VC dedicated to his students ‘prestigious award’ by Japanese university which did not even exist

Chandigarh

Panjab University’s Vice-Chancellor R C Sobti has been found to be lying about his achievements, recently claiming an international award which did not even exist.
Vice-Chancellor Sobti last month claimed to the media that he was the only Indian scientist chosen for “Foundation Visitors Award” by the Yokohama National University of Japan.
Professor Sobti even went to Japan last month for over a week to receive the award, which according to the Yokohama National University, Japan, did not exist.

The members of RTI Chandigarh association have brought this stunning fact to light. RTI activist Manpreet Singh had contacted the Yokohama National University of Japan after the association members came to know of the dubious claim made by the VC to the media.
RTI Chandigarh association’s members had got suspicious when no such award was found to exist after their search on the internet and the Yokohama National University’s website.
The Yokohama National University of Japan in its reply informed the association member Manpreet Singh that no such award as “Foundation Visitors Award” existed, and Professor Sobti was invited to National Yokohama University under a routine annual International Exchange Programme.

Under the Yokohama National University’s Exchange Programme, which supports the international exchange between universities, academics from world over were invited for the year 2009, the Japan’s university informed the RTI activist.

Ironically, while talking to the press, vice-chancellor professor Sobti had dedicated the “prestigious award” to his students saying “I feel honoured as it is really a prestigious award. This award is for my students as they are the ones who motivate me to work harder.”

“It is sad that the people holding such high positions of responsibility are stooping to dupe the public,” said Davinder Singh, president of RTI Chandigarh association. “It is time the officials stopped taking citizens for granted and fooling them.” “We would file RTI applications seeking details of foreign trips made by the senior university officials, particularly the vice-chancellor,” said RTI activist Amit Kumar.

The RTI Chandigarh association’s president Davinder Singh informed that soon RTI applications would be filed to expose any misuse of public funds by the Panjab University officials. Recently, the association had brought to public notice through media the rampant misuse of public funds by the vehicles attached to the vice-chancellor’s office.

VC sits on inquiry report, DUI refuses to act on her complaint, RTI appeal letter sent to Chief Information Commissioner in Delhi

Chandigarh

A Panjab University’s gold medalist in French language has been running from pillar to post for the last two months to get justice after she was given zero marks in her internal assessment for MA first year’s exams. She had to face the wrath of PU officials when she sought information under the RTI Act.

The PU’s vice-chancellor had marked an inquiry into the issue seeking report within two days, but nothing had been done deliberately. Simran Kaur, a PU gold medalist in French, currently an MA second year student in the Department of French, said the PU officials turned hostile after she filed the RTI application on July 29.

“The VC and DUI are not even telling me what is happening to the inquiry and my complaint, despite many efforts to contact them in this regard. It’s just like fighting with a blind wall,” says Simran helplessly. She doesn’t know whom to turn to for justice.

The university took almost two months to provide the information and forced her to pay 500 rupees for it, which is violation of the RTI Act. The PU gave her more than 200 pages of information but did not provide the relevant information.

After the Panjab University’s refusal to provide all the relevant information she had sought, Simran today filed an appeal with the Appellate Authority under the RTI Act. Accusing the PU of diluting the RTI Act, she has sent a copy of the appeal to Chief Information Commissioner in Delhi.

“It is a blatant violation of the RTI Act and exposes PU officials’ highhandedness,” said Davinder Singh, an RTI activist and president of RTI Chandigarh association. “It is a pity how the PU authorities are harassing students for seeking information under the RTI Act.”
The university in RTI reply refused to give the assignment records under which Simran was given a zero. Certain information and records were withheld and have been classified as secret by the university. The university in its reply, which RTI activists found misleading, said “As per University rules the awards are to be kept for one year only”.

RTI activists accused the university authorities of hiding facts to shield its irresponsible teachers and corrupt officials. “The university’s information is misleading and false. The PU certainly has all the results and awards’ records of the students who passed even 20 years ago,” said Geetu Vashishta, an RTI activist.

Simran has not been given information on basis of which she was given zero marks, but PU’s RTI reply revealed some shocking facts about the French Department’s working. Only two Ph D degrees have been done in the last 10 years in the French Department, exposed the university’s reply. Most of the French Department’s teachers have zero publications, and zero research work in the last 10 years, including the teacher who gave zero to a Gold Medalist.
Interestingly, a few articles published in a local newspaper, which have nothing to do with French language or research, have been quoted as part of research publications. Hardly any serious research work has been published in a journal or publication of an international repute.

