Payroll Automation for Disbursement of Monthly Allowances (PADMA)

In Context

• Recently, the Ministry of Defense inaugurated PayRoll Automation for Disbursement of Monthly Allowances (PADMA), an automated Pay & Allowances module for the Indian Coast Guard.

About

• PADMA is an automated platform leveraging latest technology which will provide seamless and timely disbursal of Pay & Allowances to around 15,000 Indian Coast Guard personnel. 
• The launch marked the beginning of the Centralized Pay System (CPS).
• This module has been developed under the aegis of Defense Accounts Department and will be operated by Pay Accounts Office Coast Guard, Noida.

Significance

•  Launch of PADMA will strengthen the Digital India concept. Also, it is an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative as the entire module has been designed and developed by Indian entrepreneurs assisted by domain experts.

Centralized Payment Systems (CPS)

• Centralized Payment Systems (CPS) in India are Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) systems, both owned and operated by the Reserve Bank.
  • Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) enables real-time transfer of funds to a beneficiary’s account and is primarily meant for large-value transactions.
  • National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system is an electronic fund transfer system in which the transactions received up to a particular time are processed in batches. It is generally used for fund transfers of up to Rs. 2 lakh.

Source: PIB