Sivaji Raju appointed President of Vidyarthi Satta (Telugu)

 

vidyarthisatta...

Dr.JP addressing IIT in Chennai

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan is delivering the key note address on "Rural Education in India" at a symposium IIT Madras is conducting on September 30.
Fifty of the brightest minds from Engineering, arts and humanities background will be taking part in the symposium the IIT is conducting as part of "Shaastra", its technical festival.
in these technical festival some of our rayalaseema leaders were participated....
they are


J.Venkateswarlu---------Loksatta(TPT Parlament In-Charge)
V.Nageswar Rao--------Loksatta(TPT Spokes Person)
N.Sainath Reddy--------Yuvasatta
M.Srikanth Reddy-------Vidyarthisatta
P.Latha------------------Mahilasatta
and
B.Ramaniah , Kesavulu Setti , Parthasaradhi , Vinod , M.Chandra Sekhar Raju and Bhaskar..

About RTI ACT-2005

No. 1/4/2008-IR
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, P.G. and Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training
*****
Subject: Guidelines for the public authorities under the Right to Information Act,'
2005.
The undersigned is directed to say that the public authorities are the
repository of information which the citizens have a right to have under the Right to
Information Act, 2005. The Act casts important obligations on them so as to facilitate
the reach of people to information held by them. This Department has prepared a
'Guide' for the public authorities which would help them in discharge of their
functions under the Act effectively. A copy of the Guide so prepared is enclosed as
Annexure.
2. All the Ministries / Departments etc. are requested to bring the contents of the
    Guide to the notice of all public authorities under them and to ensure that they
     comply with the requirements of the Act.
(K.G. Verma)
Director
Tel: 23092158
To
1. All Ministries / Departments of Govt. of India
2. Union Public Service Commission / Lok Sabha Secretariat I Rajya Sabha
Secretariat I Cabinet Secretariat I Central Vigilance Commission I
President's Secretariat / Vice-President's Secretariat I Prime Minister's
Office / Planning Commission
3. Staff Selection Commission, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi.
4. Office of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India, 10, Bahadur Shah
Zafar Marg, New Delhi.
5. Central Information Commission/State Information Commissions.
Copy to : Chief Secretaries of all the States/UTs.
The gUidelines contained in the Annexure apply mutatis mutandis to
the public authorities under the State Governments. The State
Governments may like to issue similar guidelines ao ir. p.ublic
authorities. ,,!, .r
'-'V " (K.G,··'?ermat-J
Director
ANNEXURE
(No.1/412008-IR dated: 25th April, 2008
Guide for the Public Authorities
Public authorities are the repository of information which the
citizens have a right to have under the Right to Information Act, 2005.'
As defined in the Act, a "public authority" is any authority or body or
institution of self government established or constituted by or under the
Constitution; or by any other law made by the Parliament or a State
Legislature; or by notification issued or order made by the Central
Government or a State Government. Bodies owned, controlled or
substantially financed by the Central Government or a State Government
and non-Government organisations substantially financed by the Central
Government or a State Government also fall within the definition of
public authority. The financing of the body or the NGO by the
Government may be direct or indirect.
2. The Act casts important obligations on public authorities so as to
facilitate the citizens of the country to access the information held under
their control. The obligations of a public authority are basically the
obligations of the head of the authority, who should ensure that these
are met in right earnest. Reference made to public authority in this
document is, in fact, a reference to the head of the public authority.
What is Information
3. Information is not an abstract concept under the RTI Act. It is
conceived as being contained in any material including records,
documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars,
orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data
material held in any electronic form. It also includes information relating to
any private body which can be accessed by the public authority under any
law for the time being in force.
Right to Information under the Act
4. A citizen has a right to seek such information from a public authority
which is held by the public authority or which is held under its control.
This right includes inspection of work, documents and records; taking
notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records; and taking
certified samples of material he~dby the public authority or held under the
control of the public authority.
5. The Act gives the citizens a right to information at par with the
Members of Parliament and the Members of State Legislatures. According
to the Act, the information which cannot be denied to the Parliament or a
State Legislature, shall not be denied to any person.
6. A citizen has a right to obtain an information in the form of diskettes,
floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through
print-outs provided such information is already stored in a computer or in
any other device from which the information may be transferred to diskettes
etc.
7. The information to the applicant should ordinarily be provided in the
form in which it is sought. However, if the supply of information sought in a
particular form would disproportionately divert the resources of the public
authority or may cause harm to the safety or preservation of the records,
supply of information in that form may be denied.
8. The Act gives the right to information only to the citizens of India. It
does not make provision for giving information to Corporations,
Associations, Companies etc. which are legal entities/persons, but not
citizens. However, if an application is made by an employee or officebearerof
any Corporation, Association, Company, NGO etc. indicating his
name and such employee/office bearer is a citizen of India, information
may be supplied to him/her. In such cases, it would be presumed that a
citizen has sought information at the address of the Corporation etc.
9. Only such information is required to be supplied under the Act which
   already exists and is held by the public authority or held under the control
of the public authority. It is not required under the Act to create information;
or to interpret information; or to solve the problems raised by the
applicants; or to furnish replies to hypothetical questions.
Information Exempted From Disclosure
10. Sub-section (1) of section 8 and section 9 of the Act enumerate the
types of information which is exempt from disclosure. Sub-section (2) of
section 8, however, provides that information exempted under sub-section
(1) or exempted under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 can be disclosed if
pUblic interest in disclosure overweighs the harm to the protected interest.
Further, sub-section (3) of section 8 provides that information exempt from
disclosure under sub-section (1), except as provided in clauses (a), (c) and
(i) thereof, would cease to be exempted after 20 years from the date of
occurrence of the related event etc.
11. It may be noted that section 8(3) of the Act does not require the
public authorities to retain records for indefinite period. The records should
be retained as per the record retention schedule applicable to the
concerned public authority. Information generated in a file may survive in
the form of an OM or a letter .or in any other form even after destruction of
the file/record. The Act requires furnishing of information so available after
the lapse of 20 years even if such information was exempt from disclosure
under sub-section(1) of Section 8. It means that the information which, in
normal course, is exempt from disclosure under sub-section(1) of Section 8
of the Act, would cease to be exempted if 20 years have lapsed after
occurrence of the incident to which the information relates. However, the
following types of information would continue to be exempt and there would
be no obligation, even after lapse of 20 years, to give any citizen-
(i) information disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the
sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific
or economic interest of the State, relation with foreign state or lead
to incitement of an offence;
(ii) information the disclosure of which would cause a breach of
privilege of Parliament or State Legislature; or
(iii) cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of
Ministers, Secretaries and other Officers subject to the conditions
given in proviso to clause (i) of sub-section(1) of Section 8 of the
Act.
12. The Act requires that except in some special circumstances, decision
on an application for information should be given within 30 days of the
receipt of the request. Where the information sought for concerns the life
or liberty of a person, the same should be provided within forty-eight hours
of the receipt of the request. If the decision on the request for information
is not given within the prescribed period, it is deemed that the request has
been refused. It is pertinent to note that if a public authority fails to Gomply
with the specified time limit, the information to the concerned applicant
would have to be provided free of charge.
Right to Information Vis-a-Vis other Acts
13. The RTI Act has over-riding effect vis-a-vis other laws inasmuch as
the provisions of the RTf Act would have effect notwithstanding anything
inconsistent therewith contained in the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and any
other law for the time being in force or in any instrument having effect by
virtue of any law other than the RTI Act.
Maintenance and Computerisation of Records
14. Proper management of records is of utmost importance for
effective implementation of the provisions of the Act. A public authority
should, therefore, maintain all its records properly. It should ensure that
the records are duly catalogued and indexed in such a manner and form
that it may facilitate the right to information.
15. The Public authorities should computerize all its records which are
appropriate to be computerized. Records so computerised should be
connected through a network on different systems so that access to
such records is facilitated.
