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Whispers Forum

Debates, reader views and sharp takes on the issues shaping governance — a new conversation every week, archived by date.

0 posts 0 months Latest: 30 Sep 2021
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September 2021 29 posts · page 1 of 3

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Thursday, 30 September 2021
Forum

Whispers Forum — 30 Sep 2021

DEBATE(1)
In BJP Raj Nath Singh and Nitin Gadhlari and in opposition Nitish Kumar is always there. Naveen Patnaik is silent candidate.
Giriraj Krishna
(DEBATE (2)
UP CM Yogi Aditya Nath will be Effective PM
G P Sharma
DEBATE (3)
In Congress Party only well experienced Kamal Nath can be best PM.
DEBATE(4)
Yogi Aditya Nath
Anil Kumar
Nothing special
What is so special about Ms Sneha Dubey reading the written script. Anyone could have done so, in that place. All Government Servants are equally competent. Pl don't under rate their contribution. This script may change next year, so may be the person; however Professionals' contribution towards nation building shall be, for ages, for all to see.
Bosidini
Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Forum

Whispers Forum — 29 Sep 2021

DEBATE(1)
There is no PM face in South. Only a North Indian leader will be next PM only if there is no Modi.
Raju Srinivas
DEBATE(2)
In the fractured verdict Uddhav Thakre can be good PM. In Maharashtra he is running the coalition Government well.
Dinesh Verma
DEBATE(3)
As far as three Prime Ministerial candidates are concerned, no doubt at present Modi is the top choice of the people. In the BJP party, at present there is no one who can challenge him. He is the first choice of the people and due to his vast popularity he will be the PM candidate in the next LS elections also. There is no doubt about that. Shah and Yogi are the other two most popular leaders but they are not contenders for the PM post at present. If we look at other parties besides BJP, it appears that Arvind Kejriwal of AAP is slowly gaining popularity in some states outside Delhi also. Some people, not happy with BJP policies resulting in high unemployment and inflation, look to Kejriwal and his populist announcements like waiver of power bills etc have won the hearts of a section of people groaning under the weight of unrelenting price rise. The third PM candidate is Rahul Gandhi despite the fact that the Congress’ popularity is at nadir in most states. But Rahul has the capability; he has to prove it.
Ajay Shroti, College teacher, Bhopal
Two B's can separate a bureaucrat
None but only two Bs can separate a bureaucrat, perched in chair for the day... Boss and Bathroom.
Ravi Pipal
Tuesday, 28 September 2021
RTI

Information about conviction, bail and suspension of sentence

Whether a particular Dy. Superintending Engineer of ASI was granted bail against the conviction by CBI Court and related information was denied by CPIO citing Section 24 of the RTI Act. Before the CIC, the PIO submitted that the information sought for cannot be provided to the Appellant as it pertains to a third party. The CIC took grave exception to the gross non-application of mind of the PIO in the matter as the information sought for in the RTI Application clearly pertained to allegations of corruption yet the exemption of Section 24 of the RTI Act was invoked in the PIO’s reply. The CIC held that nonetheless, the information sought for in the RTI Application pertains to a third party and disclosure of the same stands exempted under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.
Comments
It has been debated whether a judicial order suspending a sentence can be termed personal. Further, in this case, the CIC has failed to take a note of the larger public interest.
Citation: L R Sudheendra Rao v. Central Bureau Investigation in File No: CIC/CBRUI/A/2020/115156, Date of Decision: 16/08/2021
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
Forum

Whispers Forum — 28 Sep 2021

DEBATE(1)
It is felt that the entire debate may not be worthwhile.
Who will be the next PM is entirely dependent upon the electoral result.
If the same party gets the majority again, it is obvious that Mr.Modi would be a logical choice of the party first because he has built up his popularity over the years and second, because there is hardly anyone who has the personality and experience to become the PM. If, on the other hand, another party or combination wins, the question "who after" is redundant. In our democratic system, the winning party or combination may decide to name ANYONE as the PM even if the person is totally unsuited to hold that position. So, in case of the second eventuality, it is futile to even speculate from a practical point of view.
Thanks
A K Singh
DEBATE(2)
No one can say about any PM face. Face will appear only at an appropriate time. At the moment Mamta Banerjee is the face, Sharad Pawar is now too old.
Amit Pandey
DEBATE(3)
I beg to disagree with the views expressed by Chief Sanjeev Tandon NRI highlighting the present one as PM for next ten years again. The present dispensation has completely destroyed India economically to infinity through faulty policies of demonitization, faulty implementation of GST etc. Unemployment and criminality is at Himalayan heights and no data is available for the last 7 years. India is being run on manufactured consent of fake narratives. Again to say there is no alternative to him is hallucination of minds, leaders always emerge in crisis.
Harish Kumar
Bad move to appoint CS superseding 6 officials
Though the CM of a state has the prerogative to choose his CS it is an unprecedented step to supersede 6 senior officers and appoint a junior to the post. Very bad move wrt to the morale of the superseded officers in particular and the bureaucracy in general.
K Srinivas Rao
Monday, 27 September 2021
Forum

