Whispers Forum

I have been associated with this RTI. Now I feel the CIC office has virtually collapsed. Hardly any decision relating to corruption is decided. Officers involved are protected. No hope. It is better if it is closed.
Maheshwar
DoPT should publish an authoritative book on RTI
Good to hear about a book which would actually help the public information officers. Anyone can be appointed as a SPIO/CPIO and the clock starts ticking for the RTI application. There is little training and there is poor handing over the pending RTI applications. Before one realizes, a new notice appearing before the information commission is at the desk. There is nobody to guide and the penalty is imposed on the SPIO/CPIO for no fault. The DoPT should publish such an authoritative book. Thanks to you for the weekly case laws and the book on RTI Act.
Mrinalini

Infosys Chairman Narayana Murthy was out of sync with ground realities while exhorting India's young generation to increase their contribution to national GDP by working for 70 hours a week instead of the present 48 hours a week. Absurd, illogical in absence of holistic analysis, reflecting an utterly exploitative, capitalist mindset that considers it a sacred duty to grill the youth to the maximum, without increase in remunerations. Murthy is silent on this issue. Sheer hypocrisy. Providing 3 to 4 lakhs rupees annual package in lieu of 70 hours work per week, is cruelty. A pittance as compared to high salaries drawn by CEOs, top and middle level executives enjoying perks like chauffeur-driven cars, free-furnished houses, company-paid army of servants. Contrast these with the problems of an average Indian employee. Is Murthy oblivious of the high rate of inflation, massive unemployment, poor working conditions that the employees have to face along with time consuming transportation cost? By this reckoning, an average Indian is already spending more than 70 hours per week. No doubt, India ranks at an abysmally low position of 126 in the global Happiness index. Why push it down further? European society, on average, works from 35 to 39 hours a week. There is even a demand to switch over from 5-day week to 4-day week. Experience of China, Japan and South Korea should be eye-openers for India. In their enthusiasm to enhance GDPs, working hours were increased. Results were disastrous. Health, productivity, even fertility and population growth--all showed downward trends. Even their GDPs registered negative growth under the new dispensation. GDP cannot be increased by merely enhancing the working hours. More important is increasing the "Productive hours " Worse still, due to continued absence of working children from homes, the loneliness among senior citizens/ parents also increased manifold. These could be potential side effects of thoughtless decision making. Consider another point. Since the suggestion to increase the working hours per week has come from a business tycoon like Murthy, one is entitled to know about the contribution of business houses to the cause of the poor people of India especially those belonging to BPL category. One suggestion would be to reduce the net worth-based eligibility criteria from Rs 500 crores to Rs 200 crores under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR ) and increase the contribution limit from 2 % to 5% of average net profit for preceding three years. Another suggestion would be to deport willful defaulters of banking loans and reduce corruption Sadly, India has failed on all these fronts.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

The appellant sought to know about the steps taken on the certain communications issued by Department of Food of Ministry of Consumer Affairs of Central Government by the Delhi Government. He asked for information regarding the number of new ration card applications pending as on 31/10/2022. He submitted that there are almost 11 lacs new ration card applications pending before the government. And as per the records of September and November, 2021 provided by the central government to the Delhi government it was revealed that almost 5.5 lac ration card holders have duplicate ration cards and 3 lacs of the ration card holders are already deceased whose names are enlisted in the ration card list. Therefore the appellant requested the CIC to direct the respondent authority to provide the complete and detailed information for the benefit of the society. The CIC advised the Chief Minister of Delhi to take appropriate and strict action on the concerned authorities in order to prevent the resource of government going into vain and not letting the needy people avail the benefit of the ration card issued by the government for the weaker sections of the society. Additionally, the CIC advised the Chief Minister to complete the exercise of removing these approx. 8.40 lakh names without delay so that almost 80 percent of the needy people on the ration card list are accommodated and are able to ease their burden of living.
Comments The RTI Act has been used to obtain information which can be utilised for removing inefficiencies in the system. The Public Distribution System is in dire need for improvements to weed out Bogus and duplicate ration cards so that the benefits percolate down to the actual needy persons.
Citation: Mr. Aakash Goel v. Department of Food & Supplies and Consumers Affairs, CIC/FSACA/A/2023/602410-UM Date of Decision: 20.10.2023
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

