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Here is everything you need to know about the new ‘Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines’
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 1, 2020
Many years after the entry of motor vehicle aggregators like Ola & Uber, the central government has finally issued guidelines to regulate the aggregators. These come after years of policy vacuum. The guidelines address many issues including driver welfare, passenger safety, fare conditions etc. Here is everything you need to know.
In 2019, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) enacted the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act which provides for hefty fines and stringent measures to reduce road accidents and also boost road safety. The amendments also define ‘aggregator’.
In these amendments, an ‘aggregator’ is defined a digital intermediary or marketplace for a rider to connect with a driver for the purpose of transportation.  Ola Cabs, Meru and Uber are some of the popular cab aggregators in India. Section 36 of the Act states that State Governments must follow guidelines issued by the Central Government for issuing license to aggregators. These aggregator guidelines were released by MoRTH on 27 November 2020.
This the first time that the Indian Government has come up with guidelines to regulate cab aggregators in the country. According to MoRTH’s press release, the objective of the guidelines is to establish a regulatory framework for aggregators by State Governments to ensure that the aggregators are accountable and responsible for the operations executed by them. Further, ease of doing business, customer safety, and driver welfare have also been covered under the guidelines. The government states that these rules are aimed at reducing traffic congestion and pollution by providing for shared mobility services like carpooling. The guidelines are applicable to all motor vehicles (four wheelers with minimum engine capacity of 25cc) and e-rikshaws which have been integrated with the aggregator. However, vehicles which have been developed for use in factories or for special use are not included.
State government to issue license to aggregators which is valid for five years
Any person can apply for aggregator’s license by submitting the prescribed form and proof of payment of fee and security deposit. The prescribed form (Form-I) asks for details of the company (or co-operative society/association/ Limited Liability Partnership) such as contact details, registered office details, details of vehicles to be operated, GPS/GPRS facility, etc. The fee for aggregator includes Rs. 5 Lakhs for grant of license, and Rs. 2,500 for renewal, duplicate, or making changes to the license. The security deposit ranges from Rs. 1 Lakh (for up to 100 buses and 1,000 motor vehicles) to Rs. 5 Lakh (for operating more than 1,000 buses and 10,000 motor vehicles. The license issued by the State Government has a validity of 5 years.
Induction training programmes and testing driving ability are necessary for granting license
Applicants for the aggregator license must arrange for testing the drivers’ driving ability and also conduct an ‘Induction Training Programme’ in which the drivers must be trained to use the aggregator application, be appraised of the provisions and rules of MV Act, road safety and first responder training, careful and fuel efficient driving, vehicle maintenance, health and hygiene, familiarization with routes, gender sensitization and women safety, and terms and conditions of the contract.
Before integrating drivers, aggregators must keep copies of drivers’ valid ID proof, valid driving license, and a KYC compliant bank account details or Jan Dhan account details. They must have a minimum experience of two years or else undertake a driver training. Aggregators should also ensure that the drivers have not been convicted of cognizable offence against them in the last three years. Complete medical check-up and police verification of their identity must also be done.
What about Driver Welfare?
As far as driver welfare is concerned, the guidelines mandate that each driver must be given a health insurance of minimum Rs. 5 Lakhs and a term insurance of Rs. 10 Lakhs with 2020-21 as the base year and with an increase of 5% each year. Annual Refresher Training Programs must also be conducted. Each driver should not be logged in for a total of 12 hours in a calendar day including all aggregators apps they have integrated with. A break of 10 hours is mandatory if they are logged in for 12 hours. Aggregators should have an option for riders to rate the driver’s etiquette, and vice-versa. In case, the driver has ratings below 2 percentiles, then they should undergo a mandatory ‘Remedial Training Programme’.
App should be available in English, Hindi, and an official language of the state
With respect to vehicles, the aggregators must have vehicles’ RC, fitness certificate, pollution certificate, permit, chassis and engine numbers, insurance policy papers, and clearance of e-challans. The vehicle must have a fire extinguisher and child lock has to be disabled. Vehicle permit and driving license shall be displayed clearly in the vehicle for the rider. The aggregator’s application (app) should be accessible in one official language of the State (where Hindi is not official language), in addition to English and Hindi.
Data to be stored in Indian Servers
The application’s safety should be certified by a recognized cyber security firm. Data generated must be stored in an Indian server for a duration ranging from 3 to 24 months and be available to State Government. Customer related data can be disclosed only with their written consent. Details pertaining to journey like origin and destination, fare, etc. must be available in the application for the rider and driver for 3 months. The application’s algorithm, fare payable to driver, and other details as necessitated by the state government must be displayed in the aggregator’s application and website. Feature to share live location or status of trip for rider should also be available. Some other details that should be made available for the rider through the app are driver’s photograph, aggregator’s ownership details, registered address, fare structure, consumer services offered, and 24*7 customer care contact details.
Riders should report concern within 24 hours
A rider should report their concerns within 24 hours from when the ride was availed. In case of criminal offences, the time limit is extended up to 72 hours. To ensure safety, vehicles should be installed with GPS and the drivers should take only those routes assigned on the application. Measures need to be taken by the aggregator to ensure that driver undertaking the trip and the one enlisted with the aggregator are the same.
Pooling allowed in Private Vehicles also
As stated earlier,  the guidelines allow for pooling vehicles. Only those riders whose details and KYC are available will be offered pooling. Aggregators have been allowed to offer pooling services in private vehicles. However, only four intra-city rides per day and two inter-city rides per week are allowed. However, such private vehicles have to obtain an insurance of at least Rs. 5 lakhs for the ride-sharers in addition to the owner & driver.  Female riders must be provided with the option to pool with only other female passengers.
Surge Pricing capped at 1.5 times the base fare
Base fare chargeable to riders will be the city taxi fare indexed by Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for the current year published by the Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Commerce. The minimum chargeable fare is that for 3 kms. In cities which do not have a base taxi fare stipulated, Rs.25/30 will be the base fare. Aggregators are permitted to charge 50% lower than base fare and the maximum surge pricing is capped at 1.5 times the base fare.
The share of fare that the aggregator can receive is capped at 20% and the driver will receive at least 80% of the fare. If a booking is cancelled by a driver without a valid reason, 10% of fare up to Rs. 100 will be imposed. If the rider cancels the booking, similar penalty is imposed which would be shared between the aggregator and driver as 20% and 80%.
Implementation holds the key
The new guidelines come at a time when there no policy to govern cab aggregators. Few states like Karnataka had come up with rules for such services. Even in July 2019, the Supreme Court had asked the government to frame laws to regulate their functioning especially in terms of women safety, after cases of molestation and theft by cab drivers have been reported across India. Some of the common issues faced by riders such as verification of driver’s identity upon acceptance of ride and grievance redressal have been addressed in the guidelines. Certain provisions like sharing live location and displaying fare are already being implemented by some of the aggregators. However, one has to wait and see for the actual implementation of these guidelines.
Featured Image: Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines

created: December 1, 2020


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Explainer: Here is how you can Verify & Authenticate voter details of Self & Family as part of the EVP
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 9, 2019
This year, the ECI has launched the Electoral Verification Program making it easier for all electors to verify individual &  family’s details on the electoral rolls. Here is an explainer of the process.
During the recently concluded generalelections to the Lok Sabha, there have been numerous complaints of missingnames from the electoral rolls. To address these complaints and ensure that theelectoral rolls contain accurate entries of the eligible voters, the ElectionCommission of India (ECI) conducts the Elector Verification Program (EVP) everyyear.
EVP is part of electoral roll revisionactivity conducted by ECI every year to update the electoral rolls.  25 January of every is consideredas the National Voter’s day and the ECI publishes the revised electoral rollsprior to that date. To ensure that this timeline is met for 2020, the ECI has initiated the special summary revision activity.
EVP to be conducted in a campaign mode
with SVEEP’s involvement
This year, the EVP is being run in a campaign mode. The finalized dates for EVP across the county is from 01 September 2019 to 15 October 2019. The highlight of this year’s EVP is that individuals can verify and authenticate the details of family members in addition to verifying one’s own details. All of this can be done in multiple modes including online on the National Voters’ Service Portal (NVSP).
These dates are now finalized after theywere changed twice. The initial notification specified the dates as 01/08/2019 to31/08/2019, which was subsequently changed to 16/08/2019 to 30/09/2019 in second notification.
The activity is launched all the statesexcept Maharashtra, Haryana & Jharkhand for whom the electoral rolls arealready being revised in lieu of the upcoming general elections to therespective State Assemblies.
Cleaning up and updating the electoral
rolls among the key objectives of EVP
The ECI wishes to meet the following objectivesthrough EVP program this year.
What is being done as part of the EVP?
EVP was being launched across thecountry on the same day i.e. 01 September 2019. Under the SVEEP program, the followingare being done to spread the information regarding EVP among all electors.
What are the facilities which electors
can avail during EVP?
All eligible voters can verify details on the electoral rolls through multiple modes as listed below.
The various facilities available to thevoters through the entire duration of the EVP program are as follows.
Theelectors can submit a copy of any one of the following documents forauthentication.
How to verify & authenticate individual
& family details on the NVSP portal?
The following steps are to be followed to verify one’s individual details as well as the details of the family on the National Voters’ Service Portal (NVSP)
Step 1: Create a login/register in the NVSP portal using Mobile Number
Step 2: After logging in, click on the ElectorsVerification Program (EVP)
Step 3: Verify details of self by cross-checking details and uploading a copy of any of the documents listed above. One can also modify address and provide GIS information of the address. Changes in details if any can be submitted here.
Step 4: Once the details are submitted, you can givesuggestions & feedback on the polling station. Multiple questions about thepolling station can be answered like the approach to the polling station,distance, condition of the building, ramp facility. One can also submit detailsof other government buildings in the area that may be considered for setting upthe polling station.
Step 5: One can list family and also authenticate theirdetails
Step 6: One can also submit forms for unenrolled Electors (above 18 years age as on 01/01/2019) and also submit details of family members (prospective voters) in the age group 16 years and 17 years.
Controls and Verification to ensure accuracy of
the activity
Toensure that the program leads to accurate electoral rolls, the ECI has put inplace the following controls to monitor the EVP activity.
Ensuring that Electoral rolls are accurate
& updated is the key
ECIidentifies that ensuring the Electoral rolls are updated with correct detailsand mitigating any errors is key to ensure a smooth electoral process. Variousinitiatives are being taken to encourage electors to get their details verifiedand for new electors to get their names enlisted. Participation by all electorsto ensure that respective names are updated in the electoral voters would bekey to ensure that the rolls are error free.

