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It refers to question raised in Lok Sabha on 20.11.2019 where some members said that they felt ashamed when they could not ensure railway-reservation on their recommendations. Big question is why priority in railway-reservation is given on recommendations of MPs thereby depriving ordinary people from extra reserved seats in rail-coaches. Also MPs should be reimbursed for rail-travel only on submitting proof of actual rail-travel verified by the TTEs to avoid multiple reservations in different trains for a single journey. Cost of un-availed reserved rail-berths or seats should be deducted from their salaries or pensions. Free entitlement of rail-travel including for Parliamentarians and those travelling at government-expense including for those in public-sector-undertakings should only b...

We can’t breathe in Delhi. It is a public health emergency as pollutants in the air have spiked to extremely toxic levels. Officially, the air quality is in the severe+ zone, which means that it is bad for even the healthy, forget about what it will do to our children, aged and the already vulnerable. But what I want to discuss is why and what can we do — without the clamour and the politics that in its own way is contaminating the airs today. So, what has happened in end October and early November? Until the afternoon of Diwali (October 27, 2019), the air in Delhi was bad, but still somewhat breathable. But with the weather turning adverse — colder nights, less wind and so no dispersion — pollution was steadily rising. Also, the stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab a...

Present Chief Central Information Commissioner Sudhir Bhargav is going to retire on 11.01.2020. But still there is no clarity on new Chief Central Information Commissioner. It may be recalled that once this important post remained vacant for months before Vijay Sharma was appointed on the post. System may be formulated whereby normally senior-most Information Commissioner may be appointed as Chief Information Commissioner. Such a system will not only ensure the important post being always occupied, but will also auto-care for the peculiar situation developed due to recent amendment in RTI Act whereby service-rules for Information Commissioners are downgraded. No present Information Commissioner will like to apply for post of Chief Information Commissioner under new rules because of down...