Right to Information (RT Act, 2005)

Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
and
The Right to Information Act, 2005

Introduction

The ACT

The Government of India recognizes that "an informed citizenry and transparency of information are vital to its functioning." In order to provide for setting out the practical right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities [and] in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority," Parliament enacted The Right to Information Act (RIA) on June 15, 2005.

Scope and Definition

Objective and Purpose

To provide information about the Centre and sources of information.

What is it Excluded from

As per the provisions of the Act, JNC will not be able to disclose any information to any citizen which may:

• be prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, or to the security, strategic,  scientific, or economic interests of India, or to India’s relations with foreign States
• be expressly forbidden by any court of law in India or which might cause a breach of privilege of Parliament or State Legislature
• be in breach of confidentiality arrangements made with foreign governments
• be harmful to the competitive position of a third party, unless the competent authority  is satisfied that the larger public interest warrants the disclosure of information; and       cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of individuals at JNC unless the Central/State Public Information Officer or appellate authority is satisfied that the larger public interest justifies the disclosure of information.

Who are Users of this hand book ?

Students and staff of the Institute, general public,

And this act extends to whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir .

1. Procedures and Fee Structure for getting Information

   The procedure for requesting any information subject to the Provision of the Act is as below:

   • A request for obtaining information shall be accompanied by an application – in a plain paper containing the salient information required to be provided under the Right to Information Act, or in the prescribed format as laid down by the Rules of the Act – along with a fee of Rs.10/- by way of a demand draft or bankers’ cheque drawn in favour of “Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research” .The applications shall be in English, or Hindi or Kannada.
   • For providing the information the Fees shall be charged by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or bankers cheque payable to the Centre at the following rates:

     The fee chargeable for providing the required information under section 7 (1)  and  7(5) of the Acts shall be:

     1. Rs.2/- per page for copying – for A4 size papers,

     2. Rs.5/- per page for beyond A4 size

     3. For inspection of records: No fee for the first hour, and Rs.5/- for every 15 minutes thereafter.

     4. For information provided in diskette or floppy or CDs, Rs. 50/- per diskette or floppy or CD,

     5. For information provided in printed form at a price fixed for such publication or Rs.2/- per A4 page of photocopy,

     6. Actual cost or price for other modes of copying, e.g. tapes – audio, or video, or other media

2. For obtaining information, the applicant should say whether he/she is an Indian and also furnish his/her full address.
3. Click here to view application format (doc format) (pdf format)

   APPLICATION FORMAT FOR SEEKING INFORMATION UNDER RTI - 2005

   Sl. No.	Particulars	Information to be given
   1.	Name
   2.	Profession
   3.	Full postal address
   (a)	Telephone No.
   (b)	Fax No.
   (c)	Email ID
   4	Identity of the person
   5	Residential status
   6	Nationality/ Citizenship
   7	Information required/ sought

   NOTE: Application fee Rs. 10/- and information copy @ Rs. 2/- per page, a Demand Draft drawn in favour of ‘Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research”, Bangalore-560 064’ is required to be sent to the Public Information Officer, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore-560 064, Karnataka State.

   SIGNATURE OF THE  APPLICANT

4. For Additional information-
   1. Refer various rules and regulations of the Centre .
   2. Contact the appropriate officer as per the list in the book or the centre’s  website.

   Contact Persons for Right to Information Act –

   Central Public Information Officer	Mr. A.N. Jayachandra, Administrative Officer, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research Jakkur, Bangalore 560 064.   Telephones:  2208 2751 (O), 2362 2763 (O) 2360 2792 (O), 2293 2576 (O) Mobile: 9448287701 Fax:  2208 2766, 2360 1438 Email- jay@jncasr.ac.in
   Asst. Central Public Information Officer In-charge	Mr. Sachin Belvadi Public Relations Assistant Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research Jakkur, Bangalore 560 064.   Telephones:  2293 2576 (O), 2293 2502 (O) Mobile: 9448287705 Fax:  2360 1438 Email- sachinb@jncasr.ac.in

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5. The particulars of the organization, function and duties. 

