Whispers Forum

Appellant sought a Hindi version of the information provided in English u/s 4(1)(b) of the RTI on the website of MECON which was not provided. On a query, the PIO informed that there is a Rajbhasa Adhikari in the office and in case time is allowed, information can be translated. The CIC observed that available information was given. However, the CPIO can take assistance from the Rajbhasa Adhikari and have the material translated for each and every document disclosed u/s 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act and provide the same within 45 days to the appellant by uploading the same on the website and giving him the hyperlink. Further, the CIC directed that in the interest of transparency, the PIO can ensure that Hindi version of the documents are made available on the website, wherever possible.
Comments
Ordinarily, the information has to be provided in the form in which it is available woth the public authority. However, the proactive disclosure should be done in Hindi too to the extent feasible.
Citation: Ashish Kumar Singh v. MECON Limited, File No. CIC/MECON/A/2021/641089, Date of Decision: 18.11.2022
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

The utter chaos at Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal-3 reveals total inefficiency of those responsible for managing the Airport. They should know that with the holiday season with X-mas and New Year around the corner there is always a surge in the number of holiday makers and rise in the number of passengers. As it is after two years of pandemic people found themselves free from the restrictions from travel and have started travelling to destinations within the country and abroad. Why did we not prepare for this massive number? Should we not have added more counters for immigration check, check-in and security. It is really a shame that air travellers have to stand in line even for the entering the airport then stand in long line for baggage check, check in for boarding pass and security many of them missing their flight. The incoming passengers also face immense problems. On 2nd December an acquaintance landed from Air India Flight from Canada to Delhi at 11.30 am. He could come out of the Airport after more than two hours. Reason being it took home so much time to retrieve his suitcase since baggage from three flights were thrown on the same conveyer belt. Passengers had to wait till they sorted out this mess by segregating the baggage and putting the same on different belts. I wonder whether anybody has been taken to task. All this chaos discourages one to take a flight to anywhere for winter holiday
Aarti Khosla

War in Ukraine has created a never ending scenario in this whole universe where democracy seems to be waning around the world. Civil dialogue is becoming obsolete and redundant. Voices that could make a difference -that could help move us from war to peace, from confrontation to cooperation- are being drowned out by provocative level. State-sponsored misinformation campaigns fly & run unchecked. We must resist these trends. We must encourage open, informed debate, bringing together diverse opinions and expert ideas. And these insights need to be accessible to everyone and everywhere.
Harish Kumar

The Indian soldiers have always given befitting reply to China whenever it tried to intrude into our territory. Along with military strength, PM Narendra Modi is engaged in strengthening India's economy. China's relations with America are not good at this time. American companies can leave China. India has made good infrastructure, has strengthened electricity, water and roads. In a few years investments from China will shift to India and it has already started. If this happens, not only would India's economy be strong, but employment would also increase. PM Modi is focusing on boosting the economy and technology, so we want peace.
Aditya Nigam

The orders of the Central Information Commission have been inconsistent on this issue. All the benches should follow a similar law and the same bench should not deviate from the stand taken earlier. I have seen the complete order of the CIC and regret to note that the CIC has not cared to even hide the PAN number of the wife of the applicant from the order. It is basic knowledge that the PAN No is personal information of a person and still the CIC order holding states personal information of the third party.
Anjana Shrimali

The high and the mighty have fallen from grace, usually on small matters like ego and money. The love flies away and all that is left is bitterness. No matter when people hit the ground, the law made for the poorest of the poor like the RTI Act becomes a tool for their fighting. The law which was to herald an era of transparency and accountability is a means for the battle for small issues to prove a point or to gain an asset. An interesting case to see a very different aspect of the transparency Act in terms of usage. Once in a while, a case like this adds spice to the dry RTI debate.
Sukumar Upadhyaya

Neeraj Shridhar of the Bombay Vikings fame filed an application under RTI Act seeking information about details of IT returns and balance sheet pertaining to his wife and all companies owned by her. He claimed that the information was needed to defend divorce petition as well as for taking legal action against his wife. On not receiving a reply, the appellant approached the CIC. In pursuance of the Appellant’s praying urging that the information is being requested for a maintenance in a matrimonial dispute and by applying the same yardstick as applicable to a wife in such cases, the CIC directed the PIO to provide the “generic details of the net taxable income/gross income” of the wife for the specified time period as contained in the RTI Application to the Appellant free of cost within 15 days.
Comments
The use of RTI Act to obtain information about the Income of the spouse in Divorce/ Dowry act cases is not uncommon. The copy of income tax returns of the third party is not liable to be disclosed as it is the personal information which is exempt from disclosure under section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act. The appellant has not been able to establish any larger public interest in the matter.
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

In 2004 General Elections- Congress Party won
In 2009 General Elections- Congress Party won
In 2014 General Elections- BJP won
In 2019 General Elections - BJP won
In 2021 Assembly Elections - AAP party won in Punjab
In 2020 Assembly Election in Tamil Nadu - DMK won
In 2020 Kerala Assembly Elections - CPM won
In Telangana Assembly Elections- TRS Party won
I could go on.
So the Election Commission was rigging EVMs for each election?
That is a preposterous statement and wishful thinking casting deep aspersions on the IAS officers who man the EC, starting with Seshan especially.
Devindra Sethi

This round of elections too has a message for Congress. That, its leaders are leaving and joining the BJP. That its vote bank and workers are getting shifted to AAP. That the communist party and its leftist supporters in Congress and its offices are determined to wipe out Congress legacy in this country. That this country or foreign powers will never allow a leftist thought party to rule India at any cost which the Congress should learn fast.
Saboo
CCI a burden on taxpayers
CCI was a burden on the taxpayers and now with the impending merger it will be a super burden.
Ashok Menon

Harish Kumar about EVM is absolutely off the mark and wrong to imagine that EVMs can be programmed at the factory site to favour parties, before the EVM is sealed shows lack of common sense. The greatest administrative action is the random shuffling of the EVMs not only in constituencies, but also at different levels. It is impossible to prejudge EVMs. Only booth capturing can do it, but even that is next to impossible due to technology, the spread of para military forces, the watchful eyes of social media/ news channels, etc. I am quite certain that EVMs are beyond tamper proof and are rock solid in neutrality. But the worrying thing we should bother about is linking of Aadhaar with Voter ID, of Aadhaar with scores of other essentialities, which is not the mandate of Aadhaar. recently the Tamil Nadu government has come up with a no-brainer scheme of linking Aadhaar with electricity connections (otherwise the electric connection is in danger of being cut off to the consumer). As it is with finger prints getting erased due to age, Aadhaar is becoming a question mark of how useful it is. Supreme court has in a judgement clarified that Aadhaar is voluntary and no coercion should be used. But where is the compliance? EVMs are fine, but the rest of the systems are not fine any more.
Srinivasan