Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

The government cleared the common misconception of thousands who thought that service charges collected by restaurants/hotels/eateries are ‘<keyword id="6355686" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Service-tax">service tax</keyword>’ imposed by the government. It is not. "Some restaurants/hotels/eateries besides charging for the food and beverages are also charging 'service charges' in their bills. The proceeds of the 'service charges' are retained by the restaurants/hotels/eateries," a <keyword id="156153" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Finance">Ministry of Finance</keyword> press release said. 

	"It is further clarified that effective service tax rate in respect of services provided in relation to serving of food or beverage by a restaurant, eating joint or mess having the facility of air-conditioning or central air-heating in any part of the establishment is 5.6% (14% of 40%) of the total amount charged," the release added. 
 

	The new service tax rate of 14 per cent came into effect from June 1, a move that made eating out in restaurants, insurance and phone bills expensive, among many other things.
 In his <keyword id="117156" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Budget-speech">Budget speech</keyword>, <keyword id="25455" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="finance">Finance</keyword> Minister <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword> had said that to facilitate a smooth transition to levy of tax on services by both the Centre and the States, "it is proposed to increase the present rate" of service tax plus education cess from 12.36 per cent to a consolidated rate of 14 per cent. 

	Service tax is levied on all services, except a small negative list. 
 

	Advertising, air travel, services of architect, certain type of constructions, credit card, even management, and tour operator are some of the important services which attract tax.

	 
	 
	(Image credits: thisisbeirut.wordpress)

Service charges at restaurants are not government service tax

<ul><li>The chief minister of <keyword id="6358777" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Delhi">New Delhi</keyword> inaugurated the <keyword id="5986371" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mobile-Sahayak">Mobile Sahayak</keyword> initiative today that brings <keyword id="329513" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Government-Services">government services</keyword> to your doorstep.</li><li>Assisting with 40 government services, citizens will no longer have to physically go to government offices to verify or submit their documents. </li><li>Instead, a runner or ‘Mobile Sahayak’ will swing by your house at a time of your choosing to perform the necessary tasks.</li></ul>A year ago in November, the Delhi Government <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/AamAadmiParty/status/1038998246444548101?utm_source=inshorts&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=fullarticle">announced</a> that they would be launching a program to implement the ‘home delivery of governance’ in collaboration with a private agency. Today that service, called the ‘Mobile Sahayak’, has gone live and can aid with 40 government services, 35 of which are already online. The Mobile Sahayak program is designed by the government in partnership with <keyword id="348995" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="VFS-Global">VFS Global</keyword>. Inaugurated today by the city’s chief minister, <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword>, it’s basically a system that consists of a call center, human capital assisting as sahayaks or helpers, a mobile portal, and biometric devices. It’s not even that expensive - it comes at a nominal fee of ₹50 (70 cents) for a home visit Some services that can be availed through the program are driving licence applications, passport help, caste certificates, income certificates, ration card, How does it work? All citizens have to do is call 1076, where a call center executive will ask how they can be of assistance. In case there’s a document missing, a Mobile Sahayak will be appointed for the service who will go the citizens home to collect the same at a predetermined time. Whatever is needed, will be fed into the Mobile Sahayak mobile portal and verified through biometric authentication. Citizens can pay using cash or if the service is provided online, then payments can be made through the government’s payment gateway. Citizens can keep tabs on their application through the unique reference ID that the sahayak will share through a receipt via SMS or email. That means, in case you’ve submitted physical documents, then there will be a record of that on the receipt. Doorstep delivery of service entails that for some, citizens may never even have to go to the respective government office and for others, it would improve the time efficiency to just one visit. Why does New Delhi need doorstep delivery of governance? Going to government offices to avail services is a time consuming and a hectic process. Over the past couple of years with Delhi’s population bloating well beyond its capacity, the lines have gotten longer, the official to citizen ratio has gotten more skewed and the most simple of tasks require multiple visits. Kejriwal also claims that this ‘revolution in governance’ will greatly cut down on corruption by addressing the demand-supply disparity between government officials and citizens. He also announced that this system is the first of its kind anywhere in the world.

Government services at your doorstep, New Delhi launches Mobile Sahayak

If you think that it was only banks that are going the app way, the latest being <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Know-why-SBI-is-killing-the-banking-tech-space/articleshow/49755509.cms">SBI</a>, you might be in for a happy surprise. If reports are to be believed, Indian government would soon be launching a mobile wallet service for government services. 
 
As of now, most government payments and receipts are done either through cash or cheque. However, using this app, one would be able to electronically pay for all kind of government services. This is a step in the direction of Modi government’s plan of creating a cashless, or less cash, economy and making India a digitally savvy country. 
 
