Whispers Forum

As pointed out in Forum by Mr Harish Kumar the Indian mission staff is working very hard for repatriation of Indians stuck abroad these days. Whenever there has been occasion for repatriation from foreigners from trouble spots, Indian mission staff work 24x7. Such crises arise only in the middle east and there too once in a decade. Rest of the time there is no work in most of the embassies, high commissions and consulates. It is not their fault that the world has become connected and feet on the ground means very little. Journalists in Delhi know what is happening in Cairo better than the embassy staff there. Prime Ministers can talk to each other. Carefully drafted communications have been replaced by tweets. Diplomatic bag does not exist any longer. To their credit, missions provide excellent hospitality to Indian government officials visiting foreign countries; as for assistance to other Indians visiting or living in the country lesser said the better. Proportion of non-diplomatic work in the missions has increased; yet non-IFS officers in the missions are treated like dirt by their IFS colleagues. This does not mean that embassies should be closed. China has embassies in all small African and Latin American countries. Their ambassadors do not suffer from the 'excellency' syndrome and act as if they are servants of Chinese business companies, enabling them to monopolise certain segments of the market in these countries. Unlike many countries where only half the ambassadors are career diplomats, in India the number of non-IFS ambassadors remains around four percent or so. The missions have become incestuous introverted organisms. Who can make the missions lean and useful? Not the Government of India. Top notch politicians do not want the external affairs portfolio; they would rather have home, finance or defence. Narrow-mindedness is not the monopoly of the IFS; most Indian civil servants are narrow-minded. That said, IFS officers are still the brightest of the civil servants in India and therefore it is possible that some day the missions could be dragged into the 21st century.
Prof. N.C. Saxena
Aar-Paar ki Ladai is sole option
Tension escalating at LAC by the hour. China has parked its PLA, tanks, ammunitions and fighter jets. India has responded by alerting its army, IAF and the Navy.
Skirmishes and attempts at infiltrating Pak-sponsored terrorists at LOC are routine matters. Battle lines have drawn between India on one side and Pakistan + China on the other ,at multiple fronts LOC, LAC, IB, could start along with maritime warfare.
Laddhak , Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, among others, are the latest sore points. An eyeball-to-eyeball military stand-off at a tri-junction in Doklam for two months, would be infructuous. No time to waste. No military posturing, no mind games. But, a full-scale war seems imminent.
And, India is not alone. The US and 192 other countries are itching for revenge against the Corona superspreader China. Situations around Eastern and South China sea might soon reach the flash point.
Aggression is the best form of defence. We have to be aggressively defensive. PM Modi has also to deliver on retrieving POK-Gilgit-Baltistan besides protecting existing States/UTs like Uttarakhand, HP, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Ladakh. It will not be offered to us on a platter. India would have to take the initiative and bell the cat.
Real testing time for PM Modi to lead and keep the country motivated. India while forcibly and swiftly taking over POK-Aksai-chin, must fulfill its promise of supporting liberation movement in Baluchistan with help from Iran. And, India is not alone. All western democracies led by the US, has to mull nuclear options against China to save HK, Taipeh, East-South-china sea, Vietnam and others.
An all-out war by India at LOC, LAC and IB and Indian oceans is the sole option.
And, Indian attacks must be fast, fierce and furious. Once joined by 192 other countries and the US ,we are not alone to teach the enemies of the World ,a lesson.
It is now or never.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

