Now book your Indian Rail Tickets - ANYWHERE ANYTIME through your Mobile Phones. Wanna try?

Now book your Indian Rail Tickets - ANYWHERE ANYTIME through your Mobile Phones.

Wanna try?

IRCTC has taken another step to popularize Electronic Tickets. Currently, 50% of Long distance tickets are in the electronic mode. With the new feature of booking railway tickets through Mobile Phones, the share of electronic tickets is bound to go up.

The best part of this feature, is that there is no need for the consumer to download any App to their mobile phone. They can directly log into the mobile website with the same password and ID, as used for internet rail tickets booking.

IRCTC brings to you the mobile website https://www.irctc.co.in/mobile with just a few clicks you can book your tickets using your Mobile Phones.

IRCTC mobile website is convenient and easy to use, can be accessed from any browser enabled mobile having basic GPRS activated on phone.

The following features are available:

Book Ticket/ Enquiry- Book tickets by providing source and destination.

Booked History- Tickets whose Date of Journey is due will be visible.

Cancel Ticket- Cancel any of the tickets whose date of journey is due.

Browse the URL using your mobile and book tickets using any of your credit/debit card for payment.

Help for booking

1. Login to URL with your existing IRCTC user id and password.

2. Fill in details for plan my travel.

3. Select the train and continue the booking.

4. Use existing passenger list on add passengers.

5. Confirm booking details and pay through Credit/debit card to get successful booking.

6. Receive a SMS and an email from IRCTC with the complete travel details.

7. Receive a SMS from your Bank/Credit Card Issuing Bank for the amount debited from your Credit/Debit Card.

Reference : Railway Board Letter No.2008/TG-I/10/P/SMS dated 20.07.2011

              Electronic Reservation Slip (ERS) - The printout in standard specified Performa containing reservation particulars, and instructions for use which can be used by the passenger along with the relevant authorized Identification, as travel authority for performing the journey.

           

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         Virtual Reservation Message (VRM) - A screen-shot of the e-ticket displayed through laptops/palmtops/ Mobile phone is referred as Virtual Reservation Message (VRM).

                 ERS/VRM along with any one of the nine prescribed ID proofs in original and the indication of the passenger(s)' name(s) in the Reservation Chart will authorize the passenger to travel.

               VRM combined with valid photo-id in original will be treated as an instrument on par with the ERS. 

                ERS/VRM along with one of the nine prescribed proofs of identity in original will also authorize the passenger to enter the platform on the day of journey and he/she will not be required to purchase platform ticket. ERS/VRM along with original id proof will be required to be produced on demand of Ticket Checking Staff on the platform.

Evolving Customer friendly Payment Systems in India – a continuing agenda

Today's Post is on the Inaugural address by Shri G.Padmanabhan, Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India on the occasion of the launch of Mobile Banking services by Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd on 9 January, 2012 at Chennai.

The complete Speech can be accessed at http://rbi.org.in/scripts/BS_SpeechesView.aspx?Id=652

Many new ideas in the Indian Payments Arena have been outlined in the speech.

On a quick reading, the ZERO LIABILITY/Limited Liability feature adopted by major credit card issuers in USA seems to be the highlight of the speech.

What is Zero Liability/Limited Liability feature in Credit Cards ?

In simple terms, Zero Liability can said to be a valuable benefit for consumers, virtually guaranteeing protection against card fraud.

Of course like all good things in life, Zero Liability has its own terms and conditions. The terms and conditions can said to be

1. of the Card Issuing Company I.e Visa or Master or American Express or Diners
2. of the Card Issuing Bank

There is a view that Indian credit cards holders should be offered the benefits of 'Zero Liability' feature. This has started and HDFC Bank Platinum Plus Credit Card holders and HSBC Gold Credit Card holders can enjoy this feature. It is to be noted that the 'zero liability', starts only the card holder informs his/her Bank the loss of the credit card has been reported to the Bank in writing or to the VISA / MasterCard Global Emergency Assistance Helplines.

A similar facility is offered by all Credit Cards Issuing Banks to their high-end credit cards.