Fuel over rupees 28,000 spent in a month by one official car, VC is allowed to use official vehicles for private business, new Toyota Corolla car to be bought, reveals RTI reply by PU

Chandigarh

As our nation’s top politicians are embroiled in an austerity debate, Panjab University’s Vice Chancellor is going ahead with his plans to buy an expensive luxury car, despite already having at his disposal two official white latest-model Ambassador cars costing nearly five lakh rupees each.
Interestingly, the VC is allowed to use official vehicles for his private business, and his family can also accompany him.Some stunning facts about the VC’s craze with cars, discrepancies in fuel expenditures and misuse of public funds by the VC’s office have come to light in the Panjab University’s reply to an RTI application filed by a city resident and former PU student.
The PU’s VC uses two cars. The one strictly for his personal use is a white Ambassador car manufactured in 2007, costing nearly five lakh rupees. (Page 1, Serial No. 1; and Page 2, Serial No. 9.)

The other white Ambassador is used by the VC on “emergency, or as required”. This car was manufactured in 2006 and cost the university rupees 444, 251. (Page 1, Serial No. 1).
Another shocking fact revealed in the university’s reply is that the “Vice-Chancellor is authorized to use office vehicles for private purpose and his family can accompany him.” (Page 3, Serial No. 19).

In a reply to the Right to Information application by RTI activist Krishna Kumar, the university authorities have admitted that “A new Toyota Corolla Car is to be purchased for the Vice- Chancellor.” (Page 2, Serial No. 10). As asked in the RTI application, the university’s reply did not mention the price, colour, model of the Toyota Corolla luxury car to be bought. The market price of a Toyota Corolla luxury car is about 12 lakh rupees.

Rampant misuse of public funds, in the form of fuel consumed by the VC’s cars, has been found in the RTI reply. For instance, from August 2006 to July 2007, just one car consumed fuel at an average of over 20, 000 rupees per month. (Page 4). Such high fuel consumption for 12 months seems unreasonable considering the fact that university is closed on Saturdays and Sundays, besides many public holidays and university vacations.

Moreover, the VC’s office is just at a walking distance from his residence on the campus and he doesn’t have much work outside the university campus. The highest spending month was October 2006, when the fuel used by one of the VC’s car amounted to rupees 28, 286. (Page 4). More than one thousand rupees a day if you were to consider Saturdays, Sundays and other holidays.

RTI activists have expressed anger over VC’s extravagant manners and misuse of public funds. “You can’t change cars like your last year’s clothes. The VC shouldn’t forget that he is a public servant and he is using the tax payers’ money,” said Krishna Kumar, who had filed the RTI application seeking details about VC’s cars and fuel expenditure in the last three years.
Meanwhile, an RTI activist and president of the RTI Users Chandigarh, Davinder Singh, has questioned the rules under which the PU authorities have authorized the VC to use official vehicles for private business along with his family.

“The VC should act in a manner which is becoming of the high position he occupies. We urge him to act as a role model for the students and show some austerity considering the funds-crunch at the university.” The RTI activists have demanded an inquiry into the discrepancy in fuel consumption by the VC’s office, said Davinder Singh. The Vice-Chancellor has often campaigned on the campus to make the university campus pollution-free by introducing no-vehicle days.

mr jai mahajan pio cum dgm sbop why r u not showing files what r u hiding u have selected a site at dhuri on malerkotla road ignoring my offer u have selected a appropriate site after great delebration why r u not providing information  if u have not done any thing wrong why r u not providing the information and showing the files   have u any thing to hide tell the whole world that u have something to hide if u have done fair selection then show it   try to be fair and save your skin

I’m planning to file a RTI aplication regarding some very bad roads full of potholes on a certain road stretch in Patiala city.Could you please guide me in this regard if you have any previous experience etc.

I’m planing to ask the following questions:

1)Please give name and complete designation of officer responsible for maintenance of road going from X to Y.

2)Please tell me what quality norms are followed by your deptt while undertaking maintenance activity of the above said road.

3) Please tell me when was maintenance activity last undertaken on the above mentioned stretch.

Ideally , I would like to take certified samples of the bad roads but I do not know much abt how to go abt this….what will a “road sample” mean in practical terms and what would I be able to do with it once I get it.Would it be any use to ask for a sample at all?

Pls help if possible.

thanks and regards

Abhimanyu Saagar.

PS: I guess the correct deptt to go to for this would be Punjab PWD(Bridges & Roads).Or would it be Patiala Municipal Corpn.?

pio cum ITO malerkotla smt kulwinder kaur has rejected my application on the ground that the information relates to third party  unde section 7 but i have filed appeal before additional commissioner income tax ludhiana he may please intervene in the matter and supply the information region 4 appelate athourity is requested to intervene