HARMONY AN IN-HOUSE BULLETIN ON SERVICE & RELATED ISSUES
Founder-Editor Ch. Srinivasa Rao, formerly COA, NGRI, Hyderabad Vol. XVIII
July 2011
No. 198
Compiled, edited & published
Ch. Srinivasa Srinivasa Rao, Formerly COA, NGRI, Hyderabad Couselling
B.J. Acharyulu, Head, Finance & Accounts, CDFD, Hyderabad Secretarial assistance
D. Shanmuga Sundar, Jr. Steno., NGRI, Hyderabad ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------GoI Orders reproduced in "HARMONY" which are yet get the CSIR endorsement may be applicable to Council employees to a larger extent unless otherwise objected. The opinions expressed or inferences drawn in the material published in “HARMONY” do not necessarily reflect the views of Editor nor CSIR/Swamy Publishers shall take any responsibility whatsoever for any inaccuracies or claims. Material published in “HARMONY” can be used for academic purpose with due acknowledgement. Articles on Service issues, Management, Behavioural attitude and related issues are welcome through E-mail or other means. “HARMONY” is transmitted through E-mail. Send your E-mail i.d. to “harmony_csir@yahoo.co.in” Mobile: 91-9490462583
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CSIR/GOI ORDERS REIMBURSEMENT OF HOTEL ACCOMMODATION, LOCAL TRAVEL AND FOOD BILLS DURING TOUR A number of representations are being received from many field Offices and from a majority of recognized Service Associations that in some towns, bills for meals taken in Hotels/Restaurants/Dhabas are not provided by the establishments. Also touring staff faces difficulties to obtaining receipts for the local journeys performed by them in the touring stations. As a result, TA claims could not be admitted by the DDOs in several Offices, causing hardship to staff. In view of the above, following regulations may be observed while regulating the TA claims: Accommodation during Official tour a)
The Officials may be advised to stay in a Hotel whose antecedents such as Registration Number/Service Tax, etc. are verifiable
b)
Offices may explore the possibility to empanel a few hotels in different cities/towns by negotiating appropriate rates for different categories of staff. The Officials visiting any station may be asked to stay only in the empanelled hotels and make the payment at the rates admissible to them.
Travel within the city a)
As far as possible, while on tour the team may undertake journey in one auto/taxi for travel between place of stay and the duty point.
b)
Officials may be asked to furnish the details of the journey performed during tour in the format Annexure A
Food Bills As far as possible, staff should take its meals in establishments which provide receipts. However, in cases where obtaining receipts is impossible, a
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Certificate in respect of expenditure incurred on account of Food Bills during tour may be furnished by the Officials in the format Annexure B. [It is desirable for the individual Labs./Instts. under CSIR to take an internal decision on the lines of this letter from the Office of the Comptroller & Auditor-General of India. Ed.]
Annexure-A S. No.
Date
(1)
(2)
Name and address Distance of Hotel/Place of in Kms. stay (3) (4)
Mode of Regn. No. Fare conveyance of Auto/ paid Taxi (5) (6) (7)
Remarks
(8)
Signature: Name: Designation: ID No.
Annexure-B EXPENDITURE INCURRED ON ACCOUNT OF FOOD BILLS DURING TOUR This is to certify that Mr./Miss/Mrs. ----------------------------------------------- was on Official tour at --------------------------- (place of touring station) from ------------------------(date of commencement of journey) for ------- days (number of days) and incurred expenditure on account Food Bills amounting to Rs. ------------- @ Rs.---------- per day. It is also certified that I have not been issued with any receipt on account of payment made towards my Food Bills as the Hotel/Restaurant/Stall where had taken meals/snacks/beverage had no receipt book with them.
Signature: Name: Designation: ID No.
