Suggestion received on Twitter for Information and Public Relation dept, Govt of Karnataka, 2019.

After being posted as Secretary, Dept of Information and Public Relations, I thought of seeking free advice on Twitter. The response was overwhelming. I thought I must post the details in public for anybody to read. 

This time, my staff did not take the mention the name of the person who gave the idea, but would ask them to do next time! 

Please go thru if you have time! Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to give suggestions!

SL.No	Suggestions/FeedBack	Action	Status	Remarks
1	If your new department just reply to RTI queries/applications without any ambiguity and evasion, that should be more than enough.	Ok! I will check this. @Karmika_Sahaya and @shyleshbhat please get more details. Let's move the file and get approved from the Hon'ble Minister. Rope in KEONICS to see how we can copy it from DoPT. Let's have a target of one month?
2	Sir, my top 3 pick: 1. Publicize GoK policies in simpler terms & more regularly (a refresher) 2. Dire need to improve info flow amongst Civic Agencies. It's like right hand doesn't know what left hand doing :)  3. Regular upd of GoK achievements 2 boost confidence in Aam Public!
3	More information spreading is required for this every panchayat one dedicated staff and voluntary movement is required sir
4	Information about schemes, health, education, safety, life science, employment, security, yoga, agriculture, horticulture, entrepreneurs development, and so many subjects required for the peoples and country but our information is dept lagging under your captaincy set right ji
5	Regarding the information department the achievement of the govt should be explained to public 2 the schemes of the all departments should be published in conspicuous spaces both in kannada and English 3 having a cardinal relations with both print and electronic media
6	One dedicated news paper from the department sir
7	Alternately each Dept can maintain idea Register (iRegister) to enrol all public ideas for Dept . iRegister should be owned by PR division at Dept . Pls review and fine tune iRegister as pilot project and extend to all Dept at Karnataka	Please copy all the ideas posted here and put up a file to me. Though I have noted down important points, I would like to have them for the record purpose and to note them on the file. You can keep scree shots too. Use control room if required.
8	Congratulations, Sir. Most important thing is to ensure that RTI replies are transparent and without any confusion...
9	Sir, i have been following you for some time. You seem to be overloaded with duties! Meaning your contribution is appreciated by your office. Please gather a vibrant team and promote them too to learn as much and contribute!	Thank you! In fact, I want to impart skill up-gradation for 3 persons every 3 months. Sort of internship at my office. Working on the modalities		I will come up with a plan. @shyleshbhat discuss this with me.
10	I am 100% sure,90% of ppl don't know 90% of schemes & their departments they just roam all departments & enquire. still they don't get proper info by staff . this leads to increase of brokers & misuse. to curb this & to maximize the awareness, One Single App is essential	@Karmika_Sahaya kindly remind me on this issue too, till the file is initiated and sent to the office of the CS
11	Every DC, RC, Commissionerates/Directorates, Departments of GoK should have verified accounts on social media platforms especially twitter. @Uppolice is the best example. Every Zonal ADG, Range IG/DIG & District Police has such verified accounts and deals with public grievances.	Good point! We will try the same
12	Produce Report Card on Every Three Months, So People know Schemes Benefitting and How beneficiary Can Take Benefit from Such a Welfare Schemes Sir. We are Confident Sir You will give Your Best For Betterment of people , Society	@Karmika_Sahaya please ask my PS Pallavi to create a file on this issue of report cards and put up.
13	Implement the Srinivasa Murthy committee which says the public should be centre of information policy. You had made a head start earlier. Caveat: I am a committee member.	Oh, thanks a lot for the wonderful report sir! We are at it. 60 beautiful suggestions you have given us!
14	Welfare scheme Advertisement should be in all taluka office, like big hoardings.	Thank you for the suggestions. We are planning digital boards.
15	Congratulations Manivannan Sir!! Looking forward for your awesome performance in this department too. Is it possible to publish schedule for all government (Heads of dept. / MLAs / MPs / Ward / Area Council Members/ Head of Police Station) to meet public everyday?	Good idea! We had one in BESCOM long ago. Will try to do it with DIPR and Labour dept first. @shyleshbhat , please discuss with me on this.
16	Sir @mani1972ias may I suggest, Conducting local trips for Govt school children of rural areas to Local courts,Govt Hospitals,Police stations,Taluk office etc & spreading awareness & how our society works, to teach & guide them that these institutions are friends of the people.	Good idea! We will explore it. @Karmika_Sahaya , please remind me of this.
17	Public awareness in rural areas. We severely lack the knowledge of any Good Govt scheme's. Sir if possible plz do the same job as you once did as Bescom MD. Your work was fantastic. Many Lineman lives were saved thanks to you sir. You are a Hero.	Yes, you are right! Most of the suggestions were about creating awareness. We will plan it. Thanks for your kind words regarding BESCOM
18	Get Karnataka on MyGov	Sir, already CMO is coordinating. We will be doing that soon
19	Forst, second and third - Put out information which is truthful and establishes credibility of the government	I will do so, sir.
20	Can we have a website of the government, which is navigation friendly with all departments on one platform. Presently, the websites of respective depths lack updation.	Ma'am, very much desirable. But, many such attempts have failed as depts are doing fire fighting and don't put efforts on updating of the websites.
21	How about putting video tutorials on how to access online services of govt. Reading steps on how to fill a particular form is not encouraging in these times of multimedia. Step will result in increased reach of the services in a short time. Happy to offer pro-bono consultancy	Good point! @Shobana_88 please ask Pallavi to come on Twitter. We need to write to all depts on this good idea.
