The PM has decided not to introduce the Bill in this session of Parliament.
"How can an officer be suspended for judicial orders which can be appealed against and rectified by the higher judiciary?" he asked.
It is sad that the legislative pre-consultation on such an important bill is being done in a very biased manner, notes Shailesh Gandhi, former Central Information Commissioner, recounting his experience with Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar.
The passing of bills without Parliament, including the treasury benches, having any real understanding of what they contained through any rigorous process has accelerated through the Modi era, points out Aakar Patel.
The Gujarat University on Thursday told the high court in Ahmedabad the Right to Information Act cannot be used for satisfying someone's "childish curiosity" as it defended its petition seeking quashing of an order under the transparency law to provide information on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
The order is is contrary to the Central Information Commission's directive bringing six national parties under the transparency law.
The Centre informed the Supreme Court that a panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet on December 10 to select and recommend names for the post of Chief Information Commissioner and information commissioners of the Central Information Commission (CIC).
The National Sports Governance Bill was on Tuesday passed by the Parliament with Rajya Sabha giving its nod a mere 24 hours after Lok Sabha.
A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi upheld the 2010 Delhi high court verdict and dismissed three appeals filed by Secretary General of the Supreme Court and the Central Public Information officer of the apex court.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com finds out how the government is seeking to change the RTI Act, and what impact it will have on the Right to Information.
The high court was hearing a plea by Samyak Gangwal challenging a June 2 order of the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), PMO, refusing to provide documents sought by him on the ground that PM CARES Fund is not a public authority under the RTI Act.
The Congress party announced its intention to challenge the constitutionality of the recently passed Wakf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Supreme Court. AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh stated that the party will "very soon" file a petition, citing concerns about the bill's impact on constitutional principles. Ramesh highlighted the Congress's ongoing legal challenges against other legislation, including the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), amendments to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, and changes to the Conduct of Election Rules. He emphasized the party's commitment to defending the Constitution's principles, provisions, and practices.
Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notice to the Centre seeking its stand on the former MP's petition for a direction to the authorities to give an "effective response" to his query.
In a move which could once again put the Congress in the firing line and give them a great deal of negative publicity, the party's core group in its meeting held on Friday evening has given the green signal to bring a fresh bill in the monsoon session of Parliament to keep political parties out of the ambit of the Right to Information Act.
The Madhya Pradesh Special Police Establishment (also known as Lokayukta) is exempted under Section 24 of the RTI Act as per directions of the state government, it said in a reply to an RTI query.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi seem to have different views on changes in the Right to Information Act with the former saying "some issues" cannot be sorted without making amendments and the latter holding that this is not required.
The FIR, filed in December 2022 by M G Nagaraja, alleged that the 24-year-old Paris Olympian, along with his brother Chirag Sen, had fudged their age to get into playing age-group tournaments since 2010.
The Centre is contemplating a bunch of amendments to its flagship Right to Information Act to stop 'mischievous and frivolous' queries through the right that is aimed at bringing more transparency in government services.RTI activists, however are likely to protest against this move. Activists like Aruna Roy, Nikhil De, Shekhar Singh and Arundhati Roy had already sent an appeal to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to amend the RTI Act.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the Sports Bill is a key reform aimed at building a "transparent, accountable and world-class sports ecosystem" in India.
'Even as the Supreme Court's anti-punitive demolition judgment nears its first anniversary, no formal contempt proceedings have been initiated either by the Supreme Court or any high court against officers or demolition squads who have acted in violation of it.'
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that using terms like "miyan-tiyan" and "Pakistani" does not constitute an offence of hurting religious sentiments, though the court acknowledged that such language is in "poor taste". The court discharged a man who had been accused of using these terms against an Urdu translator in Jharkhand.
RTI crusader Arvind Kejriwal, a key figure in Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption, on Tuesday accused the government of keeping the Central Bureau of Investigation out of the Right to Information Act's ambit so that it can arm-twist its political opponents. "The RTI Act clearly says that only security and intelligence related agencies can be taken out of RTI Act. CBI is neither a security agency nor an intelligence agency," he said.
While noting there needed to be a balance between the two fundamental rights, the Srikrishna panel stated there was an inherent conflict. "However, disclosure of information from public authorities may lead to private harms being caused. It is thus important to recognise that, in this context, there is a conflict of fundamental rights, between transparency and privacy," the report stated.
Interestingly, both the agencies wrongfully cited section 24 of the RTI Act for denial of response to the petitioner.
Commission says that though Reliance Infra is a private company, it provides 'essential service' and hence comes within the ambit of the RTI Act.
The government has ruled out amending the RTI Act to give immunity to political parties from providing information after the recent CIC's landmark order brought them under the ambit of the transparency law.
The Right to Information Act has virtually proved the transparency it promised after a reserved category candidate in Chhattisgarh extensively used it to expose chinks in state Public Service Commission examinations.
No decision has been taken yet by the government on giving immunity to political parties from providing information under the Right to Information Act as the six-week deadline by the Central Information Commission ends on Monday.
The Association of Democratic Reforms, voluntary organisation whose efforts made Central Information Commission bring six national parties under the umbrella of the RTI Act, had shot RTI applications to 45 recognised political parties of which only four have responded so far, a statement from ADR said.
Major political parties on Thursday vehemently opposed any move to bring them under the ambit of the Right to Information Act saying that facilities and subsidised buildings given for their offices do not constitute funding from the government.
Durve argued that the word 'secret' is nowhere in the exemption clause under which information could be denied to an applicant.
The Central Information Commission has held that Income Tax department need not furnish information to aggrieved parties on action taken by it till the investigations were completed.
'Everyone involved in this transaction must be punished and penalised.'
The UPA chairperson added that the Centre may "achieve its aims" through majority, but in the process, it would be disempowering each and every citizen of our country.
Disclosing an individual's income-tax returns is tantamount to violating the person's fundamental right to privacy as recognised by the Constitution.
Setting a new bench mark in transparency in politics, the Central Information Commission has held that political parties are answerable under the Right to Information Act.
The cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav decided to keep the Lokayukta out of the purview of the RTI Act, a senior official said.
The CIC has ruled that judicial proceedings of all courts and tribunals are beyond the purview of the Right to Information Act.The bench said 'The Judiciary is independent and all courts and tribunals must work independently and without interference.
The RTI exemptions cited by the CPIO to deny information relate to intellectual property rights, trade secrets and information in the nature of commercial confidence, fiduciary relationship, threat to life and safety of persons who give information to law enforcement agencies in confidence, impediment to investigation, prosecution or apprehension and privacy of an individual.
