:rolleyes:

Right to Information

The Central Government has enacted an Act known as Right to information Act which is generally known as RIA.As usual this Act also provides for establishment of several authorities, creating burden on exchequer and taxing on the general public for providing certain megre information to some people to do politics out of it. The lawmakers usually do provide for establishment of offices for white elephants to accommodate their persons

Right to information is not a new concept but in Indian Evidence Act 1872 Section 76 was enacted to provide certified copies of documents, which a person has, a right to access to such documents. Courts of all ranks, Municipal bodies and executive courts are in usual course providing such certified copies on payment of scheduled charges. The RIA also in different sections makes provision describing the items to which public shall have no access. This means the public has access to all other documents except certain enumerated documents. For resolving any dispute such battalion of fat paid establishments is not at all required. The government should reconsider the matter. In fact the concerned departments should establish copying sections of their own and provide certified copies of documents except those listed in sections of the Act. If it is done crorers of rupees can be saved. It should be remembered by all departments and by Judiciary also that the concerned persons affected have every right to know about the documents on which decision was taken. There is no scope to play hide-and-seek game. The departments should be fair in providing information so that there will always be an effective check on taking arbitrary decisions by any department concerned.
:rolleyes:

This must come as good news for thousands of students who are set to take their board exams this year.

The class XII students of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) can use the Right to Information Act if they want the board to disclose information relating to the question-wise breakup of marks.

A ruling by the Central Information Commission dismissed CBSE's plea that it was exempted from revealing information under the RTI.

CBSE had earlier turned down the plea of a student who wanted a question wise break up of marks of his chemistry paper.

The board said that the larger public interest did not warrant the disclosure of information desired by the appellant

“In this case, the public information officer could not show any exemption, and therefore the information commission would have no option but to allow giving this info,” says Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi.

So does it set a precedent for other students wanting to know the break up of their marks in various subjects?

“If a public information officer wants to deny any information, he will have to quote one of the 10 sections. If the officer can show some justification for applying one of these exemptions, then we would have to look at it,” says Gandhi.

The time period for any reply will be 30 days.

Meanwhile the CBSE, which wasn’t too keen on parting with information, has to provide answer wise marks to the concerned student by Dec 30 and intimate this to the commission by January 5.

Source: ibnlive.com

:rolleyes:
Declaration of assets by judges
Few individuals, some organizations and media houses which are foreign aided also want that the judges of the SC and HCs should discloses their assets and properties publicly. According to them judges are accountable to the public and being government servants law equally applies to them.
In fact there is no law that binds the judges to do so. Those who are desirous of such information should ask the government to frame law and the judges will automatically be bound to follow it. But no one can compel any one in the garb of morals or public accountability to disclose their assets and properties. However as per the conference held by the Chief Justices it was resolved that the judges may submit their statements of assets and properties to the respective Chief Justices but that information shall be voluntary and no one will be forced to do that. In spite of that the judges are following the rule of self-discipline that is not at all obligatory. It is to be remembered that the Judges are Constitutional authorities.
Remember that since these statements are not in the official capacity and is also not the part of the record therefore there is no provision in the Right to Information Act to make available the copies of such documents to any Tom Dick Harry. If some authority orders to furnish copies of these declarations the judges may require the respective Chief Justices to return the statements and not to disclose to any one. Do not think that the judges can be played in the hands of media. Let the judiciary be very strong.
It is just a fad by few people and organizations against the judges. It is also a wrong notion that these statements will help to curb any so called corruption in the judiciary. During last few years due to judicial activism the judiciary has tide up the reins of government and the bureaucrats and are prevented from acting arbitrarily.
The media does not want any restrictions on it in the name of freedom of speech but at the same time it wants every restriction on the judiciary. The government has its political restraints and therefore every time it surrenders before the media and media is in habit of blackmailing the government and other institutions and individuals. But what wrong has gone with the judiciary that it has become too liberal with media at the cost of the freedom of the general public which has no respect for it and about 70 to 80 percent people do not believe the stories told by the media which are certainly cocked.
:rolleyes:

:rolleyes:
Declaration of assets by judges
Few individuals, some organizations and media houses which are foreign aided also want that the judges of the SC and HCs should discloses their assets and properties publicly. According to them judges are accountable to the public and being government servants law equally applies to them.
In fact there is no law that binds the judges to do so. Those who are desirous of such information should ask the government to frame law and the judges will automatically be bound to follow it. But no one can compel any one in the garb of morals or public accountability to disclose their assets and properties. However as per the conference held by the Chief Justices it was resolved that the judges may submit their statements of assets and properties to the respective Chief Justices but that information shall be voluntary and no one will be forced to do that. In spite of that the judges are following the rule of self-discipline that is not at all obligatory. It is to be remembered that the Judges are Constitutional authorities.
Remember that since these statements are not in the official capacity and is also not the part of the record therefore there is no provision in the Right to Information Act to make available the copies of such documents to any Tom Dick Harry. If some authority orders to furnish copies of these declarations the judges may require the respective Chief Justices to return the statements and not to disclose to any one. Do not think that the judges can be played in the hands of media. Let the judiciary be very strong.
It is just a fad by few people and organizations against the judges. It is also a wrong notion that these statements will help to curb any so called corruption in the judiciary. During last few years due to judicial activism the judiciary has tide up the reins of government and the bureaucrats and are prevented from acting arbitrarily.
The media does not want any restrictions on it in the name of freedom of speech but at the same time it wants every restriction on the judiciary. The government has its political restraints and therefore every time it surrenders before the media and media is in habit of blackmailing the government and other institutions and individuals. But what wrong has gone with the judiciary that it has become too liberal with media at the cost of the freedom of the general public which has no respect for it and about 70 to 80 percent people do not believe the stories told by the media which are certainly concocted.
:rolleyes: