18th Anniversary of RTI Act: Annual Study by Satark Nagarik Sangathan

Context:

• An independent annual study conducted by Satark Nagarik Sangathan on the eve of the 18th anniversary of the Right to Information or RTI Act  implementation has revealed that the Jharkhand Information Commission has been defunct for over three years.

RTI Delays: New Appointments Needed for State Commissions

• The state information commissions in Jharkhand, Telangana, Mizoram, and Tripura have been defunct due to retirements and a lack of new appointments.
• Additionally, six commissions, including the Central Information Commission, are functioning without a chief, while seven others are operating at reduced capacity, leading to increased waiting times for information seekers.
• The delays in the disposal of cases are attributed to vacancies and a slow disposal rate by commissioners, rendering the RTI Act ineffective. (Refer Infographics).

What is the Central Information Commission?

• It is a statutory body constituted under the RTI Act 2005. The jurisdiction of the Commission extends over all Central Public Authorities.
• Functions:
• • These broadly relate to adjudication in the second appeal for giving information; 
  • direction for record keeping, suo motu disclosures 
  • receiving and enquiring into a complaint on inability to file RTI, etc;
  • imposition of penalties and Monitoring and Reporting including preparation of an Annual Report.
  • The decisions of the Commission are final and binding.

State information commissioners perform similar functions and their jurisdiction extends over all state public authorities of respective states.

Source: The Economic Times

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