Harikumar Pallathadka

Last updated

Harikumar Pallathadka
Born21 May
Kasaragod, Kerala, India
NationalityIndian
RelativesDr. Pallathadka Keshava Bhat (Paternal Uncle)

Harikumar Pallathadka (Harikumar P in short) is a prominent Indian Right to Information (RTI) (known as FOI in the west), Social Activist, Senior Administrator, Eminent Professor, Scientist and expert in Constitutional Law.

Contents

Activism

His series of RTI applications on Indian Income Tax system have highlighted the fact that barely 3% of Indians pay income taxes as of 2006. [1] [2] This issue has widely been discussed in the media and forums. [3] [4] [ citation needed ]

His RTI applications on security of Electronic Voting Machines led to the Election Commission of India to divulge details regarding the EVM's and to publicly release the copy of the expert Committee report on security of EVM's headed by Prof. PV Indiresan. [5] [6]

In January 2008, the Government of India was forced to update and properly maintain the official website of the RTI following the order of the CIC acting upon the complaint of Harikumar. The CIC has also commended the efforts of Harikumar in its order and asked the department to implement and to introduce various public friendly initiatives for the effective implementations of the RTI Act, 2005. [7]

He raised the matter of frequent accidents of Sea Harrier fighter jets with the Indian Navy through media. [8] [9] After that even the media has continued raising the questions of safety of security of older Sea Harrier fighter jets with the Indian Navy. Finally in August 2009, after another crash, The Indian Navy has grounded the entire Sea Harrier fighter jet fleet for probe. [10] [11]

His RTI applications on internal border disputes within India led to the Government of India revealing in 2006 that there were nearly a dozen of unsolved and pending disputes of that type. [12]

His series of RTI applications on Indian prisoners of war has shed light on inconsistencies of official figures between various departments of Government of India, and this has led to various measures being taken by the Government of India in the matter of Indian Prisoners of War. [3] [13] [14]

After an RTI concerning pesticides, 25 pesticides were banned for manufacture, import and use in India which involved a health hazard to human beings, animals and damage to the environment, and others faced partial curbs by the Government of India. [15]

He has also attempted to highlight the problem faced by students due to the existence of more than "200 fake educational institutions" that prey on students in India. He has tried to shed light on various socially relevant subjects including Indians believed to be detained in Pakistani jails. [3] [4] He has fought many cases against several private universities across various Indian States for the implementation of RTI and public disclosure in the private universities, including the states of Punjab,[ citation needed ] Nagaland, [16] and Meghalaya. [17]

Research and Publications

He has authored hundreds of Research Papers and holds hundreds of national and international patents to his credit. [18] [19] [20]

History

He was a National General Secretary of India Against Corruption from September 2013.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

INS <i>Vikrant</i> (1961) Majestic-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy

INSVikrant was a Majestic-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. The ship was laid down as HMS Hercules for the British Royal Navy during World War II, but was put on hold when the war ended. India purchased the incomplete carrier in 1957, and construction was completed in 1961. Vikrant was commissioned as the first aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy and played a key role in enforcing the naval blockade of East Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleet Air Arm</span> Aviation arm of the Royal Navy

The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five RN fighting arms. As of 2023 it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the F-35 Lightning II carrier-based stealth fighter jointly with the Royal Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindustan Aeronautics Limited</span> Indian public sector aerospace manufacturing company

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian public sector aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Bengaluru (Bangalore). Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the world. HAL began aircraft manufacturing as early as 1942 with licensed production of Harlow PC-5, Curtiss P-36 Hawk and Vultee A-31 Vengeance for the Indian Air Force. HAL currently has 11 dedicated Research and development (R&D) centres and 21 manufacturing divisions under 4 production units spread across India. HAL is managed by a board of directors appointed by the President of India through the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. In 2024, the company was given Maharatna status. HAL is currently involved in the designing and manufacturing of fighter jets, helicopters, jet engine and marine gas turbine engine, avionics, hardware development, spares supply, overhauling and upgrading of Indian military aircraft.

HMS <i>Hermes</i> (R12) 1959 Centaur-class light fleet carrier of the Royal Navy

HMS Hermes was a conventional British aircraft carrier and the last of the Centaur class.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrier jump jet</span> Multirole combat aircraft family by Hawker Siddeley, later British Aerospace

The Harrier, informally referred to as the Harrier jump jet, is a family of jet-powered attack aircraft capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing operations (V/STOL). Named after a bird of prey, it was originally developed by British manufacturer Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s. The Harrier emerged as the only truly successful V/STOL design of the many attempted during that era. It was conceived to operate from improvised bases, such as car parks or forest clearings, without requiring large and vulnerable air bases. Later, the design was adapted for use from aircraft carriers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HAL Tejas</span> Indian lightweight multirole fighter

The HAL Tejas is an Indian single-engine, delta wing, multirole combat aircraft designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy. Tejas made its first flight in 2001 and entered into service with the IAF in 2015. In 2003, the aircraft was officially named 'Tejas'. Currently Tejas is the smallest and lightest in its class of supersonic combat aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Aerospace Sea Harrier</span> British VTOL jet fighter aircraft

The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval short take-off and vertical landing/vertical take-off and landing jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft. It is the second member of the Harrier family developed. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar". Unusual in an era in which most naval and land-based air superiority fighters were large and supersonic, the principal role of the subsonic Sea Harrier was to provide air defence for Royal Navy task groups centred around the aircraft carriers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Right to Information Act, 2005</span> Act of the Government of India

The Right to Information (RTI) is an act of the Parliament of India & Delhi Legislative Assembly which sets out the rules and procedures regarding citizens' right to access information. It replaced the former Freedom of Information Act, 2000.