Served in a CAPF for twenty eight years. MHA has tightened the control on CAPFs by honest examination of its extravagance. There have been Directors General who had been law onto themselves. The DG of a CAPF enjoys complete freedom in operational and matters of control. A pay commission has made an oft quoted remark on BSF many years back that it was the fastest growing department of government of India and has failed itself in all the border guarding duties. Infiltration has brought us what we are today. The Department of Border Management under MHA should be strengthened so as to develop an integrated approach. Technology can be a big game changer in aiding border guarding and can increase efficiency. Similarly, intelligence agencies should be made more proactive by grant of additional budget and given opportunity to merge with the border population and instill confidence with them, CRPF should be better trained to train terror threats and naxal operations. IPS officers should be inducted in greater numbers for a period of seven eight years and there experience will enrich the State Police Forces. BSF is despotic in far as much it allows only armed police personnel expansion. The common medical services and Doctors of CAPFs should be brought out of control of whimsical Commandants and modernised to tackle the health issues of CAPF personnel, their families and border population as well. Warfare can be innocuous and come as an epidemic due to possible mischief of some hostile nation. MHA should be strengthened along with department of Border Management to have greater control with an eye on increasing lakhs of Force Personnel of CAPFs and make them better equipped to tackle contingencies and better serve the nation.
Pankaj Grover
Utter confusion all over
With so many orders, counter orders being issued by Central Government and State Governments, there is utter confusion all over. Added to this local administrations/police personnel at the ground level are using their own discretion to interpret the rules. It is high time that Central Government issues clear and unambiguous orders on movement within NCR and inter state movements which should be BINDING on all. Any one violating this should be given strict punishment.
S Gopal

The government officials seem to have a fear against disclosure, even when the matter pertains to one involving someone amongst its own. Matters such as pay fixations should be disclosed to any person in respect of whom the decision is taken. The inherent bias against transparency can only be changed when officials know that RTI is useful for them and transparency brings about improvement in the system which would be beneficial for all.
Sudhir Kumar Bajpai
“Mega Stimulus Package V/s Mega Scams ”
Announcing Mega economic stimulus package of 20 lakh crores rupees by PM Modi to fight Covid -19 virus, is an act of magnanimity. What next ? But, how much funds go to actual projects & how much is siphoned off to the deep pockets of politicians, bureaucrats and top business tycoons, remains a riddle inside an enigma wrapped in mystery.
The simple-minded common folks are unable to figure out the nitty-gritty of financial packages. Others are clueless, speechless. Craving for recognition and earning political brownie points , are primary concerns of politicians. This drives all their decisions.
Despite all possible efforts, the corona graph is reaching the peaks. Situation is supposed to reach alarming proportions in June-July,2020.But,let us not get panicky. We shall overcome the crisis. Balancing lockdown with gradual opening-up, needs monitoring.
Spending authorities in States have no accountability , no transparency. Corruption galore. Action is not taken on the reports of Statutory Auditor. The C&AG reports are submitted annually to those very politicians in Parliament, who had participated in scams.
Reports are, at times, not even read by politicians and irregularities are regularized in the name of emergent expenditure. Reports carrying damning indictment are taken as read.
Conflict of interests. How could they become judges in their own cause?
Are Indians aware that politicians eagerly wait for natural calamities that hit the country, year-after-after. These include floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches and other effects of climate change.
Motive : Embezzlement of central relief funds. An open secret in bureaucratical circles.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

An employee filed an application with his own public authority seeking information certain information about the decision of an independent committee. The desired information was not provided to her by the PIO while stating that she can get the information through proper channel. The PIO submitted that the appellant being an employee of the same organisation, the RTI application was put up before the higher authorities and based on the decisions taken by the higher authorities, a reply was provided to her. The CIC held that the PIO was supposed to address the points raised by the Appellant in her RTI application rather than stating that the applicant being herself an employee of the respondent is a part of information provider and can get the information through proper channel. The CIC cautioned the PIO to strictly follow the RTI regime while handling the RTI applications in future.
Comments
As per Section 3 of the RTI Act, a citizen has every right to file a RTI application and the PIO is legally bound to reply to the same. Even though one may be an employee of the organisation, it does not take away the right to file an application under the RTI Act to that organisation as a citizen.
Citation: Ani Dath v. ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute in Decision no.: CIC/CARIT/A/2018/166218/02856, Date of Decision: 12/02/2020
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is an expert on RTI matters and has co-authored the books RIGHT TO INFORMATION - LAW AND PRACTICE and PIO’s guide to RTI. Apart from her weekly article here, her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link: www.rtifoundationofindia.com

