Tamil Nadu issues detailed guidelines to improve land records managemen

PropNews Time: Wednesday, November 05, 2025.

Synopsis The Tamil Nadu Land Reforms Department has issued fresh guidelines to all district collectorates and revenue offices to strengthen the maintenance and classification of land records. The directive aims to ensure better record management, transparency, and quicker responses to Right to Information (RTI) queries. It comes after the State Information Commission raised concerns about missing or untraceable files. The circular specifies the types of landrelated records to be maintained, classification methods, safe storage practices, and a colour-coded filing system to clearly track pending and closed cases.

Synopsis The Tamil Nadu Land Reforms Department has issued fresh guidelines to all district collectorates and revenue offices to strengthen the maintenance and classification of land records. The directive aims to ensure better record management, transparency, and quicker responses to Right to Information (RTI) queries. It comes after the State Information Commission raised concerns about missing or untraceable files. The circular specifies the types of landrelated records to be maintained, classification methods, safe storage practices, and a colour-coded filing system to clearly track pending and closed cases.

The department instructed that records related to patta transfers, land acquisition, ownership, reclassification, encroachment, leasing of government land, land surrender, and land tax schemes must be maintained properly at the district level. Copies of these documents should also be forwarded to the Land Reforms Department to ensure uniform monitoring and oversight

The new directive follows observations made by the State Information Commission, which noted several cases where RTI petitions were rejected because relevant documents were either unavailable or untraceable. The Commission had earlier warned that such lapses could lead to administrative action. The department clarified that when RTI applications are received by the Land Reforms Department, they are redirected to the respective district collectorates under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, making the district authorities responsible for processing and responding to such requests. 

The circular outlines that all land-related files should be systematically classified into four categories retention disposals, disposals, standing orders, and current documents. Files marked as "retention disposals" are to be preserved permanently, while "disposals" may be destroyed after ten years. Standing orders and current documents are to be updated regularly. To improve accessibility, the department has introduced a colour-coded system black ink for closed files and red ink for pending files along with proper serial numbering and document numbers for each record. This system is expected to make tracking and retrieval of files easier for both officials and citizens.

The new directive follows observations made by the State Information Commission, which noted several cases where RTI petitions were rejected because relevant documents were either unavailable or untraceable. The Commission had earlier warned that such lapses could lead to administrative action. The department clarified that when RTI applications are received by the Land Reforms Department, they are redirected to the respective district collectorates under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, making the district authorities responsible for processing and responding to such requests. The circular outlines that all land-related files should be systematically classified into four categories retention disposals, disposals, standing orders, and current documents. 

Files marked as "retention disposals" are to be preserved permanently, while "disposals" may be destroyed after ten years. Standing orders and current documents are to be updated regularly. To improve accessibility, the department has introduced a colour-coded system black ink for closed files and red ink for pending files along with proper serial numbering and document numbers for each record. This system is expected to make tracking and retrieval of files easier for both officials and citizens. integrating physical and digital records, aligning with national land record modernisation initiatives promoted by the central government.

TGSRTC doesn’t maintain records of accidents involving its buses: RTI response.

The Hindu: Syed Mohammed: Telangana: Tuesday, November 04, 2025.

Older data suggests that RTC buses were involved in over 2,500 road accidents

Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) collects safety cess of ₹1 per passenger. 

The latest road accident in which a lorry — reportedly driving on the wrong side of the road — crashing into a Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) bus carrying several passengers that led to at least 19 deaths, has laid bare the concern of transparency and sharing data.

Data sought under the Right to Information Act (RTI) connected to the number of road accidents in which TGSRTC buses were involved elicited a strange response from the state road transport undertaking: “It is regretted to express our inability to provide information as sought in the application.”

The TGSRTC cited an order of the Supreme Court in the CBSE Vs Aditya Bandopadhyaya case in which the ruling, per the transport behemoth, was that “where the information sought is not a part of the record of a public authority and where such information is not required to be maintained under any law or the rules and regulations of public authority, the Act does not cast an obligation upon the public authority to collect or collate such non-available information and furnish it to the applicant. A public authority is not required to furnish information which require drawing of inferences and/or making of assumptions.”

“The reply is dated October 24, 2025. I had sought information on the number of accidents in which TGSRTC buses were involved. I had merely suggested a format in which yearly data be provided along with number of accidents, number of fatalities, injuries, among other aspects such as the fate of victims. If the other details were not available, upholding the spirit of the Act was important. Just the information about the number of accidents each year could have been supplied,” said applicant Kareem Ansari, who filed the plea.

Interestingly, in 2022, former RTC Board Director M. Nagesgwar Rao obtained similar details through RTI Act. The state-run corporation had said that from 2017-18 to 2020-21, its buses were involved in as many as 2,674road accidents . The response further stated that “total number of deaths of roads users/passengers/other vehicle users” stood at 1,230 during the same period. Of these, as many as 183 were of passengers, and 283 were pedestrians. Furthermore, around ₹150 crore was paid in compensation during that period.

