पंजाब-सोसाइटी-RTI-विवाद:संस्थाओं का विरोध-गैर सरकारी सोसाइटियों को RTI के दायरे में शामिल करना असंवैधानिक

Dainik Bhaskar: Ludhiana: Sunday, 28 December 2025.

सांझा मंच के प्रतिनिधी बैठक दौरान उपस्थित।

पंजाब सोसाइटी रजिस्ट्रेशन अमेंडमेंट एक्ट 2025 (प्रस्तावित ) को लेकर लगातार विवाद हो रहा है। आज मॉडल टाउन लुधियाना में हुई एक विशेष बैठक में में सांझा मंच के समाजसेवी संस्थाओं ने इसको लेकर चर्चा की। संस्थाओं ने राज्य सरकार के नए प्रस्ताव का विरोध किया और इसको असंवैधानिक बताया।
इसे संशोधन के दायरे में नहीं लाया जा सकता है
स्कूल संघ पंजाब के प्रतिनिधि भुवनेश भट्ट ने कहा कि RTI एक्ट 2005 की धारा 2(h) में संशोधन किए बिना, गैर सरकारी वित्तीय सहायता प्राप्त सोसाइटियों को RTI एक्ट के दायरे में शामिल करना कानूनी रूप से संभव नहीं है और RTI Act 2005 केंद्रीय क़ानून है। सरकार का ये असंवैधानिक फैसला है। जिसमें संशोधन राज्य सरकार के दायरे में नहीं आता। अतः इस मुद्दे पर बारीकी से नजर रखी जाए और नोटिफिकेशन होने पर फिर से चर्चा करके उपयुक्त कदम उठाए जाएं।
​बिना मदद के समाज के लिए कर रहे काम, तो हम शिकंजा क्यों
FAP के प्रतिनिधि अनुभव जैन ने कहा कि सोसाइटी एक्ट के तहत रजिस्टर्ड सोसाइटियां स्वास्थ-शिक्षा-खेल प्रोत्साहन जैसी सरकारी जिम्मेदारी को बिना सरकार की मदद लिए निभा रही हैं। साथ ही संस्कृति और सभ्याचार के प्रचार प्रसार के लिए समर्पित है। उनका कहना है कि इन समाज सेवी संस्थाओं को बढ़ावा देने के बजाय वर्तमान पंजाब सरकार शिकंजा कस रही है। जबकि सरकार ऐसी पार्टी की है, जो एक सामाजिक संस्था के आंदोलन से जन्मी है। इसका यह फैसला हैरानीजनक है।
सरकार केवल अफसरों के इनपुट तक सीमित
JAF के प्रतिनिधि प्रीतपाल सिंह ने कहा कि सरकार का गैर सरकारी सामाजिक संस्थाओं (सोसाइटी) को RTI के दायरे में शामिल करने की कोशिश न केवल असंवैधानिक है बल्कि चुनावी वर्ष में सरकार की छवि को भी धूमिल करेगी। शायद सरकार केवल अफसरशाही के इनपुट तक सीमित होती जा रही है।
बैठक में स्कूल संघ पंजाब के प्रतिनिधि राजेश नागर ने कहा कि उक्त प्रस्तावित सोसाइटी एक्ट संशोधन में RTI संबंधी कोलाज को छोड़कर बाकी सभी बातें पहले से ही सोसाइटी एक्ट का हिस्सा हैं। यह केवल पुराने सामान को नई पैकिंग करके मार्केटिंग का मामला लगता है ।बैठक में सांझा मंच के समाजसेवी संस्थाओं के प्रतिनिधि अनुभव कुमार, बलदेव अरोड़ा, बलदेव बावा, मनमोहन सिंह, विशाल गर्ग, शिफू अग्रवाल, गौरव नागर,सुरिंदर नेगी, पृथिपाल सिंह, राजेश नागर, भुवनेश भट्ट आदि शामिल हुए।
कानूनी विकल्प पर होगी चर्चा
पंजाब कैबिनेट द्वारा 29 नवंबर 2025 को पास उक्त बिल जो कि अभी नोटिफाई नहीं हुआ है। उसके अंतर्गत सभी सोसाइटीज़ को RTI Act के दायरे में शामिल करने संबंधी प्रावधान पूरी तरह असंवैधानिक फैसला है। इस संबंधी नोटिफिकेशन जारी होने के बाद इस पर सभी कानूनी विकल्पों पर चर्चा कि जाएगी।

Over 11,000 RTIs filed over school fee aid rejections : Yagnesh Bharat Mehta

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.

Who Controls Prime Govt Bungalows in Lutyens, New Delhi? RTI Appeal Seeks Answers

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.

Pending Disciplinary Action Shields Records u/s 8(1)(h) of RTI: IBBI FAA denies Disclosure, allows Only File Notings

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.

(Download Order of First Appellate Authority)

Teacher Surplus, Falling Enrolment Plague Nazira Primary Schools; RTI Reply Raises Questions

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.

Tribe Names In ST Certificates Of Some Manipur Government Staff Don't Exist In Official List: RTI

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'.

No Punjabi version of Divyangjan Empowerment Scheme available, reveals RTI plea

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.

No Normalisation In SBI Clerk 2025 Mains Exam, Check RTI Reply

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.

J&K Govt replies in RTI of top issues but Tehsildar JDA refuses ?

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.

Punjab CIC pulls up Amritsar MC over missing records of commercial complex

 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.

HC directs Telangana govt to upload all GOs on official website

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

HC stays RTI disclosure of lecturer’s personal records

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.

Advocate General’s post vacant in J&K; no proposal yet for new appointment: RTI reply

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.

RTI data shows faculty vacancies at key central hospitals

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.

RTI key to ensuring human rights, good governance : Muhammad Zamir

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)