Thane: Two journalists, 'RTI activist' held for extortion bid

Mid-day: Mumbai: Monday, 18 May 2026.
The three were arrested on the complaint of a sub-registrar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shivraj Patil told reporters

The Thane police in Maharashtra have arrested two journalists and an "RTI activist" for allegedly trying to extort money from a government official by defaming him and orchestrating a fake protest, an official said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI.
The police have identified the trio as Santosh Bhikan Hirey (44) of the weekly 'Navasfurti', published from Ambernath in Thane district, Samsad Sajjadkhan Pathan (48), editor of the weekly 'Lok Rajkaran' in Nashik, and Subash Nathu Patil (40), a Nashik resident who acquired information under RTI, reported PTI.
The accused told the government official that they would print reports in their publications that corrupt practices were going on in his office and would demand his dismissal if he didn't pay up Rs 2 lakh, reported PTI.
When the sub-registrar ignored the demand, they printed defamatory reports and staged a fast, said the DCP, reported PTI.
The official then filed a complaint with the anti-extortion cell (AEC) of the Thane police who laid a trap and arrested Hirey and Pathan on Thursday while collectively accepting Rs 1.5 lakh from the victim, the official said, reported PTI.
Senior inspector Shekar Bagde of the AEC said the three have been remanded in police custody till November 7. They have also extracted money from many government officials in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Nashik using the same method, he said, reported PTI.
In another case, two history-sheeters were arrested at Virar in Palghar district of Maharashtra for allegedly stealing jewellery and other valuable items of a man, police said on Saturday, reported PTI.
The arrested duo has several criminal cases registered against them in Thane, Mumbai and Palghar districts, they said, reported PTI.
The man lodged a complaint against the duo, accusing them of stealing his gold ornaments after striking a conversation with him in September 2023, an official of the Mira Bhyandar-Vasai Virar police commissionerate said, reported PTI.
Following his complaint, the police examined the CCTV footage and zeroed in on the accused - Vijay Dattaram Tambe (54) and Ajay Ashok Sawant (50), he said, reported PTI.
The police arrested them and found that several cases were registered against them in the Mumbai metropolitan region, reported PTI.
While Tambe is named as accused in 53 different offences in Thane, Mumbai and neighbouring townships, Sawant has 13 offences registered against him., the official said, reported PTI.
(With inputs from PTI)

दतिया महिला एवं बाल विकास DPO की वेतन वृद्धि रोकी:RTI के जवाब में मांगे 1.66 लाख रुपए; खुद की कॉलर पकड़कर बोले थे- 'मारो मुझे'

Dainik Bhaskar: Datia: Monday, 18 May 2026.

शोभनीय व्यवहार करने के मामले में उन्हें कारण बताओ नोटिस जारी किया गया है।

दतिया में महिला एवं बाल विकास विभाग के जिला कार्यक्रम अधिकारी (DPO) अरविंद उपाध्याय के खिलाफ कलेक्टर स्वप्निल वानखेड़े ने सख्त कदम उठाया है। आरटीआई के जवाब में 1.66 लाख रुपए मांगने और कार्यालय में अधिवक्ता के सामने अपनी ही कॉलर पकड़कर अशोभनीय व्यवहार करने के मामले में उन्हें कारण बताओ नोटिस जारी किया गया है। प्रशासन ने उनकी एक वार्षिक वेतन वृद्धि रोकने की चेतावनी भी दी है।
यह पूरा विवाद एक आरटीआई (RTI) आवेदन से शुरू हुआ। अधिवक्ता शंभू गोस्वामी ने विभाग से आंगनबाड़ी कार्यकर्ताओं की नियुक्ति, उनकी चयन प्रक्रिया और वेतन आहरण से संबंधित दस्तावेज मांगे थे। जानकारी उपलब्ध कराने के बजाय, विभाग ने उन्हें 1.66 लाख रुपए जमा करने का फरमान (नोटिस) थमा दिया।
कैश लेकर पहुंचे तो किया हाई-वोल्टेज ड्रामा जब अधिवक्ता ने यह जानकारी चाही कि इतनी बड़ी राशि किस मद या खाते में जमा करनी है, तो विभागीय अधिकारी टालमटोल करने लगे। इसके बाद 11 मई को जब अधिवक्ता खुद नकद राशि लेकर कार्यालय पहुंचे, तो स्थिति बिगड़ गई। इस घटना का एक वीडियो सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल हो रहा है, जिसमें डीपीओ अरविंद उपाध्याय बेहद उत्तेजित नजर आ रहे हैं। वीडियो में अधिकारी अपनी ही कॉलर पकड़कर अधिवक्ता को उकसाते हुए कह रहे हैं- 'मारो झापड़, मारो मुझे।'
कलेक्टर ने माना गंभीर कदाचरण, जांच कमेटी गठित कलेक्टर स्वप्निल वानखेड़े ने एक जिम्मेदार राजपत्रित अधिकारी के इस तरह के बर्ताव पर कड़ी आपत्ति जताई है। उन्होंने इसे शासकीय मर्यादा के खिलाफ, अनुशासनहीनता और सरकारी कार्यालय की गरिमा को ठेस पहुंचाने वाला मानते हुए गंभीर कदाचरण की श्रेणी में रखा है।
इस पूरे मामले की निष्पक्ष और विस्तृत जांच के लिए कलेक्टर ने एक दो सदस्यीय उच्चस्तरीय कमेटी का गठन किया है। इस जांच कमेटी में संयुक्त कलेक्टर श्रुति अग्रवाल और तहसीलदार अमित दुबे को शामिल किया गया है, जो जल्द ही अपनी रिपोर्ट सौंपेंगे।

'RTI में झूठे निकले सुक्खू सरकार के दावे, नहीं हुआ किसी पुरुष मरीज के बच्चेदानी का ऑपरेशन'

ETV Bharat: Dharamshala: Monday, 18 May 2026.
हिमकेयर और आयुष्मान योजना पर घोटाले के आरोप को लेकर भाजपा विधायक ने कांग्रेस सरकार पर तीखा निशाना साधा.

