Careless Whispers ...

The Ministry of Science & Technology is busy making Lemonade under the able guidance of Jairam Ramesh and Dr. Manmohan Singh. This note is not about criticising Genetically Modified (GM) Crops. There is an ocean of information already published out there in the public domain, by veteran scientists and specialists from the field, from India and the West, who have very strong opinions & views against GM Crops; and their views and opinions are duly substantiated and based on pure scientific data and facts. This note is about the very clear and visible danger of an end to whatever little Freedom and Liberty that we have so far enjoyed in India, as compared to China. The very tenets of Liberty and Freedom are now at stake as there is an unprecedented muzzle in the form of a proposed bill called Biotechnology Regulatory Authority Bill (BRAB) of 2009. Going by the front page report that appeared in Indian Express of 26th February, the draft bill - BRAB of 2009, that is proposed to be...

Great Indian Babus (IAS Officials) are now trying to hide behind the fine technicalities of RTI – Intrusion of Privacy under section 8(1)(j) of RTI Act. This small piece of interesting news shows up in TOI dated 7th December 2009. First it was the Judiciary that made every possible effort to keep itself out of the reach of RTI. Call it Public Pressure or Strong Political-will, RTI was indeed enforced upon the Judiciary, in word and in spirit, thereby keeping intact the constitutional values of Freedom, Accountability, Transparency. Never mind the continuous efforts and the hard work that is still being put in there by the CJI to get his team out of the dragnet of RTI. Now is the turn of our Babus , to look for loopholes and hidden technicalities under the RTI Act and to stay clear of RTI. A public servant’s property & all other financial investments must always remain transparent and in the public domain - it cannot be termed as Private at any given point. Mango-Man ( Aam-Aadmi )...