Now, students can take loan online

For students who are seeking education loan can now take go to vidyalakshmi.co.in, a website launched by the government recently for the benefit of the students. Five banks IDBI, Bank of India, SBI have integrated their system with the portal.

The portal has been developed and maintained by NSDL e-governance infrastructure limited (NSDL e-Gov) under the guidance of department of financial services, department of higher education, Ministry Of Human Resource Development and India Banks Association. Under the educational loan scheme of Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Karyakram (PMVLK), no student will miss out higher education due to lack of funds. The launch of the portal is the first step to achieving the objective. “Vidya Lakshmi portal is the first of its kind portal providing single window for students to access information and make applications for educational loans provided by banks as also government scholarships,” the release issued by the finance ministry said.

The portal will have information on the loan schemes provided by different banks, common educational loan application form for students, facility to apply to multiple banks for educational loans, facility to check the loan processing status, and linkage to National Scholarship Portal for information and application for government scholarships.

Finance ministry has informed that 13 banks have registered 22 educational loan schemes on the portal and five banks have integrated their system with the portal for providing loan processing status to the students.

Matriculation mandatory to contest panchayat polls

To contest the Panchayat Polls, the BJP Government had made it mandatory for the male candidates to have minimum education of class x for filing nomination papers and women and schedule candidates to have minimum qualification till class VIII.

On the mandate issued by the BJP Government, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has claimed that 71 per cent of Haryanvis would not be able to contest panchayat polls if the state government’s decision to fix minimum qualification for filing nomination papers was implemented.

According to Hooda, the number will exceed in the schedule castes category. He believes as many as 62 per cent men and 83 per cent women from SCs will not be able to contest the election. He emphasised that people should be informed about the laws 5 years in advance.

The BJP Government had decided to amend the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, making it mandatory for candidates for panchayat elections to have basic educational qualification of class

National Workshop on 'Emerging Trends in Information Technology in University Management

Silchar: National Institute of Technology Silchar is organizing a National Workshop on “Emerging Trends in Information Technology in University Management” on August 25-27, 2015 at NIT Silchar, Assam. It is being jointly organized by NIT Silchar, in association with AIU, New Delhi. The workshop is meant for Senior Administrative Officials of Higher Educational Institutes.

The phenomenal growth of information and application of IT in the form of high degree of computerization and transmission of electronic information has changed the basic structure and functioning of university level institutions in some of the developed countries. Even in the developing countries effective functioning of universities in the present era is conditioned by automation and computerization of management. Although projects of automation and modernization through use of computers have tremendously speeded up activities like transactions, management, decision making in corporate sector of India, universities are still lagging behind in this area.  The use of computer and application of IT in the administration, finance, examination, teaching, learning process etc. in the universities are still at initial stages. Time has come when application of IT is inevitable, if the universities have to realize their goals effectively. This requires not only suitable infrastructure but also trained managers in the said areas.

Present workshop will provide opportunities for senior administrators/ managers/ finance officers of university level institutions to learn as well as deliberate on the issues related to use of computer and application of information technology in the administration and management of universities in India. Around 35 Senior Administrative Officials ie. Deputy Director, Registrar, COE, & Finance officers from all over India are attending the programme.

The objectives of the workshop are:

Ø  To sensitize administrators about the recent developments in information technology.

Ø  To train the administrators in the use of computers and application of IT for improving the quality and efficiency of university management and decision-making.

The main themes of the workshop are:

·         Present status of universities in terms of acquisition and use of the recent developments in the information technology (IT) for improving the administration, and teaching learning process.

·         Environment within the universities for accepting the challenges arising out of the application of information technologies in administration, and academics.

·         Planning for application of information technology in realizing the goals of the university.

·         Assessment of training needs for various uses of computers and application of information technologies in administrative, pedagogical and research activities of universities and software requirements thereof.

·         Use and application of IT in the university management and administration.

 

Methodology for the Workshop is:

Participants will be given the benefit of both theory and practical training during three days of the programme.  Every day a theory session will be followed by instructor led session and hands-on practical session in the computer lab.

It is expected that this three day training, will make the participants well versed in use of computers and application of other information technologies required for modernizing the functioning and effective management of their universities and their work

Hollow promise of 'special status'

Given that economic benefits under the ‘Special Category’ status are minimal and have been diluted over the years, States would be better off seeking a special package

A number of States have staked their claim for the ‘Special Category’ status in recent years. The issue has again taken centre stage following the Union Planning Minister Rao Inderjit Singh’s reply to a pointer in the Lok Sabha on July 31, 2015 that the question of granting such status to any State does not arise. The reason given by the Minister was that the Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC) had increased the tax devolution to States from 32 per cent to 42 per cent of the divisible pool of central taxes obviating the need for specific categorising. Given the emotive discourse around the demand, understanding the issues involved in it will facilitate a dispassionate stand on the subject both by the Union government and the States.

Under the ‘D.R. Gadgil formula’ for the distribution of central plan assistance, which became operational during the fourth Five Year Plan, the requirements of Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Nagaland were to be met first and the balance of central assistance distributed to the remaining States based on certain criteria.

At the time of the formulation of the fifth Five Year Plan, it was decided to include Himachal Pradesh, other Northeastern States and Sikkim in the above category. For the first time, these 10 States were categorised as ‘Special Category States’ to distinguish them from others. Later on, Uttarakhand was accorded the ‘Special Category’.