Post cartographic aggression, Nepal PM has now dared to cross the Lakshman Rekha by slamming India as more lethal than China, the super-spreader of Covid-19. Strange but true, even, Xenophobic Manisha Koirala who earns from Bollywood films joins the protest against India. This can neither be forgotten nor forgiven. Boycott her as we did in case of Pakistani actors.
Nepal is a buffer State between India and China. But, this does not mean it could play one against the other.
Does it not reflect India’s weak foreign policy. Enough damage has been done already. Small neighbours like Pakistan and Nepal are brazenly exhibiting hostility towards peace-loving India, obviously at the behest of big brother China.
For how long will India remain a mute witness to this global insult. The nationalist Indians are feeling hugely outraged.
For whom has India accumulated military arms and ammunition, missiles, advanced fighter aircrafts ,nuclear submarines and so on.
India's professional Army is not meant to kill Pak-sponsored terrorists in 2s and 3s.
Time to re-visit Chanakya Niti. Be decisive and take over POK without further delay.
No room for mercy and compassion.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

OnMay 25 1991, the former Prime Minister of India was assassinated at Sriperumbudur in Kancheepuram district located at a distance of less than fifty kilometers from the city of Chennai. I was then serving at the International Monetary Fund, Washington D.C. as a Staff Member / Assistant to the Executive Director the late Gopi Krishna Arora, IAS (UP:1957), who had succeeded Dr Bimal Jalan who was appointed the Union Finance Secretary by the late V P Singh Prime Minister in late 1989. Around 3.30 PM in the Executive Lounge on that fateful day. I was enjoying a hot cup of coffee watching the TV when there was a flash news announcing the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
Within half an hour, the late Abid Hussain, IAS (Andhra Pradesh) the then Indian Ambassador to the United States called me to check up with Tamil Nadu Government if the news was true as he would have to make arrangements for Shri Rahul Gandhi, who was an under graduate at Harvard, to fly to New Delhi. It was past 11 PM when I called one or two of my batch mates who were Secretaries to Government of Tamil Nadu who tuned in their TV sets and found there were no flash news. In 1991, there were only two Doordarshan channels. I called the then Home Secretary the late Shri K.J.M. Shetty IAS (TN :1959) who was fast asleep got highly irritated on being disturbed from sleep said I don’t know and went back to sleep. Later I came to know that the Raj Bhavan staff had a great problem in waking up the then Governor of Tamil Nadu the late Shri Bhishma Narain Singh from sleep.
Finally, I called the residence of the late T.N. Seshan IAS (TN: 1955) who was then Chief Election Commissioner of India. The late Shrimathi Jaya Seshan did confirm the news said Seshan had gone to the Rashtra Pathi Bhavan. When I called Abid Hussain, he told me that R.K. Dhawan had called him from Delhi a little while ago and he was making arrangements for Rahul Gandhi to fly from Boston to New York to catch a flight to New Delhi.
In December 1984, I had the opportunity to receive Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Karaikudi to address an election rally as the general elections had been announced. He had taken over as India’s Prime Minister hardly two months ago after the assassination of Shrimathi Indira Gandhi on October 31 1984. With the permission of Shri Arun Singh whohad accompanied the Prime Minister Ibriefed Shri Rajiv Gandhi about the problems I was facing from the Sri Lankan navy who were not only attacking the Tamil Nadu fishermen but had killed about five or six of them. Shri Rajiv Gandhi listened to me carefully and announced in the election rally that he was fully aware of the problems faced by the Tamil fishermen and would arrange adequate protection to them. Within two days the Director General Coast Guard met me at Madurai and arranged for eight Coast Guard vessels which greatly helped the Rameswaram and Pamban fisherfolk to perform their fishing operations in the Palk Strait without any disturbance.In fact there was not a single incident of attack on the Tamil Nadu fishermen till I left the district almost a year later.
On this day I remember the late Rajiv Gandhi with respect and I still cherish his words of compliment “well organized” at the end of the election rally.
Dr. Sitharam Gurumurthi (TN: 1972) Retired
Former Member State Planning Commission &
Additional Chief Secretary to Government of Tamil Nadu (Retired)
“India’s Internal Challenges V/s External Threats”
PM's address to the Nation on May 12 carried the usually long ‘Bhoomika’, replete with self-adulation. His emphasis on Self-reliance filled the audience with a sense of deja vu. Same rhetoric was used during 2014 polls.
The speech turned out to be a damp squib after 10 hours of suspenseful wait. The bottomline was that the national lockdown will continue beyond 17th May as thousands of migrant labourers continue to gravitate towards native places in UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, MP, WB, Gujrat, Karnataka etc after traversing long hours on foot, bicycles without food and water. Some packed like sardines in tempos, trucks.
No feel-good announcement. Impact of package of Rs 20 lakh crores of tax payers' money as mantra for self-reliance will be seen. Further details by FM. What was the urgency for PM’s nation-wise address,5 days before expiry of lockdown on May 17.
Indian Inc has supported the move. Expected.
Let us see how the poor and indigent population benefit. There could be lots of fireworks between BJP and the UPA- ruled states on scales of quantum of financial package received by them. But, no one can question PM’s honesty of purpose. Let us not forget that he is a seasoned politician too.
A word about India’s threats from hostile neighbours.
People of India are more worried about escalating tension at the LOC , IB, LAC and Indian ocean than Corona. A joint conspiracy is being hatched against India by China-Pakistan.
PM Modi's leadership will be under real test in the battle field.
Artificial islands are being created by China in Indian Ocean, just 600 Km off Indian coast, as part of its doctrine of String of Pearls. Hambantota port of Srilanka is already under Chinese occupation. Debt trap.
What would be India's response? Will it remain a mute witness like the US in South-China sea conundrum, when artificial islands were created by China ?
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)
TPA is also a Covid Warrior
Glad to know that TPA was processed promptly and senior citizens were comfortable in getting the treatment. Yes insurance and banks are working and doing yeomen service. They are also Covid Warriors
Seth

