RTI Nation & my first RTI Application in 2012
A few days back, I filed my first application under RTI for 2012. I did this online via RTINation. Considering that RTI Nation is a young start-up, the experience was fairly satisfactory. I will probably give it another try sometime later this year.
My application was to find out more information about the jury for the SK Singh Award. Some of you may remember this news-report that was published in several newspapers in Jan: “S.K. Singh award for nuclear trouble-shooter Venkatesh Varmaâ€. Venkatesh is 3 years my senior in the Indian Foreign Service and a fine officer from all accounts. His receiving the award did not surprise me at all (he was in the thick of negotiations with the US on the nuclear agreement). What puzzled me were these lines (emphasis added):
Mr. Varma was selected as the first recipient of the prestigious award by a top-drawer jury consisting of Vice President Hamid Ansari, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, Ms Gandhi and Congress M.P. Rahul Gandhi.
To the best of my knowledge, Rahul Gandhi has no background in either diplomacy, foreign relations or nuclear issues (for that matter, neither does Smt Sonia Gandhi). I am therefore curious to find out the basis of jury selection. In my RTI application, I have asked the following questions:
- Who is the sponsor of the award? Is it the Government of India or a private organisation?
- What is the basis on which the jury has been selected?
- What is the basis on which Sh Rahul Gandhi has been selected as a jury member?
As some of you may know, Sh SK Singh (after whom the award is named) was one of our best known Foreign Secretaries. One of his sons (Kanishka Singh) is a close adviser to Rahul Gandhi. I wonder if this has any connection to the process of jury selection (In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I am acquainted with Sh SK Singh’s other son; we were colleagues for a brief while at Monitor Co. in London).
Back to RTI Nation. The process was straightforward – although I felt the charges are a bit on the high side (Rs 150). If you have not filed an RTI yet, try them out..this is your chance!
P.S. As some of you know, I have also sponsored an RTI Guide by Sakshi to Urban/Civic Affairs which can be downloaded for free from this link. On a lighter note (and somewhat related), pl read: The link between RTI and GDP!
Inspiring, Shantanu! Keep motivating us by your actions!
Shantanu
So did you get an awnser ?
My Question is that ..does the RTI activist and IFS officer name, who have filed this RTI, Shantanu?
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I salute to your thinking and want to know that what answer did you get from their side?.
.Thank you very much
Thanks Harsh!
Amit, Satya: I finally did get an answer..The sponsor is a private organisation (Q #1). Qs # 2 and 3 therefore become redundant.
I was expecting this. I would have been shocked if RG was on a “government-funded” jury!
Satya: Thanks for the generous praise..What I have done is a very modest step in the direction I would love all of us to take..Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!
Respected Sir, I was just reading about you. It is very motivational. Here i want to discuss about what you have written on “About Me”.
. Firstly tell me that where should i discuss ??.only here or through Gmail.?. see i am a new user and i know only few steps ..here or through gmail. i subscribed your blog through gmail but i did’t find any option to write down my views there. so come back here, where you replied only today.
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.here i go— you said -“””It was becoming clearer to me that India’s *fundamental problem* was poor governance and bad policies…and there was only one way to change that…Fortunately that way did not require a bloody revolution. “””.
Fine i accept your point . But tell me one thing by which way we can be able search a sustainable solution of this main problem ?..which still alive in our system?.
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.Now what i think about it..firstly i just divide this question in few parts..like –who play a big role or main role in policy making?
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and who is responsible for poor Governance?.. does a civil servant play a big role in policy making through social audit or etc.?
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Sir i am much intelligent as you are..but i think that if we want the core solution of such problem;included Corruption; then we should move to civil services and to make them more responsible about their duties .
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.Question is again repeating– which way will be helpful to search a sustainable solution of this main problem ?” poor governance and bad policies?>
does my solution will help for it?.If yes the HOW MUCH?
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.Thanks
Respected Sir… I have done a mistake in second last paragraph ..i have missed a word above comment…i written that “i am much intelligent as you are”जो मै नही हूठ…by mistake i couldn’t type “NOT”. it is like — i am not much intelligent as you are… i hope you understand …. .
thanks once again and really i am not intelligent ….
@Satya: First of all don’t worry about the “mistake” (#6)!. You may well be more intelligent than me..I was very lucky to have had opportunities to realise my full potential.
Re. the other points, you can discuss the matters on specific threads. Please use the “Search” box at the bottom of the page (which is a bit more effective than the one at the top) or the “Categories” drop down menu to locate the correct post.
I will give a short answer to your question. Politicians decide policies based on inputs form civil servants. The problem is not at the level of IAS officers (who are some of the smartest) but a leadership that is sacrificing our future everyday for the sake of votes – or blind (and stupid) allegiance to ideas like Nehruvian socialism.
That is why we need a new breed of leaders – who are not chained by Nehru’s ideology..
Read Sanjeev Sabhlok’s “Breaking Free of Nehru” (available for free download on his site).
Sir,
I regret to inform you that I have completely opposite experience from rtination. I made online payment of Rs.150/ for RTI query for Mumbai passport office on 5th May 2012. They e mailed me application on same day. I sent them scanned copy of signed application on 7th May 2012.
Till today, I don’t know about the status of my query. Repeated reminders at their e mail id have been unanswered.
So, the site who claims to be fighting for getting information is itself a big zero on sharing information.
It is ENCASHING on favorable posts like yours to cheat many other people.
Prasad: I am disappointed (and surprised) to read this…Perhaps you want to try getting in touch with them one more time?
Let me know if you still do not get any response..and thanks for sharing your experience..
Sirjee,
I have been trying to contact them since last few days. I have sent them mail on 4 occasions since 15th May. They have not bothered to reply it.
You can check these links also
http://www.consumercomplaints.in/complaints/wwwrtinationcom-c438754.html
or
http://www.rtination.com/rti-applications
where many applicants had same experience. RTINATION not responding to people once online payment formality is completed.
For very few people they do the job but probably it is a lottery run by educated people in disguise of helping people & getting free publicity.
As you have mentioned in your blog on 23rd Feb 2012, I request you to give them another try & then experience their working
Prasad: I will email them from my side too and let you know if I hear back..
Thanks
Thanks for your concern.
I have contacted cyber crime cell of Mumbai Police. Hopefully, I will be able to block this fraud site.
RTInation is a failure. On facebook of theirs, they delete user comments at their will and block as well users which they say is their sole right per se how MEAN and cheap. Fearful and corrupt rtination. Shame. Rtination was hit when it was new but now they have EXCUSES. total failure
Sadly, what Prasad and aks have mentioned above may be true. RTI Nation no longer appears to be active and is not responding to emails.
Really unfortunate – and unprofessional.
If they have stopped the service, the least they can do is to inform people on their site.