29-30 September 2016 eng
29 September
Former Australian cricketer Max Walker passes away
Former Australian cricketer Max Walker passed away on 28 September 2016 at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was 68.
Walker was famous for his unconventional bowling action that earned him the nickname Tangles.
About Max Walker
• Maxwell Henry Norman Walker was an Australian cricketer and Australian rules football player.
• He earned a place in the Australian cricket team in 1973 and represented his country in the sport until injury ended his career in 1981.
• Following his retirement, he worked as an architect and also commenced a career in radio and television media.
• He wrote 14 books over a period of thirty years and became a successful public speaker.
World Maritime Day observed with theme Shipping: Indispensable to the World
World Maritime Day was observed across the world on 29 September 2016. Theme for the day is shipping: indispensable to the world.
The theme was chosen to focus on the critical link between shipping and global society and to raise awareness of the relevance of the role of International Maritime Organization (IMO) as the global regulatory body for international shipping. The importance of shipping to support and sustain today's global society gives IMO's work a significance that reaches far beyond the industry itself.
Besides, to mark the 2016 World Maritime Day, a parallel event will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, from 4 to 6 November 2016.
Importance of Maritime Service
In the today’s world, maritime service supports the global economy by simplifying global trade. It helps in shipping the huge quantities of cargo in a cost-effective manner which is clean as well as safe. Maritime or shipping service also supports every country directly or indirectly to sell the products that it produces or to buy what it needs.
In short it can be said that maritime transport is the backbone of global trade and the global economy.
Establishment of a sustainable maritime transport system sector is essential to the development and growth of the world’s economy. Shipping has always provided the only cost-effective method of bulk transport over any great distance, and the development of shipping and the establishment of a global system of trade are inextricably linked.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), around 80 per cent of global trade by volume and over 70 per cent of global trade by value are carried by sea and are handled by ports worldwide.
ISRO signs MoU with Telangana to provide digital classes
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Telangana government on 28 September 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide digital classes across the state through its state channel Mana TV.
As per the MoU, the ISRO’s Development & Educational Communication Unit (DECU) will work with the state government to disseminate educational content using satellite technology.
IT Minister KT Rama Rao said that this arrangement would help the channel start coaching classes from 1 October 2016. The channel will telecast a four-hour programme daily.
Besides, about 6000 schools of the state will launch digital classes from 14 October 2016. The digital classes will provide a platform for lakhs of students and job aspirants to get quality education.
Earlier in August 2016, the states Irrigation Department signed MoU with ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) to use space technology for real-time monitoring of all water resources in the state.
Mana TV
Mana TV was an initiative started by the undivided Andhra Pradesh to provide programmes on distance education, telemedicine and agriculture extension under different channels. The state in 2006, entered into a similar agreement with ISRO.
Union Cabinet approves closure of Hindustan Cables Limited
The Union Cabinet on 28 September 2016 gave its approval for closure of Hindustan Cables Limited (HCL), Kolkata.
The approval was given as per the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956/2013, Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 and other relevant Acts.
The employees of the company will be offered attractive VRS/ VSS Package at notional 2007 pay scales and other employees’ related liabilities including payment of salary and wages from April 2015 till they are separated from the Company on VRS/VSS will be settled as well.
The disposal of assets of company will be in terms of the guidelines of Department of Public Enterprises on time bound closure of sick/loss making Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and disposal of movable and immovable assets.
Total cash infusion for closure of company will be 1309.90 crore rupees and non-cash infusion of 3467.15 crore rupees in the form of conversion into equity of Government of India's loan (including interest) outstanding as on 30 September 2016.
About Hindustan Cables Limited
• Hindustan Cables Limited (HCL) is a government-owned company that makes telecom cables in India.
• It is under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
• It was founded at Rupnarainpur in Asansol, West Bengal in 1952.
• The company’s objective was to make India self-reliant in manufacturing communications cables.
• It had four manufacturing units at Rupnarainpur (West Bengal), Hyderabad (Telengana), Naini (U.P.) and Narendrapur (West Bengal).