हिमाचल प्रदेश में हिमकेयर और आयुष्मान योजना में घोटाले को लेकर भाजपा विधायक डॉ. जनक राज ने कांग्रेस सरकार पर तीखा हमला बोला है. भरमौर के विधायक डॉ. जनक राज ने कहा कि प्रदेश सरकार गरीबों के लिए शुरू की गई स्वास्थ्य योजनाओं को बदनाम कर बंद करने की साजिश रच रही है और झूठे व भ्रामक आरोप लगाए जा रहे हैं. गौरतलब है कि कांग्रेस सरकार ने पूर्व भाजपा सरकार पर हिमकेयर और आयुष्मान योजना में घोटाले करने के गंभीर आरोप लगाए हैं.
"कांग्रेस सरकार खुद अपने दावों में उलझी हुई है. पहले विधानसभा के बजट सत्र में हिमकेयर योजना में 1100 करोड़ रुपए के घोटाले की बात कही गई. बाद में इसे घटाकर 110 करोड़ रुपए कर दिया गया. इसके बाद पुरुषों में बच्चेदानी (यूट्रस) ऑपरेशन किए जाने जैसे दावे सामने लाए गए, जो पूरी तरह से भ्रामक हैं. प्रदेश सरकार खुद स्पष्ट नहीं है कि वो क्या साबित करना चाहती है." - डॉ. जनक राज, विधायक, भरमौर
4 सालों में हुए बच्चेदानी के ऑपरेशन
भाजपा विधायक डॉ. जनक राज ने कहा कि आरटीआई के तहत इंदिरा गांधी मेडिकल कॉलेज और डॉ. राजेंद्र प्रसाद मेडिकल कॉलेज से प्राप्त आंकड़ों में कहीं भी पुरुष मरीज के बच्चेदानी के ऑपरेशन का मामला सामने नहीं आया है. उन्होंने कमला नेहरू अस्पताल शिमला में हुए बच्चेदानी ऑपरेशनों का भी वर्षवार ब्यौरा साझा किया है. जिसके तहत साल 2019 में 814 ऑपरेशन हुए हैं, साल 2020 में 429 ऑपरेशन, साल 2021 में 600 ऑपरेशन और साल 2022 में 779 ऑपरेशन
हुए हैं.
'नहीं हुआ कोई फर्जी भुगतान या घोटाला'
भरमौर से भाजपा विधायक डॉ. जनक राज ने कहा कि जिन चार मामलों को कांग्रेस सरकार बार-बार उछाल रही है, उनमें कोई सर्जरी नहीं हुई थी. संबंधित मरीज कैंसर से पीड़ित थे और उन्हें केवल कीमोथेरेपी दी गई थी. पैकेज एडजस्टमेंट और डॉक्यूमेंटेशन प्रक्रिया के कारण यह तकनीकी एंट्री हो सकती है, लेकिन इसमें किसी प्रकार का फर्जी भुगतान या घोटाला नहीं हुआ है.
'डॉक्टरों और मेडिकल साइंस का बनाया मजाक'
पेशे से न्यूरोसर्जन डॉ. जनक राज ने कहा कि इस तरह के बयानों से प्रदेश सरकार ने पूरे चिकित्सा जगत की प्रतिष्ठा को ठेस पहुंचाई है. उन्होंने कहा कि आईजीएमसी शिमला और टांडा मेडिकल कॉलेज से पढ़े डॉक्टर देश के प्रतिष्ठित संस्थानों जैसे एम्स और आर्म्ड फोर्सेज मेडिकल कॉलेज सहित विदेशों में भी सेवाएं दे रहे हैं. उन्होंने कहा कि मेडिकल साइंस में पुरुषों में यूट्रस जैसी दुर्लभ स्थितियों के कुछ मामले दुनिया में सामने आए हैं, लेकिन हिमाचल में हिमकेयर योजना के तहत ऐसा कोई ऑपरेशन नहीं हुआ है. भाजपा विधायक ने लोगों और मीडिया से अपील की है कि इस विषय को राजनीतिक नजरिए से देखने की बजाए वैज्ञानिक तथ्यों के आधार पर समझा जाए.
चेस्टर हिल लैंड घोटाले पर सरकार को घेरा
भाजपा विधायक डॉ. जनक राज ने प्रदेश सरकार पर दोहरा रवैया अपनाने का आरोप लगाते हुए कहा कि बहुचर्चित चेस्टर हिल लैंड स्कैम मामले को दबाने की कोशिश की जा रही है. उन्होंने दावा किया कि इस मामले में पूर्व मुख्य सचिवों तक ने बयान दिए हैं, लेकिन सरकार इसे आपसी मामला बताकर नजरअंदाज कर रही है. विधायक ने आरोप लगाया कि जिन अधिकारियों के नाम ओडीआई (Officer of Doubtful Integrity) सूची और सीबीआई की रेड लिस्ट में हैं, उन्हें बचाने का प्रयास किया जा रहा है.
जनक राज ने सरकार को दी खुली चुनौती
भरमौर विधायक डॉ. जनक राज ने मुख्यमंत्री सुखविंदर सिंह सुक्खू और कांग्रेस सरकार को खुली चुनौती देते हुए कहा कि अगर आरोपों में सच्चाई है तो सरकार तथ्य सार्वजनिक करे. उन्होंने कहा कि झूठे प्रचार के जरिए जनता को गुमराह करना लोकतांत्रिक मर्यादाओं के खिलाफ है. हिमकेयर जैसी गरीब हितैषी योजना को बदनाम कर बंद करने का प्रयास नहीं होना चाहिए, क्योंकि इसका सबसे ज्यादा लाभ गरीब और जरूरतमंद लोगों को मिलता है. विधायक ने कहा कि भाजपा इस मुद्दे पर पूरी मजबूती से जनता की आवाज उठाती रहेगी.

