Killing it Softly
The declining efficacy of responses notwithstanding, the rising popularity and increasing awareness of RTI shows it is here to stay. Experts believe the act is strong enough to withstand any attempts to throttle it, but information commissioners need to be firm.
- Apr 7, 2016,
- Updated Apr 8, 2016 3:00 PM IST
The process of accessing information should be transparent, timely and trouble-free. Delayed information does not help solve problems but compounds them. Timely information can halt wrong decisions.
Still, there is much to cheer about RTI as well. Its scope has been gradually expanding beyond government to sections of the private sector as well. The CIC has ruled, for example, that the privately-owned Batra Hospital in Delhi was answerable to RTI queries, since it enjoyed indirect government subsidy in the form of cheaply leased land. Similarly, a private educational institution like Amity University has been brought within its ambit.
"There are sections in the Act that if interpreted properly expand its reach manifold," says Acharyulu, who gave the landmark ruling in the Batra Hospital case. "We are just waiting for people to file applications....it may be a public or a private body. There are exemptions but at the same time there are many provisions that need to be applied properly. Why should you not know what is the exact break-up of tuition fee you pay a private school or the details of the bill a hospital presents you with?"
What is probably needed is greater autonomy for both Central and state commissions and a more cooperative attitude from the executive. The road to becoming one of the top 50 transparent countries is a long one and the continued success of RTI will have a big role in it.
The declining efficacy of responses notwithstanding, the rising popularity and increasing awareness of RTI shows it is here to stay. Experts believe the act is strong enough to withstand any attempts to throttle it, but information commissioners need to be firm.
The process of accessing information should be transparent, timely and trouble-free. Delayed information does not help solve problems but compounds them. Timely information can halt wrong decisions.
Still, there is much to cheer about RTI as well. Its scope has been gradually expanding beyond government to sections of the private sector as well. The CIC has ruled, for example, that the privately-owned Batra Hospital in Delhi was answerable to RTI queries, since it enjoyed indirect government subsidy in the form of cheaply leased land. Similarly, a private educational institution like Amity University has been brought within its ambit.
"There are sections in the Act that if interpreted properly expand its reach manifold," says Acharyulu, who gave the landmark ruling in the Batra Hospital case. "We are just waiting for people to file applications....it may be a public or a private body. There are exemptions but at the same time there are many provisions that need to be applied properly. Why should you not know what is the exact break-up of tuition fee you pay a private school or the details of the bill a hospital presents you with?"
What is probably needed is greater autonomy for both Central and state commissions and a more cooperative attitude from the executive. The road to becoming one of the top 50 transparent countries is a long one and the continued success of RTI will have a big role in it.
The declining efficacy of responses notwithstanding, the rising popularity and increasing awareness of RTI shows it is here to stay. Experts believe the act is strong enough to withstand any attempts to throttle it, but information commissioners need to be firm.