No pay for medical interns at 60 medical colleges in India, reveals RTI.

MSN:COM: Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

A fresh round of RTI responses has revealed that 60 medical colleges in India are not paying stipends to their MBBS interns, including 33 government institutes and 27 private colleges, as per a report by The New Indian Express.

This comes even as the National Medical Commission (NMC), the regulatory body for medical education, continues to steer clear of enforcing its own rules on mandatory compensation.

The data, compiled by Kerala-based ophthalmologist and RTI activist Dr KV Babu, shows that Karnataka has the highest number of such institutions, with 10 colleges — six government and four private — not providing any stipend.

Gujarat, Maharashtra, and West Bengal follow, each with seven colleges on the list. Telangana is home to five non-paying colleges, while others are located across Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi. Not just this, another 50 institutions pay a token amount, often less than Rs 5,000 per month, with some colleges offering as little as Rs 2,000.

When asked what action it had taken, the NMC stated in an April 29 RTI reply, "NMC is the regulatory body which issues guidelines... implementation is solely at the discretion of the concerned state authorities." Dr Babu, who has been following the issue for over a year, questioned the NMC’s passivity. “Are they expecting state authorities to act against their own institutions? Under which law?” he asked, in a report by TNIE.

He pointed out that the NMC had itself issued show-cause notices to nearly 200 colleges in November 2024, warning them to submit stipend details and comply with regulations. Yet, no punitive action has followed.

Under the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education (MSME) Regulations, 2023, failure to pay stipends is a serious violation. Colleges flouting these norms can face a withdrawal of accreditation for up to five years and fines up to Rs 1 crore.

Guwahati: Utpal Baruah Takes Oath as Information Commissioner.

Sentinel Assam: Guwahati: Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office to Utpal Baruah as the State Information Commissioner at a solemn function held at Raj Bhavan.

Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office to Utpal Baruah as the State Information Commissioner at a solemn function held at Raj Bhavan on Monday. Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, Kailash Chand Samria sought permission of the Governor to start the proceeding of the ceremony.

The Governor administered the oath of office under Section 15(3) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 enacted by the Government of India. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by the State Chief Information Commissioner Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, OSD Raj Bhavan Prof. Bechan Lal, Principal Secretary ARTPPG Diwakar Nath Mishra, State Information Commissioner Dr. Reep Hazarika, and other senior officials of the State Government, stated a press release.

RTI for Samosas & grooms? Bombay HC fues over frivolous pleas, flags SIC delays.

MSN.COM: Wednesday,June 18, 2025.

What's eating the State Information Commission (SIC)? Frivolous RTI pleas over samosas in public offices, it appears. SIC told Bombay high court on Wednesday it had received an RTI application to know how many samosas are served in a day in a govt office.

The misuse of RTI Act also drew flak from HC. It said laws are made with a beneficial purpose, but "people use them to look for sons-in-law... to find govt employees". "It's a paradox," said a bench of CJ Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne.

It was hearing a PIL by former chief information commissioner (CIC) Shailesh Gandhi and five RTI activists to direct SIC to give a roadmap for disposal of second appeals and complaints within 45 days of filing. SIC said the delays were due to vacancies. State's advocate Jyoti Chavan said there are seven sanctioned posts of state information commissioners and one CIC. Four vacancies, including CIC, were filled in April. The petitioners sought three additional posts of state information commissioners, citing nearly 1 lakh pending second appeals and complaints. Chavan said the state would decide on it.

When HC asked petitioners' advocate Sunil Ahya whether "their grievances stand redressed", he said no, adding that the CIC was directed by HC in Dec 2023 to file a report on disposal of second appeals.

The CJ generally commented about PIL petitioners "consistently finding fault with action of the govt". "They always come with a negative attitude and are never satisfied," he said. The judges said they cannot expand the PIL's scope and added that RTI was misused.

The judges said RTI Act does not contain any time limit for second appeals. They disposed of the PIL saying they "hope and trust" SIC "shall make an endeavour to decide second appeals/complaints as expeditiously as possible".

Seminar on RTI Act held at BLW.

Times of India: Varanasi: Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

BLW's seminar on RTI Act: A seminar on Right to Information (RTI) Act was held at BLW on Tuesday. The aim was to simplify the Act, promote transparency, find solutions to the problems in providing information, and motivate citizens to use this Act effectively.

Presiding over the seminar, Lalji Chaudhary, principal chief personnel officer-administration, said that the Right to Information is not just an Act, but the soul of democracy. It is a moral and legal responsibility to provide correct and accurate information to the citizens on time. He also suggested that a clear list of documents that are eligible and ineligible for making information available should be prepared, and timely file management should be ensured.

Speaking on the occasion, Manish Kumar Singh, senior law officer and central public information officer, gave detailed information on the basic sections of the Act, application process, role of public information officers, appeal process, and limitations of confidentiality through a powerpoint presentation. He also resolved the queries of the officers, appellate authorities, and employees present.

He highlighted how the BLW RTI Act Cell faces practical difficulties in obtaining information from the departments and emphasised the need to further strengthen the coordination mechanism to resolve them.

Idukki site from where cross was removed is a forest land, reveals RTI response.

The Hindu: Kerala: Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

The report further said that a detailed inspection was necessary before initiating steps to resolve title deed-related issues in the disputed site and nearby areas.

The spot from where a cross was removed at Thommankuthu, near Thodupuzha, is a reserve forest land, the Revenue department said in response to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The application was moved by Idukki District Congress Committee (DCC) general secretary Bijo Mani.

The RTI reply said: “A recent report submitted by the Thodupuzha tehsildar, Jayakumar O.S., to the Idukki District Collector indicated that the village officer had submitted a status report regarding the site to the Forest department. As per the report, the area concerned is a forest land.” “As per the 1993 Land Assignment rules, the title deed-related issues should be taken by the Karimannor Land Assignment (LA) office after inspection and verification,” said the report.”