With the TGSRTC then grappling with crushing losses on account of diesel price hikes, compounded with the aftermath of the COVID - 19 pandemic and the lockdown that forced buses to go off the roads found it difficult to pay compensation. An measure to offset this, the transport juggernaut introduced a safety cess of ₹1 per passenger since March 2022 so as to build a corpus to pay compensation.

According to an official TGSRTC document, the accident rate in 2020-21 was 0.6, and the funds paid as accident claims in the same year stood at ₹24.41 crore. The accident next year increased to 0.7. This necessitated the introduction of the safety cess.

Number of non-functional CCTV cameras negligible, no blind spot: DMRC says women safety survey has ‘misleading’ figures

Indian Express: Tuesday, November 04, 2025.

The spokesperson for the DMRC said that “misleading inferences” were drawn by the study, the findings of which were reported by The Indian Express.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has clarified that even when some CCTV cameras inside its trains are under maintenance, the covered area mostly does not have any blind spot, with other cameras working. The DMRC issued the clarification in response to a study based on data obtained under RTI Act that stated that 300-500 CCTV cameras inside Delhi Metro trains were found to be non-functional every year between 2020 and 2024.

“Even in the case of such CCTVs under maintenance, the area mostly remains free from any blind spot due to wide coverage available through adjacent CCTVs. This is due to efficacy of this robust mechanism that no major cases of any untowardly incident have been reported in all these years,” DMRC said.

The spokesperson for the DMRC said that “misleading inferences” were drawn by the study, the findings of which were reported by The Indian Express. “… it (300-500) is an annual figure — which means on any given day, the number of CCTVs under maintenance are just one or two from a pool of around 24,000 (11,000 on trains and 13,000 in metro stations), which are running smoothly every single day,” the spokesperson said, adding that the annual figures of non-functional cameras form only a negligible percentage on a given day.

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“The DMRC would like to strongly rebut such a misleading inference being made out of this extremely selective data implying that women’s safety is compromised in metro premises due to non-functionality of CCTVs,” the spokesperson added.

The data was shared by the DMRC in response to an RTI filed by Mishthi Khurana and Yashika Jain, principal investigators of the study. The report is based on an analysis of the RTI response, spot checks at stations, interviews of 10 staffers across metro stations, and a survey involving around 70 women in the age group of 18 to 30 who have used the Delhi Metro.

The women’s safety report, ‘Between Stations’, was launched on Saturday at the HAQ Summit 2025, titled ‘Her Right to Roam’, at Pragati Maidan’s Crafts Museum.

गजब खेल... जम्मू कश्मीर में नहीं मिला रहा RTI का जवाब, आवेदन वापस लेने के लिए मिल रहा 'स्कूटर का ऑफर' : राहुल महाजन

Navbharat Times: Srinagar: Monday, 3^rd November 2025.
कानून के छात्रों ने जब सूचना के अधिकार (RTI) आवेदन फाइल करने शुरू किए, तो उन्हें लगा कि यह सिर्फ उनके कोर्स का एक हिस्सा है। लेकिन जल्द ही उन्हें समझ आ गया कि सत्ता सवालों का जवाब कैसे देती है। कुछ को आधा-अधूरा जवाब मिला, कुछ को खामोशी।

