Railway Accounts Department Examinations

Saturday, October 26, 2024

FRBM Act 2003 - Bilingual

 

FRBM Act - Fiscal Responsibility & Budget Management Act

Key Points

  • Enacted in the year: 2003

  • Objectives

  1. Reduction of Fiscal deficit 

  2. Helps in Financial discipline, stable inflation & interest rates

  3. Improve Macroeconomic management

  4. Achieve Long-economic stability 

  5. Public Accountability: It promotes transparency in government finances, ensuring public accountability for fiscal policies.

  • Fiscal Deficit Target: Limit fiscal deficit to 3% of the GDP by 31.03.2021

  • Revenue Deficit Elimination: Ensure that the revenue deficit is reduced to zero.

  • Fiscal Deficit: The difference between a government's total expenditure and its total revenue, excluding money from borrowing.

  • Revenue Deficit: The shortfall in the government’s revenue receipts compared to its revenue expenditure.

  • The Difference between Fiscal and Revenue is the Fiscal relates Total transactions, whereas Revenue relates Revenue transactions only

  • Debt Targets: Reduce total government debt as a proportion of GDP. (40% of GDP by 2024-25)

  • Expenditure Control: Focuses on rationalizing government expenditure to ensure sustainability.

  • Fiscal Transparency: Government must provide clear data on fiscal policies and their outcomes. 

  •  Escape Clauses: Allows temporary deviation from fiscal deficit targets in cases like natural disasters, national security, or severe economic downturns.

  • Target Misses: The set targets have often been revised or missed, especially due to economic slowdowns or other emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • State-Level FRBM Acts: Several Indian states have their own versions of the FRBM Act, aligning with the central goals but allowing for state-specific fiscal policies.

-end-


एफआरबीएम अधिनियम - राजकोषीय उत्तरदायित्व एवं बजट प्रबंधन अधिनियम


मुख्य बिंदु

  • वर्ष 2003 में अधिनियमित

  • उद्देश्य:

  • राजकोषीय घाटे में कमी

  • वित्तीय अनुशासन, स्थिर मुद्रास्फीति और ब्याज दरों में मदद करता है

  • मैक्रोइकॉनॉमिक प्रबंधन में सुधार

  • दीर्घ-आर्थिक स्थिरता प्राप्त करना

  • सार्वजनिक जवाबदेही: यह सरकारी वित्त में पारदर्शिता को बढ़ावा देता है, राजकोषीय नीतियों के लिए सार्वजनिक जवाबदेही सुनिश्चित करता है।

  • राजकोषीय घाटा लक्ष्य: 31.03.2021 तक राजकोषीय घाटे को सकल घरेलू उत्पाद के 3% तक सीमित करना

  • राजस्व घाटा उन्मूलन: सुनिश्चित करें कि राजस्व घाटा शून्य हो जाए।

  • राजकोषीय घाटा: सरकार के कुल व्यय और उसके कुल राजस्व के बीच का अंतर, उधार से प्राप्त धन को छोड़कर।

  • राजकोषीय घाटा: सरकार के राजस्व व्यय की तुलना में सरकार की राजस्व प्राप्तियों में कमी।

  • राजकोषीय और राजस्व के बीच अंतर यह है कि राजकोषीय कुल लेनदेन से संबंधित है, जबकि राजस्व केवल राजस्व लेनदेन से संबंधित है

  • ऋण लक्ष्य: सकल घरेलू उत्पाद के अनुपात के रूप में कुल सरकारी ऋण को कम करें। (2024-25 तक सकल घरेलू उत्पाद का 40%)

  • व्यय नियंत्रण: स्थिरता सुनिश्चित करने के लिए सरकारी व्यय को तर्कसंगत बनाने पर ध्यान केंद्रित करता है।

  • राजकोषीय पारदर्शिता: सरकार को राजकोषीय नीतियों और उनके परिणामों पर स्पष्ट डेटा प्रदान करना चाहिए।

  • एस्केप क्लॉज़: प्राकृतिक आपदाओं, राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा या गंभीर आर्थिक मंदी जैसे मामलों में राजकोषीय घाटे के लक्ष्यों से अस्थायी विचलन की अनुमति देता है।

  • लक्ष्य चूक: निर्धारित लक्ष्यों को अक्सर संशोधित किया गया है या चूक गए हैं, खासकर आर्थिक मंदी या COVID-19 महामारी जैसी अन्य आपात स्थितियों के कारण।

  • राज्य-स्तरीय FRBM अधिनियम: कई भारतीय राज्यों के पास FRBM अधिनियम के अपने संस्करण हैं, जो केंद्रीय लक्ष्यों के साथ संरेखित हैं लेकिन राज्य-विशिष्ट राजकोषीय नीतियों की अनुमति देते हैं।

-अंत-


Friday, October 25, 2024

Covered Dues Vs Uncovered Dues in Stores

 


Covered Dues Vs Uncovered Dues in Materials Management 



Covered Dues

Uncovered Dues

Previous recoupment / Estimate sheets were covered by POs. - Purchase Orders, but the materials have not been supplied by the Firms

The previous recoupment sheet was not or partially covered by the PO - Purchase Order.

Outstanding quantities against all live POs - Purchase Orders

Outstanding quantities for coverage against the Previous Recoupment sheets


Thursday, October 24, 2024

BPO - Business Process Outsourcing & Privatisation in Indian Railways

 


Business Process Outsourcing


A MCQ has been asked in AFA LDCE 2024 Exam - BPO stands for _________ 


What is BPO ?


  • Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is the practice of contracting specific business tasks or processes to a third-party service provider.


