Whispers Forum

The appellant submitted that he had been serving as Branch Manager in the Vikas Nagar Branch (PNB) of Nainital for 6 years and a complaint was filed against him concerning a dishonored cheque. He further argued that an investigation was conducted in the complaint and despite being the aggrieved party, copy of the report was not shared with him. The PIO of Punjab National Bank submitted that an investigation was conducted in the complaint as per recommendation of higher authorities. However, the report contained details regarding certain commercial operations carried out by the respondent bank, hence, the report was denied to the appellant as per provisions under Section 8 (1) (d) of the RTI Act. The CIC observed that the information concerns the appellant and non-disclosure of the same would not only adversely affect the rights of the appellant being the aggrieved party, but would also amount to violation of principles of natural justice. While the exemption claimed under Section 8 (1) (d) of the RTI Act may be applicable to certain portions of the report, the PIO is at liberty to redact the said portions as per procedure of severability laid down under Section 10 of the RTI Act. The CIC directed the Bank to re-examine the matter and disclose a redacted copy of the averred report after blackening out details exempted under Section 8 and 9 of the RTI Act, if any, reflecting the broad outcome of the report to the appellant.
Comments
Ther have been many cases where an application has been filed under the RTI Act seeking copy of the investigation report. The application may be filed by the complainant, the accused or a third party and usually the public authority tends to deny the information.
Citation: Yogesh Kumar Goyal v. Punjab National Bank, Second Appeal No. CIC/PNBNK/A/2023/128777; Date of Decision: 06.11.2024
Dr Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is a RTI Consultant currently working with IIM Vishakhapatnam. She has co-authored the books PIO’s Guide to RTI and Right to Information – Law and Practice. Her weekly article is being published since 2008 on this site. She offers consultancy on RTI matters and third party audit to individuals / organisations. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation at the link https://www.rtifoundationofindia.com

Cyber crime has not decreased but has increased. Increasing cyber crime is a matter of concern because economic transactions in India have become digital. The entire banking system is digital. Actually, this is the era of technical and cyber development, of technological revolution. According to the NCRB report, 65893 cases of cyber crime have been registered across the country in the year 2022. 52974 cases were registered in the year 2021. In this way, an increase of 24.4 percent has been registered in cyber crime during a year. The emerging cyber security challenges in India require constant innovation and readiness. Why the authorities are doing nothing while the people are losing their hard-earned money is difficult to understand.
Yogesh Shrivastava

The Union Cabinet recently approved the proposal for "One Nation, One Election". While the idea has sparked widespread discussion, most agree that its implementation is currently impractical and faces numerous hurdles. One major challenge lies in securing consent from states, particularly those governed by non-BJP parties. These governments are likely to oppose the reform, viewing it as a potential threat to the federal structure and their autonomy. Even if the central government bypasses state-level approval by passing the necessary legislation through Parliament, operational challenges remain. Critical logistical issues need resolution before the reform can be implemented. One Nation, One Election" could disproportionately benefit the BJP by weakening opposition and regional parties. Smaller parties often lack the financial resources, manpower, and organizational infrastructure required to contest Lok Sabha and assembly elections simultaneously. This disparity might place them at a disadvantage, further consolidating power in the hands of larger parties with better election management capabilities.
Anubhuti Mathura

Schemes offering fixed monthly payments to women, such as Madhya Pradesh’s Ladli Behna Yojana, have emerged as potent vote-winning strategies for political parties. These initiatives, while easing financial strain on women, highlight a broader political trend: it is easier to transfer cash directly than tackle systemic challenges like job creation, poverty alleviation, or improving farmer welfare. Recently, Arvind Kejriwal announced a similar scheme ahead of Delhi elections, promising Rs1,000 per month for women, which proves its growing popularity among leaders. The schemes place financial burden on state treasuries, yet their political efficacy remains undeniable. Taxpayers ultimately bear the cost of these measures, which often prioritize immediate political gains over long-term developmental reforms. However, as long as such schemes resonate with voters, they are likely to remain a key tool in election strategies.
Neha Ahirwar

