Whispers Forum

DEBATE(1)
The 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' initiated by Rahul Gandhi will spur the party to get united. The 'Yatra' will definitely boost workers and give a secular message in the country.
Rajesh Kumar
DEBATE(2)
It’s great! Rahul is doing a good job and getting tremendous support from all sorts of people! It will help him in politics too. Moreover he has time with him.
Suresh Awasthi, New Delhi
Thanks for RTI news article
There are so many norms which are not fulfilled by the government department and unfortunately, there is not much which a common man can do. The indirect way of enforcing the rule of law using RTI is a welcome measure shown by you. I wish that there are many similar RTI applicants who use this route in various government departments to ensure implementation of norms. Thanks for the RTI news article.
Sukumar Upadhyaya

The appellant sought the status of his appeal dated 23.01.2015, appeal dated nil regarding APAR and low marks given therein, the details of promotion proceedings, list of selected GMs and their bio data, performance appraisal reports of other employees, etc. The respondent submitted that there was no provision for promotion from Scale VI to Scale VII. Further, the appellant was not promoted to the post of General Manager. Therefore, it was evident that the appeal dated 23.01.2015 was rejected. Moreover, the details of other selected GMs and their promotion proceedings were fiduciary in nature and could not be parted with the appellant. The CIC observed that the reply given by the respondent was partly evasive. The appellant had inter alia sought the status of his appeal dated 23.01.2015, appeal dated nil regarding APAR and low marks given therein, the details of promotion proceedings, list of selected GMs and their bio data, performance appraisal reports of other employees, etc. The details of other employees such as their appraisal reports, bio data, etc. consisted personal details and third party information. However, the final results of promotion of selected employees i.e. final marks secured of selected candidates should have been published in public domain for the sake of transparency and accountability. Further, the appellant was entitled to know the status of his appeal/petition dated 23.01.2015 and appeal regarding low marking in his APAR. The CIC directed to provide the information in respect of the status of his appeal dated 23.01.2015, appeal dated nil regarding APAR and low marks given therein, selection process records including marks and comments recorded by DPC for the promotion process from DGM to GM.
Comments
There should be transparency in the selection process to maintain the faith of the citizens on the selection process.
Citation: N Sai Prasad v. Indian Overseas Bank, Second Appeal No. CIC/IOVBK/A/2020/133750, 01.11.2022.
Dr Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is a RTI Consultant currently working with IIM Visakhapatnam. She has co-authored the books, RTI Right to Information - Law and Practice and PIO’s Guide to RTI. She offers consultancy on RTI matters and Third party audit. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link www.rtifoundationofindia.com

DEBATE(1)
Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is not expected to be very beneficial politically. But it is expected to have a greater social impact. As the Yatra’s name is ‘Jodo’, it is connecting people. What is needed today is to end the animosity based on caste, religion etc. I am not saying Rahul will be very successful in this direction. But at least he is making a sincere and honest effort. At the same time he is also a politician and so it would be wrong to say that the Yatra has only social and not political objectives.
Rishi Nigam
DEBATE(2)
‘Bharat Jodo movement’ is a noble work by an innocent person called Pappu. He is going to be a statesman after Raja Ram Mohun Roy, Mahatma Gandhi and Jai Prakash Narain.
Faruque Azam, Nawada, Bihar
Flexi hours give boost to efficient delivery
I agree with A K Saxena flexi hours give a boost to efficient delivery, satisfaction and creativity too. My own experience of 40 years with Government of India, had full liberty and flexibility of working, I earned 1470 Earned leave working in MEA (including additional credit of leave) plus medical leave too but hardly availed 200 earned leave in 40 years, of course got leave encashment of 300 days, but since was working flexi hours with good officers who expected a good delivery only, retired as most happy satisfied from the GoI. DoPT must think on these lines.
Harish Kumar