There is a concern that civil service aspirants are not giving IFS as their first choice. There are two reasons. First is that they do not know that financially a foreign posting is very lucrative. IFS association rightly keeps everyone dark about the allowances and the perks; otherwise there will be unnecessary public criticism. Apart from free furnished accommodation, IFS officers are allowed domestic servants and chauffeur driven cars even when posted in countries where only the super-rich can afford such things. In addition there are countless allowances. Second reason is lack of challenge. After six years of service, an IFS officer is mainly looking after crockery and cutlery while his IAS counterpart is managing a whole district with all its challenges, headaches and fulfilment. Even at the level of Ambassador in 90 percent of the missions there is no substantive work. But this can also be viewed positively. Instead of drowning in alcohol, some officers use their time in perfecting the knowledge of foreign language allotted to them. They can also use their time in improving English as the new batches (as pointed out by a former Dean of the Sushma Swaraj Foreign Service Institute) are not up to scratch in English. Brilliant IFS officers have written coffee table books and bestseller novels. For an intelligent person, availability of free time is a boon. A very small number of candidates with nefarious intentions may still give income tax as their first preference. Others should give first preference to IFS.
M.P. Bauer
Why should poor souls suffer for others ?
It is heartrending to see migrant labour, especially women with babies in arms and heavy bags on their heads walking in this hot weather to their home states. It is even more pathetic to see authorities not allowing them to cross state borders and forcing them to go back , sometimes using violence. I appeal to the Chief Ministers of various states : for God's sake, if you can’t look after them by providing shelter and food at least open your state borders, arrange buses and trains ( at state's cost) and let the wretched souls go wherever they want to go. If it will result in increase in corona cases, so be it. Why should these poor souls suffer and pay the price for the welfare of other citizens. Let us all suffer together.
Raghavan
R. Subramanian
Flat 202,Priyadarshni Apartments, CGHS Plot No.34A
SECTOR 56,GURGAON
CSS officers working as frontliners !

