eSign Document for Procurement Free

Document procurement solutions refer to services that help organizations efficiently create, manage, and sign documents digitally. These solutions, such as airSlate SignNow, streamline the entire document workflow, making it quicker and more secure for businesses to acquire necessary agreements and approvals.

airSlate SignNow enhances document procurement solutions by offering a user-friendly interface, customizable templates, and advanced eSignature capabilities. This platform enables businesses to automate repetitive tasks, reduce errors, and accelerate the overall process of document handling, ultimately increasing productivity.

airSlate SignNow provides various pricing plans to cater to different business needs, making it a flexible choice for document procurement solutions. You can choose from options that accommodate small teams to large enterprises, with the goal of ensuring access to essential features without overspending.

Yes, airSlate SignNow seamlessly integrates with numerous popular applications, enhancing its document procurement solutions. Whether you use CRM systems, project management tools, or cloud storage services, you can streamline your document workflows without disrupting your existing operations.

Key features of airSlate SignNow's document procurement solutions include unlimited document signing, reusable templates, in-person signing options, and robust security measures. These features work together to create an efficient and secure document management experience for businesses.

Absolutely! By using airSlate SignNow's document procurement solutions, businesses can signNowly reduce paper usage. Digital document management not only contributes to environmental sustainability but also offers cost savings associated with printing, mailing, and physical storage.

Using airSlate SignNow for document procurement solutions can lead to increased efficiency, improved accuracy, and enhanced collaboration among teams. With faster turnaround times on documents and reduced manual errors, businesses can focus on what truly matters: growth and customer satisfaction.

Zoho is a web-based online office suite containing word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, note-taking, wikis, web conferencing, customer relationship management (CRM), project management, invoicing, and other applications developed by ZOHO Corporation (formerly AdventNet Inc.), a California-based company. It was launched in 2005 with a web-based word processor. Additional products such as spreadsheets and presentations, were incorporated later into Zoho. Zoho applications are distributed as software as a service (SaaS).Zoho uses an open application programming interface for its Writer, Sheet, Show, Creator, Meeting, and Planner products. It also has plugins into Microsoft Word and Excel, an Apache OpenOffice plugin, and a plugin for Firefox.Zoho Sites is an online, drag and drop website builder. It provides web hosting, unlimited storage, bandwidth and web pages. Features also include an array of website templates and mobile websites. Create, Edit, Share and Collaborate and e-Sign documents online with Zoho Writer.Zoho Creator is a low-code platform to create custom web and mobile apps. It employs a drag-and-drop builder to create forms, reports, dashboards, and workflows—the basics of any app—and can be used to manage data, automate business process, and more.Zoho CRM is a customer relationship management application with features like procurement, inventory, and some accounting functions from the realm of ERP. The free version is limited to 10 users.In October 2009, Zoho integrated some of their applications with the Google Apps online suite. This enabled users to sign into both suites under one login. Zoho and Google still remain separate, competing companies.Source: Zoho Office Suite - Wikipedia

e-Tendering dsc System (or Electronic Tendering System) facilitates the complete tendering processfrom the advertising of the requirement through to the placing of the contract? This includes the exchange of all relevant documents in electronic format.Nowadays, large organizations usually have to handle multiple procurement needs by applying different kinds of information systems developed by various suppliers. Such process will become inevitably long and cumbersome in conventional e-tendering systems when the categories of products are not well sorted out.WHY E-TENDERING?Manual tender processes can be long and cumbersome, often taking three months or longer, which is costly for both buyer and supplier organizations.Tender Tailor, an e-Tendering dsc System (or Electronic Tendering System) developed by Software Tailor, replace these manual paper-based tender processes with electronically facilitated processes based on best tendering practices to save time and money.Buyers are able to manage the tenders coming in, with all tenders stored in one place. Buyers can cut and paste data from the electronic tender documents for easy comparison in a spreadsheet. Evaluation tools can provide automation of this comparison process.Tender Tailor e-Tendering dsc System offers an opportunity for automating most of the tendering process: from help with preparing the tender specification; advertising; tender aggregation; to the evaluation and placing of the contract.Digital Signature Certificate for E Tender :Class 3 dsc – the digital signature certificate with encryption is the best working product for e tendering.Class 3 dsc sign with encryption is highly secure and reliable for state – central e tender process.Few of government brand like ONCG – Indian Railway – Iffco etc mainly needed class 3 digital signature for e tendering.How to Buy Class 3 digital signature certificate for e tendering on low-cost price –Buy online e tender digital signature certificate with The Biz solution services. Click on below link and process your order.E tender digital signature – you will get it at your home with free shipping in 3 days.2 digital signature products available for e tendering – choose yourBuy Online Digital Signature for e tendering -E tender Digital Signature Certificate Individual With Encryption Lowest PriceE tender Digital Signature Certificate Organization with Encryption Lowest PriceRead Full article : click on below linkhttps://www.thebizsolution.in/e-...