Modi as PM

DEBATE(1)
Modi is one of the best PM our country have and entire world has recognized him as global leader. In one sentence :- न भूतो न भविष्यति
In my view Modi should be PM for another 10 years to make India Superpower
2. How you see effect of Modi as PM
As NRI I can vouch for tremendous changes in functioning of High Comm/ consulates abroad. HC & Their team always on toes to serve NRIs. Credit goes to Late Sushma Ji & Jai Shankar
HCs are projecting excellent pictures of India and building relationships with various countries They update their work and achievements immediately on social media
Modi has given importance to Africa which is future of world’s activities
3. Who should be Modi’s successor
1. Yogi
2. Gadkari
3. Smriti
4. How you see CM of MP
Shri Shivraj Singh is doing very good work. Globally his image is very good. He should continue as CM. He should give importance to international investments. NRI cell ahold be more effective
5. How you see Congress or other parties
There is no national leader or PM candidate
6. Indian economy
Indian economy is booming. Sensex is performing well. Digital India is performing well. Make in India is doing good.
7. Suggestion
Both PM & CM should give importance to NRIs who wish to come back
8. Do you wish to come back to India
Yes if I get good opportunity
9. Indian Defence
Moral of Indian defence is high. Very happy with defence policies.
10. Would you like to join politics
Yes if I get opportunity. Wish to server our people
Chief Sanjeev Tandon
Asst Governor Rotary Dist 9110 Lagos
Ex General Secretary Indian Cultural Association Nigeria
Past President Rotary club Lagos
Member Indian Professional forum Nigeria
Ex- Sr Vice President- Kewalram Chanrai Group Nigeria
Business Consultant Africa
DEBATE(2)
Yogi ji
Anil Dagar
Make ITAT faceless expeditiously
The next step in the faceless scheme of the Income Tax department is the ITAT. Steps as already decided to make ITAT faceless must be taken expeditiously in order to take the faceless scheme to its logical conclusion.
Vijay Kumar
Saturday, 25 September 2021
Forum

Modiji is the best PM India ever had

DEBATE (1)
Well said Ramesh. I completely agree Modiji is the best PM India ever had. Very true he has managed All the situations very well he deserves all encore for the same. For example, at the start of the vaccination programme the anti PM lobby did their best to decry the vaccination which resulted in doubts in the minds of some common man. If they had supported the programme our completion figures would have been much more than 80 crores. It is a fashion for some people to decry our Honble PM. Let them for a moment imagine being in his shoes and then they will realise the enormous odds the Honble PM is facing. And finally when the availability of vaccines had slowed down a little may be due to various reasons different quarters were first to jump in the queue and criticise the GoI. Now when the figure has crossed 80 crores none of these so called critics have the graciousness to laud the GOI for the remarkable strides in the vaccination program. What a pity.
K Srinivasa Rao
Bureaucrats just fade away in slow motion
'Bureaucrats do not retire.... they just fade away in slow motion'
Ravi Pipal
Friday, 24 September 2021
Forum

