BIOMETRIC SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS
The Economic Times (
Close on the heels of the home ministry installing biometric identification system in North Block, Railways have decided to install the same at its vital installations across the country. “We have sanctioned a pilot project at an estimated cost of Rs 4.4 crore for installing biometric identification at vital installation and offices of Indian Railways,” said a senior railway ministry official involved in the project. The project is aimed at enhancing the protection of major IT installations and PRS (Passenger Reservation Service) data centres.
ADVISORY BOARD FORMED FOR UID PROJECT
The Economic Times Business Standard
Chandigarh Administration has formed a seven member "State Level Advisory Board" for review and implementation of the Unique Identification Number (UID) project in the
The Adviser to the Administrator (AA) would be the Chairman of the Board, which includes six senior officers of the local administration, an official spokesman said.
Finance Secretary, Home Secretary, Joint Secretary Finance and Director of Information Technology would be the four members.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Finance and Planning Officer (FPO) would be Member-Convener and Member-Secretary respectively, he said adding the board as been set up as per the directions of the Planning Commission.
50 COS WIRED TO EARLY WARNING SYSTEM FOR CORPORATE FRAUDS
The Economic Times
In a bid to crack down on closely-guarded corporate frauds in early stages, the ministry of corporate affairs has kick-started its early warning system on company frauds, with initially about 50 companies coming under the government’s radar.
The early warning system, which has been set up through the use of a sophisticated computer network and involves the functioning of multiple regulators including SEBI and various departments under the corporate affairs ministry, has been started off on a pilot project basis, before being extended to cover all companies operating in the country.
The initiative, which was mulled early last year, gained speed after the emergence of the multi-crore financial fraud in the erstwhile Satyam Computer Services. The scam went untraced for seven years before its promoter B Ramalinga Raju decided to confess of wrongdoings in the company.
Senior officials in the ministry said that the initial list of 50 companies has been prepared in consultation with other regulators including the SEBI, and includes companies, which are presently under some form of scrutiny at the government’s end.
The early warning system involves active participation of capital markets regulator SEBI, and will keep round-the-clock watch on activities of companies. The aim is to crack the whip on any suspicious corporate activity as and when it is found, thus reducing the extent of damage it may cause if it is allowed to reach an uncontrollable level. Once it tracks any suspected malfunctioning, the government will attempt to rectify the malaise through regulatory action.
DOT TO MEET NILEKANI SEPT 24
The Economic Times
The Department of Telecom will meet UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani on Sept 24 to discuss how the database of nearly 500 million telephone subscribers can be used for issuing the unique identification number.
Additional Secretary in DoT Subodh Kumar will chair the meeting, which will also focus on the enrollment process of UID and how the telecom companies could help in the task of "Standardisation of Know Your Resident' norms which is a major goal of the all-India project for issuing the unique ID.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has been established to provide a unique number to every resident in the country to target social security services as well as to assure the internal security.
DoT, along with the various telecom service providers, is a major stakeholder in this process.
There are 480 million telephone subscribers in the country at the moment. Taking margin of error into account, the telecom database is an authenticated database of people in terms of identity and address is concerned.
Authenticating 1.16 billion people is a Herculean task. The telecom user database at least can help the UIDAI to have some part of the personal information checked.
Nilekani, who had headed IT major Infosys in the past, has already said UIDAI would be looking for the databases of PAN card, passport, driving license, ration card, voter I-card and so on. But the first three cover only a small part of the population and the ration card data is subsumed in voter card data.
JOSHI INVOKES RAJIV GANDHI FOR RS 28,000-CRORE E-KENDRAS FUNDING
New
The Indian Express
In a move that will directly extend the Centre’s influence over 2,52,000 panchayats, the ministry of panchayati raj has proposed setting up hi-tech software networking centres in all panchayats at a staggering cost of Rs 28,000 crore over three years.
To be called Rajiv Gandhi Bharat Nirman Seva Kendras, the construction and maintenance of these will be fully funded by the Centre. The proposal, prima facie, appears as though states will have negligible or no role in either establishing or running the Kendras. The proposal is yet to be approved by the Planning Commission.
During an NREGA meeting on July 20 to mark the late Rajiv Gandhi’s birthday, panchayati raj minister C P Joshi had promised that his ministry would set up such centres to provide a single-window grievance redressal system for all Centrally funded rural development schemes.
This, apparently, comes out of Joshi’s belief that states are failing to efficiently implement the schemes.
The Kendras, directly governed by the Centre, will also enhance the political clout of the Congress in rural areas. Many in the UPA believe that NDA-ruled states habitually re-christen Central schemes and walk away with the credit. Minister of state for planning V Narayanasamy has already aired his displeasure on the issue.
In most Central schemes, the Centre and state governments share the cost of funding. While the Centre pays 75 percent of the funds, state governments pay the remaining amount.
In case of special category states, the Centre foots the bill to the extent of 90 percent of the plan.
EPFO PLANS RS 350-CR E-ENABLE PROGRAMME
Moushumi Basu,
The Pioneer
The days of making repeated rounds to the office of the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and queuing up for hours just to enquire of your balance or having to wait for years to get your claims settled may soon be a thing of the past.
The largest social security provider of the country catering to more than 4.5 crore subscribers, has embarked upon a nation-wide computerisation and modernisation project worth Rs 350 crore, in two phases to totally ‘e-enable’ all its PF offices and put an end to the woes of the subscribers.
As a part of its hi-tech facilities for customer care, the organisation is installing the Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) in its offices. Once functional, all you need to do is simply dial 2449544 for availing the facility. He/she will be guided through voice message, to get the relevant information by keying their Provident Fund Account Number. With the completion of the second phase, the unique ID number given to you for a lifetime, would take care of your problems, even if you change your jobs or organisations. What more! your claims may get settled in less than a week’s time!
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