Whispers Forum

The appellant contended that he was aggrieved by denial of legal aid and had sought information with respect to the same. He was not satisfied with the response given by the Respondent and requested that the Respondent may be directed to consider his plea seeking legal aid to pursue the litigation filed by him. The CIC observed that the Appellant’s application seeking free legal aid had been already declined by the Scrutiny & Evaluation Committee and he had been duly informed accordingly. The CIC further observed that the scope of the RTI Act does not extend beyond providing information as available in official records. Therefore, delving into the question of reason behind and/or correctness of denial of legal aid by the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee is irrelevant as it falls outside the purview of the RTI Act.
Comments
The PIO can only be expected to provide the facts as available on records. However, Section 4 (1) (d) of the RTI Act directs the public authority to provide reasons for its administrative or quasi-judicial decisions to affected persons.
Citation: Shri Gajender Nath v. High Court Of Delhi Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee, Second Appeal No. CIC/DSLSA/A/2023/134118/HCDEL; Date of Decision : 04.11.2024
Dr Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is a RTI Consultant currently working with IIM Vishakhapatnam. She has co-authored the books PIO’s Guide to RTI and Right to Information – Law and Practice. Her weekly article is being published since 2008 on this site. She offers consultancy on RTI matters and third party audit to individuals / organisations. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation at the link https://www.rtifoundationofindia.com

Sir, we salute for your humility, compassion and generosity which is becoming rare day by day. You have very well said that humanity is permanent whereas posts and designations fade away. Only personalities like you will be remembered for ever whereas the others with misplaced who and arrogance will be shunned once they demit office or superannuate from service may your tribe increase respected Sir.
Srinivas Rao
Productivity is zero against free ration
When 800 million people get free ration, their productivity is zero and this gap cannot be compensated by any amount of policy framework.
Rajesh Gohel

The value of the rupee has fallen drastically. According to the RBI, the value of rupee reached Rs. 85. Obviously, these days challenges are increasing in the Indian economy. Another reason for this is slow growth rate and rising inflation. After taking charge, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra had also said that he would move forward on the path of creating an appropriate balance between inflation control and growth rate. According to the recently announced official data, the retail inflation rate of 5.8 percent, still remains much above the Reserve Bank's fixed range of inflation. In such a situation, the scenario of slow growth rate and challenge of inflation is emerging in the country at this time.
Sakshi Khare

The appellant submitted that he had been serving as Branch Manager in the Vikas Nagar Branch (PNB) of Nainital for 6 years and a complaint was filed against him concerning a dishonored cheque. He further argued that an investigation was conducted in the complaint and despite being the aggrieved party, copy of the report was not shared with him. The PIO of Punjab National Bank submitted that an investigation was conducted in the complaint as per recommendation of higher authorities. However, the report contained details regarding certain commercial operations carried out by the respondent bank, hence, the report was denied to the appellant as per provisions under Section 8 (1) (d) of the RTI Act. The CIC observed that the information concerns the appellant and non-disclosure of the same would not only adversely affect the rights of the appellant being the aggrieved party, but would also amount to violation of principles of natural justice. While the exemption claimed under Section 8 (1) (d) of the RTI Act may be applicable to certain portions of the report, the PIO is at liberty to redact the said portions as per procedure of severability laid down under Section 10 of the RTI Act. The CIC directed the Bank to re-examine the matter and disclose a redacted copy of the averred report after blackening out details exempted under Section 8 and 9 of the RTI Act, if any, reflecting the broad outcome of the report to the appellant.
Comments
Ther have been many cases where an application has been filed under the RTI Act seeking copy of the investigation report. The application may be filed by the complainant, the accused or a third party and usually the public authority tends to deny the information.
Citation: Yogesh Kumar Goyal v. Punjab National Bank, Second Appeal No. CIC/PNBNK/A/2023/128777; Date of Decision: 06.11.2024
Dr Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is a RTI Consultant currently working with IIM Vishakhapatnam. She has co-authored the books PIO’s Guide to RTI and Right to Information – Law and Practice. Her weekly article is being published since 2008 on this site. She offers consultancy on RTI matters and third party audit to individuals / organisations. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation at the link https://www.rtifoundationofindia.com

Cyber crime has not decreased but has increased. Increasing cyber crime is a matter of concern because economic transactions in India have become digital. The entire banking system is digital. Actually, this is the era of technical and cyber development, of technological revolution. According to the NCRB report, 65893 cases of cyber crime have been registered across the country in the year 2022. 52974 cases were registered in the year 2021. In this way, an increase of 24.4 percent has been registered in cyber crime during a year. The emerging cyber security challenges in India require constant innovation and readiness. Why the authorities are doing nothing while the people are losing their hard-earned money is difficult to understand.
Yogesh Shrivastava

The Union Cabinet recently approved the proposal for "One Nation, One Election". While the idea has sparked widespread discussion, most agree that its implementation is currently impractical and faces numerous hurdles. One major challenge lies in securing consent from states, particularly those governed by non-BJP parties. These governments are likely to oppose the reform, viewing it as a potential threat to the federal structure and their autonomy. Even if the central government bypasses state-level approval by passing the necessary legislation through Parliament, operational challenges remain. Critical logistical issues need resolution before the reform can be implemented. One Nation, One Election" could disproportionately benefit the BJP by weakening opposition and regional parties. Smaller parties often lack the financial resources, manpower, and organizational infrastructure required to contest Lok Sabha and assembly elections simultaneously. This disparity might place them at a disadvantage, further consolidating power in the hands of larger parties with better election management capabilities.
Anubhuti Mathura

Schemes offering fixed monthly payments to women, such as Madhya Pradesh’s Ladli Behna Yojana, have emerged as potent vote-winning strategies for political parties. These initiatives, while easing financial strain on women, highlight a broader political trend: it is easier to transfer cash directly than tackle systemic challenges like job creation, poverty alleviation, or improving farmer welfare. Recently, Arvind Kejriwal announced a similar scheme ahead of Delhi elections, promising Rs1,000 per month for women, which proves its growing popularity among leaders. The schemes place financial burden on state treasuries, yet their political efficacy remains undeniable. Taxpayers ultimately bear the cost of these measures, which often prioritize immediate political gains over long-term developmental reforms. However, as long as such schemes resonate with voters, they are likely to remain a key tool in election strategies.
Neha Ahirwar

After Bangladesh, there has been a coup in Syria as well. Bangladesh's Prime Minister had to flee to India. Similarly, Syria's President Bashar has to take refuge in Russia. India needs to be cautious about the Syria crisis because it is likely that crude oil will become expensive once again. Apart from this, a new problem has arisen again in the already troubled Gulf countries. Anyway, rebel groups in Syria overthrew Bashar al-Assad. Iran and Russia were standing with Syria because Syria is a strategically important country in the Middle East Russia's interests are linked to oil and stopping American dominance in the Middle East.
Yogesh Mathur