NDTV:
New Delhi: Thursday, 16 July 2015.
Transgenders
can now mention themselves as "third gender" while seeking
information on governance related matters through online RTI application
through the website.
The
Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has introduced a field -- third
gender -- other than male and female on the RTI portal.
"The
field 'third gender' has been introduced on the website allowing transgenders
to give detail of their identity while filing RTI applications online. Though
it is not a mandatory field but it will help the government in collecting data
on different categories of people filing queries under the transparency
law," a DoPT official said.
The move
assumes significance as Supreme Court had last year, in a landmark verdict,
given recognition to transgenders as the third gender. It had then also asked
governments to grant them all facilities including a voter ID, passport and
driving licence, among others.
The apex
court had also directed the Centre and states to take steps for bringing the
community into the mainstream by providing adequate healthcare, education and
employment.
The
website--www.rtionline.gov.in-- was launched in 2013 to enable citizens to file
RTI applications online.
The Centre's
flagship Right to Information Act, which was enacted in 2005, mandates timely
response to citizen's request for government information.
One has to
pay a fee of Rs. 10 for seeking information. The portal also helps an RTI
applicant and appellant to see the status of his application and appeal.
An
information seeker is allowed to submit a fee of Rs. 10, towards cost of
information, via internet banking or through SBI and its associated banks.
People can also use credit, debit and RuPay cards to make payment on the
website.
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