   Name and contact details

   Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research

   Jakkur P.O., Bangalore 560 064.

   Phone: Off: (080)2208 2750, Fax (080) 2208 2766, E-mail: admin@jncasr.ac.in,     

   Website: http://www.jncasr.ac.in

6. Objectives

   (a) To carry out front-line research in selected areas of science and, in particular, to create the climate for research at the highest level by individual scientists working  in the Centre on a full-time, honorary or visiting basis;

   (b) To carry out collaborative research with scientists at the Indian Institute of Science;

   (c) To provide a national and international forum for free exchange of ideas and facilities to hold in-depth discussions on important scientific topics in areas of vital interest to scientists in the Centre and in the country at large;

   (d) To provide facilities to visiting scholars and faculty from all over India and abroad to spend limited periods of time to carry out advanced research and to participate in the activities of the Centre;

   (e) To provide for advanced instruction  and training in such branches of learning as the Centre  may deem fit;

   (f) To provide for training in research work and for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge;

   (g) To arrange lectures, seminars, conferences, symposia, scientific and technical workshops and other such  programmes;

   (h) To organize periodic winter and summer schools in important areas with the help of leading scientists from India and abroad;

   (i) To provide facilities to young talented students to carry out research projects in selected areas of science;

   (j) To provide training for R&D personnel in selected frontier areas of science;

   (k) To undertake extramural studies, extension programmes and field outreach activities to contribute to the development of society;

   (l) To publish periodic reports, monographs and scientific papers on frontier and futuristic areas of science;

   (m) To establish and maintain a research and standard reference library in pursuance of the objectives of the Society; and

   (n) To do such other acts or things as may be necessary, incidental or conducive to the attainment and furtherance of the Objectives of the Centre, including utilising the laboratory/workshop facilities of the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore when necessary.

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   About the Centre

   Not so long ago, Jakkur was a small village on the outskirts of  Bangalore, where the sheep grazing in the verdant fields paused in their ruminations only to cast incurious glances at the gliders and helicopters taking off from the famous Jakkur Flying Club. Today, however, Bangalore has spread outwards to embrace Jakkur in its high-tech grasp, and high-flyers of a       different kind flock to  Jakkur, enticed here by the lively scientific atmosphere of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.

   We are a relatively young but already well-known multidisciplinary research institute. Our mandate is to pursue and promote world-class scientific research and training at the frontiers of science and engineering. The Centre was established in 1989 by the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India, to mark the birth centenary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. However, the bulk of our growth has been in the past decade.

   Our small size (26 faculty members, spread over several disciplines) is an advantage: not segregated in far-flung labs, our chemists, physicists, biologists and engineers rub shoulders throughout the day, whether it be in seminars, the library, the dining hall or the bus to-and-from work; this fosters a spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration which is one of the hallmarks of JNCASR. Amongst the many such on-campus collaborations that have sprung up over the years: a fluid dynamicist has joined forces with a statistical mechanician to look at flow in nanochannels, and with an experimental physicist to study the freezing of laser-induced metal droplets when they impinge on a substrate; another experimental physicist and a biologist are jointly developing a portable system that uses Raman markers to detect CD4 (used in HIV diagnostics); a theoretical molecular-dynamics study of the arrangement of water molecules around a protein has emerged from coffee-table discussions between a biochemist and physicist; and a many-body theorist is modelling the devices developed in the molecular electronics lab. There are many other such examples.

   In addition to our young and dynamic faculty, other strengths of JNCASR include the presence of bright and energetic graduate students (we have an excellent faculty-to-student ratio of about 1:4), and state-of-the art experimental, computational and infrastructural facilities. Visitors to our campus are also invariably impressed by our physical environment:  the architecturally innovative buildings blend inobtrusively into several acres of lush landscape, with only the buckyball dome rising above the treetops; while kingfishers and herons flit among the bamboo groves surrounding our local pond.