"Our endeavour through this project is to ensure that at least 90%, if not more, of all government payments happen through some or the other electronic mode, be it through credit card, RTGS, DBT or mobile," a senior official aware of the project called 'epayment' told ET. 
 
A report of a Task Force on Aadhaar-Enabled Unified Payment Infrastructure which was released in 2012 came out stating that the cost of cash transactions is equivalent to 5-7% of GDP, which can be reduced by one-third if payments are done electronically. The report also recommended electronic payments for a sum more than Rs 1,000 by the government and government institutions. 
 
However, while several public services like state-owned telephone and power utilities accept epayments by citizens, there are many departments that don't have the apps or technology for such payments. This is why Department of Electronics and IT (DeitY) is developing a common app with basic payments features that can be used by all government departments. 
 
<a href="http://media2.intoday.in/btmt/images/stories/mobile-wallet-1_660_040415081227.jpg">Image Source</a>

Mobile wallet for government services will be a reality soon

The <keyword id="26362" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Government">government</keyword> on Friday invited bids to develop a chat bot or voice assistance application like Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant to deliver e-governance services to the public. The artificial intelligence-based <keyword id="10530502" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="conversational-platform">conversational platform</keyword> is expected to interact with the public in multiple languages, analyse sentiments and intent, collect and analyse data to give personalised experience to users. The National E-Governance Division of Ministry of Electronics and IT has invited proposals to build the conversational platform that can be deployed on the <keyword id="10529292" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="umang-platform">UMANG platform</keyword>, which hosts various apps that provide <keyword id="329513" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Government-Services">government services</keyword> to citizens. "The platform should be able to provide assistance with general tasks, including but not limited to availing services of government and available on the <keyword id="173550" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Umang">UMANG</keyword> platform such as registration, login, <keyword id="3370730" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="reset-password">reset password</keyword>, department service relation information, event, (and) new launch...etc," the request for <keyword id="10532145" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="proposal-document">proposal document</keyword> said. The chatbot should be able to turn speech into a textual input and turn text into speech. "Platforms should also have other deep learning capabilities, which can be used by platforms for discovery and recommendation of eligible schemes and services to the users of bots/applications. "Users should be recommended best-fit schemes and services available in government domain based on his/her profile," the document said. The term of the project will be four years from the date it goes live. NeGD has fixed January 12 for pre-bid conference and January 25 for the last date of bid submission. Bids will open on January 27, evaluation will be done by February 5 and work order is scheduled for the second week of February, according to the document. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/kia-motors-11-electric-vehicles-in-2021-but-india-may-have-to-wait-longer-to-buy/articleshow/80056447.cms">INTERVIEW: Kia Motors’ 2021 plan includes 11 electric vehicle launches ⁠— but India may have to wait longer</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/ten-of-the-most-outrageous-predictions-for-2021-according-to-saxo-bank/slidelist/80040045.cms">From Amazon buying Cyprus to Germany bailing out France — here are ten of the most ‘outrageous’ predictions for 2021</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/india-edtech-in-charts-how-the-shi[%E2%80%A6]es-of-byjus-unacademy-and-others/articleshow/80040270.cms">India’s edtech in charts – How the shift to online learning meant money, valuation and users for the likes of BYJU’S, Unacademy, and others</a>

Government plans chat bot like Alexa, Google Voice to deliver public services

What if we say you won’t have to go to ant government office for getting your work done? Yes, this is going to turn into reality soon as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=UIDAI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Unique Identification Authority of India</a> (UIDAI) is planning to get smartphones <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=aadhar&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Aadhar</a> enabled. 
 
A meeting was conducted during which UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey and senior executives of smartphone-makers such as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Apple&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Apple</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=samsung&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Samsung</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=google&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Google</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=microsoft&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Microsoft</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=micromax&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Micromax</a>, and product software think tank iSPIRT, discussed various ways to make this idea possible. 
 
“Nearly 104 crore Indians have Aadhaar and almost 40 crore have smartphones. Every agency requires authentication via Aadhaar. If people don't need to go to any office to authenticate their identity and get government services, and if they are able to do so through their mobile phones, this can be the big gamechanger," Pandey told ET. 
 
He said the response from handset makers was positive and if it sees light of the day, it will change the way people use government services. 
 
So, how will it happen? The chips of Aadhaar-enabled smartphones will be encrypted with a UIDAI key and the handsets will be linked to the Aadhaar server. The key is a security feature to prevent information leakage. The server connection will allow instant fingerprint and iris authentication. Some high-end smartphones already have fingerprint and iris recognition technology embedded in their operating system. The technology bar for putting these features in smartphones is not high - most smartphones can be equipped similarly. 
 Meanwhile, a <keyword id="10591" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Samsung">Samsung</keyword> India spokesperson told ET it is the only mobilephone-maker to have already embedded Aadhaar-friendly technology in one of its handsets. 
 