Click here for Digital Signature CertificateDigital signature certificates or DSC are required for filing income tax returns, company filings, import export clearance and e-tenders.A Digital Signature is the equivalent of a physical signature in electronic format, as it establishes the identity of the sender of an electronic document in the Internet. Digital Signatures are used in India for online transactions such as Income Tax E-Filing, Company or LLP Incorporation, Filing Annual Return, E-Tenders, etc., There are three types of Digital Signatures, Class I, Class II and Class III Digital Signature. Class I type of Digital Signatures are only used for securing email communication. Class II type of Digital Signatures are used for Company or LLP Incorporation, IT Return E-Filing, Obtaining DIN or DPIN, and filing other forms with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Income Tax Department. Class III type Digital Signatures are used mainly for E-Tendering and for participating in E-Auctions. Digital Signatures come in the form of a USB E-Token, wherein the Digital Signature Certificate is stored in a USB Drive and can be accessed through a computer to sign documents electronically.With E-Return filing becoming mandatory for Income Tax Assesses with an income of over Rs.5 lakhs per annum, the requirement and prevalence of Digital Signatures has increased manifold. IndiaFilings can help you obtain your Digital Signature hassle-free online. IndiaFilings is a Registered Partner of SIFY and E-Mudhra.Class II Digital Signatures are used for Income Tax E-Filing, Company or LLP Incorporation, Annual Return Filing, etc., Class II Digital Signatures are required to file documents electronically with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Income Tax Department.Difference between Class 2 and Class 3 Digital Signature CertificatesIn this day and age of technology, physical signatures are increasingly being converted to digital media for security reasons. Digital Signature Certificates, (DSC) are simply the electronic equivalent of physical or paper certificates such as identity proofs, driver�s licenses, passports or PAN cards. These certificates can prove to be helpful for many online transactions that require digital proof of identities and to receive and send information on the web safely.Organizations and firms, today require digital signature certificate to better facilitate communication and transactions between them and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. For companies that have a turnover of more than INR 60 Lakhs have to apply for these certifications mandatorily, and it is considered a legally admissible instrument. Besides, it is always wise to get a digital signature as it offers a high level of security for online transactions by ensuring absolute privacy of the information exchanged. These certificates can also be useful for encrypting information that only the intended recipient can have access to. You can digitally sign information to assure the recipient that it has not been changed in transit, and also verify your identity as the sender of the message.There are two main types of Digital Signature Certificates � Class 2 Certificates and Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate. A Class 2 Digital Signature Certificate is used by individuals and is available for download after verification based on a trusted and pre-verified database. A Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate, on the other hand, is of the highest level as it is issued only after the registrant�s identity verification has been carried out by a Registration Authority.Class 2 Digital Signature Certificates are generally used for filing documents Income Tax, Registrar of Companies and VAT, whereas Class 3 Digital Signature Certificates are needed for e-tendering, which is a procurement process that is conducted online. The aspects where this comes into play include: � Contract download� Evaluation of tenders (May or may not involve e-auctions)� Supplier registration/expression of interest� Submission of bid documentThe Ministry of Company Affairs, Government of India (GoI) has initiated MCA21 program, for easy and secure access to its services in a manner that best suits the businesses and citizens. The MCA21 application is designed to support Class 2 & 3 Digital Signature Certificates (DSC) issued by licensed signNowing Authority under Controller of signNowing Authorities.

Class 2 Digital Signature Certificate can be issued to individual or an authorized individual on the behalf of any organization. Class 2 Digital Signature Certificate is available for download after verification based on a trusted and pre-verified databaseWhereas Class 2B Digital signature certificates are issued to Organization for various purposes. Class 2B digital signatures for organization is personal certificate that provides second highest level of assurance within the RCAI hierarchy setup by CCA (Controller of signNowing Authorities) in India which is mainly used for e tender filing, E Procurement, E Bidding, Bank Auction and Document Signing.