22	An easy-to-understand booklet with lots of graphics for women to understand what benefits they are eligible for and how to get them. Same for children - separate for girls and boys - in child-friendly language.	Very good idea!! Would you have anyone who can help us with this? @shyleshbhat please call MCA for a meeting on this. Remind me to call Commissioner, DIPR		Sure! I’m with @UNICEFIndia and along with my colleagues who support the state of Karnataka, we will be happy to support. My email is aganguli@unicef.org
23	A dummies guide to applying for ayushman bharat	Very good point! @Karmika_Sahaya please remind me
24	Sir, from http://Karnataka.gov.in to most of the ministerial websites in karnataka are no user friendly, not updated. nowadays info is sought online at initial stage. Maintaining websites, regular updation wl be great information dissemination. Other states hv gud websites	Ok! That's handled by another dept. But, will pass on the message. Updating and maintaining websites needs lots of efforts and time, and many in the govt are yet to realise it.
25	1. Use post offices as last mile agencies of information department. Publicise a “meet your postmaster” system. 2.Credits to kids in exams for talking to nearby needy neighbourhoods about relevant schemes 3. Incentivise clerks by promotion credits for enrolling people	#1 is doable. 2 and 3 are beyond my pay-band! @Karmika_Sahaya can you fix an appointment with The Post-Master General of Karnataka state? @Shobana_88 also get a team from KEONICS who can design & deliver.
26	For each of the welfare schemes of the govt, clear details are required and publicised in prominent places. 1. What is offered 2. Target audience 3. Eligibility criteria & Documents required. 4. Person/Office to contact. 5. Grievance redressal/escalation method, if any
27	Create whatsapp /telegram group of all the village/panchayat heads who get the details of govt scheme directly instead of through media or advertisements	Good idea! But, would need the active help of all the depts of the govt. We will try!
28	Will be good if the dept can create a website in Kannada and English on “how to...” avail various government services. Can be segmentised for urban, rural, women, students, senior citizens, business people etc Can also be published as a booklet.
29	Congratulations Sir. Here is my take on what the the top 3 goals could be: 1. Bottom up dissemination of information 2. Impeccable governance structure to succeed (vertical/horizontal) 3. People centricity & challenge the status quo All the very best to you.	Thank you, ma'am!
30	Can you give out details on how govt is planning to help flood hit farmers in Belgaum area & info on metro work in Bangalore. Thanks	@Karmika_Sahaya please forward it to the concerned dept and ask them to reply. @cpronammametro take note.
31	1) everything not barred under Sec 8 of RTI Act, must be shared suo moto, the same day the information becomes actionable. 2) Websites Of every GOK Dept & Agency are organised in a similar way, so it’s easy for user to find info. 3) All laws r translated to Kannada or English			More importantly, all the laws/rules/notifications shall be indexable (as in HTML format, instead of merely in document/pdf format) . It makes searching easy
32	@UmangOfficial_ all the central govt. services are available in a single platform in @UmangOfficial_ , though #sevasindhu is in karnataka. not designed properly n not accessible as @UmangOfficial_
33	Create a Knowledge Graph of the Govt. With information on personnel, services, offices, documents etc. It's my research area in my day job. I can help.	Good idea! It may take a long time, but worth it! Let's discuss this also when we meet. Thanks for this idea and the offer
34	Listing welfare schemes in an open platform with eligibility . Showcasing people who have benefited. Share with ward committees so they can share at the micro Govt level. I’m on the ward committee and I wd be interested to share welfare schemes with my ward	Thank you, ma'am!
35	It would be great if Karnataka Govt also published all information on schemes like the Jan Soochna portal that just got launched in Rajasthan.
36	Congratulations sir, for additional responsibility Misinformation prevails when it comes to details regarding policies, procedures regarding government schemes/day to day activity Some Dos/Don'ts kind of document shall be present in the office premises in big letters to help
37	Congrats sir. 1. Create outreach for existing schemes to last mile using local dialect content with digital literacy. 2. Standardise reporting goals and progress across siloed departments and open data sets. 3. Capacity building in social media channels and service delivery.
38	1)Make sure all scheme info is available in one place including eligibility 2) Make application simple 3) Make status of application trackable.
39	1. Eliminate political influence in stating the facts 2. Reconcile claims of success as per Govt. records with ground reality 3. Relentlessly meet people with open mind for criticism and bring them up at legislative level 4. Mandate awareness ads in all regional TV channels
40	1. Publish about schemes people can benefit but has less awareness 2. Statistics on programs undertaken and benefits accrued
41	Please keep Karnataka Govt. websites up to date & have comprehensive details & FAQ. Pls check if all Helplines are functioning properly.. Pls clearly mention the Govt. Officer & contact no. Responsible for coordinating each scheme.
42	Sir, we hope to see 'useful' information on the @KarnatakaVarthe handle, instead of advertisements. :) The aims could be to 1) Make citizens aware of the facilities in each dept 2) How citizens can gain access 3) Make Govt proactive through the information channels. Good Luck!
43	. Dissemination of schemes and initiatives available to people from govt and with links to relevant information details. 2. How to avoid middleman during approaching for the same and whom actually to approach. 3. Advsmt of people's DUTIES as citizens as much as their rights.
44	- Higher accessibility of information on government programs and initiatives. - Consolidation of all websites pertaining to government programs and initiatives into a single website managed by dept of info & PR - 24/7 web accessibility & document download services - Kannada use
45	Sir, Schemes like Sukanya Samruddhi, Pension Schemes majorly for unorganised sector, Health scheme in collaboration with SG health scheme, farmer schemes should be prioritised n reached to as many people as possible. Social security schemes must be taken fwd at a rapid pace.