"Galaxy Tab Iris will support government benefit programmes and enable banks and financial institutions to streamline the process of an individual's authentication, regardless of language and literacy barriers,” the spokesperson told ET. 
 
However, one of the queries raised was sending fingerprint and iris data over unsecure networks, which also has privacy issues. 
Pandey said the solution was a "registered device". 
 
He also said UIDAI can address other concerns about privacy since the authority has ensured full privacy and security of personal biometric information of 104 crore citizens. He said laptops used for capturing biometric information have an Aadhaar key that encrypts the information, and there has been no leakage of information.

You may soon avail government services just sitting at home. Here’s how

AlJazeera America's Jared B. Keller <a href="https://twitter.com/jaredbkeller/status/386242685373124608">just Tweeted</a> a possibly astonishing finding: the Anchorage, Alaska office of the <keyword id="108482" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="National-Weather-Service">National Weather Service</keyword>, where salaries are hanging in the balance as a result of the <keyword id="469382" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="government-shutdown">government shutdown</keyword>, <a href="http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&amp;issuedby=AFC&amp;product=AFD&amp;format=CI&amp;version=2&amp;glossary=1">may have embedded a secret message into a weather bulletin.</a>
The question is whether it was purposeful. We just left a message with the Anchorage office for comment. Earlier, <a href="http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&amp;issuedby=AFC&amp;product=AFD&amp;format=CI&amp;version=3&amp;glossary=1" target="_blank">the announcement is still live on the page,</a> but is no longer the most recent update. As of right now it's three "versions" back.
The update definitely read: PLEASE PAY US. Here's a screen grab of the forecast, which was posted at 5:00 a.m. Alaskan daylight time.
Check it out:
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&amp;issuedby=AFC&amp;product=AFD&amp;format=CI&amp;version=2&amp;glossary=1">NWS</a></div></div>
Here's what the second 5:00 a.m. update looked like. The two have very similar wording, so it seems possible they put up another update right after. <div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&amp;issuedby=AFC&amp;product=AFD&amp;format=CI&amp;version=2&amp;glossary=1">National Weather Service Screenshot</a></div></div>

The National Weather Service In Anchorage May Have Put A Secret Message In A Weather Update

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesA US Postal worker delivers Amazon boxes outside of the New York Stock Exchange. The USPS is not affected by the government shutdown.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>The partial <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-government-shutdowns-in-congress-2018-1">government shutdown is now in day 32</a>.</li><li>While many services are closed during the shutdown, the US Postal Service is still fully functional.</li><li>This is because the USPS has been self-sustaining since 1982 and receives almost no congressionally appropriated funding.</li><li>The shutdown only affects congressional funding that is approved annually, so self-sustaining operations like the Postal Service are spared. </li></ul>Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/government-shutdown-2019">government shutdown</a> can slow down the US Postal Service, as the ongoing fight between President Donald Trump and Democrats has done nothing to disrupt the flow of mail around the country.In fact, due to the unique structure of the USPS, government shutdowns never touch the mail delivery service.Since the funding lapses that cause shutdowns only apply to annually-appropriated funding, permanently funded services or services funded through user fees are not affected by the shutdown. So self-sustaining programs, like the Postal Service or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-can-you-still-get-renew-a-passport-2019-1">passport issuance</a>, or permanently-funded programs, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-2018-social-security-checks-still-paid-2018-1">like Social Security</a>, do not get caught up in the budget battle.The USPS generates most of its own funding through the roughly $70 billion in operating revenue taken in each year from <a href="https://facts.usps.com/">the sale of stamps, cost of shipping</a>, and other operations. "As an 'independent establishment of the Executive Branch of the Government of the United States,' we receive no tax dollars for ongoing operations and have not received an appropriation for operational costs since 1982," the USPS said in <a href="http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/financials/10k-reports/fy2017.pdf">its annual financial filing</a>. "We fund our operations chiefly through cash generated from operations and by borrowing from the Federal Financing Bank ('FFB'), a government-owned corporation under the general supervision of the Secretary of the Treasury."The Postal Service became fully independent in 1971 and <a href="https://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2013/aug/09/jim-hightower/postal-service-which-operates-sales-stamps-last-ha/">drew some congressional funding</a> until 1982, when the USPS was <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0kkOiAWUCUGcjRCMmxTWDVuc0E/edit">totally weaned off of taxpayer money</a>.There are also some technical issues related to the <a href="https://www.uspsoig.gov/document/federal-budget-treatment-postal-service">way the USPS is treated</a> in <a href="https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2018/02/trump-suggests-usps-cut-retirement-health-benefits-80b-savings-package/145937/">the budgeting process</a>, but for the most part the USPS is self-sustaining and not subject to congressional funding squabbles. And while the service has faced some financial issues in recent years, many of those problems <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-04-04/congress-not-amazon-messed-up-the-u-s-postal-service">were caused by the USPS's inability to raise prices</a> to stay competitive with the private sector, not the lack of taxpayer money. The only consistent appropriation given to the USPS by Congress is reimbursement for low-cost postage that is given to the blind and for overseas absentee ballots.While the USPS is spared, there are still wide-ranging effects from the shutdown as it drags into a second month. From airports to food programs to 800,000 unpaid federal workers the shutdown is starting to get real.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Fro more coverage of the government shutdown:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-trump-democrats-standoff-damaging-us-economy-2019-1" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">The warnings are getting starker: Trump's government shutdown is becoming catastrophic for the economy</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-poll-americans-blame-trump-dont-like-strategy-2019-1" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Trump's strategy for the government shutdown is a mess and most Americans aren't on board</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-are-food-stamps-snap-wic-benefits-paid-2019-1" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Here's what happens to food stamps and other federal food programs during the government shutdown</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-poll-ocasio-cortez-ideas-for-trump-border-wall-money-2018-12" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Most Americans would rather spend the $5 billion Trump is demanding for the border wall on infrastructure, education, or healthcare</a></li></ul> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/msnbc-host-chris-hayes-president-trump-china-trade-war-2018-12">MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Why the US Postal Service is never affected by government shutdowns