Hey there,from my 15yrs strategic procurement expertise here’s a very hands on approach, how the procurement cycle works out on a daily basis. Please note: this covers the steps from demand to contract signature (as I see all the invoice and goods receipts bookings as more or less operational / logistic questions):I illustrated it in three phases for you:Demand definition phaseNegotiation phaseAwarding phaseHere are the single steps me and my organization is going through in the best case:Phase I - Demand DefinitionAfter the first contact between the demand owner and the procurement professional, usually the clarification process starts. This includes several questions, such as…… who are your stakeholders (management, customers, other units)?This is quite important. I also utilize this question to make sure, once the RfP (Request for Proposal) is initiated, procurement should be the single point of contact for any discussions with vendors - no side communication as this weakens the overall negotiation position… do you have an idea about potential vendors you would like to include in the demand / tender?… what are the boundaries from a demand owners point of view?… what is the timelline, what is the latest point we need a signed contract?and maybe the most important:… in nutshell: What is your end goal? What do you want to achieve with this tender (e. g. free up resources, move a certain topic to the next level, find alternatives etc etc)Out of these questions - in a joint effort - a demand definition or even better a demand specification (what do we want to contract?) evolves. This is the core of the tender!during this discussion certain clarifications may occur which turn into a feedback cycle. Procurement can really act as a quality gate here not only to get comparable quotes but also helps to get demand clarity and better fulfill the demand owners end goal (see above)Phase II - Negotiationonce the core (see above) is finalized, procurement puts together all the workstreams (such as legal requirements, quality, IP etc) and preps the tender package. From my experience this works best, when combined with a NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement).In bigger projects I brief potential suppliers to not only sign a NDA but also a statement to offer us the best proposal possible and a signature that they are committed to us as a customer. I even let them sign this, which has a nice psychological side effect. Additionally this helps them to get their sales team readyOnce we have initiated the tender (RfP - Request for Proposal) we also communicate the timeline. This is quite important because this usually is a non-changeable milestone. It is like “… if you want to play, you stick to our timeline…” Helps to make things crystal clear for all parties involved.During the tender - usually after they had the documents for a week - we do a q&a session to answer any open question the vendor might have. We ask them to submit questions before the session so we can involve potential SMEs (Subject Matter Experts).In big tenders, we usually do a joint q&a which has 2 major advantages:1. effort optimization: we have 1 meeting instead of several with each vendor separately2. competition optimization: if we have 3 or more vendors to participate, usually there’s always one of them who asks intelligent questions and shines, which puts other vendors under a certain psychological pressure to also best performOnce we receive the vendors offers we read through them, eventually split up in certain workstreams, e. g.legal reviews topics like liabilitiesprocurement reviews commercialsIT (if required) reviews technical cornerstones etc etcAt the same time, I check certain topics within the vendors feedback, such as …do they have references? Can we have a reference call?does the feedback match with potential previous offers (from other tenders) to us?Negotiations start based on feedback from evaluations from stakeholders and demand ownerscommercialslegal topicsadditional options offered etc.Once we have everything cleared, we enter …Phase III - Awardingin my organization every strategic tender needs to be approved by our senior management. Hence we brief them.Out of this briefing some addtional requirements and feedback may arise (this simply is reality, so we might have to do some reworkOnce all open topics are clarified, we sign the contract documentsIn strategic tenders, we usually have an awarding meeting, where both parties physically sign the documents (this again fosters a vendors commitment towards a high performance executiion / delivery)Finally we calculate our savings and enter them into our reporting toolsI hope this helps to clarify your question.Let me know if you need more information and I’ll be happy to create a blog post on Blog - The Procurement Blog to answer them in more Detail.

The ETA does not contain a prescribed definition of what would be an ‘electronic signature’. Therefore, an electronic signature may take the form of an image of an individual’s handwritten signature, a typed name or a digital signature. There may be other forms as well. For example, the courts have held that a name appearing at the bottom of an email in normal typeface is a valid electronic signature.Section 9 of the ETA sets out three requirements for an electronic signature, being identification, reliability and consent:Identification is a question of fact, as the recipient must be able to identify the person signing (however, no formal verification of identity is required), and confirm that the person signing intends to be bound by the information communicated.Reliability is objectively determined by considering all the relevant circumstances and the purpose for which the electronic signature is required.Consent requires the counterparty to the document being electronically signed to agree to the signing party signing the document electronically. The case law demonstrates that this requirement is unlikely to require anything more than the counterparty using the chosen electronic mechanism, or engaging with the electronic execution process.To know more about Electronic signature visit at Digital Signature Devices, Software, Electronic Pads

Taking the question at face value.. here are some of my ideas for a multi-billion dollar business potential in the next few years.. Some ideas may seem whacky or just plain stupid (due to my limited knowledge), but please feel free to add your comments.1. A money lending institution that charges lesser % interest than guideline base rate.  2. An app that would revoke an email after it is read by the recipient - removes traces of the mail being sent at all3. Mobile battery juice packs under $10 for emergency usage.. maybe you could make it last for just one or few phone calls, I don't know... just solve this problem! should be something really small that fits in your pocket4. Start your own internet that kicks ass.. charge everybody $1 one-time fee to join in5.  a mobile phone with in-built cigarette lighter ;-)6. Real time tracking of all commercial planes, trains, automobiles7. Real time monitoring of all micro organisms in the world 8. A cheap way to make you forget a book or a movie so you can read or watch again with the  same thrill of doing it for the first time9. Find a way to store and tap energy more efficiently10. A device that uses the pressure your shoe soles to convert it to electricity and store it in a battery.. so you can recharge your mobile device from your shoesinteresting to come up with such ideas.... will come back and add more later.