आरटीआई कानून का उद्देश्य सरकार की पारदर्शिता और जवाबदेही सुनिश्चित करना है, लेकिन कश्मीर में हाल ही में सामने आए कुछ अनुभव यह दर्शाते हैं कि सवाल पूछना अब भी आसान नहीं है। पिछले हफ्ते श्रीनगर के गोगजी बाग स्थित इकबाल पार्क के पीछे बने सरकारी ऑडिटोरियम टैगोर हॉल में कानून के छात्रों ने अपने कोर्स वर्क के हिस्से के रूप में आरटीआई आवेदन दाखिल किए। शुरू में यह एक शैक्षणिक अभ्यास था, पर जल्द ही यह सत्ता और प्रशासन की प्रतिक्रिया को समझने का एक व्यावहारिक सबक बन गया।
आवेदन वापस लें स्कूटर मिलेगा:
दरअसल कश्मीर विश्वविद्यालय की छात्रा सबिका रसूल ने पुलवामा में अपने गांव की विकास बैठकों के बारे में जानकारी मांगी थी। सबिका ने 1 अगस्त को ग्रामीण विकास विभाग में आरटीआई दाखिल की थी। उन्होंने पूछा था कि ग्राम सभा की बैठकें कितनी बार हुईं और उनके बाद क्या विकास कार्य किए गए। जब वह खुद दफ्तर पहुंचीं, तो उन्हें एक डेस्क से दूसरे डेस्क तक भटकाया गया और बताया गया कि नामित अधिकारी का तबादला हो गया है। कुछ दिनों बाद उनके पिता को फिर फोन आया कि मामला आगे न बढ़ाएं। उन्हें कहा गया कि लड़की द्वारा ऐसे आवेदन दाखिल करना अच्छा नहीं लगता। बाद में उन्हें एक स्कूटर देने का प्रस्ताव भी मिला, यदि वह आवेदन वापस ले लें।
आरटीआई दाखिल करने के बाद होने लगी बैठकें:
अंततः 15 अक्टूबर को उन्हें उर्दू में 32 पन्नों का जवाब मिला जिसमें 11 बैठकों और हर घर जल जैसी योजनाओं का उल्लेख था। हालांकि सबिका को आंकड़ों की सटीकता पर भरोसा नहीं, पर एक सकारात्मक बदलाव हुआ। अब ग्राम सभा बैठकों की घोषणा मस्जिदों में की जाती है, जिससे ग्रामीणों को उनके बारे में पता चलने लगा है। इस मामले पर पुलवामा के तत्कालीन सहायक आयुक्त (विकास) डॉ. पीरज़ादा फ़रहत ने स्कूटर ऑफर के दावे को सफेद झूठ बताया। उन्होंने कहा कि विभाग का सारा डेटा सार्वजनिक डोमेन में उपलब्ध है।
सीखने के उद्देश्य से दायर की थी आरटीआई:
सबिका जैसी कई छात्राएं और छात्र किसी टकराव के इरादे से नहीं, बल्कि सीखने के उद्देश्य से आरटीआई दायर कर रहे थे। परंतु, लगभग हर विभाग में उन्हें देरी, टालमटोल या अनौपचारिक दबाव का सामना करना पड़ा। गांदरबल के इदरीस फ़ारूक ने एक स्टेडियम के नवीनीकरण को लेकर खर्च, ठेकेदारों के नाम और रात्रि मैचों की आय का ब्यौरा मांगा। उन्हें जवाब में सिर्फ 31,500 रुपये का खर्च बताया गया, बिना किसी विवरण के। जल्द ही उनके रिश्तेदारों को अधिकारियों ने संपर्क कर स्पष्टीकरण मांगा। उन्होंने बताया कि मुझे समझाना पड़ा कि यह कोई शिकायत नहीं, सिर्फ एक आरटीआई थी।
जुनैद को भी नहीं मिला जवाब:
वहीं उरी के जुनैद बुडू को पुस्तकालय विभाग से कोई जवाब नहीं मिला, लेकिन उनके सवाल के बाद कुछ ही हफ्तों में गांव का पुस्तकालय फिर से खुल गया और कर्मचारी हाज़िरी देने लगे। जुनैद ने बताया कि उन्होंने जवाब तो नहीं दिया, लेकिन असर जरूर हुआ। करगिल के गुलाम अब्बास ने सिंचाई विभाग से अपने गांव की रुकी नहर परियोजना के बारे में जानकारी मांगी, लेकिन विभाग की ओर से कोई जवाब नहीं मिला। इसके बजाय उनके पिता को कहा गया कि पुराने रिकॉर्ड नहीं हैं, इसलिए आवेदन वापस ले लें।
RTI आवेदनों में आई गिरावट:
मार्च 2025 में जम्मू-कश्मीर सूचना प्रौद्योगिकी विभाग ने दावा किया कि आरटीआई पोर्टल पूरी तरह कार्यरत है। विभाग के अनुसार, 15,800 से अधिक आवेदन दायर हुए, जिनमें से 11,631 का निपटारा हो चुका है। हालांकि, कॉमनवेल्थ ह्यूमन राइट्स इनिशिएटिव (CHRI) की 2024 की रिपोर्ट कुछ और तस्वीर दिखाती है। इस रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, 2022 के बाद से आरटीआई आवेदनों में 31% की गिरावट आई है। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, इसके कारणों में निगरानी की कमी, जवाबों में लंबी देरी, ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में सीमित डिजिटल पहुंच और हतोत्साहन की संस्कृति प्रमुख हैं।

RTI responses of school education department to be provided online

DTNEXT: Chennai: Monday, 3^rd November 2025.
As per the directions, every Public Information Officer has been advised to download the RTI petitions from the official portal and provide the relevant information promptly, online.

To ensure prompt Right To Information (RTI) responses to petitioners, the Department of School Education has decided to provide replies online and engage the dedicated staff for the same.
According to the recent circular from the Director of School Education, S Kannappan, all departments functioning under the Directorate of School Education have been instructed to complete the necessary procedures to provide RTI responses online and to employ dedicated staff to ensure a smooth process.
As per the directions, every Public Information Officer has been advised to download the RTI petitions from the official portal and provide the relevant information promptly, online.
In addition, the circular noted that responses should be tracked separately and a record should be submitted to the higher official by the 5th of every month, while the Primary Education Officer should submit the report by the 10th of every month.
Each subordinate department under the directorate will appoint a special officer and typist for this purpose, and the director of school education has urged these staff to ensure RTI responses are provided within the stipulated time.
"This initiative will be more effective, and we hope that hassles in providing RTI replies will lessen in the future. Prompt replies will also lead to efficient use of RTI by petitioners in significant matters," said a department official.

Nearly 50% of Drug Inspector Posts Vacant at CDSCO, Reveals RTI Response : Written By Susmita Roy

Medical Dialogues: New Delhi: Sunday, 2^nd November 2025.
Nearly 250 Drug Inspector posts remain vacant across the regulatory and medical device divisions of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), reveals an Right to Information (RTI) response.

