Whispers Forum

Yes it is true, to create any additional post at the level of JS and above, one needs the approval of Cabinet. Further very few posts have been created at DS/Director level in GoI under central staffing scheme. All posts in the state govt are fully occupied and if we have full strength of IAS then at least 600 of them will be surplus. Many officers are empanelled at JS level from other services so they could be considered for posting so shortage of officers will not be there in GoI.
Shaurmaya
Standing committee & Journalist should show mirror to Govt
Complete rely on deputation pattern not only makes the new recruitment under vicious cycle were no new entrant can enter but also in commercial organization like NHAI where huge public fund is involved is a root cause of highest corruption with least accountability as deterrent action against them are not possible except a repatriation. In today’s time, both Standing committee and Journalist should both show the mirror to the government with such report and reporting to bring transparency in the system with accountability.
M K Jain

The role of standing committee has been always pro public and deterrent to the corruption and it give me immense pleased by the level of journalism the 'Whispers' have carried with, it has shaded the stereotype reporting and started with public accountability journalism. Such a first movement in this pattern of journalism in today's time is absolutely required and beneficial for the survival of democracy and public trust.
P K Mithal
Entrance Tests
Now that the Supreme Court has declared that marks scored in Entrance Examinations like IIT-JEE. NEET, CAT etc, are not an indicator of merit, the court could have gone a step further and cancelled all such tests. It should have directed the government to conduct admissions to all courses only through a well designed computerized lottery system under each category- open and reserved. This will ensure equity as every candidate has the same chance of getting selected. This will provide great relief parents and children.
R Subramanian

I agree with the views expressed by Rajesh Shrivastava about turncoats and Aya Ram Gaya Ram politics. No political party has any ideology or ethics code. High time if SC decides on it's own and instructs that, each political party declares ideology, vision for India, party rules must declare in their rules that if he leaves party, he cannot rejoin again ever, also more importantly each party member must declare his income source continuously from day one joins politics, their area funds be banned too. All these facts be available on party websites minutely. This decision must be with a rider that this decision cannot be changed even through a legislative process too. If it is not done, the way things are, India heading for civil strife, the public is losing patience due to this open looters of exchequers.
Harish Kumar

The total number of requests received under Section 69 and Rules there under from various agencies between 01.01.2015 to 31.12.2016. The PIO informed that the information sought was exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(a), (g) and (h) of the RTI Act. Further, the records pertaining to lawful interception are destroyed as per provisions contained in Sub-Rule 18 of the Rule 419A of the Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951. The Respondent added that statistics of requests may be available with the Department of Telecom as the Review Committee under Rule 22 of the IT (Procedure and safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of Information) Rules, 2009 is dealt by this department. Hence the RTI application had been transferred to the actual custodian of information, viz. the Department of Telecom. The CIC found no reason to intervene in the matter.
Comments
In terms of the Sub-Rule 18 of the Rule 419A of the Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951, records pertaining to directions for interception and of intercepted messages shall be destroyed by the relevant competent authority and the authorized security and Law Enforcement Agencies every six months. When the records have been destroyed as per the provisions of law, copies of the same cannot be provided.
Citation: Shri Avdhesh Kumar v. Ministry of Home Affairs in Second Appeal No. CIC/ISDIV/A/2019/640226, Date of Decision: 01.11.2021
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

While I agree with Rajesh Shrivastava’s post that one should think before voting for such politicians, I will suggest to the ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA to consider disallowing those politicians who have changed their parties for the sake of tickets unless they have shifted parties after two and a half years before election. Only those who had shifted their parties two and a half years before election should be allowed to contest in the election or to get a political post in the Government (such as Minister or Chairperson/ Member of some organisation). This will put a shadow on the “season of turncoats” when elections are announced and some members are not given tickets contest election from their parties.
Pradeep Kumar

It is not only the hooters and the sirens that are being frequently used atop four wheelers but sun films on car windows too are making a quiet comeback in contravention of the Supreme Court verdict banning their use on four-wheelers. The Supreme Court of India banned the usage of tinted glasses and sun films back in 2012 after there were several cases of molestations and other crimes done inside vehicles with heavily tinted glasses. The police also promptly swung into action then but these days it is a mute spectator with more and more vehicle owners putting on sun screens.
Prakash Srivastava

Violating the Supreme Court’s prohibitory orders on use of sirens and hooters by politicians, bureaucrats, holders of public offices and others, sirens and hooters on vehicles are back on roads at many places with both - the Regional Transport Department and the police failing to act against vehicles using hooters (siren) illegally. It may be pointed out here that following ban on use of red beacon, many politicians, officials and other ‘VIPs’ have started using hooters on their vehicles. Central Motor Vehicle Rules does not allow use of siren and hooter on any vehicle, except ambulance, fire brigade and police vehicles.
Girish

Notwithstanding the Omicron variant and the devastation it is already causing, I think there will be a slowdown in this quarter’s activity. But it will get pushed a little further, says former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan. That said, I would resist the temptation to say we have seen the worst and that the virus is behind us. This virus is ever morphing. Early last year, we did not imagine the extent to which Delta would be vicious and of course Omicron -- there could be variants which are far more deadly than this one. So I think we should have cautious optimism that there are, globally, sufficient pent up demand reservoirs of stimulus that the economy will still grow quite substantially. We still have to be careful in making too many strong predictions given the morphing virus.
Girish