DEBATE(1)
It's a great decision of Rahul Gandhi to take out 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'. It is a timely decision when the country is facing divisions in the name of religions, castes and regions.
Santosh Kumar
‘No upward mobility for INC’
The success or otherwise of Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' will remain a riddle. But, the secret wish of BJP's ‘dharmik scholars’, following the party lines, wait for its extinction. The opinions of other intellectuals and intelligentsia depend on their ideological inclinations. However, I see no impact of 'Yatra', on revamping the grand old party, which has become obsolete and is in self-destruct mode. High command's lust for power is the root cause. Consider Rahul's utterances. He is known for shooting off-the-cuff remarks laced with newly-coined phrases. Sample some observations which can send anyone into a tizzy: ‘Jawab ka savaal dena padega’; ‘Gabbar Singh tax’(GST); ‘Gandhi, Nehru, Patel were NRIs’; ‘Selfies give employment to Chinese’. An overrated politician with Zero accountability. In absence of intra-party democracy, election of party President was fake. It was manipulated to ensure the high command culture continues under the dynasty. It may be understood that events like ‘Rath yatras’, ‘Road shows’ and ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, are wasteful exercises and do not serve any public cause. Public is no longer as naive as it was in the past. Rahul lacks aggression and the killer's instinct. His thoughtless utterances will fast-track extinction of the Congress, without much effort. The BJP need have no worries. One hopes, the academia, intelligentsia, intellectuals and ‘dharmik scholars’ of BJP would agree.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

DEBATE (1)
Rahul Gandhi will now be a mature person having down to earth knowledge of the country.
V Raghvan
‘Introduce flexi hours in govt offices’
Studies indicate that flexible work schedules lead to reduced tardiness, absenteeism and turnover and higher employees' morale. Using card punching schemes or attendance software, definitely help in documenting and evaluating employees' attendance. But, it has not helped in controlling habitual absenteeism, despite invoking the conduct rules. If PM Modi wishes bureaucrats to spend quality time with families and get maximum output from them , he may consider introducing the ” Flexi hours” scheme in offices with suitable regulatory mechanisms. The existing punctuality-based attendance system is difficult to achieve due to traffic snarls leading to strain on family ties and fall in efficiency. Women are the worst sufferers as they have to attend to house-hold chores before setting out.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

DEBATE (1)
Rahul Yatra may help Congress in the states he is passing through. But the party should not expect much.
Hingorani
DEBATE(2)
One thing is certain that Rahul will emerge as a matured politician. But Congress will not be able even to cross 100 seats in the Lok Sabha.
R K Aiyar
Appointment of Rashmi Saxena as Administrative Member, CAT
Congratulations! Hope you will be more associated with Justice with a free mind from eventuality.
A R Rao

DEBATE (1)
Bharat Jodo Yatra shows ‘Karishma’ of Gandhi family is still there and people come to see Rahul Gandhi who is considered a gentleman.
D P Devgan
DEBATE(2)
Now even the BJP people want to see a strong opposition and indirectly extend support to Rahul.
T V Ram
Nothing has changed on the ground on account of ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ as the recent Assembly election results have shown. The contributors to this column seem to be anti BJP. We should be neutral when it comes to public display and this is not a political forum to write anything as you like.
Ramesh

