skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Times of India: Surat: Saturday, 27 December 2025.
At least 11,200 Right to
Information (RTI) applications have been filed by diamond artisans seeking
details on the rejection of their applications for school fee assistance of Rs
13,500 per child, officials said. The artisans have expressed anguish over the
rejection, citing severe financial hardship following job losses in the diamond
sector.
According to official
data, 26,669 out of 74,268 applications submitted by jobless diamond artisans
for school fee support were rejected. The scheme is being implemented by the
District Industries Centre (DIC) on behalf of the state government.
Artisans whose
applications were rejected had earlier approached the DIC seeking clarification
but claimed they did not receive satisfactory responses. Subsequently, they
began filing RTI applications.
In their RTI submissions,
the artisans sought detailed reasons for the rejection of their applications,
copies of the submitted forms, copies of recommendation letters issued by the
Surat Diamond Association (SDA) after verification, and details of the officials
who processed their applications.
Officials said 47,599
applications, covering 50,241 children, were approved under the scheme. Of the
total applications received, 47,599 were verified and recommended for
assistance.
"I am the father of
two children and submitted all required documents, but I did not receive the
school fee support. I filed an RTI because I was not told why my application
was rejected," said Vijay Rakholiya, a diamond artisan.
Another jobless artisan,
Bachu Nandwana, said, "I have 24 years of experience in diamond polishing
and have never faced such a difficult phase. I needed the school fee assistance
to ensure my children's education, but my application was rejected."
Bhavesh Tank,
vice-president of the Diamond Worker Union Gujarat, said several eligible
artisans were denied assistance. "They approached the DIC with queries,
and when they did not receive proper answers, they filed RTI
applications," he said.
A DIC official said
artisans have been informed that they can examine the documents and take copies
if required. "Replying individually to such a large number of RTI
applications is not possible in the current situation," the official said.
The state govt announced
the support package in May for the struggling diamond cutting and polishing
industry following representations by various associations. Under the package,
the govt agreed to pay school fees of up to Rs 13,500 per child for the academic
year 2025–26 to ensure that children of diamond workers who lost their jobs
after March 31, 2024, do not drop out of school.
The package also includes
interest subsidies on loans and waivers of electricity duty for diamond cutting
and polishing units.
Form collection for school
fee assistance continued for nearly two months, with more than 1.20 lakh
applications submitted across Gujarat. The submission process concluded at the
end of July.
As per the procedure,
prescribed forms were distributed to applicants and collected through schools
before being submitted to the DIC. The applications were then forwarded to the
SDA for verification, following which the approved forms were returned to the
DIC for final processing.
Moneylife: Pune: Saturday, 27 December 2025.
A fresh first appeal filed
under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has once again brought scrutiny on the
management of government bungalows located in the Lutyens bungalow zone (LBZ)
of New Delhi, raising questions over illegal retention of official residences,
allotments to private trusts, court-stayed evictions and arbitrary renumbering
of prime government properties.
The appeal has been filed
by noted RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal before directorate of estates
under the Union ministry of urban development, challenging the response to his
online RTI application dated 16 November 2025.
In his application, Mr
Agrawal sought detailed records, file-notings and correspondence relating to
government bungalows in New Delhi that continue to be occupied even after
occupants have lost entitlement, residences where eviction proceedings are
stayed by courts, and properties allotted to private trusts or foundations,
including those converted into memorials of departed leaders.
He also sought rules
governing allotment of government bungalows to private entities, the complete
occupation history of bungalow No6, Krishna Menon Marg from Independence till
date, and records relating to the conversion of bungalow No7, Krishna Menon Marg
into bungalow No8-A. The application further sought clarity on whether any
rules permit changes in bungalow numbering and, if no such rules exist, steps
taken to restore original numbers.
Bungalow No6, Krishna
Menon Marg has been converted into the Babu Jagjivan Ram National Foundation
and will stay with the foundation till 2038. According to a report from The
Print, till 2020, bungalow No7, Krishna Menon Marg was occupied by a senior judge
of the Supreme Court. "Sources in the Supreme Court have told The Print
that renovation work has started to integrate two bungalows in Lutyens’ Delhi.
The 5, Krishan Menon Marg, which is the official residence of the CJI, will be
combined with the adjacent 7, Krishna Menon Marg to establish a bigger
residence-cum-office," the report says.
According to the report,
both bungalows fall in the category of type 8 residential government
accommodation and are part of the Supreme Court’s resources. While the 5,
Krishan Menon Marg is 642 sqm in size, the 7, Krishna Menon Marg is 711 sqm.
According to the appeal
filed by Mr Agrawal, the central public information officer (CPIO) declined
information on key queries relating to illegal occupation, court cases and
allotments to trusts by invoking Section 7(9) of the RTI Act, claiming that providing
the information would disproportionately divert the resources of the
directorate.
Mr Agrawal has contested
this reasoning, stating that the number of government bungalows in New Delhi is
limited and that information on exceptions like unauthorised occupants or
special allotments should be readily available. He has argued that such data
ought to be proactively disclosed on official websites and has sought
directions for the information to be furnished free of cost under Section 7(6)
of the RTI Act.
The appeal also flags
discrepancies in the RTI reply, pointing out that documents claimed to have
been enclosed by the CPIO are not actually provided. Mr Agrawal has sought
their disclosure, again invoking provisions for free supply of information due
to what he terms an unjustified denial.
A key focus of the appeal
is bungalow No6, Krishna Menon Marg, where information was denied under Section
8(1)(j) of the RTI Act on grounds of personal information. Mr Agrawal has cited
an order passed by central information commission (CIC) on 7 May 2012, which
had directed the ministry to place complete occupancy details of the bungalow
in the public domain. He has argued that the denial ignores a binding CIC
verdict and amounts to institutional non-compliance.