46	Congratulations sir. 1) news letters department wide to give status on implementation. Sakala stats. 2) insist all govt agencies to update on projects / disruptions . Mainly big infrastructure like Metro , flyover, underpass. Public the biggest stakeholders are kept uninformed
47	1. How do we make sure public knows about all the govt. schemes they can avail & process 2. In case of any situation, urgently clarify govt. stand, create clarity about d situation, provide guidance 3. Project govt. good works in true spirit
48	My top 3 asks: 1) Identify a common templates to be used to publish information across departments/services/schemes. All announcement should conform to the defined template. 2) Have a common repository of all such publications and make it accessible to all. 3) Define SMART goals to the department and periodically assess progress on the same and publish it. In addition, please create awareness on what the charter of the department is..helps set expectations with the public.(2/2)
49	The most needy should get this information about govt welfare scheme and that can happen only thru participation of general public, kindly create a role like common man ambassador / partner who will identify the needy get them registered to schemes
50	Congratulations: Goals: 1. Reaching the 'right' population ( not a public paper advertisement ) meant for that scheme(>80%) 2. Explaining the benefits of the schemes through campaigns-District/Taluk level 3. Increased use of social media to reach out 4. Data compilation(adhar)
51	1. Website which mentions "Eligibility & procedure" for ALL Govt. schemes. 2. Real-time status of ALL Govt. projects, listed district wise. 3. "Did you know?" trivia on social media about achievements of Govt. depts.
52	One App -> List of departments->select department-> list of schemes &programs by this skill ,sector & requirement base all students/entrepreneurs/women/unemployed youths can search the info , read , apply & benefited..
53	Congrats sir, I would like to request tat, wtevr schemes u r gonna make please ensure that it should reach public... Either in digital way or through press media... We all can have basic knowledge on government work..
54	1) Focussed outreach of welfare schemes .i.e. Scheme info should reach for whom the scheme is made instead of generalized outreach 2) Details of sanctioned money and money used at different levels for diff schemes 3) Mechanism to track and measure the effectiveness of outreach
55	)ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬ ನಾಗರಿಕನಿಗೂ, ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಯೋಜನೆಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಇರಬೇಕು. 2)ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಇಲಾಖಾ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಗಳು ಒಂದೇ ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಲಭಿಸುವಂತಾಗುವುದು. 3) ಮೊಬೈಲ್ ಆ್ಯಪ ಮೂಲಕ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ, ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಗಳ applicatin status ವೃದ್ಧಿಸಬೇಕು..
56	1) Govt websites to be in both Kannada and English. 2) Transparency of govt spending 3) Transparency on various projects, with expected completion date. e.g. information on Metro Phase 2 progress & likely rollout dates should be updated at least once a month.
57	Sir , First thing is 'awareness , people should know there is Department from where they can know what government is doing for them . So pls build a super friendly website and a team to interact with them online. To reach village , hire ad agency to advertise via text
58	The department ads put up at airport area and bmtc bus shelters are mainly in English...no kannada
59	Congratulations Sir! IMO: 1. Webportal and Mobileapp. For example: "GOKINFOLINE" 2. A common minimum baseline of information, statistics and analytics for each dept. to be published by dept. 3. Star rating based on info updated by dept, citizen rating, citizen engagement, etc.
60	or any service that is available online, it is almost impossible to get it done online. For eg., I've been applying for a caste certificate for my child, but it keeps getting rejected Everytime, despite me submitting all correct docs. They force us to go to the centres n bribe
61	Open data, in open and accessible formats, not locked up in PDF, Excel or scanned reports. Programmatic, web based access to increase accountability and transparency.
62	Give more importance to news related to government recruitments. None of the TV channels cover this. Our govt websites are also very outdated. It will be helpful if you cover this here. Thank you and congratulations!
63	1. In Kannada, daily deliver time & context sensitive info about schemes of Govt. & weather to people's mobil, email and to panchayat display. 2. Make a list of 100 icons & 100 tourist places of Karnataka & publicize widely. 3. Collect feedback from people & provide to Govt
64	To clearly (a) communicate the various schemes which are available from both state and central govt for common public (b) tranparency in various schemes - how much money has been spent and it's sources (c) a portal for constituency wise work done, spending and work in progress.
65	.1.. Targetted dissemination of info for beneficiaries. 2. Cost effectiveness in advertisement 3. Simplification of the details of the welfare programmes.
66	1. Information dissemination at grassroot level - to the target citizens 2. Create local Action Groups - they'll work on awareness, implementation &follow up of welfare schemes.this will also result in job creation for localites 3. Create a Young India platform to propagate.
67	1. Request u to publish Ministry wise information on seperate website as Centre publishes on PIB and release a gvt app which shows ongoing works of corresponding ministries and schemes as well. Also include gvt job notification through app if possible.
68	2. Information is not only a Data but Wealth also. Deliver schemes of the gvt through Gvt bus stations at all levels(Dist, Taluq, village), Gvt hospitals, Gvt offices like Sub- register offices. Publishing news in creative short videos will help at larger extent.
69	3. There should be a volunteer/ gvt appointee at every village with whom the gvt can send information directly on schemes and facilities provided according to the criteria as per the gvt. Through him every person will know the information quickly. Also make use of @DDChandanaNews
