Indian Political Corner | All Updates & Discussions.

[Soumitra]

Modi asks ministers not to appoint family members as staff to nix prevalent nepotism - daily.bhaskar.com

 

[Levina]

@levina - You'd try taking back Kashmir from your Little Brother ?

Aaooo Apa Jee....I'm ready !

Plus I've got @Ayush as my side-kick with me; waisee yeh chotaa Mechanic haii kidhar ?

Yep my cry baby....
I am here to take back what rightly belongs to India.....KASHMIR is ours.

 

[Soumitra]

Modi focus on governance, asks ministers for 100-day timetable | Business Standard

 

[Armstrong]

Yep my cry baby....
I am here to take back what rightly belongs to India.....KASHMIR is ours.

I'll give Kashmir to you over my dead body !

Come & Take it if you can !

 

[Levina]

Called it, I knew there was never any doubt he would get the BMW over the Scorpio!

Anand Mahindra really is a piece of work though- asking that the PM of India's safety be put at risk just so he can score some sort of PR victory. I hope the SPG told him to get lost.

The 760Li High Security really is a beast though! It's got a V12 for god's sake!!


@levina, one interesting thing (that I didn't expect to be honest) is that Modi got all new 7 Series (2014 face lift).

You noticed that didnt you....
Frankly even I was surprised,do they change the model every year??
I am not so sure though because I remember spotting Mr.Manmohan Singh in a not so latest version of BMW some years back.The LED lights etc were missing.
So I was under the impression that cars are changed once in 5 years, or when the govt changes(whichever happens earlier that is)
Or am I wrong??

I'll give Kashmir to you over my dead body !

Come & Take it if you can !

So be it baby!!!
I am gonna kill you now.

 

[Armstrong]

So be it baby!!!
I am gonna kill you now.

You wouldn't be able to lift a finger once I give you the following look:

 

[Levina]

You wouldn't be able to lift a finger once I give you the following look:

Awww so cute.

But thats not going to save you this time.

Kashmir is no candy and we're NOT sharing it with you.

 

[Armstrong]

Awww so cute.

But thats not going to save you this time.

Kashmir is no candy and we're NOT sharing it with you.

Alright then Bring it On :

 

[Levina]

Alright then Bring it On :

Kashmir is ours.......

And this is what I am gonna do to you if you come asking for it

 

[Abingdonboy]

You noticed that didnt you....
Frankly even I was surprised,do they change the model every year??
I am not so sure though because I remember spotting Mr.Manmohan Singh in a not so latest version of BMW some years back.The LED lights etc were missing.
So I was under the impression that cars are changed once in 5 years, or when the govt changes(whichever happens earlier that is)
Or am I wrong??

They don't change every year- just when they need to.


Interestingly Dr MMS had 3 different types of 7 Series whilst PM, the E38:

The E65:

And lastly the F01:

Now Modi in the new (face lifted ) F02 from 2014:

I believe the way it used to work was that the SPG maintained a pool of these armoured 7 Series which were a mix of the current and older gen 7 Series. The newer gen would be kept in Delhi whilst the older gen would be transported to other parts of India for when the PM visited as such when MMS had the E65 7 Series in Delhi he used to be seen in the E38 when not in Delhi, then when the F01 came along the SPG would use the E65 for the PM outside of Delhi. However things have changed now (see below- the F01 being used for MMS in Gujarat).

The SPG now has the F01 and the slightly-refreshed F02 in pretty large numbers and these will be used for the PM now whether in Delhi or not. I'm pretty sure the new (2014 spec) 7 Series were ordered to replace the E65s for PM travel as well as so the SPG can increase the number of decoy 7 Series in the PM's convoy (as they have said they will do as Modi is the most at risk PM in India's history) which requires (near) identical vehicles to work.


The SPG's decision making is nothing to do with governments changing. They are professionals, their decisions are based on the threat perceptions of their principal (PM).


Something interesting to note though, the SPG keeps the E65s around to use for driver training for new SPG drivers as well as to use in dress rehearsals and such but no longer for PM travel.

 

[paranoiarocks]

Rs 18 crore for beautification of the ghats in Varanasi. Work will be start in next 2 days.

2 days,, 2 DAYS !!! 2 DAYS!!!
That is fast

 

[Soumitra]

They don't change every year- just when they need to.


Interestingly Dr MMS had 3 different types of 7 Series whilst PM, the E38:

The E65:

And lastly the F01:

Now Modi in the new (face lifted ) F02 from 2014:

I believe the way it used to work was that the SPG maintained a pool of these armoured 7 Series which were a mix of the current and older gen 7 Series. The newer gen would be kept in Delhi whilst the older gen would be transported to other parts of India for when the PM visited as such when MMS had the E65 7 Series in Delhi he used to be seen in the E38 when not in Delhi, then when the F01 came along the SPG would use the E65 for the PM outside of Delhi. However things have changed now (see below- the F01 being used for MMS in Gujarat).

