Friday, November 11, 2016

rithica2016-Part 2 Questions

RiThiCA-2016
Part 2: Questions
Distribution of marks:
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Q6
Q7
Q8
Q9
Q10
Total
Part1
Grand Total
5
5
5
4
6
20
25
10
5
5
90
10
100

Important : The winner will have to score atleast 50 pc marks in this part to be eligible for the prize money!

1.      List at least five factors that make this Act citizen friendly. The format should be: quote the clause/sub clause of the RTI Act and give precise reasons, not exceeding 20 words per factor. (Maximum 5 marks)
2.      List at least five factors that can be considered as drawbacks. Format same as in Q1.  (Maximum 5 marks)
3.      Is the office of the Chief Justice of India a public authority? If yes, give reasons. If no, give reasons. (Maximum 5 marks)
4.      As per Sec 14(3)(d) the President of India can remove the Chief Information Commissioner or Information Commissioner if, in his opinion, the commissioners are unfit to continue in office by reason of infirmity of mind or body. Now if you were the President of India and you find that the commissioners were repeatedly failing to impose the penalty on the public information officers who had defaulted in providing the information sought within the prescribed time even while ordering them to provide it then, would you consider it sufficient reason for removing those information commissioners for infirmity of mind? (Maximum 4 marks)
5.      Visit the site http://cic.gov.in/node/3479 and study the disclosures made by the Central Information Commission under Sec 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act. Now reproduce the information in the cases given below and answer the questions given therein. If the answer is no, provide the list of shortcomings.
5.1.Refer Sec 4(1)(b)(iii). Has the procedure for handling complaints/appeals disclosed?  (Maximum 3 marks)
5.2.Refer Sec 4(1)(b)(x). Has the monthly remuneration of the information commissioners and employees been disclosed correctly? (Clue: note the difference is between the info-monthly remuneration- to be disclosed and the basic pay/ pay scale that has been disclosed.) (Maximum 3 marks)
6.      Now, visit the official websites of the President, the Department of Personnel and Training (the nodal department for RTI), the Governor of any one state and any two state information commissions and provide the URL of the location where the public authorities have complied with Sec 4(1)(b)(iii) and (x). Against each URL mention the subsections , the information provided and the shortcomings. (Maximum 4 marks for each URL. Total 20 marks)
7.      Case studies. In the following cases download the decisions of the Central Information Commission and analyze them for correctness and accuracy. The analysis report should be provided in three parts-what is correct, what is wrong and the rating of the order on a scale of 0 to 9, 0 being bad to 9 being good. Maximum 5 marks for each decision analyzed.
7.1.Case 1. A defence pensioner sought the following details from the Pension disbursing authority, that is the SBI:

1.      Please refer Government of India, Ministry of Defence, Department of Ex-
Servicemen Welfare letter No No 17(4)/2008(1)/D(Pen/Policy) dated 11.11.2008. As per this letter the pension disbursing atuhorities (PDAs) were required to submit a report as per Annexure IV (Form for intimation by the Pension Disbursing Authority to the Principal CDA (P) Allahabad regarding Revision of Pension in terms of Ministry of Defence letter No.17(4)/2008(1)/D(Pen/Pol) dated 11.11. 2008. (in respect of those who were retired/discharged/died in service prior to 1.1.2006) given therein, to the Principal CDA, Allahabad. In this context, please provide the following information:

1.1.      How many pensioners of the category mentioned above are being served by you as the PDA or through you by the PDA? If you are not the PDA then the figures pertaining to the PDA should be given.
1.2.      Has Annx IV been submitted, as required above, for all those pensioners? Provide copy of the letter under which they have been sent. If the annexures had not been sent in one lot give the letter number, date and the number of annexures sent on each date. If the complete lot of annexures have not been sent, give the number of annexures yet to be sent and the reasons for the default.
1.3.      Are all the pensioners being given their pension as per new rates, as of now? If not, give the number of pensioners whose pensions have not been revised till date and the reasons for the failure in revision.

The decision in F.No.CIC/AT/A/2010/000683 dated 8/12/2010 by A N Tiwari, CIC is available at the website of the Central Information Commission

7.2.Case 2. Alongwith the 2nd appeal in the above case, the appellant had submitted another 2nd appeal- rti/sbi pkd-2nd appeal-070710-curchest dated 7/7/2010- involving the same public authority. These were sent under a covering letter RTI/sbi pkd-2nd appeal-070710-cl dated 07 Jul 2010. There being no action on this 2nd appeal, an application was submitted under the RTI Act to the PIO, CIC on 23.7.2011 with the following requirements:

1.       Refer the following 2nd appeals:

1.1.rti/rlys-passrelinfo-2nd appeal-280510 dated 28/5/10  *
1.2.rti/sspo pkd-2nd appeal-280510 dated 28/5/10    *          
1.3.rti/sbi pkd-2nd appeal-070710-penfix dated 7/7/2010 ** and  
1.4.rti/sbi pkd-2nd appeal-070710-curchest dated 7/7/2010 **      