Did CBSE Collect Rs 23.19 Crore From Rechecking System? RTI Raises Questions

Times Now: National: Sunday, 17 May 2026.
At a time when thousands of students are seeking minimal or zero revaluation fees as OSM is allegedly failing to deliver its intended objective, an RTI reply has revealed a shocking amount earned by CBSE from students last year.

Amid the debate surrounding On-Screen Marking (OSM), which has prompted many to seek revaluation of their answer scripts, an RTI reply revealing shocking figures has been accessed by Times Now. It shows that CBSE has collected a whopping Rs. 23.19 crore for Class 10 and 12 answer sheet review-related applications in the preceding academic year.
In response to the RTI filed by Keshav Agarwal, an educationist and career counselor from New Delhi, the board disclosed that it has received Rs. 3.09 crore by providing photocopies of answer booklets. A substantial amount came from the re-checking facility where students paid approximately Rs. 20.09 crore in 2024–25.
While the board did not share a distinct figure for ‘re-totaling of answer scripts’, the total amount stands at Rs. 23,19,44,644.97.

RTI Response

What worries students and educators even more is that CBSE does not reimburse the amount if the claims are found to be valid. This puts an additional burden on the pockets of students and their parents who did not even make a mistake in the first place. "The bitter irony? In a significant number of cases, marks do increase after revaluation which proves the fault lies with CBSE's own examiners. Yet it is the student who pays the price financially and emotionally for CBSE's marking errors," Keshav remarked.
If a student wishes to apply for re-evaluation, he/she cannot opt for it directly. They first have to apply for verification of marks, which costs Rs 500 per subject. Under this, the copies are checked for totaling errors, missing evaluation, and mark entry mistakes. Following this, they get an option to obtain a scanned copy of their evaluated answer book, which costs Rs 700. After reviewing the copy, if they are sure about a discrepancy, they are allowed to go for re-evaluation of select questions.
For re-evaluation, the board charges Rs 100 per question. This implies that the cost keeps soaring with the number of questions getting reassessed.
The steep re-evaluation cost has also sparked a debate on the microblogging site X, with many slamming the board for capitalising on others’ pain. “With widespread frustration over CBSE results this year and thousands of students expected to file revaluation applications again, these RTI figures raise a serious question: Is CBSE profiting from its own examination failures? The system needs accountability, not just appeals," Keshav concluded.

Transparency runs into custom error : Venkatesh Nayak

Deccan Herald: Opinion: Sunday, 17 May 2026.
Despite being the primary stakeholders of the transparency regime, we do not know which cases will be taken up for hearing, on which date, and by which information commissioner.

Earlier this month, the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) got its first woman Chief Information Commissioner. Now, the state has its full complement of 10-plus-one commissioners to decide disputes under the RTI Act. We also know their names and office locations, but that is nearly all the Commission will tell us about its functioning.
Despite being the primary stakeholders of the transparency regime, we do not know which cases will be taken up for hearing, on which date, and by which information commissioner. At the time of writing, the ‘cause list’ link on the KIC’s website drew a blank when queried about the daily listing of cases for May 2026.
The website is also silent about the KIC’s roster– which departments and public authorities have been assigned to which commissioner for deciding information-related grievances. We can only infer from the ‘contact us’ segment of the website that those stationed in Belagavi and Kalaburagi may be hearing cases from those parts of the state.