According to the reply provided by the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of CDSCO on October 27, 2025, the total number of sanctioned posts of Drug Inspectors stands at 419 in the Regulatory division and 85 in the Medical Devices division. Out of these, 187 posts in Regulatory and 63 posts in Medical Devices are currently vacant.
On October 9, 2025, Dr Aman Koushik, Executive, Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), submitted an RTI application seeking information regarding the total number of sanctioned and vacant posts of Drug Inspectors in CDSCO headquarters and its zonal and sub-zonal offices combined.
His move came in the wake of the recent deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh linked to contaminated cough syrup, which once again highlighted gaps in drug regulation and post-market surveillance.
Dr Koushik wrote to the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, under the subject “Request for Information under the Right to Information Act, 2005 regarding sanctioned and vacant posts of Drug Inspectors in CDSCO.”
In his letter, he requested the following information:

1. Total number of sanctioned posts of Drug Inspector in CDSCO (headquarters and zonal/sub-zonal offices combined).
2. Total number of vacant posts of Drug Inspector as on date 9/10/2025."

In its reply dated October 27, 2025, the CDSCO informed that the total number of sanctioned posts of Drug Inspectors is 419 in the Regulatory division and 85 in the Medical Devices division. Out of these, 187 posts in Regulatory and 63 posts in Medical Devices are vacant.
Dr Koushik stated that he filed the RTI in the aftermath of recent incidents involving the death of children in Madhya Pradesh due to cough syrup intake, seeking transparency about the regulatory workforce.
Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Kaushik said, "Due to recent incidents of death of children in Madhya Pradesh due to cough syrup intake, I applied for RTI in CDSCO, asking them about the total sanctioned post and vacant post of drug inspectors."
Urging the government to take prompt action, he added, "I request the government to fill these posts at the earliest."

BHEL employee gets relief as court rules disclosing RTI information not misconduct

 The New Indian Express: Madurai: Sunday, 2^nd November 2025.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court noted that the information was public and not confidential.

Holding that disclosure of RTI information cannot be treated as misconduct, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently upheld a single judge’s order setting aside the punishment of pay reduction imposed on a Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) employee for displaying RTI information related to recruitment on a company notice board.
Dismissing BHEL’s appeal against the February 26, 2020 order, a division bench of Justices C V Karthikeyan and R Vijayakumar observed that the very issuance of the charge memo and the ensuing departmental proceedings were baseless. The employee, Aron K Thiraviaraj, was working as a Grade II crane operator at BHEL, Tiruchy. His wife had sought information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act regarding the 9th Artisan Examinations conducted by the company, which was furnished on September 29, 2011. The details were later found pasted on the Canteen 58 notice board, leading to a charge memo in January 2012 under Rules 60(16) and (27) read with Rule 51 of the Standing Orders, relating to unauthorised communication of internal information.
The bench noted that the information was public and not confidential. Since the company had voluntarily provided the details under RTI, it had accepted that they were open for public dissemination. The act did not harm BHEL’s reputation, and hence, no misconduct was proved.

Right to information HIDDEN AGENDA - Mary Ann LL. Reyes

The Philippine Star: Philippine: Sunday, 2^nd November 2025.

Mary Ann LL. Reyes

Last Sept 30, the President, together with members of the Cabinet and leaders of Congress, officially identified the Right to Information (RTI) Act as a priority legislative measure under the Common Legislative Agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) for the 20th Congress.
After nearly four decades of languishing in the legislative mill since it was first filed in Congress, the RTI Act is now among 44 priority legislative measures identified by the LEDAC.
No less than the 1987 Constitution, under Article III Section 7 of the Bill of Rights, provides that “the right of the people to information on matters of public concern, and to documents, and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as a basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.”
According to Senate Bill 189 or the People’s Freedom of Information Act of 2025 authored by Sen. Vicente Sotto III, the right to information shall cover the national and local governments and all their agencies, including those in the executive, legislative and judicial branches as well as constitutional commissions and constitutionally mandated bodies, government-owned or controlled corporations, government financial institutions, and state universities and colleges, among others.
Access to information shall not, however, extend to the following, among others:

• Information specifically authorized to be kept confidential, i.e., those directly relating to national security or defense and its revelation may cause damage to the national security or internal and external defense of the State; or those pertaining to the country’s foreign relations when its revelation shall jeopardize its diplomatic relations with other states;
• Minutes or records of advice given or of opinions expressed during decision-making or policy formulation, including exchanges when the chief executive was not present, if invoked by the chief executive to be part of presidential communications privilege whenever disclosure would significantly undermine the free and frank provision of advice or exchange of views;
• Those pertaining to internal and/or external defense, law enforcement, and border control when the disclosure may compromise or interfere with legitimate military or law enforcement operations; or endanger the life or physical safety of any individual; or deprive a person of the right to a fair trial and impartial adjudication;
• Information pertaining to matters of human security, such as food, health, money and trade, when disclosure may cause unnecessary panic and conflict;
• Those pertaining to government assistance to overseas Filipino workers, including their cases and records;
• Those involving records of foreign diplomats that could compromise their safety or information considered confidential by the Vienna Conventions;
• Information exempted under a treaty or bilateral agreement to which the Philippines is a party;
• Drafts of orders, resolutions, decisions by an executive, administrative, regulatory, constitutional, judicial, or quasi-judicial bodies;
• Information obtained by Congress in executive session;
• Personal and sensitive information of natural persons;
• Those forming part of the public record, but disclosure would expose people concerned to acts of discrimination;
• Trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained in confidence or covered by privileged communication, and/or filed with a government agency;
• Information required by law to be kept confidential or privileged information;
• Information about ongoing evaluation or review of bids or proposals undertaken by the bidding or review committee prior to official recommendation by the government.

