Whispers Forum

The impending delimitation of constituencies for Lok Sabha and the States’ legislative assemblies, instead of population, should be based on a scientific formula like the one followed in case of Jammu & Kashmir. The population-based approach will increase the divide between the North and South Indian States.Why should the southern states be penalised for practising population control and suffer decline in the number of constituencies? On the contrary, some northern states will register disproportionate increase in the number. There is a need for introspection for evolving an even-handed approach.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

Many top level bureaucrats get extensions again and again as if nobody cannot be equal to them in performance. All these bureaucrats performed as per the whims and fancies of the ruling governments. During the BRS regime nearly 15 retired bureaucrats got extensions again and again with fancy designations getting perks equivalent to ministers. This should be stopped and many young efficient persons in the respective fields are available. In Telangana , the new elected Government came to know that almost every body's top persons' phones were tapped ,even including judges. All these fallacies are due to unreasonable extensions of retired bureaucrats.
RAJOLU RAMAM

The Appellant contended that in recruitment for WCS post, the selection criteria followed by Rajasthan and other states are controversial in nature since every CITS course has its own importance, yet instead of following uniform selection process, some states are making rules according to their choice which creates confusion. To clarify this controversy, he sought the eligibility criteria for CTS trades, which has not been clarified in the reply by the Directorate General of Training. As the word “relevant trades” used in the eligibility criteria is not explained in clear words, the Appellant prayed to the CIC to direct the Respondent to give clear cut clarification regarding the term used “Relevant Trades” in the eligibility criteria. The CIC observed that the requisite information should have been disclosed upfront or atleast through FAQs with the concerned piece of information. An Advisory under Section 25(5) of the RTI Act was issued to the Respondent Public Authority to firstly, disclose the meaning of “Relevant Trade” upfront on their website and secondly, to create a FAQ section on their website and also keep it updated so as to make it easy for a layperson to get frequently sought information and relevant orders/circulars.
Comments
Proactive disclosure by the public authority relieves the burden of RTI Applications, which are filed merely seeking clarifications and not any specific record. It is also in tune with the requirements of Section 4 of the RTI Act.
Citation: Vidya Sagar Prajapat v. Directorate General of Training, File No: CIC/DGTRG/A/2023/623500; Date of Decision : 31.07.2024
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

In a country where, unfortunately, horrendous crimes against women continue to shock the conscience of the nation repeatedly, the matter of "marital rape" is taking centre stage of discourse. This is a case of misplaced priorities. What is needed is to ensure that crimes against women are punished quickly and severely, rather than seeking to clog an already strained judicial system which is groaning under pending caseload of crores of cases by creating new needless classes of offences by blindly aping the west disregarding Indian society which will do nothing but destroy the institution of marriage by giving a handle to any spouse who is temporarily disgruntled for any reason to file criminal cases and enhance the opportunity to the unscrupulous in the police to misuse such law for corruption.
V K Reddy