Admirably, Karnataka was the first state in the country to establish and populate its Information Commission in 2005, even before the Central Information Commission (CIC) was set up. Its primary job is to entertain citizens’ grievances about the replies of public authorities to their requests for information or even the lack of response. It probes the appeals and complaints of RTI applicants unhappy with the quantity, quality, orcorrectness of the information supplied by public information officers (PIOs).
Between 2017-18 and 2021-22, KIC disposed of almost 90,000 cases. We do not know what happened later because the Commission has not published its annual reports. What is worse is that the decisions of the information commissioners have become sarkari secrets as most of them are no longer uploaded on the Commission’s website.
Strangely, 30 cases listed for the new state Chief Information Commissioner, for resolution in the month of May, only display the decision to adjourn every matter without any indication about the next date of hearing. Two commissioners are not even listed in the ‘decisions’ section.
Last month, the information commissioner stationed at Kalaburagi claimed that the KIC had disposed of 40,000 cases in one year and that his contribution was resolving almost 1,187 cases within 90 days. A commendable achievement indeed, as several were apparently pending for 5-6 years. At the time of writing, clicking on this commissioner’s ‘date-wise orders’ for May displayed “404 custom error” messages.
If the Commission’s decisions are not publicly accessible, where will appellants and public authorities find precedents to support their contentions during hearings? Cases decided over the last two decades by previous information commissioners have been removed from the website, for reasons best known to the KIC.
Until 2021-22, Karnataka ranked just behind the Union government and Maharashtra in the volume of RTI applications. The departments of rural development, revenue, and urban development, in that order, reported handling more than 60% of the 3.79 lakh RTI applications that year – indicating the popularity of the law in both rural and urban areas. Interestingly, the departments of education, social welfare, food and civil supplies, and women and child welfare, which attract a large number of information requests in other states, did not make it to the top-10 list in Karnataka. In the absence of subsequent annual reports, we know nothing about recent trends.
More than 10% of the RTI applications filed with Karnataka’s top three departments escalated to the first appeals stage in 2021-22. 50% of these matters decided by the appellate authorities ended up at the KIC. This indicates a very high level of dissatisfaction with the performance of those public authorities.
We do not know the current pendency status because the KIC’s website does not display this data, unlike the CIC, which regularly updates pendency figures (36,307 pending cases as of today). The KIC’s mandatory disclosure of basic information, required under Section 4(1)(b) of the Act, is currently stuck in 2022-23, as evidenced by its budgetary data, even though the document is marked ‘2025-26’.
The KIC, like its counterparts elsewhere in the country, is mandated to steer public authorities away from pointless opacity towards purposive transparency that strengthens our democracy. The Commission must practise what it preaches if it intends to remain relevant to the citizenry. The state Chief Information Commissioner must lead from the front.
(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH)

ITAT Ahmedabad Deletes Rs 52 Lakh Addition based on information received through Insight Portal : Aishwarya Singh

Study Cafe: Ahmedabad: Saturday, 16 May 2026.
The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal deleted a Rs 52 lakh addition made under Sections 68/69A after finding that the alleged bank accounts were actually fixed deposit accounts where cash deposits were not possible. The Tribunal held that the Assessing Officer made the addition without proper verification of bank records.

Tribunal grants relief to taxpayer after bank records proved that the disputed accounts were fixed deposits and not cash deposit accounts
The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal recently provided major relief to taxpayer Pragnesh Rameshbhai Pandya by deleting an addition of Rs 52 lakh made by the Income Tax Department under Sections 68 and 69A of the Income-tax Act, 1961. The case involved Assessment Year 2015-16.
The Assessing Officer had reopened the assessment based on information received through the Insight Portal alleging cash deposits of Rs 52 lakh in three Bank of Baroda accounts. The department treated the amount as unexplained money and added it to the assessee’s income. However, the Assessee argued that the mentioned accounts were not regular savings accounts but fixed deposit accounts in which cash deposits could not be made.
During the appellate proceedings, the Assessee obtained information under the RTI Act from the department and produced bank certificates showing that all three accounts were fixed deposits opened on 17.08.2013 and later closed during 2014 and 2015. The Assessee contended that the Assessing Officer failed to properly verify the bank records before making the addition.
The Tribunal observed that the Assessee discharged the initial burden by placing the documentary evidence from the bank. It also said the Faceless Assessing Unit added the amount without proper inquiry or verification. The RTI information did not clearly establish the alleged cash deposits of Rs 52 lakh either.
Accordingly, the ITAT held that the addition was not sustainable in law and directed the deletion of the entire addition. The appeal of the Assessee was accordingly allowed.

A paralysed Information Commission is undermining citizens’ right to know : Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz

The Daily Star: Bangladesh: Saturday, 16 May 2026.

Recently, Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, adviser to the prime minister on information and broadcasting, has welcomed constructive criticism from citizens regarding the government’s performance. We take that invitation in the spirit in which it was offered—not to criticise the government per se, but to reiterate the deep concern of many citizens over the troubling state of Bangladesh’s Right to Information (RTI) regime and to urge swift corrective action.