• HCL was profitable until 1994, but began incurring losses in 1995.
• The company was referred to the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction, which was unable to revive it.
Cuba and Russia sign agreement on Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation
Rosatom, Russian state nuclear agency, and Cuba's Ministry of Science on 27 September 2016 signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of peaceful atomic energy use.
The deal was signed by Rosatom Deputy CEO for International Relations Nikolai Spassky and Cuban Deputy Science Minister Jose Fidel Santana.
Key highlights of the agreement
• The deal was signed on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna.
• The deal lays the basis for further Russian-Cuban cooperation in different fields of peaceful atomic energy use, from agriculture to training nuclear specialists.
• Special coordinating committees and bilateral working groups will be created to facilitate the implementation of the agreement.
Indian women's Kabaddi team wins gold in Asian Beach Games
Indian women’s Kabbadi team on 28 September 2016 bagged gold medal at the 5th Asian Beach Games. In the summit clash played at Bien Dong Park in Danang, Vietnam, the team defeated Thailand 41-31.
This was fifth gold in succession for the Indian team. The Indian women's kabaddi team had been winning the gold since the inception of the biennial Games in 2008.
For Thailand, it was the fifth time in a row they had lost to India in a final.
Besides, the Indian men's beach kabaddi team settled for the Silver medal. The Indian team lost the game to arch-rivals Pakistan 28-30. India had won gold in men's beach kabaddi the 2008 and 2010 editions.
Other events and medals won by India
In Kurash, a form of wrestling originated in Uzbekistan, Amisha Tokas won silver in women’s 70kg category after losing to Nguyen Thi Lan of Vietnam in the final.
In beach bodybuilding, Manoj Kumar Majumdar won a bronze in up to 158cm category.
India has so far won six medals including one gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze, in the Games. India is now at 15th spot in the medal table headed by hosts Vietnam (25 gold, 22 silver, 27 bronze).
Indian Army conducts surgical strikes across Line of Control
Indian Army conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control. Director General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh said the motive of the operation was to hit out at the terrorists who were planning to infiltrate into the Indian Territory.
Lt General Singh informed that significant casualty was caused to terrorists during the operation. He said that it is a matter of serious concern that there have been many infiltration bids by terrorists at LoC and it was reflected in the terror attacks in Poonch and Uri on 11 September and 18 September 2016.
As per DGMO nothing was done despite India's persistent request to Pakistan not to allow territory under its control to be used for terror activities. He said Pakistan gave a commitment to India in 2004 that it will not allow its soil to be used for anti India terror activities.
Besides, he also informed that almost 20 infiltration attempts have been successfully foiled by Indian Army in 2016. India has also offered consular access to apprehended terrorists from Pakistan and finger prints and DNA samples of the terrorists killed in Uri and Poonch attacks can also be made available to the neighbouring country.
Lieutenant General Singh said, he spoke to his Pakistani counterpart to share India's concerns and told him about the surgical strikes. He said, India cannot allow terrorists to operate across the LoC.
WHO declares Region of the Americas as Measles free
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 27 September 2016 declared the Region of the Americas as Measles free. The declaration came during the 55th Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).
With this, the Americas became the first in the world to have eliminated measles, a viral disease that can cause severe health problems, including pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and even death.
This achievement marked culmination of a 22-year effort involving mass vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella throughout the Americas.
Measles is the fifth vaccine-preventable disease to be eliminated from the Americas, after eradication of smallpox in 1971, poliomyelitis in 1994, and rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in 2015.
Spread of Measles and its Elimination in the Americas
• Before mass vaccination was initiated in 1980, measles caused nearly 2.6 million annual deaths worldwide.
• In the Americas, 101800 deaths were attributable to measles between 1971 and 1979.
• However, a cost-effectiveness study on measles elimination estimated that with vaccination 3.2 million measles cases and 16000 deaths can prevented between 2000 and 2020.
