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CIC not asked about RTI amendments
Why in news?
- The Central Information Commission was not consulted regarding the Right to Information Amendment Act, 2019 or the Rules of the Act, an RTI application shows.
More in news
- New enacted amendments
(1) Gave Centre the power to determine the tenure, salary and perks of the State and Central Information Commissioners.
(2) The Commissions are the final courts of appeal under the RTI Act.
(3) Tenure: The Rules to the RTI Amendment Act were notified in October, and reduced the tenure of the Commissioners from five to three years, while also downgrading their status and allowances.
- Debate on the RTI Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha in July:
(1) Why there had been “no consultation with intellectuals, the public representatives and the RTI activists.”
(2) In response, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions said the understanding was that the public was not affected by the autonomy or independence of the RTI per se. “It is only dealing with the tenure, terms and conditions of the functionaries.”
Sources
The Hindu