I fully agree with the very candid and forthright views expressed. I strongly feel that the sanctity and fairness beyond doubt image of Election Commission has suffered a blow from the very day when the Chief Justice of India was removed from the membership of EC by the present dispensation. Hats off to the Group of ex- bureaucrats who at the call of their conscience rose together in unison to register their protest against the unfortunate move to belittle the EC and make it toothless. This move is surely a silver lining in today's era of subservience to power to keep one's position intact. Sadly unprincipled compromise is probably equated with pragmatism in today’s world.
Ranjit Banerjee

Swati Maliwal’s allegation of misbehaviour at Kejriwal’s “sheesh mahal”, gives a feeling of déjà vu. Delhi’s ex-chief Secy Anshu Prakash was similarly assaulted at the hands of riff raffs at the same venue. The matter is subjudice. Sadly, the AAP is trying to downplay the seriousness of the incident and set the controversy at rest through cryptic statements. This is not acceptable. The police is expected to investigate the complaint to its logical end, register an FIR and record statements of all concerned including Delhi’s autocratic Chief Minister-on interim bail. Let us not forget that the matter involves a sitting member of Rajya Sabha who is also the chairperson of Delhi commission for women. No point making the CM office staffer the scapegoat.
A K Saxena ( A former civil servant)

Four phases under the LS polls have ended. It has been seen that after the end of the second phase, the election campaign of all the parties became completely based on negative issues. The question is why did this happen? The government and its supporters never get tired of saying that development is taking place in the country. India is the fastest growing economy in the world. It is also said that this is the century of knowledge; the 21st century belongs to the Indian youth. The country has reached the moon. Knocked on the door of Mars. There were achievements in the Olympics. But the question is, why did the country's political discourse become so negative with no focus on positive achievements?
Aditya Kumar

Every election has official star ‘Pracharaks’ from leading parties who lead from front but midway unofficial Pracharaks as a Trojan Horse stab the party and its vision from behind making parties run for cover. In BJP PM Modi has been the star ‘pracharak’ since 2014 but no one in the party could dare or dent his or party's image or mission except some midterm statements of MPs who were quickly shown the door by denying them tickets and posts. Though in 2024 BJP ally Deve Gowda grandson created some headache for the party. In Congress though Gandhis were star pracharaks in 2014 suddenly unofficial star pracharak Mani shankar iyer statements helped BJP to build a good narrative, in 2019 Congress had many unofficial star pracharak which kept it in opposition and now in 2024 Sam Pitroda is Congress unofficial star pracharak who's repeated statements are hurting Gandhis and Congress and BJP may gain some crucial seats where such racial thoughts will never be accepted. Let's all wait for next phase and some more controversial statements from more such pracharaks.
S C Saboo

The suggestion to downsize the numbers of Information Commissioners (WIC dated May 7) is out of sync with ground realities. It ignores large pendency of complaints and appeals in the Central and States information commissions, which were created as statutory, quasi-judicial, autonomous bodies. For example, as on June 30, 2021, 2.56 lakh appeals/complaints were reportedly pending with 26 information commissions in the country (Source:Google).These could be attributed to non-transparent criteria of appointment of CIC, SICs, leading to inefficient record management systems and procedures to collect information from field offices leading to delays in processing RTI applications. These force the Central and States’ Public Information Officers to part with inadequate information, half-truths/full-truths to the applicants and complainants with which the information seeker is justifiably never satisfied. The complainant is thus left with no option but to seek intervention of CIC and States’ ICs. The backlog of vacancies also attracted the adverse notice of the Apex court. The court directed the Centre and States to fill up vacancies of ICs in CIC and SICs before these become “defunct and render citizens’ right to know under the RTI Act 2005 as dead letters”. It may be pertinent to mention that the Central IC was forced to function for some time without the CIC and six ICs. Positions in the states are more alarming. For instance, the Tripura and Telangana SICs remained defunct since July 2021 and February 2023, respectively. Worse, Jharkhand IC had been lying defunct since May 2020. Furthermore, other SICs, including those in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal, remain perennially crippled due to huge backlog of vacancies. The pendency of appeals/complaints was the highest in Maharashtra. A matter fit for case study by the DOP&T. The centre is constitutionally mandated to ensure full sanctioned strength in the CIC and States’ICs, without vacancies. Some cuts in vacancies due to administrative reasons are, justified. Needless to mention that lack of manpower due to non-filling of vacancies is bound to aggravate the pendency that would adversely impact the citizens’ fundamental right. The RTI Act 2005 has the potential to expose cases of corruption, human rights violations, and other wrongdoings. All these have led to manifold increase in corruption in public sphere. These are also reflected in the poor quality of judgements by the over-burdened information commissioners. With a view to strengthening the institution of CIC and SICs, the recruitment should be made more transparent,less discretionary and less centralized. One last point. The Annual report of CIC and SICs, must, on the analogy of practice by the UPSC, must reveal details of cases where the central and State authorities have refused to part with the information/document to the applicants along with the reasons therefore, despite clear verdicts by the CIC and SICs.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

It is clearly stated in the Constitution that the government will treat every section of the country equally, but in the race to get votes of castes and communities, political parties forget their duty towards the society and the Constitution. Overall, manifestos or so-called resolution papers do not have much impact on the public because the public knows that after winning the elections, all the leaders forget their promises. Voters know that no political party has the capacity or intention to solve their problems.
Aditya Kumar

If an order lacks any judiciousness, it lowers the dignity of the office from which such an order has been passed. Apparently, if the appointment is a reward for the "services" delivered, no wonder the quality of orders would depict the same. It is time not to consider the post of information commissioner as a reward for retired bureaucrats. The percentage of bureaucrats working in the Information Commission needs to be reduced drastically if the institution has to gain any respect amongst the people.
Sampoornanand Joshi