Freedom of information laws by country
Democracy
Central Govt’s proposal to amend RTI Rules will increase attacks on RTI users and activists
Dear all, The Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005. The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft […]
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Politics & Political Commentary
UPA special: One tune in Supreme Court, another in Parliament
In June, the CIC, which ensures the RTI Act is implemented and public queries are answered by government departments, ruled that the six major national parties (NCP, Congress, BJP, CPI, BSP, CPI(M)) are public authorities under the Right to Information Act and as such must respond to RTI applications. The parties were directed to appoint PIOs and appellate authorities within six weeks as required to be compliant […]
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Knowledge
Filing effective RTI applications under the Right to Information Act.
Practical tips for filing RTI applications under the Right to Information Act that give you the information you need effectively. A good RTI application as boring as a laundry list. It is a bare list of items of information WITHOUT ANY reasoning. If the first draft of RTI application is interesting to read, something is […]
Read MoreRatnakar Gaikwad’s Selection as CIC is Incestuous
Dear friends, Ratnakar Gaikwad’s selection as Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Maharashtra on 6 June 2012 violates a key principle of Natural Justice, “Nemo iudex in causa sua” i.e. “No man is permitted to be judge in his own cause”. The circumstances of the selection point to Ratnakar Gaikwad having been “judge in his […]
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Untracable communications beyond the reach of RTI
11 June 2012, Mumbai: This isn’t about Ratnakar Gaikwad, who was sworn in as Chief Information Commissioner of Maharashtra last Friday in the teeth of widespread opposition from RTI activists. This is about the decision-making environment in Mantralaya, MMRDA and many other government offices. It is about how government documents are nowadays like burqas, concealing the […]
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