Business Standard: New Delhi: Monday, October
01, 2018.
The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to
explore the use of advanced technology for providing information to
differently-abled persons under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Observing that information makes an
individual "empowered", the top court said the right to acquire and
disseminate information has been regarded as an intrinsic component of freedom
of speech and expression.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and
Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said such people should have a
functional facility to receive the information as permissible under the Right
to Information Act.
"We think it appropriate to ask the
authorities to explore any kind of advanced technology that has developed in
the meantime so that other methods can be introduced," the bench said.
The judgement came on a plea filed by
Aseer Jamal who had contended that illiterate persons and the visually impaired
persons or persons afflicted by other kinds of disabilities are not in a
position to get the information under RTI Act.
He said that certain provisions of the
act are not accessible to orthopedically impaired persons, persons below the
poverty line and persons who do not have any access to the Internet.
While asking the authorities to look for
alternative methods, the apex court asked him to submit a representation to the
competent authority for pointing out any other mode available for getting
information under the RTI Act.
It noted the submission of Attorney
General K K Venugopal that several states provide information in Braille since
2012.
The AG told the bench that every time the
authority receives an RTI application seeking information in Braille, it
prepares a reply in the printed format and forwards it to the National
Institute for the Visually Handicapped where it is converted to Braille.
"In view of the obtaining situation,
as has been brought out by the attorney general for India, as presently
advised, we are disposed to think that no further direction needs to be issued
except granting liberty to the petitioner to submit a representation to the
competent authority pointing out any other mode(s) available for getting
information under the act.
"If such a representation is
submitted, the same shall be dealt not only with sympathy but also with concern
and empathy. We say so as differently-abled persons, which include visually
impaired persons, should have the functional facility to receive such
information as permissible under the act. They should not be deprived of the
benefit of such a utility," the bench said.
.JPG)
.JPG)
