Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees - Revised Rates effective from 1.1.2014 Finance Ministry Issued Orders

No.1/1/2014-F-II (B)

Government of India

Ministry of Finance

Department of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi

Dated: 27th March. 2014

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Payment of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees - Revised Rates effective from 1.1.2014.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Ministry’s Office Memorandum No.I-8/2013-E-II (B) dated 25th September, 2013 on the subject mentioned above and to say that the President is pleased to decide that the Dearness Allowance payable to Central Government employees shall be enhanced from the existing rate of 90% to 100% with effect from January, 2014.

2. The provisions contained in paras 3, 4 and 5 of this Ministry’s O.M. No.1(3)/2008-E-11(B) dated 29th August, 2008 shall continue to be applicable while regulating Dearness Allowance under these orders.

3. The additional installment of Dearness Allowance payable under these orders shall be paid in cash to all Central Government employees.

4. The payment of arrears of Dearness Allowance shall not he made before the date of disbursement of salary of March. 2014.

5. These orders shall also apply to the civilian employees paid from the Defence Services Estimates and the expenditure will be chargeable to the relevant head of the Defence Services Estimates. In regard to Armed Forces personnel and Railway employees, separate orders will he issued by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Railways, respectively.

6. In so far as the employees working in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department are concerned, these orders are issued with the concurrence of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

sd/-

(A.Bhattacharya)

Under Secretary to the Government of India

View Official Order: Click Here

Read More

Daily Current Affairs: 25 March 2014

1) IPL fixing scandal: SC asks Srinivasan to step down for fair probe-  Coming down heavily on BCCI president N Srinivasan, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked him to step down for a free and fair probe in the betting and spot fixing scandal involving his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan and some cricketers, failing which it would pass an order.

2) Russia suspended from G8, but not expelled: The United States and its allies suspended Russia from the Group of Eight, but the BRICS nations refused to join in the campaign to isolate Moscow. At a meeting in the Netherlands on Monday the leaders of the G8 announced that they would cancel their planned June meeting in Sochi, Russia, and would meet instead in Brussels in the G7 format without Russia.

3) MK Alagiri expelled from DMK:  DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Friday suspended his elder son MK Alagiri from the party, citing indiscipline. In a statement DMK said former Union minister M K Alagiri has been suspended from all party posts for anti-party activities. DMK on January 10 had suspended five loyalists of Alagiri for violating party discipline. The suspension of the five come just days after Karunanidhi warned his son for going against party decorum and publicly airing his views about alliance issues.

4) Japanese architect Shigeru Ban wins 2014 Pritzker Prize: Shigeru Ban, Japanese architect known for his creative and inexpensive designs for disaster relief shelters, has won the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize. The annual award, considered the most prestigious prize in the world of architecture, is given to designers who have “significantly contributed to humanity” and for “excellence in built work.”

5) Lightweight revolver “Nirbheek” launched: More than a year after the shocking Delhi gang rape, the Indian Ordinance factory on Tuesday launched a light-weight revolver, “Nirbheek,” designed especially for women to defend themselves from assault. “Nirbheek,” a .32 bore revolver, weighing 500gm, can be carried by women in their purses or handbags. The nomenclature of the light-weight revolver is inspired by ‘Nirbhaya,’ the name given by the media to a paramedical student who was brutally gang raped (and who died later) in a bus in Delhi in 2012. The revolver, priced at Rs 1,22,360, is made of titanium alloy, said Abdul Hamid, General Manager of the Field Gun Factory.

6) Jet Airways' acting CEO quits: Jet Airways' acting CEO Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan has resigned from the post, spending less than three months in the job. He was made CEO in mid-January when Gary Kenneth Toomey quit from the position. The airline had then said Gopalakrishnan will remain CEO till a new chief is appointed. Jet spokespersons did not comment on the latest CEO resignation.

7) Takru is new revenue secretary: The government on Tuesday appointed Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Takru as revenue secretary. He will take over charge from Sumit Bose, also finance secretary. Bose retires on March 31. Gurdial Singh Sandhu from the Rajasthan cadre was named financial services secretary. He will take over from Takru when the latter relinquishes his charge, the appointments committee of the Cabinet said on Tuesday.

 

8) Veteran actress Nanda passes away at 75: Legendary actress Nanda who is best known for films like Hum Dono (1961), Teen Deviyan and Kanoon (1960), passed away on Tuesday morning, following a heart attack. She was 75.

