Query: Funds transfer from FCRA accounts.

Posted on January 5, 2012 by SRRF

We are sec 25 and 12 A registered and have FCRA certificate. We have been given a grant to manage the Project in partnership with the donor. There would be 10 NGO’s from sector and 20 employees of the donor. Project objective is to provide the 10 NGOs with passionate and skilled workers ( 20 employees) offering a new skill set and a fresh perspective on their resources. Provide NGOs with necessary experience to deliver an identified project. And provide those 20 employees with the opportunity to utilize their interests and skill sets to make a difference and enable the employees to engage with the voluntary sector through direct participation making a positive contribution.

For this we have received money in our FCRA account towards provision of accommodation and food for their 20 employees and towards the costs and expenses for us in relation to the responsibilities for the related work. This includes the specific costs and expenses that are necessary for the successful execution of the Project: like transport, training cost, photography etc.

Now my query is…

Should we account the total money received as grant or advance against reimbursements…

How to pay money to those NGO who do not have FCRA

How to pay money to those NGO who do not have 501C3

How to pay money to those 20 employees

Should it be paid through local account and what support should be asked for

Will TDS come into picture.

Thanks

NILESH

Posted in FCRA, TAX, LEGAL | Comments Off on Query: Funds transfer from FCRA accounts.

New Child Adoption Guidelines

Posted on December 31, 2011 by SRRF

Govt of India has brought out new guidelines for adoption under Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection) Act 2000. The guidelines have centralised the adoption process through Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). The new guidelines have been prepared to address three main areas, safety of child through stringent post adoption stipulations, an expeditious adoption process and curbing of adoption rackets that have flourished in the past two decades. However only practical application of the law in times to come will tell how effective these guidelines are.

 

For details of the guidelines, please go to http://adoptionindia.nic.in/guideline-family/new_guideline.html

________________________________       
Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

Posted in Child Rights | 1 Comment

TDS Query

Posted on December 30, 2011 by SRRF

Dear all

My office has given one contract agreement to an architecture for doing some renovation work costing around Rs 6 lakh.

So whether this should be a contract agreement or consultancy agreement as Architecture are treated as professionals. what will be TDS impact 2% or 10%.

Please help

Regards
Dibya

Accountant
Oxfam India

Posted in FCRA, TAX, LEGAL | 10 Comments

Only 15% earn regular wages

Posted on December 29, 2011 by SRRF

As per a NSSO survey for the year 2009-10, only around 16% of country’s work-force is engaged in regular wage employment, 33% in casual labour and in fact more than ½ the population (51%) is still self-employed.

                                                            National         Rural              Urban

Self Employment                                 51.0%           54.2%             41.1%
Casual labour                                        33.5%           38.6%             17.5%
Regular Wage                                       15.6%             7.3%             41.4%
Av. Daily Wage                                                          Rs 232           Rs 365
Av Daily Wage (Men)                                               Rs 249           Rs 377
Av Daily Wage (Women)                                          Rs 156           Rs 309

As expected difference between men’s & women’s wages is still substantial, more so in the rural areas.

________________________________       
Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

Posted in General | Comments Off on Only 15% earn regular wages

UNFPA for strengthening TBA

Posted on December 28, 2011 by SRRF

UNFPA has recognized that Midwifery plays a critical role in improving maternal and newborn survival health. The report indicates that India has 324,624 mid-wives, considering there are around almost 27 million births per year, it works out that there are around 83 births per mid-wife. Thus there is a need to improve the capacities in this area.

Considering presently NRHM focuses on institutional delivery rather than skill building of the TBAs (Traditional mid-wives), the concerned authorities need to ask them can they really provide institutional delivery to the entire population and if they should not work on a number of strategies including building capacities of TBAs. Incidents have come in press, where patients have to run from one PHC to another in search of proper facilities.

____________________________________
Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008            
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
E-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in
Website: www.srr-foundation.org

Posted in Health | 1 Comment

Using Innovative ways to improve Child Sex Ratio

Posted on December 24, 2011 by SRRF

Kolhapur administration in Maharashtra is using a software called ‘Silent Observer’ to help reduce the Girl Child Foeticide. It has installed this software in all 800 sonography clinics in the district. The software directly provides the information to administration and helps it identify the family which has got a sonography done at a clinic. Once the officers have undertaken necessary checks to verify the authenticity of the test / family, they approach the family to persuade them not to go for abortion, simply because the child is likely to be a girl. In a short period, the initiative has had its impact and the sex ratio which was one of the worst in Maharashtra at 839 has not further declined and marginally moved up to 845. This is far better than the declining ratio in Maharashtra as a whole, where the child sex ratio is now 883 compared to 913 in 2001. In Beed the ratio is only 801 which has come down from 894 in 2001.

Validity of the scheme was challenged in the High Court by Indian Radiological & Imaging Association. However the court has justified the scheme considering the ground reality of declining sex-ratio largely due to the impact of sex-screening by such clinics, as long as the Govt. does not share the information with third parties. Now Maharashtra Govt. is considering of replicating the scheme in other districts. Even a number of other state govts, including Punjab, Goa, etc. are keen to implement a similar scheme in their states.

