Dreaming a developed India VOL 1 Issue 2 – November 06

Published by India Vision 2020 Group

From the Editor’s desk: - “India - a buoyant force in making “

India is too complex a nation in multiple dimensions. Who

country clobbered in a matrix of does not have disparities? Even the
myriad beliefs and culture. Yet she Chinese dragon is facing the issues of
never halts to surprise the world! For disparities. But whole world knows its
the critics who predicted global growth is 10% and still growing!
stagnation of economy were sent in for
a surprise to see the RBI report of real Recent reports cite both India and
GDP leaping a whopping 8.9% for the China as fastest growing economies
first quarter! India still remains one of and would be so for years to come.
the hottest destinations for the Each of our instincts should believe so.
investors. The Asian Tiger is shrewdly Because each and every individual
unlocking its talent claws. India had contributes in one way or other to the
remained a learning centre to the growth.
world needs no endorsement. Our
sense of understanding of outerspace India vision group stands to salute the
to internal philosophical contemplation father of nation whose centenary
have awed many scholars worldwide. event of sahyagraha from South Africa
During the medieval period changes is being celebrated this year! Dr.kalam
began to creep in due to various turning 75, continues to inspire
factors! confidence of our glorious days ahead!
Our respected wishes to President of
Today India is back on track to India! Our group stands behind this
reassert her intellectual supremacy! great human being who stands
But the challenge would lie in tapping testimony for hardwork!
the intellect and integrating it with
national development! A good point Existence of rough weather is
from RBI report is that major factor for inevitable in the developmental
GDP growth has been the industrial waters, but Indian growth has
sector! Fundamentals of economics buoyancy enough to sail the ship
would accept this to be a strong and through it smoothly!! India is definitely
actual growth and no mirages in a buyout force in the making.
horizon !
Vande Mataram!
PM was busy hearing the proposal of
Dr.Madhavan Nair (Chairman ISRO)
for a manned space mission! Inspite of
Sivanarayanan
various social disparities, space [email protected]
technologies continue to benefit the
 2

Vande Mataram – Inside this ezine

• India of my Dreams • In pursuit of excellence

• Interview with Shri S C Jaini • India in news
• Our call of Duty – S C Jaini
• RTI Act – Introduction

India of my Dreams – Yamini Karunakaran

More awareness need to be spread by doesn’t exclude me either. But I am

all the literates as a lead to “Clean trying to be on the right track. Let me
India”. We have share my experience with you. Once I
read from our boarded a train. There was a foreigner
1st standard sitting next to me. I had tea and after
that we have to having the tea I threw the plastic cup
keep our place out of the train. Rest of the people was
clean and neat. also doing the same. The foreigner
The place not alone was putting the cups and other
only means our house. It also means wastes in a plastic bag and he was
our nation- the roads and streets in having it till his destination. Finally he
India. Just ask yourself whether you discarded the bag to a dustbin in the
really put any efforts to keep the roads station. When a foreigner has concern
clean. We may think our contribution for our country why don’t we have?
alone doesn’t make difference so why This made me think and I m trying to
should we alone try? But it makes a keep it clean to my best. Now my
little difference at least. Every one of friends and family are also trying to
us is aware about the railway stations keep it clean. Now all of us take up a
and bus stops conditions. Whom do plastic bag when we are outing. I think
you think is responsible for this? Is it this would make you certainly think.
government’s fault? We blame the So lets all try to keep our nation clean
government that they don’t take and beautiful.
efforts to keep the roads clean. But we
are not perfect either. I have seen (Yamini can be reached at
many literates spitting, putting bits of [email protected] )
papers, plastic cups and so on. This

India Vision 2020 egroup was started for promoting awareness of developed India.
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 3