I rate him 95+ out of 100.INITIATIVES FOR PASSENGERSPassenger Helpline No. 138 and security helpline 182 Indian Railways provided the All India Helpline Number ‘138’ for passengers, as an interface for queries/complaints related to medical emergency, cleanliness, food & catering, coach maintenance, linen etc. A security helpline ‘182’has also been launched to report any unsavory incidents. This service is very important public service and may play an important role in emergencies like crime against women, onboard unlawful activity, train accidents, medical attention required and fire etc. These helpline numbers viz.138&182 and existing 139 are now to be printed on the tickets for the convenience of passengers. Launching of e-catering service in trainsThe Ministry of Railways is providing e-catering service in trains through its PSU, Indian Railways Catering &Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). This is a service where a passenger is able to place an order for a meal, to be served at his seat in the train enroute, through a phone call or an SMS. Presently this service is available in 120 pairs of trains. Go-India Smart cardGo-India’ smart card scheme has been launched on pilot basis on two sectors i.e. New Delhi-Mumbai and New Delhi-Howrah. At present, the Go-India smart card enables passengers to pay for reserved and unreserved tickets. The scheme is intended to reduce the transaction time at the booking counters for the convenience of passengers as it facilitates cashless transaction.Introduction of Next Generation e-ticketing systemNext generation E-ticketing system introduced, which can book 7200 online tickets instead of 2000 tickets per minute and to attend 2,00,000 enquiries instead of 50000 per minute. SMS Alerts to passengersIndian Railways added another milestone by launching yet another innovative scheme called the ‘SMS Gateway’, which will enable passengers to get SMS alerts on the status of reserved tickets. Moreover SMS alerts giving wakeup calls has also been introduced. Mobile security App.for womenMobile app for security of women has been launched in Mumbai suburban trains.This is the first phase and it will be extended in other areas in a phased manner. Yatri Ticket Sewa Kendra schemeA new scheme called the Yatri Ticket Sewa Kendra (YTSK) Scheme has been launched. Under this scheme, agents of Indian Railways can operate ticketing terminals at various locations in the cities and towns for issuing reserved tickets and unreserved tickets. This will offer greater convenience to passengers in getting rail tickets. Adarsh StationThe scheme of Adarsh stations for better amennities has been introduced in the year 2009. Under this scheme, 1052 stations have been selected for development as Adarsh Station upto 2013-14. 108 stations have been developed under the scheme during 2014-15, as such a total of 934 stations have been developed as ‘Adarsh’ station so far. Pilgrim special tourist trainsWith a view to promote rail tourism in the country and to provide reasonably priced tourism package to tourists, especially the pilgrims in the country, India Railways through its PSU IRCTC has launched six pilgrim special tourist train packages in the first phase. The tourist packages are;  Sukhamngalam Yatra,  Dham special with Dakshin Darshan via Lucknow, Dham special with Dakshin Darshan via Jaipur, Shikharji Circuit Yatra, Jyotirling Yatra, and Takht Parikrama. Braille Signages on coachesFor the help of visually impaired passengers, Indian Railways has taken  the initiative of providing Braille signages on coaches. CCTV on coaches In order to improve security measures on trains and especially for women passengers, it has been decided to provide CCTV cameras on coaches especially in ladies compartments in doorway and aisle area without infringing on the privacy. Waiting chairs/benches etc. under MPLAD Scheme Guidelines issue for installations of chairs/benches/overhead sheds at stations under Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme(MPLAD).Comprehensive guidelines have been issued for improvement of passenger amenities at stations through NGOs, Trusts, Corporate etc. R.O. drinking water at stations Provision of Reverse Osmosis (R.O.) drinking water units at selection stations on experimental basis has been planned. To begin with, eight stations namely, Madurai, Gadag, Tirupati, Guwahati Dwarka, H.Nizammudin, Patna  & Bhopal were identified for provision of R.O. drinking water units. While R.O. drinking water units have already been commissioned at Dwarka, Gadag, H.Nizammudin, Katihar (in lieu of Guwahati), Madurai and Tirupati stations R.O. units at Patna & Bhopal are planned to be commissioned shortly.This will help provide safe drinking water to passengers. Seperate Food safety officer in every division With a view to ensure better quality check on the food installations in Railway, it has been decided to appoint one Food Safety Officer in every Division of the Railways. Earlier a Food Safety Officer was entrusted with more than one Division which was causing difficulty in ensuring proper supervision.DIGITAL INDIA INITIATIVE Launching of a ‘Customer Complaint Web Portal’ A ‘Customer Complaint Web Portal and Mobile Application’ (android/windows based mobile App), was launched. One can track the status of the complaints which he or she registered on this portal with the help of mobile App. Feedback can also be given on this portal.  