The appeal further calls
for renewed public disclosure of records relating to the renumbering of
official residences, questioning whether such changes were carried out to suit
individual preferences rather than under any statutory framework.
The appeal filed by Mr
Agrawal goes beyond individual properties and raises broader concerns about
transparency, accountability and rule-based management of high-value public
assets in Lutyens’ Delhi. Government bungalows in New Delhi are among the most valuable
public properties in the country and any deviation from allotment rules,
whether through illegal retention, preferential allotment or manipulation of
records, has direct implications for public trust and equality before law.
Taxscan: National: Friday, 26 December 2025.
The underlying complaint
alleged serious violations by the RP, including misappropriation of CIRP funds,
falsification of minutes, violation of voting timelines, collusion with
resolution applicants, failure to convene CoC meetings, and failure to update
creditor lists.
The Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Board of India’s (IBBI) First Appellate Authority (FAA), has
disposed of an RTI appeal filed by Sanjeev Mahajan under Section 19 of the
Right to Information Act, 2005. The appeal challenged the response of the Central
Public Information Officer (CPIO) regarding the disclosure of records in
disciplinary proceedings against Resolution Professional.
Assam Times: Assam: Friday, 26 December 2025.
Despite having nearly, a
thousand teachers on its rolls, as many as 319 Lower Primary (LP), Middle
English (ME), and Middle English schools under the Nazira Primary Education
Block are functioning with a total student enrolment of only 27,077, averaging
about 84 students per school.
As per official norms,
there should be one teacher for every 30 students. Based on this guideline, the
total enrolment in the block would require approximately 903 teachers. However,
nearly 1,200 teachers are currently posted across these schools, far exceeding
the required number.
While schools located in
urban and easily accessible areas reportedly have an excess number of teachers
compared to student strength, many remote and peripheral schools continue to
face an acute shortage of teaching staff. This uneven distribution has adversely
affected the overall quality of education. Despite repeated claims and slogans
of improvement by the government, the issue remains largely unaddressed.
At the same time, the
steady decline in student enrolment in Assamese-medium government schools has
emerged as a serious concern. Despite the government spending crores of rupees
on infrastructure development and teachers’ salaries, the quality of education
has shown little improvement. Consequently, many aware parents are reluctant to
enrol their children in these schools. Notably, even teachers working in
government schools reportedly prefer to send their own children to private
institutions, highlighting the prevailing lack of confidence in the system.
In another significant
development, an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act,
2005, seeking details of funds allocated and utilised under the Samagra Shiksha
scheme for these 319 schools during the previous year, received an unexpected
response. The Nazira Block Elementary Education Office reportedly stated that
it was unable to provide any information regarding fund allocation or
expenditure.
The absence of such
crucial financial records at the block office has raised serious questions
about transparency and accountability. Furthermore, the department allegedly
declined to provide school-wise data on student enrolment and teacher
deployment, citing unspecified reasons, fuelling suspicions of deliberate
suppression of information.
Observers say that due to
such administrative lapses, government schools are steadily losing their
educational standards and, in many cases, are functioning in a quasi-commercial
manner rather than as service-oriented institutions. As a result, several government
schools are being shut down. Continued reluctance by the authorities to share
information and ensure transparency, even amid this decline, points towards
deeper systemic irregularities within the education administration.
NDTV: Imphal/New Delhi: Thursday, 25 December 2025.
A Scheduled Tribes (ST)
certificate that does not have the exact, formal name of the tribe as it is
defined in the list approved by parliament can be considered invalid, the
Supreme Court has ruled in many cases
The Scheduled Tribes (ST)
certificates of some employees in Manipur government departments have names of
tribes that do not exist in the state's official list of ST cleared by
parliament, according to information obtained via the Right to Information (RTI)
Act.
The RTI queries went to at
least over two dozen government departments, out of which 13 responded so far.
One department started an
internal investigation to filter invalid ST certificates after finding some
employees whose ST certificates mentioned tribes that are not in the officially
recognised and parliament-approved list of tribes in Manipur.
Manipur's ST list has 34
recognised tribes, including 'Any Kuki Tribes' which appears as a single,
distinct entry. The last tribe to be added to the list was 'Mate' in 2012.
'No Record of Information'
The first RTI application
with four queries on issuing and verifying ST certificates in Manipur, filed on
April 11, 2025, received a common response from the Department of Personnel and
Administrative Reforms (Personnel Division) on May 5, 2025: "Department of
Personnel has no record of the information as appointments are done by the
respective departments."
The response led to the
filing of an appeal on May 30, 2025 alleging "negligent and evasive
response". It said the "claim that no records exist is
unjustified" because the Department of Personnel, under the Rules of
Allocation of Business framed under Article 166 of the Constitution, is the
nodal authority for service matters including service records, appointments,
promotions, and grievances of state and central civil service officers and all
employees of the Manipur government.
Subsequently, the
Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (Personnel Division) on June
24, 2025 sent a letter to the administrative secretaries of all departments -
over 40 of them - asking them to respond to the RTI queries which included a request
for information about the number of Manipur government employees from 'Any Kuki
Tribes' and 'Thadou' communities, and another request seeking information on
the process of issuing and verifying ST certificates in the state.
"I am directed to
enclose herewith the RTI application… which is self-explanatory and to transfer
herewith the RTI applications under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, 2005 for
furnishing the desired information in the application in respect of your department,
to the RTI applicant directly," the personnel department said in its
letter to all government departments in Manipur.
Section 6(3) of the RTI
Act 2005 makes it a must for an officer to transfer the whole or part of an
application to the correct department if the information sought is available
with that department. This should be done within five days from the date the application
came to prevent applicants from being tossed around.