Covered by mandatory disclosure of information are the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) to be disclosed to the public on the official website of the President, Vice President, Cabinet members, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, members of constitutional commissions and other constitutional offices, and officers of the armed forces with general or flag rank.
Meanwhile, all government agencies shall upload on their websites the following: annual budget, itemized monthly collections and disbursements, summary of income and expenses, component of the IRA utilization, annual procurement plan and list, plantilla of positions and vacant positions, items to bid, bid results on civil works and goods and services, abstract of bids, procurement contracts entered into, construction or concession agreements or contracts with any domestic or foreign person or entity, public funding extended to any private entity, licenses or permits granted to any person for the extraction or utilization of natural resources add a list of the grantees, guarantees given to GOCCs and private entities, loans obtained, and compromise agreements entered into, among others.
Contracts and agreements involving amounts of at least P50 million shall be uploaded in full on the website of the concerned government agency or the Official Gazette online.
Any person wishing to obtain information shall submit a request to the relevant government agency, free of charge, either in person, by mail, or via electronic means. The request shall state the name and contact information of the requesting party, as well as the reason for the request. However, the stated reason shall not be used as a basis to deny the request unless it is contrary to law.
If the request is denied, the proposed bill grants the requesting party the right to file a petition for mandamus in the proper court and to seek damages if the respondent acted with malice, bad faith, or negligence. This is without prejudice to criminal penalties or administrative and disciplinary actions that may be taken against public officials or employees for certain acts, including failure to act on a request within the periods required by law.
At a time when the people’s faith in government is crumbling, the immediate passage of the RTI bill into law is crucial. Aside from its fight against corruption in government, this is one more legacy that the BBM administration should leave behind.

RTI at 20, How RTI Exposed Corruption and Why the Govt Fears It | Jaanne Bhi Do Yaaro : Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri

The Wire: New Delhi: Sunday, 2^nd November 2025.
Transparency activists Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri discuss the powerful use of the RTI Act in India in the last 20 years and how the law is being undermined on this edition of Jaanne Bhi Do Yaaro on The Wire.

RTI at 20: How RTI Exposed Corruption & Why the
Govt Fears It | JBDY-VIDEO

For 20 years, India’s Right to Information (RTI) Act has been one of the most powerful tools for citizens to expose corruption, demand accountability, and strengthen democracy. From uncovering massive scams like the Electoral Bonds Scam, Adarsh Housing Society Scam and Vyapam, to empowering people to seek accountability in the delivery of basic services and entitlements, the transparency law has enabled people to hold the powerful to account.
But two decades later, this landmark law faces many challenges – political pushback, weakened institutions, and amendments to dilute its power. The deliberate failure to fill vacancies in the Central and State Information Commissions (CIC/SIC) is leading to large backlogs of cases and long delays of more than 1 year in the disposal of appeals and complaints.
Through the 2019 amendments, the government diluted the autonomy and independence of commissions making them susceptible to political pressure. The amendments made in 2023 through the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, seek to exempt all personal information from disclosure- effectively shielding corrupt officials and contractors from public scrutiny. Even those using the law have been targeted more than 100 whistleblowers who exposed corruption and wrong-doing using the RTI Act have been killed.
The government has evaded accountability by asserting that instruments like PM CARES do not fall within the ambit of the RTI Act and there is “No Data Available” on critical matters of public interest.
Transparency activists Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri discuss the powerful use of the RTI Act in India in the last 20 years and how the law is being undermined on this edition of Jaanne Bhi Do Yaaro on The Wire.
In the video, the discussion centres around how the RTI Act has been powerfully used by people and why the government fears it. It also highlights how the RTI is a person’s shield against petty corruption. If a person is being asked to pay a bribe to get passport/ driving license application processed one can say no to paying a bribe and use the RTI Act to fix accountability.
Protecting people’s right to know matters now more than ever RTI keeps power accountable and democracy alive. The right to information is not merely a legal entitlement it is the foundation of democratic accountability.
RTI at 20: How RTI Exposed Corruption & Why the Govt Fears It | JBDY-VIDEO

Info panel asks APSC to keep records of candidates’ education, medium of study

 The Assam Tribune: Guwahati: Saturday, 1^St November 2025.
The petitioner requested the APSC authority to provide information on the number of candidates called for the viva voce, the number of selected candidates for appointment in different posts.

