A one stop destination for all Right to Information (RTI) matters
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A one stop destination for all Right to Information (RTI) matters
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Legal basis for constituting a selection committee for shortlisting applicant for CIC; Records evidencing that the Cabinet Secretary exercised his mind to find that Ms. Amita Pandove possessed all the qualifications - CIC: Appropriate response provided     Right to Information Act 2005    CIC: Testing procedure followed for testing of certain parameters of a Polymer (Flocculant) procured by Security Paper Mill through public tender is a matter of public interest; Not a core activity and does not affect security interests in any manner     Right to Information Act 2005    Certified copy of entire pages of correspondence & noting side of the file by which a particular order was issued - Respondent: Information regarding transfer of other employees has no relationship to any public activity or interest - CIC: Denial upheld     Right to Information Act 2005    Denial of specific part of regulation from which the clause "promotion to a higher grade cannot be made without having the corresponding position available in the higher grade and no promotion can be made effective from a retrospective date” upheld by CIC     Right to Information Act 2005    Copy of NOC issued to an Airman (IAF) was denied claiming that it is 'Personal Information' the disclosure of which would cause unwarranted invasion to the privacy of the individual - CIC: Denial u/s 8(1)(j) upheld; No larger public interest disclosed     Right to Information Act 2005    PIO informed the Appellant that the information sought is not available in their office and transferred the application to Bangalore Development Authority u/s 6(3) - Appellant did not approach the transferee Public Authority - CIC: No intervention needed     Right to Information Act 2005    Vijai Sharma and K V Chowdary appointed as CIC and CVC respectively     Right to Information Act 2005    Is the Mysore Police Commissioner’s office coming up without plan approval?     Right to Information Act 2005    No action taken against the illegal massage parlours or spas in Goa     Right to Information Act 2005    Are there norms about the fee a school should charge and the facilities it offers?     Right to Information Act 2005    There is only 1 primary health centre per 28 villages of UP     Right to Information Act 2005    Services of all OSDs / Consultants terminated by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai     Right to Information Act 2005    Are the state-funded ‘public trust institutions’ obligated to provide ‘information’ under the RTI Act?     Right to Information Act 2005    Takeaways from the Supreme Court verdict on the Electoral Bond Scheme     Right to Information Act 2005    We will know, we will live - RTI     Right to Information Act 2005   
2nd edition of "PIOs Guide on RTI" published - Based on study of over one lakh orders of CIC and judgments of Courts - Book carries subject wise case laws, latest legal updates, Practical tips for PIOs and FAAs - Needs of all stakeholders covered
INTRODUCTION

The working of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 over the past few years has shown that distinct subgroups of the users of the Act can be identified. This site is designed basically as an aid to all the stakeholders in the RTI Act keeping their specific needs in mind. It is hoped that a Citizen, a Central or State Public Information Officer (PIO), a Deemed PIO, a First Appellate Authority (FAA), Activists, NGO’s, Public Authorities, Training Institutes, etc. would find the site useful.

WHAT DOES THIS SITE PROVIDE?

 

This site publishes fresh Case Laws on regular basis which provides an insight into how the Information Commission or the Court has dealt with an appeal. The description is in a very simple language like a story to aids the readers in understanding what can be sought and obtained under the RTI Act. The correct interpretation of RTI Act helps in dealing with a given situation and taking an authoritative decision citing the judicial order.

 

The latest news and developments in the field of RTI were earlier presented as Latest Bytes. They provided a glimpse of the ways in which RTI Act has been used by the citizens and how it is shaping our future. One can keep in touch with the recent events / happenings in the RTI arena through this column. This column is now discontinued.

 

Reading material – An effort has been made to present all the study/ reference / legal material – bare Act, rules, circulars, guide books, etc. at the click of the mouse. The plethora of the state fee rules and appeal rules has been made available at a single place. Further, some citizens may enjoy reading the RTI Act in vernacular and comprehend it better. The frequently asked questions for the PIO and applicant would be useful for the readers. The judgments delivered by the High Court and Supreme Court have been compiled for the readers.A link to the different Information Commissions and other organisations has also been provided.

 

A series of Articles are being put on site regularly to enlighten our readers. These articles dissect the issues relating to right to information threadbare and assist in a better comprehension and overall perception of the subject.

 

Comments received from the readers are displayed on the site.

 

WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE SITE?

 

It is a fact that most users of the RTI Act, 2005 are short of time as their primary work is not RTI, but something else. This web portal looks into the needs of all the stakeholders.

 

For an average citizen, reading the RTI Act and rules for filing an application for seeking information under the RTI Act is a cumbersome exercise. Drafting the application and finding the relevant fee rules may dissuades an applicant from filing an application under the RTI Act. Many citizens are not aware of the possible ways in which the RTI Act can be used and the reading material provides a daily input on the different ways the citizens of this country are using the powers provided under the Act. A reader would know about the different ways in which the RTI Act is made use of by others and can modify it for his own need.

 

There are many instances where a RTI application has been rejected by a Public Information Officer (PIO) or penalty has been imposed on him due to either lack of awareness of the provisions of the RTI Act or their proper appreciation. Usually, the work related to RTI Act is an additional job for most PIOs. An overworked PIO may have difficulty in finding a single location for all his problems related to the RTI applications. This website is an attempt to bridge the gap that exists between intention and interpretation of the RTI Act. It provides critical information, analyses, expert viewpoints, and news on developments related to the RTI Act on a daily basis to the visitors. It would equip the officers and offer solutions to the problems faced by the PIOs so that they may deal with their responsibilities in the RTI regime. A PIO can deal with similar RTI applications by quoting from the case laws for an authoritative disposal.  

 

The obligations of a Public Authority are provided in a capsule form which the Senior Officers of a Public authority would find useful. The site provides regular information about the steps required to be taken to fulfill the commitments under the RTI Act. Training academies may like to recommend this site to their trainees for keeping themselves well-informed in respect of RTI issues.

The RTI activists and NGOs would find a plethora of situations where the RTI Act has been used successfully for social causes which can be simulated elsewhere. The site provides a platform for sharing of views and success stories. Students, lawyers, chartered accountants, doctors, social workers, media, research scholars and other professionals would find the site thought-provoking and interesting.

 

This website does not require any subscription and access is free for everyone. A visit to this site for just 5 to 10 minutes every day would help in overcoming all doubts regarding the Act. We strongly recommend to the readers to make the website as homepage so that whenever an access is made to check the e-mail, one can glance through the contents without making any extra effort to visit the site.

It is requested to spread information about www.rtifoundationofindia.com amongst your colleagues and friends to enable them to make use of the site.It is our endeavour to provide a platform where all RTI matters can be discussed and this site has emerged as a think tank for RTI related issues. A feedback column has been specially provided and we earnestly look forward to your comments.

 

RTI Foundation is a NGO working in the field of RTI and organises trainings and seminars as per the requirements of the user organisation based on examples from real life situations. Study material for the organisations for their specific needs is also provided.Our editorial team also responds to the queries raised by the visitors and consultancy projects in the field of RTI are taken up. We guide the public authorities in the field of pro-active disclosure and dissemination of information.

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