The 13 departments that
have so far replied with the data sought in the RTI queries are: Manipur State
Power Distribution Co Ltd (MSPDCL) - Ukhrul, Ayush, Consumer Affairs Food and
Public Distribution (CAF and PD), Water Resources, Finance, Fisheries, Manipur
State Power Co Ltd (MSPCL), transport, handloom and textile, agriculture,
family welfare; Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development
(MAHUD), and horticulture.
What Departments Said
The water resources
department on August 18, 2025 said it recruited five employees from 'Any Kuki
Tribes' (AKT) community since 2003, the year AKT was re-inserted in Manipur's
ST list after it was removed by parliament in 1956. Four out of the five AKT members
had their father's ST certificate recorded as Thadou tribe, while the fifth one
held ST certificate of the Vaiphei tribe before becoming AKT. The department
said it has appointed 15 employees from the Thadou tribe since 2003.
However, the Tribal
Affairs and Hills Department in its reply on June 11, 2025 to a separate RTI
query said: "There is no prescribed procedure for changing a Scheduled
Tribe certificate from one tribe to another for an individual belonging to the
Scheduled Tribes in respect of the state of Manipur."
This particular query
sought the procedure for changing tribe certificates from one tribe to another
in Manipur, along with copies of rules and official verification process since
many AKT employees held ST certificates of other tribes before they became AKT.
The Consumer Affairs Food
and Public Distribution (CAF and PD) Department in its reply on August 18, 2025
said it appointed 10 employees belonging to the "Kuki tribe" since
2003. It declined to specify the name of the tribes and whether it checked
their ST certificates for errors at the time of their appointment, saying,
"Differentiating the categories of Schedule Tribe is not within the
purview of this department."
In the Horticulture and
Soil Conservation Department, the ST certificates of two employees showed one
as from the "Thadou-Kuki" tribe (appointed in April 2015) and the
other from the "Kuki" tribe (appointed in May 2016).
However, there is no entry
for a tribe called "Thadou-Kuki" and "Kuki" in Manipur's ST
list.
The list of 34 recognised
tribes has Thadou and 'Any Kuki Tribes'.
The internal investigation
by some departments is checking whether the appointments violate Article 16(4)
of the Constitution, which reserves posts exclusively for ST communities
notified under Article 342, which provides that only those tribes specifically
notified by the president and amended by parliament are legally recognised as
ST.
The Supreme Court has said
several times that if a caste or a tribe certificate is found invalid, the
appointment also becomes invalid and the employee can be fired. The court
rulings are from Kumari Madhuri Patil vs Additional Commissioner (1994), State
of Maharashtra vs Milind (2000), R. Vishwanatha Pillai vs State of Kerala
(2004), Bank of India vs Avinash D Mandivikar, (2005), and Director of Tribal
Welfare vs Laveti Giri (1995).
The Public Health
Engineering Department (PHED) said it does not check the names of tribes, but
makes appointments under the category ST.
"All appointments of
government employees in the department under 'Scheduled Tribe category' are
done without making any distinction among the tribes," the PHED said in
its reply on July 21, 2025.
The Manipur Building and
Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board has an employee whose ST certificate
mentioned the person as belonging to "Any Kuki" - which does not
exist in the official list of 34 tribes. The one in the ST list is called 'Any
Kuki Tribes'.
An ST certificate that
does not have the exact, formal name of the tribe as it is defined in the list
approved by parliament can be considered invalid, as per the Supreme Court
rulings mentioned above.
Otherwise, it's a
situation where anything goes as far as verification of ST certificates is
concerned.
Whether there has been a
procedural fraud, or a genuine mistake due to carelessness by the ST
certificate-issuing officer without any fault of the applicant is for the
authorities to investigate.
Other tribe names that
have been used in ST certificates but don't exist in the official ST list
include 'Khongsai-Kuki' and just the single word, 'Kuki'.
Any Kuki Tribes in Brief
In 1956, parliament
removed the 'Any Kuki Tribes' category from Manipur's list and cleared the
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act.
In 2002, or over four
decades later, the then Manipur Congress government's request to the central
government to bring back 'Any Kuki Tribes' category in the ST list sailed
through parliament, and 'Any Kuki Tribes' re-entered the border state's ST list
a year later.
The then Manipur cabinet
on October 19, 2018 approved the deletion of the nomenclature 'Any Kuki Tribes'
from the state's ST list, documents from a previous RTI query filed with the
Tribal Affairs Ministry showed.
The state government on
February 8, 2023 sent a proposal to the ministry seeking removal of 'Any Kuki
Tribes' from the ST list. It sent a detailed proposal a year later, on July 25,
2024, after answering some queries from the Tribal Affairs Ministry.
In the letter to the
Tribal Affairs Ministry, the Manipur government alleged that the then state
government recommended the central government to bring back 'Any Kuki Tribes'
in Manipur's ST list "for political reasons".
"After 47 years...
the then state government of Manipur had again recommended inserting the name
of the broad tribal group namely 'Any Kuki Tribe' in the lists of ST...
accordingly 'Any Kuki Tribe' was again restored in the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, 2002 for political reasons," the
Manipur government said in the letter to the Tribal Affairs Ministry. Manipur
had a Congress government at that time, headed by former chief minister O Ibobi
Singh.
Any Kuki Tribes' as
mentioned in Assam's ST list is different from how it is mentioned in Manipur's
list. In Assam, all the sub-tribes are listed under one heading called 'Any
Kuki Tribes'. The ST certificate is issued only in the name of any of the sub-tribes
and not 'Any Kuki Tribes', which is an umbrella term.
In Manipur, 'Any Kuki
Tribes' is mentioned as a separate, distinct tribe like Thadou, and the ST
certificate is also issued under 'Any Kuki Tribes'.
Times of India: Patiala: Thursday, 25 December 2025.