INS <i>Vikramaditya</i> Modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier

INS Vikramaditya is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier and the flagship of the Indian Navy. The carrier entered into service in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dabolim Airport</span> Airport in Mormugão, Goa, India

Dabolim Airport is an international airport serving Panaji, the capital of the state of Goa, India. It is operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as a civil enclave in an Indian Navy naval airbase named INS Hansa. The airport is located in Dabolim, in South Goa district, 4 km (2.5 mi) from the nearest city of Vasco da Gama, 23 km (14 mi) from Margao, and about 30 km (19 mi) from the state capital, Panaji.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikoyan MiG-29K</span> Carrier-based multirole combat aircraft

The Mikoyan MiG-29K is a Russian all-weather carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft developed by the Mikoyan Design Bureau. The MiG-29K was developed in the late 1980s from the MiG-29M. Mikoyan describes it as a 4+ generation aircraft.

The Indian Naval Air Arm is the aviation branch and a fighting arm of the Indian Navy which is tasked to provide an aircraft carrier-based strike capability, fleet air defence, maritime reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare.

The Indian Air Force has been undergoing a modernization program to replace and upgrade outdated equipment since the late 1990s to meet modern standards. For that reason, it has started procuring and developing aircraft, weapons, associated technologies, and infrastructures. Some of these programs date back to the late 1980s. The primary focus of current modernization and upgrades is to replace aircraft purchased from the Soviet Union that currently form the backbone of the air force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">INS Hansa</span> Airport in Goa, India

INS Hansa, is an Indian naval air station located near Dabolim in Goa, India. It is India's biggest naval airbase. The military air base has a civil enclave, that operates as Dabolim Airport.

Pallathadka is a hamlet in the Badiyadka village of Kasaragod district, Kerala State of India.

INS <i>Vikrant</i> (2013) Indian Navy aircraft carrier

INS Vikrant is an aircraft carrier in service with Indian Navy. The carrier is India's fourth carrier and the first to be built in India. It was constructed by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi, Kerala. The name Vikrant is a tribute to India's first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant (1961). Vikrant means "courageous" in Sanskrit. The motto of the ship, "जयेम सम् युधिस्पृधः" (Sanskrit), means "I defeat those who dare to challenge me" (English). It is currently one of two active aircraft carriers in the Indian Navy, the other being the flagship INS Vikramaditya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Future of the Indian Navy</span> Indian Navys focus

The Indian Navy has been focusing on developing indigenous platforms, systems, sensors and weapons as part of the nation's modernisation and expansion of its maritime forces. As of November 2023, the Indian Navy had 67 vessels of various types under construction including destroyers, frigates, corvettes, conventional-powered and nuclear-powered submarines and various other ships. It plans to build up to a total of 200 vessels and 500 aircraft by 2050. According to the Chief of the Naval Staff's statement in December 2020, India has transformed from a buyer's navy to a builder's navy.

INS <i>Visakhapatnam</i> Lead ship of the Visakhapatnam-class of stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy

INS Visakhapatnam is the lead ship and the first of the Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. The ship, commissioned on 21 November 2021, is one of the largest destroyers in service with the Indian Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Election Commission of India</span> Election regulatory body of India

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body established by the Constitution of India empowered to conduct free and fair elections in India. The Election commission is headed by a Chief Election Commissioner and consists of two other Election Commissioners.

References

  1. ↑ has only 31.5 million taxpayers - Hindustan Times [ dead link ]
  2. ↑ Punjab Kesari NewsDetails
  3. 1 2 3 Noronha, Frederick (21 May 2007). "This man keeps digging out official information". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  4. 1 2 "This man keeps digging out official information". Hindustan Times (New Delhi, India). 21 May 2007.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  5. ↑ How secure is the EVM?Poll panel answers - Hindustan Times
  6. ↑ "How secure is the EVM? Poll panel has the answer". Hindustan Times (New Delhi, India). 1 June 2007.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  7. ↑ "Central Information Commission" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  8. ↑ The Indian Navy’s deadly aircraft - Home - livemint.com
  9. ↑ Half of Sea Harrier fleet gone in 20 years -Hindustan Times
  10. ↑ Navy grounds Sea Harrier fleet after crash off Goa - Economy and Politics -livemint.com
  11. ↑ "HOVER AND OUT ; Over half of the Navy's fleet of Sea Harriers has crashed leaving a void in its air defence capability. With the aircraft going out of production there is little scope of future procurement also". india Today. 7 January 2008. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2012– via HighBeam Research.
  12. ↑ India alone has a dozen border disputes! - Hindustan Times
  13. ↑ "RTI reply reveals no consistency in govt's figures on PoWs | news.outlookindia.com". Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  14. ↑ India doesn’t know how many PoWs are in Pakistan prisons - Economy and Politics - livemint.com
  15. ↑ 25 pesticides banned in India, others face partial curbs - dnaindia.com/mobile
  16. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ↑ http://megsic.gov.in/2008/Complaint-19-2008.pdf Archived 9 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine [ bare URL PDF ]
  18. ↑ "IP Australia: AusPat Disclaimer".
  19. ↑ https://iprsearch.ipindia.gov.in/PublicSearch/PublicationSearch/Search%5B‍%5D
  20. ↑ "Harikumar Pallathadka".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.