This decline began soon after the interim government assumed office in August 2024, when the three information commissioners vacated their positions amid political uncertainty. Their posts have remained unfilled ever since, severely impairing the effectiveness of one of the country’s most important instruments of democratic accountability, the Information Commission. Repeated calls for timely appointments went unheeded, perhaps reflecting an unwillingness on the part of the interim authorities to submit themselves to the scrutiny the law was designed to ensure.
We had hoped this would be rectified with the arrival of an elected government committed to strengthening democracy and amplifying citizens’ voices. Unfortunately, that expectation remains unfulfilled. One is left to wonder whether the government has yet fully appreciated the central importance of the RTI Act to its stated goals of good governance, transparency, and public participation.
This column, therefore, urges the government to revisit this issue urgently.
To begin with, we would like to underline that there is no necessary connection between appointing information commissioners to restore the RTI regime’s full functioning and the separate question of amending the RTI Act, which has recently arisen.
The RTI Amendment Ordinance, introduced by the interim government, lapsed when it was not placed before parliament by the incumbent government. Subsequently, through sustained engagement by concerned citizens, the government initiated consultations with civil society groups on possible amendments to the act. This is welcome. Encouragingly, there are also indications that the appointment of information commissioners is receiving serious attention, although no public announcement has been made yet.
Both of these processes may proceed in parallel. But if the government has any thoughts of linking the appointments to the amendments, as suggested in some quarters, we urge that this approach be abandoned. The two issues are entirely distinct.
Moreover, the matter carries legal urgency. In response to a writ petition filed by concerned citizens, the High Court, on August 31, 2025, directed the ministry of information and broadcasting to inform the court of the steps taken regarding these appointments. Despite the time that has since passed, the government is still under a clear legal obligation to act. Moreover, RTI requests on the matter remain pending with the relevant government office.
Even with the absence of information commissioners, the RTI Act has continued to be used by many of its most committed adherents across the country. What has been lost is not the law itself, but an effective avenue of redress when public officials refuse to comply, while complaints continue to accumulate at the commission.
Despite this institutional paralysis, committed citizens across the country continue to use the law with remarkable courage. In the northern districts alone, some 2,650 RTI applications were filed in 2025 by fishermen, farmers, women, minorities, and youth seeking answers to issues affecting their communities. A few examples will illustrate this spirit.
In Nilphamari, citizens used RTI to investigate the sale of government-owned trees, secure livestock vaccination services, and challenge irregularities in local schools. In one case, when residents seeking information about questionable school activities were threatened by an angry headmaster, they appealed to higher authorities rather than baulking. It resulted in the withholding of the headmaster’s salary.
In Jaldhaka, when activists faced intimidation for seeking information about an abandoned bridge project, fellow campaigners responded by filing multiple RTI applications in solidarity, effectively neutralising the pressure. In Cox’s Bazar, residents used RTI to question the official response to rising dengue cases, prompting stronger public health measures.
Back in Nilphamari, citizens responding to chemical contamination of a local river caused by industrial effluents filed multiple RTI applications, ultimately compelling the authorities to act and bringing the pollution to a halt.
These may appear to be isolated incidents, but together they reflect something deeper: the emergence of what may be called “organic activists”—ordinary citizens using the law not merely to resolve personal grievances but to protect public resources, demand accountability, and strengthen democratic culture.
Most significantly, during the nearly two years of institutional paralysis, such citizen-led initiatives have kept the spirit of the RTI Act alive at the grassroots. This momentum culminated in the formation of a national citizens’ platform in January 2026 to support and protect RTI users nationwide.
It has taken years to nurture public trust in, and commitment to, the RTI Act. Any further delay in appointing the information commissioners risks undermining that trust, dampening citizens’ confidence, and weakening one of the country’s most promising instruments of democratic accountability. That would be immensely harmful for the country, and a setback to the government’s pledge to strengthen people’s power, but—more importantly—for the growth of a new civic culture in which citizens actively promote good governance, use the law to voice their concerns, and seek redress, rather than resort to protest on the streets.
(Dr Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz are chairman and deputy director (RTI), respectively, at Research Initiatives, Bangladesh (RIB). They can be reached at rib@citech-bd.com.)

CIC asks Lok Sabha Secretariat to revisit denial of disclosure of Rs 1.7 crore electronic procurement bills for 2021-22

The Economic Times: Ahmedabad: Saturday, 16 May 2026.
The Central Information Commission has ordered the Lok Sabha Secretariat to reconsider its refusal to share bills for electronic items bought for over Rs 1.7 crore. The Secretariat must now either provide the bills or explain why they cannot be disclosed. This follows an RTI request for spending details on computer hardware and peripherals.

The CIC has directed the Lok Sabha Secretariat to revisit its denial of disclosure of bills of procurement of electronic items worth Rs 1.7 crore during 2021-22 and either furnish their copies or explain the reasons for the denial.
The Central Information Commission made the order after obtaining feedback from third-party vendors under the RTI Act.
The case pertains to an RTI application seeking details of spending on electronic equipment procured during 2021-22, including copies of bills and details of old gadgets.
According to records cited in the order, the Lok Sabha Secretariat informed the applicant that Rs 1,70,06,897 was spent on the procurement of computer hardware and peripheral items during the period, including laptops, desktops, printers, scanners, UPS systems and tablets.
The secretariat, however, refused to provide copies of invoices, claiming disclosure would "harm the competitive position of a third party and no larger public interest has been established by the Appellant."
In his order, Chief Information Commissioner Raj Kumar Goyal observed that the respondent public authority had already furnished item-wise expenditure details but denied disclosure of bills, citing Section 8(1)(d) of the RTI Act.
"The Respondent's denial ... is neither reasoned nor substantiated by proceedings followed under Section 11 of the RTI Act," the commission said.
"Hence, the Commission is of the view that the Respondent - PIO, Lok Sabha Secretariat should revisit the query regarding the bills pertaining to the expenditure already disclosed by them and send a revised reply i) either furnishing the copies of bills to the Appellant or ii) explaining the reason for denial of information, on the basis of feedback from the third party - vendor/s," it said.
Goyal also said that non-adherence to the commission's direction shall attract penal action against the respondent.
The commission, while issuing the direction, referred to a judgment of the Delhi High Court in the BSNL versus CIC case.
"A balance has to be struck between the principle of promoting honest and open government by ensuring public access to information created by the government on the one hand and the principle of confidentiality breach whereof is likely to cause substantial harm to competitive position of the person from whom information is obtained," it said, citing the court's observation.