Youngsters should unearth their potential and achieve

Excerpt form the exclusive interview of Message to youth : We must

Mr S C Jaini, Commissioner of Income remember that we have been under a
tax, Mumbai foreign rule for almost 150 years. not
only did we lose our economic
Joining the civil services: I joined independence but we lost our self
the Income Tax Department in the respect and self esteem. The new
year 1976 as a Direct Recruit officer, generation of today would never
selected through the UPSC Exam. experience the humiliation of seeing
IAS and Allied Services notice boards saying "Here, Indians
have always been a and dogs are not allowed". I would
dream of many bright strongly advise my young friends to
college students. The read the biographies of great men of
prestige, to be a yesterday and especially the
member of an elite autobiography of Gandhiji. We must
service and the desire read the history of Modern India and
to serve the nation, has the story of its freedom movement.
guided millions of young minds, to The real stories of the sacrifices of our
compete in the examination. The same forefathers during the freedom
has been true in my case also. Most of movement would move your minds
us in the services shared a common and hearts and inspire you to great
idealism, to be true to ourselves and heights.
to the service traditions of being fair,
just and impartial. Interaction with youth : I have been
teaching small little things to the
Inspiration for development: students of Birla Institute of
Honesty and intelligence were the two Technology and Sciences at Goa
virtues which were the hallmark of a Campus, which helps them to grow
civil servant. The Service Rules were into robust personalities. The teachers
so framed, so as to provide the in the institute have taken a lot of
necessary environment for a interest to conduct this course. I do
competent, honest and fearless civil get an impression through my
service. The interest of the nation and interaction with the students they do
the welfare of the people were the not lack idealism but they do not find
twin principles, which guided a civil role models in the society and
servant in the discharge of his duties. therefore feel that 'values' are
irrelevant in the present times. They
India , feel good factor a must : are not to be faulted. They form their
India is geographically a vast country impressions from what they see or
with tremendous resources of men and hear .We are conducting this course to
material. What we lack, perhaps, is show the students the good things,
pride in ourselves and in the happening around them, which often
achievements of our country. When go unnoticed. We try to make them
you visit some of the developed aware of their potentials and the great
countries and talk to the people there, things they can achieve, with
you would invariably find them dedication and sincerity of purpose.
speaking something good of their city Before concluding, let me quote
and their achievements, however President John F. Kennedy of USA,
insignificant it may be. To feel good "Ask not what your country can do for
about your own country and it's you, But ask what you can do for
achievement is noble. your country”.
Mr S C Jaini may be reached at
[email protected]
 4

Our Call of Duty to nation – S C Jaini

It is good to dream but dreams alone do not where she had left off and began mopping.
make things happen. As President Dr Abdul She had left a marker where she had
Kalam repeatedly says in his books vision stopped work earlier and resumed from the
along with determination can only make our same spot, where she had stopped. The
country strong. Let us first do our duty building is ten storeys high and she would
before we preach. have been mopping for a long time. I
returned to my apartment with misty eyed,
I shall narrate a small feeling for her old age but nonetheless with
incident, which great respect and admiration for her
happened many years devotion to her work. I quietly saluted her in
ago but the memory of my mind and wished that I could say the
which remains alive in same for myself and my countrymen.
my mind. I was in
Switzerland staying with In the evening, I narrated the incident to my
my nephew. My nephew nephew. I expected him to tell me that the
would go to his office at 7 AM in the old lady is an exception etc. but he calmly
morning .On a particular morning the looked at me and said, But Mama, in
weather was extremely cold, since it rained Switzerland, all do the same. There are no
that night. While I was seeing him off at the supervisors in our work place to see
doorstep, I noticed the landing, wet. I whether we are doing our assigned jobs.
assumed that from some broken window, a The supervisors only guide; they are not to
little rain might have trickled in. prompt us to our work.

I closed the door and was about to forget Well gentlemen, this is all I have to say in
the rains in the superheated comfortable my first address, to all the members of this
indoors, when curiosity again made me group. Vision cannot be achieved by
open the door. Swiss are known to be very dreaming alone, but yes, through
meticulous people and it would have been commitment to our jobs. Do not worry about
difficult to believe that the window would the nation; let us think whether we are
have been left unrepaired, to allow the rains truthful to our jobs and our commitments. If
to come in. we are true to ourselves, the nation would
take care of itself for as Lord Nelson (who
I noticed that the water on the landing was defeated the mighty Spanish Armada) said
not from any broken window; the landing England expects every man to do his duty
was freshly swept by someone. I took a (and honestly). A nation of one billion is on
step forward and what did I see? An old the march but let us look into ourselves
lady aged around seventy, who was the honestly.. ARE WE, BY ANY CHANCE,
concierge of the building, sweeping the THE STUMBLING BLOCKS?
staircase with a standing mop. I was
amazed, to say the least. Just then a young Friends, let me hear from you, what you
woman opened the door of her apartment have to say. Since I also teach in
and invited the old lady inside for a hot cup institutions, I would be greatly benefited,
of tea/coffee. and could use your example, if you could
write your own story, on how your
The old lady did not go inside but accepted commitment did change the work culture in
the hot beverage at the door. She drank the your own organization. You may be having
cup with gratitude, while standing out in the a role model for yourselves but you too can
extreme chill and returned back to her work. be a role model for someone else
I was more than a bit curious by this time
and continued to watch the proceeding from (Shri S C Jaini can be reached at
a distance. The old lady could not have [email protected]
noticed me being there. She went back with
her sweeping exactly to the same point,
 5