Suo Motu Disclosure
16. Every public authority should provide as much information suo
motu to the public through various means of communications so that the
public have minimum resort to the use of the Act to obtain information.
Internet being one of the most effective means of communications, the
information may be posted on the website.
17. Section 4(1)(b) of the Act, in particular, requires every public
authority to publish following sixteen categories of information:
(i) the particulars of its organisation, functions and duties;
(ii) the powers and duties of its officers and employees;
(iii) the procedure followed in the decision making process,
including channels of supervision and accountability;
(iv) the norms set by it for the discharge of its functions;
(v) the rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records, held
by it or under its control or used by its employees for
discharging its functions;
(vi) a statement of the categories of documents that are held by it
or under its control;
(vii) the particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation
with, or representation by, the members of the public in relation
to the formulation of its policy or implementation thereof;
(viii) a statement of the boards, councils, committees and otherbodies
consisting of mo or more persons constituted as its part
or for the purpose of its advice, and as to whether meetings of
those boards, councils, committees and other bodies are open
to the public, or the minutes of such meetings are accessible
for pUblic;
(ix) directory of its officers and employees;
(x) the monthly remuneration received by each of its officers and
employees, including the system of compensation as provided
in its regulations;
(xi) the budget allocated to each of its agency, indicating the
particulars of all plans, proposed expenditures and reports on
disbursements made;
(xii) the manner of execution of subsidy programmes, includin~Jthe
amounts allocated and the details of beneficiaries of such
programmes;
(xiii) particulars of recipients of concessions, permits or authorisations
granted by it;
(xiv) details in respect of the information, available to or held by
it,reduced in an electronic form;
(xv) the particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining
information, including the working hours of a library or reading
room, if maintained for public use;
(xvi) the names, designations and other particulars of the Public
Information Officers;
18. Besides the categories of information e"numerated above, the
Government may prescribe other categories of information to be
published by any public authority. It need be stressed that publication of
the information as referred to above is not optional. It is a statutory"
requirement which every public authority is bound to meet.
19. An another important point to note is that it is not sufficient to
publish the above information once. The public authority is obliged to
update such information every year. It is advisable that, as far as
possible, the information should be updated as and when any
development takes place. Particularly, in case of publication on the
internet, the information should be kept updated all the time.
Dissemination of Information
20. The public authority should widely disseminate the information.
Dissemination should be done in such form and manner which is easily
accessible to the public. It may be done through notice boards,
newspapers, public announcements, media broadcast, the internet or
any other means. The public authority should take into consideration the
cost effectiveness, local language and most effective method of
communication in the local area while disseminating the information.
Publication of Facts about Policies and Decisions
21. Public authorities formulate policies and take various decisions
from time to time. As provided in the Act, while formulating important
policies or announcing the decisions affecting the public, the public
authority should publish all relevant facts about such policies and
decisions for the information of public at large.
Providing Reasons for Decisions
22. The public authorities take various administrative and quasi-judicial
decisions which affect the interests of certain persons. It is mandatory
for the concerned public authority to provide reasons for such decisions
to the affected persons. It may be done by using appropriate mode of
communication.
Designation of ePIOs etc.
23. Every public authority is required to designate Public Information
Officers in all the administrative units or offices under it. The public
authorities should also designate the First Appellate Authorities and
publish the details thereof alongwith the details of the Public Information
Officers. Every public authority is also required to designate Assistant
Public Information Officers at each sub-divisional level. The
Government has decided that Central Assistant Public Information
Officers (CAPIOs) appointed by the Department of Posts would act as
CAPIOs for all the public authorities under the Government of India.
Acceptance of Fee
24. According to the Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost)
Rules, 2005 as amended by the Right to Information (Regulation of Fee
and Cost) Rules, 2006, an applicant can make payment of fee in cash or
by demand draft or banker's cheque or Indian Postal Order payable to
the Accounts Officer of the public authority. The public authority should
ensure that payment by any of the above modes is not denied or the
applicant is not compelled to draV¥IPO etc. in the name of any officer
other than the Accounts Officer. If any public authority does not have
any Accounts Officer, an officer may be designated as such for the
purpose of receiving fee under the RTI Act or rules made thereunder.
Transfer of Applications
25. The Act provides that if an application is made to a public authority
requesting for an information, which is held by another public authority;
or the subject matter of which is more closely connected with the
functions of another public authority, the public authority, to which such
application is made, shall transfer the application or relevant part of it to.
that other public authority within five days from the receipt of the
application. The public authority should sensitize its officers about this
provision of the Act lest the public authority is held responsible for delay.
Compliance with the Orders of the CIC
26. While deciding an appeal, the Central Information Commission,
may require the concerned public authority to take such steps as may be
necessary to secure compliance with the provisions of the Act. In this
regard the Commission may pass an order to provide information to an
applicant in a particular form; appoint a Public Information Officer;
publish certain information or categories of information; make necessary
changes to its practices in relation to the maintenance, management and
destruction of records; enhance the provision of training for its officials;
provide an annual report as prepared in compliance with clause (iJ) of
subsection (1) of section 4 of the Act.
27. The Commission has power to pass orders reqUiring a public
authority to compensate the complainant for any loss or other detriment
suffered by him. It also has power to impose penalty on the Public
Information Officer as provided in the Act. It may be noted that penalty
is imposed on the Public Information Officer which is to be paid by him.
However, the compensation, ordered by the Commission to be paid to
an applicant would have to be paid by the public authority I
28. The decisions of the Commission are binding. The public authority
should ensure that the orders passed by the Commission are
implemented. If any public authority is of the view that an order of the
Commission is not in consonance with the provisions of the Act, it may
approach the High Court by way of a Writ Petition.
Annual Report of the CIC
29. The Central Information Commission, after the end of each year, is
required to prepare a report on the implementation of the provisions of,
the Act during that year. Each Ministry or Department is required, in
relation to the public authorities within its jurisdiction, to collect and
provide information to the Central Information Commission for
preparation of the report. The report of the Commission, inter-alia,
contains following information in respect of the year to which the report
relates-
(a) the number of requests made to each public authority;
(b) the number of decisions where applicants were not entitled to
access to the documents pursuant to the requests, the
provisions of the Act under which these decisions were made
and the number of times such provisions were invoked;
(e) particulars of any disciplinary action taken against any officBr in
respect of the administration of the Act;
(e) the amount of charges collected by each public authority under
the Act; and
(f) any facts which indicate an effort by the public cluthorities to
administer and implement the spirit and intention of the Act.
30. Every public authority should send necessary material to its
administrative Ministry/Department soon after the end of the year so that
the Ministry/Department may send the information to the Commission
and the Commission may incorporate the same in its report.
31. If it appears to the Central Information Commission that a practice
of a public authority in relation to the exercise of its functions under the
Act does not conform with the provisions or spirit of the Act, it may give a
recommendation to the authority specifying the steps ought to be taken
for promoting such conformity. The concerned public authority should
take necessary action to bring its practice in conformity with the Act.
Development of Programmes etc.
32. It is expected of each public authority that it would develop and·
organise educational programmes to advance the understanding of the
public, in particular of disadvantaged communities, as to how to exercise
the rights contemplated under the Act; and ensure timely and effective
dissemination of accurate information about their activities. Training of
the Public Information Officers and other officers of a public authority is
very important for meeting these expectations and effective
implementation of the provisions of the Act. The public authorities
should, therefore, arrange for training of their officers designated as
Public Information Officer/First Appellate Authority and other officers who
are directly or indirectly involved in the implementation of the provisions
of the Act.