[CAG of India Lr.No.220-135-6-PC/GE-II/2008(III) dt. 3-2-2010]
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TREATMENT OF SC/ST CANDIDATES PROMOTED ON THEIR OWN MERIT The DOPT O.M.No.36028/17/2001-Estt.(Res.) dated 31-1-2005 clarified that the SC/ST candidates appointed by promotion on their own merit and not owing to reservation or relaxation of qualifications will be adjusted against unreserved points of the Reservation Roster and not against reserved points. It was subsequently clarified by the DOPT O.M.No.36028/17/2001-Estt.(Res.) dated 31-1-2005 that the above referred O.M. took effect from 11-7-2002 and that the concept of own merit did not apply to the promotions made by NonSelection method. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) set aside the DOPT O.M.No.36028/17/ 2001-Estt.(Res.) dated 31-1-2005 and held that when a person is selected on the basis of his own seniority, the scope of considering and counting him against quota reserved for SCs does not arise. The High Court of Judicature at Madras upheld the decision of the CAT. It has been decided to withdraw O.M.No.36028/17/2001-Estt.(Res.) dated 31-1-2005. It is clarified that SC/ST candidates appointed by promotion on their own merit and seniority and not owing to reservation or relaxation of qualifications will be adjusted against unreserved points of reservation roster, irrespective of the fact whether the promotion is made by selection method or non-selection method. These orders will take effect from 2-7-1997, the date on which the post-based reservation was introduced. [GOI DOPT O.M. No. 36012/45/2005-Estt.(Res.) dt. 10-8-2010; CSIR Lr. No.5-1(17)/08-PD dt. 4-7-2011; Swamysnews, Sept. 2010, 27-28] ENCASHMENT OF EARNED LEAVE FOR OFFICERS ON CONTRACT It has been decided that encashment of Earned Leave will be allowed to retired Officers appointed on contract basis after retirement even within the first two years, subject to the condition that the total number of days of EL or full pay leave for which encashment had already been allowed in previous appointments under the Govt. shall not exceed 300 days. These orders take effect from 31-1-2011. [GOI DOPT O.M. No. 12016/5/2009-Estt.(L) dt. 31-1-2011; CSIR Lr.No.51(17)/08-PD dt. 4-7-2011; Swamysnews, March 2011, 56]
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RATE OF CALCULATING ENTITLEMENT TO EL AND HPL Effective from 7-2-2011, the following paras (Rule 27 (2) (b) and Rule 29 (2) (c) under CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972) shall stand amended as follows: Rule 27 (2) (b) “When a Govt. servant is removed or dismissed from service, (the words “or dies while in service” were deleted in the present amendment) credit is allowed at the rate of 2 ½ days per completed calendar month up to the end of the calendar month preceding calendar month in which he is removed or dismissed from service. When a Govt. servant dies while in service, credit of Earned Leave shall be allowed at the rate of 2 ½ days per completed month of service up to the date of death of Govt. servant”. (the words starting from “When a Govt……. servant” were added). Rule 29 (2) (c) “When a Govt. servant is removed or dismissed from service, (the words “or dies while in service” were deleted in the present amendment) credit of Half Pay Leave shall be allowed at the rate of 5/3 days per completed calendar month up to the end of the calendar month preceding the calendar month in which he is removed or dismissed from service. When a Govt. servant dies while in service, (the words “or dies while in service” were deleted in the present amendment) credit of HPL shall be allowed at the rate of 5/3 days per completed month of service up to the date of death of the Govt. servant. [GOI DOPT O.M. No. 13026/1/2010-Estt.(Leave) dt. 7-2-2011; CSIR Lr.No.51(17)/08-PD dt. 4-7-2011; Swamysnews, March 2011, 57] DECLARATION OF INDO-US RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS AS PRESTIGIOUS The DG, CSIR has been pleased to accord approval for recognition of Indo-US Research Fellowships offered by Indo-US S&T Forum (IUSSTF) as one of the Prestigious Fellowships for allowing Deputation Terms as per para 7.2 of CSIR Foreign Deputation Guidelines, 1996 [CSIR Lr. No.22/IA/Policy/2010-ISTAD dt. 10-5-2011] APPOINTMENT OF OFFICER-ON-SPECIAL DUTY IN THE ACSIR The DG, CSIR being the acting Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), an institution for
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imparting instruction and awarding degrees in frontier areas of S&T, has been pleased to nominate Prof. Amitabha Chattopadhyay as the Officer-on-Special Duty/Acting Associate Director (Administration & Finance) in place of Dr. Tapan Chakrabarti, Scientist H, NEERI, Nagpur. The AcSIR responsibilities would be in addition to his own duties. [CSIR O.M. No.7(8)/48(AcSIR)/2010-PPD dt. 23-6-2011]
