Central ministries ignore DoPT’s plea to get RTI analysis done by law interns

THE Central ministries and departments have shown reluctance by ignoring DoPT’s plea to allow interns from law schools to get an analysis of RTI applications received by them. The DoPT has now sent a reminder to…
ministries and departments to allow law interns in their ministries for a period of one month in January 2013 to get the analysis done.
It all started with DoPT office memorandum dated September 4, 2012 wherein ministries and departments were requested “to indicate their willingness to get an analysis of RTI applications received by them through the DOPT sponsored Internship Programme for undergraduates pursuing five year Integrated Course in Law”.
But the ministries have virtually ignored the office memorandum. Now, the DoPT has sent a reminder saying: “It is again requested that the Ministries/Departments desirous of getting the above mentioned analysis are requested to allow interns sponsored by DOPT to analyse a sample of the RTI applications received in the last one year in the respective Ministries/Departments. The expenditure of the Internship Programme by way of conveyance allowance of the interns would be borne by DOPT.”
The new deadline for the ministries is November 5, 2012.

Action and Appointments
a) Ranjan P Thakur, 1989 batch Indian Railway Traffic Service official, who was till recently Ambika Soni's private secretary in I&B ministry, has now been appointed as a director for a period of six months beyond August 19, 2012.
b) The Central deputation tenure of Director in Planning Commission Ms Namita Mehrotra, a 1991 batch IRAS officer, has been extended till March 31, 2013.
c) Anandrao Vishnu Patil, a 1998 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS, presently on “compulsory wait” in the ministry of science and technology, has been appointed as director in the department of financial services under the ministry of finance.
d) Rama Shankar Sinha, 1995 batch UT cadre Indian Forest Service officer, has been appointed as director in the department of AYUSH under the ministry of health and family welfare.
e) Aditya Kumar, 1996 batch Indian Railways Personnel Service, has been appointed as director in the department of food and public distribution under the ministry of consumer affairs.