Furnish bills or explain denial in RTI on electronics purchase, CIC tells Lok Sabha Secretariat

The Tribune: Ahmedabad: Saturday, 16 May 2026.
The case pertains to an RTI application seeking details of spending on electronic equipment procured during 2021-22, including copies of bills and details of old gadgets.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Lok Sabha Secretariat to revisit its denial of disclosure of bills of procurement of electronic items worth Rs 1.7 crore during 2021-22. It directed the Lok Sabha Secretariat to either furnish their copies or explain the reasons for the denial.
The case pertains to an RTI application seeking details of spending on electronic equipment procured during 2021-22, including copies of bills and details of old gadgets. The CIC issued the above order after obtaining feedback from third-party vendors under the RTI Act.
According to records cited in the order, the Lok Sabha Secretariat informed the applicant that Rs 1,70,06,897 was spent on the procurement of computer hardware and peripheral items during the period, including laptops, desktops, printers, scanners, UPS systems and tablets. The secretariat, however, refused to provide copies of invoices, claiming disclosure would “harm the competitive position of a third party and no larger public interest had been established by the appellant”.
In his order, Chief Information Commissioner Raj Kumar Goyal observed that the respondent public authority had already furnished item-wise expenditure details but denied disclosure of bills, citing Section 8(1)(d) of the RTI Act.
“The respondent’s denial is neither reasoned nor substantiated by proceedings followed under Section 11 of the RTI Act,” the commission said.
“Hence, the Commission is of the view that the respondent, “PIO, Lok Sabha Secretariat should revisit the query regarding the bills pertaining to the expenditure already disclosed by them and send a revised reply i) either furnishing the copies of bills to the Appellant or ii) explaining the reason for denial of information, on the basis of feedback from the third party “ vendor/s," it said.
Goyal said non-adherence to the commission’s direction shall attract penal action against the respondent.
The commission, while issuing the direction, also referred to a Delhi High Court judgment in the BSNL versus CIC case. “A balance has to be struck between the principle of promoting honest and open government by ensuring public access to information created by the government on the one hand and the principle of confidentiality breach whereof is likely to cause substantial harm to competitive position of the person from whom information is obtained,” it said, citing the court’s observation.

‘Conviction rate in cases of crimes against SC/STs very low in T.N.’ : RTI

The Hindu: Madurai: Friday, 15 May 2026.
Officials in many districts, including Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli, have not responded to RTI queries regarding the number of crimes reported and the status of cases, says A. Kathir, executive director of Evidence

A. Kathir, executive director, Evidence

Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Tamil Nadu had been continuously increasing and the new government, headed by C. Joseph Vijay, should give an assurance to the minorities and the downtrodden that law enforcement would be strict, said A. Kathir, executive director, Evidence, an NGO fighting for the rights of the downtrodden and the oppressed classes, here on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Kathir said Evidence had gathered information through the Right to Information (RTI) Act for the last 11 years from across Tamil Nadu with regard to crimes reported in police stations and the number of cases registered, charge-sheets filed and cases pending or disposed of by courts.
Compiling of the date began in February 2026. “The law says officials should give the information within 30 days” else they had to face punishment, he said.
He said officials in Kanniyakumari, Sivaganga, Cuddalore, Ranipet, Tiruchi, Kallakurichi, Kancheepuram, Salem, Karur, Dharmapuri, Tiruvarur, Tiruppur, Perambalur, Erode, Madurai, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Vellore, Ariyalur, Tiruvannamalai, Tirupattur, Pudukottai, The Nilgiris, Mayiladuthurai, Villupuram, Dindigul and Krishnagiri districts, Coimbatore, Salem, Tiruppur and Madurai cities, and Mylapore and Washermenpet in Chennai had responded.
Those in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tiruvallur, Namakkal, Tenkasi and Theni districts, Tiruchi city, and Kilpauk and T. Nagar in Chennai were yet to respond. In a few cases, Evidence had sent appeals and was awaiting response, Mr. Kathir said.
Several incidents
The date showed that 11,117 incidents had been reported in the last 11 years (2015 — 2025). It was shocking that accused in only 406 of these cases — a mere 3.6% — had been convicted.
Madurai district topped in the number the crimes against SC/STs with 1,322 cases reported and the accused in only 44 cases (3.32%) had been convicted. While Sivaganga district stood second with a conviction rate of 1.32%, in Salem the conviction rate was a negligible 0.56%. In Villupuram district, accused in 77 of the 709 cases (11%) had been punished. In Karur, the conviction rate was 7.36%.
Shockingly, Mr. Kathir said, there was not a single conviction in Mayiladuthurai district. There were over 100 cases pending in police stations. As per Supreme Court directions, the special courts should deliver judgment within three months of the date of filing chargesheets, which should have been completed within two months from the date of registration of cases.
Mr. Kathir said the new government should take it up with an iron hand, which alone would instil confidence among the SC/ST victims. It should give adequate protection to them and enhance the relief amount from ₹12 lakh to ₹25 lakh.
The government should declare Madurai, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Villupuram, Kallakurichi districts “atrocities-prone”. A senior-level IAS officer should be entrusted with overseeing the progress of the cases and police officers in the rank of Inspector General should be made responsible for monitoring the cases.
There were sufficient laws and amendments, the last being done in 2015. However, the crimes against SC/STs increased by 30-35% in Tamil Nadu in the meantime, he said.