The report further said that a detailed inspection was necessary before initiating steps to resolve title deed-related issues in the disputed site and nearby areas.

On April 12, the Forest department removed a cross erected the previous day by St Thomas Church, under the Syro-Malabar Church, on a property beside the Neyyassery-Thokkumban Road at Naranganam. The department also booked a case against the parish priest for erecting the cross on forest land. On April 19, the Church organised a Way of the Cross procession to the spot. Following this, Church authorities alleged that the department booked another case against Kothamangalam diocese general Vincent Nedungattu, Chancellor Father Jose Kulathur and parish priest Father James Ikaramattom on the charges of trespassing.

After the incident, the Vannappuram village officer submitted an initial report to the Forest department stating that the disputed spot fell within forest area. However, farmers’ groups and Church authorities opposed the report and staged protests against it.

Border stones fixed

Mr. Mani said that the RTI reply also stated that a total of 458 families were included in the list of forest land encroachments after 1-1-1977 under the Kaliyar forest range. “The reply further stated that the revenue and forest lands were divided by fixing Janda (border stones), and that the 458 families were living in area outside the Jandas fixed by the department,” he said.

“While the CPI(M) district secretary and other ruling party leaders earlier claimed that the site is revenue land, the tehsildar’s report clearly said that the area is a forest land. The Revenue department report reveals the double standard of the State government,” alleged Mr. Mani.

Around 4,000 PGT vacancies in Delhi govt. schools, reveals RTI.

India Today: New Delhi: Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

An education department official revealed that 12 of the new CM Shri schools will be built from the ground up, while the remaining 63 will be developed within existing school structures.

Nearly 4,000 teaching posts for Post Graduate Teachers (PGTs) remain unfilled in Delhi’s government schools, according to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) request from the Directorate of Education. While the total number of sanctioned PGT posts stands at 17,058, a significant portion remains vacant across various institutions in the capital.

The development comes even as the Delhi government has initiated a fresh recruitment drive to staff its upcoming 75 CM Shri schools. Last week, the Directorate of Education called on existing government school teachers to apply for transfers to these newly proposed institutions through a dedicated interface process.

One teacher from a government school in Old Delhi, who did not wish to be named, expressed concern over the transfers. “The number of vacant posts in a school will rise once transfers to CM Shri schools are completed. In our school, seven positions are already unoccupied. Now that three of our teachers have been chosen for CM Shri schools, the total vacancy will rise to ten. Unless the current vacancies are addressed promptly, the new initiative won’t help us in any practical sense,” the teacher said.

However, Ajayveer Yadav, General Secretary of the Government School Teachers Association, dismissed these concerns. He clarified that transfers would not lead to a rise in vacancies overall. “The total strength of teachers remains unchanged. It is only their location that will vary,” he stated.

As part of the same announcement last week, an education department official revealed that 12 of the new CM Shri schools will be built from the ground up, while the remaining 63 will be developed within existing school structures. These existing buildings will undergo renovations to align with the upgraded standards of CM Shri institutions.

In 2024, a significant step was taken to enhance staffing in government schools when Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena approved the creation of 200 new PGT positions. These posts were intended to support teaching at both secondary and senior secondary levels under the Directorate of Education.

The newly added roles fall under Pay Matrix Level 8, offering a salary bracket ranging from ₹47,600 to ₹1,51,100. The expansion aimed to meet the growing academic demands across Delhi’s government-run schools.

CPCB spent less than 1 pc of ₹45 crore environmental fines collected since 2018: RTI reply

Mint: New Delhi: Monday, 16^th June 2025.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has spent just 0.2 per cent of the environmental compensation it collected from 2018 to 2024 on protecting the environment, according to official data accessed through a Right to Information (RTI) application.

The CPCB collected ₹45.81 crore in fines and penalties under environmental compensation (EC) during this period but spent only ₹9 lakh, less than one-fiftieth of the total amount, the RTI query filed by social activist Amit Gupta revealed.
There is no record of EC spending in most years. The only exception is 2024-25, when ₹9 lakh was finally utilised.
The CPCB receives 25 per cent of the EC collected by state pollution control boards and also levies fines directly on polluters in various cases.
These funds are meant to be used for environmental protection, including strengthening of labs, monitoring networks, compliance studies, capacity building and costs incurred by the National Green Tribunal (NGT)-appointed committees.
However, a large portion of the money has remained unspent.
The data also shows that the CPCB spent only ₹130.9 crore, about 30 per cent of the ₹427.37 crore collected under the Environment Protection Charge (EPC) during the same period. These funds are meant to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
The EPC is collected at the rate of one per cent of the ex-showroom price of diesel vehicles with engine capacity of 2,000 cc and above, registered in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), as per a Supreme Court order.
The funds are supposed to support air quality improvement efforts, including R&D, control of vehicular pollution, health impact studies and pollution mitigation projects in Delhi-NCR and parts of Punjab.
The data revealed a consistent trend of underutilisation.
The CPCB collected ₹29.28 crore in 2016-17 but spent only ₹0.01 crore. In 2023-24, ₹65.28 crore was collected, while spending stood at just ₹22.38 crore.
In 2024-25, it collected ₹74.39 crore but spent only ₹31.98 crore.
Earlier in March, a parliamentary panel flagged that only ₹7.22 crore (less than one per cent) of the ₹858 crore allocated to the Environment Ministry for its 'Control of Pollution' scheme in 2024-25 had been spent by January 21.
The department-related standing committee on science and technology, environment, forests and climate change expressed "shock" and urged the ministry to "introspect" and take serious note of the reasons behind the gross underutilisation.

