Assertive citizenship taking root
September 28 is observed as the Right to Know day by the Freedom of Information Advocates Network, a global group of NGOs working for better transparency in governments. In India, citizen activity using the right to information laws in several states is gaining ground. An India Together report.
Right to know | Local government
September 2004 MAKING THE LAW WORK
This journalist demands his rights
With the Maharashtra elections just around the corner, Shahid Burney, a Pune-based editor-journalist used the Right to Information law to precipitate the transfer of a number of police officers whose postings violated Election Commission norms. An India Together interview with Burney.
Maharashtra | Media | Interviews
September 2004 NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
A tentative beginning
Could the National Advisory Council's civil society members be co-opted to put a clean face on insincere governance? Alert to this risk themselves, the members assured us of their independence and continued focus on the public good. That promise met its first test during the past fortnight. The India Together editorial.
Editorials
September 2004
FOI LAW AMENDMENTS
"The current law is unacceptable"
The National Advisory Council has proposed amendments to the Freedom of Information Act
to bring it in line with people's right to transparent government. But there are indications
that the NAC, even with Sonia Gandhi as its chairperson, may be ignored. Also: an exclusive
interview with NAC member Aruna Roy.
Laws
August 2004
OPINION
One step forward, two steps back
The Central government first moved to ask the states to repeal their
Right to Information laws and replace them with a much weaker national
law. But recently the NAC has proposed strengthening the existing law.
Subramaniam Vincent
follows the intrigue, as the ruling party speaks from both sides.
Subramaniam Vincent
|
Karnataka
August 2004
PDS REFORM
Another step towards Parivartan
Ration shopkeepers wont divulge their records, Food Department officials
wont file complaints, and the police wont act on their own or accept
complaints from the public. Is the cycle of corruption complete?
A public hearing in Delhi shows there may still be some options.
Varupi Jain
reports on the latest from Parivartan.
Delhi
|
Parivartan
August 2004
OPINION
The pressure for accountability
Citizens and government are thinking differently about each
other on access to information, notes
Subramaniam Vincent.
The next challenge is to make sure that when the Central Right to
Information
law is notified, it does not dilute the impressive gains made in states
like Delhi.
Subramaniam Vincent
|
Karnataka
August 2004
OPINION
Right-to-information or disclosure?
We need to think about how RTI could be used to ensure more
"systemic"
solutions, where the performance of our government
institutions are
discussed in a regular, predictable manner.
Ramesh Ramanathan
on institutionalised disclosure practices.
Guest column
|
Local government
August 2004
SC sets Sep 15 deadline : FOI law
The hopes that India's languishing Freedom of Information Act may soon
become effective were given a boost on July 20. Hearing a PIL, the
Supreme Court set September 15 as a deadline for the States to
respond to the Centre on lingering issues. Subramaniam Vincent reports.
Right to know
|
Laws
July 2004
Popularising the right to know
New Delhi's citizen crusaders seeking enforcement of the state's Right to Information law are now scaling their methods and inspiration. Following its early successes, the Delhi based non-profit Parivartan has formed a new platform – a Right to Information ‘manch’ – to bring interested people together.
Varupi Jain
reports.
Parivartan
|
Delhi
|
Rights to know
April 2004
This non-profit's initial success in effective enforcement of Delhi’s Right to Information Act has woken up the establishment to implementation of existing regulations just as much as it has informed citizens about them. Varupi Jain reports on the recent upswing for Parivartan.
Delhi | Right to know | Local govt.
December 2003 Seek and hide
The Delhi High Court recently granted a stay on disclosure of ration shop (PDS) records to citizens who had applied for their scrutiny under the Right to Information Act. A large number of ration dealers moved the Court for a stay on release of the records by the Food & Civil Supplies department. Surprisingly, the Court issued a stay order.
Delhi | Local govt.
August 2003 Testing your municipality's work
Delhi's citizens get their municipality to relay a lane. To test the quality of material used (the reason it had to be relaid) they use the state's Right to Information Act and ask for a sample of the cement-concrete mix. In return, the municipal engineer uses the Police to deter them, but fails.
Delhi | Local govt.
July 2003 Combat Law: A battle half won
Despite its many limitations, and some unconstitutional loopholes, the Freedom of Information Bill is an important milestone in the legal history of RTI laws in India. Neelabh Mishra celebrates a great victory for civil society, and points to even further changes needed to improve transparency in government.
July 2003 More stories of Parivartan
Delhi's RTI Act increasingly being used by citizens.
April 2003 Elections : Disclosures now Mandatory
An opportunity to kick the criminal elements out.
March 2003
The National Advisory Council of the UPA government has drafted legislation
to create and enable a Right to Information Act for the country. The existing
law, the Freedom of Information Act, 2002, has been criticised as too weak,
and the rules for enabling it have not been passed by Parliament yet, so it
remains inoperational. India Together follows the process of creating its
replacement, and will keep watch from start to finish.
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The current law is unacceptable
- Interact: FOIA 2004 Progress Watch |
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- Karnataka INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS
- Parivartan, Delhi
- Maharashtra
- PROOF, Bangalore