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Showing posts from May, 2015

Most Ahmedabad women do not want to work at workplace, have shifted to self-employment

By Rajiv Shah  The National Sample Survey Organization’s (NSSO’s) report, “Employment and Unemployment Situation in Cities and Towns in India”, dated May 20, 2015, has revealed that, among seven major Indian cities, Ahmedabad women’s work participation ratio is not only one of the lowest. An analysis of the NSSO data for two separate periods – 2004-05 and 2011-12 – suggests that the city’s women have lately increasingly shunned from going to work, and those who continue to work, have preferred to work more as self-employed, mainly as home-based workers, instead of working as salaried workers in factories and offices, or as casual workers on work sites. In fact, while the NSSO data suggest the existence of a huge male-female gap in the participation in productive labour activity as an all-India urban trend, there is clear indication that the gap is specially very sharp in Ahmedabad. Below are given some graphic details in order to illustrate the trend in worker-population ratio (WPR) be

SC makes common cause with whistleblowing; Centre wants it to pass 32 tests

By Venkatesh Nayak* On May 13, 2015 the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government used its majority in the Lok Sabha to boorishly push through a set of regressive amendments to the Whistleblowers Protection Act (WBP Act) despite the very vocal and well-reasoned objections of the Opposition. Some MPs of the treasury benches also questioned the wisdom behind these amendments. In brief, the regressive amendments passed by the Lok Sabha: 1) Seek to take away immunity of whistleblowers from prosecution under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 (OSA) which is part of the original Act; 2) Prohibit a whistleblower from making any complaint (about corruption, the commission of any offence or the abuse of power or discretion within Government intended to cause substantial loss to the public exchequer or undue gain to a private party) if the information in the complaint relates to any of the grounds mentioned in Section 8(1) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 inserted as the new Section 4

Kutch earthquake and value of map: Why it was more strategic resource than food

By Gagan Sethi*  On the morning of January 26, 2001, when the earth decided to shake itself a bit on Gujarat soil, little did one know that a disaster of such huge proportions would be the consequence. For serious urban planners the message was: Don’t mess around with nature. I remember being told, “People don’t die because of an earthquake, they die because of poor quality of housing.” It may be difficult to accept, but this is entirely true. Yet, the paranoia of earthquake-resistant housing remains only with those who experienced the shake-up; the learning hasn’t yet gone to other states of India. Housing stock being built still does not yet factor the earthquake. Though this learning is uppermost when I think of the earthquake year, the story I narrate is a little different. I left for Kutch the same day afternoon after ensuring that my family was at a safe place, at my father’s farm house. Kutch was calling. We had a huge contingent of staff and programmes there, but had with no id

Was minister not aware of what was being amended in whistleblowers Bill?

By Venkatesh Nayak* One silver lining in the dark cloud that was the debate on the amendments to the Whistleblowers Protection Act (WPA), passed in the Lok Sabha on May 13, 2015, was the frequent mention made of the power of the right to information (RTI) and the numerous attacks on RTI users. Several MPs cutting across party lines made these salutary references. Even the Minister of State for Personnel, who was piloting the Amendment Bill, justified the amendments as being necessary to further the cause of transparency and accountability and protection of persons combating against corruption, though he did not mention how curtailing the scope of whistleblowing by 90 per cent would help those very public causes. The National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) was referred to by one MP in the context of the attacks on and murders of RTI users. One National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MP from Maharashtra used the my article (click HERE to read) I forwarded a couple of days

Vadodara riverfront project without environmental impact assessment?

By Rohit Prajapati, Trupti Shah* The Vadodara Mahanagar Seva Sadan’s (VMSS) proposed Vishwamitri Riverfront Development Project resembles a mere real estate project. The “planned” Riverfront Project completely ignores the important characteristics of the river, its wetlands, ravines, biodiversity, flora and fauna, flood and floodplains etc. Many times sophisticated language and concepts are used in the feasibility report of the Vishwamitri Riverfront Development Project, but if one closely examines the report, it becomes abundantly clear that those words are not understood in letter and spirit. The project work for the Vishwamitri Riverfront Development Project is being carried out hastily and mindlessly, without having conducted the mandatory Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and Social Impact Assessment (SIA). The VMSS is using the people’s money in blatant violation of several laws of the land, including the following: (1) The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. (2) Environmental Imp

Easier to pass camel through eye of needle than inquire into whistleblower complaint

By Venkatesh Nayak* Today is the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Right to Information Act (RTI Act) by Parliament. Ten years ago the Rajya Sabha gave its approval to the RTI Bill and the first baby steps were taken towards establishing a regime of transparency across the country. Two main purposes of the RTI Act as spelt out in its Preamble are – (a) containment of corruption, and (b) making Government and its instrumentalities accountable to the governed, namely, the people of India. While the RTI Act has arguably become the most popular law in recent times, the regime of transparency and much less the regime of accountability remain a quest. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act (LL Act) enacted in 2013 and the Whistleblowers Protection Act (WBP Act) enacted in 2014 are enabling legislation for pursuing the twin purposes of the RTI Act. Implementing such laws is a commitment that India made to the international community when it ratified the United Nations Convention on Corruption in

Implications of amendments to Whistleblowers Protection Act

By Venkatesh Nayak* In its bid to undo and outdo everything that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government did between 2004 and 2014, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government has proposed to amend the Whistleblowers Protection Act, 2011 (WBP Act) in the Lok Sabha. Parliament enacted the WBP Act in February 2014 and it was gazetted later in May. The Government has not implemented this law which aims to create a statutory mechanism for whistleblowing about corruption, abuse or misuse of power or authority or discretion to cause undue loss to the public exchequer or undue gain to a third party or any offence recognised under any law. While debating the Bill in the Rajya Sabha in February 2014, the UPA Government had promised to introduce tighter restrictions on whistleblowing if it relates to matters of national security. The NDA Government has now proposed to make amendments which will ensure that the law will continue to remain stillborn as it has for a year now. A prel

Will routine govt information ever be accessible through simple telephone call?

By Venkatesh Nayak* A few weeks ago a major headline in the print and electronic media was the allegation that the family members of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose were being snooped upon by Government of India. One positive outcome of the hullaballoo around this ‘snoopgate’ was the reported announcement of a committee to review the Official Secrets Act, 1923 (OSA) under which officials can classify a sarkari document – “top secret”, “secret’ or “confidential” – to remain as such decade after decade. This announcement was reportedly based on an assurance given by the Prime Minister during his meeting with Netaji’s kin in Germany. The media also reported that the Prime Minister had assured Netaji’s kin that the Government would look into the demand for declassifying the top secret files relating to Netaji. This announcement was in keeping with the National Democratic Alliance’s promise of increased transparency and accountability in Government. So far so good. Who is on the committee and w

Need to put up demand to send Land Acquisition Bill to Parliamentary Committee

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Government of India officially announced in the Lok Sabha on April 30, 2015 that it will table the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015 (Land Bill) next week to replace the Ordinance that was promulgated for the second time on 03 April, 2015. This Land Ordinance is already operational and the Bill seeks to replace the Ordinance which amends the Land Acquisition Act (LARR Act) passed by Parliament in 2013 in many crucial areas. There are only three days left for the Lok Sabha to conclude its business next week starting May 5. No formal public consultation yet on the amendment proposals. Neither the Department of Land Resources which has the responsibility for all matters relating to land acquisition law under the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961 nor any other department of the Government of India has sought people’s views on the proposals to amend LARR Act. This is a violation of