CHANGES IN RTI RULES WILL BURDEN APPLICANTS UNNECESSARILY

NEW DELHI: The recently notified rules for the Right to Information Act have made filing applications more difficult and defeat the basic spirit of the transparency legislation, National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy has told ET.

The final rules, notified by the department of personnel and training on July 31, mandate a 500-word limit for applications and prescribe a long list of documents for appeals, among other stringent conditions. The department rejected many of Congress president Sonia Gandhi-headed NAC's suggestions, which were finalised by a sub-group on transparency and accountability led by Roy.

MODEL QUESTIONS FOR IPO EXAM PAPER III - (RTI 2005 Qn 26-58)

 (RTI 2005 Qn 26-58)

26.          The chief information/Information commissioner shall be appointed by

              

a)           The president on the recommendation of the a committee

b)           The president of India

c)            The chief justice of India

d)           The prime minister of India                                                                          Ans:a

27.       The CIC/IC appointing recommendation committee consisting

a)                 The president of India

b)                 The prime minister who shall be chairperson

c)                  The leader of opposition party in the lok sabha

d)                 A union cabinet minister to be nominated by the prime minister

e)         Above B,C&D only                                        f)          All the above              Ans:e(12)

Government fixes 500-word limit for RTI query

The government has put a word limit of 500 words for filing an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Besides this, a new format has been devised for filing an appeal to the Central Information Commission under the transparency law.

The government has also made it mandatory for an appellant or his authorised representative to appear before the CIC either in person or through video-conferencing, according to new rules notified on July 31.

MODEL QUESTIONS FOR IPO EXAM PAPER III - THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005

THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005

1.         The Right to information bill having been passed by both houses of parliament received the assent of the president on

            a)         12 Oct 2005                                                   b)         13 Oct 2005  

            c)         15 Jun 2005                                                   d)         None of these            Ans:c

2.         The RTI act enacted by parliament in the

            a)         55^th  of the republic of India              b)         54^th  of the republic of India

            c)         56^th of the republic of India                           d)         None of these            Ans:c

MODEL QUESTIONS FOR IPO EXAM PAPER III - THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005

THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005

1.         The Right to information bill having been passed by both houses of parliament received the assent of the president on

            a)         12 Oct 2005                                                   b)         13 Oct 2005  

            c)         15 Jun 2005                                                   d)         None of these            Ans:c

2.         The RTI act enacted by parliament in the

            a)         55^th  of the republic of India              b)         54^th  of the republic of India

            c)         56^th of the republic of India                           d)         None of these            Ans:c

Financial assistance for Setting up RTI Cells

1/12/2012-IR
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training

North Block, New Delhi – 100001
Dated : 2.8.2012

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Financial assistance for Setting up RTI Cells

INJUSTICE CAUSED TO PROMOTEES IN MACP – QUASHED FANTASTIC ORDERS PRONOUNCED BY CAT, JODHPUR

1   Promotion as PA from Group ‘D’/Postmen should not be construed as Promotion under MACP

2   MACP shall be granted afresh from PA cadre based on 10, 20, 30 years in PA cadre

3   Any promotions under LDCE shall not be brought into no. of promotions under MACP

4   Applicant should be paid arrears with interest applicable to GPF

The full text of the judgment is furnished below in the link. What we are demanding all along (i.e) to exclude the promotions acquired by exam has been categorically declared by the Hon’ble judge. A remarkable decision.

ANOTHER REMARKABLE JUDGMENT QUASHING RECOVERY IMPOSED UNDER CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS

Please make use of it

Click here to download for full text

Central Information Commission move for transparency

Thiruvananthapuram, July 3, 2012(TNN):The Central Information Commission has asked the Union government to ensure that cabinet notes on all proposals for new bills are made public.

The order, which will be binding on the Centre and all state governments, may provide information on the differing opinions aired by bureaucrats and ministers during the framing of a proposed bill.

Govt to train nodal officers on do's and don'ts of RTI Act

In a move aimed at strengthening the Right to Information Act, the central government has decided to train nodal officers dealing with RTI applications both at the Centre and in states on various do's and don'ts of the transparency law.

Officials said the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has planned a detailed training programme for Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs) and State Public Information Officers (SPIOs), who act as nodal officers to deal with RTI applications.

Nomination of PIOs/CPIOs/APIOs for the Dte. of Estates

F.No.DE/Misc/2005-RTIC/DE 

Government of India 

Directorate of Estates

Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi 

Dated 1st June, 2012

OFFICE ORDER

Sub: Nomination of PIOs/CPIOs/APIOs for the Dte. of Estates.