The Punjab Language
Department has issued formal directions to the Department of Social Security,
Women and Child Development, after it failed to provide a Punjabi translation
of the Punjab Divyangjan Empowerment Scheme, 2021 notification, in breach of the
Punjab State Language Act. A complaint by resident Kiran Kumari revealed that
the 19-page notification was neither available in Punjabi, nor uploaded in the
regional language on the department's official website.
Kiran filed an application
under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and was informed that no Punjabi
version was available, despite the scheme's direct relevance to nearly 6.5 lakh
persons with disabilities, constituting about 2.14 per cent of the state's
population according to the 2011 Census. The Divyangjan Empowerment Scheme
provides various facilities, rights and welfare measures for persons with
disabilities. However, the absence of a Punjabi translation has limited access
to critical information for many intended beneficiaries.
"For a welfare scheme
meant for the needy and vulnerable sections, availability in the regional
language is essential. The Supreme Court has also issued clear directives that
such policies and schemes must be accessible in local languages," she
said. Jaswant Singh Jafar, director of the Punjab Language Department,
confirmed that the department has the authority under the Punjab State Language
Act to impose penalties on departments that violate language norms. "If
instructions are ignored repeatedly, the Act empowers us to impose fines on the
concerned department," he stated.
Vijay Walia and Gurmeet
Singh, language activists who have campaigned for Punjabi translations of
central laws, resent the continued neglect. "It is deeply unfortunate that
even decades-old laws and important welfare schemes are still not available in
Punjabi. This denies workers and citizens their right to information,"
they said.
The incident has rekindled
debate over the govt's commitment to implementing the Punjab State Language Act
in letter and spirit, with activists demanding stricter enforcement to ensure
consistent use of Punjabi in governance and public communication.
Bankers Adda: National: Wednesday,
December 24, 2025.
According to RTI
reply, it has been confirmed that the SBI Clerk 2025 Mains Exam was held in a
single shift. As the exam was in one shift, so normalisation will not be
applicable. Candidates can check the complete details in the given article.
A major update
has come for candidates who appeared in the SBI Clerk 2025 Mains Exam. Through
an RTI reply, the State Bank of India has clearly stated that no normalisation
will be applied in the examination. This clarification has put an end to
widespread confusion among aspirants regarding score calculation and fairness
of evaluation.
RTI Confirms
SBI Clerk Mains 2025 Held In Single Shift
As per the RTI
reply issued by SBI, the SBI Clerk Mains 2025 Exam was conducted in only a
single shift. Since normalisation is applied only when an exam is held in
multiple shifts, the bank has confirmed that there is no requirement for
normalisation in this stage.
What Does The
RTI Reply Say?
- According to the
RTI response:
- The SBI Clerk
Mains Exam 2025 was conducted in a single shift.
- Hence, no score
normalisation is applicable.
- Recruitment is
currently under process.
- Certain
information related to final outcomes will be shared after completion of the
recruitment process.
- Information
related to future events is not covered under Section 2(f) of the RTI Act,
2005.
This makes it
clear that raw marks obtained by candidates will be considered directly for
merit preparation.
Why
Normalisation Is Not Applicable In SBI Clerk Mains 2025?
Normalisation is
generally used to balance difficulty levels when exams are conducted across
multiple shifts. Since SBI has officially confirmed that the Mains exam was
held in only one shift, all candidates faced the same paper under identical
conditions. Therefore:
- No scaling.
- No adjustment of
marks.
- Final merit will
be based on actual marks scored.
Impact On SBI
Clerk Mains Result 2025
With no
normalisation, candidates can expect:
- Transparent
evaluation
- Fair merit
ranking
- Direct reflection
of performance in scores
- Reduced ambiguity
during result declaration
This
clarification is especially important for candidates calculating their expected
cut-off and selection chances.
Cross Town: Jammu: Wednesday, December
24, 2025.
There are
countless questions on working of JKAS Officer working as Tehsildar , JDA, who
is showing her supremacy over lot of issues superseding Div Com, VC & DCs
clear cut observations & misquotes various sections of RTI act &
providing false information .
One can see
through various publications that Law Department has replied in a RTI that the
Advocate General’s post in Jammu and Kashmir is lying vacant for more than a
year following D C Raina’s resignation, followed by other RTI replies by other
departments on various issues, like details of various permissions along with
order copies by DC Office etc etc but the boss Tehsildar in a RTI reply by an
applicant for seeking noting of her file did not reply information by quoting
Sec 8(1)(b), which is against RTI Act & Law /rules over the issue.
She also over the
issue of NOCs pending on BP Cases in JDA in first said no NOC is pending but in
Ist Appeal said 13 NOCs are pending & 3rdly other observations of reply
were in contradiction but DLM being the Ist Appellant Authority did not act on
her on negligence.
Times of India: Chandigarh: Wednesday,
December 24, 2025.
Pulling up the
Amritsar municipal corporation over its inability to trace records of a
prominent commercial complex, the Punjab Chief Information Commissioner issued
detailed directions, flagging serious concerns over record management,
enforcement of building bylaws, and accountability under the Right to
Information Act, 2005.
The bench, headed
by Chief Information Commissioner Inderpal Singh, examined an appeal filed by a
resident seeking information related to a multi-storeyed commercial complex in
Amritsar. The appellant sought details including the ownership of the property,
sanctioned building plans, parking provisions, violations from the approved
plan, if any, and the action taken thereon.
During the
proceedings, the respondent public information officer submitted that in the
absence of a general registration number, the town planning wing of the
Amritsar municipal corporation was unable to trace records of the prominent
commercial complex, Ganpati Tower, situated on Lawrence Road. However, it was
admitted that information related to the property tax department was retrieved
and supplied to the appellant.
