RBI working on major Financial Inclusion Scheme

Posted on August 1, 2011 by SRRF

RBI has high ambitions for its financial inclusion scheme. It plans to provide banking access to all villages with population of over 2,000 by March 2012. There are 72,800 villages in the country identified as falling into this category. It is coordinating with several banks in this matter. It has asked banks to ensure that at least 25 per cent of the new branches being opened during this year are located in rural areas. In last two years 20% of all branches opened by the Scheduled Commercial Banks have been in rural areas, with emphasis on areas with population over 2000 but no banking facility. Business Correspondents are also a major part of this scheme.

Part of this exercise also includes providing of banking facilities to villages at the their doorstep. For this purpose, villagers would be issued Smart Cards, which they could use to manage their bank accounts. The smart cards come with a zero balance saving account and will be linked to UID. All government benefits would be eventually routed through this bank account. As part of the scheme business correspondent with a hand-held swipe machine would be required to go from door to door, for facilitating withdrawal / deposit of funds.

As part of this scheme around 1000 villages in Bihar, including some naxal affected districts, have been partly covered. While most bankers are going for the business correspondent model, SBI has preferred to put kiosks with machines at each village. It has covered around 400 villages.  In Bihar around 9230 villages are planned to be covered by March 2013.

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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 | Comments Off on RBI working on major Financial Inclusion Scheme

Query on FCRA

Posted on July 25, 2011 by SRRF

Dear S.Mittal Sir,

I have attended your FCRA workshop held in Chennai on 8th July (organized by CSO Partners). I have a query on transferring our FC fund to a few un-registered organization. This is mentioned that as per Rule 23(4), a FC registered organization can transfer its fund subject to maximum 10% of total FC receipt by taking prior permission from MHA through Form-10. I have the following queries on this

1. Do we need to fill separate Form-10 for each organization whom we are planning to transfer funds in this financial year or can we put the names of all the organisation in annexure of a single FC-10
2. Do we need to give details of projected receipts during the year to proof that total amount to be transferred will be 10% of receipts.
3. Can we transfer the fund after filing Form-10 or we have to wait for getting the permission letter from Department. How long Department will take to give us the permission.
4. Do we need to attach any permission letter from District Magistrate of the place where the beneficiary organization will be located.
5. Can we fill Form-10 online.

Looking forward for your response.
—

Thanks & Regards

Pragya
Team Leader-Accounts

Villgro Innovations Foundation
III Floor, IIT Madras Research Park Building
Kanagam Road, Taramani,
(Behind TIDEL Park),
Chennai – 600 113

Mob: 91-8144308874

Posted in FCRA, TAX, LEGAL | 28 Comments

E-based Procurement

Posted on July 25, 2011 by SRRF

Considering the flak Government has been receiving on corruption, a Group of Ministers formed to combat the same have suggested a public procurement law and a switch to e-procurement. It seems the government is considering the proposal to create a single portal for procurement for all its departments and agencies on the line of MCA21 (a Ministry of Corporate Affairs’ e-filing portal). It also plans to focus on capacity building and training people in public procurement while ensuring that maximum number of people understand it.

All key information related to procurement will be posted on a single procurement portal. Even the post-bid progress, i.e. who has won the bid, on what grounds, possibly even the rates.  Interestingly the portal may cover not only much maligned telecom spectrum but also other natural resources (such as mining, etc.)

We all hope that move will help bring more transparency in the procurement by the government.

____________________________________

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

Mid-day meals plan to cover pvt schools in tribal areas

Posted on July 25, 2011 by SRRF

Originally MDM scheme was started- aiming at enhancing enrolment, retention and attendance at school besides simultaneously improving nutritional values among children, and since 1995 it has been implemented across the country’s primary and upper primary government schools and schools aided by the Centre or state governments. The scheme is the world’s largest school-feeding programme reaching out to about 12 crore (1.2 million) children in over 12.65 lakh (1.26 million) schools across the country.
Since states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh with high tribal population have been demanding that 30% of schools operating in these states are private; there is a need to extend the scheme to such private/unaided schools.
Hence, the GOI has now decided to expand the midday meal scheme to such schools in the districts with more than 20% tribal population.

____________________________________

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 Education | 3 Comments

Policy for managing burgeoning vehicles in Delhi

Posted on July 25, 2011 by SRRF
Delhi has more than 6.8 million vehicles registered in Delhi, not including vehicles registered in neighbouring states but plying in Delhi. Total number of vehicles is more than the number of combined vehicles in other metros.

Under the directions of High Court, Delhi Government had formed a Committee headed by the Chief Secretary. It has made several recommendations including:

  • · A Transport policy which discourages the use of personal vehicles and promotes public transport, including construction of Bus Rapid Transit Corridors.
  • · Policy of parking charges to factor in real-estate cost of land.
  • · Congestion Charges on private vehicles, especially in busy markets.
  • · For better management of parking sites, identify them through GPS.
  • · Introduction of parking meters and internet-enabled parking systems.

A conference has been planned on August 17 at CSE to discuss the policy proposals.

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Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110008
Tele/Fax: +91-11-25821088, 25817157, 25722044
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Posted in Urban Governance | 5 Comments

Bihar going all out to ensure that PDS system works

Posted on July 21, 2011 by SRRF

As mentioned in our earlier posts, Bihar is taking specific steps to improve its Public Distribution System. Bihar sometime back had introduced coupon system where the coupons were distributed to ration card holders, who could go to the ration shops / dealers for receiving his / her entitlements of rations / kerosene, etc.