To increase the confidence of the credit cards holders in credit card transactions, the speech suggests that the 'zero liability', feature be extended to all credit card holders as long as the customer has adhered to all the risk measures prescribed by the bank, but yet unauthorized transactions have taken place in his/her credit card account.

Hm, which bank will be the first one, to offer this facility.

Savings bank a/c number portability in India on anvil: Indian FinMin. This should be real by 2018

A simple definition of 'Portability' is a thing which can be carried or moved with ease. Portability in another sense is 'Capable of being transferred from one employer to another. Used of an employee benefit'.

In India, in recent times the word 'Portability', is familiar with Mobile subscribers and Health Insurance Policy Holders

Now, the word 'Portability', will be extended to the Banking Customers too. The Indian Finance Ministry is working on savings banks account number portability. Savings Banks accounts portability, will allow a customer to retain his account number while changing his bank.

Financial Services Secretary D K Mittal said, “We want to do it (savings a/c number portability). Right now there are some technical problems...we have identified them. We will overcome them soon," .

He was speaking after a meeting in the Ministry, which among others was attended by Economic Affairs Secretary R Gopalan, Finance Secretary R S Gujral and Chief Economic Adviser Kaushik Basu. He said banks would have to work on identification code, know your customers (KYC) norms and core banking solution (CBS) for implementing the savings bank account number portability.

An idealistic Savings Account Portability Scheme should have following features : -

1. There should no change in the account number.
2. The account should be transferred withing 10 working days.
3. There should be no suspension in the account operations.
4. The existing Debit Card and Cheque Book can be continued to be used.
5. There should be no disruption in related electronic payment transactions i.e., RTGS/NEFT Credits, ECS Debits, etc.
6. There should be no disruption in the credit history of the account holder.

What is required for the Savings Account Number Portability to take off in India?

a) The Banks should be 100% on CBS(Core Banking Solution).

b) There should be uniform number of digits in the account numbers across all the participating banks.

100. A third-party KYC(Know Your Customer) organization responsible for certifying the adherence to KYC norms. A beginning has been made in SEBI regulated markets towards this end.
101. A robust Identification Code to recognize the savings accounts of Participating Banks. A start can be made by incorporating the MICR Code or the Pin Code in the new account numbers. 
     
     
     d) Robust Risk Management including Fraud prevention techniques.
     
     
     
     
     
     

Public Holidays in the State of Maharashtra during the year 2012 - Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881

Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act 1881 is the Basic Law regulating Indian Banking System. The Act came into existence on 01/03/1882.

It is important to remember that State Government have to specifically declare Holidays under the Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 for Banks to be closed on that particular day.

Otherwise, the Holiday is applicable only to State Government offices.

Public Holidays in the State of Maharashtra during the year 2012 - Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881

General Administration Department

Mantralaya, Mumbai 400 032

Notification

PHD. 1111/454/C.R.126/2011/XXIX         October 5, 2011

In exercise of the powers of Central Government under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (XXVI of 1881) entrusted to it by the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs wide its Notification No.39/1/68/Judl-III, dated the 8th May 1968, the Government of Maharashtra hereby declares the following days as Public Holidays in the State of Maharashtra during the year 2012 :

Public Holidays in the State of Himachal Pradesh during the year 2012 - Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881

Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act 1881 is the Basic Law regulating Indian Banking System. The Act came into existence on 01/03/1882.

It is important to remember that State Government have to specifically declare Holidays under the Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 for Banks to be closed on that particular day.

Otherwise, the Holiday is applicable only to State Government offices.

Public Holidays in the State of Himachal Pradesh during the year 2012 - Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881

Please find enclosed a copy of the Government Notification containing the list of public holidays declared under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 in the State of Himachal Pradesh for the Year 2012.

It is clarified that 'public holiday' declared by Central / State Governments / Union Territory, includes 'Sundays' as indicated under the explanation to Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.

Branches of banks working on Sundays observe their weekly-off on any other day of the week as decided by the Bank and notified to members of staff and public. Therefore, all Sundays will be working days for Sunday working branches, except those Sundays declared as holidays by the Central / State Government / Union Territory for a specified festival / occasion in a particular year, under the Negotiable Instruments Act.