I read two derogatory comments against our missions/posts in the last few days as if they are all useless creatures and have no role to play. Missions or posts be closed. I have a small question, how in this hour of crisis, were repatriated from abroad, who helped them in this hour of crisis. Almost each element of the embassy had a role to.play and were working 24/7 for this purpose. This is only a recent example. Mission staff is always on toes 24/7, have to live under tensive, hectic, turbulent local conditions, sometimes face civil strife due to coups etc in the country of posting. MEA fraternity right from Ambassador down the last rung are civilian soldiers committed to the nation with a motto "Service Before Self" I think those who are writing such negative comments have some vendetta against MEA or Missions, the other reason could be they could not make it to the foreign service. Would suggest this website should not encourage such comments in future.
Harish Kumar
Well said !
Well said. Government needs to have a relook at the existing Tax Laws and rationalise them so that people have adequate money to spend and spurt growth.
S Gopal
Great, Congratulations !
Great Suman, Congratulations ! You have both been diligent & Genius.Relating myself back to 2000-04,makes me feel extremely happy & highly elated. Wishing you all the Best, all along.
Arun Sharma
How true... ?
How true... I'm sure the Revenue Services may be taking this perspective with a great pinch of salt.
Oscar Noronha

In a book published by Mrs Sonali Kumar titled ‘The Outsider’s Curse’, the author claims that she (1979 batch IAS) was the first outsider lady officer in J&K. The marketing of the book is based on this premise which is fallacious. For example, Ms Meena Ahuja (IAS : 1975) was an ‘outsider’ and was working in the cadre when the author joined. All India Services were introduced to J&K in 1961 much later than their introduction in the rest of India. Promotion quota in J&K and Sikkim is 50% whereas in other states it has been lower. The result is that there is delay in promotion of junior scale officers of all three AIS officers. For confirmation, the AIS officers in other states have to pass examination in the official language of the state; in J&K the officers have to pass examination in three languages - official language Urdu plus two sub-regional languages. These have been genuine problems for young direct recruits but not mentioned by the author. The main complaint of the author is that ‘insider’ direct recruits have local connections; but this is true for all states. This problem are more severe in small cadres because in small states everyone knows everyone. Another problem with poor small states is that administrative canvas being small, the officers do not get enough challenge and the intelligent ones (like the author, presumably) get frustrated and are cribbing most of the time. Outsider AIS officers in J&K are not worse off than those in other poor small states.
Prof. N.C. Saxena
Govt servants can give suggestions through proper channel
I agree that government servants can give suggestions but through proper channel and to the appropriate authority. They could have sent it to Department of Administrative Reforms for action.
S Gopal
BHEL extends financial help to pensioners and widows
Curious to know further details of financial assistance to pensioners of BHEL. Can the details be shared. Thank you
Om Prakash
My Salute to Health Insurance TPA and its CEO, Mehra !
*I want to share my experience with Health Insurance TPA (Hi Tpa) with all the PSGI Employees and Retirees. My wife Mrs. Darisy Helen Grace Darling aged 62 years is suffering from Heart problem, breathlessness etc. We are initially doubtful and afraid of going to Hospital due to LOCKDOWN. But her suffering is increasing day by day.
*When I contacted the Health Insurance TPA Officer at VIZAG, R. N. RAJU and informed him about my predicament of taking her to Hospital, he assured me that inspite of LOCKDOWN Hi Tpa will render all necessary help and I shall get all approvals without any delay. To be sure I also contacted General Secretary, General Insurance Pension Achievers (GIPA), P.V. Subbarao, who informed that the CEO of HiTpa Suresh Kumar Mehra has directed all his staff across India to render 24 hours service and they are true to their words.
*I took my wife in my car to Apollo Hospital admitted her on 21st April and the Admission Approval was received by the Hospital within 5 minutes. All tests were conducted, the Coronary Artery Disease with 90% block was detected. Surgery was advised to clear the block with PTCA - insertion of STENT. Discharge Approval came within 10 minutes.
*Again I took her to Hospital on 21st April and the Admission Approval literally followed us. She was admitted in Hospital and Surgery performed with complete success by Dr. D. K. Barua, the renowned Surgeon. By 25th April evening the Doctor advised Discharge and I was worried because it was Saturday late evening and there was complete SHUTDOWN. But to my utter surprise and delight the Discharge Approval (for more than Rs. 3 lakhs) the Discharge Approval came within 10 minutes of the file sent by Hospital.
*We were discharged and came home calmly and happily. My wife is Hale and healthy, recovering fast. This is an experience most unexpected and unbelievable that too when the whole Country was in LOCKDOWN. Kudos to R.N. Raju, HiTpa Officer at VIZAG. HAT'S OFF to S.K. Mehra, CEO of HiTpa, under whose dynamic leadership HiTpa has emerged as Customer friendly Institution. We are indebted to you.
C. Rajamohan Rao
Sr. Divisional Manager (R)
UIIC, Visakhapatnam RO.