Some of the problems being faced under the system included non-receipt of coupons by the genuine persons (as coupons got distributed / sold to non-eligible persons), duplication / falsification of the coupons by the dealers while claiming fresh supplies.

The Govt. has now introduced a slew of measures to curb these practices. These include bar-coding of the coupons, so that coupons cannot be falsified or duplicated. The whole process of distribution of coupons to 14.5 million persons will be video-graphed. Every eligible person would have to produce his/her ration card, and photographs pf the whole family before getting the coupons for the whole year. To discourage employees in malpractices, the State Govt. has issued instructions that any employee found indulging in illegal selling of the coupons will be sacked on the spot.

Marketing officers and dealers can face cases under non-bailable sections of existing anti-hoarding laws if proven guilty of duplicating coupons. They are liable to imprisonment between six months and one year.It is wondered, would it not be simpler to use Direct Cash Transfer System to eligible beneficiaries allowing them to purchase from any shop the grains of the quality / price that the family can afford. Govt. could try to control the prices of the commodities by ensuring sufficient supply of the materials.

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

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Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2011

Posted on July 19, 2011 by SRRF

The cases of child abuse have gain prominence in recent times. Sexual abuse of children is a very real problem in India, and the situation is aided by the absence of effective legislation and the silence that surrounds the offense.

To curb this menace, recently Central Government has approved a specifically designed Bill to deal with sexual offenses against children. Till now, all such cases were being tried under sections 375 and 377 of the Indian Penal Code. The bill envisages a jail term up to seven years and a fine of Rs. 50,000 for such crimes.

For the first time, the draft Bill distinguishes a sexual offense committed against children by persons in position of trust and authority over children, including a police officer, a remand home warden, hospital staff and school authorities.

The proposed Bill aims at protecting children against offenses of sexual assault, sexual harassment, pornography and provide for establishment of special courts for trial of such offenses. Sexual assault also includes fondling the child in an inappropriate way which will invite a penalty of minimum three years in jail.
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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 Human Rights | 2 Comments

Is World facing poverty & hunger?

Posted on July 18, 2011 by SRRF

As the food prices shoot up world-wide again after peaking in early 2008 there is concern all around that the two big price spikes within four years, suggests that something serious is rattling world food chain. Several world institutions are also having such concerns. This was reflected in the concerns of G8 industrial countries in 2009, who put food alongside the financial crisis on their list of top priorities, promising to find $20 billion for agriculture over 3 years. Gates Foundation which till now has focused on health has started to concentrate on feeding the world. Even at the WEF at Davos earlier during the year, 17 global companies launched a program on agriculture, promising to promote markets for smallholders. All this indicates towards sign of rising concerns on food security.

Reasons for increase in prices include increase in demand for food from several developing countries with increase in their incomes, increase in world population (likely to reach 7 billion within 2011-2012), increasing use of agricultural produces for fuel, and of course fall in the value of the dollar.

This increase in prices has again plunged into poverty millions who spend more than half their income on food. The number of those below the poverty level of $1.25 a day, which was falling consistently in the 1990s, rose sharply in 2007-08, indicating that world cannot even feed its current population. Huge question looming the world leaders is how will they cope with population of 9 billion, which it is likely to rise by 2050.

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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 Social Issues | Comments Off on Is World facing poverty & hunger?

RBI allays states fears over the powers entrusted to it under MFI bill

Posted on July 13, 2011 by SRRF

One of the fears of the proposed MFI bill is that it will override the powers of the state governments, since the bill proposes RBI to be the regulator of MFIs. Earlier provision under Malegam Committee recommendations was that only NBFCs registered as MFIs would come under the jurisdiction of RBI and others smaller plays would continue to be the part of state govt’s jurisdiction. For example, last year Andhra Pradesh (hub of MFI activities with almost 1/4th of the MFI industry concentrated in the state) came out with its own ordinance capping various activities of MFIs in the backdrop of a number of suicides in the state.

However RBI has tried to allay such fears and has stated that it has no intention of overriding powers of the elected state govts. It needs to be seen how RBI balances powers given to it sunder the Bill and the policies as adopted by the state govt.
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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 MFIs | 4 Comments

Anaemia and Early marriage pose health problems for adolescent girls

Posted on July 13, 2011 by SRRF

India’s higher economic growth has not been able to provide a better nutritional status for the country’s adolescent’s girls, as the country houses the largest population of adolescents (243 million) almost 20 percent of the world’s adolescent population followed by China (207 million) and United States (44 million).

Latest report issued by UNICEF states, 47 percent girls in the age group of 11 – 19 years are underweight in India which is highest in the world. It further states that 56 percent of the girls aged between 15-19 are also anaemic.

The report also states that almost 30 percent of the adolescent’s girls (15-19 years) get married during adolescence. NFHS survey further shows that 38 percent girls that is every third girl in Assam get married before reaching the legal age for marriage. Although the good news is that there has been a steady decline in the proportion of girls marrying before 18 years of age.

It may be of interest to note that with regard to early marriage Pakistan fares much better where only 25 percent girls marry before 18 years of age

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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 Health | Comments Off on Anaemia and Early marriage pose health problems for adolescent girls