• In the 1990s, a decline in measles cases was recorded, but the most notable decrease was observed after the Americas launched its initiative to eliminate measles in 1994.
• The countries of the Americas established the goal to eliminate indigenous transmission of measles by the year 2000, through the implementation of surveillance and vaccination strategies.
• The last indigenous measles outbreak was registered in Venezuela in 2002.
• However, some countries in the Region still notified imported cases. Between 2003 and 2014, 5077 imported measles cases were registered in the Americas.
• Brazil also witnessed the measles outbreak in 2013. However, after a year of targeted actions, the last case of measles in Brazil was registered in July 2015.
• Considering that the Region has sustained elimination for more than 12 years, the International Expert Committee accepted the evidence presented by the countries and declared the elimination of measles in the Americas.
About Measles
• Measles is one of the most contagious diseases and affects children primarily.
• It is transmitted by airborne droplets or via direct contact with secretions from the nose, mouth, and throat of infected individuals.
• Symptoms include high fever, generalized rash all over the body, stuffy nose, and reddened eyes.
• It can cause serious complications including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia, particularly in children with nutritional problems and in immunocompromised patients.
Union Cabinet approves ratification of Paris Agreement
The Union Cabinet on 28 September 2016 approved the ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change on 2 October 2016.
Paris Agreement gives thrust to the global actions to address climate change and pertains to post-2020 climate actions.
Significance of India's Ratification of the Paris Agreement
• India’s decision to ratify the agreement will take the number of cumulative level of emission of countries to 51.89 percent.
• With its decision to ratify the Agreement, India will be one of the key countries that will be instrumental in bringing the Paris Agreement into force.
• It will underline India’s responsive leadership in the community of nations committed to global cause of environmental protection and climate justice.
About the Paris Agreement
• The Paris Agreement was adopted by 185 nations on 12 December 2015 and India signed the Paris Agreement in New York on 22 April 2016.
• A total of 191 countries have signed to the Paris Agreement so far.
• As per the provisions of the Paris Agreement, the treaty will come into force as and when 55 countries contributing to 55 percent of total global emission ratify the agreement.
• So far, 61 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval accounting in total for 47.79 percent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions.
Infosys launches e-commerce platform Skava Commerce
Infosys on 28 September 2016 launched Skava Commerce, a modern, mobile-first and modular e-commerce platform that delivers engaging omni-channel experiences.
Skava is a Silicon Valley based e-commerce startup which was acquired by Infosys.
Highlights of the Skava Commerce Platform
• The platform can help brick-and-mortar retailers to quickly launch new offerings, improve conversion rates of traffic coming from digital channels without making large investments upfront.
• It can integrate with existing technologies while providing a future-ready architecture that will enable next generation shopping experiences leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
• It also includes a responsive web store and native mobile shopping applications that can be managed by non-technical business users through SkavaSTUDIO- a web-based experience management tool.
• For retailers who are building their own platform, Skava is offering a source code license of its platform with an aim to accelerate retailers' journey and yet have full ownership through the source code license.
R Subramania Kumar appointed Executive Director of Indian Overseas Bank
The Union Government on 29 September 2016 appointed R Subramania Kumar as Executive Director (ED) of state-owned Indian Overseas Bank.
Kumar is currently serving as the Executive Director of Indian Bank.
About Indian Overseas Bank
• Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) is a major public sector bank based in Chennai.
• It has about 3700 domestic branches, including 1150 branches in Tamil Nadu, 3 extension counters, and eight branches and offices overseas as of 30 September 2014.
• Indian Overseas Bank has an ISO certified in-house Information Technology department, which has developed the software that its branches use to provide online banking to customers.
• The bank has achieved 100% networking status as well as 100% CBS status for its branches.
• IOB also has a network of about 3300 ATMs all over India.
• IOB has branches in Singapore, Hong Kong, Colombo, Seoul, and Bangkok.
• It has representative offices in Guangzhou, Vietnam, and Dubai.
• IOB also is part-owner of a joint-venture bank in Malaysia.
