Whispers Forum

Over-optimistic PM is losing mass touch
Rallies after rallies by the ruling dispensation in quick succession. Purpose? Trumpeting achievements to seek voters’ support for impending assemblies’ elections.
On Dec 22,2019, Delhi organised mega rally at Ramlila ground at 1.30 PM.
Dance shows organized to entertain the audience till PM's address. Absolutely, moronic, in the midst of NRC- CAA related violence in the country. With roads closed, the national capital was under siege,once again.
The news-report about looming security threat to PM, though disturbing, seems fabricated news. Public is not impressed. Instead, shocked.
Massive security and logistic arrangement by deploying govt machinaries. All at taxpayers' cost ; not party's funds. No cost-benefit analysis ever carried out by any independent agency? Is the Election Commission neutral?
Office of C&AG seems clueless about misusing public funds for earning political brownie points .Its lips are sealed.
Information gag. Political parties are outside the purview of RTI Act.
Central ministers are marginilised. All are kept happy through hefty remunerations plus undeserved privileges . Motive? To ensure they sign on dotted lines and keep their mouths shut.
Bureaucracy is becoming increasingly pliant,malleable, compliant for keeping their mouths sealed. It is more interested in getting prized postings rather than having concern for public service.
India specialises in cult worship; reminiscent of continuing Nehru-Gandhi dynasty .
Crisis of credibility afflicts the captive news media
The public had expected PM Modi to take back POK. On the contrary, the ruling coalition is busy organising political rallies for garnering peoples' support by carrying out " phoney " referendum on CAA and NRC. "Missed calls" on Mobile No: 7836800500.
Strangely, Mamata Banerjee demanding UN- monitored referendum. Brainless suggestion. The frivolous goings-on are akin to TV Reality shows.
Poll counting for Jharkhand poll is underway. Initial trends are disturbing for BJP.
This is the wake-up call for the ruling coalition at the centre. Arrogance and over-confidence are anathema to nasty politicians.
Excessive visibility of PM Modi on TV , his insane Man ki baat, ( a monologue ) constantly badgering the voters and rendering the NDA out-of-touch with them .
Time for ‘ Chintan and Manthan ‘ in BJP.
Ethics demand ,someone must own the moral responsibility for the ignominious defeat. The moot point is whether this can be taken as a verdict on NRC and the Citizens Amendment Act (CAA)? How have the voters suddenly grown so antagonistic ?
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)
NHAI is in bad shape
Seems true! NHAI is in a very bad shape w.r.t to its HR & own Cadre specially in non technical discipline due to over dependence on deputation officials in policy making and regular officials at CGM level who formulate policy in such a manner that its own cadre never ever be able to see the light of the day. Ministry should take special note of such official's if ever want to make NHAI effectively functional.
Vinay Kumar

The appellant requested for information regarding Prof. Dheeraj Sharma’s recruitment in IIM, Ahmedabad including the academic background and documentary evidences of the same. The PIO submitted that whatever information was available was provided to the appellant. The appellant requested for inspection of the relevant documents. The CIC observed that the information sought by the appellant was regarding a third person namely Prof. Dheeraj Sharma which is purely in the nature of personal information of a third party and thus exempted from disclosure u/s 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act. The CIC cautioned the PIO to remain careful while handling the RTI applications and ensure that such kind of mistakes do not occur in future.
Comments
Disclosure of third party information without giving a third party notice indicates the pathetic level of knowledge of the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005. IIM, Ahmedabad, being the premier management institute of the country, is expected to set example in all fields. The irreparable loss caused to the third party by the disclosure of information which is beyond the scope of the RTI Act cannot be undone.
Citation: Nirmalya Bandyopadhyay v. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in Decision no.: -CIC/IIMAH/A/2019/114008/02862, Date of Decision: 12/02/2020
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is an expert on RTI matters and has co-authored the books RIGHT TO INFORMATION - LAW AND PRACTICE and PIO’s guide to RTI. Apart from her weekly article here, her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link: www.rtifoundationofindia.com