GIST OF THE MINUTES OF THE THIRD MEETING OF NATIONAL ANOMALY COMMITTEE The 3rd meeting of National Anomaly Committee (NAC) was held on 15-2-2011 at New Delhi. Grant of revised allowances w.e.f. 1-1-2006: The Official side maintained that in view of the specific recommendation of the 6th CPC, the issue of grant of revised allowances w.e.f. 1-1-2006 could not be construed as an anomaly. Revision of the Transport Allowance: Multiplication factor used for revision of Transport Allowance (TA) of employees in various pay bands uniformly: The Official side stated that after implementation of the 6th CPC recommendations, the rate of TA for employees belonging to PB-1 was further improved by the Govt. The 6th CPC had recommended a uniform multiplication factor of 4 for revision of TA of all categories of employees. Thereafter after consultation with the Staff Side, at the time of implementation of the recommendations of the 6th CPC, the Govt. increased the TA for employees in PB-1 from Rs.400/- + DA to Rs.600/- + DA for A-1/A class cities and from Rs.300/- + DA to Rs.400/- +DA for other cities. Therefore, the multiplication factor used for revision of TA was actually skewed in favour of the low paid revision of the rates of TA and there was no anomaly in the matter. The Staff Side pointed out that in order to have a realistic picture the multiplication factor in respect to the revised TA rates vis-Ă -vis the earlier TA rates plus CCA should be examined. A portion of TA should be used as a component for the purpose of computing OTA since CCA has now been subsumed in TA: The 6th CPC has in fact recommended for substitution of OTA with Performance Related Incentive Scheme. Therefore, the whole issue was not relevant now. Losing part of the TA representing CCA while on tour: The 6th CPC has
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given a specific recommendation to merge the CCA with TA and therefore this could not be construed as an anomaly. Revision of certain existing allowances such as Risk Allowance, etc.: The DOPT held a series of inter-departmental meetings with various Ministries and General Insurers’ (Public Sector) Association of India. As per their advice, it was decided to have consultations with LIC for providing health-based insurance package identifiable as an insurance product by IRDA. The LIC has been contacted and the response is awaited. The process is likely to take some more time. It was finally decided that if the Official side is not able to finalize an insurance scheme in consultation with the Staff Side within the next six months, the question of doubling the rates of risk allowance would be examined. Fixed daily allowance in place of bills for travel, food expenses and stay other than in hotels: The Official side stated that such a dispensation is already in place and the employees have the option to claim for the pre-revised rates of DA without submitting any bills/receipts. The Staff side contended that the prerevised rates of DA are too inadequate to take care of the boarding the lodging requirements. Therefore, they demanded that there was a need to double the pre-revised rates for DA for claiming the same without production of any bills/receipts. Grant of notional increment: The Official side stated that retirement on a date immediately prior to the date of next increment was taking place even before 1-1-2006. There was no provision to grant a notional increment in such cases. Fixation of pay on promotion to a post carrying the same Grade Pay: The Staff side stated that there are certain feeder and promotion posts which carry the same Grade Pay and these have not been merged on functional considerations. The promotion of an employee from the feeder post to the promotion post is, however, not being treated as promotion and no pay fixation is being done. Therefore, the Staff side proposed that in such cases also one increment in the feeder post may be allowed and the GP of the next post may be granted. The Official side stated that as per the recommendations of the 6th CPC, some of the pre-revised pay scales have been merged in order to de-layer certain levels in the Govt. The posts falling within the merged scales, no promotions are permissible between these grades.
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The Official side further stated that the question of grant of one increment in the lower (feeder) post could be considered, if the concerned Department justifies it on functional requirement. However, in that case, it will be treated as promotion for the purpose of MACP. Anomaly in pension of those in receipt of stagnation increments in prerevised scales: The Official side stated that this issue is somewhat related to the issue of granting one time increment to employees having their date of next increment between 2006 to June 2006. [Courtesy: www.persmin.nic.in Swamysnews, June 2011, 1-12]
F.No.11/2/2008-JCA dt. 21-4-2011;
AMENDMENT TO CCS (CONDUCT) RULES, 1964 In the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, in Rule 18 – (a)
For sub-rule (3), the following shall be substituted, namely: “(3) Where a Govt. servant enters into a transaction in respect of movable property either in his own name or in the name of the member of his family, he shall, within one month from the date of such transaction, report the same to the prescribed authority, if the value of such property exceeds two months’ basic pay of the Govt. servant: Provided that the previous sanction of the prescribed authority shall be obtained by the Govt. servant, if any, such transaction is with a person having official dealings with him.”
(b)
In Explanation I, in Clause (1), in sub-clause (a), for the letters and figures and words “Rs.10,000/- or one-sixth of the total annual emoluments received from Govt., whichever is less”, the words “two months’ basic pay of the Govt. servant”, shall be substituted.