The SPG now has the F01 and the slightly-refreshed F02 in pretty large numbers and these will be used for the PM now whether in Delhi or not. I'm pretty sure the new (2014 spec) 7 Series were ordered to replace the E65s for PM travel as well as so the SPG can increase the number of decoy 7 Series in the PM's convoy (as they have said they will do as Modi is the most at risk PM in India's history) which requires (near) identical vehicles to work.


The SPG's decision making is nothing to do with governments changing. They are professionals, their decisions are based on the threat perceptions of their principal (PM).


Something interesting to note though, the SPG keeps the E65s around to use for driver training for new SPG drivers as well as to use in dress rehearsals and such but no longer for PM travel.

What happens to older cars? Are they sold? If yes wouldnt it be a potential security threat that the people buying the cars will get to know the security arrangements in them and try for ways to bypass them.

Second question : How are these cars transported out of Delhi? Or do they have additional cars in various state capitals?

Related Question : What happens when PM travels abroad?I know that Obama's Cadillac travels around the world. What about Indian PM? Is the motorcade provided by the host country? What about proximate security? Is it SPG or host country agencies?

 

[JanjaWeed]

Air India tickets: Narendra Modi govt may scrap free passage scheme for staff

PM Narendra Modi's new Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today indicated that the new government could review the free passage scheme offered by cash-starved Air India to its 24,000 employees.

"There are a lot of things of concern as of now. These have to be looked into," Raju told reporters when asked about the loss-making carrier offering such a scheme which also included the relatives of employees.

However, Raju also pointed out that issues like the definition of a family under the scheme called 'Passage Entitlement-Vacation Travel' would have to be examined.

Under this scheme, top officers like functional directors and joint managing directors are entitled to get 24 free tickets each year, while the lowest rung staffer are entitled to eight tickets annually. However, all taxes and fees have to be paid by the employees who avail such tickets.

Air India had come out with a circular in April saying the spouse of a deceased staffer could transfer his or her tickets to their children or step-children.

The scheme came at a time when the national carrier is estimating an overall annual operating loss of Rs 2,123 crore in 2013-14, down from Rs 5,200 crore reported in 2012-13 and Rs 7,560 crore posted the year before. The airline is also faced with a cumulative debt burden of Rs 35,000 crore.

But senior Air India officers defended the scheme, saying it was an industry practice, globally as well as by all the domestic airlines too.

"It is a practice which is followed by all airlines world over as per IATA resolutions. All airlines operating in India, including loss-making private ones also offer this facility to their employees," senior airline officers said.

They said that after the death of an employee, the spouse can avail of the benefits, part of which he or she can transfer to the children. But after the demise of the spouse, the facility is not passed over to the next generation.

Air India officers said almost half the staff did not avail of the benefit due to high taxes and other costs involved.

Also, whenever an Air India employee travelled on this 'Staff on Leave' (SOL) ticket, the travel was purely on 'subject to space available' basis, they said.

Prior to their 2007 merger, senior officials of the two erstwhile carriers used to enjoy unlimited domestic travel, which has now been discontinued. The new scheme prevailing now has put a cap on the free passage given to the employees, which was unlimited earlier, the officers said.

The scheme, they said, was a substitute for the leave travel concession scheme for government employees which Air India employees do not get.

In the last financial year, the entire airline staff was about 24,000. But after 6,600 were transferred to its two new subsidiaries Air India Engineering Services Ltd and 5,300 to the Air India Air Transport Services Ltd, the airline has over 12,000 on its role. The subsidiaries were floated as part of the turnaround plan.

Air India tickets: Narendra Modi govt may scrap free passage scheme for staff - Financial Express

Great move... no more freebies to the selected few!

 

[Ayush]

@levina - You'd try taking back Kashmir from your Little Brother ?

Aaooo Apa Jee....I'm ready !

Plus I've got @Ayush as my side-kick with me; waisee yeh chotaa Mechanic haii kidhar ?

main itthe hi hun..

kashmir rahega hindustan,khrew rahega hindustan

 

[Abingdonboy]

What happens to older cars? Are they sold? If yes wouldnt it be a potential security threat that the people buying the cars will get to know the security arrangements in them and try for ways to bypass them.

Nope, the SPG keeps hold of all the 7 Series, they use the older vehicles for driver training and such just not for PM travel anymore.

Second question : How are these cars transported out of Delhi? Or do they have additional cars in various state capitals?

AFAIK the SPG has a special rail carriage for their cavalcade vehicles to be transported across India.

Related Question : What happens when PM travels abroad?I know that Obama's Cadillac travels around the world. What about Indian PM? Is the motorcade provided by the host country? What about proximate security? Is it SPG or host country agencies?

In foreign countries the PM of India like pretty much every head of state in the world on foreign visits make use of veicles provided by the host nation but the proximity protection will remain under the SPG's purview.