DEBATE (1)
If this happens, it will be an end of hegemony of the generalist IAS.
Regards,
Paarth
To Munishy Moudgil Commissioner, Survey, Settlement in Karnataka
Dear Sir, Please read it completely this is an humble request from my side being a mother. Family is more important than any other commitments, which I think and most people think. But you might think in your mind that “job comes first then rest’….Ok …. I also agree because that is left to the individuals. Let me directly come to the point, Sir please for God sake reduce the number of fields for each surveyor. Present number is 30 which is very difficult for them to do. They are not only surveying the field but also they are sketching the record, both these work they have to complete in a month. Just find out the number of working days in a month, which is less than the number of fields ,Which you might be knowing. So what they have to do ,,finally they have to carry the burden to a home. If they are carrying the office work to home ,then where is the time for them to give for a family. “At home small child is waiting for the father to come home and to play with him. But father is very busy. Not only a son, everybody are waiting….. it may be a wife or a mother or a father …..everybody…….”. You may find this as a funny letter. But just think as a father or as a son or as a husband. But please don’t go to find out who has drafted this letter. And please don’t go to find out who that surveyor is, because my husband didn’t tell me to write a letter. But of course he had mentioned your name once when I had asked him that who can reduce the number of fields, that time he had told me that commissioner can do .So being a small child’s mother ,I only took the initiative to write the letter to you. Hoping that being an educated , you can understand the problems and you will do the needful. And if you think that, this is just a rubbish. I am sorry to say this, that you are not respecting your own mother, then how I could even think of that you will respect others.
Anjali

DEBATE (1)
ONE NATION, ONE CIVIL SERVICE- Very good revolutionary idea by PM Modi. This will eliminate monopoly and master-slave treatment by British slavery era service IAS on other Class1 central services in higher bureaucracy. If WIC recalls, PM had directed in 2015 to DOPT and all Central Class-1 cadre controlling ministries to ensure that all organised group A services (OGAS) officers of upto 1995 batch should be empanelled as Joint Secretary by 31.12.2015. But the generalist IAS lobby, no longer service/sewa, posted in DOPT and Ministries dared to ensure that PMs directives were not implement for the benefit of OGAS officers comprising of SPECIALISTS Doctors, Engineers, Law etc. Even after 5 years PMs orders have not been implemented. While IAS of 2002 batch has become JS, OGAS officers of 1990 batch have to report to 12 years junior IAS. British slavery is continuing even now. Hence, IAS and all OGAS services should be merged in ONE NATION, ONE CIVIL SERVICE, maintaining batch parity, WITHOUT giving 2 years edge/benefit to IAS. 2. There should not be a permanent civil service for Group A level ( GP. Rs.5400 and above). Instead, it should be CONTRACTUAL service of SPECIALISTS for a period of 3 years intitially. Hire and fire system will ensure higher efficiency and performance, unlike the present system where IAS officers after enjoying British like royalty in states come with the same mindset in Govt of India. As a result, centra govt has not progressed much in past 70 years.3. Although British introduced ICS for India, but there is no counterpart of ICS turned IAS, such as British Civil Service in Britsin now. Why are we carrying with legacy of British slavery now. Rajamannar Commission proposed ABOLITION of IAS in 1971. Please bring above to the notice of our pro-active and innovative Honble PM.
Bharat
You don’t take up real issues of bureaucrats
You don’t seem to be inclined to take up real issues of bureaucrats and I don't know the reasons. In CBDT and CBIC the promotions for officers are being deferred by ACC indefinitely though no charge sheet is spending, nor the officers is under suspension, nor any criminal case pending, in blatant violation of rules framed by DoPT for promotion of officers and also Supreme Court's decisions on this matter. Please take up this matter on your website because individual officers are scared of repercussions to take up this issue, which is blatantly illegal.
Kumar

DEBATE (1)
Of course, one nation and one civil service theory will work.
A S Chauhan
Corrupt officers deputed to NHAI must face legal action instead of repatriation
If any deputed employee does corruption. He can be repatriated rather thank taking strict against them or dismiss from service as they are not permanent employee of NHAI so chance of their corruption is highest. Secondly, it involves huge amount transaction so dependence on deputation employee should be avoided as they would work in nexus with state department in which they belong. Thirdly, there is no such finance cadre in any Government organization. So their service need totally in situ. They don't find any interest in working for organization, upliftment as their services are attached with parent organization. Lastly, if deputation is the best mode then why this official working on deputation and cry for absorption in regular service of NHAI, its hypocrisy on their part.
Priyanka Agrawal