Telugu writer Prof Kalakaluri Enoch conferred 29th Moortidevi Award
Noted Telugu writer Prof. Kalakaluri Enoch was on 29 September 2016 conferred with Moortidevi Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith for the year 2015 at function in New Delhi. The award was given for his novel Ananta Jeevanam.
The novel was thought-provoking and contemplative as it depicted the struggle of the weak, the downtrodden and the common man of Rayalaseema. This is the first time a Telugu writer was selected for the award.
Veteran art historian Dr Kapila Vatsyayana presented the award to Prof. Kalakaluri Enoch.
Prof. Kalakaluri Enoch
• Born on 1 July 1939, Prof. Enoch is a former vice-chancellor of SV University.
• He has been awarded the Padma Shri.
• The noted Dalit voice, poet and academician was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, in 2014 for his contributions to the field of literature.
• He has credited over 180 poems, 180 stories, 9 novels and 30 plays.
About Moorti Devi Award
• Moorti Devi award was founded by Bharatiya Jnanpith and is given away to the authors who have contributed in the field of contemporary creative writing in modern Indian languages.
• It is presented annually for a contemplative and perceptive work which expresses, underlines and illumines human values rooted in the broad vision of Indian philosophy and cultural heritage.
• Books written in English and all Indian languages are considered for the Prize, which comprises a cash award of four lakhs rupees, a Saraswati statue and a citation plaque.
Previous five recipients of Moorti Devi award are
Year |
Laureate |
Language |
Work |
2010 |
Gopi Chand Narang | Urdu | Urdu Ghazal aur Hindustani Zehn-o Tahzeeb |
2011 |
Gulab Kothari | Hindi | Ahmev Radha, Ahmev Krishnah |
2012 |
Haraprasad Das | Odia | Vamsha |
2013 |
C. Radhakrishnan | Malayalam | Theekkadal Katanhu Thirumadhuram |
2014 |
Vishwanath Tripathi | Hindi | Vyomkesh Darvesh |
Union Government decides to raise EPFO Investment in ETF from 5 to 10 per cent
The Union Government on 30 September 2016 decided to raise the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) investment in Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) from existing 5 per cent to 10 per cent.
The deision has been taken considering the good returns in ETF investment.
An official release said, in the last one year, the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has invested 6577 crore rupees. The investment has yielded a good return of 13.24 per cent.
The past performance of the last six months from April, 2016 to August, 2016 also showed gradual appreciation in the returns from 0.37 per cent in March 2016 to 13.24 per cent in August 2016. Five per cent EPF has been invested in NIFTY 50 and SENSEX.
The pattern of investment prescribed by the Ministry of Finance has given guidelines for investment in equity from 5 per cent to 15 per cent.
Myntra appoints Dipanjan Basu as Chief Financial Officer
Online fashion portal Myntra on 29 September 2016 announced the appointment of Dipanjan Basu as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
Basu’s appointment will be effective from 17 October 2016.
Who is Dipanjan Basu?
• Previously, Dipanjan Basu served as the Chief Finance & Operating Officer for Wipro’s Digital & Consulting Business where he was responsible in building and setting up new businesses, M&A and investments in startups.
• He also oversaw the finance function for the Manufacturing & Healthcare business at Wipro.
• He has been instrumental in driving billion dollar deals and leading business process re-engineering at Wipro.
• He started his career at Wipro as a young professional and built his way up to being one of the youngest Vice Presidents at Wipro.
• He also had a two year stint with Quatrro Risk Management Services where he was the CFO of the company.
• He is a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and was ranked 7th in India in the CA final exams.
About Myntra
• Myntra is an Indian e-commerce company of fashion and casual lifestyle products.
• It is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The company was founded in 2007 by Indian Institute of Technology graduates with a focus on personalisation of gift items.
• By 2010, Myntra shifted its focus to the online retailing of branded apparel.
• In May 2014, Myntra.com merged with Flipkart to compete against Amazon, which entered the Indian market in June 2013.
