- Two IAS officers appointed Director Census Operations Four officers laterally shifted to MHA, NITI & DFS Sinking BSNL set to get a fresh lease of life Ministry of Defence: Reddy prematurely repatriated IAS officer set to join Uber India at a salary & perks of 03 Crs a year Mismanagement and Cover-up: US halts funding to WHO IRS (C&CE): Demise of a service Resignation of IAS Rani Nagar turned down, may get home cadre Crumbling Rajkot citadel! No gyan ki baat, only kam ki baat! Resident Commissioners unite to help people in general; like a cadre in itself Secretary, Aayush gets another extension NTCA: Verma’s tenure extended NCSC: Smita S Chaudhary’s tenure extended NABARD: Chintala is new Chairman; Shaji and Suryakumar appointed as DMD WHO: Dr Harsh Vardhan set to take charge as Chairman of Executive Board LBSNAA: Nandini Paliwal gets extension CVC asks to complete prob against govt officials before retirement MoHFW: Sharma’s tenure as JS extended Term of upgradation of ten JS and AS level posts extended CCEA approves ex-post facto approval for interest waiver of HOCL Cabinet nod for Jammu & Kashmir Adaptation of State Laws MP transfers Khandwa DM and SP for spike in COVID-19 case Punjab CM apparently meets legislators to buy peace over CS? Shipping: K K Aggarwal repatriates prematurely Coal: Reena Sinha Puri repatriates prematurely NBCC observes Anti-Terrorism Day Now or Never: Swamy cautions Uddhav to break alliance Congress finds a sea of opportunities for revival in COVID crises and distressed migrant labourers Appointment of eight foreign postings including Geneva, Brussels WDC likely this week Land Resources: Vijay Prakash prematurely repatriated Maharashtra hands over five of its hospitals to four IAS officers EMRS: Sonalkar appointed as Joint Commissioner Tourism: R K Sahu appointed as DS/Director Is Baghel Government inching towards trouble with its lieutenants under surveillance Brazen discrimination in Railway Board: Is PMO watching? NTPC-ONGC sign MoU to start a Joint Venture for Renewable Energy business Andhra HC revokes suspension of former state intelligence chief UP STF arrests a man for facilitating transfers of IAS and IPS CBI alerts: Beware of malicious softwares and mobile apps HIL to supply pesticides to Iran and some other countries J&K: Demographic change Vs course correction Biggest plant conservation report of its kind released: Will it cure Plant Blindness as well?
PSUs
SCOPE: 7th Webinar Series on Arbitration and Future of Virtual Hearings
Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE), organized 7th webinar series 2020 on “Issues in Arbitration and Future of Virtual Hearings”. The webinar deliberated upon critical issues of arbitration arising in PSEs and how the disruptions due to COVID-19 are being converted as opportunities to explore technological and digital means to conduct hearings.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru, Judge Gaurav Pachnanda, Delhi High Court, Senior Advocate Shourav Lahiri, Supreme Court of India and Barrister-at-law, London, addressed the webinar including Atul Sobti, Director General, SCOPE gave the opening remarks and Anuj Aggarwal, Member (HR), Airport Authority of India gave the closing remarks.
Justice, Vibhu Bakhru stated that law metamorphosizes itself all the time and in the times to come, arbitration is bound to grow and develop as it ensures expeditious disposal of cases. He emphasized that for arbitration to succeed as one of the modes of dispute settlement, institutes such as SFCA need to be strengthened. He added that virtual hearings in arbitration are a reality and despite the challenges being faced, arbitrators need to train as it may soon become the norm.
In addition to this, judge Pachnanda, said that the true challenge lies in the context of trials and lawyers will require both time and practice to become comfortable with it.
On the other hand, Lahiri, talked about International best practices being followed for selection of arbitrators and added that in International arbitration, virtual hearings have been followed for a long time as they expedite the process and are cost-effective.
Atul Sobti, address that India has improved in Ease of Doing Business rankings as the government has taken a series of steps to make India an investment hub but steps need to be taken in the area of enforcing of contracts. He also talked about SFCA’s role and the future of arbitration through virtual arbitration.
The interactive session received an overwhelming response by over 500 participants including board members, Legal heads and other senior members of PSEs. Participants were also apprised about the role of SCOPE Forum of Conciliation and Arbitration (SFCA) in institutional Arbitration.
Air India pilot unions threaten not to support airline’s normal operations
Though the government has brought every state onboard for allowing domestic flight operations, Air India pilot unions IPG and ICPA threatened they might not be able to extend support to the airline’s ‘normal operations’ and in the matter of flight duty and time limitations (FDTL). They have alleged that financial and other issues of employees remain unresolved.
These unions representing pilots operating Boeing and Airbus aircraft of the airline in a joint letter to the personnel department sought to know the outcome of the various cost-cutting measures that Air India initiated in March to deal with its precarious finances.
The IPG and ICPA letter comes ahead of the resumption of commercial passenger services on domestic routes from May 25, which were suspended about two months ago along with international services in the wake of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdown imposed by the government on March 25.
Air India had announced a host of measures to reduce costs, including withdrawing special allowances for pilots and other facilities for its officials, a 10 percent deduction in allowances (excluding basic pay, HRA and variable dearness allowance) in respect of all employees, except cabin crew, for a period of three months effective from March.
