[rti_india] RTIFED: RTI EDUCATION SERIES

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

[rti_india] RTIFED: RTI EDUCATION SERIES – 002 [1 Attachment]

[Attachment(s) from Surendera M. Bhanot included below]

RTI EDUCATION SERIES – 002

We all learn from the experience of day-to-day happenings and bring about a change in our style of work and habits. We reach to and observe that changes in life to make our life and the life of others better. We cannot be remaining unaware of the changes that take place in the environment around us and we make ourselves capable ti live upto those changes. This educative series let us know the changes in the Right to Information Act 2005 Sphere taking place ant to make ourselves adaptable to those changes to make the Right to Information Act 2005 Regime more stronger.

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360 degree study of the implementation of the RTI Act

Govt seeks public feedback on RTI

Last Updated: Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 10:23

Eight years after the enactment of one of its biggest achievement - the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is ready to review its own performance. After facing a lot of criticism from RTI activists for showing intent to modify the Act, the government has offered to study the problems being faced by information activists.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) earlier this month invited bids to conduct a 360 degree study of the implementation of the RTI Act and to gauge the level of satisfaction among the people with the functioning of the RTI Act.

While the framework for eliciting the feedback is yet to be made public, the proposed study would also record the experience of public authorities at different levels in dealing with RTI applications and appeals filed with them. The study also aims to assess the level of reduction in corruption due to the advent of the RTI Act.

The decision to float the tender for a comprehensive study comes at a time when the number of appeals and complaints has soared at the Central Information Commission (CIC). A Zee Research Group (ZRG) study reveals that the number of appeals and complaints against official replies to the RTI queries is steadily rising.

The number of complaints went up to 22,800 in 2009-10 from 15,426 in 2008-09. In 2010-11, it rose to 28,875, growing up to 33,922 in 2011-12. The growing rejection rate has led to an increase in number of complaints with the commission. During the year 2011-12 rejected applications were to the tune of 8.9 per cent of all RTI applications filed with the public authorities. In 2007-08 rejection percentage was 7.20 per cent which rose to 7.26 per cent in 2008-09. During 2009-10 and 2010-11 the rejection of application was recorded at 6.43 per cent and 5.2 per cent respectively.

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/exclusive/govt-seeks-public-feedback-on-rti_5995.html

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RTIFED Comments:

In fact the Message, which has gone down to the Public Information Officers from the Commission is "You don't worry; we are here to save you. You may go on violating the Right to Information Act 2005 and we will save from the penal action". Whereas the Message which should have gone "Follow the Right to Information Act 2005 with the spirit it carries, otherwise we are here to teach you how to do it". Commissions impose penalty only when there orders are flouted by the Public Information Officers.

LESSON: "The fence is eating the crop"

WITH WARM REGARDS
Surendera

Tel: 919888810811 | Mobile: 919888810811
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CEO, AvisSoft || Coordinator, RTIFED, Punjab Chandigarh || President, RTI Help & Assistance Forum Chandigarh || Life Member, Chandigarh Consumers Association || Youth for Human Rights International - YHRI - South Asia || Jt. Secretary, Amateur Judo Association of Chandigarh || Member, SPACE - Society for Promotion and Conservation of Environment, Chandigarh

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