Shakti Sinha appointed as Director of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library
Retired IAS officer Shakti Sinha was on 29 September 2016 appointed as the Director of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML). His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
Sinha, who served in the Prime Minister's Office during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure, was also Director in India Foundation, a think tank aligned to the RSS.
The post of Director of NMML was vacant since the resignation of its previous Director Mahesh Rangarajan in the year 2015.
Comment
The appointment of Shakti Sinha as Director of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library has put to rest the controversy sparked by the inclusion of his name to the post.
Sinha’s candidature not only prompted the resignation of Executive Council Member Pratap Bhanu Mehta, but it also led to the public questioning of his credentials and his suitability to the post.
His appointment was also questioned by Nitin Desai, an economist and former under secretary general of the UN.
Union Government notifies constitution of Monetary Policy Committee
The Union Government on 29 September 2016 notified the constitution of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
The Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (RBI Act) has been amended by the Finance Act, 2016, to provide for a statutory and institutionalised framework for a Monetary Policy Committee, for maintaining price stability.
As per the provisions of the RBI Act, out of the six Members of Monetary Policy Committee, three Members will be from the RBI. The other three Members of MPC will be appointed by the Central Government.
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 45ZB of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, the Union Government has accordingly constituted the Monetary Policy Committee of RBI, with the following composition:
• The Governor of the Bank: Chairperson, ex officio
• Deputy Governor of the Bank, in charge of Monetary Policy: Member, ex officio
• One officer of the Bank to be nominated by the Central Board: Member, ex officio
• Chetan Ghate, Professor, Indian Statistical Institute (ISI): Member
• Pami Dua, Director, Delhi School of Economics (DSE): Member
• Ravindra H. Dholakia, Professor, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad: Member
The Members of the Monetary Policy Committee appointed by the Union Government will hold office for a period of four years, with immediate effect or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
About Monetary Policy Committee
• The Monetary Policy Committee will be entrusted with the task of fixing the benchmark policy rate (repo rate) required to contain inflation within the specified target level.
• A Committee-based approach for determining the Monetary Policy will add lot of value and transparency to monetary policy decisions.
• The meetings of the Monetary Policy Committee will be held at least 4 times a year and it will publish its decisions after each such meeting.
Tirupati Airport awarded Best Tourist Friendly Airport
Airports Authority of India’s Tirupati Airport on 27 September 2016 was awarded the Best Tourist Friendly Airport under the category for State Annual Excellence Awards for the year 2015-16 by Andhra Pradesh Tourism.
The award was presented on the eve of World Tourism Day by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Nara Chandra Babu Naidu at Bhawani Islands, Vijayawada.
About State Annual Tourism Excellence Awards
• The State Annual Tourism Excellence Awards under various segments of Travel and Tourism Industry are awarded by Department of Tourism, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
• They are awarded for maintaining excellent Customer friendly relations with tourists and passengers, coinciding with World Tourism Day Celebrations.
About Tirupati Airport
• Tirupati Airport was established in the year 1976.
• It is a public airport located at Renigunta, a suburb of Tirupati in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
• The airport is located 14 km away from Tirupati and 39 km from Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala.
West Bengal government decides to install Monorail
West Bengal government has decided to install monorail from Budge Budge in South 24-Parganas to Ruby Connector in Kolkata. This was informed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on 29 September 2016.
The 14-kilometre-long monorail route will connect Budge Budge to Ruby via Taratala, New Alipore and Prince Anwar Shah Road and will come up at a cost of 4216 crore rupees. This new service will also connect commuters to the proposed metro rail network between New Garia to Kolkata airport.
For execution of the monorail project, the state transport department will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Burn Standard Company Limited. Burn Standard Company Limited will be funding the project and the state government will provide land for the purpose.
The Chief Minister said that there would not be any problem over land acquisition as minimum land would be required to construct pillars and elevated tracks would be laid connecting them.
