Whispers Forum

(i). The ‘Best’ team lost to the second best team on the best day. (Life is unpredictable).
(ii) The second best team played its best and the best team played second best on the most crucial day. ( one who never loses hope and encashes the opportunity presented always ends up smiling)
( iii) the best hitter of the tournament Rohit Sharma was the unluckiest on the best day and got out to one of the best catches( Travis Head). ( one’s best plans may not work at the most crucial times).
(iv) The best selection of the tournament Travis Head came best on the best day. ( He was injured before the tournament and missed half the tournament but Australia kept him in the team at great risk). ( Having trust and faith in individuals and preparations always helps)
( v) the best bowler of the tournament ( Mohd. Shami) was not at his best on the best day. ( one has to be at best all the time)
( vi) the best batter of the tournament ( Virat Kohli) couldn’t produce his best on the best day. (99 percent is great and may make you a tragic hero but its no match for hundred percent)
( vii) The pitch was at its worst during Indian innings and at its best during Australian innings. (Life may throw up unpredictable and unforeseen situations at you)
( viii) he most crucial and best toss was lost by the best team and won by the second best team. (Luck is not a stranger in life)
( ix) the second best team batted, fielded, bowled the best when it mattered. (the importance of occasional is equally important in life)
(x) The pitch and ground condition were not the best for the best occasion as the toss played a crucial role and was the game changer. (other extraneous factors may bowled you over and you can’t do anything about it)
(xi) The best crowd couldn’t get the best result of their choice. (emotions has got nothing to do with success or end result)
( xiii) the team which was at the bottom of the table at one stage of the tournament finished at the top and the team which was all through at the top finished bottom between the top two at the last stage. (Never lose hope and keep trying your best)The timing, sense of occasion, fate and destiny are also key factors in life. And the story of tortoise and rabbit is not untrue)
(xiv) The tournament and organisers ( BCCI) got the best possible commercial success but the second best performance and expected results. (Life is ruthless)
(xv) History will record Australia as the World Cup Champions but will not record the Indian team as the best team of the tournament. (History is facts and not emotions)
( xvi) If the result is not the best, people generally forget all your best efforts and remember only the errors. (People judge you by the end result and final outcome)
Sunil Tated
The views expressed in the forum are exclusively of readers and the Whispers In The Corridors does not necessarily agree to it.

Tax details and GST returns of more than a dozen entities sought by the applicant was denied claiming that it is Third Party Information, and cannot be provided being confidential. The applicant made allegations of tax evasion against all the entities in her RTI Application. The respondent PIO was not present during the hearing. The CIC observed that it is not inclined to adversely question the absence of the Respondent PIO during the hearing in the matter as the facts on record suggest that the case is not filed only against the said PIO but also against multiple other PIOs designated in separate public authorities. Yet, for the record, the Respondent PIO was directed to send a proper written explanation stating the reason for their absence during the hearing without intimating any reasons thereof. The CIC held that the Appellant has far stretched her apprehensions and is merely expressing conjecture against the tax liability of the averred entities. The CIC ruled that the strength of the material on record does not suggest any larger public interest in the disclosure of the personal information as well as information bearing commercial confidence of the third parties, rather the underlying premise of the instant RTI Application and the Appeal has an apparent substance of personal dispute. The appeal was rejected.
CommentsThe details regarding the tax returns and payment are personal information of the individual of commercial confidence. The applicant has to establish larger public interest to seek such information.
Citation: Vinita Nareeshkuamr Biyani v. Asstt. Commissioner CGST Service Tax Div IV, CIC/DGSTX/A/2022/159699; Date of Decision: 18/10/2023
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

