Whispers Forum

Student suicides have reached an alarming scale in India, with students making up 7.6% of the country's total suicide deaths, according to a recently released report by National Crime Records Bureau.
Student suicides in India are a pressing concern, particularly in the context of harassment and mistreatment. Several potential causes contribute to this issue :
1.Academic Pressure : The highly competitive education system, coupled with restricted opportunities for higher education and employment, can lead to significant stress and anxiety among students.
2. Harassment by Authorities: Cases of students being harassed by college management or faculty members, can push students to extreme measures.
3.Mental Health Infrastructure India's mental health infrastructure is woefully inadequate, with a severe shortage of mental health professionals. This scarcity makes it difficult for students to access affordable and quality mental health support.
4.Financial Constraints: Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds may face additional stress due to financial constraints, such as inability to pay fees, which can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness.
5. Social and Relationship Issues: Bullying, relationship problems, and social isolation can also contribute to the mental health struggles of students.
6.Lack of Support Systems: Inadequate support systems, including counseling services and peer support groups, can leave students feeling isolated and without a safety net.
7.Stigma around Mental Health: The stigma surrounding mental health issues in India can prevent students from seeking help, further exacerbating the problem.
To address this complex issue, it's essential to implement a multi-faceted approach that includes:
1. Education System Reforms: Reforming the education system to reduce competition and emphasis on grades.
2.Improved Mental Health Support*: Increasing access to mental health professionals and counseling services.
3.Awareness Campaigns: Organizing awareness campaigns to reduce stigma around mental health issues.
4.Support Systems :Establishing robust support systems, including peer support groups and counseling services, to help students cope with academic and personal pressures.
Krishna Joshi

Crowd management in India is a pressing concern.The sheer volume of people gathering in public spaces often leads to chaotic situations, increasing the risk of stampedes and tragic loss of life. This issue is multifaceted, stemming from a combination of factors such as inadequate infrastructure, insufficient security measures, and poor crowd control strategies.
During festivals like Kumbh Mela, shavan month, celebration of win of Cricket match millions of people gather, putting immense pressure on local authorities to ensure safety and order. However, the lack of effective crowd management planning, inadequate barricading, and insufficient deployment of security personnel often result in overcrowding, pushing, and shoving, which can quickly escalate into stampedes.The consequences of such incidents are devastating, with loss of life, injuries, and long-term psychological trauma for survivors. Moreover, these incidents also lead to a significant economic burden on the government and individuals affected.
To mitigate these risks, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive approach to crowd management. This includes:
1. Advance planning Conduct thorough risk assessments, identify potential hotspots, and develop contingency plans.
2. Infrastructure development: Improve venue infrastructure, including adequate entrances, exits, and crowd control barriers.
3. Security deployment: Ensure sufficient deployment of trained security personnel, including police, marshals, and crowd control experts.
4. Crowd monitoring: Utilize technology, such as CCTV cameras and crowd monitoring software, to track crowd density and movement.
5. Public awareness: Educate the public on crowd safety, emergency procedures, and the importance of cooperation with authorities.
Stuti Gupta

The documentary requirement for a bus driver in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and other information was sought. The PIO stated that on directions of the FAA, the reply along with copy of Recruitment Rules has been provided to the appellant. During the hearing before the CIC, the PIO tendered his apology for delay in reply by explaining that delay occurred due to reorganization of units within DTC and resultant reshuffling of staff and records. He added that it was unintentional and may be condoned in the interest of justice. He further agreed to file a written submission explaining the reason for delay in giving reply with supporting documents on the CIC’s website and will mark a copy of the same to the appellant. The CIC accepted the apology and condoned the delay in the absence of malafide on the part of the PIO holding it as unintentional.
Comments
The simple deed of sending a timely reply could have saved the PIO from the embarrassment of tendering an apology and would have also avoided the appellant from going through the hassle of filing a complaint. The time frame for filing a reply to the RTI application should be strictly followed by all the PIO’s.
Citation: Rakesh Kumar v. Delhi Transport Corporation, CIC/DTCOR/A/2024/601322; Date of Decision: 30.04.2025
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 reason behind former V-P Dhankhar’s sudden,mid-term resignation,remains a riddle inside an enigma wrapped in mystery. There is much more to it than meets the eye.It is evident that even chatukaars are not spared in the BJP.Political analysts, journalists, members of the bar etc are sharing their speculative views in public debates citing knowledgeable sources.The public is confused.The controversy can be set at rest only after Mr Dhankhar de-mystify the position by going public.His attitude towards the opposition ,during the Rajya Sabha proceedings,was perceived as autocratic and partisan.Good riddance,anyway.
A K Saxena (Former civil servant)