Other happenings in the state
CNG run vehicles in Asansol-Durgapur area
The West Bengal environment department has taken up an initiative to run CNG run vehicles in Asansol-Durgapur area. It was decided to introduce the environment friendly transport in the industrial and trading hubs. The change from the present system of running the public transport system will be implemented in phases. In the first phase 500 state run buses will be asked to convert into CNG.
Apart from this fleet of South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) run buses, the state will ask at least 2000 auto rickshaw operators in the Durgapur-Asansol area to opt for CNG. The state environment department will give 5 crore rupees to the state transport department for the conversion.
Hooghly declared as an open-defecation free
The Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared Hooghly as an open-defecation free (ODF) district at the administrative meeting in Chinsurah. North 24 parganas was also declared as an ODF district. Nadia was declared as the country’s first ODF district, on 30th April 2015.
The State Panchayat and Rural Development Department has taken steps to make all the districts in West Bengal open-defecation free by March 2019. 30 April is celebrated as “Nirmal Bangla Dibas” in the State every year.
Railways Ministry launches various Railways Services
Railways Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on 29 September 2016 launched various Railways Services and dedicated them to the nation. These Railways services are:
• Liberalised station to station special freight rates policy.
• Policy providing sub quota of 33% to women within reserved categories for the allotment in catering units.
• Policy giving preference to local domicile holders for commercial licenses at stations.
• New system of allocating vacant berths after final charting to wayside stations.
• Launch of the new tag Train at a Glance 2016 and new Time Table effective from 1 October 2016.
Liberalised station to station special freight rates policy
• Existing as well as new traffic shall be eligible.
• Concession shall be granted up to a maximum of 30 percent on the incremental traffic over and above the benchmark NTKM.
• Concession shall be in the form of percentage discount over the Normal Tariff Rate (NTR). It should be ensured that the concessional freight should not be less than the NTR of Class 100.
• Concession shall be admissible to Block rake, two/multi point rake, Mini Rake etc.
• Concession may be granted for retention of traffic also up to maximum of 15 percent.
• STS scheme will be applicable for all terminals namely goods sheds, sidings, ports, CRTs, PFTOs etc.
• Commodities excluded from STS are - All commodities with classification below Class-100, All commodities under Main Commodity Head Coal & Coke, Iron ore, Military traffic, POL and RMC.
Policy providing sub quota of 33% to women for the allotment in catering units
• A Sub Quota of 33 percent for women in allotment of the reserved catering units was introduced in order to extend economic empowerment for women.
• This will ensure allotment of minimum 8 percent stalls to women at A1, A, B & C category station and minimum 17 percent allotment at D, E and F category station.
• There are approximately 8000 Minor Catering Units over Indian Railways.
• Under this provision, Railways shall ensure that women participation does not fall below a specific level.
Policy giving preference to local domicile holders for commercial licenses at stations
• In compliance of Budget Announcement 2016-17, a process of giving weightage to district Domicile Holders for commercial licenses at stations is being proliferated at all stations over Indian Railways.
• It would help to build local ownership and rural empowerment along with socio-economic development.
• The weightage to district domicile holders is being proliferated for allotment of Catering Units at all categories of stations.
• It will ensure protection of livelihood of the small vendors.
• The allotment of Minor Units over Indian Railways will ensure local ownership and will also promote regional / local cuisine, which is always a preferred choice.
Transfer of vacant berths for optimal utilisation of berths
• This facility of transfer of berths remaining vacant after second charting at the train originating station to the next and subsequent stations will clear the way for the waitlisted passengers at such stations.
• The PRS system will automatically allot vacant berths available at the originating stations after preparation of second chart to the subsequent stations where waitlisted passengers are available.
• The passenger will get SMS on his registered mobile indicating the coach and berth number allotted.
• This will help passengers boarding at road side stations to get confirmed berths.
• The TTEs will be able to allot vacant berths on board after departure of the train only upto the next station where quota is available for the train.
• At present about 3 lakh berths per year go unutilised while there may be demand at intermediate stations.