[GOI DOPT Notfn. No. F. No. 11013/8/2009-Estt.(A) dt. Swamysnews, June 2011, 15]
9-5-2011;
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REVISION OF FLAT RATES OF LICENCE FEE FOR CG RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION The revised rates of licence fee would be effective from 1-7--2010. All Ministries/Departments are requested to take action to recover the revised licence fee in accordance with these orders in respect of accommodation under their control all over the country.
Sl. Type of No. accommodation
Range of Existing living area flat rates (in sq.mt.) of licence fee p.m. (1-7-2007) Rs. Up to 30 28
Revised flat rates of licence fee p.m. w.e.f. 1-7-2010 Rs. 40
1.
I
2.
I
Up to 30
36
50
3.
I
-do-
65
95
4.
I
-do-
81
115
5.
II
144
205
6. 7.
II III
185 219
260 310
8. 9. 10. 11.
III IV IV V (also called D-II)
More than 26.5 and up to 40 41 to 50 More than 34.5 and up to 55 56 to 65 59 to 75 76 to 91.5 Up to 106
268 297 371 526
380 420 525 740
Remarks
Quarters sharing toilet facilities meant for more than two quarters Quarters sharing toilet facilities meant for two quarters Old quarters with plinth area less than 300 sq.ft. Old quarters with plinth area of 300 sq. ft. or more
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12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
V (also called Beyond D-I) 106 VI (also called Up to C-II) 159.5 VI (also called Beyond C-I) 159.5 VII (also 189.5 to called E-II) 224.5 VIII (also 243 to 350 called E-III) VIII (also 350.5 to called E-III) 522
639
900
782
1100
935
1320
1099
1550
1574
2220
2316
3270
Hostel Accommodation Sl.No.
1. 2. 3.
Category of Suite Single Room Single Room Double Room
Living Area (sq.mt.)
Existing rates Rs.
21.5 to 30.0 30.5 to 39.5 47.5 to 60.0
200 283 389
Revised Rates per month w.e.f. 1-7-2010 280 400 550
Independent Servant Quarters and Garages Sl.No. 1. 2.
Particulars Servant quarters Garage
Existing Rates (p.m.) Rs. 36 Rs. 22
Revised Rates (p.m.) Rs. 50 Rs. 30
NB: These rates would be subject to the ceiling of 10% of the monthly emoluments of the allottee. [GOI DTE. OF ESTATES O.M.No.18011/1/2009-Pol.III dt. 28-4-2011; Swamysnews, July 2011, 18-20]
MEDICAL FACILITIES FOR IN-PATIENT TREATMENT IN NON-CGHS AREAS Keeping in view the difficulties being faced by the pensioner CGHS beneficiaries residing in non-CGHS covered areas, it has been decided to liberalize the CGHS Rules with regard to pensioner CGHS beneficiaries and
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serving employees as below to enable them to avail medical facilities for in-patient treatment and post-operative follow up w.e.f. 27-4-2011: (a)
(i) CGHS pensioner beneficiaries and their dependant and eligible family members who are holding a valid CGHS Card and are residing in a non-CGHS areas shall be eligible to obtain treatment from Govt. Hospitals (Central/State Govt./Local Self-Govt./hospitals recognized under CS (MA) Rules, 1944/hospitals and clinics empanelled under Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) and submit the medical reimbursement claim to the Addl. Director/Jt. Director of GHS of the CMO in charge of CGHS Wellness Centre where the CGHS card is registered.
(ii)
In case of non-emergency treatment from hospitals approved under CS (MA) Rules, 1944 and ECHS, it is necessary to obtain prior approval from CMO in charge of the concerned Wellness Centre where the CGHS card is registered.
(iii)
In case of medical emergency, treatment may be obtained from any hospital and medical claim shall be submitted to Addl. Director/Jt. Director, CGHS of the concerned city through CMO-in-charge of the Wellness Centre, where the CGHS card is registered.
(iv)
Reimbursement shall be limited to the CGHS rates of the city where the card is registered and as per the ceiling rates and ward entitlements or as per actual, whichever is lower.
(v)
CGHS pensioner beneficiaries and others, on a visit to non-CGHS covered area and obtain treatment under emergency from the above recognized hospitals under ECHS and the medical claim shall be submitted to Addl./Director/Jt. Secretary, CGHS of the concerned city through CMO-in-charge of the Wellness Centre where the card is registered and to the concerned Ministry/Department/Office in case of serving employees.