source: news-factly

created: September 9, 2019

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Sai Krishna Muthyanolla


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Explainer: Here is what Motor Vehicle Drivers/Owners should know about new penalties in the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 19, 2019
The Motor Vehicles Amendment act was finally passed recently. One of the
key features of the act is the hefty penalties for most of the offences. Here
is a roundup of all the penalties.
Every year in India, around 1,50,000 lives are lost in road accidents alone according to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Annually, almost 5,00,000 road accidents take place in the country. Despite there being stringent rules and regulations, there are innumerable cases of traffic rule violations everyday across India.
The current NDA Government passed the new Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019 in both the houses during the monsoon session. Through thisamendment,  the existing rules are madestricter compared to the 30 year old MV act 1988. Penalties & finesfor various violations have also been increased substantially in order to reducethe number of violations. Standards for vehicles, grants, permits and licensesrelated to motor vehicles have also been covered under this amendment. Thisstory aims to cover the important offences and penalties every person whodrives or owns a vehicle should know within India as per the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Violations for which penalty has not been mentioned
Public Transport/State/Contract Carriage
Unauthorized Driving & Driving License
Modification of a Motor Vehicle
Violating Speed Limits
Drunken Driving
Dangerous Driving – Jumping Red light, Wrong
Direction driving, using mobile phones etc.
Accidents & Penalty for not stopping a
Vehicle
Vehicle in Unsafe condition
Air & Noise Pollution
Vehicle without
Registration & Insurance
Driving without Helmet
Offence committed by a Juvenile
Obstructing the Traffic by leaving Vehicle
unattended
Power to arrest for certain offences
Provisions for ‘Good Samaritans’ now part of the act
The act has also been praised for encouraging ‘Good Samaritans’– people whoextend help to accident victims- by protecting them from any civil or criminalaction and giving them a choice whether or not to reveal their identity.
States can increase these penalties
The objective of these amendments is to bring down the number of roadaccidents and loss of lives that take place as a result of it. The increasingnumber of vehicles and hence, the vehicle density on roads only increasepossibilities of accidents. In 2017, there have been reports of India having toppedthe list of countries in fatalities due to road accidents. In order to curbthis, the penalties to be paid for various offences have been increased 5 to 10times compared to the existing provisions as per the 1988 act. In addition, theState Governments have been authorized to increase the prescribed penaltieswith a multiplier, not less than one and not greater than ten, to be applied toeach fine. Different multipliers may be applied to different classes of motorvehicles.
The prime criticism of these amendments, by the opposition, was that the Central Government was usurping powers of the State Governments.
Featured Image: Motor Vehicles Amendment Act


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Home Isolation guidelines for Asymptomatic patients in India & elsewhere
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 22, 2020
Many countries have issued guidelines for home isolation of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients including India. What do these guidelines say? What precautions have to be taken by people opting for home isolation. Here is an explainer.
Practicing social distancing and taking quarantine measures are considered to be effective ways of mitigating the spread of COVID-19, which as on 19 May 2020 has infected more than 48 lakh people worldwide.
India has recently crossed 1 lakh COVID-19 positive cases. The nation-wide lockdown which was initially announced effective from 24 March 2020,  was extended further to 31 May 2020, with relaxations in a lot of sectors.
During the last two months, the Government of India (GoI) has released various guidelines pertaining to different aspects of handling the COVID-19 pandemic.  Few of these key guidelines relate to quarantine of the suspected and infected people, to ensure that the virus is not spread further.
Patients categorized as per the severity of COVID-19 infection
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) has issued a set of guidelines on 07 April 2020, titled ‘appropriate management of suspect/confirmed cases of COVID-19’. The purpose of this document was to lay down the procedures to be followed in managing both the suspect as well as the confirmed cases of COVID-19.
A key element of this is assessment of the patients and identify the severity of COVID-19 infection in them, to be able to distinguish the patients and provide suitable treatment. This is also to ensure effective management of the available resources like ventilators etc. As per these guidelines, it was advised to categories the patients into three groups.
Patients with fever and/or upper respiratory tract illness (Influenza) are categorized clinically as mild/very mild. Tests are conducted for determining COVID-19 infection and necessary action taken accordingly. The cases with Pneumonia with no signs of any severe disease are categorized as Moderate. Those patients who have a severe case of Pneumonia or ARDS or septic shock are clinically categorized as Severe.
In order to treat these different categories of patients separately, MOHFW directed states to have 3 different types of COVID-19 Facilities.
Mild/pre-symptomatic patients can now opt for Home Isolation
As per the aforementioned guidelines, the cases which are diagnosed as clinically mild/very mild, are required to be admitted and undergo the necessary treatment in COVID Care Centres.
A major share of the COVID-19 cases reported are under mild/very mild category i.e. majority of the infected patients are handled by COVID Care Centres. If the suspect cases who have not yet been conformed as positive cases are also admitted to CCC, it adds to the already existing burden on these centers.
In order to reduce the pressure on these centres and help channelize the available resources to treat those who are in greater need, the government has provided the option of ‘Home Isolation’ where in positive cases with mild/very mild symptoms or are in pre-symptomatic stage can opt for self-isolation from the confines of their homes.
Accordingly, MOHFW has issued guidelines for Home Isolation for mild/pre-symptomatic COVID-19 cases on 24 April 2020. Later, revised guidelines were released by the ministry on 10May 2020.
The guidelines for Home isolation lay down the eligibility criteria for Home Isolation along with the instructions for both the patients and caregivers.
The patient needs to sign an undertaking on self-isolation as per the given guidelines.
Regular monitoring of the health is compulsory, and the patient/caregiver is required to seek urgent attention of medical help in case of the following symptoms:
The patient can end home isolation in the following cases.
The patients are not required to be tested after home-isolation period as per the revised discharge policy.
Instructions by MOHFW have to be followed by the patient and the caregiver
The guidelines also provide detailed instructions that need to be followed by the patient as well as the care giver during the period of home isolation.
Varied guidelines for home isolation in different countries
COVID-19 is declared to be a global pandemic, and the approach in dealing with the same is different for each of the countries. This ranges from recognizing the need for government intervention to imposing varied degrees of lockdown measures. The World Health Organization has released guidelines regarding providing homecare to patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19.
Some of key aspects of these guidelines include:
Similar to India, even other countries have developed their own set of rules and guidelines about home-isolation in addition to the guidelines provided by WHO.
Here is a Snapshot few of the home-isolation strategies and guidelines followed by different countries.
United States of America (USA)
Different approaches are being followed by different states in the USA in dealing with COVID-19.  A standard national policy/guideline regarding home isolation has not been issued. However, here are few lines of advice by Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the process to be followed when one is sick due to COVID-19:
South Korea
South Korea has followed an aggressive approach in dealing with COVID-19 cases.  Any patient who has been confirmed positive for COVID-19 is required to be isolated in government provided shelters or home. All those whom the infected patients have come in contact are reached out through social tracing and tested. High risk and moderate severity patients are required to be in the government shelters for treatment.
However, the cases with mild severity are provided option of self-isolation.
New Zealand
New Zealand is being recognized as one of the countries that has efficiently managed COVID-19 pandemic. The government has regularly issued guidelines about the rules and steps to be followed during quarantine and during lock down. Below are the guidelines issued for patients who are unwell due to COVID-19 and are in home isolation.
Featured Image: Home Isolation guidelines


