Whispers Forum

Through his RTI application, the applicant sought information regarding whether the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) had received his registered letter in respect of his ANC-01 Study Material, reasons for delay in receiving of his study material, total number of temporary and permanent employees in their office etc. Before the CIC, the applicant stated that the requisite information was received by him after a prolonged delay. The CIC noted that the Applicant had received the information sought by him after a substantial period of delay which was against the spirit of the RTI Act, 2005. Therefore, the CIC cautioned the PIO to exercise due care in future to ensure that correct and complete information is furnished timely to the RTI applicant(s) as per provisions of the Act failing which penal proceedings under Section 20 shall be initiated.
Comments
The case depicts the myriad ways in which the citizens are using the RTI Act to improve the delivery of services to them. The PIO was fortunate to get away with a reprimand and not a penalty of Rs. 250/- for each day of delay in replying to the RTI application.
Citation: Mr. Virender Singh v. CPIO, Indira Gandhi National Open University in CIC/IGNOU /A/2017/171940-BJ, Date of Decision: 16.11.2018

The owners and lndlords are moving from pillar to post in order to get the copies of registries in NOIDA and Ghaziabad district. The concerned officers appear to be bothered by CM's warnings. The reason is said to be officials and some staff members have not reportedly received ‘cut’ from parties. Will CMO take action against such errant staff?
A Visitor
Political Parties stooping too low
Yes it is very unfortunate that Political Parties are stooping so low in their speeches. Ruling parties are resorting to/encouraging Goondaism to attack those who do not tow their line of thinking. One can only wish that saner voices in Parties realise this and take corrective action to save Democracy in the country.
S Gopal

Somebody enters the Delhi Secretariat walks up to the third floor ,accosts the chief minister and tries to throw chilli powder in his eyes the opposition (Manoj Tiwari of the BJP ) calls it a drama. The AAP pronounces it as police -centre conspiracy. No doubt the police seems to be lax in discharging their security function seriously since they know that CM is not liked by those controlling them. This is what is happening daily on our political landscape. Abuse your opponents, even get them attacked. Look at the campaign for the elections currently ongoing for three state assemblies. The words 'chor,lier' are freely thrown in criticising the opponent. It is no holds barred from the other side with nana nani dada dadi (already in the other world), khandan being invoked to make – I do not know what points. The discourse in the fight for votes has gone down so low that one wonders whether we will survive as a democracy. Listening to all this stuff these days i remember the words from the book "How Democracies Die " by Stevan Levisky &Daniel Zabalt and I quote "democracies depend not just on formal constitutions but also on informal codes. You treat your opponents like legitimate adversaries not illegitimate enemies. You tell the truth as best you can. You do not make naked appeals to bogotry". Are they listening?
Aarti Khosla

Flipkart Group CEO Binny Bansal recently stepped down from the company he co-founded in 2007. Binny resigned from Flipkart, which is India's largest e-commerce company by market share, following an investigation by the parent company Walmart over the allegations of "serious personal misconduct".
Bansal denied any sexual assault, and the company’s internal investigation agreed. But the executives at Walmart wanted to know that why Bansal hadn’t disclosed it. Many Flipkart employees and other observers found Walmart’s action confusing. At Flipkart, that information would have been considered personal. Culture clash is inevitable when one company buys another. But as multinational companies increasingly look to grow in India .. often by acquiring or buying stakes in local companies like Walmart did – it may put additional pressure on Corporate India to strengthen its own policies and practices with respect to sexual harassment, in and outside of the office.
Parag

The estranged wife’s lawyer had applied to seek information about husband’s salary. The purpose of seeking information was claimed to be bonafide as his client is fighting a legal battle against her husband claiming maintenance from him. The Bombay High Court dismissed the prayer of the wife’s lawyer for disclosure of husband’s salary slip using RTI route observing that the salary slips contain such details as deductions made from the salary, remittances made to the Bank by way of loan installments, remittances made to the Income Tax Authority towards part payment of the Income Tax for the concerned month and other details relating to contributions made to Provident Fund etc. Thus, the salary slips contain information of personal nature.
Comments
The lawyer had not asked for the gross income which he could have obtained as the same is liable to be provided under the RTI Act. Further, the application was not filed by the wife but by the advocate in his individual capacity.
Citation: Rajesh Ramchandra Kidile v. The Maharashtra State Information Commission and others in Bombay High Court Writ Petition No. 1766 of 2016
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is the co-author of the books: RIGHT TO INFORMATION – LAW AND PRACTICE and PIO’s guide to RTI. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at http://www.rtifoundationofindia.com/

The political Executive is expected to be transparent in Rafale deal ? No one can and should oppose judicial activism or judicial over-reach in the given circumstances for encroaching upon executive's domain? It would have been appropriate had the Supreme court taken secret briefing from IAF officers on Rafale procurement ? Their anonymity could have been maintained. All civil and defence services officers are bound by Conduct Rules. All report to the Executive. How could they depose independently in an open court on such a sensitive matter involving national security? The Apex court has reserved its judgement. And, justifiably so. It could still take the call by resorting to" in camera proceedings"
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

Whose Children’s Day is it? Those unable to read or write in their mother tongue even in class VIII? Or those who can’t afford any school other than a government school where failure rate stands at 50% in class IX & X and 40% in XI & XII or 0% pass in maths or science or English in some schools in Delhi? The condition may be no different in other parts of the country. The poor children stay frozen in delusions created in the name of their “chaachaa”. The other children go to “public schools”, many of them begin their life with lies which they refuse to stop telling even when confronted with facts. That is arrogance born of public school culture of the rich, born crorepati even before they start earning their college fees. Chaachaa’s bhatije are to feel happy with the mid-day meal in school without asking any questions about quality, nutrition or hygiene. This after 70 years and a constitution promising free education to children up to age 14.
M L Gupta

The government may be putting all its efforts to promote digital banking but its own Public Sector Bank - Dena bank – seems to be least concerned. It is not even listed on the payment gateways of several service providers like IRCTC. The top of the icing came on Diwali when its ATM cards failed to elicit any money from the machines. The employees at the bank’s branch office too were unaware about the problem as they continued to tell the customers that ATM was out of order. They however rose from their slumber when the customers told them that the cards were not working even on the ATMs of other banks. The ‘technical problem’ which started on Nov 6 evening continued atleast till Nov 8 with the customer care, however, consoling the customers to ‘wait for some more time’. And at the top of all, there was no response even against the mails sent to the CMD & CEO of the bank besides the support service. Is this the way to make India digital ?
Ipsha Sharma

For journalists , information is Power. A majority of them are on pay rolls of political parties, Some masquerade as ‘Corporate lobbyists’ for big business houses.
Some indulge in the game of competitive nationalism to prove their loyalty to the country. Their modus operandi is simple. Getting dirty secrets from cops belonging to intelligence, investigative and anti-graft agencies. Accessing bureaucrats to seek out explosive information for promoting business of their paymasters by blackmailing their detractors. Aisey journalists kaa zameer mar gaya hai ; .
Unhe jeeney ka koi haq nahi hai.
Dr Suresh Mehrotra, you surely stand out different from others of your genre. Calling a spade a spade, is your strength. Getting over15 crores hits for the website, is mind-blowing. Incredible, unprecedented.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)