Students’ right to access exam answer scripts under RTI affirmed by CA

Ceylon Daily News: Sri Lanka: Friday, 15 May 2026.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Dr. Sumudu Premachandra with Justice R. Gurusinghe agreeing, has been widely viewed as a major affirmation of transparency, accountability, and students’ rights within Sri Lanka’s higher education system.

A landmark judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal has significantly strengthened the rights of university students and examination candidates in Sri Lanka by affirming that examinees are entitled to obtain their scrutinised answer scripts under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
In a ruling delivered on May 8, the Court dismissed a revision application filed by the The Open University of Sri Lanka challenging an order of the Right to Information Commission directing the university to release the answer scripts and marks of a student who sat for the university’s LLB Selection Test.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Dr. Sumudu Premachandra with Justice R. Gurusinghe agreeing, has been widely viewed as a major affirmation of transparency, accountability, and students’ rights within Sri Lanka’s higher education system.
The case arose after R.A. Janaka Roshan Ranasinghe sought access to the answer scripts and marks of his daughter, R.A.D. Sashindya Ranasinghe, who sat for the Open University’s LLB entrance examination held in January 2023. The university initially refused the request, relying on Section 5(1)(l) of the RTI Act, which permits denial of information where disclosure would “harm the integrity of an examination.”
University authorities argued that releasing answer scripts and examination-related material could compromise confidentiality and undermine the integrity of future examinations.
However, the RTI Commission rejected that position and ordered the disclosure of the requested information. The university then sought to challenge that determination before the Court of Appeal. In a strongly worded judgment favouring transparency, the Court held that a student requesting access to his or her own answer script could not reasonably be denied such information.
Justice Premachandra observed: “There cannot be hide-and-seek games in higher institutions, and transparency is a paramount consideration.”
The Court emphasised that the RTI Act and Article 14A of the Constitution recognise access to information as a fundamental democratic value intended to promote accountability and good governance.
Importantly, the Court noted that if a standard marking scheme had been properly applied, disclosure should not threaten the integrity of the examination process.
RTI Overrides University By-Laws
A central issue in the case was whether university examination by-laws could prevent disclosure of answer scripts. The Court firmly rejected that argument, holding that Section 4 of the RTI Act gives the legislation overriding effect over inconsistent institutional regulations or by-laws.
The judgment stated that university rules “suppressing the RTI” had “no force in law” where they conflicted with the statutory right to information.
This aspect of the ruling may have broader implications for all State universities and public educational institutions that maintain restrictive policies regarding examination records.
The Court also drew extensively from Indian jurisprudence on students’ rights to access evaluated answer scripts.
Citing the Indian Supreme Court decision in CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay (2011), the Court recognised that evaluated answer scripts constitute “information” under RTI laws because they contain the opinions and assessments of examiners.
The Sri Lankan Court endorsed the principle that: “Every examinee will have the right to access his evaluated answer-books.”
At the same time, the Court recognised that the identity of examiners could remain confidential in order to protect evaluative independence. The judgment also clarified that public authorities cannot issue blanket refusals under the RTI Act without demonstrating concrete and credible reasons.
The Court stressed that exemptions under Section 5(1)(l) are not absolute and must be interpreted narrowly. Merely claiming that disclosure could affect examination integrity was insufficient without factual justification.
There is no doubt this aspect of the ruling could influence future disputes involving public examinations, university admissions tests, and professional qualifying examinations. In addition to dismissing the university’s substantive arguments, the Court criticised the institution for invoking the Court’s revisionary jurisdiction instead of pursuing the statutory appeal mechanism provided under the RTI Act.
The judges observed that revisionary powers are discretionary and reserved only for exceptional circumstances involving grave injustice or manifest error.
Since the university had failed to show exceptional circumstances or explain why it had not pursued the ordinary appeal process, the Court declined to intervene.
Wider Significance
The ruling is likely to have far-reaching consequences for students across Sri Lanka seeking greater transparency in examination and admissions processes.
Legal observers note that the decision reinforces several important principles:

• Students have a legitimate right to know how their examination papers were evaluated.
• Public universities are subject to the RTI regime.
• Institutional secrecy cannot override constitutional transparency obligations.
• RTI exemptions relating to examinations must be narrowly interpreted.

The judgment also signals a growing judicial willingness to expand access to information rights within the education sector.
For thousands of students who annually sit competitive examinations for university admission, professional qualifications, and public sector recruitment, the ruling may become an important safeguard against opaque or arbitrary evaluation practices. As the country continues to strengthen its RTI framework nearly a decade after the enactment of the RTI Act in 2016, the Court of Appeal’s decision marks another significant milestone in the country’s evolving culture of transparency and accountability.

Forest dept targets officer for RTI disclosure amid illegal tree felling inquiry

The Times of India: National: Friday, 15 May 2026.
In a controversial move, top Rajasthan forest department officials have initiated proceedings against Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) and Public Information Officer (PIO) Gazanfar Ali Zaidi for sharing inquiry-related documents under the RTI Act in connection with an illegal tree-felling case in Bhilwara.