RTI data shows staffing gaps: 50 per cent of Class IV posts vacant, over 100 doctor positions unfilled at Sassoon Hospital : Written by Anuradha Mascarenhas

The Indian Express: Pune: Monday, 16^th June 2025.
The 1,296-bed facility has an increasing patient load, and approximately 2,000 patients visit the outpatient departments of the Sassoon General Hospital daily for medical treatment.

As per RTI data, there are 1,108 permanent posts of nurses,
of which 918 have been filled. (Express Archive)

A Right to Information (RTI) query filed by The Indian Express shows that half of the 843 sanctioned Class IV posts at Sassoon General Hospital, Pune Maharashtra’s largest government-run tertiary care facility have been vacant for several years. In addition to the non-technical staff crunch, the hospital has also had to deal with a shortfall in medical professionals. There are 118 vacant posts for doctors, as per RTI data.
Patient load
The 1,296-bed facility has an increasing patient load, and approximately 2,000 patients visit the outpatient departments daily for medical treatment. Additional workload during the Covid-19 pandemic necessitated an increase in bed capacity. However, there has been a delay in filling up corresponding staff vacancies.
Presently, there is a requirement for 190 nurses. As per RTI data, there are 1,108 permanent posts of nurses, of which 918 have been filled. There are 834 Class IV posts, of which 416 are lying vacant. Of the 301 permanent sanctioned posts of doctors, a total of 183 have been filled, while 118 are lying vacant.
Data shows that of the 18 permanent posts of X-ray technicians, a total of five are vacant, while there is a need for four more healthcare professionals to operate the computed tomography (CT) scanners. This is a long-pending issue, and over the years, the government hospital has faced numerous challenges to ensure quality patient care, improve infrastructure, and maintain effective administration.
Long queues are a routine sight at the X-ray department, where most patients are subjected to an entire day’s waiting period to get an ultrasound scan. Several concerns have been flagged over the years about the hospital’s sanitation and cleanliness, and the condition of wards and outpatient departments has attracted significant criticism.
As per RTI data at the B J Government Medical College, a total of 18 posts of associate professors and 27 assistant professor posts are yet to be filled.
Too little
While efforts are being taken to address the requirements of some of the short-staffed departments, as per the data, the post of professor at the biochemistry and orthopaedic department is vacant. At the anatomy department, three posts of assistant professors are vacant, while one associate professor post is yet to be filled.
The physiology department requires four more assistant professors. Presently, three posts have been filled. As many as 10 posts of assistant professors are lying vacant at the medicine department, while five assistant professor posts and two associate professor posts are yet to be filled at the surgery department. “Fewer faculty often can impact the focus on research activities and publications that are important for the institution’s reputation,” an expert said.
When contacted, Dr Eknath Pawar, Dean, B J Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, told The Indian Express that the staff shortage is being addressed. “As part of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) recruitment process, interviews are being scheduled, and we have urged them to fast-track the process. At the local level, through the district collector’s office, recruitments can also be done, and we are looking into that. Cleanliness services are being outsourced,” Dr Pawar said. “An advertisement will be issued and we hope to fill Class IV posts soon,” he added.

RTI Workshop: झारखंड में 5 साल से सूचना आयुक्त नहीं, 25000 से अधिक वाद लंबित, CM और नेता प्रतिपक्ष को सौंपेंगे ज्ञापन - By Guru Swarup Mishra

Prabhat Khabar: Jharkhand: Monday, 16^th June 2025.
आरटीआई एक्ट के 20 वर्ष पूरे होने पर रांची में आरटीआई वर्कशॉप का आयोजन किया गया. इसमें झारखंड के विभिन्न जिलों से आए आरटीआई एक्टिविस्टों ने भाग लिया. पिछले पांच साल से झारखंड में सूचना आयुक्तों की नियुक्ति नहीं होने पर चिंता व्यक्त की गयी. सीएम हेमंत सोरेन और नेता प्रतिपक्ष बाबूलाल मरांडी को नियुक्ति को लेकर ज्ञापन सौंपने का निर्णय लिया गया.