70	Sir awareness of health insurance schemes is still low among the public . The full page ads in local dailies on arogya schemes will help Many are getting into debt trap due to non awareness of Health insurance schemes especially those at BPL.The best places to create awareness are PDS centres , tehsil office , bus stands and metro
71	My $0.02. 1) Making info/process about various govt depts which people need to visit for getting license/NOCs/approvals transparent and accessible. 2) Enable online tracking of applications in various govt depts. 3) Sensitize govt depts about issuing notifications in English also
	Road safety, n traffic rules n regulations awareness campaign especially through media so that even young children know it before they get their license. Also knowledge on how to give way to an ambulance, or what to do during an accident, how to approach a police ,etc
72	Help people get benefits of ayushman Bharat- many people don’t seem to know how to go about it Importance of nutrition Safety info for women; warning for criminals
73	Finding different ways to.reach out to public on various schemes of the government. Create a feedback mechanism to drive in opinions of people to improve the same. Work with Local Governments to see how their need for public relations can be met.
74	Sir my suggestion, 1. Dissemination of schemes in wider platforms such as mass and social media as well as paper media in regular intervals(if there is no budgetary constraint) 2. Interacting directly with target audience for resp Schemes & taking note of
75	pl send daily bullet points of govt schemes n benefits etc to govt schools for display on notice board in big letters . They read and also tell their parents, neighbours. Such info shapes them and reaches maximum without wasting money in advts in paid private business media.
76	1. Giving maximum information about welfare schemes to public. 2. let the public know what kind of services you can provide them. 3. Information is everything in 21 era. There must be proper utilisation for business and studies
76	Sir, 1. First and foremost important thing is proper means (app/website) which will connect people directly to concerned officials, mostly ppl get confused and give up taking any issues to officials for not being able to find out which to contact for what!? 1/n
78	Build a public data warehouse and ensure minute level data is available so that citizens can find and detect corruption. Publish a real time citizen dashboard so that citizens can understand how tax payer funds are being used .
79	1) ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಯಾವುದೇ ಸುತ್ತೋಲೆ/ ಸೌಲಭ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಕಲ್ಪಿಸುವ ಆದೇಶವಾದಲ್ಲಿ Website, Twitter ನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸುವುದು. 2) ಕೆಲವು ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಇಲಾಖೆ/ಕಚೇರಿ ಅಧಿಕೃತ ಅಂತರ್ಜಾಲ ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ನಿರ್ವಹಣೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ 3) ಇಲಾಖೆಯ ಸಹಾಯವಾಣಿ ತೆರೆಯಿರಿ.4) ಕೆಲವು ಸಿಬ್ಬಂದಿಗಳು ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕರು ಸಲ್ಲಿಸುವ ದಾಖಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಣ್ಣಪುಟ್ಟ ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸ ಇದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ ಅದನ್ನ ಸರಿಪಡಿಸಿ ಸೌಲಭ್ಯ ಒದಗಿಸುವಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ರಮವಹಿಸುವಂತೆ ತಿಳಿಸಿ. ಅನವಶ್ಯಕವಾಗಿ ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕರು ಅಲೆಯುವುದು ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಹಿಂಬರಹ ನೀಡುವುದು & ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕರು ಅಲೆಯುವುದ ತಪ್ಪುತ್ತದೆ. ಉದಾ: ಆಧಾರ್, ಜಾತಿ ಪ್ರಮಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಳಾಸ ತಿದ್ದುಪಡಿ etc
80	One integrated app that gives all department & all schemes information like "One state, One App". Now one can separately search department websites for info & schemes. If everything brought under one app , info can reach last mile person & its stake holders.
81	1. Clear concise information about scheme and concerned authorities to be contacted to avail benefit 2. FLOW chart of application process including days (PERT method). 3. Let's have website like PIB. More ideas after few days
82	Congratulations 1) Quality data 2) Accessibility to data 3) Updates on various schemes - ICDS, ICPS etc etc
83	It will be nice if you could implement a system of broadcasting, so that it reaches unknowingly even to a frustrated hopeless citizen and he/she could get sensitized by available schemes , become hopeful, and act to do something beneficial. Target should be the last person
84	1.Govt welfare schemes info can be integrated into a single portal along with the Sakala services.For rural areas,this can be done through CSC’s (RJ’s Jan Sochna portal does this)
85	Sir, The cabinet decisions/Briefings are not published in official websites. We citizens will benefit immensely if the same is made available on the official website on the lines of PIB. Kanaja website needs to be updated.
86	Under "Public Relations" make sure every district's: Collector, SP, CEO, Municipal Commissioner etc., are having Twitter/#mastodon account to luk after citizens complaints/ suggestions
87	2.Also can the dept please Ensure that booklets regarding various schemes,diff depts etc are printed and distributed at various schools/universities so that children are made aware of this.The @ncert textbooks have this.imp to have an informed citizenry
88	Statistical statement every month.. Or as appropriate Of Information of applications received as per information of government schemes and Information of Dissemination of government funds and Benfeciaries with address list.
89	Detailed information on all the scenes under one roof, categorized wrt departments. May be a website. Clear information on all schemes through grama panchayath
90	Many schemes, how/where to access, SLA, whom to contact/escalate is hardly known. Posters are less impact compared to AV. Banks & Post Offices across state, should be used to put up Digital walls. All Gov scheme AV campaigns be managed, transmitted & controlled centrally
91	Ayushman Bharat, how farmers can sell their produce bypassing agents..
92	1. about water harvesting schemes and how they can be implemented at local level / houses 2. sewers and the old pipe lines ... when they need the next maintenance checkup ? what need to be done from our side etc. 3. info about old age schools. many still are illiterate
93	Top 3 goals, 1. Scheme enrollment processes 2. Scheme live enrollment numbers 3. Govt budget revenue / expenditure numbers for layman’s understanding
