Central Trade Unions including Railway Trade Unions have been agitating against the implementation of New Labour Codes.
A list of important e-applications/software developed or managed by the Department of Official Language (Rajbhasha Vibhag), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, to promote and propagate Hindi as an official language:
Type: Desktop software
Purpose: Translation from English to Hindi using memory-based translation.
Key Features:
Helps officers and staff translate standard official English sentences into Hindi.
Works offline; useful in ministries and offices with limited internet.
Enhances translation speed and consistency.
Type: Web-based e-learning portal
Purpose: Learn Hindi for non-Hindi speakers.
Key Features:
AI-powered language learning platform.
Designed for employees whose mother tongue is not Hindi.
Offers progressive modules, quizzes, and assessments.
Promotes official language learning in a simple and engaging format.
Access: http://lilaproject.in
Type: Rule-based translation system
Purpose: Translation between English and Hindi.
Key Features:
Developed for precise English-to-Hindi translation of government documents.
Supports domain-specific rules for better accuracy.
Originally developed by CDAC under the guidance of the Department of Official Language.
Type: Online Translation Tool
Purpose: Translation of official documents from English to Hindi.
Key Features:
Cloud-based, web-accessible translation system.
Uses Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing (NLP).
Aims to improve efficiency and reduce translation cost in government offices.
Type: Software utility
Purpose: Hindi typing and Unicode text conversion.
Key Features:
Typing assistance in Hindi using Remington and Inscript keyboards.
Transliteration support from English to Hindi.
Useful for employees who are not proficient in traditional Hindi typing.
Type: Online Training
Purpose: Promote Hindi language usage among central government employees.
Key Features:
Includes video tutorials, reading materials, and tests.
Available on the Department of Official Language’s portal.
Helps improve proficiency for Prabodh, Praveen, and Pragya level exams.
Purpose: Easily accessible language learning resources.
Key Features:
Available as videos for Prabodh/Praveen/Pragya.
Promotes remote learning and exam preparation.
Comparison of Railway Budget Grants
Explanation of Each Term
BG - Budget Grant: Initial estimate of funds allocated at the start of the financial year.
SL - Spending Limit: The maximum limit up to which the spending can be made under a grant.
RG - Revised Grant: Modified estimate based on mid-year trends and actual expenditure.
FG - Final Grant: Consolidated and actualized allocation after adjustment of estimates and savings.
O - Original Grant: Sanctioned during the Annual Budget approved by Parliament.
S - Supplementary Grant: Additional funds sought during the year for unanticipated needs.
Excess Grant: Sought after the financial year ends if expenditure exceeds total sanctioned grant.
—--end—---
Pink Book - Discontinuation
Key Points:
The Ministry of Railways has ceased the publication of the annual 'Pink Book,' which traditionally detailed budgetary allocations for various zonal railways and production units.
In place of the Pink Book, the Railways will now prepare comprehensive budget documents tailored for each Zonal Railway and Production Unit. These documents will incorporate details of earnings, working expenses, capital expenditure, and lists of works.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed this shift in Parliament, stating that the work of preparing these new documents has already begun.
The Pink Book served as a guide for fund allocation across railway zones, including specifics on spending for safety-related works, maintenance, infrastructure development, doubling of lines, and new projects.
There has been a delay in the release of the new zone-wise budget documents, which has affected project planning in certain regions such as Southern Railway.
• The Pink Book has historically been an annual publication released by the Ministry of Railways after the Union Budget.
• It provided detailed budgetary allocations for Zonal Railways, Production Units, and Railway Board-sanctioned works.
• It listed sanctioned projects under heads like New Lines, Doubling, Gauge Conversion, Electrification, Passenger Amenities, Safety Works, and Rolling Stock Procurement.
• It was called the 'Pink Book' due to the color of its cover, following a government budgeting color-code tradition.
• Used widely by officials from Board level to divisions for planning, monitoring, and implementation of works.
• After the 2017 merger of the Railway Budget with the Union Budget, the Pink Book’s central role was re-evaluated.
• The discontinuation marks a shift towards decentralized planning with each zone getting a tailor-made budget document.