  • These tasks typically include non-core activities such as customer service, IT support, data entry, accounting, and payroll management.


  • BPO helps organisations reduce costs, improve efficiency, and focus on core business activities by outsourcing repetitive or specialised tasks to external experts.


  • BPO can be domestic (within the same country) or offshore (to another country).

 

Types:  


  1. Back-Office Outsourcing: Administrative tasks such as Accounting, HR, Customer support, and IT services. 

  2. Front-Office Outsourcing: Customer-facing functions like Sales, Marketing, and Technical support. 

  3. KPO - Knowledge Process Outsourcing: High-value knowledge intensive tasks such as Research, analytics, and engineering. 


Advantages: 


  1. Cost reduction: Operational costs will be reduced by leveraging lower labour costs in other countries.

  2. Scalability: BPO providers can quickly scale up or down their services to meet fluctuating business needs according to the demand.

  3. Expertise: Allows firms to access specialised expertise and resources that they may not have in-house. 

  4. Focus: Focus on Core competencies by outsourcing non-core functions such as accounting, Sales, Marketing, HR etc.


Challenges: 


  1. Communication barriers: Cultural differences and language barriers can sometimes hinder effective communication between the client and the BPO provider. 

  2. Data Security concerns: Concerns of sensitive data at BPOs. 

  3. Vendor Management: Managing multiple BPOs for various operations can be complex and time-consuming. 


Conclusion: BPO has been best suitable for industries like IT, Finance, Healthcare, and Telecommunications. By effectively outsourcing non-core functions, firms can improve their efficiency, reduce costs, and focus on their core business activities. 

List of prominent BPOs in India, serving a variety of sectors globally: 

  1. TCS: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

  2. Infosys BPM (Business Process Management)

  3. Wipro BPS (Business Process Services)

  4. Genpact (a GE Business unit)

  5. HCL Technologies BPO Services

  6. Tech Mahindra Business Services

  7. Cognizant Technology Solutions

Indian Railways and BPO:

  • Indian Railways has been exploring various avenues to outsource its non-core activities to the BPOs. Some of the Non-core activities are: 

  1. Ticketing and reservations

  2. Call centres and customer support

  3. Back-office operations (e.g., HR, payroll processing)

  4. IT and administrative task

Is it Privatization or Outsourcing in Indian Railways ?


The Railways has around 13 lakh permanent employees and over 4.5 lakh contractual and outsourced staff. It shows a ratio of 3:1.  May be in coming days, this ratio may be jump to 2:1


Activities (termed as Non Core) that are already outsourced on a phased manner in Indian Railways are :


  1. AC Coach attendants

  2. Platform cleaning

  3. Security

  4. Executing the works in Indian Railways

  5. P.Way maintenance

  6. Catering & Pantry car

  7. Hospitality

  8. Doctors in Railway Hospital

  9. Supply of Bed linen in AC Coaches

  10. OBHS – On Board Housekeeping Services

  11. Parcel vans

  12. Sanitation in Railway colonies

  13. Managing Retiring Rooms Dormitories

  14. Housekeeping of Railway Stations

  15. Railtel for telecom operations

  16. RVNL for construction activities

  17. Disburse salaries through NEFT (thereby reducing the Cash office staff)

  18. Doorstep Banking

  19. Engineering Surveys

  20. Painting or removal of paint of Rolling Stock in Production Units / Workshops

  21. Maintenance of IVRS – Interactive Voice Response System

  22. Transportation of released track material

  23. Leasing of SLR space

  24. Unscheduled and scheduled repairs of house wiring and operations of  Pumps/DG sets / Stationery AC Plants/ Distribution network of power supply

  25. Unscheduled repair of major electrical assembly of locomotives / multiple units / Alternator / fans / Compressor in AC Coaches

  26. Waiting halls in Platforms


Proposed / Contemplated activities are


  1. PMC – Project Management Consultancy – Supervising the Works

  2. Corporatisation of Railway Production Units and Workshops

  3. Corporatisation of all construction activities

  4. Railway Station operations (as a whole)

  5. EPC – Engineering , Procurement and Construction (from estimate stage to completion stage)

  6. Certain activities of Salary preparation, maintenance of Provident Fund / NPS etc

·         Private Trains


The above list is endless. I advise Railway employees to face any eventuality of the rapid changes in the Indian Railways in coming days.


Note:


The author neither supports nor opposes the privatisation of non-core activities in Indian Railways.


*******



Monday, October 21, 2024

Spot Purchases - Stores

 

Spot Purchases - Stores

Definition:  Spot purchases are made on the spot without following the formal tendering process. It involves calling for offers through a physical visit by nominated officers to the premises of the firm.

Approval Levels


Approval by 

Limits

Stock Items

Non Stock items

Up to Rs. 25 Lakhs

PCMM

PHOD (concerned Dept)

Above Rs. 25 Lakhs

GM

GM


SPC - Spot Purchase Committee  - Level of Officers

Limits

Stores Dept

Indenting Dept

Accounts Dept

Up to Rs. 5 Lakhs

STS

STS

STS

Rs. 5 Lakhs to Rs. 40 Lakhs

JAG/SG

JAG/SG

JAG/SG

Above Rs. 40 Lakhs

SAG

SAG

SAG


  • Whenever STS is not available, JTS will be nominated as Member with the approval of GM

  • JTS stands for Junior Time Scale Officer 

  • STS stands for Senior Time Scale Officer

  • JAG stands for Junior Administrative Grade Officer

  • SG stands for Selection Grade Officer

  • SAG stands for Senior Administrative Grade Officer