This will help in faster redressal of passenger grievances. ‘Operation Five Minutes’ –Paperless Unreserved TicketingFulfilling yet another commitment of the Railway Budget 2015-16, the Minister of Railways launched Mobile Application for Paperless Unreserved Ticketing on pilot basis on  Egmore –Tambaram Suburban Section of Chennai. This initiative is part of Indian Railways effort to help passengers purchase the unreserved tickets within five minutes under its ‘Operation five minutes programme’. This will allow the passenger to buy a ticket on the move and allow him or her to board the train with the ticket secured on his or her mobile phone, without any need for printing the ticket.‘E-Samiksha’ for Implementation  MonitoringIn yet another milestone initiative for ensuring timely implementation of budget proposals, a special portal called ‘E-Samiksha’, has been launched for monitoring the implementation of budget announcements/commitments .This portal would help to keep an eye on the implementation of budget process. Facility of ‘Wi-Fi’ services on Railway stations Indian Railways is providing the Wi-Fi Broadband Services at several stations which include Bangaluru, Secunderabad, Mumbai CST, Agra, Varanasi, Hawrah, Chennai, Ahmdabad. The Wi-Fi project on Indian Railways is being executed by RailTel, a Public Sector Undertaking of the Ministry of Railways. Wi-Fi facility is available to the users free of cost initially for a period of 30 minutes by registering on the Wi-Fi network through their mobile phones. The facility of Wi-Fi will be extended to other stations in a phased manner. Introduction of e-demand system With the release of this module, customers can sit in the convenience of their homes or offices and register their freight demands. Railways’  Social Media platform To keep pace with the modern means of internet media, Indian Railways launched its three social media platforms namely Facebook, Twitter and You Tube with the URL @railminindia. Railway Budget was for the first time live streamed on social media platforms. Online suggestions and feedback can also be made on these social media platforms. SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT MoU signed for highest ever funding for Railways In a landmark achievement, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Railways and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) for highest ever funding of Rs. 1.5 lakh crore for Railways. This move will ultimately help railways growth through augmentation of its financial resources. Interim Report of HLRRC submitted to Railway Board Interim Report of High Level Railway Restructuring Committee (HLRCC) headed by Dr. Bibek Debroy has been submitted to the Railway Board.The report has also been put on the Ministry’s website for inviting suggestions and comments. This committee was constituted with an aim to find out ways to mobilise resources for major railway projects and restructuring of railways. Delegating more power to Zonal Railways With an aim to fast track decision making and bring in transparency full powers have been delegated to General Manages and Director Generals as tender authority . All the cases for acceptance of Works and Stores tenders, will now be dealt with and finalized by Zonal Railways and Production Units.Scope of e-tendering is being expanded for increased transparency and procurement. Saving of energy To reduce cost of Electrical energy being used for traction, procurement through open market is being done.Power Purchase Agreement between DVC and North Central railway for supply of 50MW power has already been signed.Saving for the month of March 2015 alone is Rs 10 Crore approx.A web based electrical energy management system called RailSaver has been launched which will help save upto 15% energy by 2020. Logistic Hubs on National Waterways A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWA) and the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) for creation of logistic hubs with rail connectivity at Varanasi and other places on National Waterways. Alternative  Energy Resources Solar Plants of 2 MW at RCF, Raebareli and 1 MW at Katra Railway station have been commissioned.Target of commissioning 6.5 MW Solar Power plants in year 2015-16. A 30 KW Solar Plant has been commissioned at roof top Rail Bhawan at New Delhi. Solar plants at other Railway buildings are proposed to be installed in future. Target for commissioning of 25 MW Wind Energy Plant at Jaisalmer in 2015-16. Ratan Tata as Head of ‘Kayakalp’ Council Taking immediate follow up action in implementing the Budget announcement, Railways constituted the ‘Kayakalp’ Council and appointed Shri Ratan Tata to head this Council. The purpose of the Council is to recommend innovative methods and processes for the improvement, betterment and transformation of the Indian Railways. MOU with National Institute of Design Adding yet another milestone by fulfilling another commitment announced in the Railway Budget 2015-16, the Indian Railway signed an MoU to set up its own Railway Design Centre in the campus of National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmadabad. This will help improve customer’s happiness by way of better designed coaches and providing cost effective solutions to problems faced by passengers during train travel. White paper and vision 2030 documentMinister of Railways released White Paper on Railways in the parliament with a view to understand the challenges that the organization is presently facing. Ministry of Railways is now working on the vision 2030 document on Railways which will contain a blueprint for the future development of the Indian Railways. Task forces and Experts’ committeesSeveral task forces and committees of experts constituted for focussed attention on areas like revenue mobilization through advertising, improving financial health of railways, restructuring delegation of powers, productivity enhancement, etc. The various committees have roped in experts like E Shreedhran, former CAG Vinod Rai, economist Bibek Debroy and noted