आरटीआई है एविडेंस कलेक्शन टूल
मुख्य अतिथि झारखंड के पूर्व सूचना आयुक्त हिमांशु शेखर चौधरी और प्रसिद्ध आरटीआई एक्टिविस्ट दीपेश निराला ने सूचना का अधिकार अधिनियम- 2005, नियमावली और ड्राफ्टिंग की बारीक जानकारी दी. उन्होंने कहा कि सूचना का अधिकार अधिनियम-2005 एक एविडेंस कलेक्शन टूल के रूप में प्रयोग किया जा रहा है. इसके तहत सर्टिफाइड कॉपी प्राप्त कर उस सूचना का प्रयोग कई प्राधिकारों के सामने किया जा रहा है, लेकिन दुर्भाग्य ये है कि झारखंड में 8 मई 2020 के बाद से कोई सूचना आयुक्त कार्यरत नहीं है क्योंकि इनकी नियुक्ति नहीं हुई है. झारखंड में पांच साल से कोई सूचना आयुक्त नहीं है.
युवाओं को आरटीआई ट्रेनिंग देने की जरूरत
मुख्य अतिथि हिमांशु शेखर चौधरी ने कहा कि सूचना का अधिकार जानने से पहले अधिकार जानना होगा कि कैसे भारत ने आजादी पाई और उस संघर्ष और धैर्य को भी पहचाने की जरूरत है. आरटीआई के उपयोग और दुरुपयोग की भी चिंता करने की जरूरत है क्योंकि सूचना आयोग में कार्यरत रहने के दौरान उन्होंने देखा कि अधिकतर सूचना आवेदन व्यक्तिगत रहते हैं और सामाजिक सरोकारों से रिलेटेड मामले बहुत ही कम रहते हैं. जरूरत है इस एक्ट को एक आंदोलन का शक्ल देने और राज्य के युवाओं को आरटीआई में प्रशिक्षित करने की, ताकि यह आंदोलन घर-घर पहुंच सके.
25000 से अधिक मामले हैं लंबित
झारखंड राज्य सूचना आयोग के समक्ष 25000 से अधिक द्वितीय अपीलवाद और शिकायतवाद लंबित है. इससे आरटीआई की मूल भावना प्रशासनिक जवाबदेही और पारदर्शिता प्रभावित हो रही है. लालफीताशाही पर अंकुश नहीं लग पा रहा है. विभिन्न विभागों के जन सूचना पदाधिकारी पूरी सूचना नहीं दे रहे हैं और प्रथम अपीलीय प्राधिकारी भी सूचना नहीं दिलवा पा रहे हैं.
सीएम और नेता प्रतिपक्ष को सौंपा जाएगा ज्ञापन
वर्कशॉप में आरटीआई एक्टिविस्टों ने सर्वसम्मति से निर्णय लिया कि मुख्यमंत्री हेमंत सोरेन और नेता प्रतिपक्ष बाबूलाल मरांडी को ज्ञापन सौंपा जाएगा ताकि तत्काल मुख्य सूचना आयुक्त और सूचना आयुक्तों की नियुक्ति झारखंड में हो सके. इस नियुक्ति में भूतपूर्व प्रशासनिक पदाधिकारियों को दूर रखा जाए क्योंकि उनके अधीनस्थ और उनके साथ कार्यरत रहे लोग ही विभिन्न विभागों में जन सूचना पदाधिकारी और प्रथम अपीलीय प्राधिकारी बने हुए हैं और विधि, विज्ञान एवं प्रौद्योगिकी, समाज सेवा प्रबंधन पत्रकारिता जनसंपर्क माध्यम में व्यापक ज्ञान और अनुभव रखने वाले समाज में प्रख्यात गैर-नौकरशाह को ही सूचना आयुक्त बनाया जाए.
वर्कशॉप में ये थे शामिल
वर्कशॉप में सहसंयोजक हरीश नागपाल, राजकुमार, उमा शंकर सिंह, संतोष मृदुला, स्वरूप कुमार सेठी, शाहिद आलम, सुशील शर्मा, दुमका से राजकुमार उपाध्याय, गढ़वा से पवन कुमार केसरी, रामगढ़ से पुतुल कुमार सिंह और के. चंदन, चतरा से बिनय कुमार रजक, पाकुड़ से अमित कुमार दास, लोहरदगा से शकील अख्तर और प्रदीप राणा, गिरिडीह से नीरज कुमार निराला, चंद्रदेव कुमार बरनवाल, राजेश सहाय, अखौरी प्रशांत कुमार, सुनील महतो, संतोष कुमार, मनोज कुमार महतो, उमेश कुमार महतो, पलामू से जयप्रकाश अग्रवाल, प्रिय व्रत प्रसाद, पूर्वी सिंहभूम, जमशेदपुर से नम्मी शेषाद्री और आसमा आरा शेख, खूंटी से संतोष कुमार कर, मार्शल बारला, अजीत कुमार महतो, राहुल कुमार, धनबाद से अमरेश कुमार, लातेहार से रंजीत कुमार महतो, बोकारो से जे एम रंगीला और प्रदीप कुमार, गुमला से राहुल शेखर, हजारीबाग से रंजीत कुमार पांडेय, सरायकेला खरसावां से अनूप श्रीवास्तव, प्रकाश महतो, पश्चिमी सिंहभूम से निशा देवी और रश्मि साहू समेत अन्य उपस्थि थे.
रांची से ये थे शामिल
रांची से आशीष कुमार जायसवाल, संतोष कुमार सिंह, अजित प्रसाद, वेद प्रकाश साव, अरविंद कुमार मिश्रा, प्रवीण कुमार मिश्रा, जूही कुमारी चौधरी, विरेन्द्र नागदुआवर, आनंद कुमार लाल, बजरंग लाल चौधरी,संदीप कुमार सिंह,चंद्र प्रकाश जैन, अंकित अग्रवाल, दीनबंधु कुमार, रवि शंकर मिश्रा, शेखर कुमार, सुरेंद्र प्रसाद शर्मा, दिलीप कुमार जैन, अमित चौधरी, पप्पू कुमार, मोहन प्रसाद वर्मा, ओम प्रकाश उपाध्याय, सुकल्यान साहा,ऊषा अग्रवाल, अरुण कुमार तिवारी, समीर कुमार, बिस्वा सागर, शिवानंद काशी, निर्मला कुमारी ऋषभ, आशीष कुमार चौरसिया, विनायक पोद्दार, शिव दयाल चौधरी, शांभवी श्रोत्रिया, सिद्धार्थ गौतम, ब्रिज मोहन ओझा, अरुण सिन्हा, नाजिया रशीद, कुमार विवेक रंजन, अनिल कुमार, हितेंद्र कुमार, अंकित अग्रवाल, पंकज कुमार, कुमार निशांत, अनूप कुमार, जितेंद्र कुमार शर्मा, मीना कुमारी, नवल किशोर लाल समेत अन्य शामिल थे.

Learning from Finland & updating the right to information process : Muhammad Zamir

Financial Express: New Delhi: Monday, 16^th June 2025.
Exercising the Right to Information as a principle has been the focal point in Finland for many decades. This has been an evolving exercise for establishing good governance and accountability through transparency for its citizens.