The respondent
further claimed that no construction activity of any nature took place in
recent years, including the period preceding the filing of the appeal. It was
also submitted that no on-site survey was conducted as no complaint requiring
such action was received by the department. The respondent asserted that any
action regarding the compounding of violations, if any, could not be undertaken
since an RTI application cannot be treated as a complaint under the RTI Act,
2005.
At the same time,
the commission noted that the department remained silent on the issue that the
property in question is a large commercial complex, comprising more than 75
shops spread over five floors. The complex is located in a posh area of the
city and, according to the appellant, lacks adequate parking facilities for
commuters. The appellant sought information precisely on these aspects.
The commission
recorded that it was not satisfied with the plea taken by the municipal
corporation's town planning wing that information relating to the sanctioned
map could not be retrieved from official records. It also noted that the
Department of Local Government has its own Chief Vigilance Officer and deals
with a large number of complaint cases across the state.
Keeping these
aspects in view, the commission, exercising powers under Section 25(5) of the
RTI Act, 2005, directed that a copy of the order be sent to the principal
secretary to the Govt of Punjab, dept of local government, for enquiry. The
commission sought a specific report to be submitted on or before the next date
of hearing on January 14, 2026, on several issues, including whether the
respondent's stand that the GR number must be obtained from the owner is
justified even when complete details and address of the building have been
disclosed; whether any action has been taken by the department so far to
retrieve building plan details on its own; whether municipal corporations in
the state are capable of retrieving building plan information independently;
and whether a commercial building can be constructed without adequate parking
facilities.
Social News: Hyderabad: Wednesday,
December 24, 2025.
The Telangana
High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to upload all Government
Orders (GOs), circulars, rules and notifications on its official
website.
Single-judge
bench took serious note that most of the GOs have not been uploaded on the
official website.
Justice Surepalli
Nanda observed that citizens have an unquestionable right to access government
decisions and policies that affect public life.
The judge
directed officials to strictly adhere to the guidelines prescribed in GO 4 of
April 10, 2017, which mandates comprehensive online publication of all official
documents for public access.
The judge
observed that transparency in governance is not a choice but a fundamental
requirement of democracy.
The court was
hearing a writ petition filed by Errolla Srinivas, former chairman of Telangana
SC/ST Commission.
The petitioner
argued that the government intentionally and deliberately failed to upload the
GOs, thus depriving citizens of their right to know and creating an environment
ripe for corruption.
The petitioner’s
counsel submitted to the court the data obtained under the Right to Information
Act.
In reply to an
RTI query by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA T. Harish Rao, the Information
Technology Electronics and Communications Department informed that out of
19,064 GOs issued between December 7, 2023 and January 26, 2025, only 3,290 GOs
are available in the public domain.
As many as 15,774
GOs are not available in the public domain, reveals the RTI reply.
Meanwhile,
reacting to the High Court order, Harish Rao said that it is a slap in the face
of the so-called people's government.
In a post on ‘X’,
the former minister told Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, that it's not enough
to call yourself a “people's government”. “You should reveal what you are
secretly doing behind the veil of these dark government orders,” he said.
Harish Rao stated
that the drama being enacted by the Congress government, which came to power
claiming to provide people's rule, by concealing these GOs, has been exposed
through the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the High Court by senior
BRS leader, Errolla Srinivas, based on an RTI response.
Source: IANS
Times of India: Raipur: Wednesday,
December 24, 2025.
The Chhattisgarh
high court granted interim relief to a school lecturer by staying the release
of his personal service records under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
Justice Parth Prateem Sahu issued notices to the state school education department
and other parties after the petitioner alleged the information was being sought
to harass him.
Petitioner works
as a Sanskrit lecturer at the Swami Atmanand Excellent Hindi Medium Government
Higher Secondary School in Korba district. Three individuals, identified as
journalists and another person, filed RTI applications seeking the lecturer's
service book, educational certificates, caste certificate, appointment order,
and domicile documents.
The block
education officer (BEO) of Katghora, acting as the public information officer,
directed the school principal to provide these documents despite the lecturer
refusing to give his consent.
Representing the
petitioner, counsel Mateen Siddiqui and Apurva Pandey argued that personal
details of a govt employee fall under the category of ‘personal information' as
per the Supreme Court ruling in Girish R Deshpande vs CIC. They stated that
such information has no direct link to public interest and is protected under
Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.
The HC sought
responses from the Secretary of the School Education Department, the Director
of Public Instruction (DPI), the Chief Information Commissioner, and the
concerned education officers in Korba.
Statetimes: Jammu: Wednesday, December
24, 2025.
The advocate
general’s post in Jammu and Kashmir is lying vacant for more than a year
following senior advocate D C Raina’s resignation, the Department of Law,
Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has said.
Responding to an
application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by Jammu-based
activist Raman Kumar Sharma, the central public information officer (CPIO) has
said no proposal has so far been initiated to fill the post.
“The post of
advocate general is presently lying vacant. The post is lying vacant from the
date on which the last advocate general tendered his resignation,” read the RTI
reply given on Monday.
Raina submitted
his resignation in October last year, two days after a National Conference-led
government assumed office in the Union Territory, but his resignation was not
accepted by the lieutenant governor, bringing to the fore a growing rift
between the Lok Bhavan and the elected regime in the absence of the rules of
business.
Raina was
appointed to the post of advocate general of the erstwhile state of Jammu and
Kashmir on three occasions in September 2008, February 2016 and July 2018.
After his resignation, the government has consented to his continuation.
“The matter
(Raina’s resignation) is presently under consideration. Acceptance has not yet
been finalised or formally communicated as yet,” the RTI reply said.
The department
declined to provide a certified copy of the resignation letter, saying
disclosure at this stage is not appropriate as the matter is under
consideration.
In response to
queries regarding the appointment of a new advocate general, it clarified that
no proposal has so far been moved and consequently, no steps have been
initiated for making a fresh appointment.