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Explainer: How Are AIS Officers Selected? How is Their Cadre Strength Fixed?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 21, 2022
The Constitution of India provides for the creation of All India Services (AIS) common to the Union and the States. The Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Services (IFS) are the only services under AIS. But how are they selected? How is their cadre strength fixed & cadre decided?
The Constitution of India provides for the creation of All India Services (AIS) common to the Union and the States. The rules for the regulation of recruitment and other service conditions of the All-India Services (AIS) personnel are determined by the All-India Services Act, 1951. The recruitment to the service is done either through direct recruitment by examination or by promotion from state services. As of now, Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Services (IFS) are the only services under AIS.
Each year, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) publishes a list of vacancies that shall be filled though Civil Service Examination. Accordingly, the candidates are selected and allotted their preferred cadres. But how are the vacancies decided and how is the cadre allotment done? In this explainer, we try to simplify the recruitment mechanism of the All-India Services, particularly the IAS along with few datapoints from the existing AIS data.
Recruitment and vacancies
The number of vacancies every year isn’t rigid. It depends on a host of factors including the requirements by the ministries, and manpower requests from state governments. To undertake a comprehensive review at the requirement of IAS officers over longer time frame, Baswan Committee was formed, which submitted its report in 2016. It recommended fixing the intake to a limited number to ensure the quality and the balance of demands of different cadres. The report suggested that a maximum of 180 IAS officers every year can be recruited to balance out the backlog of vacancies that existed during that time, and any number above 180 could compromise quality, lead to distortion in career pyramid of IAS officers, and exceed the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration’s (LBSNAA) capacity for training. However, the backlog of vacancies can often compel the states to promote non-cadre officers to the cadre officer posts.
As per a reply to the Parliament in April 2022, the vacancies and their filling is an ongoing process. For direct recruitment (Civil Service Examination, CSE), an examination is conducted while for vacancies in promotion quota, the selection committee of UPSC holds meetings with the respective State Governments. Further, the Central Government has decided to increase the annual intake of IAS officers to 180 from 2012 till CSE 2022, while for IPS, it increased from 150 to 200 with effect from CSE-2020. Additionally, a committee has been formed to recommend the intake for the direct recruitment of IAS officers every year from CSE 2022 to CSE 2030.
The 112th report of the Department Related Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, noted that there is a discrepancy in the total number of vacancies published at the time of notification and vacancies before the declaration of the results. Data from 2010 to 2020 reveal an average increase of 81 vacancies between the above two stages, which the committee felt is an unhealthy practice.
Cadre management of AIS
Cadre management is an important aspect of the All-India Services. This system ensured that the officers from various regions of India are placed at different locations in India, enabling the diversity to prevail. It also has its share of pitfalls, for the professional exposure one gets is completely dependent on the nature of posting and highly varies from others.
Cadre Management is done under the Indian Administrative Services (Cadre) Rules, 1954 for IAS. Similarly, for IPS, it is done under the Indian Police Service (Cadre) Rules 1954, and for forest service under the Indian Forest Service (Cadre) Rules 1966. These rules together guide the cadre management of AIS. Let’s look at some key provisions of these rules.
Section 3 of these rules deal with the establishment of cadres for states, while section 4 deals with the strength of the cadres. Consultation with State Governments for fixing strength and composition of the cadre, and a review for every five years to re-examine this allocation are two key provisions of section 4 of the above rules.
The rules also provide guidance for allocating the members to various cadres and about the deputation of cadre officers (Cadre officer, as stated in rules, means the member of AIS). It further provides standards on the postings, temporary appointment of non-cadre officers to cadre posts, holding of more than one posts by cadre officers, authority when joint cadre is involved, reporting to the Union Government on the vacant cadre posts among other things.
As of 2022, there are 24 state cadres and AGMUT cadre which includes 3 states and 8 Union Territories. Each state cadre has a specified cadre strength which is revised by the Union Government, in consultation with the respective State Government, depending on the requirement and availability of human resources. The posts borne on, and the strength and composition of the cadre of the All-India Services of the various States shall be as specified in The Indian Administrative Service (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Regulations, 1955; The Indian Police Service (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Regulations, 1955; and The Indian Forest Service (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Regulations, 1966. These cadre posts are subsequently divided into senior duty posts, central deputation reserve, state deputation reserve, training reserve, leave reserve, junior posts reserve, and posts to be filled by promotion under recruitment rules for AIS.
For the purposes of recruitment and selection, these state cadres are classified into five zones as shown below. The process of selection of candidates under different cadres is outlined in the Cadre Allocation Policy, 2017.
Authorized IAS cadre strength of different cadres
Each state has different cadre strength, which is fixed according to the cadre fixation rules explained earlier. This undergoes periodic revisions based on the requirements and availability of necessary resources. Uttar Pradesh tops the list with highest cadre strength, followed by AGMUT, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. If we look at the gendered nature of the cadre strength, Telangana tops with 1 in 3 IAS officer being female, while at the national level it is 1 in every 5. Leaving out the Northeastern states, states like Bihar, and Jharkhand has the lowest share of female IAS officers.
IAS officers’ shortage in India
The 112th report of the Department Related Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, shows that the total authorized strength of IAS officers is 6746 irrespective of type of selection. However, the in-position strength of IAS officers is 5231 only, representing a 22% shortage. This shortage is significantly higher in few states like the Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and 8 Union Territory’s) cadre. Such continued shortage has the potential to affect the efficiency of the service delivery.
Featured Image: All-India Services

created: October 21, 2022


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Explainer: How are Cyclones Named?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 20, 2020
Hudhud, Titli, Phethai, Fani, Vayu and now Amphan are among the names of cyclones we have heard of. But ever wondered how these Tropical Cyclones are named? Here is an explainer.
Tropical cyclone Amphan  (pronounced Um-Pun)  intensified rapidly in the Bay of Bengal to become a ‘Super Cyclonic Storm’ bringing dangerous winds, storm surge and flooding to coastal areas of West Bengal in India and Bangladesh. But ever wondered how these Tropical Cyclones are named? This naming has a history & a process. Here is an explainer.
Why name cyclones in the first place?
According to the India Meteorological Department or the Met department (IMD), ‘practice of naming tropical cyclones began years ago in order to help in the quick identification of storms in warning messages because names are presumed to be far easier to remember than the numbers and technical terms. Many agree that adding names to storms makes it easier for the media to report on tropical cyclones, heightens interest in warnings and increases community preparedness.’
Further, it is globally accepted that naming cyclones will help in the following ways.
The tropical cyclones are named neither after any particular person, nor with any preference in alphabetical sequence. The names selected are those that are familiar to the people in each region.
What are the bodies responsible for coming with a list of names?
There is a strict procedure in place to determine a list of tropical cyclone names in any ocean basin. The Tropical Cyclone regional body responsible for that basin determines these names at its annual/biennial meeting. The following are the five tropical cyclones regional  bodies.
In addition, the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres (RSMC) are responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, warnings, monitoring and prediction of tropical cyclones over their respective regions. They are also responsible to name the cyclones.In general, tropical cyclones are named according to the rules at a regional level.  For instance, the National Hurricane Committee determines a pre-designated list of Hurricane names for the storms in the Atlantic Ocean. Here, six lists are used in rotation. Thus, the 2018 list will be used again in 2024 and so on.
Even for the  Eastern North Pacific Ocean, the lists are re-cycled every six years. The details of the names of the tropical cyclones over different Ocean basins can be seen on the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) website.
What about names of Cyclones in India & the neighbourhood?
The Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) of Tropical Cyclones in  New Delhi  is assigned the responsibility of issuing weather outlooks and tropical cyclone advisories for the countries in the WMO/ESCAP Panel region bordering the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. This is also the agency responsible for naming the cyclones in this region.
The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones at its twenty-seventh Session held in the year 2000 in Muscat (Oman) agreed in principle to assign names to the tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, which consists of eight panel members.
After long deliberations among the member countries, the naming of the tropical cyclones over north Indian Ocean commenced from September 2004.  The recent Cyclone Amphan will be the last to be used in the previous list. In other words, a new list of names will be used hereafter for any cyclone in this area.
During WMO/ESCAP PTC 45th Session held at Muscat, Oman in September, 2018, it was decided to prepare a fresh list of names of tropical cyclones including representation from five new member countries, viz., Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen (Total 13 member countries). The report of the rapporteur was initially presented by India during 46th Session of WMO/ESCAP PTC held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar in September 2019. After deliberations, the report was finally adopted by WMO/ESCAP PTC with consensus in April 2020.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on 28 April 2020, released a new list with the names of 169 tropical cyclones including 13 names each from 13 WMO/ESCAP member countries that are likely to emerge over the north Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.
The RSMC (New Delhi) gives each tropical cyclone an identification name from the below name list. The identification system covers both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
The following have to be noted while understanding the naming in this region.
The lists for the Indian region are used sequentially and are not rotated every few years like the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific lists. Once the lists are exhausted, the panel meets again, to decide on a list of names.
If there is a severe  storm that causes a lot of  damage/destruction & causes many deaths, then its name is considered for retirement and is not used repeatedly. This is to ensure that the history and record of that cyclone is identified with a unique name.
The Public can also suggest names
The general public can also suggest names to the IMD  to be included in the list. The proposed name must meet some fundamental criteria as given below.
The suggested names can be sent to the following address.
The Director General of Meteorology,
India Meteorological Department,
Mausam Bhawan, Lodi Road,
New Delhi-110003.
Featured ImageBy Meow [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons


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Explainer: How did the Census evolve over the years?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 30, 2019
As we get
closer to the data collection exercise for the Census 2021, here is a look at the evolution of the Census exercise.
On 23 September 2019, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the 2021 census would be conducted digitally replacing the traditional pen and paper. This will be the first Census of India that will be conducted digitally.
But what is Census? Why is it conducted? How has the Census exercise evolved over the years? In this story, we explain some of these.
Census 2021
would be the 16th decennial census being conducted
The Decennial populationcensus is conducted every 10 years. The population census activity includes theprocess of collecting, compiling, analyzing and disseminating the datacollected. The data collected during the census exercise is of demographic,socio-cultural and economic in nature. This information is critical forplanning, analysis, policy formulation and other aspects where data plays acrucial role. The census data forms a very important baseline for trackingprogress, planning relevant policy interventions.
The firstcensus activity in India was initiated in 1865 for the 1872 census by the thenBritish Government. Post-Independence, the Census Act,
1948 was passed which lays the guidelines and procedures to conduct thecensus. The first census for Post-Independent India was in the year 1951.
The conduct andanalysis of the Census in India is done by ‘Office of Registrar General
and Census Commissioner’ under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs. TheMinistry of Home Affairs has released a notification in March 2019 inregard to the conduct of 2021 Census. This is in lines with Section 3 of the CensusAct 1948.
As per thenotification released by the government, the next census of India would be carriedout with 01 March 2021 as the reference date. In the case of snow bound statesof Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date wouldbe 01 October 2020.
The Census Questionnaire
evolved in view of changing requirements
The populationcensus activity holds the unique distinction of being conducted every 10 yearswithout any interruption. However, the type of information being collected inthe census has changed over a period of time. The Census
questionnaire is an important tool which the enumerators use to collect theinformation. The questionnaire used for 1872 census consisted of 17 questions.
One of thechallenges during the first three censuses (1872, 1881, 1891), was the lack ofdesignated house numbers, which was overcome by the time of 1901 census, makingit more systematic to collect the data.
The inclusionof ‘Caste’ was a unique to India compared to the census activity conducted inthe other British colonies. The first census conducted post-independence (the1951 Census) had 13 questions for collection of information including: Name,relationship, birthplace, sex, age, economic status, means of livelihood,religion, mother tongue, literacy etc. In context of partition, ‘Displaced persons’ was an unique additionlimited to this census.
In the nextcensus i.e. 1961, two separate
schedules i.e. ‘Household schedule’ and ‘Individual Slip’ were used instead ofonly ‘Individual slips’ used in the previous census. With this census, thequestion regarding place of birth was further expanded to include – ‘Rural’ or‘Urban’. The 1961 census also made provision for explicit enumeration of‘SC/ST’ category.
The 1971 censusincluded 17 questions, with new inclusions being:
In 1981 census,the household schedule also included collection of information with respect toamenities available in a household – drinking water, electricity, toiletfacility etc. along with information such as the nature of housing i.e. theconstruction materials used for wall, roof, floor etc.
The 2001 censusmarked a shift in technology with the introduction of Intelligent CharacterReading (ICR), which enabled high speed scanning of the manual writtenschedules and converting the information into digitized form. The questionnaireschedule comprised of 23 questions and included new questions like:
For the first time, taking the signature or thumb impression of therespondent was included in the census.
The number of questions increased in the 2011 census, which had 29questions. Some of the highlights from 2011 census include:
2011 census also attempted at gatheringinformation on castes. The earlier census had provision only for the inclusionof SC/ST as part of information gathering. A socio-economic Caste Census was also conducted in 2011.  This enumeration was based on the respondentsdeclaring their own caste which has led to the creation of thousands ofcaste/sub caste categories. In view of this, the government is consideringhaving a list of OBCs notified by each state to be used for enumeration for2021 census.
The number of questions has increased since the time of the firstcensus post-independence to include new information as part of the census activity.From 14 questions in 1951, the number has increased to 29 in the 2011 census.
2021 Census – A step towards Digitization
As stated earlier, the 2021 census would bethe first census in India where the enumeration would be done digitally. Amobile application would be used by the enumerators to collect the data. As per Registrar General of India , Vivek Joshi , collecting the information digitally wouldhelp in having the results almost immediately, unlike earlier where it used totake multiple years for the data to be analyzed and the reports published.
The Office of Registrar General and CensusCommissioner of India has multiple divisions which are involved in the whole censusexercise.
The comprehensive questionnaire to be usedfor the 2021 census isn’t available yet. However, this is one step amongst abroad spectrum of activities which takes place for Census 2021.
Approximately 33 lakh teachers would take onthe responsibility of enumerators. The mobile application would be installed onthe phones of the enumerators.
The Census exercise would be conducted in tworounds as noted below.
As highlighted earlier, Jammu & Kashmir,Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are exceptions for whom the enumeration wouldbe conducted earlier with reference date as 01 October 2020. A revision roundof enumeration would be done in March, for those who might have initiallymissed out.
A pre-test Census is carried out between 12 August2019 and  30 September 2019 with a samplesize of 50 lakh respondents across the states and UTs. Aquestionnaire with 28 questions has been developed for the pre-test.
The move towards digital mode of collecting thedata is a step forward to speed-up the process of analysis and release ofreports, which would make the census data more relevant. However, security ofthe data being collected (especially with the application being installed onthe mobile devices of enumerators) and adequate backup mechanism for the datahas to be looked into.

created: September 30, 2019


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Explainer: How does one become an Indian Citizen? What changed with the CAA?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
December 18, 2019
Violent protests have erupted across the country after the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was notified. But how does one acquire Indian Citizenship? What does this amendment change? Here is an explainer.
Violent protests haveerupted in different parts of India following the amendment made to the Citizenship Act of 1955. The Central Government stated that through this
act, the persecuted religious minorities (Hindus,Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis & Christians) from three neighbouringcountries of Pakistan, Bangladesh & Afghanistan will be granted citizenshipunder certain conditions. But who is a citizen of India? How can one acquire Indiancitizenship? What is this amendment made in 2019, popularly known as the CAA,which has sparked a lot of controversy? Here is an explainer.
Citizenship and rules for acquiring it are different
in different countries
Differentcountries have different rules pertaining to citizenship based on history,treaties and public
international law. For instance, in the United
States, a person acquires US Citizenshipjust by birth in the country. Being a permanent resident (authorised to liveand work in US) in the country for five years makes one eligible to apply forcitizenship by naturalisation.
In India,citizenship and its acquisition has been defined in detail in the Citizenship
Act of 1955. This act was originallypassed in 1955 and since then, has been amended five times- in 1986, 2003,2005, 2015 and 2019. The act defines who an Indian
citizen is and how one can acquire the same.The Home Ministry is the sole authority for any issue pertaining to Indiancitizenship.
As per the act, there are four ways to obtain Indian Citizenship-
What about by Birth?
Every person born in India on or after 26 January 1950 and  before 01 July 1987 is an Indian citizen. An amendment made in 2003 granted citizenship to those born in India between 1 July 1987 till the date of notification of the ‘Citizenship Amendment Act of 2003’, provided at least one parent was an Indian citizen when the person was born. Since the amendment made in 2003, one will be an Indian citizen by birth only if at least one of the parents is an Indian citizen and the other is not an illegal migrant.
Citizenship by descent, as the title suggests, refers
to citizenship by virtue of Parentage
A person who isborn outside India between 26 January 1950 and 10 December 1992 will be grantedIndian citizenship if his/her father was an Indian citizen by birth at the timeof the person’s birth.  In case of persons born outside India between 10December 1992 and before 03 December 2004, citizenship will be granted only ifeither of their parents is an Indian citizen by birth.
In both the cases,to acquire Indian citizenship, if the parent is an Indian citizen by descent,then the person’s birth should be registered in the concerned Indian Consulatewithin one year from the date of birth.
As per the 2003amendment, post 03 December 2004, citizenship will be granted to those bornoutside the country only if the parents declare that the minor does not holdthe passport of any other country and the birth of the person should have alsobeen registered in the Indian Consulate within one year.
The Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019 has redefined
illegal migrants
The recent amendment act of 2019 defines illegal migrant as a foreigner in India who
The latest
amendment to the act states the following:
In other words,those persons from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan belonging to Hindu,Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian religious communities, who enteredIndia on or before 31 December 2014 are no longer considered illegal migrants.
What is Citizenship by Registration?
Except for illegalmigrants, Indian citizenship can also be acquired by registration. Thosepersons of Indian origin, who have been residing in the country for seven yearsor are residents in countries outside undivided India are eligible to registerfor citizenship. Even those persons who have been registered as overseas citizensof India for five years can apply provided they have been living in India forone year before applying. Spouses of Indian citizens who have resided in Indiafor seven years and minor children of Indian citizens are also eligible toapply. However, the discretion/authority on whether or not to grant citizenshiplies with the Government of India.
Foreigners can also apply for Indian citizenship
through naturalisation
The fourth mode ofacquiring citizenship is through naturalisation. Any foreigner, other thanillegal migrants, who has been living in India for 12 months before applyingfor citizenship and has lived in the country for at least 11 years of the 14years prior to the 12-month period mentioned above will be granted acertificate of naturalisation.
The Central Government can also grant citizenship to foreigners who have contributed significantly to world peace, art, science, literature, philosophy and human progress. People like Adnan Sami are granted citizenship under this category.
In addition to the above-discussed means of acquiring Indian citizenship, if a new territory gets added to India, then the Central Government can notify through the gazette, who among those living in the territory will be deemed, Indian citizens. This is known as Citizenship by incorporation of territory.
Goa, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli became a part of India in 1961 after liberation from Portugal. Citizenship to those living in these areas was granted as per the Goa, Daman and Diu (Citizenship) Order, 1962.  The case of Pondicherry, Karrikal, Mahe and Yannam is also similar.
What changes with the Current amendment?
‘Citizenship byNaturalization’ is where the latest
amendment comes into picture.  The persons from Afghanistan, Bangladesh andPakistan, belonging to the six religious communities as mentioned earlier canalso be granted a certificate of naturalisation. However, the period ofresidence in India should be a minimum of five years prior to the twelve-monthperiod instead of the 11-year period for others.
Some areas have been excluded from the amendment
The amendmentexcludes certain areas in the North-East.  This is not applicable in the tribal dominatedregions of the North-Eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram,and the area that falls under ‘The Inner Line’ as notified under the Bengal
Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873.Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document issued by the Governmentof India to allow travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for alimited period. Indian citizens from outside those states cannot enter theseareas without obtaining a permit.
OCI card holders’ card can be cancelled if they
violate any rule
Another amendment made through the act is with respect to OCI card holders. OCI or Overseas Citizenship of India card holders are foreign citizens of Indian origin. They are not entitled to all the rights that citizens of India have. But they can travel, live, work and study in India. The current amendment states that if an OCI card holder violates any law notified by the Central Government, the OCI card can be cancelled. The card holder will be given a chance to be heard.
What else about the amendment should one know?
In the amendment, reference is made to Passport (Entry to India) Act, 1920 and provisions of Foreigners Act, 1946.
According to Section 3 of the Passport (Entry to India) Act of 1920, the Central Government has the authority to allow ‘some people or a class of people’ enter the country even though they do not possess a passport. The Foreigners Act, on the other hand, grants power to the Central Government to regulate the entry of foreigners in the country.
The government on 07 September 2015 notified an amendment to the Passport (Entry to India) Rules of 1950 which says that religious minorities (Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians) persecuted in Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered the country before 31 December 2014, irrespective of possession of valid documents, were exempted from possessing passport to enter India.
This rule was further amended in 2016 through a notification on July 18 , to include the persecuted religious minorities from Afghanistan.
In short, the government has permitted those persecuted religious minorities from the aforementioned religions and countries to live in India in spite of not having any valid document. They will not fall into the category of illegal migrants.
What is the crux of the current amendment?
The CAA makes some major changes as far as citizenship to persons from the three specified countries. They are
However, there is no clarity on how these will be implemented in terms of documents to be submitted as evidence, for one to prove his religion or period of stay since the rules are yet to be notified.
The issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC) combined with the CAA is also being discussed. We will look into this in the subsequent stories.
Featured Image: Citizenship Amendment Act