We in Bangladesh can learn a lot from the manner in which that country has been exercising its options. The aspects highlighted below could possibly be seriously considered for modulation in the context of some of the Sections that exist at the present moment in Bangladesh’s Right to Information Act.
In Finland, the Act on the Openness of Public Documents of 1951 established the openness of all records and documents in the possession of officials of the state, municipalities, and registered religious communities. Exceptions to the basic principle could only be made by law, or by an executive order for specific enumerated reasons such as national security.
The openness of unsigned draft documents was not mandated, but up to the consideration of the public official. This weakness of the law was removed when the law was revised in the 1990s. The revised law, the Act on the Openness of Government Activities of 1999, called in short “Publicity Act” also extended the principle of openness to corporations that perform legally mandated public duties, such as pension funds and public utilities, and to computer documents.
The Publicity Act establishes a process by which any person can access any record in possession of an authority. The person may ask the authority for the document in person or in writing. When making the request, the requester needs to specify the document so that it can be identified. However, the authority is liable to assist the person with its document registers and indices in this task.
After receiving the request, the authority has two weeks to give the document. If the decision is negative, and document is withheld, the requester may appeal to the administrative court. The document may be given orally, for reading and copying in the authority’s premises or as an electronic or paper copy, as requested by the person. However, the copying may be declined if it would be unfeasible because of the large number of documents or otherwise technically difficult. There are also a number of limitations on the release of electronic documents designed for the protection of individual privacy.
The reasons for withholding a document are listed in the Article 24 of the Act referred to above. They may be grouped to three categories: automatic non-openness, conditional non openness or conditional openness. The documents where automatic non-openness is prescribed remain withheld in all cases. In the case of conditional non-openness, the reasonability of the non-openness is reviewed case-by-case by the authority and, if appeals are made, by the court. In the third category, openness is a rule, and the reason for non-openness needs to be established by the authority.
The absolute reasons for non-openness are (a) documents of the foreign policy committee of the Council of State, foreign policy memos of the foreign ministry on political status, negotiations with foreign governments or organisations and diplomatic cryptograms, unless released by the ministry, (b) registers held by law enforcement for investigation and prevention of crimes, as well as passport or ID card photos and biometric information on them, (c) statistics and other documents on economic policy that might affect financial markets, until they are released to public, (d)  documents handed over to a statistical authority for the compilation of statistics and documents handed over voluntarily to an authority for purposes of research and statistics, (e) documents containing medical information, information on sexual orientation or information pertaining to a customer of labour administration or of social services, (f) documents containing information on a judicial psychiatric examination or on certain personal investigations relating to execution of prison sentences and similar custodial sentences, (g) documents containing results or information from individual psychological testing, (h) documents relating to the care of students, as well as any student evaluation containing verbal information on the personal qualities of the student, (i) documents containing a secret phone number, or the location of a mobile communications device, (j) documents identifying an anonymous witness, and (k) documents containing information on individual’s political opinions, hobbies, personal habits, membership and activities in associations, family life or opinions uttered within private life.
Conditional non-openness is mandated for the following categories of documents, unless it is” obviously clear” that the protected interest is not endangered- (a) documents concerning international relations of Finland, Finnish institutions or Finnish persons, unless it is obviously clear that no harm will befall on Finnish foreign relations now or in the future, (b) documents concerning criminal investigations or pending prosecutions until the investigation is over or the prosecution has pleaded, unless it is obviously clear that the investigation or the prosecution is not harmed and no private person will suffer material harm nor suffering, (c) documents on security of buildings, facilities, communications or information systems, unless it is obviously clear that the security is not endangered, (d) all documents of Finnish Security Intelligence Service and other documents concerning state security, unless it is obviously clear that state security is not endangered, (e) documents concerning national defence or military intelligence, unless it is obviously clear that national defence is in no way harmed or endangered, (f) documents, records and data used as a basis for or concerning an academic thesis, scientific or scholarly research or product development, unless it is obviously clear that the research, development or study, their proper evaluation, the student or the researcher or the funder of the work are not harmed, (g) documents concerning a refugee or an applicant for a visa, residence permit or an asylum, unless it is obviously clear that the person or his loved ones are not harmed, and (h) information contained in the criminal register and in other registers held by authorities overseeing the execution of punishments.
Conditional openness is prescribed for the following categories of information: (a) release of information about the technical and tactical methods of police, and prison authorities, if such availability of information makes the work of such authorities more difficult, (b) administrative complaints during their handling, if their release would harm investigation or be likely to cause suffering or harm to a party in the matter, unless grave reasons exist for release of information, (c) information on civil defence or rescue preparations and on safety investigations, if the release would endanger rescue work, civil defence preparations, safety or security or their continued development, or would endanger getting information in future safety investigations, or would hurt the victims of an accident, their memory or their loved ones, (d) information on financial, monetary, labour or fiscal policy measures or their preparations or pre-studies if the release would defeat the purpose of such measures, endanger the negotiation position of the state or otherwise and cause great harm to the management of such policies, (e) studies conducted by regulatory authorities of financial and pension institutions, if the studies include information on the regulated bodies and the release would endanger the proper functioning of financial markets, (f) documents containing information on endangered species or valuable natural areas, if the release of information would endanger their preservation, (g) documents pertaining to an investigation or other control measure by an authority if the release of information would endanger the regulatory control measure or its purpose, (h) detailed returns of political candidates on their campaign funding, (i) documents used by a public body in a collective bargaining or labour action if the release would harm the public body as the employer, (j) documents used for preparation of a legal action, if the release would harm a public body as a party to a suit, and (k) documents containing sensitive information on the private life of a suspect, plaintiff, witness or other party to a criminal investigation, or information on the victim that would hurt the victim’s memory or her loved ones, unless the release is necessary to conduct the work of an authority.
Non-open information in Finland also remains non-open for 25 years after it was created or obtained by an authority. Documents that are non-open to protect the privacy of an individual remain non-open for 50 years after the protected individual has died.
One needs at this juncture to refer to the special efforts put in by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) to try to facilitate not only the principle of Right to Information but also the use of freedom of information. An independent, non-governmental organisation headquartered in New Delhi, with offices in London, United Kingdom and Ghana, CHRI realised that absence of full information can affect practical realization of human rights.
I believe that the recent evolving scenario in South, South East Asia and the Far East and also the unfortunate dynamic in the Middle East needs to be carefully scrutinised by not only the legal authorities but also the other Human Rights Commissions in these regions especially in these troubled times.
(Muhammad Zamir, a former Ambassador and a former Chief Information Commissioner, is an analyst specialised in foreign affairs, right to information and good governance.
muhammadzamir0@gmail.com)

Experiments with RTI : SRINIVAS MADHAV

The Statesman: New Delhi: Sunday, 15^th June 2025.
The Parliament of India, in 2005, enacted what would become one of the strongest Right to Information (RTI) laws in the world. 15 June 2025, marks the 20th anniversary of the passage of the RTI Act, which fully came into force on 12 October 2005.

The Parliament of India, in 2005, enacted what would become one of the strongest Right to Information (RTI) laws in the world. 15 June 2025, marks the 20th anniversary of the passage of the RTI Act, which fully came into force on 12 October 2005. The law’s passage reflects a rare bipartisan legacy, building on the foundation of the Freedom of Information Act, 2002, passed under the preceding NDA government led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which was then repealed and strengthened into the RTI Act, 2005, by the UPA government under Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Twenty years later, it has empowered millions. From schoolchildren securing evaluated answer sheets (CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, 2011), to journalists exposing scams, the Act has transformed passive recipients into armchair auditors. Over 132 countries have RTI laws, starting with Sweden’s 1766 Freedom of the Press Act. In 2024, the world saw 63,99,921 Access to Information requests, with India’s Central public authorities handling 17,50,863 lakh RTI applications and many more in states ~ Maharashtra alone receiving over 7 lakh annually. India’s RTI Act ranks 8th globally among 136 countries, according to the ‘RTI Rating’ by the Centre for Law and Democracy.
The Indian success with RTI has inspired transparency laws in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Nepal’s 2007 Act covers political parties, while Bangladesh’s 2009 law ensures Information Commission auto – nomy ~ areas for India to emulate. UNESCO, as the custodian agency, reports on worldwide progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 16.10.2, which measures the “number of countries that adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information” The 1984 Bhopal gas disaster, which claimed over 15,000 lives, starkly illustrates why secrecy can be deadly. As Harvard Professor Sheila Jasanoff wrote, Bhopal was not just an industrial accident; it was a failure of knowledge ~ a lack of timely access to critical information for the people living in neighbourhoods, which could have saved lives.
The tragedy underscores the need for a dedicated Environmental Right to Information law in India. Covid-19 has brought into light the value of transparency of information in containing the pandemic and how secrecy in early days contributed to its spread across nations. Even on the origin of Covid19, Freedom of information could throw some light. American Professor Nicholas Wade published critical data, obtained through a FOIA request to the National Institutes of Health and a 12-month delay that described risky experiments on hybrid coronaviruses, carried out in Wuhan with the support of EcoHealth and the U.S. government.
This compelled the White House to release a declassified report acknowledging that the lab-origin theory remains scientifically plausible. In India, citizens filed applications seeking information on gaps in public health preparedness, death data, and the PM CARES Fund. The pandemic gave us a message: right to information is a lifesaving right. Bihar introduced a helpline to simplify the RTI filing process, while the Central Government launched an online portal to streamline applications. The Supreme Court directed all High Courts and state governments to set up online RTI portals. The Central Information Commission began holding video hearings through district NIC centres. Maharashtra pioneered the establishment of eight regional benches to improve access.
The law requires proactive disclosure of as much information as possible “so that the public have minimum resort to the use of this Act to obtain information.” In Kishan Chand Jain v. Delhi (2023), the Supreme Court directed Information Commissions to actively monitor compliance with this mandate. Platforms like data.gov.in and third-party audits have further strengthened the culture of transparency. The RTI Act’s ambit over the private sector remains limited, even for entities performing public functions or PublicPrivate Partnerships. Other co – untries offer models for reform: South Africa’s Promotion of Access to Information Act allows access to records from private bodies when necessary to protect people’s rights, and the UK’s Freedom of Information Act has provisions to extend its ambit to private organizations performing public functions.
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP), marks a pivotal moment in India’s journey toward safeguarding the fundamental right to privacy, as affirmed by the Supreme Court in the landmark Justice K.S. Puttaswamy judgment of 2017. However, the DPDP Act threatens to curtail RTI’s scope. Its amendment to Section 8(1)(j) replaces the existing “public interest override” with a blanket exemption for personal information. This could prevent citizens from accessing crucial public interest data involving public servants. The removal of the proviso ~ that information not denied to Parliament cannot be denied to the public ~ further weakens the Act. However, Section 8(2) remains un – touched ~ it allows disclosure when public interest out weighs harm. Both rights are fundamental – privacy under Article 21 and the right to information under Article 19(1) (a). Conflicts often arise when disclosure of public records may reveal personal data, in matters involving public officials.
The Electoral Bonds case (Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India, 2024) provides a landmark precedent for this balancing exercise. The Supreme Court struck down the Electoral Bond Scheme, holding that voters’ right to know the sources of political funding outweighed the donors’ right to privacy. The Court reasoned that political donations are not purely private acts ~ they are intended to influence public policy and elections and thus lie within the public domain. Applying this “double proportionality test,” the Court assessed the extent of infringement on both rights and concluded that transparency was essential to preserving electoral integrity, preventing quid pro quo arrangements, and upholding constitutional morality.
A key reform could be to merge the responsibilities of data protection and information access under a single, independent body, similar to the UK’s Information Commission, to ensure a balanced and coherent approach to both rights. India’s Information Commissions, especially in states, are plagued by high pendency, political appointments, and lack of financial independence. Appointments are often drawn from retired bureaucrats with no cooling-off period ~ raising questions of conflict of interest. Countries like Hungary mandate a four-year gap before such appointments; India must consider similar safeguards. Transparent selection, as seen in the UK’s public hearings, would enhance public trust. Moreover, despite Parliament passing the Whistle Blowers Protection Act in 2014, it remains unimplemented. Several RTI users have faced threats, and even death.
A robust whistle-blower system, allowing anonymous filing as in Mexico’s ‘Infomex’ portal, is urgently needed. A public expenditure tracking portal ~ similar to the U.S. usaspending.gov ~ would enh – an ce fiscal transparency and citizen trust. To address black money, India could even consider making tax records public, a practice already in place in Norway, Finland, and Sweden. Despite the RTI’s success, India has withdrawn from the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global initiative to promote transparency, ceding its leadership role in this space. RTI remains largely an urban phenomenon. There is a pressing need to take RTI to the villages, especially through the Gram Sabha, a key platform for transparency and accountability. It empowers villagers ~ especially women ~ to access information on local development schemes, public funds, and decision-making, thereby fostering informed rural citizenship. Women in India are not able to exercise the right to information with the same facility (frequency, ease and rate of success) as men.
Women are filing less than 18 per cent of online RTI applications (2013– 2023, DoPT). Governments and Civil Society should take serious note of this concern and start working towards ensuring gender equality in RTI activism. A free flow of information can transform lives. Women should be encouraged to use the power of information for economic empowerment and fulfilment and protection of rights. Over the past two decades, the silent efforts of Public Information Officers have kept the RTI system alive, often without recognition or adequate resources. RTI is now widely regarded as an essential element of modern democracy. As Justice Sanjiv Khanna observed, “Democracy is hollow without meaningful participation.”
(The writer is a Transparency and equality advocate and author Opinions are personal)