Whispers Forum — 24 Sep 2021

DEBATE(1)
The country with a lot of difficulty has got a Prime Minister who is honest i.e. Narendra Modi. He is the first Prime Minister of this country, who pays out of his pocket for his monthly expenditure in the Prime Minister's Residence. Even Atalji and Sardar ji lived at the exchequer's cost in the PM's residence. Modi is religious and spiritual. During the two Navratras, he only consumes only warm water all through. He neither smokes nor drinks. Even Atalji enjoyed his evening whisky. During his tenure both as CM and PM all the gifts which he had received have been auctioned by the National Modern Art Gallery. The proceeds received have all gone into the Government exchequer. Last but not the least, there is no 'bol bala' of beti, beta, damaad, bhatija, bathji and biwi in the Prime Minister's Office. Dawood Abrahim is a pal of Sharad Pawar.
Anurag Srivastava
DEBATE(2)
If the present incumbent finds fit, he can be installed as Prime Minister for the third consecutive time. Opposition leaders are yet to be exalted to the position of Narendra Modi being able to strike an emotional chord with the voters.
Ramkumar
Heartburn among various services over empanelment at JS level and above
There is a lot of heartburn among various services about being empanelled for various posts of Joint Secretary and above. The way out is to have an annual examination that can be taken online by the UPSC which the officers can take. The examination sheets should be coded so that there is no identification. The officers can be graded and empanelled as per category viz, General, OBC, SC, ST, Women etc. depending on their results, if they have vigilance clearance. For posting empanelled officers, IB reports may be taken into account. This will be a simple, transparent system which will be objective. No service will have an upper hand and no service will be a loser.
Vijay Kumar
NITI Aayog and Ministries
Observers of the Govt. functioning are wondering about the increasing importance being given to NITI Aayog in various issues. It is expected that it is only an advisory body and should not get involved in operational matters which the Ministries ought to handle and take responsibility for. Of late, they have been even conducting press conferences even where the matter ought to be handled by the concerned Ministries. The key question in the minds of the observers is: whether the Ministries are conveniently not making proposals or decisions which logically should be their responsibility and rather leaving them for Niti Aayog. If this is so, it does not bode well for long term governance if ministries are implicitly abdicating their own responsibilities.
A. K. Singh
Thursday, 23 September 2021
Forum

Whispers Forum — 23 Sep 2021

DEBATE(1)
Nitish Kumar is still PM face provided he is backed by the entire opposition.
J K Joshi
DEBATE(2)
After Modi Who ? Our PM is just 71 years old. President Biden of USA was 79 years old coming into office. As long as good health, active mind, yoga, are in his lifestyle, he has a good decade ahead of him . The grooming of the next generation of politicians in the party has commenced. To run a billion plus sub continent nation requires deep political skills. The next generation of politicians need to hone their political, administrative and National Security skills in many portfolios to be totally ready. Currently this question should be modified to “ Which politicians are being groomed ?”
Devindra Sethi
Representation of IAS at AS level ?
What about representation of IAS at Additional Secretary (AS) level? Officers from other central services represent the bulk of the 70% post of JS but their representation in AS level is very low for reasons not known.
Prashanth
It’s government discretion, not a matter of debate!
Raising the retirement age or not is a decision for the Government to take. No debate can influence the decision, either way.
Vijay Kumar
Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Forum

Whispers Forum — 22 Sep 2021

DEBATE(1)
I fully agree with the views expressed by A K Saxena, leaders emerge during crisis, no one on this earth is indispensable or perfect, life too is not a permanent feature especially when all of us know that each moment of life is a fixed match right from birth till death. If we go by India's democratic history, this has happened so many times since independence. Hence it is certainly a fake misconception floated by the dispensation that who after Modi?
Harish Kumar
DEBATE (2)
In opposition Sharad Pawar and Mamta Banerjee and in BJP Shivraj Singh Chauhan who is acceptable face.
Girja Shankar
Suggestion worth consideration
Suggestion of Harish Kumar is worth consideration. Once somebody completes sixty years, he must retire and get his retirement dues. If he wants to serve after that, he should sacrifice the privileges of the post by taking salary of Rs 1/, smaller accommodation, smaller vehicle etc. This will set example of simple living and high thinking.
AK
Interesting reading
It is interesting to read comments about for and against increase in the retirement age from 60 to 62 for the Govt. employees. Those who are against it would even wish the bureaucracy to be weeded out because they consider many of them as 'deadwood'. Interestingly these persons had their heyday when they were in service. I think the bureaucracy is under tremendous pressure. What with working hours stretching (For the senior civil servants especially from Joint Secretary level and above) to more than 12 hours. There is this common practice now not to appoint successors now when someone retires or gets transferred. Additional charge is given to another officer. To quote one example when previous DoPT Secretary retired Home Secretary was given the additional charge of that position. He held it for months. This time again when DoPT Secretary was transferred , his additional charge was again given to Home Secretary( as if Home Secretary has little work)There are scores of such cases of additional charges. This is like sucking every ounce of stamina and energy out of the bureaucrats at that level. Are they ', deadwood'? Many of them are nearing 60 when they are able to work that long and hard. These days 60 is not old. So there is certainly a case to keep them working till 62. After all, the Government does give extensions or re employ many after the age of 60. If those are fit after that age others are too. Raising the retirement age to 62 has a rationale.
Aarti Khosla
Cartoons of Arushi are outstanding !
The cartoons of Arushi Mehrotra are outstanding! She keeps them updated with the current happenings in the politics and comes out as a Political Satire. She definitely has a good future in journalism. Best wishes
Natarajan Iyer
Tuesday, 21 September 2021
Forum

