14. You are a Public Information Officer (PIO) in a government department. You are aware that the RTI Act 2005 envisages transparency and accountability in administration. The act has functioned as a check on the supposedly arbitrarily administrative behavior and actions. However, as a PIO you have observed that there are citizens who filed RTI applications not for themselves but on behalf of such stakeholders who purportedly want to have access to information to further their own interests. At the same time, there are these RTI activists who routinely file RTI applications and attempt to extort money from the decision makers. This type of RTI activism has affected the functioning of the administration adversely and also possibly jeopardises the genuineness of the applications which are essentially aimed at getting justice.
What measures would you suggest to separate genuine and non-genuine applications? Give merits and demerits of your suggestions. (250 Words) 20M
Ans. In the last decade after the promulgation of the RTI Act, it has been witnessed that this act has played a major role in bringing transparency and accountability in the system. It has allowed a common citizen to ask questions from the government and scrutinize the decision making. It has also helped in unearthing serious scams as well.
However, it has also been seen that there is a spurt in the filling of the RTI application for their private interest. These RTIs have also been used for the blackmailing of the officers.
To deal with such situations following measures are available.
(i) To ask the RTI applicant to disclose his interest in the information. (private/ personal).
Merits It will help in scrutinising the people who are involved in misuse of RTI and other wrongdoings.
Demerits This will make the process more cumbersome for the genuine RTIs and it will also prevent the honest RTI activists to file application.
(ii) To strictly follow the RTI law which only prevents the disclosure of information related to national security and which comes under official secrets act.
Merits As in the eyes of RTI law there is nothing like genuine and non-genuine RTIs, the PIOs have to follow the guidelines of the law and whatever information comes under that should be disclosed to the applicant.
Demerits Over-regulation may disturb the real purpose of this law and will prohibit the RTI activists from filling applications. The government has no interest in for what
purpose the applicant will be using that information.
This act is promulgated to deter the public officials and to increase their responsibility, accountability and answerability. If they are being blackmailed by the RTI activists then there are chances that they must have committed something wrong that is why they are blackmailed.
I will be of the opinion that their should be minimum regulation on the RTIs, as in the national survey as well it has been reported that only 1% of the RTI applications are found to be non-genuine, so to eliminate this 1% we cannot over-regulate the
other 99%.
What measures would you suggest to separate genuine and non-genuine applications? Give merits and demerits of your suggestions. (250 Words) 20M
Ans. In the last decade after the promulgation of the RTI Act, it has been witnessed that this act has played a major role in bringing transparency and accountability in the system. It has allowed a common citizen to ask questions from the government and scrutinize the decision making. It has also helped in unearthing serious scams as well.
However, it has also been seen that there is a spurt in the filling of the RTI application for their private interest. These RTIs have also been used for the blackmailing of the officers.
To deal with such situations following measures are available.
(i) To ask the RTI applicant to disclose his interest in the information. (private/ personal).
Merits It will help in scrutinising the people who are involved in misuse of RTI and other wrongdoings.
Demerits This will make the process more cumbersome for the genuine RTIs and it will also prevent the honest RTI activists to file application.
(ii) To strictly follow the RTI law which only prevents the disclosure of information related to national security and which comes under official secrets act.
Merits As in the eyes of RTI law there is nothing like genuine and non-genuine RTIs, the PIOs have to follow the guidelines of the law and whatever information comes under that should be disclosed to the applicant.
Demerits Over-regulation may disturb the real purpose of this law and will prohibit the RTI activists from filling applications. The government has no interest in for what
purpose the applicant will be using that information.
This act is promulgated to deter the public officials and to increase their responsibility, accountability and answerability. If they are being blackmailed by the RTI activists then there are chances that they must have committed something wrong that is why they are blackmailed.
I will be of the opinion that their should be minimum regulation on the RTIs, as in the national survey as well it has been reported that only 1% of the RTI applications are found to be non-genuine, so to eliminate this 1% we cannot over-regulate the
other 99%.