Telegraph Service is Now History

160 year old Telegraph Service which is run by BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd ) is now a history. From Today (14th July 2103 ) onward BSNL has decided to shut off this services following a huge shortfall in revenue. The service generated about Rs.75 lakh annually, compared with the cost of over Rs.100 crore to run and manage it. This Services is will start at 8 AM and close by 9 PM.

Once a fundamental part of the country's communication system, used for everything from taking care of official business to reporting deaths and marriages.

The first experimental electric telegraph line was started between Kolkata and Diamond Harbour in 1850 and it was opened for use by the British East India Company the following year. In 1854, the service was made available to the public.

It was such an important mode of communication in those days that revolutionaries fighting for the country's independence used to cut the telegram lines to stop the British from communicating.

The use of telegrams has declined with the spread of mobile phones and the Internet in the country.

Indian courts had accepted only telegrams and telegram receipts as proof of evidence in civil or criminal suits. Lawyers vouched for the telegrams as they were registered under the Indian Evidence Act and known for their credibility when presented in court.

Price per telegram:

* General telegrams - Rs.25 up to 30 words plus 12.36 percent tax, thereafter Re.1 per word

* Death telegrams Rs.5 up to 30 words, thereafter Re.1 per word.

Types of telegraph devices used:

* Formatted Terminal

* Electronic Keyboard

* Store Forward Telegraph

* Store Forward Messaging System

Food Security Bill 2013

Indian Government Passed an Ordinance Bill " Food Security Bill 2013 " This is a social program that would bring cheap food to hundreds of millions of poor people throughout the country. 

Highlights of this Bill:-

1. Up to three-quarters of people in the rural areas and up to half of the urban population would get five kilograms of grains per month at subsidized prices (3 rupees per kilo for rice, 2 rupees per kilo for wheat and 1 rupee per kilo for coarse grains).

2. The poorest households would continue to receive 35 kilograms of grains per month under the “Antyodaya Anna Yojana” at subsidized prices.

3. Pregnant women and lactating mothers would receive a maternity benefit of at least 6,000 rupees

4. Children aged six months to 14 years would get take-home ration or hot cooked food.

5. The central government also would provide “assistance” towards the cost of intra-state transportation, handling of grains.

6. The central government also would provide money to states and union territories if it runs low on grain.

Facts of Food Security Bill:-

1. Two out of three Indians, or around 810 million people, would get five kilograms of subsidized food grains every month. The program would offer food subsidies to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population.
2. The government believes the program would push India’s food subsidy bill by 45% to 1.3 trillion rupees ($21 billion) a year. Critics estimate the cost could be as high as two trillion rupees a year.
3. The plan would dent India’s fiscal credibility. The program is projected to push up India’s fiscal deficit to 5.1% of GDP in the current fiscal year. The government has promised to keep that deficit under 4.8%.
4. Another big worry is that the plan will be implemented via the inefficient and corrupt public distribution system. About 10% of India’s food rots in warehouses before it is distributed.
5. But the plan could be a boon for the poorest Indians hit hard by rising inflation. The plan could cut expenses of households by up to 8%, according to Crisil Research.
6. Despite the economic boom over the last decade, India ranks 65th out of 79 countries on the Global Hunger Index. Nearly half of India’s children under five are chronically malnourished.