About Annie Besant

“So long as I can serve India, I shall continue to do so. I love the Indian people as I love none other”, so wrote Annie Besant, in her paper ‘New India’. Born of Irish parents in London on October 1, 1847, Annie Besant made India her home since the day in November, 1893, when she landed at Tuticorin in Tamilnadu. Mahatma Gandhi once said about her that she awakened India from her deep slumber.

Few women of her generation had done so much to change people’s minds, beliefs, and attitudes. Till her 46th year when she came to India, Dr. Besant passed through several phases of life including, housewife, and propagator of atheism, trade unionist, feminist leader and Fabian socialist. By 1889, there was scarcely any modern reform in England for which she had not written, spoken, worked, and suffered. In 1908 Annie Besant became President of the Theosophical Society and began to steer the society away from Buddhism and towards Hinduism.

Once in India she totally involved herself with the country’s problem. With the theosophical society at Adyar in Madras (now Chennai) as her headquarters, she worked with tireless zeal for the freedom of the country. She named her movement ‘Home Rule’. She started a paper called ‘New India’ for carrying on her furious agendas. She attended for the first time the 1914 session of the Indian national congress and later on became its first woman president in 1917. In the meantime she launched the home rule league but failed to get the support of Balgangadher Tilak who has also started his own home rule league. She was opposed to the Satyagraha movement of Gandhiji as she was a constitutionalist.

Dr. Besant was associated with the scouts, movement from 1917 and the women’s Indian association from the same year. She started many educational institutions including the national college at Madanappalli and Hindu college at Banaras. She delivered the kamala lectures of the Calcutta University in 1925.