created: December 18, 2019


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Explainer: How does the Union Cabinet function?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 10, 2019
The Union Council of Ministers in responsible for day to day administration of the country & governance in general. But what are the rules that define & allocate work between departments? Here is a detailed explainer.
For every organization small or big to function effectively, certain rules & division of work are necessary. It holds true for the humungous task of governing the country as well. At the central level, the Union Council of Ministers is at the helm of governing the country, under the leadership of the Prime Minister. But how does this division of work take place? Here is an explainer.
What are the Constitutional Provisions?
The Constitution in article 74 recognizes the Union Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister (PM) as its head to aid & advise the President in discharging his executive functions, in short running the government. The President has to act in accordance with that advise.
In Article 77, the constitution notes that the President shall make rules for the transaction of the business of the Government of India, and for the allocation among Ministers for the transaction of such business. In other words, the exact distribution of work is made in those rules.
Accordingly, two sets of rules have been made and are continuously amended to accommodate new subjects or issues. The rules are
These rules along with the ‘Manual of Office Procedures’ form the crux of documents based on which the Government of India functions.
What is the Cabinet Secretariat then?
As per the details on the official website, the Cabinet Secretariat functions directly under the Prime Minister and is responsible for the administration of the two sets of rules mentioned earlier. It is also responsible for facilitating smooth transaction of business in Ministries. The secretariat assists in decision-making in Government by ensuring Inter-Ministerial coordination, ironing out differences amongst Ministries/Departments and evolving consensus, management of major crisis situations in the country and coordinating activities of various ministries in such a situation etc.
The Allocation of Business
These rules clearly lay down that all the business of the Government of India shall be transacted in the Ministries, Departments, Secretariats, and Offices as specified in the rules. The first schedule of these rules has a detailed list of Ministries & the Departments within these ministries.
The second schedule of these rules deals with the distribution of subjects among these departments. It has to be noted that such distribution also includes all sub-ordinate offices, public sector undertakings related to that subject.
Among other things, the rules also specify the following
The allocation rules are continuously amended to omit some outdated subjects, include or redistribute new ones etc. There have been close to 350 such amendments till April 2019.
What about the Transaction rules?
The Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961, on the other hand, deal with how the day-to-day business of the government should be transacted. Among other things, these rules deal with when to consult other departments, what kind of cases are to be submitted to the PM, the cabinet & various cabinet committees.
Inter-Departmental Consultations: The rules mention that when the subject of a case concerns more than one department, no decision is to be taken until all concerned departments have concurred or in case of no concurrence, until such time the cabinet has taken a decision in the case. The rules also define that any case, in which if a decision is taken by one department and that decision is likely to affect the transaction of business allotted to another department, will be treated to be a case whose subject concerns with more than one department.
Concurrence of the Ministry of Finance: Except in cases where complete powers to sanction expenditure or to appropriate or re-appropriate funds, are made by the Ministry of Finance, no department can issue orders in the following matters without the concurrence of the Ministry of Finance. The matters concerned are
Consultation with the Law Ministry: The rules mention that the Law Ministry has to be consulted in the following matters.
Who can request papers from Ministries?
According to these rules, the following entities can call for papers from various departments.
What is the Cabinet?
The Union Council of Ministers is made up of the PM, the Cabinet ministers and the Ministers of State (MoS). However, the cabinet includes only those ministers of the cabinet rank. The Cabinet generally meets on a specific day of a week to take decision on all issues brought before it. The cases which shall be brought before the cabinet are defined in the 2 schedule of the transaction rules.
What are Cabinet Committees then?
In addition to the cabinet, there are standing committees of the cabinet commonly known as the cabinet committees. The PM has the authority to add or reduce the number of such committees and also has the power to specify which cabinet minister is part of these committees. As on date, there are 8 such committees. Each committee has members as well as special invitees. The following are the cabinet committees as on date.
Each of these committees has defined functions as per the transaction of business rules.
In addition to the specific functions defined in the rules, these committees have the power to consider and take decisions on matters referred to it by any Minister or by the Cabinet. There could also be ad-hoc committees like Group of Ministers (GoM) set up by the cabinet, the PM, or any of the cabinet committees.
What about the cases common to the Cabinet & the Cabinet Committees?
In case there is a commonality in the subjects of both the Cabinet Committees and the Cabinet, the Cabinet committees shall be competent to take a final decision except in cases where they are asked not to do so. It also has to be noted that no case which concerns more than one department can be brought before the cabinet committees unless all concerned departments have been consulted.
In addition to the above, the transaction of business rules also contains the list of cases that need to be submitted to the PM & the President, the type of reports to be submitted by departments to the Cabinet, responsibility of secretaries etc. Finally, the rules also mention that the PM may permit a departure from these rules to the extent he feels necessary.