(vi)
Reimbursement shall be limited to the CGHS rates of the city nearest to the place, where treatment is obtained and as per the ceiling rates and ward entitlements or as per actuals, whichever may be less.
(b)
(i) Similarly they shall be eligible for follow up cases of renal transplant surgery, knee and hip joint replacement, cancer treatment, neurosurgery and cardiac surgery. However, prior permission is to be
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obtained from the CMO in charge of the concerned Wellness Centre, where the CGHS card is registered. (ii) Permission shall be issued for 3 to 6 months at a time and may be extended based on medical requirement. Reimbursement for consultation, procedures and investigations shall be limited to CGHS rates of the city where the card is registered and as per the ceiling rates and ward entitlements or as per actual whichever is lower. OPD medicines shall be obtained from the concerned Wellness Centre for a maximum period of 3 months at a time. (c)
Wherever treatment is obtained from a hospital approved under CS (MA) Rules/ECHS, the beneficiaries (as in (a), (b) & (c) above) shall submit a certificate from the hospital that they have not charged more than the approved applicable hospitals approved under CS (MA) Rules/ECHS rates.
(d)
This O.M. supersedes the earlier O.M. of even number dated 30-9-1999.
(e)
This arrangement is provisional and would be in place till such time the proposed Health Insurance Scheme for CG employees and pensioners is brought into effect.
(f)
This arrangement is provisional and would be in place till such time the proposed Health Insurance Scheme for CG employees and pensioners is brought into effect.
(g)
These orders will come into effect from the date of issue
[GOI MOH O.M. No. S.11011/7/99-CGHS(P) dt. 27-4-2011; Swamysnews, July 2011, 21-23]
CLARIFICATION ON INCREASE IN CERTAIN ALLOWANCES BY 25% Consequent upon enhancement of DA payable CG employees @ 51% w.e.f. 1-1-2011, the following points are clarified: (a)
The annual ceiling limit for reimbursement of Children Education Allowance shall be Rs.15,000/- per child, subject to the annual ceiling of Rs.15,000/- per child and Hostel Subsidy shall be Rs.3,750/- per month/child.
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(b)
The rate of Special Allowance for Child Care to women with disabilities stands revised to Rs.1,250 p.m.; and
(c)
The annual ceiling for reimbursement of education allowance for disabled children of Govt. employees shall be treated as revised to Rs.30,000/- per annum/child and the rates of Hostel Subsidy for disabled children of Govt. employees, shall be treated as revised from Rs.6,000/- per child/month to Rs.7,500/- per child/month.
These revisions are applicable w.e.f. 1-1-2011. The terms and conditions governing grant of above allowances shall remain unaltered. [GOI DOPT O.M. No. 12011/01/2011-Estt.(Allowance) dt. 4-5-2011; CSIR Lr. No.5-1(17)/08-PD dt. 4-7-2011; Swamysnews, June 2011, 27-28]
AMENDMENT TO CCS (EXTRAORDINARY PENSION) RULES, 1939 The Central Civil Services (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 1939 have been extensively amended. These include a Table showing the equated monthly installments payable for life in lieu of a lump sum payment of Rs.1/(One rupee) due at ages shown therein. It is desirable to read the order in its full form. [GOI DOP&PW Notfn. No. F.No.33/2/2010-P&P&PW(F) dt. 15-2-2011; Swamysnews, June 2011, 28-37]
PAYMENT OF FEE UNDER RTI Seeking information under the RTI Act, 2005 can make payment of fee for obtaining information by cash or demand draft or banker’s cheque or Indian Postal Order. Refusal to accept fee through the IPO may be treated as refusal to accept the application. It may result into imposition of penalty by the CIC on the concerned Central Public Information Officer under Section 20 of the Act. [GOI DOPT O.M.No.F.No.10/9/2008-IR dt. 26-4-2011; Swamysnews, June 2011, 59] .o.
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CASE LAWS Mere reproduction of Case Laws in the columns of “HARMONY” cannot be construed to be applicable to CSIR/GOI employees. The inferences drawn and the decisions made by the Hon’ble Courts may largely vary in each individual case. The decisions are expected to provide the aggrieved some idea about the trends of Hon’ble Courts.
