Mark-II Version of Arjun Tank

Limited technical trials with some major and minor improvements on Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun Mark-I, as part of MBT Arjun Mark-II, have been carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the deserts of Rajasthan.

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has cleared the proposal for placement of indent for 124 Nos. of MBT Arjun Mark-II on Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi, Chennai. Placement of indent by the Army on Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is being further processed.

The likely estimated cost of each MBT Arjun Mark-II with ail major/minor improvements will be approximately Rs.37 crore.

The first batch of MBT Arjun Mark-II is likely to be productionised by 2015. This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Naveen Jindal in Lok Sabha today.

Source:pib

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Awareness about Schemes for SC/OBCS

Various steps are taken by the Ministry to disseminate information about its Schemes to its target groups. It includes:-

i) Advertisements in the newspapers for:
a) spreading information about various schemes of the Ministry;
b) inviting applications from the eligible students under the Scheme of “National Overseas Scholarship for SC etc. candidates”;
c) inviting applications from the implementing agencies under the Scheme of “Free Coaching for SC and OBC students”;

ii) placing the information about the Schemes on the website of the Ministry; and
iii) broadcasting the requisite information through Ministry’s weekly Radio Programme “Sanwarti jayein jeewan ki raahein”.

Centrally-sponsored schemes e.g. Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC students, Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for the Children of those Engaged in ‘Unclean’ Occupations and Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatravas Yojana for SC students are implemented through the State Governments/UT administrations, who are also expected to give wide publicity to these schemes.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri D. Napoleon in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

Source:pib

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Compensation to Families Affected by Train Accidents

During April 1, 2000 to March 31, 2011, a total of 2324 claims for compensation for death/injury in train accidents under Section 124 of the Railways Act, 189 have been decreed by the Railway Claims Tribunal and paid by the Railways and 594 claims are pending for want of award of decree. Compensation is given after a claim filed by the claimant in the Railway Claims Tribunal is decreed by the Tribunal in favour of the claimant. Compensation in the remaining cases will be paid by the Railways after these cases are decreed by the Tribunal and decree so awarded is satisfied by the Railways. Extant instructions do not provide for giving employment to the dependents of those deceased in Railway accidents.

However, Railways in exception to the rules, purely as a humanitarian gesture, have provided employment in Group ‘D’ categories only in such cases. As per available information up to August 16, 2011, a total of 264 persons have been provided employment in cases of accidents connected with the Railways and a total of 112 cases are pending as on August 16, 2011 for employment on account of verification of credentials, disputed cases etc. Employment can be given only after proper verification of claimants and settlement of disputes etc.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Bharatsinh Solanki in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

Source:pib

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Upgradation of Retiring Rooms at Railway Stations

Instructions were issued to the Zonal Railways by the Ministry of Railways to upgrade the retiring rooms including dormitories under Renovation/Rehabilitation, Operation and Transfer (ROT) Scheme through Public Private Partnership (PPP). Under the scheme, the contract allottees are to renovate the existing retiring rooms and dormitories, or construct new ones as the case may be, operate it for a fixed period as per agreement and transfer it to the Railways after completion of the agreement.

Expression of Interests (EOIs) were called by the Zonal Railways under the above scheme. However, no agreement under the scheme could be finalized, so far.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri K. H. Muniyappa in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Source:pib

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Shortage of Skilled Workers

The Union Labour & Employment Minister Shri Mallikarjun Kharge has informed the Rajya Sabha that as per the findings of survey conducted by National Sample Survey Office in 2009-10, employment has increased from 459 million in 2004-05 to 465 million in 2009-10.

Various steps have been taken by the Govt. to enhance the skilled workforce supplied to private and public sectors such as modernization of all Govt. Industrial Training Institutes, Apprenticeship Training Schemes, Modular Employable Skills under Skill Development Initiative, etc.

There are 117 trades under Craftsmen Training Scheme being run in 9025 Industrial Training Institutes/Industrial Training Centres of the country with a total seating capacity of 12.69 lakh. Under Apprenticeship Training Scheme, training is being conducted in approximately 25,500 establishments in 235 trades with a seating capacity of 3.06 lakh. Similarly, there are 1259 Modular short-term courses being run under Skill Development Initiative, covering 59 sectors of economy with an annual capacity of about 1 million. The new courses include Automotive Repair, Banking and Accounting, Gem and Jewellery, Hospitality & Tourism, Medical and Nursing, Plastic Processing, Retail, Toy Making, Construction, Security, Leather and Sports Goods, Insurance, Courier and Logistic, Renewable Energy, Spa and Wellness, etc.

The Minister was replying to a written question in the Rajya Sabha today.

Source:pib

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Modernisation of Department of Posts

Government has approved the ‘IT MODERNIZATION PROJECT’ of Department of Posts for computerization of Post Offices, Mail Offices, Administrative Offices and other field offices. This will involve establishment of required IT infrastructure, development of required software applications with an outlay of Rs.1877.2 crore.

The project has the following salient features:

• It will establish IT infrastructure of Data Centre and Disaster Recovery Centre and networking of all Departmental Post Offices including appropriate connectivity in the Branch Post Offices in the rural area.

• The project envisages development of integrated modular scalable applications for Mail, kBanking, Postal Life Insurance, solutions for Accounts and HR operations of the department.

• The rural post offices will be provided with rural ICT devices with required applications for performing Postal, Savings Bank, Insurance, MGNREGS and Money Order operations.

• Provision has been made for training, change management, capacity building of the employees of the department along with Project Management activity for smooth and timely implementation of the project.

It is planned to network all Departmental Post Offices and Branch Post Offices in the country subject to availability of connectivity and resources under the “India Post Technology Project-2012”.

The departmental Post Offices are proposed to be networked with appropriate connectivity. Branch Post Offices located in rural areas are proposed to be networked using available connectivity at these locations. The rural ICT Devices in the Branch Post Offices will have the capacity to work in both online/offline mode. The IT project is expected to be implemented by 2012-13 subject to the availability of funds.

This information was given by Shri Sachin Pilot, the Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Source:pib

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