It's often said that innocent people have been duped in this new game of economic world where you can become a millionaire if you participate and play the game. The prey are well educated, serving or retired employees and from other occupations. They're not innocent but greedy and bypass the legal system of earning money. You can call them money launderers. They should also be prosecuted under the relevant law governing economic offences along with those who looted these people and perpetrated this crime. The maxim that people are gullible should not be accepted now. Everybody is connected and active on social media and knows the consequences of any illegal action. How much government machinery is deployed to catch them is for everybody to see.
Raj Kumar Thakur

It was a win - win situation for Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh elections with comfortable margins for a full term & smooth running of Cong government before the announcement of Laadli Behana Yojna. The present chief minister seems to be very aggressive and confident of getting the majority for a comfortable win. Political observers predict a neck to neck fight, but looks like BJP will resume the power in MP & change of guards will take place afterwards. Some big lessons are to be learnt for the Cong Party if Shivraj wins.
Vivek Dhawan

MHA should raise the age of retirement of CS on attaining the age of superannuation from 60 to 70 years so that CS may serve to the public in particular, thereafter he may be appointed LG, Delhi in order to attend to those left over work which could not be accomplished while serving as CS till the age of 70. If it's operated, an IAS Officer posted as CS upto 70 years and thereafter, LG, Delhi minimum for a period of 5 years or to be extended 10 years, the other Officers in queue may get advice from the beneficiary as to what to do by those IAS in order to achieve it in their career.
Dinesh Kumar

Difficult times are ahead for India in international politics. The US is trying to control, restrict and limit India by interfering in the internal affairs of our friendly neighbours: Bangladesh, Nepal, Srilanka and Bhutan. Pakistan is inimical to India. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US, Afreen Akhter's recent visit to Bangladesh, is the case in point. She ostensibly met senior government officials, civil society members, Rohingya refugees, and reps from humanitarian organizations. The actual motive could be different : To emphasize the importance of " free and fair elections ". More candidly, to ensure the installation of a pro-US and anti-India regime in Bangladesh. The US wants Sheikh Hasina to resign and hold elections. This would be a serious setback to India as Bangladesh's present PM is pro-India. If she goes, the radicals will take over. Bad for India, but good for China, Pakistan and the US. China is trying to wean away our neighbours by reviving its so-called "String of Pearls" doctrine. Maldive, under its new pro-China President has started behaving like China's lapdog. He has ordered Indian military personnel, numbering around 70, to leave the Maldives. India has been over-optimistic and over confident in its relationship with the US. Ground realities are different. Take the case of the recent visit to POK by the US envoy to Pakistan. This is a matter of grave concern for India. Did India protest to the US? Was the Home Minister's assurance in Lok Sabha to grab POK, a mere rhetoric? Pakistan is a hostile neighbour, aided and abetted by China. It will remain inimical. Neither China's nor the US's deep states wish to see India growing strong economically. Both, as super powers, wish to control as many countries of the world as possible. Equal partners in de-stabilising India and its neighborhood by triggering flashpoints and inciting communal (Hindu-Muslim) riots in India. All things considered, India under the present dispensation, has been over-enthusiastic, over-confident in its relations with the US. The naive and gullible Indian citizens have been tricked, fooled. Consider, how were arrests of eight Indian citizens (spies as per Qatar) kept under the wrap for a year till the pronouncement of death sentences? The US has a large military presence in Qatar. Does it have a hand in it so as to embarrass India? India will be left alone in the coming years in the face of changing global Geo-politics. At least, so it seems. Who is responsible? Who administers Indian foreign policy: MEA or PMO, one wonders?
A K Saxena ( A former civil servant)

“Do Goli Khao Loneliness Bhagaao” Loneliness, which the WHO has already made an epidemic and a genuine global public health issue, is neither a disease nor a medical condition but a self-inflicted social injury. Science, technology, economics, finance, law, medicine have engaged all the human attention at the cost of other balancing branches of life. The lonely must first ask a few questions to herself/himself: have I accepted society as a necessary part of living or rejected it completely? Have I spent a regular quality time with my parents, siblings, children, neighbours, friends? Have I enjoyed being together as a couple or spent life as a de-coupled pair? Economic growth and social deficit increase proportionately simultaneously. Loneliness is the biggest achievement of social deficit. Answers to these questions will reveal whether you are lonely by choice or accident. ‘Shant Ras’ is the best remedy for an agitated or anguished mind. A dose in the morning and another in the evening is all that one needs. It is free: no consultation fees or medicine bills. Start with a prayer in the morning and close it in the evening by joining a ‘sankirtan’ either physically or virtually. The social malnutrition suffered will be compensated by the required amount of calming of the nerves. One instantly joins the company of the evolved human beings.
M L Gupta