UNCOMMUNICATED ADVERSE REMARKS WHICH ARE BELOW THE BENCH MARK FOR PROMOTION TO BE IGNORED In terms of DOPT O.M.No.22011/3/88-Estt.(D) dated 11-5-1990 provide that ”where the un-communicated adverse remarks pertain to a period earlier than the above or where the remarks are not considered sufficient gravity to influence the assessment of the Officer concerned, the DPC may ignore the remarks while making the assessment. In the light of the above, the Respondents were directed to ignore the uncommunicated adverse remarks of such of those years (if considered by DPC) and hold a review DPC to consider the applicant for promotion by considering the ACRs of the preceding years as provided in the DOPT Office Memoranda. [Swamysnews, July, 2011, 82-83]
GRANT OF FINANCIAL UPGRADATION UNDER ACPS TO THE EMPLOYEES ENGAGED INITIALLY AS AD HOC/TEMPORARY SERVICE BEFORE REGULARIZATION The benefit of ad hoc service rendered by the applicants preceding the date of their regularization, and that too without any break, has to be counted for the purpose of granting financial upgradation under the ACPS, and the same cannot be denied on the basis of clarification issued by DOPT on 10-2-2000.
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The Tribunal further elaborated that the services rendered by employees/officials before the date of their regularization on ad hoc/temporary basis cannot be ignored under ACPS. The judgement in O.A. No.605 of 2006 decided on 6-7-2007 is squarely applicable in (such cases) the present case. Hence, they are entitled to get their service counted from the date of initial appointment including the service rendered by them on ad hoc basis before their regularization for the grant of benefit under the ACP Scheme. [Swamysnews, July 2011, 94-95]
.o.
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INTERNET .. TO .. INTRANET Interesting tidbits‌
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The military salute originated during the medieval times. Knights in armor used to raise their visors to reveal their identity, and the motion later evolved into the modern-day salute.
The Mills Brothers have recorded the most songs of any artist: about 2,250.
The minarets of the Taj Mahal in India are angled at 88 degrees outwards so that they would not collapse into the structure should an earthquake occur
The minimum number of darts that need to be thrown to complete a single in, double out game of 501 is nine.
The Miss America Contest was created in Atlantic City in 1921 with the purpose of extending the tourist season beyond Labour Day.
The model of King Kong used in the original movie was only 18 inches tall.
The modern Olympic Games were held in the first time in 1896 at Athens and were then followed by the 1900 Paris games. The winter games were added in 1924.
The mola mola or ocean sunfish lays up to 5,000,000 eggs at one time.
The Mona-Lisa, now hanging in the Louvre museum in Paris, is valued today at $100,000,000.
The monastic hours are matins, lauds, prime, tierce, sext, nones, vespers and compline.
The Montreal Canadians of the mid-1950s are the only team to win five straight Stanley Cup championships.
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The Monty Python movie "The Life of Brian" was banned in Scotland.
The moon actually has mirrors on it. They were left there by astronauts who wanted to bounce laser beams off them, so that the distance of the moon can be measured.
The most abundant metal in the Earth's crust is aluminum.
The most collect calls are made on father's day.
The most common blood type in the world is Type O. The rarest, Type A-H, has been found in less than a dozen people since the type was discovered.
The most common disease in the world is tooth decay.
The most common injury in bowling is a sore thumb.
The most common street name in the United States is Second Street. First Street isn't first because many times the designation is replaced with the name Main Street.
The most expensive book or manuscript ever sold at an auction was The Codex Hammer, a notebook belonging to Leonardo da Vinci. It sold for $30.8 million.
The most expensive movie memorabilia ever sold at an auction was Clark Gable's Academy Award for It Happened One Night. It sold for $607,500 on December 15, 1996.
The most expensive painting ever sold at auction was Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh. On May 15, 1990, Ryoei Saito paid $75 million for it. He followed up that spending spree by paying the second-highest price ever, $71 million for Au Moulin de la Galette by Pierre Auguste Renoir, just two days later.
The most frequently seen birds at feeders across North America last winter were the Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch and American goldfinch, along with downy woodpeckers, blue jays, mourning doves, black-capped chickadees, house sparrows, northern cardinals and European starlings.
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The most searched thing on yahoo.com every year is porn.
The most snow accumulation in a one-day period was 75.8 inches at Silver Lake, Colorado, in April 1921.
The most used line in the movies is "Let's get out of here."
The most widely accepted legend associated to the discovery of coffee is of the goat herder named Kaldi of Ethiopia. Around the year 800850 A.D., Kaldi was amazed as he noticed his goats behaving in a frisky manner after eating the leaves and berries of a coffee shrub. And, of course, he had to try them!
The most widely cultivated fruit in the world is the Apple. The second is the Pear.
The motto for the Olympic Games is Citius Altius Fortius. Translated, it means Faster Higher Stronger.