The RTI reply
further clarified that the advocate general of Jammu and Kashmir is appointed
by the competent authority under the Constitution.
The Times of India: New Delhi: Tuesday, 23 December 2025.
Two of Delhi's major
central govt medical institutions continue to operate with a significant number
of unfilled faculty posts, even as some departments function with more doctors
than their sanctioned strength, according to official data obtained under the
RTI Act.
At Dr Ram Manohar Lohia
Hospital, 71 of the 283 sanctioned faculty posts are vacant.
Lady Hardinge Medical
College is short of 75 faculty members against a sanctioned strength of 355.
The shortfall at RML
Hospital is concentrated in core clinical departments that handle heavy patient
loads. The medicine department alone has 27 vacant posts, followed by
paediatrics with five and anaesthesia with three.
Doctors said even limited
shortages in these specialties can have a disproportionate impact on outpatient
departments, emergency services and inpatient care due to the sustained daily
inflow of patients.
At the same time, official
data shows that a few departments at RML Hospital are functioning with faculty
numbers exceeding the sanctioned strength. In the orthopaedics department, four
faculty members are working against two sanctioned posts. Community medicine
has five faculty members, against a sanctioned strength of three, while the
pathology department has seven faculty members against four sanctioned posts.
Responding to the vacancy
figures, an RML Hospital official said patient care and teaching are shared
across multiple categories of doctors, including teaching and non-teaching
faculty, general duty medical officers and junior and senior residents. "In
addition, Guru Govind Singh Indraprastha University has granted teaching
equivalence to certain non-teaching doctors who undertake academic
responsibilities. Faculty under the teaching cadre are posted by the Union
health ministry and recruited through UPSC, not by the hospital. Requests for
filling vacant posts on a regular or contractual basis are sent to the
ministry, and recruitment is a continuous process," the official said.
Lady Hardinge Medical
College has not provided a department-wise breakup of vacancies, but officials
said the overall deficit amounts to roughly one-fifth of its sanctioned
teaching strength. Faculty members pointed out that persistent gaps increase
workload for the existing staff, affecting patient care, postgraduate teaching,
research supervision and examination duties.
Officials at Lady Hardinge
said vacancies exceeding 10% invariably disrupt patient care and teaching
services. Despite recruitment being under way through UPSC across over 20
departments, faculty retention remains a challenge as doctors often opt for better-paying
corporate hospitals or move to institutions such as AIIMS.
According to the RTI
activist who got the data, vacant faculty positions are indirectly affecting
patient care and teaching standards, and the posts should be filled at the
earliest.
Financial Express: Bangladesh: Monday, 22 December 2025.
We have recently
celebrated Human Rights Day in Bangladesh. In this context, several legal
analysts as well as social icons have underlined the importance and
significance of transparency, culpability and accountability. There have also
been references throughout the world pertaining to free speech and Right to
Information to enable those seeking upholding of human rights to receive the
requisite attention.
In this context one needs
to refer to an observation made by Sultana Kamal- "Without building that
space free from fear and oppression, talk of dignity, justice or equality will
remain hollow". Similarly, Barrister and Legal Analyst Sara Hossain has
pointed out that Human Rights encompasses not only the rights to life and
liberty, but also equality and non-discrimination. She has also underlined the
need for economic, social and cultural rights.
The evolution of the
digitalised world has brought with it different connotations. There is now an
agreed understanding that the process of governance should not only be
transparent in decision making, but also that the outcome of implementation of
such decisions, has to be consistent with accountability. This awareness has
arisen from the sensitisation that the real authority within a country rests
with its citizens and within an institution with its stakeholders.
Consequently, today, special emphasis is laid on how governance should be
carried out and whether it is being done responsibly and meaningfully.
There have been attempts
on different occasions to broadly describe good governance. Some have referred
to it as an 'indeterminate term used in international development literature to
describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public
resources in order to guarantee the realisation of human rights'. Governance
has also been labelled as "the process of decision-making and the process
by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented)". It has also been
agreed by academics that the term governance 'can apply to corporate,
international, national, local governance or to the interactions between other
sectors of society'. The term "good governance" has also lately found
acceptance as a benchmark of behaviour whereby it can be used as a model to
compare ineffective economies or political bodies with viable economies and
political bodies.
Such a distinction is
often undertaken on the basis of the premise that liberal democratic States
concentrated in Western Europe, Japan, Canada and the USA, often possess
institutions that rely on open governance and accountability that can act as
standards by which to compare other States' institutions when talking about
governance.
Good governance can
generally imply many things in different contexts. In international affairs,
analysis of good governance can look at any of the following relationships -
between governments and markets, between governments and citizens, between
governments and the private or voluntary sector, between elected officials and
appointed officials, between local institutions and urban and rural dwellers,
between legislature and executive branches, and between nation states and
institutions.
The varying types of
comparisons comprising the analysis of governance in scholastic and practical
discussion can also cause the meaning of "good governance" to vary
greatly from practitioner to practitioner. There is consensus however that three
institutions function as integral parts within its equation - the State, the
private sector and civil society.
It may be noted however
that the need and demand for reform within the matrix can vary depending on the
priorities of each country's society and that in turn will determine the
required various types of governance reform.
In this context, it would
be useful to recall that the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s declaration of
1996 noted- "promoting good governance in all its aspects", includes
"ensuring the rule of law, improving the efficiency and accountability of
the public sector, and tackling corruption, as essential elements of a
framework within which economies can prosper." The IMF, through this view,
underlined that corruption within economies is caused by the ineffective
governance of the economy, either too much regulation or too little regulation.
As a result, it is generally accepted that to receive loans from the IMF,
countries must have certain good governance policies, as determined by the IMF,
in place.