Forwarded thro’ CAPIO, O/o The SSPO Palakkad
** Forwarded by SpeedPost No EL664026435IN on 7/7/10

2.       In the context of the above appeals you are requested to provide the following information:

2.1.  The date of receipt and serial number of the entry in the register maintained for the purpose
2.2.  With resepct to the acknowledgement, the letter number and date, the date on which sent and the serial number of the entry in the register maintained for the purpose and the mode of sending- whether by ordinary post, speed post, registered post with or without acknowledgement due or courier etc
2.3.  With respect to the notice for hearing, the letter number and date, the date on which sent and the serial number of the entry in the register maintained for the purpose and the mode of sending- whether by ordinary post, speed post, registered post with or without acknowledgement due or courier etc
2.4.  The dates and mode- in person, audio conference, video conference etc-of hearing and the names, designations and location of the participants
2.5.  With respect to the orders, the order number and date, the date on which sent and the serial number of the entry in the register maintained for the purpose and the mode of sending- whether by ordinary post, speed post, registered post with or without acknowledgement due or courier etc
2.6.  Also,  with respect to the orders, the url of the order if available on the commission’s website.
2.7.  In the case of appeals where hearings have not been conducted so far, provide the copies of file notings and the statements of the PIO/FAA, if any, received.
Decision No. CIC/SM/A/2011/002676/SG/18751dated 4 May 2012 by Shailesh Gandhi, IC is available at the website of the Central Information Commission.

7.3.Case 3. The applicant had sought some information regarding some railway overbridges under construction in a particular railway division. Some information was provided on the eve of hearing in the 2nd appeal and some more after the decision.
Decision in CIC/OK/A/2008/00766-AD dated 19/5/2009 and adjunct to this order dated 16/6/2009 by Annapoorna Dixit, IC are available at the website of the Central Information Commission

7.4.        Case 4. Following the decisions at 7.3 the railways did provide some information. Quoting their letter, an updated status report was sought from the same public authority. The relevant portion of the application is reproduced below:

1.       Ref your letter No W351/1/1/CN/P1/117 dated 12/6/2009.
2.    Please provide the status as on 31 Aug 2013 for all the ROB/RUB in that list.
3.    Also, please provide the following details for the ROB at Ser 76 (the one coming up next to the Palakkad Town Railway Station):
3.1. The width of the bridge at all exit/entry points (a sketch, need not be to scale, may be used to indicate the locations)
3.2. Whether heavy vehicles can ply on it or not.
3.3. Given the turning radius available, the maximum length of any vehicle that can use the ROB, without causing disruption to the uninterrupted flow of traffic on the ROB and the roads serving it.
4.   If any additional ROB/RUB have been sanctioned or are under construction in this sector, please provide those details also.)

Decision No CIC/VS/A/2Ol4/OOO322 dated 8/7/2015 by Vijai Sharma,CIC is available at the web site of the Central Information Commission

7.5.        Case 5. Decision (only one) in (3 complaints) Nos. CIC/RM/C/2014/900160/,   CIC/RM/C/2014/900281, CIC/RM/A/2014/901227 dated 10/6/2016 by Radha Krishna
Mathur, CIC is available at the web site of the Central Information Commission

8.      Personal experiences. List out the applications you have submitted giving the following details: (Minimum 3 to maximum 5 applications only)
8.1.Date of submission of application,
8.2.mode of submitting application fee,
8.3.mode of submitting (by hand/post/courier),
8.4.cost incurred (including fees),
8.5.address of public authority,
8.6.date of reply from PIO,
8.7.date of receipt of this reply,
8.8.date of submission of 1st appeal,
8.9.address of FAA,
8.10.        cost incurred in submitting 1st appeal,
8.11.        date of reply from FAA,
8.12.        date of receipt of this reply,
8.13.        date of submission of 2nd appeal,
8.14.        cost incurred in submitting 2nd appeal,
8.15.        date of decision of the information commissioner,
8.16.        date of receipt of copy of this reply,
8.17.        if this decision is available at the web site its URL,
8.18.        On a satisfaction scale rate the decision from 0 to 9, 0 being poor and 9 being happy. (2 marks per application followed up till and including 2nd appeal, subject to a maximum of 10 marks)

9.      Suggestions for effective implementation of RTI Act. Maximum 5 marks @ 1 mark per suggestion. Each suggestion should not be more than 20 words

10.  Suggestions for improving RiThiCa. Maximum 5 marks @ 1 mark per suggestion. Each suggestion should not be more than 20 words


rithica 2016-part 1 results

Have to admit that Part 1 was a flop. A perfect no show!

But that does not have to deter anyone from participating in Part 2. The 10 questions that you have to answer by 2359h on 14 Dec 2016, will be published in the next blog. 

So, let us use this opportunity to conduct a surgical strike for transparency and accountability in governance!

All the best!