A file image of the APSC building

In a significant move, the Assam Information Commission has advised the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) to keep the records of educational background and the medium of instruction of the candidates who pass the APSC-conducted examinations.
Hearing a petition filed by Kailash Chandra Sarma, State Chief Information Commissioner Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta made the remark in his order recently.
The petitioner had earlier filed an RTI application before the APSC seeking information related to the APSC (CCE) Main Examination, 2022. Through the application, the petitioner requested the APSC authority to provide information on the number of candidates called for the viva voce, the number of selected candidates for appointment in different posts, and out of them how many have completed their schooling under CBSE and under SEBA, respectively.
He further sought the number of successful candidates having completed their schooling from SEBA in vernacular medium.
Initially, the APSC informed the petitioner that information on the number of candidates called for the viva voce and the number of selected candidates are available in its official website.
On the other hand, the APSC stated that the information related to the number of candidates, who have completed their schooling under CBSE and under SEBA, and number of successful candidates having completed their schooling from SEBA in vernacular medium, were not in their records.
During the hearing, the petitioner showed a sample application form having a provision where a candidate needs to provide information about the examination conducting body in the “schooling details” section.
Thereafter, the Commission instructed the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) of the APSC to provide information in connection with the query.
In connection with another query, the APSC SPIO informed that since the medium of instruction is not mentioned in the candidates’ application forms, churning out of the same will require time to be spent by a substantial number of APSC staff.
The petitioner then requested the Commission to allow him to check the relevant documents of the successful candidates to find out their medium of instruction. But the Commission did not allow the same and directed the APSC to give an appropriate reply as per provision of the RTI Act, 2005.

Right to information commission Five years on : BY KWEKU SERSAH–JOHNSON

Ghanaian Times: Ghana: Saturday, 1^St November 2025.

Genevieve Shirley Lartey,
Executive Secretary, Right To Information Commission

There was a general cry in the land.
For over two decades, from across the country came loud voices clamoring for the passage of the Right to Information Bill. Led by Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations including the Media Foundation for West, the CDD, the Ghana Journalists Association, the Media Commission, the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association and outspoken individuals, the Act of Parliament was eventually passed on March 26, 2019 to open doors to the constitutionally guaranteed right to information of the people of Ghana.
The movement for the passage of the Bill was in consonance with the 1992 Constitution of Ghana which provides for Freedom of Information under Article 21 (1) (f) which clearly states that “All persons shall have the right to information, subject to such qualifications and laws as are necessary in a democratic society”.
It is perhaps, worth noting that Ghana belongs to several international instruments and conventions which provide for the enactment of Freedom of Information legislation including the famous Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Again, Article 9 of the African Union (AU) Convention on Combating Corruption demands on all State Parties to adopt legislation and to put in other appropriate measures which cushions the right to access any information needed to assist in the fight against corruption and related offences on the continent.
The Right to Information Bill as passed by the Parliament of Ghana provides for the implementation of the constitutional right to information held by a public institution, subject to the exemptions that are necessary and consistent with the protection of the public interest in a democratic society, to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs and to provide for related matters. The Bill received Presidential assent on May 21, 2019.
RTI Commission
The Right to Information Commission was set up under Section 40 of the Right to Information Act, (RTI Act), 2019 (Act 989) to implement the Act. In October 2019, a 7-member Board of Governors was sworn into office with specific powers and functions to make decisions in the review of applications, record-keeping instructions, proactive disclosures, receiving and assessing complaints from applicants whose request for information have been declined.
The Commission also holds the powers to issue administrative penalties to institutions which fail to comply with Act 989. Its decisions are conclusive and legally binding but the law permits parties to proceed to Court if they disagree with a decision of the Commission.
With the vision to facilitate the right of access to information, promote and sustain awareness of the citizenry on their bona fide right to the smooth access of information as well as the obligation of institutions to disclose information, the Commission, in consultation with stakeholders drew up a Strategic Plan to guide its policy formulation, activities and programmes.
The strategic Plan thus focuses on making information easily accessible and usable to the public, enhancing capacity for policy formulation and coordination by staff of the Commission, promoting greater understanding and usage of RTI law at all levels including Basic and Secondary education, deepening transparency and public accountability by duty bearers and stakeholders, making Ghana a model implementing country of RTI Law in Sub-Saharan Africa and ensuring compliance of the RTI law by all public and relevant private institutions.
So far so good
Last year (2024), under the auspices of the Commission, public institutions across the country received two thousand five hundred and seventy-five information requests, up to forty-seven per cent (47%) from 2023 with an approval proportion of sixty-eight per cent (68%). It is interesting to note that most of the requests were from the Greater Accra Region, which clearly indicates regional disparities in awareness and access.
Three hundred and forty-five (345) Annual reports were submitted by institutions, once again with Accra in the lead. The Commission also received 123 applications for review, the highest to date, resolving seventy-three per cent (73%) and issued multiple binding determinations. Administrative penalties were imposed on non-compliant institutions, including Banks, Ministries and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.
These statistics represent a substantial increase in the RTI space as against 2021 when only one hundred and eighty-nine (189) reports were received from public institutions, out of which 117 were from MDA’s and 72 from MMDA’s.
The Commission has over the years engaged in strategic partnership with key local and international institutions including STAR-Ghana, the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Open Government Partnership/European Union (OGP/EU), the Ministry of Information now Office for Government Relations, the Media Foundation for West Africa, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the International Commissioner’s Office of England.
The Commission provided targeted training for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Information Officers in 12 Regional Capitals with the lowest levels of RTI-related activities.
Legislative instrument
A landmark activity of the Commission has been the drafting of a Legislative Instrument (LI) intended to facilitate the effective implementation of the Right to Information Act 2019, (Act 989).
As part of the pre-laying process, extensive consultations have been held with key stakeholders including the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General’s Department and the Parliamentary Committee for Subsidiary Legislation.
The European Union has been very supportive to the Commission in the development of the LI, the passage of which is expected to provide a comprehensive legal framework to among others, establish a clear procedural guideline for the processing of information requests, standardise compliance mechanisms across institutions and enhance public enforcement of Act 989.
The Commission has embarked on efforts in expanding its presence in the country as part of its determination to ensure that a vast majority of the citizenry are informed and are made to enjoy the benefits of an open society. In addition to Bolga in the East Region where offices of the Commission are in operation with the collaboration the Regional Coordinating Council and the Information Services Department, plans are underway by the Commission to open offices in the Eastern, Volta, Central, Western and Northern Regions before the end of the year.
It is heartwarming to note that the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) in the spirit of goodwill has agreed to offer the Commission four offices in Koforidua, Sekondi, Ho and Tamale. Negotiations are far advanced with Ghana Post to provide office space for the Commission in Cape Coast.Ghanaian culture books
The 5th anniversary of the Commission, according to the Executive Secretary, Genevieve Shirley Lartey, comes as a valuable tool to carry out scientific assessment of progress so far, evaluate progress, achievement and challenges and to marshal out plans for the future.
The climax of the activities include a Stakeholders Conference at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra on Thursday, October 23, 2025 and a Thanksgiving Service at the Christ Church at the University of Ghana on Sunday, October 26, 2025.
The Minister of State for Government Relations, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, holds the view that the Commission has made modest gains in its five years of existence “irrespective of what appears to be teething challenges”, wishing them a brighter future for the good of the country.
He disclosed that a new Board of Governors for the Commission is expected to be inaugurated by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama on November 3, 2025.
The writer is the Technical Advisor, RTIC
BY KWEKU SERSAH–JOHNSON