Right to Information Act की धारा 2 के प्रावधान

Live Law: National: Sunday, 15^th June 2025.

इस एक्ट की धारा 2 में परिभाषाएं दी गयी हैं, यह परिभाषा वह हैं जिनसे इस एक्ट की ईमारत खड़ी होती है। धारा 2 इस प्रकार है,
इस अधिनियम में, जब तक कि संदर्भ से अन्यथा अपेक्षित न हो,
(क) "समुचित सरकार" से किसी ऐसे लोक प्राधिकरण के संबंध में जो-
(i) केन्द्रीय सरकार या संघ राज्यक्षेत्र प्रशासन द्वारा स्थापित, गठित, उसके स्वामित्वाधीन, नियंत्रणाधीन या उसके द्वारा प्रत्यक्ष रूप से या अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से उपलब्ध कराई गई निधियों द्वारा पूर्णतया वित्तपोषित किया जाता है, केन्द्रीय सरकार अभिप्रेत है।
(ii) राज्य सरकार द्वारा स्थापित, गठित उसके स्वामित्वाधीन, नियंत्रणाधीन या उसके द्वारा प्रत्यक्ष रूप से या अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से उपलब्ध कराई गई निधियों द्वारा सारभूत रूप से वित्तपोषित किया जाता है, राज्य सरकार अभिप्रेत है।
(ख) "केन्द्रीय सूचना आयोग" से धारा 12 की उपधारा (1) के अधीन गठित केन्द्रीय सूचना आयोग अभिप्रेत है।
(ग) 'केन्द्रीय लोक सूचना अधिकारी" से उपधारा (1) के अधीन पदाभिहित केन्द्रीय लोक सूचना अधिकारी अभिप्रेत है और इसके अंतर्गत धारा 5 की उपधारा (2) के अधीन इस प्रकार पदाभिहित कोई केन्द्रीय सहायक लोक सूचना अधिकारी भी है।
(घ) “मुख्य सूचना आयुक्त" और "सूचना आयुक्त" से धारा 12 की उपधारा (3) के अधीन नियुक्त मुख्य सूचना आयुक्त और सूचना आयुक्त अभिप्रेत है; (ङ) "सक्षम प्राधिकारी" से अभिप्रेत है।
(i) लोक सभा या किसी राज्य की विधान सभा की या किसी ऐसे संघ राज्यक्षेत्र की, जिसमें ऐसी सभा है, दशा में अध्यक्ष और राज्य सभा या किसी राज्य को विधान परिषद की दशा में सभापति।
(ii) सुप्रीम कोर्ट की दशा में भारत का मुख्य न्यायमूर्ति।
(iii) किसी हाईकोर्ट की दशा में हाईकोर्ट का मुख्य न्यायमूर्ति।
(iv) संविधान द्वारा या उसके अधीन स्थापित या गठित अन्य प्राधिकरणों की दशा में, यथास्थिति, राष्ट्रपति या राज्यपाल।
(v) संविधान के अनुच्छेद 239 के अधीन नियुक्त प्रशासक।
(च) "सूचना" से किसी इलेक्ट्रानिक रूप में धारित अभिलेख, दस्तावेज, ज्ञापन, ई मेल, मत, सलाह, प्रेस विज्ञप्ति, परिपत्र, आदेश, लागबुक, संविदा, रिपोर्ट, कागजपत्र, नमूने, माडल, आंकड़ों संबंधी सामग्री और किसी प्राइवेट निकाय से संबंधित ऐसी सूचना सहित, जिस तक तत्समय प्रवृत्त किसी अन्य विधि के अधीन किसी लोक प्राधिकारी की पहुंच हो सकती है, किसी रूप में कोई सामग्री, अभिप्रेत है।
(छ) "विहित" से, यथास्थिति, समुचित सरकार या सक्षम प्राधिकारी द्वारा अधिनियम के अधीन बनाए गए नियमों द्वारा विहित अभिप्रेत है।
(ज) "लोक प्राधिकारी" से
(क) संविधान द्वारा या उसके अधीन
(ख) संसद द्वारा बनाई गई किसी अन्य विधि द्वारा
(ग) राज्य विधान मंडल द्वारा बनाई गई किसी अन्य विधि द्वारा
(घ) समुचित सरकार द्वारा जारी की गई अधिसूचना या किए गए आदेश द्वारा, स्थापित या गठित कोई प्राधिकारी या निकाय या स्वायत्त सरकारी संस्था अभिप्रेत है, और इसके अन्तर्गत, -
(i) कोई ऐसा निकाय है जो केन्द्रीय सरकार के स्वामित्वाधीन, नियंत्रणाधीन या उसके द्वारा प्रत्यक्ष या अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से उपलब्ध कराई गई निधियों द्वारा सारभूत रूप से वित्तपोषित है।