“She tried to follow truth”, she wanted these words to be her epitaph. With her passing away on September 21, 1933 the life of a great political leader, a social reformer and a standard- bearer of Indian culture came to an end.


vidyarthisatta(tadipathri)...

India Government

Indian Government and Politics
India Government: Federal republic based on separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Central government known as union government. Constitution of 1950 in force but much amended; power concentrated in Parliament with upper house--Rajya Sabha (Council of States)--appointed by president and elected by state and territory assemblies and lower house--The Lok Sabha (House of the People)--popularly elected. Supreme Court highest court of land; high courts in states.

India Government Administrative Divisions: Twenty-five states with 476 districts, one national capital territory, six union territories. State governors appointed by president, chief minister member of popularly elected state assembly; central-government agencies prevalent at local levels. Constitution allows central control of state government (President's Rule) during time of emergency on recommendation of governor. Districts subdivided into taluqs or tehsils, townships that contain from 200 to 600 villages. Small, centrally controlled union territories with lieutenant governor or chief commissioner appointed by president.

Politics: With 354 million voters, some 14,700 candidates, more than 500 parties, and nearly 595,000 polling stations in April-May 1996 elections, India often called "world's largest democ-racy." Since independence, dominated by Indian National Congress (Congress--see Glossary) and its factions; occasional rule by minority-party and coalition governments; Janata Party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), communist parties, and several regional parties also important.

Foreign Relations: Member of United Nations (UN), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Nonaligned Movement, and numerous other international organizations. Relations with all major nations based on principles of nonalignment.

Data as of 1995

India Government



vidyarthisatta(kadapa)...

Regional Political Parties of India

Regional Indian political parties : Given India's social, cultural, and historical diversity, it is only natural that regional parties play an important role in the country's political life. Because of India's federal system, state assembly votes are held in an electoral arena that often enables regional parties to obtain power by espousing issues of regional concern. Simultaneously, the single-member district, first-past-the-post electoral system has given the advantage to national parties, such as the Congress, which possess a realistic chance of gaining or retaining power at the national level and the opportunity to use central government resources to reward their supporters. Although regional parties have exercised authority at the state level, collectively they receive only from 5 to 10 percent of the national vote in parliamentary elections. Only during the governments of the Janata Party (1977-79) and the National Front (1989-90) have they participated in forming the central government. However, as India's party system becomes more fragmented with the decline of the Congress (I), the regional parties are likely to play an important role at the national level.

Regional political parties in India have been strongest in Tamil Nadu, where they have dominated state politics since 1967. Regional parties in the state trace their roots to the establishment of the Justice Party by non-Brahman social elites in 1916 and the development of the non-Bhraman Self-Respect Movement, founded in 1925 by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker. As leader of the Justice Party, in 1944 Ramaswamy renamed the party the Dravida Kazhagam (DK--Dravidian Federation) and demanded the establishment of an independent state called Dravidasthan. In 1949, charismatic film script writer C.N. Annadurai, who was chafing under Ramaswamy's authoritarian leadership, split from the DK to found the DMK in an attempt to achieve the goals of Tamil nationalism through the electoral process. The DMK dropped its demand for Dravidasthan in 1963 but played a prominent role in the agitations that successfully defeated attempts to impose the northern Indian language of Hindi as the official national language in the mid-1960s. The DMK routed the Congress in the 1967 elections in Tamil Nadu and took control of the state government. With the deterioration of Annadurai's health, another screen writer, M. Karunanidhi, became chief minster in 1968 and took control of the party after Annadurai's death in 1969.

Karunanidhi's control over the party was soon challenged by M.G. Ramachandran (best known by his initials, M.G.R.), one of South India's most popular film stars. In 1972 M.G.R. split from the DMK to form the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Under his leadership, the AIADMK dominated Tamil politics at the state level from 1977 through 1989. The importance of personal charisma in Tamil politics was dramatized by the struggle for control over the AIADMK after M.G.R's death in 1988. His widow, Janaki, herself a former film star, vied for control with Jayalalitha, an actress who had played M.G.R.'s leading lady in several films. The rivalry allowed the DMK to gain control over the state government in 1989. The AIADMK, securely under the control of Jayalalitha, who was cast as a "revolutionary leader," recaptured the state government in 1991. However, since 1980, the Congress (I), usually in alliance with the AIADMK, has won a majority of Tamil Nadu's seats in Parliament.

After three decades of Congress rule, the politics of Andhra Pradesh during the 1980s also became dominated by a charismatic film star who stressed regional issues. In 1982 N.T. Rama Rao (popularly known as N.T.R.), an actor who frequently played Hindu deities in Telugu-language films, formed the Te-lugu Desam. The party ruled the state from 1983 to 1989. It also won thirty of Andhra Pradesh's forty-two parliamentary seats in 1984. With the objective of enhancing Andhra Pradesh's regional autonomy, N.T.R. played a key role in the formation of the National Front coalition government in 1989. However, in the 1989 elections, the Telugu Desam won only two parliamentary seats and lost control over the state government to the Congress (I). It was able to improve its showing to thirteen seats in Parliament in the 1991 elections. The Telugu Desam returned to power in Andhra Pradesh after winning the state legislative assembly elections in November 1994.