The mouse is the most common mammal in the US.
The movie As Good As It Gets is called Mr. Cat Poop in China.
The movie Quo Vadis had 30,000 extras.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York City hung Matisse's 'Le Bateau' upside-down for 47 days before an art student noticed the error.
The muzzle of a lion is like a fingerprint no two lions have the same pattern of whiskers.
The nail of our middle finger grows the fastest and the nail of our thumb grows slowest.
The name "Uncle Sam" for the U.S. came from a person known as Uncle Sam Wilson of Troy, NY, who supplied food for the U.S. army in the war of 1812.
The name for Oz in the Wizard of Oz was thought up when the creator Frank Baum looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N and O-Z.
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The name for the middle part of the nose (the part that separates the nostrils) is called a chaffanue
The name 'Intel' stems from the company's former name, 'Integrated Electronics'.
The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.
The name of the dog from "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" is Max.
The name of the dog on the Cracker Jack box is Bingo.
The name of the first airplane flown at Kitty Hawk by the Wright Brothers, on December 17, 1903, was Bird of Prey.
The name of the Russian space station, Mir, means "peace."
The name Santa Claus is a corruption of the Dutch dialect name for Saint Nicholas Sint Klass.
The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan". There was never a recorded Wendy before.
The name Wendy was made up for the book 'Peter Pan'. It came from the author's friends, whom he called his "fwendy" (friend)
The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan. There was never a recorded Wendy before it.
The nation of Monaco on the French Riviera, is smaller than Central Park in New York. Monaco is 370 acres and Central Park is 840 acres.
The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses.
The national dish of Scotland, haggis, is made of the heart, liver, lungs and small intestines of a calf. It's then boiled in the stomach of the animal, and seasoned with salt, pepper and onions. Oh, and don't forget to add the suet and oatmeal.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced in 1978 that it would alternate men's and women's names in the naming of hurricanes. It was seen as an attempt at fair play. Hurricanes had been
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named for women for years, until NOAA succumbed to pressure from women's groups who were demanding that Atlantic storms be given unisex names.
The national sport of Nauru, a small Pacific island, is lassoing flying birds.
The Navy SEALs were formed in 1962.
The Neanderthal's brain was bigger than yours is.
The nearest relative of the hippopotamus is the common pig.
The Netherlands is the lowest country in the world. An estimated 40% of its land is below sea level.
The New York City Chamber of Commerce is the oldest chamber of commerce in the United States. King George III granted a royal charter for it in 1770.
The New York phone book had 22 Hitlers listed before World War II .. and none after.
The New York Yankees have won the most championships (26 times) in their respected sport (MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL) for any professional sports team.
The Nile catfish swim upside down.
The number 111,111,111 multiplied by itself will result in the number 12,345,678,987,654,321.
The number 2,520 can be divided by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 without having a fractional leftover.
The number 37 will wholly divide (no decimals) into 111, 222, 333, 444, 555, 666, 777, 888, and 999.
The number of atoms in a pound of iron is nearly five trillion trillion: 4,891,500,000,000,000,000,000,000.
The number of cricket chirps you count in a fifteen-second span, plus 37, will tell you the approximate current air temperature.
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The number of possible ways of playing just the first four moves on each side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.
The number of times a drowning person will rise to the surface depends on how much air is in his lungs. He could rise once, twice, or five times. Or not at all. Obese people will stay afloat longer than skinny people because fat contains air molecules.
The number of triplets born in the US in 1994 (4,594) was more than triple the number born in 1971 (1,034), an increase attributed to older age of the mothers and the use of fertility-enhancing drugs and techniques.
The number of VCRs in the United States grew from 52,565,000 in 1987 to 86,825,000 in 1997, a 39.5% increase.
The numbers "172" can be found on the back of a US $5 bill, in the bushes at the base of the Lincoln memorial.
The numbers on opposite sides of a die always add up to seven.
The nursery rhyme Ring Around the Rosy is a rhyme about the plague. Infected people with the plague would get red circular sores ("Ring around the rosy..."), these sores would smell very badly so common folks would put flowers on their bodies somewhere (inconspicuously), so that it would cover the smell of the sores ("...a pocket full of posies..."), People who died from the plague would be burned so as to reduce the possible spread of the disease ("...ashes, ashes, we all fall down!")
The Oblivion ride at Alton Towers has a G-force of 5. That is higher than the G-force of an average NASA take-off!
The occupations of the three men in a tub were butcher, baker, and candlestick maker.
