UPSC Mains 2017 · GS IV · Q14 · 20 marks · 250 words · Case study

You are a Public Information Officer (PIO) in a government department. You are aware that the RTI Act, 2005 envisages transparency and accountability in administration. The act has functioned as a check on the supposedly arbitrarily administrative behaviour and actions. However, as a PIO you have observed that there are citizens who filed RTI applications not for themselves but on behalf of such stakeholders who purportedly want to have access to information to further their own interests. At the same time there are those RTI activists who routinely file RTI applications and attempt to extort money from the decision makers. This type of RTI activism has affected the functioning of the administration adversely and also possibly jeopardizes the genuineness of the applications which are essentially aimed at getting justice.

  1. What measures would you suggest to separate genuine and non-genuine applications ? Give merits and demerits of your suggestions.

हिन्दी में

आप एक सरकारी विभाग में सार्वजनिक जनसूचना अधिकारी (पी.आई.ओ.) हैं । आप जानते हैं कि 2005 का आर.टी.आई. अधिनियम प्रशासनिक पारदर्शिता एवं जवाबदेही की परिकल्पना करता है । अधिनियम आमतौर पर कदाचित मनमाना प्रशासनिक व्यवहार एवं कार्यों पर रोक लगाने में कार्यरत है । किन्तु एक पी.आई.ओ. के स्वरूप में आपने देखा है कि कुछ ऐसे नागरिक हैं जो अपने लिए याचिका फाइल करने के बजाय दूसरे हितधारकों के लिए याचिका फाइल करते हैं और इसके द्वारा अपने स्वार्थ को आगे करते हैं । साथ-साथ ऐसे आर.टी.आई. भरने वाले कुछ लोग भी हैं जो नियमित रूप से आर.टी.आई. याचिकाएँ भरते रहते हैं और निर्णयकर्ताओं से पैसा निकलवाने का प्रयास करते हैं । इस प्रकार की आर.टी.आई. गतिविधियों ने प्रशासन के कार्यकलापों पर प्रतिकूल प्रभाव डाला है और सम्भवतः विशुद्ध याचिकाओं को जोख़िम में डाल दिया है जिनका लक्ष्य न्याय प्राप्त करना है ।

  1. वास्तविक और अवास्तविक याचिकाओं को अलग करने के लिए आप क्या उपाय सुझाएँगे ? अपने सुझावों के गुणों और दोषों का वर्णन कीजिए ।
Transparency and InformationCorruption

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “The RTI law was enacted with the laudable objectives of enhancing transparency in government operations and facilitating access to information for every citizen. However, the abuse of RTI has caused paralysis and fear among government officials. What policy measures would you propose to strengthen the RTI law? [10M]”

Raj Krishna JhaAIR 8 · CSE 2024 · 119 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a date or context

RTI act 2005 was one of our 1st proactive law which enabled positive rights to our citizens .

Body · points

Yet it has led to policy paralysis:

  1. Frequent abuse by RTI activists.
  2. Instilled fear of taking bold decisions.
  3. No incentive to perform better but challenge if taken bold step.
  4. Frequent media trials & public scrutiny of RTI related cases.

Proposed policy measures

  1. Focus on more proactive disclosure than reactive disclosure.
  2. Actions to be initiated against wilful RTI activists.
  3. PIOs should be a powerful ranked officer (min. Dy secretary)
  4. Fixed allocation of budget (min. 1%) for record keeping.
  5. Review of official Secrecy Act

Close

RTI needs strengthening through capable of Central Information Commission

How toppers approach this question, and more on its topic: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2017, General Studies Paper IV, Q14. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.