Sources said the disclosed documents later formed the basis of a court case, after which the National Green Tribunal directed recovery of about Rs 1.31 crore as environmental compensation from eight forest officials and a private individual.
Instead of fixing accountability and acting for the alleged illegal removal of Prosopis juliflora from nearly 250 hectares of forest land, officials are scrutinising the PIO, accusing him of violating provisions meant to protect ongoing investigations.
RTI activist Rajendra Tiwari said, “The department is targeting dutiful officials and shielding officers involved in illegal felling. At the time when the documents were sought, the preliminary report was already filed. Why do senior officials want to hide the information, and why is there a delay in action against the guilty officials?”
Official communications accessed by TOI show that the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force), Rajasthan, termed the disclosure “prima facie” contrary to provisions of Section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act, which exempts disclosure of information that may impede an ongoing investigation.
Subsequently, the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) issued a show-cause notice to Zaidi asking why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him. A reminder notice was later issued after officials claimed that no reply had initially been received within the stipulated period.
CCF Ram Karan Khairwa told TOI, “A show-cause notice was issued regarding furnishing information under the RTI Act, 2005, without obtaining approval from the competent authority before forwarding information related to rules or policy decisions. Also, the information was provided when the inquiry was pending.”
A senior official, on the condition of anonymity, said, “The district in-charge who was appointed for the inquiry had already submitted the preliminary report.”
In his written response, Zaidi defended the decision, stating that information under the RTI Act is required to be furnished within 30 days and that the documents were provided in discharge of official duties. He further stated that the information was shared only after discussions with and directions from the then CCF, Jaipur, Rajeev Chaturvedi.
A source said, “Under the RTI Act, 2005, the PIO is independently empowered to provide information. In case of any dispute or objection regarding furnishing of information, the competent authority for resolution is the Information Commission.”

Balancing The Accountability

Daily Excelsior: J&K: Friday, 15 May 2026.

The Central Information Commission’s recent ruling in a case involving Jammu & Kashmir’s Directorate of School Education Kashmir offers a timely moment for reflection. At its heart, the judgment raises a question that democratic societies have long wrestled with: where does the right to know end, and where does the duty to govern begin? The Right to Information Act was conceived as a powerful corrective. It has, without doubt, served that purpose admirably. From exposing ghost beneficiaries in welfare schemes to unmasking fictitious employees on government payrolls, RTI has been the citizen’s most effective torch in the darkest corridors of power. To diminish its importance would be both dishonest and dangerous.
Yet the CIC’s caution against “indiscriminate and impractical” RTI demands deserves serious consideration. The application in question sought exhaustive data spanning six years – teacher shortages, infrastructure deficits, scholarship records, student-teacher ratios and budget utilisation across an entire division. Collating such information would have required a disproportionate diversion of administrative resources, leaving routine governance functions starved of attention. The Supreme Court’s oft-quoted warning – that the nation cannot afford for three-quarters of public staff to spend three-quarters of their time furnishing information – is not hyperbole. It is a practical reality that watchdog bodies must internalise. However, one must be equally vigilant about the other side of this coin. Departments have long mastered the art of hiding behind procedural complexity. “Information not readily available,” “data not compiled centrally,” and “disproportionate burden” are phrases that have shielded genuine negligence and deliberate opacity as comfortably as they have flagged legitimate operational concerns. Without firm benchmarks distinguishing the two, such defences risk becoming a bureaucratic escape hatch.
Herein lies the real challenge. There exist no codified, granular guidelines that empower the CIC or State Information Commissions to cleanly separate vexatious overreach from legitimate, sweeping public interest enquiries. Each case is adjudicated largely on discretion, leaving considerable room for inconsistency. What is needed is a structured framework – one that preserves RTI’s accountability mandate whilst establishing proportionality tests for voluminous requests. Commissioners ought to explore mechanisms such as phased information release, aggregated departmental disclosures, and proactive publication of commonly sought data, which would reduce the burden on both filer and institution. RTI is neither a weapon nor a burden. Used with precision, it remains democracy’s finest audit tool. The challenge is ensuring it stays sharp without becoming unwieldy. The line is thin but has to be distinguished.

213 IAS trainees reappeared in exams over ‘poor performance’ between 2020-‘26: RTI

The Times of India: Agra: Friday, 15 May 2026.
About 213 IAS officer trainees from multiple batches at Mussoorie-based Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) had to reappear for examinations during training between 2020 and 2026 due to “poor performance” in various assessments, according to data obtained under the RTI Act.

The data showed that 1,079 IAS officer trainees underwent training at the academy between Jan 1, 2020, and Jan 1, 2026. Also, it showed the number of IAS probationers enrolled annually remained largely stable over the six years, ranging between 182 and 187 trainees each year.
Among the cadres, AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and UTs) recorded the highest number of officer trainees who reappeared for examinations at 21, followed by TN with 18 and UP 16. It was followed by Bihar and WB at 15, MP with 14, Odisha 13, Maharashtra 12 and Gujarat 11, among others.
Regarding cheating cases and the use of unfair means during examinations at the academy, the academy stated that “no IAS probationer was found during the period under review”.
A serving chief development officer (CDO) told TOI: “An IAS officer’s training at LBSNAA is rigorous as it demands high levels of competence, adaptability and accountability. Training goes far beyond classroom academics and includes field exposure, district attachments, physical fitness, public administration, law, economics and governance-related assessments.”
“Reappearing in examinations should not necessarily be viewed negatively, as the academy continuously evaluates officer trainees on multiple parameters to ensure they are prepared for real-world administrative responsibilities,” said the CDO, who is an IAS officer.
She added that the fact that there were no reported cheating or unfair means cases reflects the professionalism and integrity maintained during the training process.
The IAS training programme at LBSNAA is a two-year induction process designed to transform civil service recruits into field-ready administrators via academic instruction, field exposure, and practical governance training.