________________________________
Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

Posted in Child Rights | Comments Off on Using Innovative ways to improve Child Sex Ratio

FCRA funds to Self Help Groups

Posted on December 23, 2011 by SRRF

Dear SRRF Friends, 21st December 2011

May I seek the opinion or correct position regarding prior permission as per the recently amended FCRA.

I am closely associated with few organisations working with HelpAge India. These organisations are managing Elderly Self Help Groups- ESGs and each ESHG is given one time annual grant of around Rs.12,500.00. HelpAge India says that as per the new provisions these unregistered bodies that are activities of the association also need prior permission from Ministry of Home Affairs. I differ with them.

If there is a technical ambiguity, it is my opinion that these funds can be given as grants to individual elderly who will in turn park their amount with their ESHG. This is nothing illegal or even immoral, given the sum involved.

What is the position?

V.B.Chandrasekaran,
People’ Peace and Prosperity Mission.
e-mail: verivaan2049@yahoo.com

Posted in FCRA, TAX, LEGAL | 10 Comments

Innovative ways for reforming prisoners

Posted on December 21, 2011 by SRRF

While delivering a judgement a judge has suggested to the Delhi Govt that it should consider the model where first-time convicts with very less risk of absconding and non-dangerous women convicts should be allowed to go out of jail premises for work and return in the evening for the headcount.

She stated that there are 32 such prisons already in the country. She specifically referred to one in Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh. Most of the prisoners housed in that prison work during day time in the city. She stated that idea is to provide convicts a corrective and rehabilitatory process. She mentioned that despite the liberty given to prisoners in Bilaspur prison, none of them have resorted to any offending or violative behaviour or had a second innings in crime. It has been been able to re-integrate the inmates into the society, the objective of a prison.

The judge further stated that while rapists, pick-pockets, thieves and burglars are excluded from the benefit, murder convicts are allowed where it had been established in the judgement that the murder happened in the heat of the moment. The system also allows women in the above-mentioned category to leave in the evening to be with their families and return to the prison in the morning. Judge stated that a modified version could be implemented for Delhi without any additional financial burden.

________________________________
Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

Posted in Governance Reforms | 1 Comment

Delhi to give preference to Ground level crossing over FOBs

Posted on December 20, 2011 by SRRF

As per a new Guideline developed by Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre, in future pedestrian Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) will be constructed only if crossing a road on ground level is not feasible. The meeting chaired by Lt. Governer of Delhi, decided to ban the use of escalators in new pedestrian bridges, instead elevators and staircase will be used.

The above is relevant considering recently Joint Commissioner Traffic, Shri Satyendra Garg also posted on Delhi Traffic Police FaceBook page that he finds that people often resort to jumping over the railings while FOBs are available at many places. Perhaps while planning traffic management in Delhi, one needs to consider that there is a large floating population in Delhi, and people always find it more convenient to use ground crossing of a road rather than using FOBs / underpasses. Ground level crossings of course are also more suitable for Snr citizens and disabled persons.

________________________________       
Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

Posted in Pedestrian safety | Comments Off on Delhi to give preference to Ground level crossing over FOBs

Tobacco-free Village in North East

Posted on December 19, 2011 by SRRF

Sahpuriya, a village at the outskirts of Jorhat in upper Assam is working to become the first tobacco-free village in India. Considering in Assam chewing tobacco with tamul (pan) is part of local culture, this is really heartening and courageous of the villagers.

A village of around 360 households. Initial initiative was taken by a resident of village who read about the ill-effects of tobacco. He got in touch with Tobacco Control Cell in Jorhat district. He teamed up with the District Nodal officer of the cell and started an awareness campaign on causes of tobacco on oral cancer. Many youngsters initially resisted their efforts as they felt the campaign was against the Assamese culture. But involvement of children in the campaign helped. As many children influenced their parents to stop consuming tobacco, after learning about the effects of oral cancer. Soon women joined the campaign. Considering many of the women in Assam also chew tobacco, this was a significant achievement, which resulted in a pledge by all 360 households on Women’s Day not to use tobacco in their daily lives.

The Global Adult Tobacco India (GATS India) Survey, conducted in 2009-10, reveals that out of the 274.9 million estimated number of tobacco users in India, 163.7 million Indians chew tobacco. The report also reveals almost 90 per cent cases in India are linked to tobacco. India has the highest prevalence of oral cancer in the world, with 75,000 to 80,000 new cases of oral cancers being reported every year and Northeast India accounts for more than 40 per cent of these cases.

In this scenario, Sahpuriya’s crusade leads by example. “It is great to see the zeal of the villagers given the fact that tobacco is a part and parcel of their daily routine. Thus we are trying to inspire them to take it further. If Sahpuriya succeeds in its mission, I am sure the rest of Assam will follow,” said a hopeful District Collector of Jorhat.
________________________________
Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
e-mail: socio-research@sma.net.in

Posted in Positive Stories | 2 Comments