After Bangladesh, there has been a coup in Syria as well. Bangladesh's Prime Minister had to flee to India. Similarly, Syria's President Bashar has to take refuge in Russia. India needs to be cautious about the Syria crisis because it is likely that crude oil will become expensive once again. Apart from this, a new problem has arisen again in the already troubled Gulf countries. Anyway, rebel groups in Syria overthrew Bashar al-Assad. Iran and Russia were standing with Syria because Syria is a strategically important country in the Middle East Russia's interests are linked to oil and stopping American dominance in the Middle East.
Yogesh Mathur

Amid the buzz of Delhi assembly elections, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bungalow has once again emerged as an issue. There has been politics of allegations and counter-allegations earlier also regarding the crores spent on the renovation and beautification of the Chief Minister's residence, but this time in response to the allegations of BJP leaders, AAP leaders have targeted Home Minister Amit Shah. Amidst the poster war going on from both sides, there is a discussion that the issues of the public are missing in the fight between the two sides.
Ritika Kumari

The political temperature in the Rajya Sabha is intensifying during the winter session. The INDIA Block of opposition parties is now gearing up to bring a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. The process of bringing a motion to remove the Chairman in the Rajya Sabha is very strict. It requires the signatures of at least 50 MPs. After the signatures, the motion is discussed and then passed by the majority of the members present. After the motion is passed in the Rajya Sabha, it has to be approved in the Lok Sabha as well. However, the winter session is to run till December 20 only. But the remaining days in Lok Sabha and Rajya sabha will be wasted only in uproar. People are tired of this.
Nancy Kumari

The issue before the CIC was whether to hear the appeal in cases where the RTI application, first appeal and the subsequent second appeals was filed collectively by two citizens. The CIC referred to Section 6 (a) of the RTI Act, which stipulates that a person, who desires to obtain any information under this Act, shall make a request in writing or through electronic means in English or Hindi or in the official language of the area in which the application is being made. The CIC observed that in the instant case, the RTI applications, the First Appeal and the subsequent second appeal, all have been filed collectively by two citizens, Pawan Gupta & Vijender Kumar Gupta and therefore, the RTI applications, first appeals and second appeals, not being filed in individual capacity, are not maintainable. The CIC dismissed the appeal.
Comments
In case of Mr Samir Kumar Haldar v. Employees Provident Fund Organization, CIC/SG/A/2010/001429/8585 dated 16 July 2010, the appellant had filed an RTI application which was also signed by seven other people. The CIC observed that the PIO's rejection was completely wrong since there is nothing in the law or the rules preventing more than one citizen from submitting the RTI application. The CIC referred to Section3 of the RTI Act which states, "Subject to the provisions of this Act, all citizens shall have Right to Information". The CIC had then ruled that the PIO's rejection has no basis in law.
Citation: Pawan Gupta & Vijender Kumar Gupta v. University Grants Commission, Second Appeal No. CIC/UGCOM/A/2023/140271; Date of Decision: 05.11.2024
Dr Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is a RTI Consultant currently working with IIM Vishakhapatnam. She has co-authored the books PIO’s Guide to RTI and Right to Information – Law and Practice. Her weekly article is being published since 2008 on this site. She offers consultancy on RTI matters and third party audit to individuals / organisations. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation at the link https://www.rtifoundationofindia.com/

The opposition parties have started a movement regarding EVMs. The centre point of this movement is Markarwadi village of Maharashtra, where the villagers recently tried to conduct symbolic ballot paper elections. These symbolic elections were cancelled due to the intervention of the Election Commission. Later, cases were also registered against some people. It is true that the Supreme Court has given many decisions regarding the electronic voting machine. It is also true that till now the opposition has not been able to prove even a single allegation regarding the malfunctioning of the EVMs, despite this the EC should resolve all the doubts of the opposition once again. It is necessary to do so because India is the largest democratic country in the world. The campaign being run against the EVMs and the Election Commission affects the credibility of constitutional institutions. If the constitutional institutions themselves come under suspicion, then how will our democracy remain strong? A resolution was also passed in the Congress Working Committee against the EVM.
Raj Singh