(ii) कोई ऐसा गैर-सरकारी संगठन है जो समुचित सरकार, द्वारा प्रत्यक्ष या अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से उपलब्ध कराई गई निधियों द्वारा सारभूत रूप से वित्तपोषित है।
(झ) "अभिलेख" में निम्नलिखित सम्मिलित हैं-
(क) कोई दस्तावेज, पाण्डुलिपि और फाइल।
(ख) किसी दस्तावेज की कोई माइक्रोफिल्म, माइक्रोफिशे और प्रतिकृति प्रति।
(ग) ऐसी माइक्रोफिल्म में सन्निविष्ट प्रतिबिम्ब या प्रतिबिम्बों का पुनरुत्पादन (चाहे वर्द्धित रूप में हो या न हो); और
(घ) किसी कम्प्यूटर द्वारा या किसी अन्य युक्ति द्वारा उत्पादित कोई अन्य सामग्री;
(ञ) "सूचना का अधिकार" से इस अधिनियम के अधीन पहुंच योग्य सूचना का, जो किसी लोक प्राधिकारी द्वारा या उसके नियंत्रणाधीन धारित है, अधिकार अभिप्रेत है और जिसमें निम्नलिखित का अधिकार सम्मिलित है-
(i) कृति, दस्तावेजों, अभिलेखों का निरीक्षण।
(ii) दस्तावेजों या अभिलेखों के टिप्पण, उद्धरण या प्रमाणित प्रतिलिपि लेना।
(iii) सामग्री के प्रमाणित नमूने लेना।
(iv) डिस्केट, फ्लापी, टेप, वीडियो कैसेट के रूप में या किसी अन्य इलेक्ट्रानिक रीति में या प्रिंटआउट के माध्यम से सूचना को, जहाँ ऐसी सूचना किसी कम्प्यूटर या किसी अन्य युक्ति में भण्डारित है, अभिप्राप्त करना।
(ट) “राज्य सूचना आयोग" से धारा 15 की उपधारा
(1) के अधीन गठित राज्य सूचना आयोग अभिप्रेत है;
(ठ) "राज्य मुख्य सूचना आयुक्त" और "राज्य सूचना आयुक्त" से धारा 15 की उपधारा (3) के अधीन नियुक्त राज्य मुख्य सूचना आयुक्त और राज्य सूचना आयुक्त अभिप्रेत है;
(ड) "राज्य लोक सूचना अधिकारी" से उपधारा (1) के अधीन पदाभिहित राज्य लोक सूचना अधिकारी अभिप्रेत है और इसके अंतर्गत धारा 5 की उपधारा (2) के अधीन उस रूप में पदाभिहित राज्य सहायक लोक सूचना अधिकारी भी है।
(ढ) "पर व्यक्ति" से सूचना के लिए अनुरोध करने वाले नागरिक से भिन्न कोई व्यक्ति अभिप्रेत है, और इसके अंतर्गत कोई लोक प्राधिकारी भी है। लोक प्राधिकारी से कोई प्राधिकारी या स्वशासन का निकाय या संस्थान अभिप्रेत है, जो संविधान द्वारा या के अधीन
(क) संसद या राज्य विधान मण्डल द्वारा निर्मित किसी अन्य विधि द्वाराः
(ख) समुचित र द्वारा जारी की गई अधिसूचना या किये गये आदेश द्वारा स्थापित है या गठित है,
(ग) जो सरकार के स्वामित्वाधीन, नियंत्रणाधीन या सारभूत रूप से वित्तपोषित किसी निकाय को शामिल करता है; तथा (घ) जो किसी गैर-सरकारी संगठन को शामिल करता है, जो सारभूत रूप से प्रत्यक्षतः या परोक्ष रूप से समुचित सरकार द्वारा वित्तपोषित है।
शब्द "और कोई शामिल है" खण्ड (घ) के भाग नहीं हैं, परन्तु धारा 2 (ज) के खण्ड (घ) के पृथक् स्वतंत्र रूप में और परे रखे गये हैं। शब्दों को संयुक्त रूप से नहीं पढ़ा जा सकता है। धारा 2 (ज) के खण्ड (क) से खण्ड (घ) में विहित किसी भी रीति से कोई प्राधिकारी या निकाय या संस्थान स्वायत्त सरकार मे पुनः समुचित सरकार द्वारा या तो स्वामित्वाधीन या नियंत्रणाधीन या सारवान् रूप से वित्तपोषित होना।
किसी और चीज जैसे स्वामित्व और सारभूत वित्त के बिना राज्य की अनुमति से स्थापित विद्यालय लोक प्राधिकारी नहीं है.- रीड लबान कॉलेज सोसाइटी बनाम स्टेट ऑफ मेघालय, ए० आई० आर० 2010 के मामले में कहा गया है।
न्यास और विद्यालय, जो प्रत्यक्षतः या परोक्ष रूप से समुचित सरकार द्वारा सारभूत रूप से वित्तपोषित नहीं है, लोक प्राधिकारी नहीं है।