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Suggestions on improvement of Right to Information Rules

Mansukhlal Ruparelia

Mansukhlal Ruparelia

By  M.V.Ruparelia via email: This is the extract of the correspondence sent to Shri V. Narayanasamy, Hon Minister of State, Ministry of Personnel, P.G. & Pension, with a request for Up-dation of Central Information Commission (Appeal Procedure), 2012- GSR 603(E) dt 31-7-12 & other important Procedure Orders.

We are very much thankful to Ministry of Personnel for expanding and elaborating the scope of Suo Motu Disclosures under Sec 4 of RTI Act through Secretary`s D.O. no.1/6/2011-IR dt 15-4-13 & 21-11-13. We are also grateful for up-dating Guide on RTI Act, 2005 under no. 1/32/2013-IR dt 28-11-13. We request that Right to Information Rules, 2012 notified under GSR 603 (E) dt 31-7-12 in Gazette of India may also be updated very early, as Citizens are facing various difficulties in dealing with CIC, as brought out in our representation dt 12-7-13 to you, Our Representation dt 21-5-12 to President of India and other representations dt 30-8-12, 5-9-12 etc. The difficulties caused in following Read more ›



Can a Government Employee Ask Question under RTI Act 2005?

Can a Government Employee Ask Question under RTI Act 2005?

Can a Government Employee Ask Question under RTI Act 2005?

“I request all to kindly suggest that whether in service government employee ask the information under rti act from his employer or not.”

“It becomes difficult for a serving employee to seek Information from his own department under RTI Act-2005.”

“I am serving in indian air force, and at present posted in some unit of western air command. I wanted to know that am i eligible to ask some information from indian air force at unit level? If not all then what kind of information i can get and to whom i will have to approach for this?”

These are many question which a Government employee as: Can a Government Employee Ask Question under RTI Act 2005?

The answer to it is ‘YES’. Section 3 of the RTI Act 2005 reads as “Section 3. …all citizens shall have the right to information.” An employee of the government of India is first and foremost a citizen of India and as such he has every right to seek information under the RTI Act. As per section 3, all citizens have the right to information, irrespective of their profession (Doctor, Engineer, Govt. servant, worker, laborer, housewife, unemployed etc) as well irrespective of their designation (junior, senior, no designation etc) of a citizen. Read more ›



Is Firm entitled to get information under Right to information?

The CIC has ruled that a “firm” is not entitled to get information under Right to information.

On perusal of the petition submitted by one of the Complainant, CIC observed that the Complainant herein is a Firm, and not a ‘citizen’ and hence not qualified under Section 3 of the Right to information Act, 2005 to initiate Right to information.

But what about the earlier decisions of Commissions where in they allowed firm? See the decisions here:

http://www.rti.india.gov.in/cic_decisions/Decision_17052007_04.pdf

http://www.rti.india.gov.in/cic_decisions/Decision_17092007_18.pdf

http://www.rti.india.gov.in/cic_decisions/Decision_03032008_25.pdf

After reading above what’s your views?