94	Will be good to map below 1. Stakeholders who need info - farmers, citizens, govt. and extension officers (including village level), NGO 2. Time & frequency when info needed - School cycle, Medical help, Agri and marketing schemes 3. Methods to publish and distribute 4. Measuremt
95	Sir, Public relations: Improve the relation between govt and citizen. Govt must be polite and eager to help citizens. All the dept personnel must be cordial in approach towards citizens. Citizen must have a point of contact at district, taluka, village level.
96	1. Integrating database for all welfare schemes. Irrespective which welfare scheme someone enrolls for if there is a central database , we can built system to share information about other schemes and nudge them. like netflix which prompts next program to watch
97	2. Much of welfare scheme are based on supporting Income documents and/or others documents. Enabling provision to apply to these documents while applying to welfare program (and not separately) can certainly help
98	3. Service delivery like Delhi in cities like Bangalore , Mysore etc will also help
99	Respected Sir, publish the gravinces steps of each dept..if feasible Twitter or whatsup numbers of concern depts..so that common ppl can reach to respective depts insted of twitting all matters to only few officers or cmo...
100	All the schemes must be on a dashboard and in public domain so that public can also track progress of it and question about delays
101	1.Information regarding various Govt welfare schemes should finally reach to the beneficiary at the grass root level. 2. Expeditious and uncluttered dissemination of Information. 3. Act as bridge between Govt and public
102	Citizens should be able to get to know grievance redressal mechanism available in the state.
103	1) People in rural areas having no awareness about govt. policies and schemes for their welfare so they should get aware to it. 2) Mostly policies and schemes remains only in documents so they should be implemented at ground level.
104	Building an interactive platform for Office of DC to communicate with public..(1) helps in propagation of govt scheme (2) provides platform for people to get clarity around schemes...digital is better
105	benefiting the illiterate , True BPL and the tribal class with Govt schemes should be the first step . Were social media ,Google and Android might not reach
106	Govt schools, banks, bills(electricity,water etc) can be used for publishing schemes specific to their age group...youtube(influencers and app) n facebook can be used.
107	Most urgent projects, that should have been given top priorities, decades back are 1-Efficient, effective UGD, ST n SWM systems, in all the towns. No city in karnataka, India has complete system. 2 Preserving scarce sources of fresh water, preventing its largescale pollution.
108	Sir, It can act as job portal for Govt. and Semi Govt. (village level to national level) If @KarnatakaVarthe could tweet/via FB/Instagram, that would be of great help.
109	Sir, use Print, TV and Digital media (listed state, regional, district level media houses, which are getting advertisements by govt.) to give vast publicity to welfare schemes. For any big advertisement make it mandatory to publish about welfare schemes free of charge.
110	A mobile app for starters, sir, if there is none available now, for citizens to know about eligibility and procedures for benefiting from such schemes..Would be even better if one app could give all info and data, non-classified of course, on the govt departments, offices and their functions. With updated info and data on works planned, in progress and achievements so the citizens can see their government working for them.
111	2. Unique governance bringing all the dept heads under same platform like watsapp group or something so tat there will be quick communication btw officers on any public issues reported by ppl
112	1)    Track and convey achievements not money spent (I know you do this, but the department should do this across the schemes). 2)    2) Identify / foster volunteers/NGOs in various wards/villages whose job will be to popularise schemes. To do this, some form of performance of the schemes (to the potential) can be published transparently. CSR funds can be utilized for this, where relevant. 3)    3) Extension of (2), in Urban areas - families can be encouraged to popularise these schemes with their maids/drivers and others - so that the information gets propagated. Where possible, they can enroll them too.
113	Govt (policies/benefits) info can reach masses via a) Ads on BMTC / KSTRC buses b) Posters near religious places (Temples/Mosques/Churches) c) Bus stands / Railway stations / Auto stands d) Posters near schools/colleges e) Radio ads / TV ads
114	Would like to see monthly email newsletters about the work each department is doing - new schemes, progress of schemes, deadlines for implementation, rule changes if any etc. People can subscribe to specific departments' updates which concerns them professionally/ personally.
115	Please put up a list of projects being undertaken and their status report. Would help if this was out in the open. Let everyone see hits/misses. Great publicity and will invite real time critique.
116	The solution could be to fast pace the pending bbmp tender activities... provide better transportation. And provide better health benefits and life styles. Keeping lakhs of people in less density of dusted areas will not work out for long. This is sincle. Phase out IT slowly
117	Start taking up work at sez near airport. Start building at least now. Indias software capital it is. This is rut now. Build the future silicon city of bengaluru . phase out IT chunk by chunk, like they do it in sprints
118	Not sure if below suggestions come under your purview.  make tier 2 cities visible to Industry/Entrepreneurs & help them grow (Aim: Decongest Blore) 2. Online/SMS/IVRS Surveys for feedback on effective implementation of Welfare Schemes.
119	1. To expedite RTI queries promptly as per prescribed timeline 2. To minimise false propaganda 3. And of course - optimal usage of money as it is really very hard earned by us.
120	Sir, can you please start a feedback system along with information sharing. This feedback system can be really useful in estimating how effective is the government schemes and how efficiently it is implemented
121	Captain, I would love to know about the 1) various schemes introduced by the Govt. from time to time and 2) implementation of online and paperless citizen services.
122	People must be made aware of the govt. schemes and how can they avail. Once they know, corruption would decrease