Whispers Forum — 21 Sep 2021

DEBATE(1)
I believe, Modi in 2024 again as PM with seats above 400 and after that Amit Shah appears to be the most deserving candidate for PM.
Madhu Kapoor
DEBATE (2)
As I see it, three politicians who are fit to succeed Modi are Navin Patnaik, Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh, provided age does not come in their way.
Kumar
DEBATE (2)
A K Saxena's comments on "Who after Modi" clearly shows that he's anti Modi. His analysis lacks conviction and wants to blame the present dispensation for everything. No doubt the Prime Minister in his seven years has done a lot for the overall improvement and has managed all the crisis. I challenge if not Modi, who would have ventured for Made in India vaccine and we are almost into the 80 crore mark. We would have been begging other nations to supply vaccines if this PM is not here. We are a large country and have multiple problems. He is addressing everything and trying to give justice. He will go into the history books as the bestest (superlative - my bosses have used this term) Prime Minister of India. Hope everyone understands already now
Ramesh
Retirement age
Govt should not consider to increase retirement age above 60 years. By and large productivity is very low by reaching age of 60 and majority become burden on Govt. Huge unemployment in country, hence chance to be given to young blood. In my view retirement age may be reduced to 55 years.
R K Upadhyay
Monday, 20 September 2021
Forum

Whispers Forum — 20 Sep 2021

DEBATE(1)
I suggest the name of Ratan Tata as the PM with Manmohan Singh as the Finance Minister.
Paarth Garg
DEBATE (2)
Difficult to answer this question. In opposition Sharad Pawar is a well experienced politician who can lead this country.
B Sen
Give jobs to youngsters in need
Never increase it more than 60 years. Give those jobs to youngsters who are actually in need of it.
Jayaram A S
Saturday, 18 September 2021
Forum

Whispers Forum — 18 Sep 2021

DEBATE (1)
As I see it, three politicians who are fit to succeed Mr Modi are Mr Navin Patnaik, Mr Nitin Gadkari and Mr Rajnath Singh, provided age does not come in their way.
Kumar
DEBATE(2)
“ After Modi,Who? ”
I am filled with a sense of déjà vu. A similar question arose during Pt Nehru’s failing health. Nothing unusual happened after his passing away. Shastri ji emerged from out of the blue. Nature is supposed to take care of such eventuality and fill the void. No one is indispensable. Everyone is replaceable.
Coming to the pointed question : After Modi, Who, I would like to be upfront and fiercely independent .I hope my views are published in this site, irrespective of whether these support the present dispensation or not.
It would be inappropriate to suggest that Modi is matchless. We, Indians revel in raising the question : "After Nehru, who?", "After Indira, who?", "After Rajiv, who?", and now, "After Modi, who?" And, every time, voters themselves provide the answer. This is the beauty of Parliamentary democracy.
If, anyone expects the WIC surfers to name Amit Shah, Yogi and Nitin Gadkari as the three hopefuls for PM’s post, it would be mistaken. Rajnath Singh cannot be left out and many more. A bitter intra- party conflict would ensue. PM Modi is, at least, holding the flock together.
But, at what cost? The dividing line between the Union of India and BJP functionaries is very thin, almost non-existent. Public memory is no longer short. It remembers the travails of de-monetisation, GST , farmers’ distress, question marks on defence deals , cast-based polarization of votes, assets monetization, Pegasus etc. Much would depend on the outcome of results in assemblies elections and the fighting spirit of the weak opposition. It would be premature, at this stage, to make a guess on “Who, after Modi”? Turn of events could throw up new possibilities, new personalities, new permutations and combinations.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)