National
275th Annual Day of Defence Accounts Department
⇒ Every year, the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) celebrates its Annual Day on 01 October.
About DAD:
- Defence Accounts Department (DAD) functions under the administrative control of Ministry of Defence and is headed by Controller General of Defence Accounts.
- The Defence Accounts Department (DAD) which has lived through more than two and half centuries is one of the oldest departments under the Government of India. Its origina can be traced to the Military Pay Masters under the East India Company.
- The Department was re-named as Defence Accounts Department (DAD) on October 1st, 1951.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launched several digital initiatives of Defence Accounts Department (DAD) during its 275th Annual Day celebrations in New Delhi on October 01, 2022.
The initiatives include System for Pension Administration (Raksha) (SPARSH) mobile app; Pay System for Agniveers; International Air Ticket booking module in Defence Travel System (DTS); Defence Accounts Receipts and Payment System (DARPAN); Defence Civilian Pay system and Defence Accounts Human Resource Management System.
» On the occasion, Shri Rajnath Singh also gave away the Raksha Mantri Awards for Excellence 2022 to three teams for exhibiting exemplary initiative in implementing key department projects:
- Development, testing and implementation of SPARSH; implementation of E-Concurrence in DRDO and Pay and Accounts Office (PAO) Bharati: Your PAO, A call away 24*7.
Several digital initiatives were Launched:
SPARSH Mobile App:
- The app will ensure pensioner access and reach to important functionalities of the SPARSH portal through their mobiles.
- Ministry of Defence implemented the portal for pensioners of the Armed Forces as well as defence civilians as an integrated system for automation of sanction and disbursement of defence pension.
- It is an end-to-end solution to all pension-related processes, from claim initiation to disbursement. Pensioners can log on to the portal and get their pension-related issues resolved.
Agniveer Pay System:
- The system will facilitate efficient pay management for Agniveers, who will soon join the Armed Forces through the Government’s transformational Agnipath scheme.
- The fully automated IT system will be a specialised and secure portal to ensure claim processing and pay-roll management of Agniveers.
Defence Travel System:
- The system provides end-to-end solution, from booking of rail and air tickets to claim submission on its portal for Defence Services and Civilians in cashless and paperless environment.
- It will provide facility of booking of air tickets for foreign travel to defence services replacing Air Exchange Warrants.
- It will fill the time gap between GSL receipt and ticket booking and eliminate last hassle for travelling officer.
DARPAN:
- The Defence Accounts Receipts and Payment System is a unified solution for third party bill payment and accounting.
- Its real-time processing will provide comprehensive insights into various accounting and financial performances.
Defence Pay Civilian System:
- The System envisages disbursement of pay of all defence civilians through a single, centralised and fully automated system.
- Both Units and PCDA/CDA offices have been given access to the system and units will be able to check the payment status on the portal itself.
Defence Accounts HR Management System:
- With the launch of the application, the department steps into a new paradigm of digitally enabled human resource management.
- The platform has various self-service modules like e-service book, leave management, pay roll generation and promotion details which will be accessible to the employees through a mobile app, anywhere anytime.
PAO-Bharti:
- Through the initiative, which was part of the Raksha Mantri Excellence Awards this year, the Armed Forces personnel will be able to get real-time data related to pay & allowances and claims.
- In addition, through its Interactive Voice Response System, the personnel will be able to register their complaints through phone and get the replies within 48 hours.
- The system has been implemented in seven PAOs. The Raksha Mantri hoped that it will soon be implemented in the remaining offices also.
International
UNESCO-MONDIACULT 2022 World Conference
⇒ The UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development- MONDIACULT 2022 was hosted from 28 to 30 September, 2022 by the Government of Mexico.
» The Indian delegation headed by the Minister of State for Culture Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal represented at UNESCO-MONDIACULT 2022 World Conference.
Convened by:
The UNESCO-MONDIACULT 2022 World Conference was convened by UNESCO forty years after the first Mondiacult World Conference on Cultural Policies, held in Mexico City (Mexico) in 1982, and 24 years after the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies for Development held in Stockholm (Sweden) in 1998. This was the third such conference.
Goal:
The main goal of the conference was to shape a more robust and resilient cultural sector, fully anchored in the perspectives of sustainable development as well as promotion of solidarity, peace, and security, in line with the vision enshrined in the UN Secretary-General’s report.
- The UN Secretary-General’s report ‘Our Common Agenda’ (September 2021)., which refers to culture as a ‘global public good, the good of us all.’
Declaration:
One hundred-fifty States unanimously adopted an ambitious Declaration for Culture at the end of a three-day conference convened by UNESCO.
- The text affirms culture as a “global public good”. It reflects countries’ agreement on a common roadmap to strengthen public policies in this field.
Important Day
National Voluntary Blood Donation Day
⇒ National Voluntary Blood Donation Day is getting celebrated in India at 1st of October every year to share the need and importance of the blood in the life of an individual.
- National Voluntary Blood Donation Day is celebrated across the country to raise awareness about Blood donation and promote voluntary Blood donation in the country.
- On this occasion various Govt and non-govt organizations organize Blood donation camps and other awareness activities across the country to celebrate the day.
History:
- National Voluntary Blood Donation Day was first started celebrating on 1st of October in the year 1975 through the Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immunohaematology.
- Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immunohaematology were first established at 22nd of October in the year 1971 under the leadership of Mrs. K. Swaroop Krishen and Dr. J.G. Jolly.