The Constitution of India and Secularism

PART I THE MINORITY ISSUE:

We notice an increase in the number debates in recent times on the alleged 'discrimination' between the Majority religion and the Minority religions in the Constitution and also the very concept of Secularism. It is claimed by some that secularism is a vague western concept and not suited for India. Some of the scholars including Dr Balagangadara and Jakob De Roover are supporting this thinking attempting to give credence to this theory. 

When I came across such discussions, as a Government Servant serving the Constitution for twenty years, it was normal for me to get a little surprised at such misleading theories. When I tried to explain on the online platform like Twitter, I realised that there is a need to comprehensively refute it, and hence this essay. 

At the same time, I am aware that knowledge is vast and one should approach any issue with an open mind. Thus, this essay is also an opportunity for me to invite those who have a contrary opinion for a discussion in getting more clarity. I decided to write this in a simple language so that it is easy for everyone to understand. 

Does the Indian constitution 'really' discriminate between religions? 

The answer is a ‘No’. Discrimination involves an element of prejudice. The constitution does not have any such prejudice. But, then, why there is such a charge? Let’s go over the articles to understand it better.

14. The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.

15. (1) The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.
(2) No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to— (a) access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment; or (b) the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public.

16. (1) There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State. (2) No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them, be ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect of, any employment or office under the State.

These three articles make it very clear that all religions are the same in the eyes of the state. There is an insertion in Art 15, as 15 (5), thru the 93rd amendment of the constitution, which exempts the education Institutions run by the minorities from certain actions. We will come back to this later in the essay.

The controversial Articles from Art 25 to Art 30. Let’s see what they are:

25. (1) Subject to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion. (2) Nothing in this article shall affect the operation of any existing law or prevent the State from making any law— (a) regulating or restricting any economic, financial, political or other secular activity which may be associated with religious practice; (b) providing for social welfare and reform or the throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus.

26. Subject to public order, morality and health, every religious denomination or any section thereof shall have the right— (a) to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes; (b) to manage its own affairs in matters of religion;

27. No person shall be compelled to pay any taxes, the proceeds of which are specifically appropriated in payment of expenses for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or religious denomination.

28. (1) No religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of State funds. (3) No person attending any educational institution recognised by the State or receiving aid out of State funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution or to attend any religious worship that may be conducted in such institution or in any premises attached thereto unless such person or, if such person is a minor, his guardian has given his consent thereto.

29. (1) Any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same.
(2) No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or receiving aid out of State funds on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them.

30. (1) All minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

A plain reading of all Article 25-30 will show you that all religions are treated equally, except in Art 30 where the Constitution goes on to protect certain rights expressed.