Information about a contract to build a website and related information was not provided claiming that that no contract/MOU/Agreement/etc to build the website was found in the file. It was informed that the matter is very old and related files have been physically destroyed as per Regulations for the Army 1987. Further, all efforts have been undertaken at the Army Headquarters Southern Command to investigate the details as asked by the applicant. However, personnel involved in the said matter have been posted out as routine turnover/ retired. The CIC observed that the information sought was denied by the Respondent on the plea that it was more than 10 years old and the same was destroyed as per as per Regulations for the Army 1987. However, no documentary evidence of the destruction of record or the specific record retention schedule applied in this case has been provided. The CIC directed the Respondent to search the records once again and if the documents were not found, they should provide a copy of the Record Retention Policy and a copy of weeded-out record destruction certificate, to the Appellant. If the records destruction certificate is not available, then the Respondent should file an affidavit to the CIC regarding non-availability of the documents sought in the RTI application.
Comments
If the records are being destroyed as per the record maintainance schedule, the destruction memo must be maintained and the copy of the same provided to the RTI applicant.
Citation: Kamal Kashyap v. HQ Chief Engineer, HQ Southern Command, PIN-908541, C/o 56 APO, CIC/DPTMA/A/2024/614534; Date of Decision: 22.05.2025
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

Apropos a write-up published on 10th February 2025 in Money Control News titled ‘Is Sitharaman doing an Elon Musk’ regarding reduced budget of External Affairs Ministry, to the tune of almost Rs. 3,600 Crore less and for next year another Rs. 5,300 crore less. The reduction in budgetary allotment seems in order as there was exorbitant amount being spent on avoidable expenditure.
A huge part of MEA expenditure is being met from public exchequer, be it for expense on a Diplomat’s children education abroad in expensive international schools or on medical expense or on movement of container load of household goods every time a Diplomat moves from one station to another together with members of his family. There are many other such expenditure being meted out from the public fund and surprisingly the individual’s matching contribution is very meagre – say from 0.12% to 5% maximum that too only for education and hospitalization respectively. Some formula of a single package payable to a Diplomat should be evolved to curtail such avoidable expenditure on diplomat and members of his family abroad. A Diplomat may if he or she takes along his or her members of family abroad then bear the expense towards schooling and medical, in say, 50 : 50 ratio.
Roughly an expenditure to the tune of around Rs. 2 Crores on a single MEA official on one 3-years posting abroad is incurred, which includes apart from basic salary, components like payment of foreign allowance, medical expenses, payment of school fees in expensive International Schools abroad for up to two children, container load of household goods up to 4,800 kgs, emergency passage, children holiday passage, rentals on fully furnished accommodation abroad, plus expense towards maintenance of garden, purchase of consumables and other maintenance work for residences.
Not out of place to mention that most of the work of the Embassies in many Stations is carried out by the locally recruited employees owing to ‘language issues’ and in fact for all spheres of work, India-based diplomats and staff are totally dependent on the locally recruited employees. Such Embassies spread across the world could easily be managed with the presence of just 2-3 Foreign Service officers from India to supervise the functioning of the locally recruited employees and run the show, instead of posting hundreds of India-based MEA employees abroad together with their family. Handsome salaries are paid to maintain cost of living abroad. It is rather absurd in the sense that school education, medical expenses, exemption from payment of local tax or income tax, subsidized fuel rates and beverages and last but not the least expenditure towards furnished accommodation are all taken care of by the Government, then where is the cost incurred by individual diplomat for maintaining living standards abroad? The exorbitant allowances being paid just for purchasing of vegetables and groceries look humorous. For that matter, even the groceries are brought in bulk using container load cargo for one and a half years till mid-term home leave (at government expense) and then stocked again for the rest of the tenure. Where is the expense which necessitates payment of huge amount in perks and allowances? If a sort of package is fixed per month to cover all such expense, there is going to be huge savings from public fund.
Many of the countries allow only the Member of the Mission and spouse to accompany to postings and if at all children are taken, then the school fee is borne by the concerned Diplomat and so is the expenditure on medical treatment, etc. Even in India, there are many multi-national companies (MNCs) which do not allow for expensive children education abroad when their employees go abroad for work. Even private sector employees going on posting abroad are not provided such luxuries as in MEA and instead some package is evolved and similar practice should be developed for Government officials going on posting abroad even.
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 which is followed by all Diplomatic Missions do not speak about the educational facilities and comforts extended to the children of Members of Mission in so-called expensive International Schools. The Convention mentions about the immunities, privileges and exemption from payment of customs duties on household goods and payment of local taxes etc. which is an added advantage.
The diplomatic affairs can be run with much less expense than the present arrangement and it is reiterated that taking along members of family abroad with the official, which is the main source of outflow of huge funds - be it towards enormous cargo, school fees or medical expenditure or air fares on transfer, mid-term home leave, children holiday passage, emergency, etc. should be stopped forthwith and similar such timely corrective actions further needs to be taken by the Ministry of Finance and thereby save on our expenditure from Public Fund.
MEA is staffed with just about 850 Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officers tasked with formulating and executing foreign policy across 193 embassies and consulates worldwide. While the annual intake of IFS officers has increased in recent years, it remains grossly inadequate and more and more career diplomats should be recruited and the savings from public exchequer from above curtailment or proposed package of matching grant can very well balance the recruitment of more Indian diplomats, with taking of members of family made voluntary subject to sharing of equal expense towards payment of school fee and medical expenses in 50 : 50 ratio, thereby enormously saving expenditure from Public Fund.
Subbiah Sridhar