SCOPE: 7th Webinar Series on Arbitration and Future of Virtual Hearings
By IndianMandarins 6 hours ago
Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE), organized 7th webinar series 2020 on “Issues in Arbitration and Future of Virtual Hearings”. The webinar deliberated upon critical issues of arbitration arising in PSEs and how the disruptions due to COVID-19 are being converted as opportunities to explore technological and digital means to conduct hearings.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru, Judge Gaurav Pachnanda, Delhi High Court, Senior Advocate Shourav Lahiri, Supreme Court of India and Barrister-at-law, London, addressed the webinar including Atul Sobti, Director General, SCOPE gave the opening remarks and Anuj Aggarwal, Member (HR), Airport Authority of India gave the closing remarks.
Justice, Vibhu Bakhru stated that law metamorphosizes itself all the time and in the times to come, arbitration is bound to grow and develop as it ensures expeditious disposal of cases. He emphasized that for arbitration to succeed as one of the modes of dispute settlement, institutes such as SFCA need to be strengthened. He added that virtual hearings in arbitration are a reality and despite the challenges being faced, arbitrators need to train as it may soon become the norm.
In addition to this, judge Pachnanda, said that the true challenge lies in the context of trials and lawyers will require both time and practice to become comfortable with it.
On the other hand, Lahiri, talked about International best practices being followed for selection of arbitrators and added that in International arbitration, virtual hearings have been followed for a long time as they expedite the process and are cost-effective.
Atul Sobti, address that India has improved in Ease of Doing Business rankings as the government has taken a series of steps to make India an investment hub but steps need to be taken in the area of enforcing of contracts. He also talked about SFCA’s role and the future of arbitration through virtual arbitration.
The interactive session received an overwhelming response by over 500 participants including board members, Legal heads and other senior members of PSEs. Participants were also apprised about the role of SCOPE Forum of Conciliation and Arbitration (SFCA) in institutional Arbitration.
Air India pilot unions threaten not to support airline’s normal operations
By IndianMandarins 11 hours ago
Though the government has brought every state onboard for allowing domestic flight operations, Air India pilot unions IPG and ICPA threatened they might not be able to extend support to the airline’s ‘normal operations’ and in the matter of flight duty and time limitations (FDTL). They have alleged that financial and other issues of employees remain unresolved.
These unions representing pilots operating Boeing and Airbus aircraft of the airline in a joint letter to the personnel department sought to know the outcome of the various cost-cutting measures that Air India initiated in March to deal with its precarious finances.
The IPG and ICPA letter comes ahead of the resumption of commercial passenger services on domestic routes from May 25, which were suspended about two months ago along with international services in the wake of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdown imposed by the government on March 25.
Air India had announced a host of measures to reduce costs, including withdrawing special allowances for pilots and other facilities for its officials, a 10 percent deduction in allowances (excluding basic pay, HRA and variable dearness allowance) in respect of all employees, except cabin crew, for a period of three months effective from March.
HIL to supply pesticides to Iran and some other countries
By IndianMandarins 11 hours ago
NTPC-ONGC sign MoU to start a Joint Venture for Renewable Energy business
By IndianMandarins 23 May 2020
NBCC observes Anti-Terrorism Day
By IndianMandarins 22 May 2020
NBCC India Ltd, a Navratna CPSE, has observed Anti-Terrorism Day on May 21, 2020 at its Delhi office by administering a pledge against terrorism. P K Gupta, CMD; Rajendra Chaudhari, Director (Commercial); Neelesh Shah, Director (Projects) accompanied by other senior executives of NBCC administered the Anti-Terrorism Pledge at its Corporate Office, New Delhi.
CCEA approves ex-post facto approval for interest waiver of HOCL
By IndianMandarins 21 May 2020
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its ex-post facto approval for waiver of interest of Rs.7.59 crore on the government loans of Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd (HOCL) as on March 31, 2005. This was in addition to the ‘waiver of penal interest and interest on interest up to March 31, 2005’ which was approved by the CCEA in March, 2006 under the rehabilitation package for HOCL. Ex-post facto approval will also enable HOCL to settle pending CAG audit observation in the matter. The CCEA was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As this is an almost 10-year-old case, the interest amount of Rs.7.59 crore has already been written off in the books of accounts of the government and HOCL and the interest amount involved is not substantial. It would be expedient at this stage to regularise the waiver of interest of Rs.7.59 crore on GoI loans as on March 31, 2005.
NABARD: Chintala is new Chairman; Shaji and Suryakumar appointed as DMD
By IndianMandarins 20 May 2020
The NaMo administration on Tuesday appointed Govinda Rajulu Chintala as new Chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) till his superannuation on 31.07.2022. Presently, he is Chief General Manager, NABARD.
Further, Shaji K V (GM, Canara Bank) and P V S Suryakumar (CGM, NABARD) was appointed to the post of Deputy Managing Director, NABARD. Shaji’s term of appointment will be for a period of five years whereas Suryakumar will have a tenure till retirement i.e. 31.07.2023.
IRCON and RZD International Russia, sign MoU for joint development of Infrastructure projects
By IndianMandarins 15 May 2020
Ircon International Limited (IRCON), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with RZD International LLC, a subsidiary of state-owned Russian Railways Company to explore opportunities for joint development of railways and other infrastructure projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
As per the MoU, both parties have agreed to form a joint Indian – Russian working group. This group will look into ways of developing a strong partnership to coordinate, plan, and subsequently implement projects in the field of railways and other infrastructure not only in India but also in countries of mutual interest.
The MoU was signed by Parag Verma, Chief General Manager (Business Development), IRCON International Limited and Sergey Stolyarov, Provisional Director-General of RZD International LLC.
Commenting on the MOU IRCON CMD S K Chaudhary said, “IRCON has been constantly looking to establish a strong partnership with the companies, wherein we can mutually benefit from our expertise. This MOU is a step towards building a long term business relationship which will help us to enhance our presence in different geographies’’.