The Akali Dal (Eternal Party) claims to represent India's Sikhs, who are concentrated primarily in Punjab. It was first formed in the early 1920s to return control of gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) to the orthodox Sikh religious community. During the 1960s, the Akali Dal played an important role in the struggle for the creation of Punjab as a separate state with a Sikh majority. Even with the majority Sikh population, the Akali Dal's political success has been limited by the Congress's ability to win votes from the Sikh community. The Akali Dal won nine of Punjab's thirteen parliamentary seats in the general elections of 1977 and seven in 1984 but only one in the 1971 and 1980 elections. Similarly, the Akali Dal headed coalition state governments in 1967 and 1977 and formed the state government in 1985, but it lost state government elections to the Congress (R) in 1972, and to Congress (I) in 1980 and in 1992. As the 1980s progressed, the Akali Dal became increasingly factionalized. In 1989 three Akali Dal factions ran in the elections, winning a total of seven seats. The Akali Dal factions boycotted parliamentary and state legislative elections that were held in February 1992. As a result, voter turnout dropped to 21.6 percent, and the Congress (I) won twelve of Punjab's thirteen seats in Parliament and a majority of seats in the legislative assembly (see Twentieth-Century Developments, ch. 3).

The National Conference, based in Jammu and Kashmir, is a regional party, which, despite its overwhelmingly Muslim following, refused to support the All-India Muslim League (Muslim League--see Glossary) during the independence movement; instead it allied itself with the Indian National Congress. The National Conference was closely identified with its leader, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, a personal friend of Nehru, and, after Abdullah's death in 1982, with his son, Farooq Abdullah. Friendship, however, did not prevent Nehru from imprisoning Sheikh Abdullah when he became concerned that the "Lion of Kashmir" was disposed to demand independence for his state. Ultimately, Sheikh Abdullah struck a deal with Indira Gandhi, and in 1975 he became chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The National Conference remained Jammu and Kashmir's dominant party through the 1980s and maintained control over the state government for most of the period. In parliamentary elections, it won one of Kashmir's six parliamentary seats in 1967, none in 1971, two in 1977, and three in 1980, 1984, and 1989. However, popular support for the National Conference was badly eroded by allegations of electoral fraud in the 1987 state elections--which were won by the National Conference in alliance with the Congress (I)--and the widespread corruption of the subsequent state government under the leadership of Farooq Abdullah. There was little popular sympathy for Farooq Abdullah and the National Conference even after the government was dissolved and President's Rule declared in 1990. Jammu and Kashmir remained under President's Rule through 1995, and the absence of elections makes it difficult to ascertain the extent of the National Conference's popular support. Nevertheless, it appears that Farooq and the National Conference remain discredited.

During the late 1980s, the AGP rose to power in Assam on the crest of Assamese nationalism. Immigration to Assam--primarily by Muslim Bengalis from neighboring Bangladesh--had aroused concern that the Assamese would become a minority in their own state. By 1979 attention was focused on the controversial issue of determining how many immigrants would be allowed on the state's list of eligible voters. The Congress (I), which gained a substantial share of the immigrants' votes, took a more expansive view of who should be included while the Assamese nationalist organizations demanded a more restrictive position. An attempt to hold state elections in February 1983, and in effect to force the Assamese nationalists to accept the status quo, resulted in a breakdown of law and order and the deaths of more than 3,000 people. The subsequent formation of a Congress (I) government led by Hiteshwar Saikia was widely viewed in Assam as illegitimate, and it was dissolved as part of the terms of the Assam Accord that was signed between Rajiv Gandhi and Assamese nationalists on August 15, 1985. The Assam Accord also included a compromise on the voter eligibility issue, settled the issue of the citizenship status of immigrants, and stipulated that new elections were to be held in December. The AGP was formed by Assamese student leaders after the signing of the accord, and the new party won the December 1985 elections with 35 percent of the vote and sixty-four of 108 seats in the state legislature.

The victory of the AGP did not end the controversy over Assamese nationalism. The AGP was unable to implement the accord's provisions for disenfranchising and expelling illegal aliens, in part because Parliament passed legislation making it more difficult to prove illegal alien status. The AGP's failure to implement the accord along with the general ineffectiveness with which it operated the state government undercut its popular support, and in November 1990 it was dismissed and President's Rule declared. As the AGP floundered, other nationalist groups of agitators flourished. The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) became the primary torchbearer of militant Assamese nationalism while the All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) and Bodo People's Action Committee (BPAC) led an agitation for a separate homeland for the central plain tribal people of Assam (often called Bodos). By 1990 ULFA militants ran virtually a parallel government in the state, extorting huge sums from businesses in Assam, especially the Assamese tea industry. The ULFA was ultimately subdued through a shrewd combination of ruthless military repression and generous terms of surrender for many of its leaders. The ABSU/BPAC-led mass agitation lasted from March 1987 until February 1993 when the ABSU signed an accord with the state government that had been under the Congress (I) control since 1991. The accord provided for the creation of a Bodoland Autonomous Council with jurisdiction over an area of 5,186 square kilometers and 2.1 million people within Assam. Nevertheless, Bodo agitation continued in the mid-1990s as a result of the demands of many Bodo leaders, who insisted that more territory be included under the Bodoland Autonomous Council.

Caste-Based Political Parties India
One irony of Indian politics is that its modern secular democracy has enhanced rather than reduced the political salience of traditional forms of social identity such as caste. Part of the explanation for this development is that India's political parties have found the caste-based selection of candidates and appeals to the caste-based interests of the Indian electorate to be an effective way to win popular support. More fundamental has been the economic development and social mobility of those groups officially designated as Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes. Accounting for 52 and 15 percent of the population, respectively, the Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes, or Dalits as they prefer to be called, constitute a diverse range of middle, lower, and outcaste groups who have come to wield substantial power in most states. Indeed, one of the dramas of modern Indian politics has been the Backward Classes and Dalits' jettisoning of their political subordination to upper castes and their assertion of their own interests.

