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.