9) Amitabh Bachchan receives India’s Global Icon of the Year award: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was conferred India’s Global Icon of the Year award at the NRI of the Year awards. The 71-year-old, who has been ruling the film industry for over four decades now, dedicated the award to the younger generation of actors in the film industry.

Read More

Daily Current Affairs Quiz Questions: 23 & 24 March 2014

1) World Tuberculosis Day was observed across the world on 24 March 2014 with the theme?

(A) I am stopping TB

(B) Actions for life – Towards a world free of TB

(C) On the move against TB: Transforming the fight towards elimination

(D) Reach the three million A TB test, treatment and cure for all.

2) Name the Maldives President, whose party is set for a coalition rule in the country, after polls held recently?

(A) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

(B) Abdulla Yameen

(C) Mamnoon Hussain

(D) Emomalii Rahmon

3) World Meteorological Day 2014 was observed on March 23 with the theme?

(A) Weather and climate: engaging youth

(B) Climate for you

(C) Powering our future with weather, climate and water

(D) Weather, climate, water and sustainable development

4) Name the veteran BJP leader who has quit the party and filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Barmer on 24 March 2014?

(A) Murali Manohar Joshi

(B) L K Advani

(C) Jaswant Singh

(D) Arun Jaitley

5) Who was selected for the 23rd G D Birla Award for scientific research for the year 2013?

(A) Puran Chand Pradhan

(B) Nibir Mandal

(C) Rajesh Gopakumar

(D) D.D. Sarma

6) Dalai Lama on 23 March 2014 released a book on which former prime minister of India?

(A) Lal Bahadur Shastri

(B) Indira Gandhi

(C) Jawaharlal Nehru

(D) Rajiv Gandhi

7) Which company unveiled the world's largest TV "Big Hoss" recently?

(A) LG

(B) Panasonic

(C) Sony

(D) Samsung

8) Who will captain Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 7 starting April 16, 2014?

(A) Kumar Sangakkara

(B) Darren Sammy

(C) Amit Mishra

(D) Shikhar Dhawan

9) Which bank has on 24 March 2014 launched IMT (Instant Money Transfer), which allows cardless cash withdrawal at its IMT-enabled ATMs, a first-of-its-kind initiative by any public sector bank?

(A) Bank of India

(B) State Bank of India

(C) Union Bank of India

(D) Indian Overseas Bank

10) Vodafone on 24 March 2014 launched M-Pesa its popular mobile money transfer and payment service M-Pesa in Tamil Nadu, partnering with which private sector bank?

(A) HDFC Bank

(B) Yes Bank

(C) Axis Bank

(D) ICICI Bank

Read More

State Bank of Travancore Recruitment 2014 for Faculty & Office Asst Posts

State Bank of Travancore Rural Development Trust, State Bank of Travancore has issued notification for recruitment of the 20 Faculty, Office Assistant and other support staff at State Bank of Travancore-Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) on contract basis at Alappuzha, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Waynad. Eligible candidates can send their applications on or before 31-03-2014.

State Bank of Travancore Vacancy Details:

Total No. of Posts: 20

Name of the Posts:

1. Faculty: 08 Posts

2. Office Assistant: 08 Posts

3. Attender: 04 Posts

Age Limit: Candidates age limit should be between 20 to 45 years for Post No.1 & 3 and 20-35 years for Post No.2.

Educational Qualification: Candidates should possess MSW / M.Com / M.Sc / M.A in Rural Development/ MA in Sociology/ Psychology / B.Sc in Agriculture & Allied Subjects/ BA/ BSc with BEd for Post No.1, BSW / B.A/ B.Com/B.Sc with Knowledge in basic Accounts for Post No.2 and should have passed SSLC or its equivalent examination for Post No.3.

How to Apply: Eligible candidates can send their applications in the prescribed format along with relevant certificates by Regd. Post by mentioning the nature of assignment applied and RSETI preferred on the cover of the envelop to “The Deputy General Manager (FI & AGRI), State Bank of Travancore, Head Office, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram – 695012 on or before 31-03-2014.

There is no application fee to apply.

Last Date for Submission of Applications: 31-03-2014.

For more details regarding age limit, educational qualification, selection process and how to apply and other details see notification.