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Explainer: How is India tracking progress of SDGs?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 18, 2019
The Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) are an important benchmark to measure progress of
nations on various pressing issues. How is India tracking progress of SDGs?
Here is an explainer.
With the objective to alleviate poverty, ensure peace and prosperity, tackle environmental issues and protect the planet, the member nations of the United Nations adopted seventeen ambitious goals in 2015 known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 17 goals are interlinked and each goal has targets that countries need to meet in order to achieve the goal. For each target, there are measurable indicators so that countries can regularly evaluate their performance and take necessary actions after identifying the shortcomings. What are these sustainable development goals? Why are they necessary? How does India measure these SDGs? We look into these questions in this story.
What are the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs)?
The currentgeological age has been termed as ‘Anthropocene’, meaning ‘age of humanbeings’, by many scientists since human activities have a profound impact onthe environment and climate. This has resulted in myriad of pressingenvironmental, political and economic challenges across the planetwhich need to be resolved immediately.
In the UnitedNations Conference on Sustainable Development at Rio de Janeiro in 2012, worldleaders came together and arrived at the idea of a plan of action to deal withthe problems. It was in 2015 that the Agenda 30 and SDGs werefinally devised after a lot of consultations and negotiations. 193 membercountries accepted the goals which are to be achieved by 2030. The goals comewith 169 specific targets and 232 measurable indicators. The Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) came to an end in 2015 following whichSDGs were adopted. (To know more about MDGs and India’s performance, you canread Factly’s article here).
What is the need for SDGs? Why are they
important?
SDGs are universal innature and not made exclusively for developing countries. Moreover, they addressmajority of the issues that people are faced with in the present and includesall, leaving no section behind. It acts as a blueprint for ensuring asustainable future for all by promoting sustainable development. The goals areinterlinked and integrated in nature. This means that actions taken in any onesector will have impact on other sectors as well. Goal based planning withmeasurable indicators will help in evaluating the progress made over time by acountry or a state which is implementing measures to attain the goals and alsosee whether it is on par with other nations. It also helps in identifying &determining areas to improve.
How is India’s performance in the international
level?
According toUnited Nation’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network, in 2019, India has been ranked115 out of 162 countries in terms of SDG Index with a score of 61.1. Denmarkranks first with a score of 85.2 and Central African Republic ranks the lowest(162) with a score of 39.1. In the South and East Asia region, India is at the16 position out of the total 18 countries in this region. Onlyneighbouring countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh stand behind India. Among theBRICS nations, India is at the bottom. In 2018, India was ranked112 with a score of 59.1.
India still has a long way to go to attain
goals of gender equality and poverty eradication
India has been scored the least for SDG 9, (Industry, Innovationand Infrastructure) which is crucial for economic development. Antecedent tothis, is gender equality (SDG 5) and zero hunger(SDG 2 which deals withnourishment). Trends in SDG 1, 8 and 13 suggest India is on track to attainingthe 2030 target for these three goals. SDG 1 deals withpoverty eradication, SDG 8 is based onemployment and economic growth and SDG 13 covers theactions taken to combat the drastic effects of climate change.
Thirteen states are performing below the national
average
A glance at theperformance of states with respect to SDGs indicates that Kerala, Tamil Naduand Himachal Pradesh are the best performing states as per NITI Aayog’s 2018 report. Assam, Bihar andUttar Pradesh were identified as the worst performing states. Among the UnionTerritories, Chandigarh and Puducherry were the best performers. Theperformance of 13 states was below the national average.
Who is responsible for implementation in India?
In India, NITI Aayog is the nodalimplementation institution which has to coordinate and supervise theimplementation of Agenda 30 and SDGs. The role of Ministry of Statistics andProgramme Implementation (MoSPI) is to monitor the indicators. MoSPI also maintains a dashboard which shows SDGIndex of India as well as of each state and union territory. The Ministry hasdeveloped a National Indicator
Framework for monitoring the progress of SDGs.
The  Comptroller and
Audit General of India is responsible for auditing the preparednessto achieve SDGs. NITI Aayog has mapped eachgoal to the existent Central Sector Schemes, Ministries and other initiativesof the government. Certain state governments have also setup dedicated centresto co-ordinate & facilitate with departments regarding SDG action plan.
National Indicator Framework developed by MoSPI
helps track performance of India
The National Indicator
Framework (NIF) comprises of 306 statistical
indicators which help in tracking India’s SDGperformance. The indicators used are those which are accepted nation-wide. Theperiodicity in evaluating the indicators and source of data have also beenadded in the largest monitoring framework of India. Similarly, states were alsoasked to develop State Indicator Framework and map the data sources like NIF.  SDG 17: which is to berealised through global partnerships and cooperation does not have anyindicator under NIF.
Responsibility for implementation of SDGs at
state level falls under the purview of Planning Department and its equivalent
At the statelevel, Office of the Chief Secretary of State provides guidance and overseesthe implementation. Planning Department coordinates implementation whileDirectorate of Economics and Statistics works with required data. Panchayati Raj institutions inrural areas and urban local bodies play an important role at the districtlevel.
In 2018, thegovernment launched restructured Centrally sponsored scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA),implementation of which will be between 2018 to 2022 with a total of Rs. 7255.5crores allocated for the entireprocess. Through this scheme, government’s aim was to strengthen the PanchayatiRaj Institutions to achieve the SDGs.
With just a decadeleft for all countries around the globe to realise the goals, urgent actionneed to be called for before it becomes too late. Schemes & Strategiesshould be modified so that they align with the larger SDGs while keeping inmind the local & regional challenges specific to India.

created: October 18, 2019


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How is Police supposed to control crowds & deal with violent protests?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 29, 2020
Delhi police faced flak for not being able to act in time and control the violent riots leading to loss of life. But how are the Police supposed to control crowds and deal with violent protests? Here is an explainer.
Many protests were witnessed across India after parliament passed the  Citizenship Amendment Act in December 2019. Also, the recent riots in Delhi have claimed the lives of many. Video footage of vandalism, arson, and lynching from Delhi was circulated on the internet, clearly depicting disintegrated law and order in the state. The role of Delhi police was also questioned following the clashes between them and students of prominent universities in the national capital, earlier this year.
In the wake of protests & riot-like situation, what are the Police supposed to do and how are they supposed to act? What is the duty of the police to effectively stop these riots?
Article 19 grants citizens the freedom to assemble
peacefully without arms
Peaceful protestsand non-violent marches played an important role in India’s independencemovement. Article 19 of the Indian Constitution grants all Indian citizens the freedom of speech andexpression, and the right to assemble peacefully without arms. However, this issubject to ‘reasonable restrictions’. The right is subject to conditions like sovereigntyand integrity of the country is not compromised, the state’s relation withneighbouring countries is not at stake, state’s security is not affected, andpublic order is not disturbed.
The restrictionsare mainly found in the Indian Penal Code, the Police Act of 1861, the Maintenance of Public Order Acts of variousStates, Indian Law Amendment Act of 1908, and the Criminal Procedure Code.
Information regarding public assembly needs to be
brought to the attention of police
Before organisinga public assembly, prior information related to time, location, andnature of assembly must be given to the police. ‘Police’ and ‘public order’ are State subjects implying that responsibility ofmaintaining law and order rests with the state government in the case of statesand with the Ministry of Home Affairs in the case of Union Territories.
An assembly isdeemed ‘unlawful’ if it turns violent or unruly. Once the assembly turnsunlawful, the police will interfere and disperse the crowd. If it is beyondtheir control, or under special circumstances, the Ministry of Home Affairs maydeploy Central Armed Police Forces personnel and even military to impose peace.Section 141 of the Indian Penal Code defines ‘unlawful assembly’ as follows.Riots begin from an unlawful assembly.
BPRD published a handbook on Crowd control in 2016
The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) in
2016 published ahandbook on Crowd Control  which talks indetail about dealing with violence in public protests and unlawful assembly.BPRD is the government’s research arm for all issues related to policing and isan organization under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The handbook hasdetailed information & guidelines on crowd control along with relevantanecdotes and examples.
The handbooksuggests that the police should first resort to psychological control methodsto disperse the crowd based on its nature. A few psychological methods includepersuasive appeals, humorous and witty remarks, confident police attitude,making the crowd wait, and unexpected distractions. However, the usage of suchmethods should be such that it does not induce panic in the crowd.
Only if psychological tactics fail, police can resort
to using force for dispersal
The handbookfurther suggests that if psychological methods of persuasion, warning andadvice don’t work and the use of force is unavoidable, the police should usethe minimum possible force so that damage to life and property is least.
Dispersal of unlawful assembly is to be done as per
sections 129 to 132 of CrPC
Sections 129 to 131 of chapter X of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) deal with ‘maintenance of public order and tranquillity’ which is about the dispersal of assembly by use of civil force, armed forces and their powers. Section 132 has details with respect to protection against prosecution for acts done under these sections.
Section 129 authorizes only executive Magistrate, officer-in-charge of a police station or anyone at the rank of sub-inspector or above, to command the dispersal of any unlawful assembly. If the assembly still does not disperse or does not show any intention to do so, then the officer can take the help of public for dispersing the assembly, or for taking action against those who are a part of it.
Based on thecircumstances, the police can make of use of force to disperse the crowd.However, the following principles need to be adhered to.
1.No force should be used more than necessary
2.It should not be used as a punitive measure
3.It must cease immediately once the objective has been attained
Prior
warning of usage of force needs to be given by police
Before using force, the police have to give warning to the assembly that force will be used to disperse them. If the crowd refuses, then the police can resort to force for dispersal. The intensity and manner of force that will be used depends upon the circumstances. Factors such as the strength of the crowd and their attitude are to be considered.
It is also mandatory that the police first use tearsmoke and cane/lathi charge beforefiring. While the effectiveness of tear smoke depends on the weather conditionsand dynamics of wind, use of cane/ lathi charge should be conducted only ifsufficient force is available. Police should ensure that at the time of lathicharge, contact with head is avoided.
Lathi
charge should be such that injury inflicted is recoverable
There should always be an armed contingent accompanying the police along with the personnel who have lathis and tear smoke. Plastic pellet-firing guns can also be used when lathi-charge doesn’t suffice. Again, care should be taken that only recoverable damage is done to the human body.
Usage
of firearms is permitted only in exceptional situations
Only if all the other options have failed, in extreme situations, police can use firearms. Proper warnings have to be given to the crowd. The most threatening part of the crowd is to be targeted and the aim should be kept at legs to avoid severe injuries. Those injured should be given first aid and sent to the hospital immediately. Under Section 131, if the situation goes out of hand, the police can seek the help of armed forces.
Right
to private defence is applicable to all law enforcement agencies
All the law enforcement agencies also have the rightof private/self-defence under IPC just like the ordinary people for protectinglife and property. Further, Section 132 of CrPC protects police and the armedforces from prosecution for using force as mentioned earlier.
Crowd
control & management is part of syllabus for police
Crowd control management is part of training syllabus of Constables, SubInspector and Deputy Superintendent of Police. For IPS officers, crowdmanagement training is imparted during their basic training course. Standardinfantry formations for mob control are also given in the handbook.
Even the UN recommends the usage of minimal force against people in unlawful assembly
The United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms adopted in 1990 also stresses that the use of force should be avoided as much as possible. Only in unlawful but non-violent assemblies, the minimum force needs to be used. Use of firearms to a minimum extent has to be restricted to violent unlawful assemblies.
A study by ORF in 2017 highlights the lack of capacity
in state armed police forces to deal with violent civil protests
A study by Observer Research Foundation in 2017 stated that while formulating a plan ofaction, the local police must take into consideration five parameters-information on the incident, their intent, method to be used for dispersal,efficient logistics, and effective communication. The report states that statearmed police forces do not have enough manpower or proper equipment. It alsoadds that the training imparted is insufficient. In short, state police do nothave adequate capacity to deal with violent civil protests on their own, becauseof which they tend to approach the centre. The study is predominantly based onJat protests in Haryana and Kashmir unrest after the death of militant leaderBurhan Wani, both in 2016.
In UK, Public Order Act, 1986 governs public
assemblies
Protests, riots, affray and unlawful activities are controlled by the Public Order Act of 1986 in the United Kingdom. In United Kingdom, Kettling was a technique used by police to corral crowds and trap them. This tactic was controversial and received a lot of criticism since even bystanders were caught in the 2001 anti-globalisation protests. The issue was raised in the European Court of Human Rights which ruled that the tactic was lawful.
Featured Image: Crowd Control during violent riots