The Backward Classes are such a substantial constituency that almost all parties vie for their support. For instance, the Congress (I) in Maharashtra has long relied on Backward Classes' backing for its political success. The 1990s have seen a growing number of cases where parties, relying primarily on Backward Classes' support, often in alliance with Dalits and Muslims, catapult to power in India's states. Janata Dal governments in Bihar and Karnataka are excellent examples of this strategy. An especially important development is the success of the Samajwadi Party, which under the leadership of Mulayam Singh Yadav won the 1993 assembly elections in India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, relying almost exclusively on Backward Classes and Muslim support in a coalition with the Dalit-supported BSP.

The growing support of the BSP also reflects the importance of caste-based politics and the assertiveness of the Dalits in particular. The BSP was founded by Kanshi Ram on April 13, 1984, the birthday of B.R. Ambedkar. Born as a Dalit in Punjab, Kanshi Ram resigned from his position as a government employee in 1964 and, after working in various political positions, founded the All-India Backward, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes, and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) in 1978. Although both the BAMCEF and BSP pursue strategies of building support among Backward Classes, Scheduled Tribes, and Muslims as well as Dalits, Kanshi Ram has been most successful in building support among the Dalit Chamar (Leatherworker) caste in North India. In the November 1993 Uttar Pradesh state elections, Ram's BSP achieved the best showing of any Dalit-based party by winning sixty-seven seats. At the same time, the BSP increased its representation in the Madhya Pradesh state legislature from two to twelve seats. On June 1, 1995, the BSP withdrew from the state government of Uttar Pradesh and, with the support of the BJP, formed a new government, making its leader, Mayawati, the first Dalit ever to become a chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. The alliance, however, was seen by observers as doomed because of political differences.

Data 1995. Courtesy Library of Congress.. Regional political parties in India.



vidyarthisatta(tirupathi)...

Corruption in India and the Anti-Establishment Vote

Corruption not only has become a pervasive aspect of Indian politics but also has become an increasingly important factor in Indian elections. The extensive role of the Indian state in providing services and promoting economic development has always created the opportunity for using public resources for private benefit. As government regulation of business was extended in the 1960s and corporate donations were banned in 1969, trading economic favors for under-the-table contributions to political parties became an increasingly widespread political practice. During the 1980s and 1990s, corruption became associated with the occupants of the highest echelons of India's political system. Rajiv Gandhi's government was rocked by scandals, as was the government of P.V. Narasimha Rao. Politicians have become so closely identified with corruption in the public eye that a Times of India poll of 1,554 adults in six metropolitan cities found that 98 percent of the public is convinced that politicians and ministers are corrupt, with 85 percent observing that corruption is on the increase.

The prominence of political corruption in India in the 1990s is hardly unique to India. Other countries also have experienced corruption that has rocked their political systems. What is remarkable about India is the persistent anti-incumbent sentiment among its electorate. Since Indira's victory in her 1971 "garibi hatao " election, only one ruling party has been reelected to power in the central government. In an important sense, the exception proves the rule because the Congress (I) won reelection in 1984 in no small measure because the electorate saw in Rajiv Gandhi a "Mr. Clean" who would lead a new generation of politicians in cleansing the political system. Anti-incumbent sentiment is just as strong at the state level, where the ruling parties of all political persuasions in India's major states lost eleven of thirteen legislative assembly elections held from 1991 through spring 1995.

LOC 1995 data - corruption in India

The official site of central vigilance commission of India, Indian Government Corruption web site - http://cvc.nic.in



vidyarthisatta(badvel)...

About Param Vir Chakra

Param Vir Chakra




The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is the highest gallantry award for officers and other enlisted personnel of all military branches of India for the highest degree of valour in the presence of the enemy. PVC is the post-Independence equivalent of the Victoria Cross.
The PVC was established on January 26, 1950, by the President of India, with effect from August 15, 1947, and presently it is the second highest award of the government of India after Bharat Ratna (amendment in the statute on January 26, 1980 resulted in this order of wearing).

The medal was designed by Mrs Savitri Khanolankar (born Eva Yuonne Linda Maday-de-Maros to a Hungarian father and Russian mother) who was married to an Indian Army officer. By sheer coincidence, the first PVC was awarded to her son-in-law Major Som Nath Sharma for his bravery in the Kashmir operations in November 1947.

The medal was designed to symbolise Rishi Dadich who donated his thigh bones to gods for making Vajra and Shivaji's sword Bhawani.

The medal is of 1-3/8 inch radius and is made of bronze. In the center, on a raised circle is the state emblem, surrounding which are the four replicas of Indra's Vajra.

The decoration is suspended from a straight swiveling suspension bar.

On the rear, around a plain center, two legends separated by lotus flowers. The words Param Vir Chakra are written in Hindi and English.

The ribbon which holds the PVC is of 32 mm length and purple in colour. The award carries a cash allowance for those under the rank of second lieutenant (or the appropriate service equivalent) and, in some cases, a lump-sum cash award. Subedar Major Bana Singh of the 8 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry was the only serving personnel of the Indian defence establishment with a PVC till the Kargil operations.



Param Vir Chakra winners so far :-

1. IC-- 521 Major Som Nath Sharma, 4 Kumaon Regiment, November 3, 1947, Badgam Kashmir (posthumous)

2. IC-22356 Lance Naik Karham Singh M M, 1 Sikh Regiment, October 13, 1948, Tithwal Kashmir

3. SS-14246 Second Lt Rama Raghobe Rane, Corps of Engineers, April 8, 1948, Naushera, Kashmir

4. 27373 Naik Jadu Nath Singh, 1 Rajput Regiment, February 1948, Naushera, Kashmir (posthumous)

5. 2831592 Company Havildar Major Piru Singh, 6 Rajputana Rifles, July 17/18, 1948, Tithwal, Kashmir (posthumous)

6. IC-8497 Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, 3/1 Gurkha Rifles, December 5, 1961, Elizabethville, Katanga, Congo (posthumous)

