DoPT's “360 degree” RTI Study to consider information providers' views too

THE DOPT, or the department of personnel and training, will soon commission what it calls a 360 degree study of the implementation of the RTI Act, 2005. Though problems of information seekers are often highlighted, this will probably be the first time…
a holistic study is covering “providers’ angle” too. While asking for Expression of Interest (EoI) from reputed consultants including institutions, organizations and consortium, the department says, “The implementation of the provisions of the RTI Act has to be studied from the perspective of both the demand and supply side. The approach to achieving the above is viewing RTI Applications and their responses from the information seekers’ and providers’ angle.”
The time-frame of the study is six to nine months. And it can’t be handled by any small-time consultants as the applicant, according to DoPT advertisement, must have an annual turnover of more than Rs two crore each of the years: 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012.
The last date of submission of the EOI is January 21, 2013.

An SDM, A False Case
“…my own experience as SDM- false cases get filed not by the woman but by HER FAMILY. Hence its man-to-man fear. ...I came across only one false dowry death case as SDM and the girl’s family had some small time politicos who kept arm twisting me. I was transferred (to a bigger place!) since I didn't oblige & my successor got arm twisted into filing the case- which got dismissed in court”, --- Varsha Joshi, a 1995 batch AGMUT cadre IAS, in Twitter.

Action and Appointments
a) The last date for receiving online applications for Domestic Funding for Foreign Training (DFFT) has been extended till January 11, 2013.