Appellant sought information pertaining to his pay alleging certain discrepancies with respect to the same. He sought certified copy of recovery order issued by the Principal/DHE regarding fixation of pay in ACP, copy of pay fixation ACP case, copy of Earned leave record up to 30.07.2017 etc. The CIC directed the PIO to provide an opportunity to the Appellant to inspect relevant documents along with all the note sheets/correspondences pertaining to averred Pay Recovery order on a mutually decided date and time duly intimated to the Appellant telephonically and in writing. The CIC further directed to provide copies of documents, if desired, to the Appellant without charging prescribed fees.
Comments
As per the provisions of the RTI Act, the information can be denied only under section 8 and 9. All the available information must be provided failing which penal action may be taken against the PIO.
Citation: Ajit Singh v. Post Graduate Govt. College in File No : CIC/UTOCH/A/2018/152703, Date of Decision : 19/03/2020
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is an expert on RTI matters and has co-authored the books RIGHT TO INFORMATION - LAW AND PRACTICE and PIO’s guide to RTI. Apart from her weekly article here, her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link: www.rtifoundationofindia.com

It has been pointed out in the Forum that Indian missions abroad are over staffed, the Indian officials there have no work and spend their time in watching videos. Secondly, government expenditure on a babu in a mission (allowances plus perks) is more tan ten times that of his counterpart in Delhi. These two issues are not scrutinised because they are far away. It is not the fault of the officials that they have no work. In the old days the main job of a mission was to keep his government informed of what is happening in the host country. Now physical presence is not required to know what is happening. Quite the reverse. Often an Ambassador gets a phone call from his country: Are you aware that such and such thing happened last night in the country (where you are posted)? Second job was to act a channel for communication. In the old days, Ambassadors could even stop a war from occurring by clearing misunderstanding or offerings compromise. Now foreign ministers or foreign secretaries of the two countries can talk to each other directly to each other. The video link is so good that it is like talking face to face. Embassies do not have skills to promote commerce. Private sector facilitators can do it better. When big shot Indian business persons go abroad, they do not even bother to meet the Indian Ambassador relying on local agents instead. Granting visas was the only work left; and with the coming of e-visas, that is also gone. As for overstaffing and high expenditure on allowances and perquisites, which ministry wants to reduce staff or expenditure? It is to the credit of MEA that a large number of their employees (from the level of driver to Secretary) get a chance to make a lot of (white tax free) money. The officials should not be blamed if there is little work and they watch video films. At least they attend office and keep the tricolour flying.
M. P. Bauer
Restoration of Full Pension after Twelve years
In response to my above post published a few days ago. my attention has been drawn to a case filed by the Retired IPS Officers Association before the Delhi High Court in 2017 when it was pointed out that the centre fully recovers the commuted pension plus interest within 11 years after retirement and therefore the demand for restoration of full pension after twelve years was fully justified since the central government was in fact recovering excess amount for four more years from pensioners. The Delhi High Court judges had also sought the explanation from the central government in this regard. This was reported in the Business Standard on February 9, 2017. It is felt that this is the appropriate time to correct this serious anomaly.
Dr Sitharam Gurumurthi IAS (TN 1972( Retired)
Former Member State Planning Commission &
Retired Additional Chief Secretary to Government of Tamil Nadu
Chandra Shekhar Kumar Joint Secretary, Higher Education
Sir, Your email ID cs.kumar61@nic.in is saying email ID not exists and undelivered. My Gravience against the Central University of Karnataka against Illegal Recruitment with case no:PRSEC/E/2020/03034 is pending with you. Kindly take it as serious sir.
Mallikarjun (mallupatil04@gmail.com)