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Centre could hike minimum pay beyond pay panel recommendation but won’t give arrears

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Pay panel

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]National Anomaly Committee (NAC) is likely to recommend hiking minimum pay to Rs 21,000 with fitment factor to three times

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is considering a hike in minimum pay beyond the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission of 7th CPC for the central government employees.

However, while the government may raise minimum pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000 per month and fitment factor to three times, it would not give arrears on revised minimum pay under the 7th Pay Commission. According to reports, financial advisors to the government are of the view that arrears on higher minimum pay will bring an extra burden on the exchequer.

The Centre is worried after a decline in country’s GDP growth and doesn’t want to further stress the exchequer by giving arrears on minimum pay under the 7th Pay Commission, reported the Sen Times. The National Anomaly Committee (NAC), formed to look into the anomalies in the 7th Pay Commission recommendations’ implementation, is likely to recommend hiking minimum pay to Rs 21,000 with fitment factor to three times.

“The financial advisers of the government believe it could be tough to give arrears of the hike in pay as the government has been worried after the April-June GDP growth slipped to a three-year low of 5.7 percent bu the government believes it will bounce back in the second quarter. Among others, it observed that this year’s fiscal math is already stressed as public spending was front-loaded to offset slower private sector participation and cushion the impact of GST roll-out,” a Finance Ministry official was quoted as saying.

The Union Cabinet approved the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission or 7th CPC on pay hike and allowances on June 28 last year, raising the minimum pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000 per month and fitment factor to 2.57 times. The 7th Pay Commission, which was poised to have cost the Centre Rs 1.02 lakh crore, would cast a heavy toll on the exchequer, claim critics. The release of arrears would further stress the exchequer.

Meanwhile, the government has asked the NAC to go ahead for a hike in basic pay with fitment factor 3.00, a top official of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, said quoting Finance Ministry sources. The Union Cabinet is expected to take up the issue of raising minimum pay beyond the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission by the end of January 2018.

Central government employees have been demanding to raise minimum pay from Rs 18,000 to Rs 26,000 under the 7th Pay Commission.

(With agency inputs)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Rahul Gandhi says air pollution in North India a national emergency, tourism declining, global reputation crumbling

“We need a collective national response, not political blame games,” the Congress leader said on his X handle.

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Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the air pollution in North India is a national emergency that needs a collective national response and not a political blame game. The Congress leader added that due to air pollution tourism is declining and “our global reputation is crumbling”.

It is a public health crisis that is stealing children’s future and suffocating the elderly, Gandhi said, adding an environmental and economic disaster that is ruining countless lives.

“As Parliament meets in a few days, MPs will all be reminded of the crisis by our irritated eyes and sore throats. It is our responsibility to come together and discuss how India can end this crisis once and for all,” the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said.

The former Congress chief said the poorest “among us suffer the most”, unable to escape the toxic air surrounding them. Families are gasping for clean air, children are falling sick, and millions of lives are being cut short, he added.

The Rae Bareli MP noted that the pollution cloud covers hundreds of kilometres. He said cleaning it up will require major changes and decisive action from governments, companies, experts, and citizens.

“We need a collective national response, not political blame games,” the Congress leader said on his X handle.

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Indian Navy submarine collides with fishing boat near Goa coast, 2 fishermen missing

A spokesperson from the Navy told the media that eleven crew have been rescued so far.

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Indian Navy submarine collides with fishing boat near Goa coast, 2 fishermen missing

Indian Navy officials on Friday said that an Indian fishing vessel with a crew of 13 collided with an Indian Naval submarine near the Goa coast. 

Following the incident, a massive search and rescue operation has been launched by the Indian Navy, which has deployed six ships and aircraft. Reportedly, while 11 crew have been rescued, two are still missing.

The Ministry of Defence issued a statement and said that the vessel, Marthoma, collided with a Scorpene-class submarine about 70 nautical miles off the Goa coast. It added that search and rescue efforts for the remaining two are underway and are being coordinated with Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Mumbai (MRCC). It further mentioned that additional assets including from the Coast Guard have been diverted to the area to augment the efforts.

The statement said that the cause of the incident is being investigated. Notably, Scorpene-class submarines are a major part of India’s naval power in the Indian Ocean as they can undertake multifarious types of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance.

Reports said that the state-of-the-art technology utilised for the construction of the Scorpene-class submarines has ensured superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimized shape and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons. Furthermore, the attack can be launched with both torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on the surface.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy in its statement said that 13 crew members were aboard the fishing vessel at the time of the collision. It added that while 11 crew have been rescued so far, two fishermen are still reported missing.

A spokesperson from the Navy told the media that eleven crew have been rescued so far. He stated that search and rescue efforts for the remaining two crew members of Marthoma are in progress and are being coordinated with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Mumbai. Additional assets including from the Coast Guard have been diverted to the area to augment the efforts, he continued.

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10 Naxalites killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma

The District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) continue their search operation in the area.

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Ten Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Friday.

The confrontation started in the morning within a forest area under the jurisdiction of the Bhejji police station, where a joint operation was being conducted by security personnel as part of an anti-Naxalite initiative, according to Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P. 

This operation was initiated following intelligence regarding the presence of Maoists connected to the Konta and Kistaram area committees, situated in the forested regions around Korajguda, Dantespuram, Nagaram, and Bhandarpadar villages.

So far, the bodies of ten Naxalites have been recovered at the scene. Additionally, a significant cache of weapons was seized, including an INSAS rifle, an AK-47, and a Self Loading Rifle (SLR). 

The District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) continue their search operation in the area. This incident contributes to the year-to-date total of 207 Naxalite fatalities recorded in various clashes across the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, comprising seven districts. 

On Wednesday, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital, North Block. Their discussion focused on developmental progress in Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh and efforts aimed at enhancing peace and stability in these regions. 

The Chief Minister emphasised that both the state government and security forces are diligently working to eradicate Naxal influence in Chhattisgarh, aligning with the Union Home Minister’s commitment to eliminate Naxalism by 2026.

“I met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and updated him about the Naxal activities in Chhattisgarh. Over the past 11 months, close to 200 Naxals have been neutralized, and approximately 600-700 have surrendered. We are making significant strides towards the goal set by the Prime Minister and Home Minister to achieve a Naxal-free India by March 2026,” CM Sai told reporters following the meeting.

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