, besides the arrears of 12000 crores. This huge outgo ......

There is also fear among the authorities that other sectors will now start seeking a similar dispensation. If such demands start coming, we do not know from where we will provide funding .
"
" Arun Jaitley was a tough nut to crack ...(on resolving OROP) ... Finance Ministry terms the OROP implementation as an instance of Politics overtaking Economics. "

"Some even says that it was the Party pressure on the Govt coupled with the Bihar elections that forced to make a decision now."

My GOD .... !

OROP - Responses

Let's not hurry !  Responses from various corners are flowing in . And so ther'll be many quick changes.
The latest is that "OROP will be applicable to VRS men too ".  This is what our PM announced a few minutes back !

So, let's wait for  a day more for further comments.

Fiscal impact of 7CPC hawk eyed

A  DBS  (an Economic & Banking analysis company) report says "The impact of 7th Pay Commission, is likely to be absorbed by the Budget of the next financial year, 2016-17".
They also says,  the "Fiscal impact of 7CPC hawk eyed "  and  the increase in payment of salaries, allowance and bonus due on implementation of 7CPC would cumulatively imply a first round increase in spending to the tune of 0.2 to 0.3 per cent of GDP.

It is expected that the increase in pay and allowances could rise by 16 % following the implementation. 

This report also confirms the  analysis by Prof. TT Ram Mohan.

Read more at GCONNECT

OROP announced today. Highlights ....

Defence Minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar announced the implementation of OROP , in a Press Conference, a few hours back. He  said  that the government has decided to implement the “O R O P scheme".

Wef 1 July 2014 ,  Base year : 2013,   Pension Revision every FIVE years (not annual)

Not applicable to those opted VRS.   Arrears in 4 half yearly instalments.   

Read more..

Highlights :

1. OROP will be implemented from July 1, 2014 and the base year would be 2013.

2. The estimated to implement OROP would be between Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 10,000.

3. Pension of ex-servicemen will be revised every five years.

4. Re-fixed pension will be the average of minimum and maximum pension in 2013.

5. OROP arrears to be paid in 4 half-yearly installments.  Widows to get in lump-sum.

6. Those drawing pensions above the average will be protected.

7. A one-member judicial committee will be constituted. It will give reports on equalisation period in 6 months.

8.  Personnel who took VRS will not be covered under OROP scheme.

9. Discrepancy between the present and previous pensioners” settled every five years,

10.  ExServicemen leaders said "will wait for full plan of Government and then come with a calibrated  response",

11.  For the cases of veterans of the same rank earning different pensions, the government proposes to take the average of the maximum and minimum pension paid per rank, while protecting those who earn above average pensions in their rank.

Source:  gconnect.in

7CPC won't be a monster !

As usual ,  I am presenting an article appeared in TheHindu today.
This is written by Prof. T T Ram Mohan, IIM, Ahmedabad,  and is titled "Seventh Pay Commission is no ogre ".

The article is very informative, very very interesting and so is a MUST READ !
The author answers  all criticisms the Politicians and the Government raises . Go ahead and read. Please post your comments below.

OROP - Are ExServicemen unreasonable ?

OROP - Are ExServicemen unreasonable ?

Before quoting today's paper reports and comments,  let me answer the question straight.

NO,  in the case of OROP .  But in the true definition of OROP listed by ExServicemen.
Demand for OROP (defined as 'same amount of pension for the same rank and same length of service, irrespective of the date of retirement " )  is justifiable and hence fully reasonable.

YES, in the case of Annual revision of  Pension.
The very fact that ExServicemen have put this demand (clubbed with OROP) is unknown to many !
They should have made it more reasonable.
Annual review and revision of Pension is certainly NOT justified, with the current state of affairs and National Economy.

Central Govt employees and CG Pensioner Associations have demanded a review and revision after every FIVE years (against TEN now) to the 7CPC. This looks very reasonable.

Are we pensioners so greedy ? We should not be.  The fact remains TRUE that there is a correction given against Inflation by giving a DA increase, every SIX months. That is reasonable and justifiable. We have demanded for a 5 year revision of Pension and related terms to the 7CPC. That  is justified. But certainly not every year or in every two years.

The public at large is with the ExServicemen on the OROP issue. But their greedy demand for annual revision  is NOT acceptable to public as well. (WE do not know what more demands are put up by them )
Read a comment in the newspaper today ...
"OROP is a long pending issue affecting thousands of ExServicemen.  Their demands must be settled quickly. We salute our retired soldiers and we want them to be without financial troubles  after retirement. Reasonable pension must be made available to them . But now, they are agitating for unjustified demands. .......  It is learnt that the Govt has offered to review their pension at five year intervals. In the interest of the Nation and its economy and to boost the morale of those still serving  the agitators should accept this"

Dear ExServicemen friends,  the people are with you. And the Govt would now join the public.  Kindly don't make unrealistic and unreasonable demands .

Now read on some paper news (The Hindu  and Business Line).

Did you file your IT return ?

If you haven't filed your IT Return for FY 14-15 (Assessment year 15-16) , there's a good news.
Last date for filing the IT return is extended for a week (upto 7th September).

OROP - More and more delays ! Full parity would remain a dream

OROP :  If no solution could be reached now, OROP may be delayed for 4 or 5 months as Govt proposes for forming a committee if talks with OROP veterans fails. This would further delay whole affair !

Read full news in GConnect   

" The Finance Minister further added  that , he and his Government respects the demand of OROP and are committed to it. He also cautioned not to create an atmosphere where others too start making such demands."

Did you get the writing on the wall ? Full Parity for CG pensioners may not happen at all !!  
Read  about this in GConnect.

OROP - No annual increment

Fin Minister on OROP – Annual pension revision do not happen anywhere in the world.

For the first time, a clause in OROP was openly rejected. The Finance Minister has refused to give annual increment for pensioners like servicemen get.

7CPC - Why delayed ?

Now you are aware that 7CPC report will be available only by end December 2015.  This assumes that there is no further extension for the Committee. Government may , based on forthcoming issues, give additional assignment to the 7CPC for a study and further recommendations. The OROP issue is one such (and already referred to 7CPC)  which may demand more time.  That means, the 7CPC Report is likely to get further delayed.

On submission of the Report,  Govt have to constitute a Ministerial Committee to study and  recommend on its implementation. It is likely to take more  than 6 months for this purpose. That said, the likely announcement of implementation , by Govt, is  beyond July 2016.  This will most probably get further delayed.

Being aware of this problem, many Associations demand  an immediate merger of DA/DR with the Basic pension ( wef  1-1-2014) .  But this has been rejected outright by 7CPC.

Why is the Report being delayed so ?  Govt  wants the implementation of recommendations (and inevitable pay rises) delayed further on. Govt is also adament this time that  pay/pension rises will be effective from the day of  implementation only (and not wef 1-1-2016 ! ). The idea is certainly to push the implementation further , so that some crores are saved !

Govt is likely to frame certain rules, such that legal recourses  are not available to the employees/pensioners for  implementing the salary/pension hikes earlier (than the date Govt decides).

Govt and 7CPC is also likely to rework on the DA methodologies. The argument by Govt that wages/pensions have already been increased by 120 %  over the last 10 years (that's 12% average increase per year ! ) stands here.

Such issues are likely to make serious confrontations between the Govt and the Employees. Let's wait and watch. But, we pensioners, must be prepared for the "Buraa dins".

Old Age ! Live your Life !

I've got a short video on this subject. Let me share it with you ..