Smt. Jayanti S.Ravi, IAS
Director & PIO, National Advisory Council
Dear Madam,
The Hindu had reported on 18.12.05 that NAC is
formulating recommendations for the Right to Education
Bill:
http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/18/stories/2005121803531000.htm
According to Press Releases on NAC website, at 19th
meeting on 26.11.05 "a Presentation on the proposed
"Right to Education" Bill" was made and "it was agreed
that a Sub-Group would quickly study its provisions
and suggest amendments after which the Council's
recommendations could be forwarded to the Government
of India" and at 20th meeting on 17.12.05 "discussions
continued and it was decided that the issues arising
from the draft Bill and the priorities which need to
be addressed would be studied further and the
Council's recommendations sent, thereafter, to the
Government of India".
http://nac.nic.in/Pressrelease/pressrel29nov.htm
http://nac.nic.in/Pressrelease/pressrel17dec.htm
It appears that NAC has agreed / decided to
reconsider, vide a Sub-Group, the Right to Education
Bill, 2005, that was drafted by the Committee
constituted under chairmanship of Shri Kapil Sibal for
the purpose on 10-11.08.04 by the reconstituted
Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), refined on
basis of suggestions and comments received at CABE
meeting on 14-15.07.05, circulated to States for
views, posted on MoHRD website for public comments in
October 2005 and approved by HRD Minister Shri Arjun
Singh in November (ToI, 11.11.05).
I am unable to locate on NAC website:
* a statement describing the Sub-Group, as per
s.4(1)(b)(viii) of the RTI Act, 2005 (with,
furthermore, RTI page on the website saying for this
clause only that "Meetings and Minutes are not open/
accessible to the public" and providing a link to NAC
Constitution, ie, orders dated 31.05.04 and 03.06.04,
neither of which mentions anything about Sub-Groups,
etc)
* any facts, as per s.4(1)(c) of RTI Act, 2005,
relating to this reconsideration decision /
announcement thereof (even as the decision appears to
be extra-ordinary in terms of functions of NAC as set
out in para-3 of Constitution / order dated 31.05.04
and, perhaps, also of Procedural Guidelines for
Conduct of Business / Office-Order, para-(i) of which
suggests NAC is considering matters as per a
prioritised list and though this list is not available
on NAC website, from lists of concept papers and
communications that are available it seems NAC had
provided timely support / inputs on right to education
in latter half of 2004).
I would be grateful if you could provide (or refuse)
to me at the earliest as much of the above information
as possible under s.4(1)(d) of RTI Act, 2005.
I am affected-person on account of related matters
awaiting compliance of court orders and pending in
courts and statutory Public Notice proceedings and of
linked petitions to Rajya Sabha about Free and
Compulsory Education Bill, 2004, and the Right to
Education Bill, 2005. Should you require from me proof
of being affected-person or citizen or anything else,
please let me know.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Gita Dewan Verma, Planner
cc: az plan
__________________________________
Yahoo! for Good - Make a difference this year.
http://brand.yahoo.com/cybergivingweek2005/