Akshaya Tritya Offer from India Post: A Flat 6% Off on the Price of Gold

This Akshaya Tritya, invest in gold coins from India Post and get a flat 6% off on the price of Gold. This is a limited period offer so don’t wait so rush to your nearest designated post office and avail the benefit of a flat discount.

Chief Postmaster General, Delhi Postal Circle has announce special festive offer on the purchase of gold coins from 31 designated post offices across Delhi Postal Circle. You are entitled to a flat discount on the purchase of gold coins of any denomination.

Aksaya Tritya festival falling on 24^th April this year. It is one of the most auspicious days of the year. It is often known as Akha Teej. Buying gold is an important aspect of the day and is a part of worshipping goddess Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth in households.    6% discount on gold coins has been announced to mark this auspicious day. The gold coins are available in denominations of 0.5 g, 1 g, 5 g, 8 g, 10 g, 20 g and 50 g of 24 carat with 99.99 % purity.

India Post, in association with World Gold Council and Reliance Money Infrastructure Limited, commenced the sale of gold coins manufactured by Valcambi,Switzerland initially with few post offices across the country in October 2008. Today, the gold coins are available through more than 800 post offices across the country.

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BK/AT

List of Post Offices designated to sale India post Gold coins in Delhi

Sl. No.	Nme of Post Office designated for sale of gold coins
1	Ashok Vihar HO
2	Civil Lines PO
3	Connaught Place PO
4	Delhi GPO
5	Greater Kailash PO
6	Hauz Khas PO
7	Indrprastha HO
8	Janakpuri B-I PO
9	Jhilmil HO
10	Kalkaji HO
11	Karol Bagh PO
12	Krishna Nagar HO
13	Lajpat Nagar PO
14	Lodi Road HO
15	Malviya Nagar PO
16	Naraina Ind Est. HO
17	New Delhi HO
18	Paschim Vihar PO
19	Patel Nagar PO
20	Ramesh Nagar HO
21	Rohini Sec-7 PO
22	Sansad Marg HO
23	Sarojini Nagar HO
24	Patparganj PO, Delhi - 110091
25	Jangpura PO, New Delhi - 110014
26	Munirka PO, New Delhi - 110067
27	Malka Ganj PO, Delhi - 110007
28	Sarawati Vihar PO, Delhi - 110034
29	Najafgarh PO, New Delhi 110043
30	Punjabi Bagh PO, New Delhi - 110026
31	Tagore Garden PO, New Delhi - 110027

                                                            

TRAI Releases Recommendations on “Exit Policy for Various Telecom Licences”

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today issued its recommendations on “Exit Policy for various telecom licences”. 

In response to Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) request to TRAI in October and December last year for recommendations on exit policy for all types of telecom licences, TRAI had issued a pre-consultation paper on ‘Exit Policy for various telecom licences’ on 6th January 2012. 

On 2nd Feb, 2012, the Supreme Court had ordered cancellation of UAS licenses given on and after 10th January,2008. In view of the judgment, comments of the stakeholders on pre-consultation paper, and its own analysis, the Authority issued a ‘draft’ response paper on Exit Policy for various telecom licences’ on 26th March 2012. 

Based on analysis of the comments received from stakeholders on the draft response paper and its own analysis, the Authority has finalised the following recommendations : 

a) Presently there is no need for a separate Exit Policy for all types of licences and the entry fee paid by the licensees will continue to be non-refundable as per their license terms and conditions. 

b) Present conditions in various licences with regard to their surrender ( licensee can surrender its licence by giving atleast 60 days notice , 30 days in case of ISP license) shall continue to be applicable. 

The detailed recommendations are available on TRAI’s website www.trai.gov.in. 

World IT Forum 2012 Opens in New Delhi E-Governance Empowers Common Man, Promotes Government Accountability, Says Kapil Sibal

The Union Minister of Communications & IT and HRD, Shri Kapil Sibal today said that e-Governance not only brings the delivery of a large number of services to the people but also has an empowering effect on the common man. Inaugurating the 5th World IT Forum (WITFOR) 2012 in New Delhi, Shri Sibal said that e-Governance promotes transparency and openness which helps in keeping the people better informed resulting in a higher government accountability. The Minister said if we want to achieve the goal of sustainable development, we need to create an enabling eco-system and address the issue of content, connectivity and accessibility in a holistic and integrated manner. 

The Minister of State for Communications and IT , Shri Sachin Pilot said the Government faces the challenge of increasing IT and broadband penetrations and a key obstacle here is the high cost of IT hardware and connectivity. He said this challenge can be overcome by encouraging domestic IT manufacturing. Shri Pilot said that Parliament is considering a bill that will mandate provisioning of all public services compulsorily through electronic means to ensure transparency, efficiency, accessibility and reliability in delivery of such services. 