See Recruitment Notice: Click Here

Read More

General Knowledge Questions for PA/SA Exam- Part 3

1) The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was established in

(A) 1992

(B) 1947

(C) 1990

(D) 1976

2) The Indian rupee is a legal tender in two other countries. One is Nepal. The other is

(A) Pakistan

(B) Sri Lanka

(C) Bhutan

(D) Afghanistan

3) Which Indian state leads in the production of rubber?

(A) Tamil Nadu

(B) Kerala

(C) Karnataka

(D) Gujarat

4) Which of the following is India’s biggest dam?

(A) Bhakra Nangal

(B) Hirakud

(C) Farakka

(D) Pong Dam

5) ‘India for the Indians’ was the political message of:

(A) Dayanand Saraswati

(B) Swami Vivekananda

(C) A.O. Hume

(D) D. Wacha

6) Who among the following is credited with the invention of polio vaccine?

(A) Louis Pasteur

(B) Albert Sabin

(C) Jonas Salk

(D) Alexander Flemming

7) Currency of Denmark is

(A) Rand

(B) Krone

(C) Pound

(D) Peseta

8) Name the personality who was also known as Deshbandhu.

(A) S. Radhakrishanan

(B) G. K. Gokhale

(C) Chittaranjan Das

(D) Madan Mohan Malviya

9) Which of the following chemical elements is used for the bleaching process?

(A) Fluorine

(B) Bromine

(C) Chlorine

(D) Xenon

10) Which of the following is the densest planet of the solar system?

(A) Earth

(B) Saturn

(C) Jupiter

(D) Mercury

Answers

1) Ans. (A) 1992

2) Ans. (C) Bhutan

3) Ans. (B) Kerala

4) Ans. (A) Bhakra Nangal

5) Ans. (A) Dayanand Saraswati

6) Ans. (C) Jonas Salk

7) Ans. (B) Krone

8) Ans. (C) Chittaranjan Das

9) Ans. (C) Chlorine

10) Ans. (A) Earth

Read More

Daily Current Affairs Updates: 24 March 2014

1) ‘World Tuberculosis Day’ observed: ‘World Tuberculosis Day’ is celebrated every year on March 24 to commemorate the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (the agent which causes TB) by Robert Koch in 1882. The day is designed to build public awareness about the global resurgence of tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the disease. In 2014, the slogan for World Tuberculosis Day is "Reach the 3 million".

2) Supreme Court demolishes Aadhaar card: Judges rule card NOT mandatory for government subsidies-  The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to immediately withdraw the instruction, if any, issued by it for making Aadhaar card mandatory for citizens to avail government services. "If there are any instructions that Aadhaar is mandatory, it should be withdrawn immediately" a bench of justices BS Chauhan and J Chelameswar said while staying the order of the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court directing sharing of data collected for issuing Aadhaar card to citizens with CBI for solving a rape case. The bench said biometric or any other data should not be shared with any authorities unless the accused gives consent in writing.

3) Britain Royal Mail issued a postage stamp of Noor Inayat Khan: Royal Mail in Britain issued a postage stamp of Noor Inayat Khan, World War II heroine of Indian origin, on 25 March 2014. She fought fascism and died in the Dachau concentration camp. The stamp issued was a part of a set of 10 stamps in the Remarkable Lives series which honoured Noor on her centenary year. Royal Mail commemorated Noor with a stamp to ensure that her sacrifice and bravery will not be forgotten. Other honoured in the set include actor Sir Alec Guinness, poet Dylan Thomas, Kenneth Moore, Joe Mercer, Barbara Ward and Joan Littlewood.

4) Jaswant Singh quits BJP, files nomination as an independent candidate from Barmer: The BJP’s bitter veteran Jaswant Singh filed his nomination as an independent candidate from his home turf of Barmer on Monday as he accused top leaders of the party of backstabbing him and said the BJP’s decision-making process was similar to the arrogance of the Emergency era. Although he did not openly attack the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, he took a dig at what he said was the “Namo, Namo chants” in the party.

5) Bharatiya Mahila Bank opens branch in Hyderabad: Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) opened its first branch in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. Speaking at the inauguration, its Chairperson and Managing Director Usha Ananthasubramanian said the bank would close the current financial year with 25 branches. It also plans to add over 55 new branches next year.