The United Nations also
emphasises on good governance for achieving required reform in human
development and political institutions. According to the UN, good governance
has eight characteristics. It has to be: consensus oriented, participatory,
accountable, transparent, responsive, equitable and inclusive, while upholding
the rule of law.
The World Bank is more
concerned on the other hand with the reform of economic and social resource
control. In 1992, it underlined three aspects of society which they felt
affected the nature of a country's governance - 'type of political regime;
process by which authority is exercised in the management of the economic and
social resources, with a view to development; and capacity of governments to
formulate policies and have them effectively implemented'.
The stipulations indicated
in the preceding paragraphs can appear to be restrictive to some but these
factors are stressed on because it is felt that there is a close link between
poor governance and corruption.
At the same time, concepts
such as civil society, decentralisation, peaceful conflict management and
accountability are also used for defining the concept of good governance.
Consequently, at times, emphasis on good governance is equated with promoting democratic
government. In this context, one needs to underline the significant part that
will have to be played by political parties within the democratic system.
They have a pivotal role
in the State's development, either negatively (e.g. organising and instigating
violence) or positively (e.g. by leading dialogue in a fractured society).
However, differences in approach should not lead to a fractured situation. This
can then affect governance and create instability.
We need to understand that
responsible behaviour on the part of those associated with politics is a
prerequisite for economic development. The identifying of problem areas and
discovering requisite solutions require sometimes a bi-partisan approach and open
discussion within the Parliament. If this does not take place, it affects
growth and potential foreign direct investment. It also leads to unnecessary
recriminations that are best avoided than undertaken.
It would be worthwhile to
recall the observations made earlier by analyst Nayef Al- Rodhan and the
proposed eight minimum criteria for ensuring good national governance. They
are- a) participation, equity, and inclusiveness, b) rule of law, c) separation
of powers, d) free, independent, and responsible media, e) government
legitimacy, f) accountability, g) transparency, and h) limiting the distorting
effect of money in politics. These factors can be also described as expressions
of the fundamental values of democracy and more liberal constitutionalism.
Any discussion about good
governance should also include references to corporate governance.
Deterioration in standards within this framework can greatly affect good
governance and the sense of responsibility and accountability within the
broader context. In this context there is general anxiety about the
ill-equipped structure that exists within Bangladesh's corporate governance
infrastructure. This definitely reduces the ability of certain participants to
successfully overcome inbuilt challenges.
One must not forget that
the attempt to create good governance was taken forward in Bangladesh with the
adoption of the Right to Information Act, 2009 and the constitution of the
Information Commission.
It needs to be understood that the importance
of the RTI Act lies in the recognition and protection of the constitutional
rights of citizens, a challenge to the culture of secrecy, a change in the
mindset of government officials and NGOs, and the empowerment of people to
overcome the culture of silence. This is most likely to reduce corruption,
improve governance and strengthen democracy. This approach includes - ensuring
public health accountability, best use of resources, strengthening service
providers, reducing poverty and ensuring transparency and liability in all
government, non-government offices and autonomous organisations.
This facilitated
transparency and accountability within the government institutions and
Non-governmental Organisations which receive funding either from the government
or from external partners (foreign funding).
The Act however did not
cover the private corporate sector. This, by implication, restricted the
process of proactive disclosure. This is a drawback that needs to be remedied.
I believe that if the Act can be amended, it will then improve corporate governance
and also reduce corruption.
No discussion about good
governance will however be complete without touching on the important issues of
the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature and also the
fundamental relationship between the Executive and the Judiciary. These Organs
play a fundamental role not only in the upholding of human rights but also the
fundamental principles and the fundamental rights as enunciated in the
Constitution. It is this necessity that demands non-interference in the
activities expected from each of these Organs. It is only through this that the
hopes and aspirations of the people can be guaranteed.
Another important element
that helps to strengthen the prospect of human rights and good governance is
decentralisation. A top-down approach, without necessary dialogue with those at
the grassroots level, can sometimes lead to wrong or misplaced strategic
initiatives. On the other hand, a participatory decision making arrangement,
after consultation with all stakeholders will be better for governance for all
parties at different tiers. This is unfortunately forgotten at times and leads
to complications.
One cannot conclude any
discussion on the subject of good governance and human rights without referring
to the need for establishing an Ombudsman, who can be impartial, rise above
partisan politics and ensure accountability within the system of governance.
Article 77 of our Constitution suggests that the Parliament may, by law,
provide for the establishment of the office of Ombudsman. Consistent with this
principle, the Ombudsman is expected to exercise such powers and perform such
functions as Parliament may, by law, determine, including the power to
investigate any action taken by a Ministry, a public officer or a statutory
public authority.
This concept has proven to
be very successful in the Scandinavian countries, particularly in Sweden and
Norway and has extended the reach of efficient and corruption-free governance
in these nations. We should also seriously consider replicating this in Bangladesh.
The presence of an Ombudsman would not only ensure true independence for bodies
like the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Public Service Commission but also
guarantee lack of external interference pertaining to their activities.
There also needs to be
revival of a strong and efficient Human Rights Commission and a functional
Information Commission in Bangladesh. That is absolutely necessary.
(Muhammad Zamir, a former
Ambassador is an analyst specialised in foreign affairs, right to information
and good governance, can be reached at muhammadzamir0@gmail.com)
Tribune India: Haryana: Monday, 22 December 2025.
Enacted to ensure
transparency and empower citizens through access to official records, the Right
to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 was once seen as a formidable tool to curb
corruption. Two decades on, however, activists in the state allege that the law
is being steadily hollowed out through administrative inertia, selective
interpretation and chronic delays.
RTI activists claim that
information is now routinely denied by invoking the exemption of “personal
information”, often without applying the test of larger public interest. RTI
activist PP Kapoor alleged that state public information officers (SPIOs) appeared
to be “trained more in refusing information than in providing it within the
statutory framework”.