7. IC-7990 Major Dhan Singh Thapa, 1/8 Gurkha Rifles, October 20, 1962, Ladakh, India

8. JC-4547 Subedar Joginder Singh, 1 Sikh Regiment, October 23, 1962, Tongpen La, Northeast Frontier Agency, India (posthumous)

9. Major Shaitan Singh, Kumaon Regiment, November 18, 1962, Rezang La (posthumous)

10. 2639885 Company Havildar Major Abdul Hamid, 4 Grenadiers, September 10, 1965, Chima, Khem Karan Sector (posthumous)

11. IC-5565 Lieutenant-Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, 17 Poona Horse, October 15, 1965, Phillora, Sialkot Sector, Pakistan (posthumous)

12. 4239746 Lance Naik Albert Ekka, 14 Guards, December 3, 1971, Gangasagar (posthumous)

13. 10877 (P) Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, Indian Air Force, December 14, 1971, Srinagar, Kashmir (posthumous)

14. IC-25067 2/Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, 17 Poona Horse, December 16, 1971, Jarpal, Shakargarh Sector, (posthumous)

15. IC-14608 Major Hoshiar Singh, Grenadiers, December 17, 1971, Basantar River, Shakargarh Sector

16. Naib Subedar Bana Singh, 8 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, June 23, 1987, Siachen Glacier, Jammu and Kashmir

17. Major Ramaswamy Parmeshwaran, 8 Mahar Regiment, November 25, 1987, Sri Lanka (posthumous)

18. IC-57556 Captain Vikram Batra, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, July 6, 1999
19. IC-56959 Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey, 1/11 Gorkha Rifles, July 3, 1999, Khaluber/Juber Top, Batalik sector, Kargil area, Jammu and Kashmir (posthumous)

20. No 2690572 Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers, July 4, 1999, Tiger Hill, Kargil area

21. Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, July 5, 1999..


vidyarthisatta(tirupathi)...

About Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was born into a distinguished Bengali family in Calcutta, West Bengal on 1861. His father's name was the Maharishi Debendranath Tagore, a well known Hindu reformer and mystic and his mother was Shrimati Sharada Devi.

Tagore received his education at home.He was taught in Bengali, with English lessons in the afternoon. He read the Bengali poets since his early age and himself began writing poetry himself by the age of eight.
Rabindranath Tagore did have a brief spell at St Xavier's Jesuit school, but found the conventional system of education uncongenial.

His father wanted him to become a barrister and he was sent to England for this reason.

In England, Tagore heard John Bright and W.E.Gladstone speak and was highly impressed and inspired by their "large-hearted, radical liberalism."

In 1879, he enrolled at University College, at London, but was called back by his father to return to India in 1880.


By l883 he was married. Tagore's family chose his bride, an almost illiterate girl of ten named Bhabatarini (renamed Mrinalini), whom he married with little ceremony.

They were to have four children, the eldest was born when Mrinalini was 13. However, Mrinalini died at the age of 30.


From 1890, Tagore had undertaken the management of his family estates.

His earliest poetic collections Manasi (l890), Chitra (1895) and Sonar Tari (1895) used colloquial Bengali instead of the usual archaic literary form.

In 1901 he founded the famous Shantiniketan near Calcutta. This was designed to provide a traditional ashram and Western education. He began with 5 pupils and 5 teachers (three of whom were Christian). His ideals were simplicity of living and the cultivation of beauty.

In 1912, Tagore visited Britain again and his own English translation of Gitanjali was published under Yeats' auspices. A lecture tour of Britain and the USA followed.

In 1913, he was awarded the famous Nobel Prize and used the prize money to improve his school at Shantiniketan.

Apart from his poetry, he held major exhibitions of his paintings in the West. He was also a noted composer. His works and his life influenced film director Shri Satyajit Ray, who had been one of his pupils.

Tagore was not politically motivated and tried to harmonise the views of east and west.

In August 1941, Shri Rabindranath Tagore was moved from Shantiniketan ashram to Calcutta for an operation.

In the same year i.e 1941, he passes away in the same house in which he was born in.

FLAG OF INDIA

THE NATIONAL FLAG OF INDIA is in tricolour ( TIRANGA) of deep saffron (Kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportions.

The Indian flag is a horizontal tricolour in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is two is to three. In the centre of the white band, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law in the Sarnath Lion Capital. This center symbol or the 'CHAKRA', is a Buddhist symbol dating back to 200th century BC.

Its diameter approximates the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes, which intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation. The saffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation; the white, for purity and truth; the green for faith and fertility. The design of the National Flag of India was adopted by India's constituent assembly on 22nd july, 1947. It's use and display are regulated by a code. The flag symbolizes freedom. The late Prime Minister Pandit Nehru called it a flag not only of freedom for ourselves, but a symbol of freedom for all people.

About Gandhi

BIOGRAPHY OF MAHATMA GANDHI : Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India. He became one of the most respected spiritual and political leaders of the 1900's. GandhiJi helped free the Indian people from British rule through nonviolent resistance, and is honored by Indians as the father of the Indian Nation.

The Indian people called Gandhiji 'Mahatma', meaning Great Soul. At the age of 13 Gandhi married Kasturba, a girl the same age. Their parents arranged the marriage. The Gandhis had four children. Gandhi studied law in London and returned to India in 1891 to practice. In 1893 he took on a one-year contract to do legal work in South Africa.


At the time the British controlled South Africa. When he attempted to claim his rights as a British subject he was abused, and soon saw that all Indians suffered similar treatment. Gandhi stayed in South Africa for 21 years working to secure rights for Indian people.

