Explore Business Standard
Don’t miss the latest developments in business and finance.
The famed Guruvaur Sree Krishna Temple in this central Kerala district, which recently revealed details of bank deposits to the tune of over Rs 1,700 crore, has declared that it also has over 260 kg of gold in stock. In an RTI reply, the authorities of the temple said it has 263.637 kg of gold comprising precious stones and coins, and nearly 20,000 gold lockets. The management of the shrine had earlier refused to give details due to security reasons. The RTI document, which was provided after an appeal, showed that the temple owns 6,605 kg of silver, 19,981 gold lockets and 5,359 silver ones. The RTI, however, has not revealed the total value of gold and silver since the antiquity of some of them has not yet been established. In December last, the RTI revealed the bank deposits to be to the tune of Rs 1,737.04 crore and land of 271.05 acres the value of which was yet to be assessed. The centuries-old shrine, where Lord Vishnu is worshipped as Krishna, attracts thousands of people
The Supreme Court Friday said an online portal for filing RTI applications to help people access information about the top court is "practically ready" for launch. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli said the online portal to streamline responses of the Supreme Court under the Right to Information Act is ready for being unveiled. "The online portal of the Supreme Court for streamlining the responses under the Right to Information Act 2005 is practically ready for being launched. In this view of the matter, the grievance of the petitioners has been duly met. The petition is accordingly disposed of," the bench said. The top court was hearing a plea filed by law students Akriti Agarwal and Lakshya Purohit seeking a mechanism to file RTI applications online. Currently, the RTI applications with respect to the top court are filed through post. The PIL contended that the e-committee has already provided an efficient mechanism for e-filing of petitions but do
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said the effective use of the Right to Information Act (RTI) will help in building a developed and corruption free country as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Inaugurating the 15th Annual Convention of Central Information Commission (CIC), the Speaker said the main aim of the RTI Act is empowering citizens, bringing transparency, getting system rid of corruption and taking democracy to the people of the country in the true sense. Addressing the two-day convention titled "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Citizen centric Governance through RTI", Minister of state for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh said the non-domiciles and non-State subjects of Jammu and Kashmir will also now be entitled to file RTI related on issues related to Union Territory (UT) or agencies. Lauding the Commission for hearing petitions from newly carved out Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh during the peak of Covid lockdown, th
The Centre spent approximately Rs 38 lakh on the 36-hour State visit by former US President Donald Trump in 2020 in accommodation, meals, logistics etc, the External Affairs Ministry has told the Central Information Commission. On his maiden visit to India, Trump accompanied by his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and several top officials had visited Ahmedabad, Agra, and New Delhi on February 24-25, 2020. He had spent three hours in Ahmedabad on February 24 during which he attended a 22-km-long roadshow, paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram, and addressed a mega gathering "Namaste Trump" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the newly built Motera Cricket Stadium. Trump later flew to Agra on the same day to visit Taj Mahal. He visited the national capital on February 25 where he held bilateral talks with Modi. One Mishall Bhathena in an RTI had sought to know from the External Affairs Ministry the total expenses incurred by the Indian ...