The Union Cabinet on Thursday decided to withdraw some amendments it had proposed to the Right to Information Act after protests from civil society, which was also backed by United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi. A meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to withdraw the amendments which had sought to restrict disclosure of file notings only to social and development issues under the transparency law.
Opposing the Centre's stand that the PM CARES Fund was not a government fund, a lawyer told the Delhi High Court Wednesday that there was no factor to show that the fund was private in nature.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration under the state law department, did not respond to the queries of Bolangir-based RTI activist Hemant Panda.
In what was seen as a major climbdown, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday reversed her own diktat on the Right to Information Act, whereby she had restricted access to official information about several issues. The reversal followed widespread criticism of the earlier notification issued on June 2 , which, among other things, had even dissallowed information relating to complaints against ministers or notings and endorsements on secretariat files.
Unsatiated greed for wealth has facilitated corruption to develop like cancer and the constitutional courts owe a duty to the people of the country to show zero tolerance to corruption and come down heavily against the perpetrators of the crime, the Supreme Court has said.
Noted Right to Information activist and secretary general of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, Akhil Gogoi was seriously injured when he was allegedly assaulted by a group of Youth Congress members at Chamota in flood-affected Nalbari district of Assam on Friday.
Banks operating in India reported fraud of Rs 4.92 trillion as on March 31, 2021, which represents nearly 4.5 per cent of the total bank credit, showed Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, which was sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by Saurabh Pandhare. The data showed 90 banks and financial institutions reported a total of 45,613 cases of loan fraud till March 31, 2021. State Bank of India - the country's largest lender - reported the highest amount of loans as fraud - Rs 78,072 crore as on March 31, 2021.
Replying to an RTI query, the PMO said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has already been formed and its investigation is underway.
Observing that the issue concerning the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) is 'not so simple' the high court asked the Centre to file a 'detailed and exhaustive' response in the matter.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi will pronounce the verdict.
While Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi insists the Act brought transparency into governance, Congressmen say it has become the party's bane, says Kavita Chowdhury
Ram Vilas Singh, in his mid 50s, was killed by unidentified people at his native Bhabhangama village in Lakhisarai district.
The RBI was not party to the decision to demonetize 500 and 1,000-rupee notes, which was taken at the highest level of India's political leadership.
Making it clear that there will be no dilution of the Right To Information Act, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said that the government wishes to make Right to Information an "even more effective instrument" for ensuring transparency but wanted a critical look at it to address certain concerns.
Sawai, a former banker, is a close aide of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and heads his research team.
The Central Information Commission (CIC) has turned down an application seeking cost-related information on the country's unique fast-breeder reactor being developed at Kalpakkam.
Four persons have been arrested in connection with the attack on Right To Information activist Bhagubhai Devani in Porbander, police said.
The reply came in response to an RTI filed by Jammu-based activist Rohit Choudhary about the number of surgical strikes on Pakistan between 2004 and 2014, and after September 2014. He had also sought to know how many of those were successful.
Shree Jagannath Sena, a Puri-based outfit, submitted a memorandum to the President, seeking her intervention to facilitate the process of bringing back the Kohinoor diamond to the 12th-century shrine.
The RTI also revealed that 18 other Maharashtra ministers are on the list of defaulters.
In our mystery the watchdog agencies are silent, but it is the market that has barked and has not stopped barking. Till such time as it continues to do so, this headache will not go away, notes Aakar Patel.
The alleged offences committed by personnel of one of the most elite forces of the country include molestation, rape with minors, beating up women, forcefully developing illicit relationship on fake identities, writing a letter using indecent and objectionable language and dowry harassment.
On Gandhi Jayanti, she also invoked the Father of the Nation, to assail the government which, she claimed, swears by his name but demolishes his ideals through its actions.
Monsoon session of Parliament to begin from Monday, July 18, 2022.
They've also asked to explain how the disclosure of the documents would impact the country's economic interests.
Some of the security and intelligence agencies, which currently enjoy immunity from public scrutiny of their functioning, may soon be brought under the realm of the Right to Information Act of 2005, as the government is finalising amendments to the Act.This is one of the key recommendations of a study before the United Progressive Alliance government, as it reviews the landmark law that had brought in considerable transparency in the function of the public institutions.
Justice Chandrachud said unlike many countries, India's Constitution was forged by Indians here in New Delhi
'By calling names and using unparliamentary language, they are trying to divert people's attention from the issues of electricity, water, and income.'
If you don't bribe your work will not be done and you will suffer. To make the government servant suffer what you must do is bribe and have him arrested. Only then will your work be done and next time they will respect you, said Shailesh Gandhi
For the past 10 years or more, the RBI has been turning down dozens of applications under the RTI Act that sought disclosing the list of wilful defaulters and the RBI's inspection reports. In fact, it is the only organisation that has a granular and complete view of the heist that has been going on for 25 years at least. But it has escaped any blame for the multiple rounds of bankruptcy and massive periodic recapitalisation of public sector banks caused by bad loans. In fact, they don't want anyone to know how incompetent and collusive they have been in handling bad loans, says Debashis Basu.
'There are around 80 to 100 elephants in zoos around the country.' 'We should not keep them in captivity for our entertainment.'
The Army Chief's battle over his age has got serious with the Defence Ministry saying that Gen V K Singh had accepted more than three years ago "in writing unconditionally" that his date of birth is May 10, 1950, which will deny him an extra ten months in service.
Nationalist Congress Party legislator and former Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad on Monday said he has decided to resign as member of the legislative assembly over "fake" cases registered against him by the police.
Dragged to courts by stock exchanges, Central Information Commission now wants the Supreme Court to resolve whether bourses can be brought under the purview of the Right to Information Act or not.
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took the Uttar Pradesh government by surprise when he appeared at the National Rural Health Mission office in Lucknow, seeking information under the Right to Information act.
A total of 2,355 complaints (including format and non-format) were received through online/offline and email during 2020-21.
The Congress on Tuesday rejected the Central Information Commission order on bringing political parties under the Right to Information ambit, contending that such "adventurist" approach would harm democratic institutions.
However, the RBI declined to share details of action being taken on these fraud cases saying "it is not readily available".
The data was not available for a couple of days and it created panic in the public, mostly among the people excluded from the list as the rejection certificates were yet to be issued.