industrialist Ratan Tata to improve the Railways and bring in innovative ideas and solutions.Better training of Railway PersonnelAcademic Services Agreement has been signed with Beijing Jiao Tong University, China for training of 100 officers of various departments in Heavy Haul Technology. ‘Indian Railways Chair for Sustainable Mobility’ has been set up at TERI University, New Delhi. Modules on gender sensitization of Railway personnel have been introduced in centralized training institutes.Centre for Railway Research set up at Mumbai UniversityRailway Ministry and Mumbai University signed an MoU to set up a Centre for Railway Research (CRR) at University of Mumbai in order to develop a long-term frame work for research collaboration. Leveraging of space for advertisingWith a view to generate additional revenue, RITES,a public sector undertaking of Ministry of Railways prepared a Concept Note, indicating ways and means for leveraging of space in coaches, wagons, trains, railway stations etc. for advertisements, publicity and other purposes. Now, six-member task force headed by Member Traffic Railway Board has been set up to examine and implement this project.INFRASTRUCTURECritical coal connectivity projects fasttracked Transportation of coal is an important activity of Indian Railways and is very crucial for the country’s power supply system. Critical Coal connectivity projects in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa are being fast tracked. MOU has been signed with Ministry of Coal and Government of Odisha. Another MOU with Government of Jharkhand is in the offing. Redevelopment of Railway Stations Railway Ministry has now decided to offer Railway Stations for redevelopment on ‘as is where is’ basis, by inviting open bids from interested parties with their designs and business ideas duly providing for amenities and other requirements of the Railways. The Process for redevelopment of stations, already indentified viz. Anand Vihar, Bijwasan, Chandigarh, Shivaji Nagar & Habibganj by Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Ltd. (IRSDC) is continuing. Progress On Dedicated Freight Corridor Project Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight corridors are being developed for smooth and fast transportation of freight. Loan for Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (Phase 2) for US $ 1100 million approved  by the World Bank on 22.04.14, has been signed on 11th November 2014. Electrification contract for 945 km of Western DFC has been awarded on 18.11.2014. FDI and PPP in RailwaysCabinet approved 100% FDI in identified areas of Railway sector.Ministry of Railways has formulated sectoral guidelines on FDI.Investor’s meet was held to explain FDI to investors.More meets planned in future. High level committee set up to discuss FDI and PPP issues. Ministry of Railways has also issued Model Concession Agreement for Non Governmental Railway model, joint venture model and Built, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model. During the period , approvals were also given for port connectivity PPP projects viz. Roha-Dighi newline and Digni-Jaigarh port newline. In addition in principle approval for two more port connectivity projects viz. Chhara port and Nargol port has been given.New Rail Neer Plant in Mumbai inaugurated A new Rail Neer plant has been set up at Ambernath (Mumbai) by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a Public Sector Undertaking of Ministry of Railways, the production capacity of this plant will be 2 lakh liters per day, This will improve availability of safe Packaged Drinking Water (PDW).  Laying of Opticle Fibre Cable on Railway Network A total number of 1,329 route kilometres OFC has been laid. Cumulatively, 48,179 route kilometers (approx.) OFC has been commissioned over Indian .It will enable high speed internet connectivity and video conferencing facility. New lines and electrificationIn 2014-15, 1983 km of railway lines have been commissioned. This is the highest ever. In 2014-15, 1375 km of railway electrification completed. This is the highest ever. SAFETY Geo-spatial technologies for unmanned level crossings In a signNow move to make Unmanned Level Crossings (UMLCs) safer for road users thereby avoiding accidents thereat, Geo-spatial technologies are proposed to be used with the help of ISRO. Under such technologies which combine Global Positioning System(GPS), Geographic Information System(GIS) and Remote Sensing, an alert message will be flashed automatically in the mobile phones of all the road users carrying GPS enabled mobile phones in the vicinity of an Unmanned Level Crossing, about the approaching train. This will save many lives as many fatal accidents occur at unmanned level crossing. Quick evacuation of injured persons from tracks Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are being put in place regarding quick evacuation of the injured persons from the railway track so that human lives are saved. MoU on construction of ROBs/RUBs In a move to further enhance safety of road users, Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Road Transport & Highways signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on policy related to constructions of Road Over Bridges and Road Under Bridges on National Highway corridors.  