In supersession of the O.M.No.DE/Misc./2005-RTIC/DE dated 6.6.2011, it has been decided todesignation the Officers as PIO/CPIO/APIOs for the Dte. of Estates for the purpose of discharging duties as per the provisions under Section – 4(xvi) of the RTI Act, 2005 as per list attached.

Guidelines on Awareness Generation and Capacity Building components of Centrally Sponsored Scheme on "Improving transparency and accountability in Government through effective implementation of Right to Information"

To view the complete order, please click here.

REMOVAL OF DOUBTS UNDER THE PROVISION OF RULE 35 OF THE CCS (CCA) RULES 1965 REGARDING

THROUGH PROPER CHANNEL

From: Shri. A D Gaikwad

Postal Assistant,

Head Post Office,

Solapur-413001

Date: 25.05.2012

Email-gaikwadanil01@gmail.com

To,

The Honourable, President of India,

Rashtrapati Bhavan,

New   Delhi-110004.

SUBJECT: REMOVAL OF DOUBTS UNDER THE PROVISION OF RULE 35 OF THE CCS (CCA) RULES 1965 REGARDING.

REFERENCE: FRESH.

Respected Madam,

I am appointed as postal assistant in the Department of Post at Solapur Division in Maharashtra Circle on 13.01.1989. I have completed 16 years of Service in year 2004 & was granted T.B.O.P. promotion now completed 23 years of service. I wish to remove my doubt as per provision of rule 35 of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965.

For More details Click here

Marks obtained in CBSE Exams cannot be given under RTI: HC

New Delhi, May 27, 2012(PTI): In a significant ruling, the Delhi High Court has held that marks obtained by a student in CBSE board exam cannot be revealed under the transparency law as it would “defeat” the purpose of the new grading system.

The court set aside the verdict of a single judge bench and the Central Information Commission, which had asked the Central Board of Secondary Education to reveal marks obtained by a girl in her Class X board examination in 2010.

Government to launch RTI call centre soon

Encouraged by usage of the provisions of Right to Information Act, the Government has decided to set up a state-of-the-art call centre and an interactive website to facilitate easy exchange of information related to the transparency law to citizens.

The project was envisaged after taking insights from a government study which highlighted inconvenience faced by citizens in exercising their rights to information.

According to an official of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the RTI Call Centre and Portal Project is aimed at improving access for illiterate and rural citizens with the help of information and communication technology. 

Setting up of RTI Call Centre and Portal

1/41/2009-IR

Government of India

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

Department of Personnel & Training

Setting up of RTI Call Centre and Portal

DOPT, Govt of India, invites proposals from Call Centre and IT agencies for setting up a Call Centre with a Portal for receiving RTI applications and appeals. The Request for Proposal may be downloaded from http://www.persmin.nic.in orhttp://eprocure.gov.in.

Students' RTI Application to Finance Minister

RTI from Indians Living Abroad

The Government has received representations from Indians living abroad that they had been finding it difficult to use RTI Act effectively as Government had not made specific rules to pay the mandatory fee of Rs. 10. 

The Right to Information (Regulation of Fee & Cost) Rules, 2005 provides that a request for obtaining information should be accompanied by an application fee of rupees ten by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or bankers cheque or Indian Postal Order payable to the Accounts Officer of the public authority. In the light of difficulty in making payment of RTI fee in foreign currency, Indians living abroad are finding it difficult to file RTI applications. Total number of RTI applications from Indians living abroad pending with Government is not centrally maintained. 

Passport information should be disclosed under RTI: CIC

New Delhi May 06, 2012(PTI): Information provided by a person while applying for passport can be disclosed under the Right to Information Act, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has held.

“Given our dismal record of mis-governance and rampant corruption which collude to deny citizens their essential rights and dignity, it is in the fitness of things that the Citizen’s Right to Information is given greater primacy with regard to privacy,”Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said while ordering the disclosure.

RTI Facilities to NRI

The Right to Information (Regulation of Fee & Cost) Rules, 2005 provides that a request for obtaining information should be accompanied by an application fee of rupes ten by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or bankers cheque or Indian Postal Order payable to the Accounts Officer of the public authority.

In order to facilitate filing of RTI applications in Central Government public authorities by Indians living abroad, the Central Government has ‘in-principle’ agreed to start sale of Indian Postal Orders through internet on payment in foreign currency. 

This was stated by Shri V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension and Prime Minister Office in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.