Steady rise in RTI pleas rejected by CIC

Himanshi Dhawan

New Delhi





Activists Say Move A Ploy To Cut Pendency

Central Information Commission (CIC) returned over 150 cases every day in November over technical defects. There has also been a steady increase in the number of appeals being rejected, from 209 in August to 4,928 in November. In December, the RTI watchdog has returned over 1,492 cases. This is a far cry from an average of 600-650 rejections earlier this year (January-April).The applications have been returned under Section 9 of the RTI Act, which says that a plea “may'' be rejected for lack of information. RTI activists have cried foul at this approach to refuse appeals and complaints saying it is eroding people's faith in the commission.
Initially, the CIC had begun returning petitions following a court order which ruled that applicants must provide photo identity cards. However, after an uproar, the commission reversed its stand and said it would not seek photo identification to register an appeal. In fact, the government even assured Parliament on this count. Despite this, the number of returned cases continues to be high.
“This calculated move to reduce pendency through a statistical approach rather than a humane one has only succeeded in eroding people's faith in the commission,'' Venkatesh Nayak of Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) said.He added that the matter of returned RTI applications was discussed threadbare when the activist, along with members from the National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI), met the chief information commissioner in November. “We had pointed out that huge expenditure was incurred in returning applications and suggested that the defects may be corrected at the hearing stage,'' Nayak said.
Activist Commodore (retd) Lokesh Batra said he had sought a “defect list'' from the CIC. “The commission can just inform the applicant if one or two documents are not there. It is unfair to reject the whole application,'' he said.
According to government data, 1.54 lakh RTI applications were pending with various public authorities as on September 30.This year, 376,435 applications were received of which 25,792 were rejected.
In 2012-13, 886,681 RTI applications were received by various public authorities of which, 62,231 were rejected while in 2013-14, 962,630 applications were received of which 60,127 were rejected.In 2014-15, 845,032 were received with 63,351 of them being rejected.

Source: Times of India, 29-12-2015

Students break the ice, de-stress at Raj town's `masti ki pathshalas'

Shoeb Khan

Kota Jaipur





Rattled by a spate of suicides by students, the Kota district administration has asked over 100 coaching institutes spread across the city to undertake extra curricular activities on a regular basis to de-stress aspirants preparing for various entrance examinations.Collector Ravi Kumar held a meeting with representatives of institutes on Friday -a day after the coaching hub registered the 29th suicide by a student -and directed that the centres should keep some days for `masti ki pathshala' (extra curricular activities).
Following the directives, the institutes held painting, singing and other such activities in classrooms on Saturday , drawing a huge response from students. Stressing that the masti ki pathshala element would become a regular feature, Kumar told TOI on Sunday: “I have asked institutes to send the feedback and we will also take feedback from students independently to plan our future course of action.This is certain that we will again hold `fun days' with different sets of activities like trekking, movies, exercises etc.“
Much to the surprise of students, almost all coaching institutes distributed crayons and colour paper when classes started on Saturday morning, asking them to paint whatever came to their mind.
The results were amazing.
Sulgna Sinha, a student from Faridkot in Punjab, drew a painting depicting her farm land with a bumper mustard crop, enveloped in morning fog, and her father walking past the crops towards a gurdwara. “It's been four months since I am here. I painted what I was missing the most at my native place. For two hours (while painting) I lived with my family and played on my farm land,“ said an elated Sinha, a medical aspirant.
Two students from Kashmir, Nadia Riyaz and Rifat Bhatt, drew paintings showing chirping birds on chinars and children playing with snow, with an iced stream and a snow-capped mountain in the backdrop. “This is a time when our family spends days together as we hardly have anything to do in winters,“ Riyaz, aresident of Verinag in Anantnag, said. Those who were not good at painting came up with motivational slogans.
Many students took the opportunity to showcase folk songs of their native states. Deba Asem of Manipur, who left the jam-packed classroom spellbound, said after her performance, “It was an ice-breaking moment with my batchmates as they asked a lot of questions about my culture, dress, food etc. I was surprised most of them were not aware I am from a northeastern state.“
In a marked departure, some institutes changed their strategy of showcasing their bright students. In hoardings put up by one institute at sev eral prominent places in the city, pictures of toppers have been replaced with the tagline `happiness' with faces of kids.

