The Wire: New Delhi: Tuesday, 6Th May 2025.
The education ministry’s RTI response also sidestepped a request to provide the formula based on which Shastri’s pay was determined.
In reply to an application
under the right to information (RTI) Act filed by The Telegraph, the Union
government has failed to provide the bio-data and qualifications of Chamu Kumar
Shastri, the chairman of the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti (BBS).
Shastri was appointed to the post in 2021 and is a member of the RSS-affiliated Samskrita Bharati, which attempts to promote Sanskrit learning through measures such as camps for children. The education ministry had set up the BBS in November 2021 to suggest ways of promoting Indian languages
The education ministry’s RTI response also sidestepped a request to provide the formula based on which Shastri’s pay was determined.
The central public information officer (CPIO) could not provide a copy of Shastri’s bio-data or explain the basis on which his pay had been fixed, as sought by the RTI application, reported The Telegraph.
Following an appeal was filed seeking a copy of the bio-data along with other details, Suman Dixit, the first appellate authority, replied on March 20 that the information sought was unavailable.
“The appeal has been examined from the perspective of substantive issue related to the information sought and information supplied. It is noted from the records that CPIO (L-11), Department of Higher Education has provided the information which are available,” said the reply.
Since December 2023, Shastri has been paid Rs. 2.5 lakh every month, more than a central university vice-chancellor, reported the newspaper.
The education ministry’s RTI response also sidestepped a request to provide the formula based on which Shastri’s pay was determined.
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| Representative image. Credit: manoftaste-de/Flickr, CC BY 2.0 |
Shastri was appointed to the post in 2021 and is a member of the RSS-affiliated Samskrita Bharati, which attempts to promote Sanskrit learning through measures such as camps for children. The education ministry had set up the BBS in November 2021 to suggest ways of promoting Indian languages
The education ministry’s RTI response also sidestepped a request to provide the formula based on which Shastri’s pay was determined.
The central public information officer (CPIO) could not provide a copy of Shastri’s bio-data or explain the basis on which his pay had been fixed, as sought by the RTI application, reported The Telegraph.
Following an appeal was filed seeking a copy of the bio-data along with other details, Suman Dixit, the first appellate authority, replied on March 20 that the information sought was unavailable.
“The appeal has been examined from the perspective of substantive issue related to the information sought and information supplied. It is noted from the records that CPIO (L-11), Department of Higher Education has provided the information which are available,” said the reply.
Since December 2023, Shastri has been paid Rs. 2.5 lakh every month, more than a central university vice-chancellor, reported the newspaper.
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