Whispers Forum

The appellant sought for information under section 7(1) in Hindi and submitted that he has not received the information. The PIO submitted that the fees charged from the candidates are decided by the governing body of their organisation. He further affirmed that he would abide by the orders of the CIC. The CIC directed the concerned PIO to revisit the instant RTI Application and provide a revised reply, with regards to the instant RTI Application, to the appellant, free of cost via speed post.
Comments
The Fee charged should not be arbitrary lest it taken as a mode of denial of information
Citation: Abhinav Prakash v. National Testing Agency, Department of Higher Education (Ministry of Education), CIC/NTAGN/A/2022/630133; Date of Decision: 30.05.2023
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

The Patna meeting can be considered a good start but real opposition unity is still far away. The real test of opposition unity will be when there will be talk of seat adjustment and claim for the post of prime minister. Real differences between the opposition parties will also come to the fore on these two issues. The Congress is already angry with Mamata Banerjee's statement that the Congress should field candidates only on those seats where it is strong. That is, Congress should keep about 200 seats with it and give the rest to regional parties. The Congress, buoyed by the victory of Himachal and Karnataka, will never agree to contest the Lok Sabha elections on only 200 seats.
Nancy Singh

Let me give here an extract from Ken Follet’s famous novel in the Winter Of The World: “Berlin 1933 The Ancient Egyptians built the pyramids when Germans were living in caves. Arabs ruled the world in the Middle Ages- the Muslims were doing algebra when German princes could not write their own names”. That was where European thinkers, writers, politicians were trapped in their world knowledge in the last century and were engaged in debates on democracy and available options that were to lead to the next world war. Obviously they had no idea of India then, buried under the debris of Socialism of Germany and Fascism of Italy over other problems of backwardness and poverty. They knew India and about India but ignored the fact that the Vedas preceded both the Egyptians and the Arabs, just like our secular brigades do today. Under the cursed belief of a flawed secularism many morons are trying to outdo them daily. They are India’s indigenous tribe of Storm Troopers, Brown Shirts (Red Shirts, White Shirts, Green Shirts, Yellow Shirts and other varieties of 75 years young India added competitively rather fast) who act like policemen as their party gives them the authority of auxiliary police men. Even then, Sarve Bhavantu Sukhino…
M L Gupta

Vide order dated 20.08.2022, the CIC had directed the respondent to revisit the RTI application and provide the action taken report within four weeks. A complaint was filed for non-compliance of CIC order. In reply to the notice, the PIO stated that they had furnished the information available with them. It came to their notice that the matter was under investigation by Police Authorities and information sought by RTI application was exempt under Section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act. After adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case and perusal of records, the CIC observed that the PIO had failed to bring the above facts to the notice of the CIC for arriving at a proper decision during hearing. The CIC expressed its displeasure at the lackadaisical attitude of the PIO. However, since the PIO had provided available information and stated that the matter was under investigation by Police Authorities, the PIO was directed to submit their assertions on affidavit before the CIC.
Comments
The PIO should have a thorough understanding of the provisions of the RTI Act and also the facts of the case failing which an error might be committed. In this case, the PIO initially failed to provide the information, then could not defend it before the CIC, subsequently failed to follow the order of the CIC and later provided the information but claimed before the CIC that it was exempt. Indicates really poor grasp of the role to be played by the PIO.
Citation: Shri Harshit Goel v. Punjab & Sind Bank, CIC/PASBK /A/2020/671310; 18.05.2023
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

It is high time for Indian government to implement Universal Basic Salary. There should be fixed salary for private professionals, bare minimum for example Rs 20,000 in the times where we witness increasing price of goods and service. A minimum salary for example of Rs 20,000 for private professional would ease their life and raise their living standard and earn them respect in society and at the same time, fulfil their basic minimum needs of food, shelter , education , health and clothing , for a family of four i.e. parents and two children.
Nidhi Jain

With elections approaching in many states to be followed by 2024 general elections, the political parties are doling out freebies to woo voters. Freebies should be discouraged because ultimately people have to pay for them. They will have to pay more taxes, and the price of commodities will rise. Nothing will happen till May 2024. Prices will somehow be kept under control, but after May 2024? Poor public will pay for the generosity of the politicians. One shudders to think how steeply the prices will rise after the 2024 general elections.
Aditya Singh