India Signed Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with Estonia

India signed DTAA (Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement) with Estonia on 19 September 2011 and forged a pact to work with it in the field of information, communications and technology (ICT).  The DTAA and the pact on ICT was signed during the visit of communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal to Estonia. Kapil signed the DTAA with Estonian Minister of Finance Jurgen Ligi.

India will also set up a Chair on Cyber Security in Tallinn University and a Chair on Indian languages, history and literature in another of Estonia’s universities.

The government of Estonia also announced 20 scholarships for Indian students that enroll with Estonian universities for accredited doctoral programme leading to a PhD degree in information and communication technology, environment technology, biotechnology, material technology power engineering or health.

 Sibal travelled to Helsinki, Finland, to participate in a summit on information and network security for emerging markets following his visit to Estonia. Estonia is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe.

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Goa became the First Indian State to Launch Health Insurance Policy Covering all its People

Goa became the first state in India to launch Swarnajayanti Aarogya Bima Yojana providing health insurance cover for the entire resident population of the State. The State Government on 20 September 2011 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ICICI Lombard which is the implementing agency for the new health insurance cover. About 3.2 lakh families in the state would be entitled to be in the purview of the scheme.

The novel and unique cash less health insurance scheme provides for meeting expenses of hospitalization for medical and/or surgical procedure including maternity benefit to the enrolled families upto 60000 rupees per family per year subject to limits in any of the government and private hospitals and nursing homes. The benefit to the family will be on floater basis and a sum insured of 60000 rupees can be availed individually or collectively by members of the family per year. Under the scheme, pre existing conditions/diseases are to be covered from day one. The scheme covers family comprising of household head, spouse and upto three dependents resident of Goa for over five years. A beneficiary will have to pay 100 rupees to the insurance company at the time of enrollment.

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Rajasthan Cabinet Approved the Rajasthan Public Service Guarantee Act, 2011

The Rajasthan Cabinet cleared the Rajasthan Public Service Guarantee Act, 2011 on 24 August 2011 with the objective of providing services to the common man in a specified time frame. The bill aims at making public administration and governance more effective and accountable.

 The bill states that if an official fails to provide service to the people in a time bound manner, he is bound to face disciplinary action as well a fine up to 5000 rupees. In order to avail this service, a person is required to submit an application form.

The draft bill includes major services such as documents verification for passport, disability certificate, birth and death certificate(local civic body), driving license(transport department), water connection( Public Health Department).

The bill also includes other services like transfer of names in the Urban Development and Estate Department, receiving documents and map, BPL and the APL ration card (Food Department), pension of officials and employees (Finance Department) old age, widow and disability pension (Social Justice and Empowerment Department), grievance redressal, reimbursement of security money (Public Construction Department).

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