Andhra Bank, Punjab and <keyword id="149809" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sind-Bank">Sind Bank</keyword> and <keyword id="6361176" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="State-Bank">State Bank</keyword> of No matter whether the banks got a logo makeover or looks chic inside, not a single public service bank has secured a position in Top 10 chart of service standards, as shown by the <keyword id="414760" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Banking-Codes-and-Standards-Board-of-India">Banking Codes and Standards Board of India</keyword> (BCSBI). And the ones coming in the top 5 are RBL Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Yes Bank, Citibank and HSBC. Punjab National Bank, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, Andhra Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank and <keyword id="4376212" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="State-Bank-of-Patiala">State Bank of Patiala</keyword> have hit the lowest position. The BCSBI - a body set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) - is a society of banks that prescribes minimum service standards for lenders. By promising adherence to the codes, banks spell out the minimum service standards customers can expect. According to <keyword id="6474066" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-times">Economic Times</keyword> report, the survey was conducted using five parameters - information dissemination, transparency, grievance redressal, customer centricity and customer feedback. Banks have been ranked in each of the parameters and an overall rank has been provided. When compared to the last such survey in 2015, both public sector and private sector banks have seen their score drop across all parameters, except grievance redressal. Foreign banks have improved their performance on transparency, customer feedback and customer centricity. Andhra Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank and State Bank of No matter whether the banks got a logo makeover or looks chic inside, not a single public service bank has secured a position in Top 10 chart of service standards, as shown by the Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI). And the ones coming in the top 5 are RBL Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Yes Bank, Citibank and HSBC. Punjab National Bank, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, Andhra Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank and State Bank of Patiala have hit the lowest position. The BCSBI - a body set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) - is a society of banks that prescribes minimum service standards for lenders. By promising adherence to the codes, banks spell out the minimum service standards customers can expect. According to Economic Times report, the survey was conducted using five parameters - information dissemination, transparency, grievance redressal, customer centricity and customer feedback. Banks have been ranked in each of the parameters and an overall rank has been provided. When compared to the last such survey in 2015, both public sector and private sector banks have seen their score drop across all parameters, except grievance redressal. Foreign banks have improved their performance on transparency, customer feedback and customer centricity.

You Searched For "Government Services" and got 8 results

Service charges at restaurants are not government service tax

BI India Bureau

Government services at your doorstep, New Delhi launches Mobile Sahayak

Prabhjote Gill

Mobile wallet for government services will be a reality soon

BI India Bureau

Government plans chat bot like Alexa, Google Voice to deliver public services

PTI

You may soon avail government services just sitting at home. Here’s how

BI India Bureau

The National Weather Service In Anchorage May Have Put A Secret Message In A Weather Update

Rob Wile

Why the US Postal Service is never affected by government shutdowns

Bob Bryan

These government banks have the worst service record, according to RBI approved body

BI India Bureau

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides