For former central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, the RTI Act remains a powerful ally, finds A Ganesh Nadar
The Congress leader was Union Home Minister from 2004 to 2008 and the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996. He was the Governor of Punjab and also served as Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh from 2010 to 2015.
'By extending the definition of 'personal' to include institutions and not just individuals, the State has equipped itself with a tool to block access to most kinds of information.'
Pharma major Dr Reddy's Laboratories delivered a muted operational performance in the fourth quarter of financial year 2024-25 (Q4FY25), even as revenue growth remained healthy. Lower gross margin performance and muted domestic growth are key concerns. Most brokerages have a "Sell" or "Reduce" rating as there are uncertainties related to the development of a new product portfolio and the launch timelines.
Shailesh Gandhi, convener of the National Campaign for People's Right to Information, who was appointed a Central Information Commissioner in 2008, had an hour-long conversation with rediff.com readers on Monday evening on the Right to Information Act. Here is the complete chat transcript:
'As CIC, you have the power to comment on policy matters. 'If you have very strong beliefs and you know your rulings will be reported, you will express your beliefs.'
In this freewheeling interview with rediff.com's Priyanka, IC Gandhi says that appellants must understand that law describes 'information' as something which 'exists', and only those can be given out.
Chief Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi has written to Chief Justice of India S H Kapadia about his recent remarks that irrelevant RTI queries hampered the work of judiciary, saying this may "dampen the RTI journey" of the country.
The transferred officers included 22 IAS, 79 IPS, 45 Bihar Administrative Service officers
The Central Information Commission has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to disclose proposals sent to Union home ministry seeking permission for tapping telephones.
Kailash Avhad told Rediff.com that when he appeared before DCP Sandeep Palve, the police officer expressed anger at his RTI applications, caught him by the collar, banged his head against the wall and rained blows behind his ear. He then forced Avhad to touch his feet in apology.
The problem solving training that you can get in IITs is fantastic. Now IIT-ians need to convert it into knowledge that is relevant, says Shailesh Gandhi.
Are victims of bomb blasts and terrorist activists given only "low cost" artificial limbs during rehabilitation? The issue has been highlighted by Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi in a letter written to Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad asking for "good treatment" for victims of bomb blasts and terror acts.
The Central Information Commision has directed the Delhi Police to submit all documents pertaining to the Batla House encounter before it by Thursday to decide whether the information can be disclosed to an RTI applicant or not.
Report consists of recommendations for dividing the Western Ghats region into various ecologically sensitive zones.
'If enough of us take up the issue with their elected representatives, politicians will get the message.'
The files of Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi's office have already been digitised while the process is on for the rest of the offices of seven commissioners, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah and other officers.
The greatest obstacle is people's lack of awareness. Even though the RTI Act has been passed, Indians are yet to take full advantage of it. We are yet to contemplate RTI as our birthright. Indians either don't put forth their grievances or don't question inordinate delays, says Shailesh Gandhi, CIC
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
Out of the 25 seats, five seats each are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes.
A consistent use of RTI will bring about a positive change.
'Transparency only improves all organisations and the horrendous corruption in our arms deals from guns to missiles to coffins is extremely well known. Would you like them to remain secrets?'
The last rites will be performed by Sharad Yadav's son Shantanu Bundela, the late politician's nephew, Shailesh Yadav, informed.
It is sad that the legislative pre-consultation on such an important bill is being done in a very biased manner, notes Shailesh Gandhi, former Central Information Commissioner, recounting his experience with Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar.
'The Gogoi episode can lead to our evolving a rational way to get better people who will head our checks and balances of democracy,' says former Chief Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi.
The last rites of investigative TV journalist Akshay Singh, who was covering Vyapam scam, was held on Sunday in the capital where Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were among those present, amid mounting outrage over his mysterious death.
Shah said the Congress was not rooted in any ideology or principles and was sort of a "special purpose vehicle" to secure freedom.
The BJP asked voters in Gujarat to do "100 per cent voting for the son of the soil" Modi to take "revenge" in a democratic manner for the "insult"
November 8 marks 6 years after demonetisation. A K Bhattacharya reveals how the prime minister and the RBI worked together for months before Modi's 8 pm speech. A riveting excerpt from The Rise Of Goliath: Twelve Disruptions That Changed India.
'Citizens have given money to PM-CARES, so they have the right to know what has happened to their money.'
The situation has arisen second time since the Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power in 2014.
'The prime minister has taken pre-emptive action by not appointing a Chief Information Commissioner at all to render it dysfunctional.'
'The bureaucracy is also hardening its stand and in most cases has realised that the commissioners are not really committed to transparency,' says former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi.
The Reserve Bank will hold a special meeting of its rate-setting committee on November 3 to prepare a report for the government on why it failed to keep retail inflation below the target of 6 per cent for three consecutive quarters since January. The six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das will prepare the report on reasons for failure to meet the inflation target as well as the remedial measures the central bank is taking to bring down prices in the country. "Under the provisions of Section 45ZN of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act 1934... an additional meeting of the MPC is being scheduled on November 3, 2022," RBI said in a statement on Thursday.
The cops' RTI reply does clear the air about the varsity chief's role on that eventful night. The letter, however, fails to explain how his 'unarmed police' resorted to merciless lathi-charge, video footage of which was broadcast by many television channels.
The advertisement and circulation revenue had already declined due to recession and the digital onslaught, it noted.
The tussle for power between Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and health minister TS Singh Deo appears to have quietened at the top, but the feud is very much visible at the lower level in the ruling Congress.
86.69 per cent of available stock of currency notes is being taken away from circulation and less than one-fourth of these are being replenished by newly printed Rs 2,000 notes
Budding RTI activist from Chennai files request with ONGC. Instead of response, police comes asking about her.
Actor Kavi Kumar Azad died of cardiac arrest. he was 45.
The Central Bank has stonewalled almost every RTI query pertaining to demonetisation citing one or the other reason.
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