ICAI arbitrary rules - CA answer sheets photocopies allowed under RTI !

Since the SC ruling in August I had been working on getting photo-copies of my CA Final answer sheets. My application was rejected. I filed the first appeal. My first appeal was rejected. I filed a second Appeal with the Central Information Commissioner. Within 3 days thereof I received the photocopies. A week thereafter ICAI came out with a notification allowing photocopies to be provided of CA exam answer sheets. After going through the high-handed rules, I humbly appeal to ICAI as follows.

Dear ICAI,
There is something called as Parliament is supreme. No one can use delegated authority to make laws (rules) contrary to laws made by parliament and assented thereto by the Hon’ble President. It would tend towards being declared ultra vires.
With due respect, the rules made by your Council go against the very intention of the legislature and are in effect violative of the RTI Act. It would be better if you wake up and change them suo moto. I am making an honest effort in wide public interest to list down the illegality of your rules!
Inter alia,
1. You cannot restrict it to exams happening November 2011 onwards. The RTI Act was enacted in 2005 and so the right vested then itself. Also the Hon’ble Supreme Court ruled in August 2011 that all answer-sheets are open under the RTI Act.
2. You cannot limit the application period to 75 or 90 days as the case may be. There is no such limitation under the RTI Act.
3. Whoa, you just increased the fees within 2-3 days of issuing the earlier notice? Shame on you! You cannot charge an exorbitant 500 (earlier 100) or 750 in the case of late application (earlier 200) per paper or otherwise. The RTI Act states that the charges are to be ‘reasonable’ and as may be prescribed. The charges prescribed are Rs. 2 per page or actual charges of printing as may be the case.
4. There is no format prescribed and which is the essence of keeping the law user-friendly. You cannot prescribe some arbitrary format and force people to write in their own handwriting.
5. No fees are to be charged for mere inspection of information. SO you really cannot charge 500/750 per paper either!

Without prejudice!
Issued in public interest!
Please do spread the message!
Let me know if any of you need any help!

CA Satsheel Redkar

The wrinkles on the roads!

in a country like india, where penury or abject poverty is taken for granted for the masses to live in, there arise those situations where such incidences do make you think rather than simply walking by. i have always found it very unbearable to watch the aged in utter misery alongside the roads of mumbai (i better write mumbai, although i prefer its colonial counterpart, for satisfying the egos of people who would protest for nomenclatures but not for the needy) . the sheer site of those once existing smiles lost behind layers of wrinkles; those tear-filled eyes behind broken, cello-taped, thick glasses; their bones which seem to be waging a war against their skin to tear through; those soiled, torn patches of cloth that they wrap around themselves for warmth (i wonder what the recent chilly winters might have done to their internal warming systems when we were busy wrapping ourselves under cozy wollens) ; or the stale, left-over morsels of food which we waste, that they lap up to barely fill their hungry stomachs.

it simply pains to see an old person, and especially an old woman, just to scrape through their daily existence, doing manual labour at an age when they should be playing with their grandchildren.

the other day i was taking a break from studies at the library and was outside a sandwich counter. whilst waiting on the sandwich, an elderly man came and sat near us. i noticed he was carrying a cup full of water. he then silently opened a pack of parle-g biscuits, having placed the cup besides him. i was shocked when he took out a biscuit and actually dipped it into the water, before he ate it. it was a very pathos-filled sight, and i stood looking at him.

a few days later, at the same place and at the same time of the day, came an old woman, frail looking, wearing a saree and carrying a large plastic bag. my friend had just thrown a used bottle on the ground. she came and silently picked it up. she looked around for anymore waste which she could collect and sell to earn a few rupees for her small meal at night.

these are instances which make you stop and spend some time to think about these very people, who in their youth would have certainly looked after their kids, but had now ended up on streets.

think. ponder. do your bit.

if you can't spread smiles, at least make sure you don't let smiles fade away!!!

I can't fight this feeling anymore!!!

And even as i wonder,
I'm keeping you in sight
Your a candle in the window,
On a cold dark winters night
And I'm getting closer then i ever thought i might

Baby i can't fight this feeling anymore,
I've forgotten what i started fighting for,

And if i have to crawl upon your floor
Come crashing through your door

Baby i can't fight this feeling anymore I can't fight this feeling any more

Courtesy: The movie - Dr. Seuss' Horton hears a who...

Don't leave me Ajji...

i want time to turn back,

go back to where she was hail and hearty,

taking care of me when i could barely manage to walk,

running behind me with the lunch in hand,

waking me up early for school,

cooking all that i loved to eat,

parenting me when my parents were at office.

but as time went by,

you had become a child,

ever so sweet and innocent,

it was now time for us to take care of you.

you never were any trouble for us,

instead, you were the driving force of the house,

once that kept us busy but happy all day long,

never for once, letting boredom creep on us.

all that now remains are her memories,

as fresh as the morning dew,

with the warmth of the cup of tea,

on a winter morning.

the house now is bereft of its cutest member,

the room is vacant now,

but we still peep in the room out of habit as we pass by,

we still head to your room first after entering the house,

it will take us time to get used to your absence,

but i know, you are watching over us from above,

and will always provide light whenever we need,

i love you ajji...

i want to laugh...

i want to laugh,

buzzing more than the swirling bees,

more brightly than the dancing sunflowers,

more sparklingly than the twinkling stars,

more freshly than the gushing rivers,

more melodiously than the infinite ragas;

i want to laugh,

not at anything or anyone,

but because laughing heartily is a gift,

He has bestowed upon us,

it is only once your forget how to laugh,

is when you realise its importance!

So laugh without caring what the world says,

laugh because it will spread the joys that need to be shared,

and will lead to more joys being created where there are none...