Land reforms dept issues instructions for record maintenance : RTI

Times of India: Chennai: Saturday, 1^St November 2025.
The land reforms department has sent a detailed circular to district collectorates and district revenue officers with instructions on how the documents and records should be maintained for easy accessibility and long life of documents. The instructions come after state information commission criticized the land reforms department for poor maintenance of records, as many petitions under Right to Information Act were often denied on the grounds of non-availability or non-traceability of the documents sought.

The circular said that the records related to patta transfer, land acquisition, land ownership, reclassification of lands, encroachment, leasing of govt lands, surrender of lands, and tax schemes, should be maintained by the respective district collectorates, after furnishing a copy to land reforms department. The records should be properly classified as retention disposals (permanent documents), disposals (documents to be quashed after 10 years), standing orders, and current documents.
"When an RTI is filed to the land reforms department, it is forwarded to the district concerned under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act. So, the respective collectorate should dispose of the petition by furnishing the information sought," the circular said. The circular also detailed that the record room should ideally be on the ground floor with protection from sunlight, rain, and pests. While confidential records should be maintained separately with restricted access, the record rooms should be periodically dusted.
Records that are closed should be marked with black ink, while pending documents should be marked with red ink, with serial numbers and document numbers.

MCD excuses itself from making records and resolutions public, despite being mandated under RTI law : Ashish Srivastava

New Indian Express: New Delhi: Saturday, 1^St November 2025.
Tyagi, who has filed multiple RTIs with MCD over the years, said the civic body’s repeated refusal to share information has become a pattern.