Traits for categorisation

‘Special Category’ status had been granted in the past by the Union government to States having certain characteristics based on the recommendations of the National Development Council. These included i) hilly terrain; ii) low population density and/or sizeable share of tribal population; iii) strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries; iv) economic and infrastructure backwardness; and v) non-viable nature of State finances.

Under the revised Gadgil-Mukherjee formula, which was in operation till 2014-15, 30 per cent of the normal central assistance was earmarked for ‘Special Category States’ and the remaining 70 per cent to General Category States. ‘Special Category States’ were entitled to get such assistance in the grant-loan ratio of 90:10 as compared with 30:70 ratio for other States.

In addition to their earmarked share in normal central assistance, special plan assistance for projects (90 per cent grant) and untied special central assistance (100 per cent grant) were being given only to ‘Special Category States’. Other benefits to ‘Special Category States’ include assistance for externally-aided projects in the grant-loan ratio of 90:10, whereas such assistance to other States is on back-to-back basis.

Under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), ‘Special Category States’ get 90 per cent of the project cost as grant as compared with 25 per cent grant for others. The matching contribution in respect of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) is usually lower for ‘Special Category States’, more particularly, for those in the Northeastern region.

Though all the ‘Special Category States’ are provided with central incentives for the promotion of industries, there is no explicit linkage between the incentives and the special status. The package of incentives is different for the States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand and the States located in the Northeastern region. These packages have more to do with their backwardness than the status.

Progressive dilution

Several changes over the years, more particularly those introduced in the Union Budget 2015-16, have resulted in considerable dilution of benefits to the ‘Special Category States’. The loan component of normal plan assistance was dispensed with in 2005-06 and since then such assistance is being given only in the form of grants to all States, including those in the general category. Following this, the share of ‘Special Category States’ in total normal central assistance has been around 56 per cent from 2005-06 onwards. But the share of normal central assistance in total plan assistance, which was the predominant channel of central plan assistance to States, had come down to about 15 per cent with the proliferation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), with resultant dilution of the benefit of untied grants to States. Following the increase in tax devolution to States from 32 to 42 per cent of divisible pool of central taxes, the Centre has dispensed with normal plan assistance, special central assistance and special plan assistance from 2015-16 onwards.

There are very few externally aided projects in the ‘Special Category States’. The Union Budget 2015-16 has drastically reduced the allocations under AIBP from Rs.8,992 crore in 2014-15 to just Rs.1,000 crore. AIBP is now included in the list of schemes to be run with higher matching contribution by States.

The ‘Special Category’ status is not so special anymore following the above changes. The only attraction that remains is the benefit of assistance for externally aided projects (90 per cent grant). But even this will be of limited benefit if any new state is accorded special category for a limited period of five years or so as disbursal of external assistance cannot be substantial in such a limited period. The benefit of lower matching contribution for ‘Special Category States’ for CSS is unlikely to be substantial with the reduction of assistance to State plans by over 40 per cent to Rs.1,96,743 crore in 2015-16.

New criteria

Following the demand for Special Status by Bihar, a committee was appointed under Dr. Raghuram Rajan in 2013. This committee suggested that States classified as ‘Special Category States’ and those seeking inclusion in that category, would find that their need for funds and special attention more than adequately met by a basic allocation to each State and the categorisation of some as ‘least developed’.

Furthermore, it is not politically feasible to consider special status to any new State as any such decision will result in demands from other States and dilute the benefits further. It is also not economically beneficial for States to seek special status as the benefits under the current dispensation are minimal. States facing special problems will be better off seeking a special package.

G. R. Reddy (grreddy45@gmail.com) is a retired official of Indian Economic Service

Keywords: economic benefits, special category status, Fourteenth Finance Commission, fifth Five Year Plan, D.R. Gadgil formula

Aug 26 2015 : The Economic Times (Delhi) the Speaking tree - The Dharma Body THICH NHAT HANH   Before passing away , the Buddha told his monks, “My friends, this is only my physical body . My Dharma body will be with you for as long as you continue to practice. Take refuge in the Dharma. Take refuge in the island of Self. The Buddha is there.“ His statement was very clear. If you touch the living Dharma body (Dharmakaya), you will not complain that you were born more than 2,500 years after the Buddha and have no chance to see him or study with him.The Dharmakaya of the Buddha is always present, always alive. Wherever there is compassion and understanding, the Buddha is there, and we can see and touch him. Buddha as the living Dharma is sometimes called Vairochana. He is made of light, flowers, joy and peace, and we can walk with him, sit with him and take his hand. As we enter the realm of Avatamsaka, it is Vairochana Buddha we encounter. In the Avatamsaka realm, there is a lot of light. The Buddha and the bodhisattvas are all made of light. Let yourself be touched by the light, which is the enlightenment of the Buddha. Allow yourself to be transformed by the light. Mindfulness is light. When you practice waking meditation alone, enjoying each step deeply , you emit the light of mindfulness, joy and peace. Let us enter the Avatamsaka realm together and enjoy it. Later, we can open the door for others to come, too.

Economic and Political Weekly: Table of Contents

A Legal Vacuum

Vol - L No. 34, August 22, 2015 

• Editorials

The Supreme Court has failed to protect citizens from government illegality on Aadhaar.

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• 0 Comments

Grinding Wheels of Justice

Vol - L No. 34, August 22, 2015 

• Editorials

The judgments in the Katara murder and Uphaar fire cases show that justice delayed is justice denied.

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