Cabinet approves setting up of academic depository

The Centre on Thursday approved the establishment of a National Academic Depository (NAD) for safe deposit, retrieval and verification of the certificates of students within next three months with plans to roll out the facility in 2017-18.

At its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet also gave approval to funding and other provisions for a newly established Indian Institute of Science and Education and Research (IISER) in Odisha.

Running of the institute, which started with its first batch from a temporary campus in Behrampur, Odisha, from August 1, will cost an estimated Rs I52.79 crore to the public exchequer during the initial three years.

“The Cabinet’s approval to the establishment of the NAD is an important milestone in higher education because it will bring transparency. Problems like tampering (of academic certificates), fake degrees will become a thing of the past," Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters, after the meeting. The depository would be operationalised by the NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML) and CDSL Ventures, Limited (CVL) – two of the wholly owned subsidiaries of the depositories registered under Securities Exchange Board of India (SebiI) Act, 1992.

Reward scheme

The Centre on Thursday approved a new productivity-linked reward (PLR) scheme for port and dock employees for the period 2015-16 to 2017-18.

“The Union Cabinet, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval to a new productivity-linked reward scheme for all major port trusts and dock labour board employees/workers for the years 2015-16 to 2017-18,” an official statement said.

Cabinet nod for cadre review

The Centre on Thursday approved first cadre review of Indian Posts and Telecommunications Accounts and Finance Service (IP&TAFS) Group, DHNS reports from New Delhi.

 The decision will lead to reduction of the total strength of cadre from 420 to 376.

The decision of the cadre review was approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The cadre review includes creation of the post of Controller General of Communication Accounts (CGCA), creation of some additional higher administrative grade level and senior administrative grade level posts, reduction of junior administrative grade level posts, besides the creation of 46 posts, which will be operated as reserves, said a statement.