Authors: Dr. R.K. Verma & Dr. Anuradha Verma
Edition: 2nd Edition; 2023
No. of pages: 912
Publisher: M/s Taxmann
Price: INR 2595 / USD 68
ISBN No. 978-93-5778-529-7
Hardbound
The second edition of the “PIO’s Guide to RTI” has been published by M/s Taxmann in October 2023. The first edition came in 2011 and the next edition was much awaited.
The book is essentially a subject wise compilation of the operative part of the CIC orders and judgments of Courts interspersed with explanations of terms and concepts. The listing of content is very detailed and covers 29 pages, which makes it effortless to search for a case law which the reader desires. The plethora of case laws makes the work of the PIO simple to provide information by referring to a similar case law. The minutest of the issue under the RTI Act which one could fathom has been duly covered in the book. The authors have been successful in maintaining the balance between using common language which makes the reader friendly, while retaining the legal aspects of the Act.
The chapter on section 4 is all-encompassing which would enable the public authorities to understand the concepts of pro- active disclosure, duties of nodal officer, third party audit etc. in depth. The specific guidelines in the book would be helpful to the public authorities in the fulfillment of their duties.
The advocates and RTI activists would also find the book interesting for the deep knowledge it offers.
From the publisher’s side, the printing and paper quality is first-rate.
Overall, it is a must have book for all the Public Information Officers and the First Appellate Authorities.
Pros: Extensive case laws, Excellent division into headings, Elaborate examples and tips for PIO/FAA to avoid penalty, Misuse of RTI and ways to deal with it
Cons: Thick, On the costlier side
Disclaimer: The co-author, Dr Anuradha Verma, is a weekly columnist of this site, bringing out the column “DATE WITH RTI” since 2008.

In 1931, the minority community in Bihar constituted 15% of the population. In 2023 as per the caste survey of Bihar, the minority community constituted 18%. There are claims in the minority community that they are 25%. These figures hide more than they show. Between 1931 and 2023, there was partition in 1947. The minority community sought a separate country and got it. Acting on the two nation theory, the bulk of the minority community from Bihar went to Pakistan (they are called Biharis in Pakistan even today and persecuted being in such large numbers) and Bangladesh in large numbers. How come still there is an increase in their percentage (not just numbers, but percentage)? What could be the reason? The obvious reason is infiltration. For seventy years, the corrupt dynasts and corrupt casteist parties have actively encouraged infiltration from across the border, settled them in Bihar, given them ration cards and identity cards, to create a vote bank for themselves. The casteist parties took the game further, securing their vote bank politics. Now, this seventy years of appeasement had other aspects. Very cleverly, to bolster their population argument and to appease these groups, these parties gave the benefit of caste based reservations to the Minority community. Now, it is a fact that Islam is a casteless society. Nowhere in the Islamic world is caste recognised. The Muslims do not suffer any caste based disabilities. For a thousand years, they were the rulers of India. There can be no reason to give caste based reservations to the Minority community. But it adds heft to the population argument. 15% of the population which is being counted among the backwards in Bihar today, increasing their population artificially to so called 63% are Muslims. Minus the Muslims, this reduces to 48%. This is a huge difference. Clearly, the corrupt dynasts and the corrupt casteists feel caste census is going to help them regain power in order to bring back jungle raj and further appeasement. Now, what are the things which are required to be done in order to remove this infiltration led population percentage increase? The prerequisite to caste census is CAA and NRC. It has to be first decided who is a citizen of the country before counting caste. Caste counting of Bangladeshis to bolster the claim of increase in OBC population is a trick which has been tried by these corrupt dynasts and casteist elements for far too long. In order to limit the process of infiltration, a Uniform Civil Code is also a must. Once a uniform civil code is implemented, the Bangladeshi infiltrators will have less incentive to cross over and enjoy free reservations in India (which they never get in Bangladesh). The next step is to remove the Minority community from caste based reservations. They can be given reservations once the CAA and NRC is done, along with implementation of the Uniform Civil Code as citizens of the country, as members of the unreserved category on the grounds only of poverty. Any other prescription will only bolster infiltration.
Vijay Kumar