If production of alcohol, cigarettes is prohibited then cancer will reduce.
Harshad
Election promises or guaranteed poverty
The promises made by political parties in the State Assembly Elections these days are nothing more than a guarantee of voters’ poverty for the next 5 years. Consider these: (1) consumption of electricity is an important indicator of poverty and they are guaranteeing only 200 units free against the need of minimum 800 units per household with two school going children these days; (2) pension of Rs. 1000 per month is insult with injury as it means US $ 10 only; (3) unemployment allowance of even Rs. 10,000 per month is no substitute for regular employment; (4) Only 200000 jobs are promised against needed several millions in each state and no data on job seekers is disclosed; (5) there is no promise about self-employment or entrepreneurs or livelihood; (6) education and health are fundamental rights under Parts III & IV of the constitution but there is no promise to provide quality education or health services; (7) the only thing they can guarantee is reservation and old pension scheme. They talk as if they are Maharajas or Nawabs speaking to their “subjects”, going by their language, tone, tenor and manners. Have these parties lived up to these promises in the last 75 years when they were the government? They are fooling the voters, from whom they are asking for the vote but will take their skin if elected to ensure that poverty stays and prospers under their good care!
M L Gupta

MP goes to the polls on November 17. Needless to say, victory is a prestige issue for the saffron camp even as the Congress is keen for revenge. PM Narendra Modi himself led the saffron charge by addressing approximately a dozen public meetings. He was seconded by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda. The election campaign also brought out fissures in the newly formed I.N.D.I.A. alliance, with the Samajwadi Party targeting the Congress for not leaving some seats for it. The outcome shall also be a reflection of the voters' mood vis-à-vis the all-important general election scheduled in 2024.
Ritika Malviya

B R Ambedkar did not support endless reservation. He recommended it to last for ten years only. He was opposed to its extension ad infinitum. Ends of justice would be met, if benefits of reservation are restricted to once-in-a-life-time for all categories. The ‘creamy layer’ concept, linked to the inflationary spiral, must be done away with. No doubt, the benefits of reservations are not reaching the downtrodden who really deserve it. These are being monopolised by the elites among the marginalised communities, generations-after-generations. The civil services aspirants availing the reservation benefits, clear the UPSC exams at an advanced age after repeated attempts. This explains why officers of reserved categories superannuate much before reaching the top echelons of bureaucracy. This clarifies Rahul Gandhi's doubt. Similarly, caste-based census in Bihar has a political motive.
A K Saxena ( A former civil servant)

"Jiski jitni hissedari, uski utni bhagidari" is a slogan which is not supported by the Constitution. The Constitutional provision is that the state may make provisions for socially and educationally backward classes. However, that cannot be translated to mean share in education provided in state institutions and government jobs proportionate to population of various castes. Further, this cannot be reduced to a "bandarbant" since the efficiency of administration has also to be maintained by the state. Educational institutions admit students on the basis of merit. How can merit be disregarded? That would be contrary to the national interest. Government selects servants on the basis of merit, in order to have efficiency. How can that principle be overturned to that of percentage of population? If that were to be so, a fresh constituent assembly would have to be called to consider the principle before it can be adopted. There are other issues involved. There are thousands of castes in India. Creating a group out of these castes and calling them "OBC" is a political construct which only helps in consolidation of votes, it has no historical sanctity. There was no OBC identity in Hindu society, there were separate castes. Why should these disparate castes be treated as one group? Only to count numbers and insist on a numerical superiority as a vote bank? Linking this to caste identity has its own absurdities. How can Muslims be considered OBC? How can Muslims be divided into castes? Islam does not have any caste divisions. Nor have Muslims suffered from caste disabilities. They ruled India before the British and were the ruling class so they have not suffered from historical disabilities either. Including Muslims among "OBC" is just a political construct for appeasement and vote bank tactics. Should upper caste Hindus be discriminated against so much, including vis a vis the Muslims who ruled India for a thousand years, caused partition of the motherland and formed separate countries for themselves and are still being provided reservations in jobs based on caste in India when there is no caste discrimination in Islam? The truth is that the corrupt leaders this country has endured for decades keep looking to create vote banks who can vote them into power because they have no work to their credit which can bring them back to power. The poorest, most backward state in India today called Bihar has been ruled by "OBC" leaders for forty years now. In these forty years, the state has gone from bad to worse and only the so called leaders have grown fat.
Vijay Kumar