Now, you may ask, ‘why these rights to only to Minorities? Does it mean the majority does not have the right to establish a similar institution?’ The answer is simple. Consider this logic: We have a teacher A and two students B and C. If A protects C, it does not mean that B is left unprotected. It is possible that B is strong by himself, and it's only C who needs protection. So, it's logical that B is protected by A and B is allowed to protect himself. In other words, only a person who has less immunity is given an antibiotic, not a healthy person. If we demand that healthy person also should be given an antibiotic, just because, it is given to the weak person, is a naive argument. 

Thus, giving protection to the Minorites is NOT discrimination. We should also not miss the point, that A is NOT barred from equally protecting B when the need arises. If so, where is the discrimination here? 

In a democratic set-up, the majority have an inherent advantage and the minority have an inherent disadvantage. So, it is but normal that the minorities would seek protection form the discretion of the majority. This gets more accentuated if we consider the circumstances during when the Constitution was written more particularly in the background of partition. 

Indeed, at the time the constitution was written there were already quite a number of educational institutions being run by the minorities. All the Constitution did was to went ahead to protect such rights. It may be noted that the constitution did not create any new right, but just protects the existing right of the minorities. 

Now, let’s come to the 93rd amendment inserted in Art 15(5). It reads as below:

(5) Nothing in this article or in sub-clause (g) of clause (1) of article 19 shall prevent the State from making any special provision, by law, for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes in so far as such special provisions relate to their admission to educational institutions including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the State, other than the minority educational institutions referred to in clause (1) of article 30.

This is an extension of Art 30. Though it does not talk about RTE (Right to Education), the 'exemption' to institutions run by the minority enabled them to stay out the RTE. This 'exemption' is actually the same protection given in Art 30, in a new bottle. So, the same logic will apply here too.

Thus we find that the 'protection' given by the constitution is legitimate. We can also see that the Constitution does not prohibit the Govts from extending the same protection to the majority community. Putting both of these together, we find the allegation of 'discrimination' evaporating.

The govts can't shift the responsibility on the constitution if they do not want to give the same protection to the majority. It is left to the government to extend the same protection or not. Indeed since 1947, till today, the cabinet of India has been predominated by the majority community, irrespective of the political parties in power. Same is the case with every Parliament including the current. So, where is the question of anybody acting against the interest of the majority? (By the way, RTE is not applicable even to Vedic Pathshalas too.) 

However, in my personal opinion, there is a scope to modify the RTE, to make it applicable partially on both minority & majority run institutions. The protection given in Art 30 can't be absolute protection. Any protection can be only against a malfide action and can't be against a benign action. Thus, the exemption under Art 15(5) can be removed. 

Indeed, the advisory committee on RTE has recommended that Minority institutions shall be included in the Scheme. The Kerala High Court in the case of Mrs.Sobha George Adolfus vs State Of Kerala on 2 June 2015, held that Minority institutions do come under RTE Act and the rights conferred under Art 30 are not unfettered. 

Thus, seen from any point of view the Constitution does not come in the way of Govts treating the Religions equally. It is up to the govt to make such laws that can ensure equal treatment to all religions, while the minority religions and their rights are protected from the malafide action of the Govts. 

PART II: SECULARISM: 

Secularism is introduced in the Preamble of the Constitution vide the 42nd amendment in 1976. Since then there have been questions and discussions on what exactly is secularism. The dictionary defines it as ‘indifference to, or rejection or exclusion of, religion and religious considerations.’

Secularism, as per this definition is not new to India. The Charvaka school of Indian philosophy, one among the oldest schools of Indian Philosophy, rejects and excludes religion from life. The oldest of the scriptures in India, the Rig Veda, which talks about ‘Ritu’ or the cosmic rule that is beyond even the Gods, thus clearly posturing an idea where law reigns supreme. Even in the concept of ‘Raj Dharma’ has a tinge of secularism in that, as it talks about the supremacy of ‘Rule of law’. As late as the 18th century, we had enlightened rulers like Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who was secular in his outlook. Thus secularism, as an idea, is not at all new to India.

While the idea of secularism independently evolved in the west, as a part of the reformist or protestant thinking, it is definitely now new to India. Thus, both Dr Balagangadhara and Jakob De Roover are not right in portraying secularism as a Christian idea. (https://sites.google.com/…/colonialconsciousness/secularism… )

De Roover goes on to say that secularism is a ‘colonial project’ without giving any evidence of how and who implemented this ‘project’. A project is a set of conscious and planned steps taken towards achieving a pre-set result. Without giving evidence for each of these steps saying it as a ‘colonial project’ reeks of either ignorance or bias.