Right to Information Act (Anand S)

What is RTI? or under any law or under any

RTI stands for Right to Information. Government notification or all bodies,
Right to Information is a part of including NGOs, which are owned,
fundamental rights under Article 19(1) controlled or substantially financed by
of the Constitution. the Government are covered.
Article 19 (1) says
that every citizen has How do I locate the full Act?
freedom of speech The full Act in Hindi and English is
and expression. available on the website of
People have right to Department of Personnel and Training
know how the www.persmin.nic.in. It is also available
governments, meant on this website.
to serve them, are functioning.
Further, every citizen pays taxes. Who will give me information?
One or more existing officers in every
When did RTI Act come into force? Government Department have been
The Central Right to Information Act designated as Public Information
came into force on the 12th October, Officers (PIO). These PIOs act like
2005. However, before that 9 state nodal officers. You have to file your
Governments had passed state Acts. applications with them. They are
These were J & K, Delhi, Rajasthan, responsible for collecting information
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, sought by you from various wings of
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam & Goa. that Department and providing that
information to you. In addition, several
What rights are available under officers have been appointed as
RTI Act 2005? Assistant Public Information Officers
Right to Information Act 2005 (APIOs). Their job is only to accept
empowers every citizen to applications from the public and
§ Ask any questions from the forward it to the right PIO.
Government or seek any
information Where do I submit application?
§ Take copies of any government You can do that with the PIO or with
documents APIO. In the case of all Central
§ Inspect any government Government Departments, 629 post
documents. offices have been designated as
§ Inspect any Government works APIOs. This means that you can go to
§ Take samples of materials of any of these post offices and submit
any Government work. your fee and application at the RTI
counter in these post offices. They will
Who is covered under RTI? issue you a receipt and
The Central RTI Act extends to the acknowledgement and it is the
whole of India except the State of responsibility of that post office to
Jammu and Kashmir. All bodies, which deliver it to the right PIO.
are constituted under the Constitution

[ According to experts RTI Act 2005 is one of the most forward looking bills today
among many countries. Ofcourse Act’s annexure also lists exceptions to classified
documents on grounds of national security ]

(To be concluded in next issue – Anand can be reached at

[email protected] )
 6

Kadeesh Happy home – Home for Manipur children

gets some funds from that and of

course from donors.

The children are staying in 2 different

locations. In one home the boys above
age of 8 stay and in other the girls &
boys below age 7.

The main aim of Mr. Victor is to give

these children their basic needs
empowered with basic education.
Recently "India Sudar Trust" had
Distance from their home state does donated study materials to all these
not deter these young boys and girls kids. Was a memorable experience for
from pursuing their dream - Education. all of us ! When we interacted with
Kaadesh Happy home at Bangalore them, their childish enthusiasm
has been the home for nearly 60 boys excited us. Many have big dreams to
& girls from Manipur. Some are pursue higher education like medicine,
orphaned or from underprivileged back others pastors, pilots , even IAS & IPS
ground. Few children from other states officers ! We have also arranged for
are also there. spoken English and communication to
be honed.
Dr. Victor has been running this home
for past 8 yrs. He does not have The confidence displayed by them
regular committed donors, but yet mainly goes to Mr. Victor & Team who
many have been kind hearted to him have been relentlessly working for the
to run the institutes. how does he betterment of these children. India
manage? He runs a school called Sudar would continue to monitor the
"Presidency High school" in which all progress of these children and help to
these boys upto 10th study. In the extent possible.
addition outsiders also study. So he
For more details, please contact
[email protected]

Editorial Team

Publisher and Patron: Associate Editor

K. Srinivasan (Prime Point Foundation) Jayatheerthan

Editor: Editorial Members

Sivanarayanan Balamurugan
Kanchana Ravichandran
Yamini Karunakaran

Feedback and contributions to:

[email protected]

The e-zine can be downloaded from

http://www.indiavision2020.org