He developed a method of action based upon the principles of courage, nonviolence and truth called Satyagraha. He believed that the way people behave is more important than what they achieve. Satyagraha promoted nonviolence and civil disobedience as the most appropriate methods for obtaining political and social goals. In 1915 Gandhi returned to India. Within 15 years he became the leader of the Indian nationalist movement.

Using the principles of Satyagraha he led the campaign for Indian independence from Britain. Gandhi was arrested many times by the British for his activities in South Africa and India. He believed it was honorable to go to jail for a just cause. Altogether he spent seven years in prison for his political activities.

More than once Gandhi used fasting to impress upon others the need to be nonviolent. India was granted independence in 1947, and partitioned into India and Pakistan. Rioting between Hindus and Muslims followed. Gandhi had been an advocate for a united India where Hindus and Muslims lived together in peace.

On January 13, 1948, at the age of 78, he began a fast with the purpose of stopping the bloodshed. After 5 days the opposing leaders pledged to stop the fighting and Gandhi broke his fast. Twelve days later a Hindu fanatic, Nathuram Godse who opposed his program of tolerance for all creeds and religion assassinated him.

HISTORY OF J.P.

About Dr Jayaprakash Narayan

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan is a physician by training who went into the Indian Administrative Service in the aftermath of the Emergency and failure of the Janata Experiment. He was a topper in the IAS exam. During the 16 years of distinguished public service in various capacities, he acquired a formidable reputation in the State of Andhra Pradesh.

Some of his major accomplishments while in government

• As Joint Collector, he worked for the speedy rehabilitation of 8000 youth from displaced families of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant
• As Collector of Prakasm of District, he was instrumental in the creation of a record 2,00,000 acres of irrigation , the largest such program with direct participation of people
• As Collector of East Godavari District, he spearheaded the reconstruction of drainage and irrigation network in Krishna and Godavari deltas.
• He served as Secretary to both Governor and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
• He worked on strengthening of the credit cooperatives and making them independent of government control.

His other accomplishments include several major policy initiatives, including

• empowerment of parents in schools
• speedy justice through rural courts
• economic reform and restructuring of AP
• development of the Infocity in Hyderabad
• the much-acclaimed law for self reliant cooperatives (1995)
• empowerment of local governments and stakeholders

In spite of an impressive personal achievement, Dr Narayan's experience in government convinced him that faulty governance process was the biggest hurdle to India and Indians achieving greater success. And what India needs today is a fundamental change in the rules of the game and not a periodic change of players.

In order to translate his vision into practical reality, he resigned from Service (IAS) in 1996, and worked with like-minded colleagues for the formation of Lok Satta and is currently its National Coordinator. Lok Satta has now emerged as India is leading civil society initiative for governance reforms. It has wide reach, name recognition, credibility and passive support of about 20% of the population of Andhra Pradesh. Lok Satta is now building alliances across India. State-level initiatives are encouraged based on Lok Satta's experience. These initiatives in a few major states will then build a common platform for national effort for governance reform. Lok Satta is primarily focusing on Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa and Gujarat in this quest for building a national platform.

Dr. Narayan has been felicitated with several laurels.
In 2002

• Honored with the "Rotary Manav Seva Award 2002" for his crusade against corruption
• awarded the "Yudhvir Memorial Award 2002" for his outstanding contribution to the cause of good governance.

In 2003

• Awarded the "Dr.Rustam D.Ranji Rotary Award" by Rotary Club of India, September.

In 2004

• Awarded the "D. Ch.Tirupathi Raju Memorial Award 2004" in appreciation of his vision in terms of identifying the need of establishing a people's forum like Lok Satta and further developmental work done by it to bring in sustainable measures in the area of democratic governance, July.
• Honored with prestigious "Dr.Pinnamaneni Sita Devi Foundation Award", December.

In 2005

• Honored with the "Bharat Asmita Jana Jagran Shreshta" - a Bharat Asmita National Award by MIT School of Management, Pune in recognition as the best performer in the area of Public Awakening, February.
• Felicitated by the Hyderabad Software Exporters Association, Hyderabad in recognition for his contribution to the growth of IT industry in Andhra Pradesh and his efforts towards ushering democratic reforms in the country, February.

Dr Jayaprakash Narayan has served on the following panels

• The National Advisory Council (NAC) constituted by the United Progressive Alliance government to advise the government on the implementation of the National Common Minimum Programme, July 2004-August 2006.
• Vigilance Advisory Council constituted by the Central Vigilance Commission, November,2004.
• Second Administrative Reforms Commission constituted by the Government of India under the Chairmanship of Veerappa Moily, September 2005.

In 2006, he initiated the launch of Lok Satta Party a movement for new political culture in the state of

--
M.srikanth Reddy

vidyarthisatta

Lok Satta is launching its students’ wing – Vidyarthi Satta with the objective to popularise the ideas of New Politics among the next generation. The new student organisation will set new benchmarks for student activism, with its novel genre of student politics. Activities of the new student body will be a fine blend of personal development of students and political activism such as voter registration, Right to Information (RTI) activism, English language teaching, career guidance, setting up of film clubs et al.

The new student body will work on three areas of importance i.e. a). spreading the ideas of new politics, b). taking care of academic requirements of students and c). mobilising students for better education systems. As part of the first mission, it will work mobilize the support for the efforts to reform the judiciary, legislature and executive structures. The second mission p1aces emphasis on all-round development of the students.

As part of this new initiative, you can visit a social welfare hostel regularly, or conduct medical camps for students, or you may want to celebrate October, 2 in your college by screening Gandhi of Richard Attenborough, or would like to tell your fellow students how the Indian Tigers are going extinct; or you would like to conduct a talk in your college on opportunities in foreign languages. In short, you can be at your innovative best. And you are welcome to join the team of the new student movement.

If u have any interest to join in this organaisation please contact 9014390013