created: February 29, 2020


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Explainer: How much does the Government actually spend compared to Budget allocations?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 22, 2019
Like in the case of
revenue, the expenditure estimates in the budget do not always translate into
actual spending. Here is a look at the expenditure under various broad heads.
In the previous
article on Union Budget, we explored the actual figures of Union Government’srevenues for 2017-18 and compared them with the estimated figures. In thisarticle, we would explore the estimates of expenditure provided for 2017-18,and the actual expenditure, especially among the various schemes funded by thecentral government.
Expenditure
estimates are based on the recommendations from individual Ministries
The Ministry of Finance comes up with the expenditure estimates, based on the consultation with each individual ministry and department. Each ministry comes up with their estimates for expenditure, which is discussed with NITI Aayog. The finalized expenditure estimates are then shared by each of the ministries with the Finance ministry. These are termed as Demand for Grants. Apart from this, NITI Aayog and Finance ministry hold consultations with experts from various fields for recommendations on policies and schemes. The finance ministry takes into consideration these requests from the ministries along with the various recommendations. Based on the revenue estimates, they come up with the expenditure estimate for each of the ministries.
As we havediscussed in the earlier article on the unionbudget, the actual values can only be ascertained after the completion of thefinancial year. The actual revenue and expenditure once ascertained are auditedbefore they can be presented before the house. Hence, whenever a budget ispresented, the actual figures are for the previous year i.e. in the budget for2019-2020, the actuals are for 2017-18. These actuals offer a good insight tounderstand the actual performance in comparison to the estimate and gives anopportunity to reset the course as required.
Actual
expenditure for 2017-18 higher than the estimates
Like the casein receipts, even the expenditure is categorized as Revenue Expenditure andCapital expenditure. Technically, Revenue expenditure is that expense which neithercreated any new assets nor reduces the liabilities. These expenses are incurredin running government departments and services. They tend to be recurring andshort term in nature. Salaries of the employees, pensions, subsidies, interestpayments, grants are few of the examples of revenue expenditure.
Capitalexpenditure is any expenditure which results in the creation of an assets orreduction of a liability. All the asset creation activities like buildings,roads, purchase of land, investments etc. are considered as capitalexpenditure. Repayment of an existing loan would also be counted as capitalexpenditure as it leads to reduction in the liability.
The unionbudget for 2017-18
estimate the total expenditure at ₹ 25,31,762 crores,whereas the actual expenditure is higher at ₹ 27,52,659 crores. Both the actual revenue and actual expenditure ismore than the estimated figures for the year 2017-18. These number include notjust the expenditure through budget, but the resources of public enterprises also(commonly known as the Public Sector Undertaking or PSUs)
The estimatedrevenue expenditure was ₹ 18,36,934 crores,however the actual revenue expenditure was ₹ 18,78,834 crores. Bulk of the increase is seen in the capitalexpenditure, that too, from the resources of public enterprises. In fact, theactual capital expenditure through budget for 2017-18 is ₹ 2,63,139 crorescompared to the estimated expenditure of ₹ 3,09,800 crores.
Higher actual
spending on flagship Centrally Sponsored Schemes
Governmentschemes play a critical role in contributing towards the development story ofthe country. While each of the states have their own State Government sponsoredschemes in accordance to their own priorities, there are few schemes that aresponsored by the Government of India (GoI). These schemes are aimed atfulfilling national goals like literacy, health, nutrition etc.  GoI schemes are broadly of two types
What about the
Centrally sponsored schemes?
Centrallysponsored schemes are those schemes where the expenditure is
shared between the GoI and the states. These are categorized as Core of Coreschemes, Core schemes and optional schemes.
The total estimated
expenditure for centrally sponsored schemes was ₹ 2,78,433.23 crores, while the actual expenditure for
2017-18 is ₹ 2,85,447.8 crores. MGNREGA occupies a significantportion (nearly 20%) of the expenditure incurred for Centrally sponsoredschemes.
The estimatedexpenditure for of MGNREGA for 2017-18 was ₹ 48,000 crores, however the actual expenditure was more by nearly 15%i.e. ₹ 55,166.04 crores. Swachh Bharath Mission also has an increase in the actualexpenditure with nearly 20% more being spent on the actual estimate of ₹ 16,248.27 crores. National Health Mission, National Rural DrinkingWater Missions and Padhan Mantri Awas Yojna also have recorded actualexpenditure more than the estimated expenditure.
On the otherhand, schemes like Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna (Irrigation), PradhanMantri Gram Sadak Yojna (Rural roadways) etc. have actual numbers less than theestimated numbers. Schemes focussed on child nutrition, health and educationhave also taken a back seat with the actual expenditure less than the estimatedexpenditure.
The totalestimated expenditure for the three schemes of – National Education Mission,National programme of Mid-day meals in Schools, and ICDS is ₹ 60,310.86 crores, whereas the actual expenditure of these three schemesis ₹ 57,780.5 crores.
Less actual
spending on many of the Central Sector Schemes
Central Sectorschemes are completely funded by the central government unlike Centralsponsored schemes which have state funding collaboration.
The total estimate for expenditure on Central
Sector Schemes was ₹ 6,66,644.02 crores, while the actual spent for 2017-18 is ₹ 5,87,784.99 crores. Of the total expenditure, the estimated revenueexpenditure across various Central sector schemes was ₹ 3,96,459.2 crores while the actual revenue expenditure was ₹ 3,42,187.87 crores.
Even the actual capital expenditure on CentralSector schemes is less than the estimated capital expenditure. The actualcapital expenditure for 2017-18 is ₹ 2,45,597.12 crores, whereas theestimated expenditure was ₹ 2,70,184.78 crores.
The actual expenditure on many of the keyCentral sector schemes for 2017-18 is less than the estimated expenditure ascan be seen from the following chart.
Central Government’s actual spending is less
than the estimated spending for 2017-18
As discussed earlier, the actual spendingfigures give an insight into the real picture. The estimate expenditure onvarious schemes provided in any budget reflect the government’s intent to spendon those particular schemes. It has to be remembered that these estimates areallocations made based on the requests received from various ministries/departmentsand also depend on the priority. These allocated funds if not spent might not fulfilthe purpose of the scheme.
While the government did spend more than theestimate on few of its flagship and highly promoted schemes like Swacch Bharathand Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, equal impetus on spending ought to be laid onother key schemes.
The spending on schemes related to educationand health of children are few of such schemes where if the actual spending is asper the allocation, could have a positive impact on the development in thelonger run. Interest Subsidy for Short Term Credit to Farmers, Food Subsidy,Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana etc. were such key schemes which couldhave done well if the actual spending was on par with the estimates.


