Union Cabinet Approves Amendment In Whistle Blowers Protection Bill
07 May, New Delhi
Union Cabinet approved amendments in the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011 to keep issues of national security out of its purview. This is being done with a view to incorporate necessary provisions aimed at strengthening safeguards against disclosures which may prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of the country, security of the state.
After the Cabinet nod, government will move an amendment bill in the ongoing Parliament session .
In order to give statutory protection to whistle blowers in the country, the Public Interest Disclosures and Protection to Persons making the Disclosures Bill, 2011 was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August, 2010.
The Act provides a mechanism to investigate alleged cases of corruption and misuse of power by public servants and also protect anyone who exposes alleged wrongdoing in government bodies, projects and offices.
Union Cabinet Wednesday approved operationalization of the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) in all states.
The APY will benefit two crore subscribers in the 1st year. Under the scheme, the subscribers will receive a fixed minimum monthly pension ranging from 1,000 rupees to 5,000 rupees at the age of 60 years, depending on their contributions.
The Central Government will also co-contribute 50 percent of the total contribution of subscriber for a period of 5 years to those who join the National Pension Scheme before 31st of December this year and who are not members of any statutory social security scheme and who are not Income Tax payers.
The pension will also be available to the spouse on the death of the subscriber and thereafter, the pension corpus would be returned to the nominee. The minimum age of joining the APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years.
The scheme of PMJJBY and PMSBY will provide affordable personal accident and life cover to a vast population. Under the PMJJBY, annual life insurance of 2 lakh rupees will be available on the payment of premium of 330 rupees per annum by the subscribers and it will be made available to people in the age group of 18 to 50 years.
Under the PMSBY, the risk coverage will be 2 lakh rupees for accidental death and full disability and one lakh rupees for partial disability and this scheme will be available to people in the age group 18 to 70 years.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) allowed Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to clear foreign investment proposals amounting to 3,000 crore rupees from the existing limit of 1,200 crore rupees. This decision is expected to expedite the approval process and result in increased foreign investment inflows.