The odds against a royal flush in poker are exactly 649,739 to 1.
The odds of being born male are about 51.2%, according to census.
The official definition of a desert is any land that where more water evaporates than is acquired through precipitation.
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The official name of the St. Louis Gateway Arch is "The Jefferson National Expansion Monument." The Gateway Arch looks taller than it is wider, but it is exactly 630 feet by 630 feet.
The official sport for the State of Maryland is jousting.
The official state song of Georgia since 1922 has been "Georgia on My Mind".
The Ohio river forms at the confluence of the Allegheny and the Monongahela.
The Oiuja board was invented by Isaac and William Fuld, and was patented July 1, 1892.
The oldest "cricket" match was played between the USA and Canada in 1844.
The oldest continuous comic strip still in existence is The Katzenjammer Kids. It first appeared in newspapers in 1897.
The oldest exposed surface on earth is New Zealand's south island.
The oldest goldfish lived for 14,795 days.
The oldest living thing in existence is not a giant redwood, but a bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of California, dated to be aged 4,600 years old.
The oldest man-made building of any kind still existing is the central edifice of the 4,600-year-old mastaba (a tomb for kings) built at Sakkara, Egypt. It was created to honor King Zoser, the first ruler of the Third Dynasty.
The oldest musical instrument is probably the flute. It's been discovered that primitive cave dwellers made an instrument from bamboo or some other small hollow wood.
The oldest person to live was Jeanne Louise Calment, she lived for a whopping 122 years until she died of smoking related complications. Don't Smoke!
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The oldest recorded document on paper made from fibrous material was a deed of King Roger of Sicily, in the year 1102.
The oldest tennis court in the world is the one built at Hampton Court in 1530 for Henry VIII.
The oldest works of art are pictures of animals found in caves in Spain and France. They have been dates as far back as 18,000 years ago.
The olive branch in the eagle's right talon has 13 leaves.
The Olympic Games were held in St. Louis, MO. In 1904, the first time that the games were held in the United States.
The Olympic was the sister ship of the Titanic, and she provided twenty-five years of service.
The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is "uncopyrightable"!
The only animals that can naturally sleep on their backs are humans. No other animal actually does -- apes usually sleep sitting up and leaning on something.
The only big cat that doesn't roar is a Jaguar.
The only bird that can fly backwards is the hummingbird.
The only bird that cannot fly is the penguin.
The only bone in the human body not connected to another is the hyoid, a V-shaped bone located at the base of the tongue between the mandible and the voice box. Its function is to support the tongue and its muscles.
The only bone not broken so far during any ski accident is one located in the inner ear.
The only continent without reptiles or snakes is Antarctica.
The only countries in the world with one syllable in their names are Chad, France, Greece, and Spain.
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The only difference between brown eyes and every other colored eyes is that brown eyes have more pigment.
The only dog to ever appear in a Shakespearean play was Crab in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat.
The only father and son to hit back-to-back home runs in a major league baseball game: Ken Griffey, Jr., and his father, Ken Griffey, Sr., both of the Seattle Mariners in a game against the California Angels on September 14th, 1990.
The only food cockroaches won't eat are cucumbers.
The only jointless bone in your body is the hyoid bone in your throat.
The only loss Packers' coach Vince Lombardi ever suffered in the postseason was to the Philadelphia Eagles, 17-13, in the 1960 NFL championship game.
The only member of the British House of Commons who is not allowed to speak is the man called the Speaker of the House.
The only MLB team to have both its city's name and its team name in a foreign language is the San Diego Padres.
The only mobile national monuments in the United States are the cable cars in San Francisco.
The only one of his sculptures that Michelangelo signed was the "The Pieta," completed in 1500.
The only painting by Leonardo da Vinci on permanent display in the United States hangs in the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. It's a portrait of Ginevra di Benci, the wife of a politician in Florence.
The only president buried in Washington, D.C. proper: Woodrow Wilson, who was laid to rest in the National Cathedral.
The only president buried on the grounds of a state capitol: James Polk in Nashville, Tenn.
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The only President in office to weigh less than 100 pounds was James Madison.
The only President to be head of a labor union was Ronald Reagan.
The only presidents buried together: John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams are in a basement crypt in Quincy, Mass.
The only real person to be a PEZ head was Betsy Ross.
The only repealed amendment to the US Constitution deals with the prohibition of alcohol.
The only rock that floats in water is pumice.
The only state allowed to fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. flag is Texas.
.o.