Just saw the item about self “given premature repatriation “ . Though factually correct it conveys a very uncomplimentary meaning. Since my worried friends started calling me up after seeing this , I thought I should clear it with yours. Following my orders as DRM Izzatnagar, NE Rly , I had requested to be repatriated to railways to carry Vv the assignment for which Dopt has issued the aforementioned orders
Regards
Rekha yadav
JS MoPR
Comedy of secularism
The dominant Indian media made a travesty of secularism in a few moments. Always ready with their script on anything perceived to be Hindu by them, they rushed to TV studios the moment the UK Prime Minister was named! They felt so devastated! How could it happen? They survived and thrived under patrons in the UK etc. They never could imagine heavens would fall on them so suddenly! It was unimaginable for them. They could not accept such unacceptable turn of events. They used the entire glossary of hate expressions reserved for Narendra Modi as if the UK had appointed NaMo their new Prime Minister! The language, rhetoric, headlines, body gestures, facial expressions of complete bewilderment were so much fun to watch! This comedy is unmatched in English Literature. In our vernacular (?) though there is an instance of Devarshi Narad borrowing the visage of Lord Vishnu to take part in a swyamvar (competition for winning the hand of a princess) and making the entire gathering burst in to uncontrolled laughter for it turned out to be the visage of a monkey! Even highly acknowledged journalists have published long articles in national dailies delving in Indo-British history, secularism, Hinduism, Hindu rituals etc scrutinizing the choice of the Conservative Party (craftily emphasizing the difference between people’s choice and party’s choice). In their audio, video and print they are spreading hate against the UK PM with the clear objective of harming him (recall their words like block/stop/defeat etc used against Narendra Modi). Hate is the only message they script, not love. Will they decide UK politics? What a funnelled existence of the Brown Sahibs of the Hindu/Indian living the imaginary community of the blue blooded Gora Sahib after cutting off his/her roots? Suffering from some inferiority complex calling themselves as Hindu or Indian, they conduct themselves as superior to their countrymen, living every minute English! They call themselves Gold Standard as compared to the “poor” Bhartiya people. Their articles in newspapers/magazines are sprinkled with names/quotes of writers/people from abroad to make a statement of their erudition to establish their superiority over Desi writers of the area of darkness ( vilifying Great India)! They have knowledge of Indian writers but they never quote them! Alas! they have lost 2024 in 2022 itself. How hollow is their secular rhetoric? These hate mongering tribes have not been able to see a Hindu become PM of the distant UK even after a week! It is no use trying to make them understand that the word Hindu did not decide the choice and there was no binary of Hindu-Muslim there (they spared the Mayor of London!).
M L GUPTA

DEBATE(1)
‘Pappu’ will no longer be Pappu after the Bharat Jodo Yatra. He will emerge as a mature politician at the end of the Yatra.
G M Dube
DEBATE (2)
Entire opposition is watching with keen interest the Yatra of Rahul Gandhi.
Samuel
Society should learn to respect doctors
Doctors have been reduced to a commodity that everyone loves to kick. When an epidemic like the Covid strikes, then people start looking for the doctors and compare them with God. The fact is that there is little knowledge about the different provisions which the doctors are supposed to follow. Society should learn to respect the doctors and give them the due respect. It is a noble profession which should not be reduced to a business.
Dr Devashish Banerjee
Collapse of bridge really heartbreaking
The collapse of the suspension bridge killing 135 people including women and children is really heartbreaking .That this could have been avoided had all those connected with the bridge in any way been more professional and efficient. The bridge was constructed in 1887.It would have been repaired and revamped many times in all these 135 years. The last revamp was done a few days before the disaster. It seems to be a very shabby job and without satisfying themselves about the strength and proper fitness the authorities allowed it to be opened. As the details of the repair coming in show the cable was rusted not oiled. The aluminum platform was not strong enough to carry that load of 400 people. Imagine when the bridge was newly built only 15 people were allowed on it. When it was being run by the town municipality the number was 50. Now the company started it they let 400 board it More tickets were sold in the greed to make more money. Where were the authorities/Why no cap was put on the number/Why no technical people of the Government checked the fitness before letting it open when fast flowing river is just below this Jhulta Pull why no safety measures and lifeguards were kept handy for, GOD forbid, any mishap and what a mishap it was wiping out some families altogether. The aftermath of the tragedy was also upsetting. The hospital was in such a bad state of affairs. No water and the walls needed a coat of paint for the VIP visit. Will someone, in this case many from the company Government municipality police or technical staff get to pay for their negligence and casualness. One wonders. What to talk of punishing the guilty we do not even learn lessons from such manmade disasters.
Aarti Khosla