File RTI applications, pay fee online; govt launches portal

August 21, 2013
New Delhi, Aug 21: Taking a step towards greater transparency in governance, the government today launched an exclusive portal to enable citizens to file RTI applications online for all central government ministries. RTI

The portal--www.rtionline.gov.in-- was launched today by Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy here.

"This is a very important initiative by the government. Without filling any paper or going to any office, citizens can file RTI applications online," he said after inaugurating the website.Narayanasamy said the RTI was a weapon in the hands of people and it was doing wonders across the country.

"At present, about 82 central government ministries have been covered with this portal. Soon we will bring all Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) under it," the Minister said.

The Ministry of Personnel, which acts as administrative department for implementation of the transparency law, will also write to all state governments asking them to adopt this platform of online filing of RTI applications.

"We will be writing a letter to all state governments asking them to follow this facility," he said, adding the government intends to strengthen people by many more such steps.

The Centre's flagship Right to Information Act, which was enacted in 2005, mandates timely response-- within 30 days -- to citizen requests for government information. One has to pay a fee of Rs 10 for seeking information.

An information seeker can submit a fee of Rs 10 via Internet banking through SBI and its associated banks using the website. One can also use credit or debit cards.

At present, the text of an application that can be uploaded at the prescribed column (on the website while filing application) is confined to 3,000 characters only.

In case an application contains more than 3,000 characters, it can be uploaded as an attachment. An applicant also get an alert on his or her mobile about movement of the applications.

Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), S K Sarkar, who was also present at the function, said the launch of RTI portal is a "culmination of efforts being put up by the government since 2005" towards strengthening people's right to know.

"There has been increase in filing of RTI applications. There were about 24,000 RTI applications filed in 2005-06. In 2011-12, the number has touched 6.7 lakh," he said.Central Information Commissioner (CIC) Satyanand Mishra said it was an extremely relevant contemporary step.

"The information can be sent online via database or scanning hard copies of documents. There will be no exchange of papers. Online filing of RTI applications will take away the use of papers," Mishra said.

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News Network
February 29,2020

Kochi, Feb 29: When Major Abdul Rahim, a soldier in the Afghan army, died in a bomb blast in Kabul on February 19, a tear was shed for him in far away Ernakulam district of Kerala.

The major had received a transplant of hands from Eloor native T G Joseph back in 2015, and the latter’s family had grown attached to the Afghan soldier.

Maj. Abdul Rahim, a bomb disposal expert, had lost his hands in an explosion in 2012. For three years thereafter, he struggled with his handicap. Then, when 54-year-old Joseph passed away in a road accident, it was decided to give his hands to the Afghan major.

The transplant procedure was successfully performed by a team of doctors led by Dr. Subrahmania Iyer at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi.

After the transplant and an intensive spell of physiotherapy, Abdul Rahim could regain a considerable part of his hands’ functions. He rejoined the army and returned to defuse bombs in his war-torn country.

In gratitude, Major Abdul Rahim would visit Kochi every year to meet Joseph’s family. 

“We were shocked to hear of the demise of Major Abdul Rahim. Though Joseph left us, a part of him lived on. Abdul Rahim was a living memorial for us. Whenever he came to the Amrita institute for a consultation, we used to visit him,” Joseph’s wife was quoted as saying by Mathrubhoomi daily.

Major Abdul Rahim struck up a good friendship with his predecessor, in a way of speaking: the first person to have had a successful hand transplant at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences. T R Manu became a close friend of the Afghan solider and kept regularly in touch.

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News Network
March 21,2020

New Delhi, Mar 21: Novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 258 on Saturday after 35 fresh cases were reported in various parts of the country, according to the Health Ministry.

Among the 258 are 39 foreign nationals, including 17 from Italy, three from the Philippines, two from the UK, one each belonging to Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.

The total figure also includes four deaths reported from Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra.

"The total number of active COVID-19 cases across India stands at 231 so far," the ministry said, adding that 23 others have been cured/discharged/migrated while four have died.

Delhi has, so far, reported 26 positive cases, which include one foreigner, while Uttar Pradesh has recorded 24 cases, including one foreigner.

Maharashtra has 52 cases, including three foreigners, while Kerala has recorded 40 cases, which include seven foreign nationals.

Karnataka has 15 coronavirus patients. The number of cases in Ladakh rose to 13 and Jammu & Kashmir four. Telangana has reported 19 cases, which include 11 foreigners.

Rajasthan has also reported 17 cases, including two foreigners. Gujarat has reported seven cases so far.

Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand have reported three cases each.

West Bengal, Odisha and Punjab each reported two cases while Puducherry, Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh reported one case each.

In Haryana, there are 17 cases, which include 14 foreigners.

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Agencies
August 8,2020

New Delhi, Aug 8: Former Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Saturday said that it is unfair and unfortunate to blame the pilots or the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the Kerala place crash which took place on Friday evening.

"It is very unfortunate and unfair when experts come under television channel and they try to put blame on the Airports Authority of India or the pilots. Airport authority in an institution which has had survived various tests of time for the last 65 to 70 years, or pre-independence, so it is unfair to blame them," he said.

While speaking to news agency, Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that the 737 Boeing aircraft is reliable and the pilots were experienced, and it was wrong to blame them.

He further said that there are many possibilities on what could have happened, and said, "It is an accident and we need to find the facts."
Rajiv Pratap Rudy also expressed his deepest condolences to the family members of those who lost their lives in the plane crash. "This accident is terrible and heart-rending. 

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members of the captain and first officer, and the families of passengers who died and were injured," he said.

At least 18 people died when a plane carrying 190 passengers came from Dubai met with an accident at Karipur airport in Kozhikode on Friday evening, as per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

"Eighteen people, including two pilots, have lost their lives. It is unfortunate. 127 people are at hospitals, others have been released," said Puri on the Air India Express flight that crash-landed on Friday evening.

Air India Express Dubai-Kozhikode IX-1344 flight, carrying 190 people on board from Dubai under the Vande Bharat Mission, skidded off the runway at Karipur Airport in Kozhikode at 7.41 pm on Friday in which several people sustained injuries.

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