6) T20 World Cup: South Africa wins last ball thriller against New Zealand: SA had Dale Steyn to thank as his four wickets helped the Proteas claim a thrilling two-run victory over New Zealand in Chittagong. After losing their opening Group 1 clash to Sri Lanka, South Africa were staring another defeat in the face with the Black Caps requiring just seven runs to win off Steyn's final over. But the pace king held his nerve brilliantly, dismissing Luke Ronchi and Nathan McCullum with his first five deliveries and then running out Ross Taylor with the final ball to spark wild celebrations from the men in gold and green.

7) Shikhar Dhawan to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 7:  India opener Shikhar Dhawan will captain Sunrisers Hyderabad in the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which starts April 16. West Indian allrounder Darren Sammy will be the vice-captain, the franchise announced on Monday.

8) Bank of India launched instant money transfer scheme: Bank of India, on Monday, launched IMT (Instant Money Transfer), which allows cardless cash withdrawal at its IMT-enabled ATMs, a first-of-its-kind initiative by any public sector bank. IMT is an innovative domestic money remittance facility that allows the customer to send money to a receiver only by using the receiver’s mobile number through the bank’s ATM and retail internet banking facility. The receiver can withdraw money from a Bank of India’s ATM without using a card.

9) Vodafone launched M-Pesa in Tamil Nadu: Augmenting the m-commerce platform, telecom service provider Vodafone launched its popular mobile money transfer and payment service M-Pesa partnering with private sector ICICI Bank. With the use of an M-Pesa account, mobile customers in Tamil Nadu and Chennai circles, can deposit and withdraw cash; transfer money to any mobile phone; remit cash to any bank account; and can also make payments to utility bills, Vodafone said in a statement.

Read More

General Knowledge Quiz for PA/SA Exam 2014- Part 2

1) In which state would you find the longest cave of India?

(A) Meghalaya

(C) Mizoram

(C) Manipur

(D) Nagaland

2) What is the provision of Article 26 of Indian Constitution?

(A) Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour

(B) Freedom to manage religious affairs

(C) Equality before law

(D) Abolition of titles

3) The largest continent in terms of are is:

(A)Africa

(B)Asia

(C)Australia

(D)North America

4) Which of the following Union Territories of Indian has more than one district?

(A)Puducherry

(B)Dadra and Nager Haveli

(C)Chandigarh

(D)Lakshadweep

5) A high court Judge Address his letter of resignation to-

(A) The President

(B) The Chief Justice of India

(C) The Chief Justice of his High Court

(D) The Governor of the State

6) If the position of President and Vice President are vacant, who officiates as the president of India?

(A) The Prime Minister

(B) The Chief Justice of India

(C) The Speaker of Lok Sabha

(D) None of these

7) Fundamnetal duties were incorporated in the constitution of India by the -

(A) 32nd Amendment Act

(B) 42nd Amendment Act

(C) 15th Amendment Act

(D) 46th Amendment Act

8) The Reserve Bank of India came into existence on

(A)April 1, 1935

(B)January 26, 1894

(C)August 15, 1947

(D)April 1, 1947

9)  Bakra Nangal is a joint project of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. On which river is this built?

(A)Yamuna

(B)Sindhu

(C)Sutlej

(D)Ravi

10) Who was the Prime Minister of India when nationalization of banks took place in 1969?

(A)Indira Gandhi

(B)Jawaharlal Nehru

(C)Lal Bahadur Shastri

(D)Morarji Desai

Answers

1) Ans. (A) Meghalaya

2) Ans. (B) Freedom to manage religious affairs

3) Ans. (B)Asia

4) Ans. (A)Puducherry

5) Ans. (A) The President

6) Ans. (B) The Chief Justice of India

7) Ans. (B) 42nd Amendment Act

8) Ans. (A)April 1, 1935

9) Ans. (C)Sutlej

10) Ans. (A)Indira Gandhi

Read More

Daily Current Affairs: 23 March 2014

1) Maldives President Abdulla Yameen’s party set for coalition rule:  Maldives President Abdulla Yameen’s party is poised to win control of parliament with the support of a key ally, early projections in the Indian Ocean nation showed on Sunday. President Yameen’s Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) was leading in 34 out of the 85 constituencies after Saturday’s polls while his main ally, the Jumhooree Party (JP), was ahead in 15.

2) World Meteorological Day 2014 observed: World observed 'World Meteorological Day 2014' on March 23 with the theme “Weather and climate: engaging youth". The convention creating the World Meteorological Organization had come into force on this very day in 1950.