The appellant sought the rules/guidelines etc. regarding the appointment of Postmaster as CAPIO in various sections of post offices and duties assigned to them. The appellant submitted to the CIC that he received the requisite information but is aggrieved due to the inordinate delay of almost 21 months. The CIC found that the PIO had correctly guided the appellant to the website of the public authority where the sought for information is available. The CIC held that the appellant’s contention regarding delay was unfounded.
Comments
If the information sought by an applicant is available in public domain such as on the website of the pubic authority, the CPIO is not bound to give hard copies of the documents. The CPIO should guide the applicant to the website of the public authority giving the specific link of the page where the information is available.
Citation: Girish Prasad Gupta v. Department of Posts in Decision no.: CIC/POSTS/A/2018/151473/02692, Date of Decision: 22/01/2020
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is an expert on RTI matters and has co-authored the books RIGHT TO INFORMATION - LAW AND PRACTICE and PIO’s guide to RTI. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link: www.rtifoundationofindia.com

Why not other service is like one nation one cadre ?
Aryan
It's nice
C Shrimali
Good idea
Mantosh Chander
Time For Quantum Jump
It is high time India enhances its vision and mission to become 5 tr economy. It calls for a radical approach to matters financial and make the budget a useful instrument. Our economy is over-dependent on farming. We rightly call the farmer our “anna daataa”. The anna or food that the farmer produces needs a market to sell. Money is produced by the “ dhan daataa” or wealth creator. Wealth is produced by the skilled and highly skilled, talented, industrious, entrepreneurial, innovative, inventor, champion manufacturers and suppliers, described as industry, business and market. It costs too much to produce such highly skilled persons in different fields. A doctor, IIT engineer, IIM or Business School MBA and other professional costs no less than a Crore to get educated. With so much investment and hard work one can’t start working with 30,000 rupees per month salary as it would be a terrible wastage of precious human & capital resources. S/he gets a job with starting salary of 3 lakh rupees a month or 36 lakhs annually. S/he comes under 30% tax slab. Is it the correct tax perspective for thinkers of India 5 tr economy? To shed the tag of a poor country, we need to think differently, and that too now. Either the state finances their education or allow tax moratorium for 5 years so that they can repay their loans and start on a fairly reasonable standard of living. There is no tax on farm income presently and industry enjoys tax holiday for 5 or 7 years. This must be extended to the talent pool which alone will deliver growth for turning India into a 5 tr or 10 tr economy. They can deliver a 5 tr growth if motivated to work for India. The current tax regime will drive them to foreign countries as has been the case so far. The country stands to suffer talent erosion. To become a 5 tr economy we need to think and act genuinely big, irrespective of which party rules India. Reforming the financial sector radically right now is a sine qua non. Without urgent reforms in national attitude towards wealth and wealth creators, we will only be share-cropping poverty forever, wasting precious resources in competitive poverty harvesting promising free electricity or water or thali meals funded by high taxes on plate meals! People hold protests to “Save Constitution” but have no qualms of conscience to taint the same constitution by inserting hollow words like secular & socialist, ignoring the contents of Part III & IV which are replete with elaborate tenets of real socialist and secular constitution under Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles for State Policy. We deliberately choose to go astray which only helps some smart fellows who get urban/rural land allotted at ludicrously nominal price for SECULAR HOUSE/ SOCIALIST GROUP HOUSING etc. and also Grants, for which nobody bothers to submit Utilisation certificate. Why should the country proceed to produce Crorepatis of tax evaders & non-tax payers and make paupers of honest tax payers? Just look at the assets in crores declared by contesting candidates in assembly and parliament elections, and their source of income: social work, political work, charity, janseva etc.!
M L Gupta

DEBATE(1)
Mantosh Chander
DEBATE (2)
This is not possible in this country.
R K Sareen
Close all channels between 11 pm to 6 am
If all the channels are closed between 11 pm to 6 am, there will not be any difficulty to the economy or public. Instead, it will help preserve the valuable resources
Phani Kumar
No telecast after midnight
No telecast should be allowed after 12.00 am (after midnight) except for some special events.
Sushanto Banerjee
DCM in Belgium embassy posted since October
The DCM in Belgium embassy has been posted and has joined since October. Debasish Prusty IAS, 2000 batch, Rajasthan cadre.
Ipsita