   Researchers at the Centre are divided into six units: Chemistry and Physics of Materials, Engineering Mechanics, Evolutionary and Organismal Biology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Theoretical Sciences, Educational Technology and Geodynamics. We also have two off-campus units at the Indian Institute of Science: the Chemical Biology and Condensed Matter Theory Units. Though it is of course difficult to quantify scientific performance, by all numerical indications (numbers of publications, citations, grants, patents filed, etc.), science at the Centre is flourishing. In the last few years, the Centre's faculty members have published their research in some of the most prestigious scientific journals, including Nature, Nature Medicine, Science, Evolution, the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie, the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, and Physical Review Letters. The work of the Centre's faculty is also being recognized by various awards: of course, the list of honours and prizes received by Prof. CNR Rao, our Honorary President and Linus Pauling Research Professor, runs into many pages; however, we were all still very excited when he was recently awarded the Dan David Prize for Science in the Future Dimension, in 2005. Our younger faculty members too, are making their mark: for example, this year, Prof. Tapas K Kundu was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for biological sciences, Prof. Anuranjan Anand received the Outstanding Research Award from the Department of Atomic Energy, and Prof. Srikanth Sastry, Prof. G.U. Kulkarni and Prof. S. Balasubramanian received the B M Birla Science Prize.

   In addition to carrying out innovative scientific research, the Centre has a commitment towards fostering scientific education. We are now a "Deemed University", and over a hundred graduate students are currently working towards Master's and Ph.D. degrees at the Centre. Apart from training our own students through a wide spectrum of courses, we are also actively supporting a range of educational outreach activities: every year, our highly competitive Summer Research Fellowship programme hosts some of the very brightest undergraduates in the country; the Educational Technology Unit produces a range of teaching aids and educational material; we organize and teach short term courses at universities across India; and promising young chemists and biologists are trained intensively as part of our programmes of Project-Oriented-Chemical-Education (POCE) and Project-Oriented-Biological-Education(POBE).

   Before Bangalore became IT-City, it was already renowned as Science-City, and our faculty and students benefit from interacting with scientists at the many research institutions in the greater Bangalore area.

   The intellectual atmosphere at JNCASR is further livened by a regular stream of visitors from all over the world, who contribute to spirited scientific discussions at seminars, conferences and summer schools.

   We believe we possess all the necessary ingredients to excel in scientific research and education, and look forward to growing further in the coming years.

7. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

   An organizational chart indicating the flow of authority, functionalities and reporting channels.

   click here for organization chart

   The particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation with, or representation by the members of the public in relation to the formulation of its policy or implementation thereof.

    As per Bye-laws of the Centre, there is a provision to invite two members from the public to serve on the General Body of the Centre.

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8. Address of the CENTRE

   JAWAHARLAL NEHRU CENTRE FOR ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

   Jakkur, Bangalore 560 064, KARNATAKA

   Working Hours of the Centre  : 9.00am to 5.30pm. ( Monday to Friday)

9. The powers and duties of its officers and employees.
   1. The President is the executive as well as the academic head of the Centre.
   2. The Head, Faculty Affairs will look into the issues concerning the faculty, which will be a full time position.
   3. The Head, Academic Affairs and the Head, Fellowships and Extension Programmes will take care of the other academic activities and report to the President.
   The Administrative Officer is in-charge of all the administrative functions reporting to the President.
   4. The Project Engineer who is in-charge of the construction activities will also report to the President.
   5. All other Officers and staff members will carryout the duties assigned by      the above authorities.

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10. RULES , REGULATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS USED

    The rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records held by the centre or under its control or used by its employees for discharging its functions is available.

    Source – Administrative Officer

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11. MODE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

    The Governing Council of the Centre has representations from DST, UGC, IISc and receives guidance for formulation of policies and functioning of the Centre.

12. OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS AND THEIR AVAILABILITY

    BROCHURE

    Annual Report (HINDI & ENGLISH)

    NEWSLETTER

13. BOARDS, COUNCIL, COMMITTEES AND OTHER BODIES: 

    Council of Management

    The Council is the highest executive body of the Centre. The administration and the management of the affairs of finances of the Centre shall be conducted by the Council of Management constituted under the Rules and Regulations of the Centre.

    Academic Advisory Committee

    Finance Committee

    Composition of the Council: The administration and  management of the affairs and finance of the Centre shall be conducted by a Council of Management consisting of the following:

    (a)	Secretary to Government of India, DST, or his nominee (ex-officio)                   ..  1
    (b)	Financial Adviser to the Government of India, DST, or his nominee (ex-officio)..  1
    (c)	Three eminent scientists in areas related to the activities of the Centre, two of them being nominated by DST and one  by UGC, all in consultation with the President  of the Centre..  3
    (d)	Director of the Indian Institute of  Science, Bangalore (ex-officio) ..  1
    (e)	An eminent scientist of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, nominated by the Director of that Institute in consultation with  the President  of the Centre..  1
    (f)	A faculty member of the Centre nominated by the President of the Centre ..  1
    (g)	President  of the Centre (ex-officio)..  1

    The present constitution of the Council of Management (2004-2007) is:

    Dr. P. Rama Rao Hyderabad	Chairman (DST nominee)
    Prof. M.R.S. Rao President, JNCASR	Member
    Shri K.P. Pandian Joint Secretary & Financial Adviser Department of Science & Technology	Member
    Prof. Bikash Sinha Kolkata	Member (DST nominee)
    Prof. S. Chandrasekaran IISc	(IISc nominee) Member
    Dr. T. Ramasami Secretary to G.O.I Department of Science & Technology .	Member
    Prof. C.N.R. Rao Hon. President, JNCASR	Member (JNC nominee)
    Prof. S.K. Joshi New Delhi	Member (UGC nominee)
    Mr. A.N. Jayachandra Administrative Officer	Secretary

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14. Public Information Officer  

    Nodal Officer and Liaison Officer - Mr. A.N. Jayachandra

    Administrative Officer

    Public Information Officer (PIO)
    Mr. A.N. Jayachandra

    Central Public Information Officer

    Mr. Sachin Belvadi

    Asst. Central Public Information

    Officer In-charge

15. Directory of Officers and Employees ( Annexure b)
16. Pay Structure of  the Centre Staff ( Annexure c )
17. Budget Allocated

    Plan:  Rs.:  Crores

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18. The manner of execution of subsidy programmes, including the amounts allocated

    and the details of beneficiaries of such programmes.

    There are no subsidy programmes run by the Centre.

19. Particulars of concessions, permits or authorizations granted by it.

    The Centre does not grant any concessions, permits or authorizations

    However, the students enrolled into the Integrated Ph.D., Ph.D. and MS (Engg.) programmes are being paid stipend as per Govt. of Indian norms.

20. Details in respect of the information, available to or held by it reduced in an electronic

    form.

    All major announcements including selection of students and holding of conferences, meetings, etc., are made available to the public through the web site. This information is accessible by any member of the public.

21. The particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining information, including the working hours of a library or reading room, if maintained for public use.

    The following publications are brought out for the use of citizens:

    Annual Report( Both in Hindi & English) giving details of the progress made during the year including the audited statement of accounts is brought out annually.

    Brochure, detailing the major research areas and the scientists and academic personnel working in those areas is brought out annually.

    LIBRARY

    Newsletter is published half-yearly to give an account of activities for the in-house consumption.

    All the above mentions documents are available for public anytime during the working hours from 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. (Monday to Friday). Besides the library of the Centre is open between 8.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. where all these information is available for reference.

    The Centre also has a Website: http://www.jncasr.ac.in which is accessible to the public.

22.  Other Useful Information

    In addition to the above, Institute will also issue advertisements in National Newspapers about the admission of students to various research and academic programmes, Tender notification for construction and other works undertaken by the Institute for information of General public.

Annexure b