While Parliament, the Delhi Assembly, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and other policy-making bodies routinely publish proceedings and decisions of their house meetings, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) stands out as an exception.
An RTI query has revealed that the civic body does not upload records, resolutions, minutes, or decisions of its House and Standing Committee meetings on its official website, in clear violation of the transparency norms mandated under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The RTI was filed by Paras Tyagi, activist and President of the Centre for Youth Culture Law and Environment. Tyagi first raised the issue on the Lieutenant Governor’s public grievance portal, Listening Post, questioning why MCD was withholding such information from the public.
In its response, the civic body admitted that no such records had been uploaded, citing “website updation” following the unification of the three erstwhile municipal corporations South, North and East Delhi into a single MCD.
“The matter is still under consideration,” the response read.
When asked under RTI about the rules or guidelines governing the publication of resolutions passed by the MCD, the corporation stated that no such framework exists. “There are no rules and guidelines that govern the publication of resolutions passed by MCD on its official website. The same is governed by as per the provisions of Section 86 of the DMC Act, 1957.
As per the above provision, no Resolution passed by the Standing Committee and the House is published on the MCD website,” the response said.
However, the justification contradicts the fundamental tenets of the RTI Act, 2005. Under Sections 4(1)(b) and 4(2) of the Act, every public authority is required to proactively disclose key information including organisational structure, decision-making processes, rules, and records of public interest without waiting for formal RTI requests.
The law also mandates that public bodies must regularly update such information to minimise the need for citizens to seek it through applications.
Tyagi, who has filed multiple RTIs with MCD over the years, said the civic body’s repeated refusal to share information has become a pattern.
“For the last six to seven years, whenever I took up issues with MCD whether through RTIs or grievance petitions the responses were either delayed due to administrative excuses, elections, or the merger of the three MCDs. And when nothing else worked, they simply said the matter was a policy issue or didn’t pertain to their department,” he said.
Frustrated by this lack of accountability, Tyagi said he filed the latest RTI to understand how the civic body maintains records of its House proceedings and Standing Committee affairs.
“I am not shocked to see how MCD is making a mockery of the RTI Act, which came into existence after detailed parliamentary debate in 2005. Be it the courts or Parliament, every government institution regularly updates its proceedings and reports, but MCD seems to believe it is above the rule of law,” he remarked.
He added that despite the merger and reforms under the DMC Act, 1957, the civic body’s persistent opacity raises questions about the intent of its decision-makers.
“This continuing secrecy clearly shows that those in power want MCD to operate without public scrutiny,” Tyagi said.

Data Protection Act can make RTI ineffective: Anjali Bhardwaj

DTNEXT: Chennai: Saturday, 1^St November 2025.
On the sidelines of an awareness event organised by Arappor Iyakkam recently, transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj spoke about how the Digital

Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act alters the spirit of the RTI law on its 20th anniversary.
Twenty years on, how do you see RTI’s evolution?
It’s been one of the most empowering laws for the common people. It gave citizens the right to question and seek information be it seeking information about the poor-quality roads or the recipient of huge loans from public sector banks who vanished. But governments have increasingly found this inconvenient, and in recent years, the pressure to dilute RTI has been constant. The most serious step came with the DPDP Law, which was passed in 2023.
What exactly does the DPDP Act change in the RTI framework?
Section 44 (3) of the DPDP Act amends Section 8 (1) (j) of the RTI Act. Earlier, personal information could be withheld only if its disclosure had no public interest or would cause an unwarranted invasion of privacy. But even then, if larger public interest justified disclosure, the information had to be provided. That public interest clause is now gone. The amendment states simply that personal information cannot be disclosed. So, if someone files an RTI asking for the name of a contractor who misused funds or a public servant accused of wrongdoing, the reply could now be that names are personal data. It can extend further. Voter rolls contain names, addresses and photographs. Once the DPDP Act takes effect, even the Election Commission of India could argue that these details cannot be made public. This has serious implications for identifying fake voters, wrongful deletions and electoral manipulation.
The law hasn’t yet come into force. Are these worries premature?
The concern is justified because the government has already issued draft rules and said they will be notified soon. It does more than amend the RTI Act. It establishes a Data Protection Board under the Centre’s control, and defines everyone who collects or publishes personal data,
individuals, NGOs, companies, journalists as ‘data fiduciaries. Any complaint against them can attract penalties of up to Rs 500 crore. That scale of punishment is intimidating and will inevitably discourage legitimate use of information.
How would such restrictions play out for ordinary people?
Take the example of scholarships for SC, STs or others. There are cases that ineligible applicants have received the benefits, while the rightful students are left out. They file RTIs asking for names and addresses of beneficiaries, and when the data shows irregularities, they are able to demand correction and get what they are entitled to. Under the new regime, such requests can simply be denied because names are personal information. If people cannot know who is receiving what benefit, or which officer is responsible for approving applications, they lose their ability to expose corruption. The same applies to rations, pensions etc.
On institutional erosion…
It’s very serious. Vacancies in Information Commissions have persisted for years. Citizens have had to approach the Supreme Court just to compel appointments. Without such court orders, many commissions would have remained defunct. The Central Information Commission, for example, hasn’t seen a full bench in years. Governments, both at the Centre and in the states, are comfortable letting the RTI framework wither through neglect.
What about Lokpal’s performance?
The Lokpal law was brought in to create an independent anti-corruption body, separate from agencies like the CBI and CVC, which were seen as compromised. But the government took five years to appoint a Lokpal, and when it did, it excluded the Leader of Opposition from the selection process, giving itself majority control. Since 2019, almost 90% of complaints to the Lokpal have been rejected. The body hasn’t published its annual report since 2021-22. That’s the state.
If political consensus is weak, what can citizens do to protect RTI?
The RTI movement began as a grassroots effort, not as a government initiative. Its strength lies in people using it. Legal challenges are already being heard in the Supreme Court and in several High Courts, but sustained public pressure is vital.