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Explainer: How much of the Estimated receipts does the Government actually earn?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 20, 2019
Every year during budget, the government estimates both revenues and expenditure. But, how much of these estimated revenues turn into actual receipts for the government?
The Union Budget for the financial year 2019-20, was presented by Union Finance MinisterNirmala Seetharaman on 5 July 2019. There have been varyingopinions expressed about the different aspects in the budget and the proposedallocations to different sectors, which underlines the priority of the currentgovernment and path they intend to take.
A Union budget not only provides the vision for the future with detailsabout the proposed government spending and the prospective revenues, but alsoprovides a reflection on the actual expenditure and revenues of the union. Whilemost of the focus after presenting a budget is about the new proposals of thegovernment in regard to budget allocation, schemes, taxes etc., it is alsoimportant to look into the actual government spending and revenues (also calledas receipts) during the previous financial year.
Actuals provide an authentic reflection of the performance
Every year, in the budget, the government presents its proposedallocation of funds for various sectors and outlines the sources of revenuethat would meet these expenditures. During the course of the year, variousministries and departments spend on different schemes and activities. Therecould be scope for revision in the allocation originally made in view of anynew development or proposed scheme. At the end of financial year, thespending’s and the revenues are submitted for audit and these audited figuresare included in the budget as “Actuals”.
Let us understand at the ‘Actual” figures presented in the union budget.It has to be noted that, these actual figures presented in a budget belong toprevious financial year (FY), since the actuals can only be complied by anydepartment only after completion of the financial year and also needs to gothrough an audit. Hence the Actuals provided in 2019-2020 budget belong to thefinancial year 2017-18.  We will now lookinto the propose numbers in the FY 2017-18 budget and the Actuals beingpresented in the current budget for that year.
In the first part of the series, we will look into the Actual receipt’svs Estimated receipts
Actual total receipts for 2017-18 is less than the estimates
As per the budget primer of PRS Legislative Research, Government Receipts consists of Revenue Receipts and Capital Receipts. Revenue receipts are considered as those government receipts which do not (i) create liabilities or (ii) reduce assets. Taxes, interest and dividend received on government investments, cess, receipts for the government services provided etc. are the sources of revenue receipts.
The Revenue receipts of the government includes:
Capital Receipts are those receipts which (i) create liabilities (borrowing)or (ii) reduce assets (ex. disinvestment.)
As per Budget at a glance 2017-18 document, the estimate for total receipts was ₹ 21,46,735 Crores, whereas the actuals for FY 2017-18, released with the current year budget is ₹ 21,41,973 Crores. This is a deficit of ₹ 4762 crores when compared to the estimates or a shortfall of less than 0.5%. But this deficit has breached the 5% mark for 2018-19, going by the provisional numbers presented in the Economic Survey of 2018-19.
Compared to the estimates, actual figures suggest a deficit in Non-Tax
receipts with marginal increase in Tax receipts
The actual revenue receipts for 2017-2018 are less than the estimated revenue receipts by ₹ 80,538 crores. The estimated Revenue receipts for 2017-18 was ₹ 15,15,771 crores, whereas the actual revenue receipts for 2017-18 is ₹14,35,233 crores.
The actual tax revenue for 2017-18 is ₹ 12,42,488 crores, which is higher than the estimated Tax revenue of ₹ 12,27,014 crores i.e. difference of ₹ 15,474 crores. It has to be remembered that 2017-18 was the first year of GST implementation.
However, this increase in actual tax revenue could not cover up the deficit of total revenue, due to the larger difference in the Non-Tax revenue.
The actual non-tax revenue is ₹ 1,92,745 crores compared to the estimated revenue of ₹ 2,88,757 crores i.e. a difference of ₹ 96,012 crores.
Receipts through Corporate Taxes and GST cover the fall in actual
receipts from other tax sources
Revenue through taxes forms a major share of the total revenue receiptsof the government. Nearly 85% of the revenue receipts are through taxes.  Corporate tax, Customs, Excise, Tax on incomeother than corporates and Service tax etc. are the major sources of Taxreceipts.
Furthermore, since 01 July 2017, Goods and Services Tax (GST) was implemented and hence does not have any estimates figures for 2017-18. However, it does reflect in the actuals.
The estimates for revenue through Taxes was ₹ 12,27,014 crores, while the actual receipts through taxes amount to ₹ 12,42,488 crores. i.e. ₹ 15,474 crores more than the estimate.
However, the scenario of higher actuals than the estimates is not across the sources. The actual tax receipts for Income Tax, Customs, Excise etc. are less than the estimated figures for 2017-18. The combined actual receipts of these three sources is ₹ 8,18,635.57 crores against the estimate of ₹ 10,93,155.27 crores. This deficit of 2,74,519.7 crores is covered up in the higher actual receipts of (i) Corporate tax (ii) newly introduced GST.
The Government of India earned ₹ 4,42,561.43 crores in 2017-18 through the newly introduced GST. This coupled with actuals of Service Tax (₹ 81228.37 crores) is more than the estimated receipts through service tax i.e. ₹ 2,75,000 crores.
Actual less than the estimates across major heads under Non-Tax receipts
Non-Tax revenues are other sources of revenue receipts for thegovernment. These receipts include:
The estimated
Non – Tax revenues for 2017-18 amount to ₹ 2,88,757.07crores, whereas the actual Non-Tax Revenues for 2017-18 is ₹ 1,92,745.
A major portion of the difference betweenthe estimates and the actuals is due to the deficit of revenue from Dividendsand Profits. The total receipts
estimated for 2017 -18 through dividend and profits was ₹ 1,42,430.49crores, whereas the actual amount was ₹ 91,360.47 crores i.e.  shortfallof ₹ 51,070crores from the estimated receipts. The surplus from RBI is the highest sourceof non-tax revenue for the government of India. Few experts cite that the costs
incurred due to demonetization to beone of the reasons for the low surplus when compared to the estimated figures.
Theactual receipts for Economic services (₹ 61,368.74 crores) is also lessthan the estimate (₹ 92,234.63 crores).
Actual Capital Receipts are higher, but due to borrowings & other
liabilities
The estimated
Capital receipts for 2017 -18 were ₹ 6,30,964crores and the actual
capital receipts are ₹ 7,06,740 crores i.e. 75,776crores more than the estimated figures. While the recovery of loans has fared better than estimate, the majorcontribution towards higher actual figures for capital receipts compared to theestimated, is due to “Other receipts” and “Borrowings & other liabilities”.The actual capital receipts through Saving Bonds (₹ 25,208.52 crores) is significantlyhigher than the estimates (₹ 2,970.66 crores) which has contributed towards increase in the numbersfor “Other receipts”.
What does all this mean?
To summarize, the insignificant deficit of less than 0.5% is largely dueto two factors.  One is the higher GSTearnings in 2017-18. Since 2017-18 was the first year of implementation andthat too only for 9 of the 12 months in the financial year, there were noestimates for GST in the original budget for 2017-18. This led to an increaseon this front. Two is the increase in borrowings and other liabilities. Boththese factors dwarfed the fall in other areas of tax revenue such as customs& excise duty and non-tax revenue under ‘dividends & profits’. A betterpicture would emerge when we have the numbers for 2018-19.


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Explainer: How to get your own Postal Stamp?
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 21, 2019
With the advent of
technology, usage of postal stamps or postal products for communication has
decreased substantially. The Department of Posts now has a ‘My Stamp’
initiative that aims at encouraging people to buy customized stamps. Here is an
explainer of this initiative.
Commemorating the establishment ofUniversal Postal Union, 09 October every year is celebrated as World Post Day. India Postcelebrates National Postal
Week from 09 October to 15 October every year byorganising wide variety of programs ranging from exhibitions to competitions inorder to spread awareness on postal services and schemes. With the advent oftechnology, postal services are witnessing a decline in demand sincecommunication has become quick and simple. The annual reports of the Departmentof Posts reveal that the revenue from sale of stamps has reduced substantiallyover the last few years. The revenue from sale of stamps decreased from Rs.470.9 crore in 2016-17 to just Rs. 78.3 crore in 2018-19, a drop of more than80%.
The My Stamp scheme throughwhich personalised stamps are sold was launched to promote use of stamps in thecurrent technological era.  This storyprovides an explanation of the ‘My Stamp’ initiative.
Personalised
stamps of face value Rs.5 each are available for all under My Stamp scheme
World Philatelic Exhibition, INDIPEX was organised byIndia Post (Department of Posts) in 2011 where My Stamp scheme was launchedin the country for the first time. My Stamp is the brand name for the businessdevelopment of postal department. Anyone can have his/her thumbnail photograph beit their own photograph or that of family, artwork, tourist spots, wildlife,flowers, historical monument, logos or anything else, alongside a thematic commemorative
postage stamp as per their choice. The stamp, which has avalue of Rs.5, can be used for domestic postage.
For commemorative
stamps, a proposal has to be sent to the PhilatelyAdvisory Committee two years in advance. The proposal is scrutinised by thecommittee which decides whether or not it will be recommended. Unlikecommemorative stamps which have to undergo a tedious process, getting apersonalised My Stamp is simple and takes only a few minutes to process.
There are dozens of options forcustomers to choose from the thematic commemorative stamp which will beaccompanying their photograph. Some examples are Indian monuments such as TajMahal, Red Fort, Mysore Palace, Qutb Minar, and Hawa Mahal, flowers such asCineraria, Dahlia, Lilly and Pansy, butterflies and even Fairy Queen, theheritage locomotive of India.
Stamp
sheets with the customer’s photograph is made on submitting required documents
and payment of fee.
My Stamp is available at select post offices, philatelybureaux, philatelic museums and tourist spots. The My Stamp order
form has to be filled by the customer. Details suchas name, address, contact details and ID proof should be filled. Governmentrecognised valid ID Proof is mandatory at the time of placing the order.Photograph (square shape), which is to be added to the stamp, should not beoffensive or one that contravenes law. It can be either sent to or clicked atthe select post offices. The stamp sheets should be collected within a week. Thecost of one My Stamp sheet is Rs. 300 and each sheet has twelve stamps. Thereare discounts for those placing bulk orders. A Lok Sabha answer stated that in2016-17, postal department estimated earnings of approximately Rs. 87 croresthrough My Stamp.
Authorised
personnel should apply for corporate entities on their letter pad
As per the postal department’s website,educational institutions and corporate entities can also get their own stamp.For corporate customers, an authorised signatory has to apply along withhis/her valid ID proof on the official letter pad. Logos/images of corporateentities can also be incorporated in their stamp. It is mandatory for corporatecustomers to place an order of at least 500 sheets.
Government
provides scholarship under ‘Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana’ to promote philately
Though postage stamps were originallycreated as small pieces of paper to mark the receipt of postage, stamps serve avariety of purposes. They highlight a nation’s achievements, depict importantmilestones, promote national heritage among other things. In addition to this,there are stamps that honour eminent personalities and leaders of the country.Stamps convey a lot of valuable information about a place, person, history andculture through time. To encourage school children to collect stamps, thegovernment also awards annual scholarship of Rs. 6000 to school children under Deen Dayal SPARSH
Yojana (Scholarshipfor Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby is the full form of SPARSH).
My Stamp initiative not only acts as ameans of revenue generation for the postal department but also gives the peoplea memorable souvenir which can be cherished for a life time.

created: October 21, 2019