MAKE IN INDIA Expansion project of DLW factory The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the commencement of Expansion Project of Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), a production unit of Indian Railways at Varanasi on some of the features of  the expansion plan are; a new block shop, loco frame shop and loco assembly shop, new plant shop having advanced paint booths, induction of high productivity machines and generation of 250 kw Green Power by roof mounted grid connected solar power plant. The project will herald the ‘Make in India’ campaign in the holy city, Varanasi.Ministry of Railway also successfully floated RFP for state of the Art Electro Loco Factory at Madhepura and Diesel Loco Factory at Marhowra. Again RFP were issued for manufacturing 9000 HP electric locos for western DFC. Locos will be manufactured at Dankuni and Technology will be transferred to CLW, Chittanranjan. New production unitsRail Wheel Plan, Bela commissioned and regular production started.2nd unit for manufacture of LHB coaches fit to run at 160kmph made functional at Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.DEMU factory Haldia commissioned.Mid-life Rehabilitation Workshop for coaches at Jhansi completed.New Loco and New Green Train5500 HP Diesel Locomotive introduced in Indian Railway System which is the highest horse power Diesel Engine.First “Green” DEMU rail introduced on Northern Railway to run between Rewari-Rohtak Section. HIGH SPEED PROJECTS Status of Railways Semi High Speed Projects Indian Railways is working on increasing speed of trains raising it to 160kmph/200 kmph referred as Semi-High speed. It has identified nine corridors for this purpose. Trial run in Delhi-Agra corridor successfully completed for running trains at semi-high speed of 160 km. per hour. The commercial services will be started after obtaining the CRS sanction. The feasibility study for semi high speed on Chennai-Bangaluru-Mysore Corridor is being taken up by Chinese Railways. Feasibility study for New Delhi-Chandigarh Corridor to be undertaken with French Railway. Discussions are on with Germany for undertaking feasibility study of Nagpur-Secunderabad Corridor. 5 other identified corridors under examination for semi high speed trains. Mumbai-Ahemdabad High Speed Bullet train project Ministry of Railways took steps for introduction of High Speed Bullet Trains(300+kmph) in the country on Mumbai-Ahmadabad corridor.  It is part of the Ministry’s ambitious plan to have Diamond Quadrilateral network of High Speed Rail connecting major metros and growth centers of the country. French Railway submitted business model study of this corridor. The interim report of feasibility study being undertaken by Japan has been received and final report is expected in June, 2015. One new route between New Delhi and Chennai has been identified for introducing bullet train and China has been entrusted with the task of undertaking feasibility study of this line. JAMMU & KASHMIR AND NORTH EASTOpening of Lumding-Silchar broad gauge section The much awaited Lumding-Silchar Broad Gauge section (Assam) inaugurated with the running of goods trains. The passenger train services will be started soon on this section. This line will provide seamless BG connectivity to Barak Valley of Assam with the rest of the Country.it Musica Country,Free Country Music WebRadio Online! is a very crucial rail link for the N.E region. First train to Meghalaya In an important event in the history of Railways, one more north-eastern state namely Meghalaya was brought on country’s railway map. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi flagged off the first ever train from Guwahati to Medipathar in Meghalaya to mark this feat. Foundation stone for rail link to Mizoram’s capital To further boost the development of rail link in North Eastern region, the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation for a new rail route from Bhairabi to Sairang in Mizoram. It will take rail connectivity to Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram Katra comes on country’s railway map In another landmark engineering marvel, Indian Railways completed Udhampur-Katra Broad gauge line in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.  Prime Minister dedicated this line to the nation at a programme held at Katra.This line has brought Katra on country’s railway map consequently bringing Jammu & Kashmir Valley nearer to the rest of the nation . Railways help during J&K floodsIndian Railways geared up its machinery to provide all possible help to the travelling public in the wake of unprecedented flood in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Railways arranged transport of relief material free of charge by coaching trains to Jammu Tawi and Udhampur from any station of India. Railways made about 4 lakh Rail Neer drinking water bottles available for flood affected people of J&K.North-eastern tour package for college students An education train ‘Gyanodaya Express’ – a tour package for the students of Delhi University to visit North east states, was flagged off from Delhi . It will help the students to connect with NE region . SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAANNation wide Action PlanIndian Railways is implementing PMs nationwide campaign of Swachch Bharat Abhiyan in true letter and spirit.Separate Directorate for Environment and Housekeeping created. This Directorate will address all environment and housekeeping related issues over Railways.Detailed action plan on cleanliness prepared has been prepared and an Integrated Policy of cleanliness in Stations, Platforms and Coaches is under formulation.50 major stations outsourced for international level cleanliness. Setting up of mechanised laundries Mechanised laundries at 6 new locations have been set up to improve the quality of linen being supplied to AC class passengers. With this Indian Railway now have 33 such mechanized laundries. Dustbins on all the coaches: Dustbins on trains were hitherto being provided mainly on AC coaches. Now dustbins will be provided in all the coaches including non AC coaches. On Board Housekeeping services scheme: An additional 83 no. of trains