Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Directs MPSC to provide answer script photo copy: Imphal, Dec 26: In a case relating to the Combined Manipur Civil Services Examination 2005, Manipur Information Commission has ordered the Manipur Public Service Commission to make available the copy of the answer script of a particular candidate for an optional subject, as sought by the mother of the candidate. The ruling was made in connection with an application filed by one Irom Jamini, mother of Laikangbam Shalini, a candidate in the combined civil service examination, seeking a copy of her answer script for Zoology paper II. In its order issued in this regard, dated December 5, 2007, the commission ruled that a citizen has the right of access to answer script of any competition if his expectation is not up to his or her satisfaction. ‘It is in the interest of the public that such disclosure of answer script are highly warranted, for transparency and accountability in such competitions which are the cynosure of all eyes of many asp...

Govt official fined under RTI: Imphal, Dec 26: The Manipur Information Commission has for the first time imposed a stiff monetary penalty upon a senior official of the state government for failing to furnish information sought by a member of the public under the provisions of the Right to Information Act. The Information Commission has ordered IAS officer S Budhachandra to pay a total amount of Rs. 9250 as fine within a period of 30 days for his failure not only to furnish the information sought under the RTI Act, 2005, but also to respond to orders issued by the Commission in connection with the matter, while he was serving as State Public Information Officer, SPIO, Directorate of Education (Schools). The order was issued on December 22, in connection with an application made by Prof Akham Biradhwaja Singh to the SPIO, Directorate of Education (s) in October 2006 seeking disclosure of certain information. The Commission, in its order imposing monetary penalty on the officer, noted tha...