In his address Mr. Janis Karklins, Assistant Director General, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO said that technology is offering tremendous opportunities towards sharing knowledge and information. He said education brings sustainability to development, and technology can be a powerful education multiplier. 

The two-day WITFOR 2012 is deliberating the role of ICT in agriculture, education, health and e-Governance, within the overall theme of ICT for sustainable human development. Representatives from over 30 countries are attending WITFOR 2012 to share their knowledge, views and best practices in the use of IT for governance and delivery of key public services brought together on a common platform, allowing them to showcase successful working models of the use of ICT for development. 

Some of the themes which were discussed on the 1st day include open government, IT revolution in agriculture, vocational training and skill upgradation, e-governance issues, institutionalising ICT for better health care, State Data Banks and issues of privacy etc. 

The forum will discuss tomorrow various issues like: administrative reform and cyber-security, NextGen Farming, Future of technology in Agriculture, Learning and Distance Education, and Mobile Technologies with a focus on ‘financial inclusion’ etc. 

Development of North-Eastern Region by enhancing the Training/Education capacity in the Information, Electronics and Communications Technology area

The Union Cabinet today approved the initiation of the project entitled ‘Development of North Eastern Region by enhancing Training and Education Capacity in the Information, Electronics and Communication Technologies (IECT) area’ to be implemented by National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), an Autonomous Society under the Department of Electronics and Information Technology. The total budget outlay of the project is Rs.388.68 crore (Capital Expenditure Rs.266.25 crore and Recurring Expenditure Rs.122.43 crore). The Department’s contribution in the form of grants-in-aid is Rs.347.88 crore spread over a period of five years. 

The project would result in enhanced capacity in terms of training/education in IECT sector for the youth of North-Eastern Region. The availability of trained professionals in the IECT area is expected to attract entrepreneurs/industrial houses to set up industries in the region, leading to its overall socio-economic development. 

The project would benefit the student community/ youth , faculty members, entrepreneurs, local industry, government employees, educated employed, various disadvantaged sections of the society (viz. Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/ Other Backward Classes/ minorities, school dropouts persons with disabilities, economically weaker sections, etc.) of the North-East Region, etc. About 45,000 students are expected to be enrolled/trained in various long-term/short term courses in five years in the proposed six upgraded centres and 12 extension centres. 

Background: 

The ‘North-Eastern Region Vision 2020’ document while analysing the population growth in many of the North Eastern States indicates that a substantial proportion of the population is below 14 years. It indicates that education would be the most critical input to empower the young people. The document also mentions that human resource is the single most promising development asset of the North East. The literacy level in the region is above the national average. However their potential is not being utilised due to inadequate access to quality education, vocational education, training in languages, training in computers and information technology, technical, entrepreneurship, and soft skills. This project aims at capacity building in the North-East that would contribute in attracting IECT industries and generate a pool of jobs leading to overall socio-economic development of the region. 

Summary of Significant Events of DoP for the Month of Feburary

The significant events pertaining to Department of Posts for the month February ,2012 include disbursal of wages amounting to Rs. 662 crores to 5.39 crores MGNREGS account holders across the country except in Bihar Circle during January, 2012. 

Two postage stamps were issued during the month of February, 2012. One on the India International Centre (09.02.2012) and the other on Employees State Insurance Corporation (24.02.2012). 

A special cover was released by Karnataka circle on 15.02.2012 on the occasion of the 175th Birth Anniversary of Shri. Sadguru Siddharoodh Swami, Pujyashri Vishveshwaranandagiri. Mahamandaleshwara Swami Harihara released the special cover

A Philately exhibition on Science and Technology was organized by Karnataka Philatelic Society in collaboration with India Post on the occasion of National Science Day at Philately Bureau of Bangalore GPO from 14.02.2012 to 29.02.2012. Kerala Circle also organized the 12th KERAPEX-2012 at Calicut from 14-17 February 2012, which attracted a number of school children and philatelists. 

Other significant events include one day strike on 28.2.2012 by Postal Unions affiliated to Postal Joint Council of Action in the wake of nationwide one day strike call given by Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers; A “Round Table” on National Postal Policy chaired by Hon’ble MOC&IT seeking inputs from key stake holders related to the Postal sector and continuing endeavour of Department of Posts to provide complete solution for delivering the Unique Identification Number to all the residents in the country. The Department has ramped up it’s capacity of booking Aadhar letters being printed by the three empanelled printers of UIDAI from Manipal, Medak& Mumbai. So far, Department of Posts has booked more than 6.84 crore Aadhar letters since June’ 2010. Ever since, there has been a monumental increase in booking capacity.