have been covered under OBHS scheme taking total coverage to around 500 trains. Under this scheme ,cleanliness is maintained during run of the train. Installation of more Bio-Toilets in coachesMore than 10159 Bio-toilets have been fitted till March, 2015 and target set for 2015-16 is fitment of 17,000 bio-toilets. These toilets use bacterial action to convert human waste into water and gas. HELPING FARMERS AND RURAL PEOPLE First ever Perishable Cargo Centre set up The first ever Perishable Cargo Centre of Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) (a Railway PSU) at Adarsh Nagar station near Azadpur Sabzi Mandi, Delhi, was inaugurated. This perishable cargo centre will help farmers and consumers in a big way and the ripening of fruits and cold storage facilities at this cargo centre will help the farmers get a good price and good market for their product. Skill development activities in railway premises Indian Railways has around 8000 stations and premises of some of the railway stations with very few trains and scanty footfall would be used for skill development activities. It will help rural people substantially.The skill development programme has been emphasized by the Hon’ble Prime Minister for the benefit of the people. Promoting Rural Products Railways will also help in marketing rural products made by self help groups and other such agencies so as to help common rural people. The Konkani-cuisine restaurant “Konkan Swaad Katta’ recently set up at Ratnagiri station in Konkan Railway is a step in this  direction to encourage traditional businesses and local talent as well as  help the financial empowerment of  local people and at the same time passengers getting taste traditional dishes. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION MoU with China in technical cooperation  in RailwaysA Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and an Action Plan were signed between the Government of India and People’s Republic of China in enhancing Technical Cooperation in Railway Sector, at delegation level talks between the two countries on 18th September 2014. The potential cooperation areas mentioned in the MoU are; i) Training in heavy haul freight transportation, ii) Raising of speed of trains on existing routes, iii) Station redevelopment, iv) High speed rail and v) Setting up of Railway University. MoU on cooperation with Republic of Korea Indian Railways and Republic of Korea signed a MoU on Technical Cooperation In the Rail Sector. The MoU would enable technical assistance and cooperation between the Railways of the two countries on areas such as High Speed Rail, Modernisation of Rolling Stock, Railway Operations, Modernisation of Signalling, Construction & Maintenance technologies and in development of Logistics Parks/Terminals. Cooperation with Czech Republic MoU has also been signed with Czech Republic for technical assistance in Railway sector. The potential cooperation areas mentioned in the MoU are Freight operations- Logistics of automotive transport, Passenger operations – raising of speeds upto 200 kmph; Infrastructure building and management – station development and workshop modernization; Information & communication technologies especially for passenger amenities ; Modernisation of rolling stock; Modernisation of signalling & telecom etc. Cooperation with Austria  The 2nd Indo-Austrian Joint Working Group meeting on the Technology  Specific Cooperation  in the field of Railways was organized on 9.9.2014. Cooperation among SAARC nations Ministry of Railways hosted the 5th meeting of the SAARC Inter governmental Group on Transport on 30thSeptember,2014 at Vigyan Bhawan ,New Delhi,The meeting was attended by all the SAARC member countries. Relief during Nepal earthquake During the Nepal earthquake crisis, Railways made available to Nepal about 4 lakh Rail Neer drinking water bottles. Railways also made available to earthquake victims the facility of the Railways hospitals situated in the border towns. Railways also facilitated travel of earthquake victims. IMPROVED PERFORMANCE Increase in Railways’ revenue earnings The total approximate earnings of Indian Railways on originating basis during the financial year 2014-15 (1st April 2014 to 31st March 2015) were Rs. 157880.50 crore compared to Rs. 140761.27 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 12.16 per cent. Improved Freight loading Indian Railways carried 1097.57 million tonnes of revenue earning freight traffic during the financial year 2014-15 i.e. from 1st April 2014 to 31st March 2015. The freight carried shows an increase of 44.02 million tonnes over the freight traffic of 1053.55 million tonnes actually carried during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 4.18 per cent.MISCELLANEOUS Pathbreaking Railway Budget Railway Budget 2015-16 was completely depoliticized making it a long term perspective document.The thrust areas identified in the budget include Quality of life in journeys, station redevelopment, capacity augmentation, safety, technology upgradation, partnerships for development, improvements to management processes and systems, resource mobilization, human resources, energy and sustainability, transparency and governance initiatives.28 announcements made in the Budget speech already implemented. Railways players bring laurel to the nation Railway sportspersons as a part of Indian contingent at recently concluded Commonwealth Games-2014, (CWG) at Glasgow, Scotland, again brought glory to the nation by bagging 9 medals out of total 64 medals won by India. Renovation of National Rail Museum A big renovation exercise was undertaken in National Railways Museum, Delhi.  Musical Fountain, Toy Train and Renovated Exhibits have been added at the Museum.