Source: Times of India, 29-12-2015

Shift to online admissions: UGC to univs





The UGC has asked higher educational institutions across the country to introduce online admissions for all their courses from the next academic session, reports Pavan M V.This will not only ensure greater efficiency but also promote transparency in the functioning of the institutions, UGC chairman Ved Prakash said on Monday . The step will facilitate students and parents to make informed choices.
Next month, the UGC will review the progress made by institutions such as IIMs, Manipal University and the University of Mysore, which have already implemented the system.
Source: Times of India, 29-12-2015

Economic and Political Weekly: Table of Contents 

Vol. 50, Issue No. 52, 26 Dec, 2015

Editorials

Paradigm Shift in Paris

Unjustified Haste

Satire

A Micro-primer on Corruption

From 50 Years Ago

From 50 Years Ago

Commentary

One-Rank-One-Pension Logjam

Srinath Raghavan

Challenges Facing New Education Policy in India

Arun Kumar

Hubris of Propaganda on Kashmir

Gautam Navlakha

Trust-based Approach for Local Bodies

D Ravindra Prasad, V Srinivas Chary

Reviving the Congress

Sujay Ghosh

Justice versus Emancipation

Manalika Borgohain

Review

Making of the Mizo Identity

Hiren Gohain

Insight

Coming Back to Normal?

S Irudaya Rajan, Sharada Srinivasan, Arjun S Bedi

Review of Rural Affairs

Rural Elites and the Limits of Scheduled Caste Assertiveness in Rural Malwa, Punjab

Nicolas Martin

Structural Change in Bihar's Rural Economy

Alakh N Sharma, Gerry Rodgers

Explaining Village-level Development Trajectories through Schooling in Karnataka

Suraj Jacob, Balmurli Natrajan, Indira Patil

Changing Characteristics of Villages in Tamil Nadu

A Vaidyanathan, R Srinivasan

Dalit Mobilisation and Faction Politics in Rural Andhra Pradesh

David Picherit

Special Articles

What Is the Cost of Providing One Rupee of Support to the Poor?

Suman Chakrabarti, Pallavi Rajkhowa

Narratives of Exclusion

Anasua Chatterjee

Poverty across Social and Religious Groups in Uttar Pradesh

Akarsh Arora, S P Singh

Notes

Deepening Regional Integration

Prabir De

Obituaries

Obituaries

Alakh Sharma, Ravi Srivastava, Sukti Dasgupta, Pranab Mukhopadhyay, Praveen Jha, Paris Yeros

Current Statistics

Current Statistics

Appointments/Programmes/Announcements

Appointments/Programmes/Announcements

Letters

Bijon Bhattacharya and His Theatre

Arup Kumar Sen

Patient Capital

Harasankar Adhikari

Celebrate, But Cautiously

Pritam Singh

Amartya Sen: National security is one component of human security

Nalanda is not a Buddhist university, nor was the old Nalanda. So, had we looked for a monk to run the university, it would have been a mistake — that was not what we were seeking.

Economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen’s latest book, The Country of First Boys, is a collection of essays on an array of topics, ranging from development, justice, and education, to calendars, Rabindranath Tagore, and the importance of play. In an interview with The Hindu, Prof. Sen spoke candidly about the need to prioritise human security and not just national security, the controversy that has dogged the Nalanda University, and, drawing inspiration from Adam Smith, the need for an intelligent response to rampant capitalism. Excerpts:

In your book, you speak of the different priorities of human security and national security. Don’t you think national security often becomes an alibi for not spending enough on human security?

Well, there are three things. Firstly, security ultimately is a matter in which the leading concern should be around human life. So if we are speaking of security, it has to be human security. Since this also means security from external threats and violence, what we call national security is only one of the constituent factors in human security.

Secondly, it is true that in the name of national security, resources are often not allocated to things on which human security depends, such as education, health care, and a social safety net. And sometimes, national security in the political context seems like a barrier rather than a component to fostering human security. But at the same time, when we consider reducing the budget for national security, we also have to think of the other implications. There’s no reason why there should be a conflict between the two.

Thirdly, the neglect of education, health care, and social safety net has been so foundational in India, so deeply rooted in the class structure of the society, that to blame it all on national security would be a mistake.

Your work has helped shift the focus of development from economic growth to concerns about the quality of human life. Is it time now for another shift — from human development to social justice, as the true measure of a nation’s progress towards being a more developed society?

When we came up with the Human Development Index (HDI), the idea was to have a simple index that would capture something better than the GDP figures. If you look at the very first Human Development Report (HDR) of 1990, we invoked the idea of justice in a number of cases. I think as human development grows as a discipline, justice will increasingly become a bigger component of it.

How do you respond to critics of development economics such as Arturo Escobar and Majid Rahnema, who argue that the very discourse of development perpetrates a regime of powerlessness and ‘unfreedom’ among those identified as ‘underdeveloped’, who are then coerced to follow the Western model of industrialisation and market-led development?

I respond with a great deal of scepticism to this line of reasoning. Adam Smith [whose major work, The Wealth of Nations, was published in 1776] was constantly concerned about human life, about distribution, the divide between the rich and the poor, the role of the market in the efficient production of commodities and the government’s role in providing education, health care, and social safety nets. I think this lesson remains relevant. To call it a ‘Western model’ undersells it. The market economy was not purely an invention of the West — there was trade between Egypt and Babylon, and you find trade seals in Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.

But there was no capitalism at that point.

That’s true, but capitalism is a very peculiar term. The way the interests of the poor are consistently neglected — if you call this capitalism, then I would object to this kind of system. In this sense, Smith was in many ways an anti-capitalist. While he was in favour of private ownership of capital, he also thought that whenever rich men got together, they conspired on how to defraud the poor. He never used the word ‘capitalism’, but he was against the excessive power of capital; so am I; and in many ways, so was Karl Marx.

Coming to the subject of Nalanda, people have criticised Dr. Gopa Sabharwal’s appointment as vice-chancellor of the university. They point out that she neither has any background in Buddhist studies nor does she fit the UGC criteria for vice-chancellorship — at least 10 years as a professor in a university set-up.

She is a very good vice-chancellor. It’s not surprising that given the Indian caste system, caste-like issues have cropped up, with people saying that for a vice-chancellorship, the candidate’s caste has to be that of a professor and not a reader, and certainly not a lecturer. In such a regime, the great American universities would not have flourished.

Secondly, Nalanda is not a Buddhist university, nor was the old Nalanda. So, had we looked for a monk to run the university, it would have been a mistake — that was not what we were seeking.

There’s a new chancellor now, George Yeo from Singapore. Chancellor Yeo has made a public statement saying that Dr. Sabharwal is a very suitable vice-chancellor and he would like her to continue. The propaganda against Dr. Sabharwal was quite orchestrated.

In your book you poke fun at the Indian Left for its “antiquated understanding of imperialism” and its obsession with “American imperialism”. The U.S. has 900 military bases in 130 countries — you think there is no such thing as American imperialism?

It is certainly unbalanced that America has so many bases across the world, and to worry about it is legitimate. But to be able not to think of anything else is a mistake. I was thinking particularly of the time when the Left decided to pull the government down over India’s nuclear deal with the U.S.

Is there such a thing as American imperialism? In some ways there is. But there is some Indian imperialism as well. There’s also some Chinese imperialism, and some French and British too. American imperialism is much more important than these, that’s true. But I am against a situation where the Left cannot think independently because of their obsession with one thing.

Now the party is under a new leadership with Sitaram Yechury, and one hopes that there will be more intelligent thinking. I am in favour of humanity, equity and justice, but also in favour of intelligence.

sampath.g@thehindu.co.in

Keywords: Nalanda University, Prof Amartya Sen, human security, national security, American imperialism

Source: The Hindu, 24-12-2015

God Playing Games?

SWAMI SUKHABODHANANDA





Very often people ask, “Why is God playing cruel games with us?” We can give explanations, but explanations need not be answers. What is life and what is death? You are looking at death as the opposite of life when, in fact, death is one more expression of life.Life scientists declare that death is the most critical defining feature of life. All and only living things die. When you die, you are making the ultimate undeniable assertion that you have been alive. In fact, death is even a precondition to life. The Holy Bible says, “Unless a seed falls into earth and dies, it cannot produce any grains.” That is, a seed has to cease to be itself in order to be a source of life to several others like it.
At the time of delivery, the body of the mother pushes the child out. When it is pushed out, every child goes through what is called birth trauma, experiencing a form of death.
Tagore asks, “Is it death or is it life?” What do we experience? Birth, exit from the womb where life originated and was sustained for about nine months and into the world outside is a form of death that leads to life although in different environments. Similarly, death — exit from the world — could be a door to some other form of life or life at yet another plane.… Therefore, the trauma that you feel at events like accident or death is also mainly psychological and, so, death is something you can overcome through spiritual discipline.

Self-affirmation And Hard Work Lead To Success

H P Kanoria





God said, “I am One, let me become many“. `I am One, alone, from this One, let there be many' ­ this is the teaching of the upanishads. Every human being is created in God's image full of love, virtues, strength, infinite knowledge and infinite power. He is our parent and friend.The goal of life is to manifest the divinity we are bestowed with.Spiritual thoughts give us strength to stand with poise during storms of failures and depression. They strengthen us to overcome failures and enable us to climb the ladder of success; sharpen memory; give new vitality; have faith in self and in all.They discipline and balance life that becomes joyful and stress-free. In spirituality , life is enlightened; failures become stepping stones. Swami Vivekananda said: “Manifest spirituality within you. Mark, if you give up spirituality the result will be that in three generations you will be extinct.“
On the battlefield, Krishna told Arjuna ­ who was depressed at the thought of killing relatives and others for the kingdom ­ “You have the right to perform your duties honestly , but do not try to control the results. Results of work should not be the motive. So, failures or success is not in one's control.Every one of us has to work hard with concentration in a righteous way .
Success is not only material achievement. There has to be inner happiness, peace and stream of service and love. Failure and success are part of the journey of life. Former President A P J Abdul Kalam in his book, `The Journey of My Life' wrote, “I firmly believe that unless one has tasted the bitter pill of failure, one cannot taste the sweetness of success. I have seen both and have learnt life's toughest lessons when I have been in the pit of despair that failure brought with it.“
Spirituality can guide us through the process of developing consciousness.Spiritual development within the mind, body and soul can help us sweep off failures and dive into the ocean of success.Kalam had inspiration from an acclaimed enlightened guru when he was in depression on not being selected for a job.
Success is not easy . Hard work with concentration is required. Holistic success gives joy which is universal. Make it simple. Moral integrity is essential. Focus your mind and feel the power of God within you. d feel the power of God within you.Do not waste time. Mind must remain undefeated with source of fresh power from God. Analyse your failure and its causes and benefits from experience.
Konosuke Matsushita's management philosophy in his book, `Not for Bread Alone' is the reason for its great success. Steve Jobs, a college dropout was working in Apple. He was dismissed by a new and educated CEO who considered Steve as uneducated.Steve had bad times. He used to have his meals at Iskcon every week. His intuition and insight was awakened through spirituality in India. He was reappointed with due respect. He then developed Apple further and that went on to become a huge success. Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook said that he had spiritual awakening in India. Therein he had intuition.
Let us have tremendous faith in ourselves. In you is infinite power, unbounded wisdom and indomitable energy . Rouse the power within with positive thinking and prayer. You will achieve success. Stay determined.
According to the New Testament, “Whatever things you desire when you pray sincerely , believe that you have received them and you will have them“.Let us affirm that `I have divine power, I have infinite knowledge, I am success, I am success.' (H P Kanoria is chairman, Srei Foundation.)