Right to Information Act- RTI

RTI?
Yeah, I just came to know about this three letter acronym few months back, initially I thought it’s just another effort to reform India, but it is much more than that.

RTI is not as famous or common in India as IPL, ICL, DMK, BJP, INR, NRI, IIT, IIM, SRK, MTV, B4U, IBN, ISA, USD, MLA....ETC etc. But RTI is related to all of these above field and more.

RTI stands for Right to Information.
Immediately two question hits our mind, “What Information?” and “What Rights?”


What Information?
Information means any material in any form including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force but does not include "file notings"


What Rights?
It includes the right to -
i. inspect works, documents, records.
ii. take notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records.
iii. take certified samples of material.
iv. obtain information in form of printouts, diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts.

Yes, you have the Right to Question the government, Demand copies of government documents and also Inspect the work done by government. It covers Central, state and local government. RTI Public Information Officer (PIO) accepts the application, appeals and grievances. Government to act with in 30 days, if not penalty for inaction Rs 250 / day. You can file using written letter, phone or even email.
This video below is presented by us AID San Diego about RTI. This will give a brief picture how the system works with dramatization of a similar case.



Skit played by AID San Diego

So we wonder weather the system works or not, yes it works efficiently. There are lots of success stories on the same regard. You can find few here
RTI Success Stories


This is just the preface for this wonderful system, which is doing wonders all over the world, especially in India.

What we can do and be a part of this change?
• Pay no Bribes!
• File RTI if you encounter corruption (sample application)
• Spread the word
• Join the AID RTI team

You can get more information
Updates: http://indiarti.blogspot.com
Govt. of India : http://rti.gov.in
Parivartan: www.parivartan.com
AID India : http://rti.aidindia.org/

Say not to Bribe!!!

Want to take a pledge?

Gone Fishing, Andrew Symonds

Andrew Symonds in disguise.

Alex Brown, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, goes back to January to find the start of Andrew Symonds’ problems, which culminated in him being sent home from Australia’s one-day series in Darwin.

To this day, Symonds has not forgiven Cricket Australia for what transpired in an Adelaide federal courtroom eight months ago. It was there that Symonds and three team-mates were convinced by CA to downgrade a charge of racial abuse against Harbhajan Singh to one of mere verbal abuse - a ploy the Australian players were advised would help ensure a lengthy suspension after the Monkeygate scandal, but one which eventually resulted in Harbhajan escaping sanction altogether.

Harbahjan's reprieve infuriated Symonds, who felt abandoned by administrators he felt were more interested in kow-towing to the influential Indian board than protecting their own. Sources within the Australian team say Symonds has refused all of CA's subsequent attempts to appease him, and the lingering resentment has fuelled his deteriorating attitude to work.

What should Symonds do? The Courier-Mail asks six experts, starting with the former Australia coach John Buchanan.

The winner of a competition to go fishing with Symonds in Darwin will still get the prize, according to AAP’s Adam Cooper.

Source: CricInfo