“Even at the first
appellate stage within departments and during second appeals before the State
Information Commission, authorities selectively cite Supreme Court judgments
and restrictive provisions to block disclosure,” Kapoor said.
Highlighting procedural
violations, an RTI applicant shared his experience of filing four applications
through the state’s online portal with the Education Department and the Police
in August. “Despite the mandatory one-month deadline, no replies were received.
Even the first appeals failed to evoke any response, though appellate
authorities are equally bound by timelines,” he said.
Kapoor pointed to staff
shortages crippling the Haryana State Information Commission (HSIC). Against a
sanctioned strength of one Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and 10 State
Information Commissioners (SICs), the Commission is currently functioning with
just one CIC and six SICs.
“As a result, hearings are
pushed back by several months, and certified copies of orders take two to three
months to reach applicants. The situation is worsening, even compared to
regular courts, indicating a visible attempt to stifle the flow of information,”
he alleged.
He further claimed that
penalties imposed on erring SPIOs are rarely enforced. “Nearly Rs 2.5 crore in
penalties is pending recovery. I approached the Lokayukta, but the complaint
remains unresolved,” Kapoor said.
Echoing these concerns,
Subhash, convener of the Haryana Soochna Adhikar Manch, alleged a lack of
political and bureaucratic will to uphold transparency. “Authorities are
legally required to promote awareness of the RTI Act, but little effort has
been made. There is no structured training for SPIOs, and in some cases even
sarpanches are designated as SPIOs without adequate understanding of the law,”
he said.
Subhash added that many
government offices do not display mandatory details of SPIOs and appellate
authorities. He said that as of the end of March, 4,775 appeals were pending
before the HSIC, underscoring the mounting backlog.
While acknowledging misuse
of the Act in some cases, Subhash argued against blanket restrictions. “There
are instances where RTI is used to settle personal scores or intimidate
officials. The Commission should identify and deal firmly with such misuse rather
than denying information across the board,” he said.
Despite repeated
representations and protests including demonstrations outside the HSIC in
Chandigarh activists see little intent to strengthen the transparency regime.
“The RTI Act may not be repealed, but it is being weakened systematically,”
Subhash alleged.
He also expressed concern
over the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which removed the earlier
safeguard permitting disclosure of personal information in cases of larger
public interest. “This has made it much easier for authorities to reject RTI
applications by citing ‘personal data’, raising serious questions about the
future of transparency and accountability,” he added.
Hindustan Times: Mumbai: Monday, 22 December 2025.
Only 723,133 out of a
total 969,029 students who applied for scholarships through the state’s Maha DBT
portal during this period have received financial assistance while 142,383
applications are pending
The response received on
December 18 by Amar Ekad, president, Care of Public Safety Association, raises
serious concerns about administrative efficiency (or the lack of it) and its
impact on students from economically weaker sections.
The Maharashtra government
runs multiple scholarship schemes to support students pursuing higher education
however a staggering 1.42 lakh students have been deprived of scholarship
benefits over the last five academic years, an application filed under the
Right to Information (RTI) Act on December 5 has revealed. The response
received on December 18 by Amar Ekad, president, Care of Public Safety
Association, raises serious concerns about administrative efficiency (or the
lack of it) and its impact on students from economically weaker sections.
As per data obtained
through the RTI query, only 723,133 out of a total 969,029 students who applied
for scholarships through the state’s MahaDBT portal during this period have
received financial assistance while 142,383 applications are pending, leaving
thousands of students struggling to manage their educational expenses.
The RTI data reveals that
75,203 applications are pending at the college level, primarily due to delays
in document verification and institutional recommendations; whereas 67,180
applications are awaiting final approval from the higher education department.
Ironically, this backlog persists despite the scholarship process being fully
online. Applications are reportedly getting stuck at various stages such as
document scrutiny, college verification, and departmental approvals. In many
cases, scholarship applications have been pending beyond one academic year,
severely disrupting the students’ academic planning and financial stability.
Ekad said, “For many
students, scholarships are not merely a financial aid but a necessity to pay
tuition fees, hostel charges, and daily living expenses. The prolonged delays
have forced students to either borrow money, discontinue their education temporarily,
or face immense financial stress.” Calling the situation a serious
administrative failure, he said, “The existence of an advanced digital platform
like MahaDBT makes such large-scale pendency unacceptable.” Ekad demanded
immediate disciplinary action against colleges that are deliberately delaying
or blocking scholarship applications, and urged the state government to
streamline the verification and approval process to ensure timely disbursement
of funds.
An officer from DHE said,
“In most cases, the delay is caused by the college administration. We have sent
them multiple reminders and just recently, we organised a two-week drive to
help colleges verify pending cases so that students can access the government
schemes they are eligible for.”
A student shared her
experience saying, “I am a B Pharmacy second-year student. I haven’t even
received the first-year scholarship instalment yet, so I am facing difficulties
paying my tuition fees. It makes me worry every day about how I will manage all
my expenses without the scholarship. I am still waiting for the first-year
scholarship and have approached the college multiple times, but I haven’t
received satisfactory answers from them. I am not the only one; many of my
friends are in an even worse situation, still waiting for their scholarships.”
The 14 major scholarship
schemes implemented by the Directorate of Higher Education through the MahaDBT
portal include: Rajashri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Tuition Fee Scholarship, Dr
Punjabrao Deshmukh Hostel Maintenance Allowance, Eklavya Scholarship, State
Government Minority Scholarship, and Open Merit Scholarship among others. These
schemes are crucial for students who depend entirely on scholarships to
continue their education.
According to official
data, 26,669 out of 74,268 applications submitted by jobless diamond artisans
for school fee support were rejected. The scheme is being implemented by the
District Industries Centre (DIC) on behalf of the state government.
.jpg)
.JPG)
.JPG)