Meanwhile, in 1994, the Hon’ble Supreme court of India, in the famous SR Bommai Vs Union of India case, defined Secularism for the first time, and also declared it as a part of the ‘basic structure’ of the constitution. It held ‘Secularism is thus more than a passive attitude of religious tolerance. It is a positive concept of equal treatment of all religions. This attitude is described by some as one of neutrality towards religion or as one of benevolent neutrality. This may be a concept evolved by western liberal thought

Secularism has worked well so far both in India and in the world. Currently, 96 countries in the word are declared secular states, comprising of a population of more than half of the world. Indeed, a recent study has shown that secularisation preceded economic development. (http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/7/eaar8680) On the other hand, there is no evidence to show that those states who are officially religious are able to develop both economically or on the various factors of human development. Thus, the evidence and argument are clearly in favour of a secular state in the interest of the common man.

However, De Roover feels that secularism in India has failed. He does not provide any data but goes by the increase in the number of communal violence between Hindus and Muslims. This could be an erroneous conclusion, as we really don’t know what would have happened has secularism had not been there. Who knows, the situation could have been worse!

Secondly, the argument of De Roover that India was peaceful in the past even without secularisation is also erroneous. Because it misses the confounding variables which could have contributed to it. We also know that the concept of Secularism was not new to India. Hence, even that would have contributed to peace. Or we would have had violence and we are just not getting the pieces of evidence. The situation 100s of years back can’t be compared to the present situation. Indeed, the violence involved between different sects is common knowledge.

However, De Roover And Dr Balagangadhara are right when they talk about the internal pluralism in Indian society and the common framework among the people that allowed them to coexist. Their examples are fully accepted in this regard. They are also right that Hinduism is more tolerant than other religions like Islam and Christianity, as the Abrahamic religions do not accept any other God than their own, while Hinduism, in practice, has no qualms in accepting their God also as God.

I remember seeing the beautiful rendering of the famous song on Allah (Originally sung by Nagoor Hanifa) by Vittal Das Maharaj (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE9XTaWr7A8) It is this ‘common framework’ created, established and sustained by the common man is likely to flourish when the state is secular. This can flourish only in an environment of equality and respect. 

If the state slips from being secular and takes to any one religion, then it is likely to create misgivings and disturb the above mentioned ‘common framework’. As the famous saying goes, "Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done." Equal treatment of religions shall not only be there, but it shall also be seen to be there in a formal setup. If so, then the state can never be religious. 

I conclude with these words of Mahatma Gandhi, “If I were a dictator, religion and state would be separate. I swear by my religion. I will die for it. But it is my personal affair. The state has nothing to do with it. The state would look after your secular welfare, health, communications, foreign relations, currency and so on, but not your or my religion. That is everybody's personal concern!"

Jai Karnataka! Jai Hind!

Collegium may not be perfect, but then NJAC will be dangerous!

One need not elaborate the problems with the present system of elevation of Judges for the higher judiciary, by the collegium of serving judges.

It is opaque, self-serving, fraught with nepotism, lacks professionalism and unscientific.

How nice it would be if we can have a better system!

Does NJAC fits the bill?! Sadly, it is not.

Why?

NJAC (National Judicial Appointments Commission), is a six member body, and will have three judges, the law minister and 2 independent members.

The catch is here. These two members are appointed by another committee having two politicians and one Judge. Thus these 2 members could be anybody agreeable to politicians. We all know how much credibility the political class in India holds, in-spite of having some of the best political leaders among us.

Now, we possibly have two members agreeable to the politicians, plus the Law minister, makes it exactly 50% strength of 'political sympathizers' in the NJAC. All they need is one more judge who has a tilt towards govt, if not a clear bias. Then the NJAC can easily select judges who are 'soft' to the government.

Thus, over a period of time, we will have more judges in the higher judiciary who have been elevated 'thanks' to the political masters, and in all probability soft towards the govt. So, there is all possibility, that NJAC will degenerate into another 'collegium' of the Parliament!

What will happen then? The independence of the Judiciary will be reduced to paper. The consequences will be irreversible, dangerous, and possibly destroy the spirit of the Constitution.

We will lose the last bastion that can stand a totalitarian govt.

And consider these:

1. The democracy, though vibrant in India, has not matured enough. When United Kingdom can run its democracy much smoothly without a written constitution, we struggle to run ours even with a detailed written constitution! Horse trading, Parliamentary impasse, Ordinance getting defeated in the floor are common to us. Thus, we are yet to mature.

Can an immature parliamentary democracy start tinkering with the judiciary? Is it not commonsense that we should put our own house in order first, before we poke our nose into neighbor's house?

2. Second is the process of election itself. In-spite of the marked improvement in the manner elections are conducted in India, and their general acceptability; the elections are far from being perfect. We all know how the voters are influenced. We all know about the inaccurate -rolls. Above all we have the first-past-the-post system, which throws up representatives who could have got more votes against that for! Thus, the parliament that we have has its serious limitations before it could arch forward to catch the absolute power, that it can get in an ideal democracy.

3. Third is the question of 'who will rein the govt, if it does a blunder?' What options we have? Only an independent judiciary can do that! If we take out that option, the next choice will be a coup d' etat. Do we want that?

Thus, though collegium has its own problems, let the Judicial independence be not disturbed. Let's keep the Parliament away from interfering in the higher judicial appointments. Let's see if the collegium system can be improved without interference from outside. That would be a useful discussion in the right direction.

My two cents!