Standards of Operating Procedures (SOP) on membership of professional bodies and re-imbursement of membership fee.

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (BHARAT SARKAR)
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (RAIL MANTRALAYA)
RAILWAY BOARD

NO.E (G)/ 2012/FE-01-3(SOP)

New Delhi, Date: 21-08-2012.

The General Managers,
All Indian Railways/Production Units,
(As per standard list).

Sub: Standards of Operating Procedures (SOP) on membership of professional bodies and re-imbursement of membership fee.

Ref: Board’s letter of even number dated 13-07-2011.

   Several Instructions have been issued from time to time on the subject of recognition of reputed professional Institutions/Societies (both national and International) and on the procedures, terms and conditions governing such re-imbursement with an objective to encourage Railway personnel take membership and avail of re-imbursement to the tune of 90% of membership fee.

Online Entrance Examinations for Management.

   The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has conducted online National Level Common Management Admission Test 2012 (CMAT) for facilitating institutions to select suitable students for admission in all management programs approved by AICTE for year 2012-13. AICTE will conduct CMAT twice in a year for admission in AICTE approved institutions for session 2013-14. A computerized Common Admission Test (CAT) for admission to Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) has also been conducting by IIMs since 2009. Being autonomous institutions, the entire process of conducting exam is coordinated centrally by IIMs. The Director Forum takes overall policy decision regarding CAT examination.

Expanding Use of Electronic Payment System by Banks.

   For extending banking facilities to the large section of hitherto uncovered population, PSBs and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) have decided to increase the number of ATMs with emphasis on rural and semi-urban areas.

   The Government, with the objective of providing cost and time efficient mode of banking, has been taking a number of initiatives to promote electronic payment system, which inter-alia include getting interchange charges on ATM transaction reduced, advising Public Sector Banks (PSBs) to make National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) transactions upto Rs.1 lakh free of charge, issuing debit cards to all customers, etc.