Centre allows IAS, IPS officers to retain gifts received from foreign dignitaries
New Delhi, (PTI): The Centre has amended over a 50-year-old rule to allow IAS, IPS and IFoS officers to retain gifts received from foreign dignitaries while being members of the Indian delegation, according to an official order.
Existing rules allowed these officers to accept gifts from their near relatives or from personal friends having no official dealings with them, on occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, funerals and religious functions when the making of gifts is in conformity with the prevailing religious and social practice.
But they shall make a report to the government if the value of such gift exceeds Rs 25,000, the rules say.
Gifts include free transport, free boarding, free lodging or any other service or pecuniary advantage when provided by a person other than a near relative or personal friend having no official dealings with the officer but does not include a casual meal, casual lift or other social hospitality.
"No member of the service shall accept any gift without the sanction of the government if the value of a gift exceeds Rs 5,000," says the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, applicable to the officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS).
Member of the service shall avoid accepting lavish hospitality or frequent hospitality from persons having official dealings with them or from industrial or commercial firms or other organisations, these rules say.
The Personnel Ministry has now amended these rules and inserted a new sub-rule under Section 11 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968.
" a member of the service, being a member of the Indian delegation or otherwise, may receive and retain gifts from foreign dignitaries in accordance with the provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Acceptance or Retention of Gifts or Presentations) Rules, 2012, as amended from time-to-time," read the recently amended rule.
The Personnel Ministry had in March last year sought comments from state governments on the proposed rules.
" presently there are no provisions under the AIS (Conduct) Rules, 1968, with regard to receipt/retention of gifts from foreign dignitaries by members of the AIS being a member of Indian delegation or otherwise. Therefore, it has been decided with the approval of a competent authority to insert a new sub-rule ," it had said in a communiqu dated March 3 last year.
They were asked to send responses by March 31, 2020, positively failing which would be "presumed that the state government has no objection to the proposed amendments".
Gifts received from foreign dignitaries, from known or unknown sources, are usually deposited with the 'toshakhana' -- a repository of such articles -- in the Ministry of External Affairs.
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700 kg drugs seized, 8 Iranians caught in anti-narcotics operation along Gujarat coast
New Delhi, Nov 15: A joint operation by anti-narcotics agencies led to the seizure of about 700 kg of drugs and the arrest of eight Iranian nationals from Indian territorial waters off the Gujarat coast around Porbandar on Friday.
The street value of the seized Methamphetamine, a synthetic recreational variety of narcotics, could be anywhere between Rs 2,500-3,500 crore in the international market, according to Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials.
An operation codenamed 'Sagar Manthan- 4' was launched based on intelligence inputs to intercept an un-registered vessel, without an AIS (automatic identification system) or an electronic boat or ship-tracking indicator, that will be entering the Indian waters with drugs, the NCB said in a statement.
The suspect vessel was identified and "interdicted" by the Navy by mobilising its maritime patrol assets (ships) and the seizure of the drugs and apprehensions took place on Friday, it said.
"A huge consignment of about 700 kg of Methamphetamine was interdicted in Indian Territorial waters. During this operation, eight foreign nationals were arrested who claim to be Iranians," the NCB said.
The eight men do not have any identity documents, it said.
The operation was carried out jointly by the NCB, Navy and Gujarat Police Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS).
The Indian Navy in a "coordinated operation" with the NCB and Gujarat Police intercepted a suspicious boat leading to the seizure of the drugs, a Navy spokesperson said in New Delhi.
"This is the second major successful coordinated anti-narcotics operations at sea by the Navy this year," he said.
The navy said it is committed to ensuring a safe and secure maritime environment while preventing illegal use of the seas.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the operation stands out as a stellar example of the government's commitment to the vision and the seamless coordination among our agencies in achieving the same.
"Pursuing PM Shri @narendramodi Ji's vision for a drug-free Bharat, our agencies today busted an international drug trafficking cartel and seized over approx. 700 kg of contraband meth in Gujarat," Shah wrote on 'X'.
As much as 3,500 kgs of drugs being trafficked through the maritime route has been seized by these agencies this year with the arrest of 11 Iranians and 14 Pakistani nationals in three cases.
All these foreigners are currently lodged in jail awaiting court trial, as per the NCB.
"These significant operational achievements in the Indian territorial waters are a testament to our resolve to eradicate the scourge of drugs from India to realize our vision of a 'Nasha Mukt Bharat' (drugs-free India) by 2047," it said.
The NCB said the Union government has recently created 111 posts, including 5 superintendent of police-level posts, in the agency in addition to 425 posts created over the last 2 years.
Pursuing PM Shri @narendramodi Ji's vision for a drug-free Bharat, our agencies today busted an international drug trafficking cartel and seized over approx. 700 kg of contraband meth in Gujarat. The joint operation carried out by the NCB, Indian Navy, and Gujarat Police stands…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 15, 2024
#IndianNavy in a coordinated operation with @narcoticsbureau & Gujarat Police intercepted a suspicious boat leading to seizure of approx 700 kg of meth in Gujarat.
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) November 15, 2024
This is the second major successful coordinated Anti Narcotics Operations at sea by the Navy this year.
Committed… pic.twitter.com/LcBEOkpJy7