3)  Dalai Lama released book on former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri: Dalai Lama on Sunday released 'Lal Bahadur Shastri: Lessons in Leadership', a biography that encapsulates former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri's life. The book presents a recollection of Shastri's childhood, his adult and public life poignantly narrated by his son, Anil Shastri and perceptively interpreted by Pavan Choudary.

4) ICC Twenty-20: India beat West Indies by 7 wickets: India defeated West Indies by 7 wickets in their second Group match of the ICC Twenty-20 Cricket World Cup at Dhaka last night. Put in to bat, West Indies posted 129 for 7. In reply, India overhauled the target with 2 balls to spare and 7 wickets in hand.

5) Air India defends title in Senior Men National C'ship: Defending champions Air India Sports Promotion Board retained their title after beating Comptroller & Auditor General of India 4-1 in an exciting final of the fourth Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2014 (Division A) in Lucknow on Sunday.

6) RSPB lift senior women hockey national title : Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) shocked defending Champions Haryana 4-0 to clinch the 4th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship (Division A) in Bhopal on Sunday.

Read More

Daily Current Affairs Updates: 22 March 2014

1) World Water Day celebrated: World Water Day was observed on 22 March 2014 with the theme Water and Energy to raise awareness of the inter-linkages between water and energy. World Water Day is observed to preserve and ration consumption of water. The United Nation is observed annually on 22 March to draw attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of fresh water resources.

2) President gives away gallantry awards: Three officers, including an Indian Air Force officer who lost his life during a relief operation in Uttarakhand, a naval officer who non-stop sailed around the world and an Army Major who was martyred during a terrorist attack were presented the Kirti Chakra, the second highest peacetime gallantry award by President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday.

3) Rajesh Gopakumar selected for G D Birla Award 2013: Physicist Rajesh Gopakumar was selected for the 23rd G D Birla Award for scientific research for the year 2013.

4) First aircraft of AirAsia India lands in Chennai: AirAsia India on Saturday took delivery of its first Airbus A-320 as it landed in Chennai after flying in from Toulouse headquarters of the European aircraft manufacturer.

5)  m-Pesa starts inter-bank money transfer service: Mobile Commerce Solutions Ltd (MCSL), a pre-paid/remittance provider with the m-Pesa platform, has started a pan-India inter-bank money transfer service by joining hands with the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) of NPCI.

6) Government of India divested its 9 percent stake in Axis Bank: The Government of India divested its 9 percent stake in Axis Bank on 21 March 2014. The divestment resulted into generation of 5500 crore rupees.

7) TCS ranked No 1 employer in Europe: IT major Tata Consultancy Services on Friday said it has been named as the top employer in Europe for the second consecutive year by the Top Employers Institute. 

Read More

Daily Current Affairs: 21 March 2014

1) World Forestry Day observed: World Forestry Day or International Day of Forests was celebrated worldwide every year on 21st of March at the international level in order to increase the public awareness among communities about the values, significance and contributions of the forests to balance the life cycle on the earth.

2) K.C. Chakrabarty resigned as RBI deputy governor: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deputy governor K.C. Chakrabarty has submitted his resignation in a surprise move, nearly three months before the end of his term. An RBI spokesperson confirmed that Chakrabarty had resigned, saying he had sought a “slightly earlier departure”—25 April instead of 15 June, when his term was to end. Chakrabarty wanted to be relieved earlier from his post for “personal reasons”, the spokesperson said.Chakrabarty, who became RBI deputy governor on 15 June 2009, is in charge of the customer service department, the department of banking supervision, the department of currency management, the financial stability unit and the human resources management department, among others, at the central bank.

3)  World T20: Netherlands stun Ireland, enter Super-10- Netherlands defeated Ireland by six wickets in their last Group B qualifying match of the ICC World Twenty20, in Sylhet on Friday.

4) India, Singapore win 2014 UN Water for Life award: India and Singapore won the 2014 edition of the UN-Water “Water for Life” Best Practices Award for their sustainable practices of water resources, authorities said on Friday.

5) Aditi Khanna became first women President of Indian Journalist's Association: Aditi Khanna was unanimously elected as the first women President of Indian Journalists’ Association (IJA) in London. This appointment of a lady as the President has happened for the first time in the 67-years long history of IJA.

6) Kuwait to host Arab Summit for first time: Kuwait is set to organize the Arab Summit 2014 for the first time in the country from March 25 to 26.

7) India defeated Pakistan in their inaugural match of ICC T20 World Cup 2014.

Read More