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RTI Amendment Bill that Modi Govt wants will render the law useless

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8 years ago

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RTI Amendment Bill that Modi Govt wants will render the law useless

Modi government’s proposed move to amend the Right to Information (RTI) law to expand government control over the information commissioners is facing stiff resistance from the Opposition, intellectuals and activists who say it will render it useless.

After putting information about political funding beyond the pale of public scrutiny, this is the second major move by this government against transparency and accountability.

The proposed changes will involve the salaries and tenures of Information Commissioners at the states and centre, which, activists say, is a coercive measure that will interfere with their freedom to make independent decisions.

The Congress has said the BJP-led central government is destroying institutions and legislations of transparency and accountability in the country.

Party chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Every Indian has the right to know the truth. The BJP believes the truth must be hidden from the people and they must not question people in power. The changes proposed to the RTI will make it a useless Act. They must be opposed by every Indian.”

Challenging the changes, the Opposition said it is committed to fighting any “attempt” by the Centre to “dilute” the Act and resist any amendments to it.

The “Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2018” proposes that information commissioners – – who currently have five-year tenures – have “terms as may be prescribed by the central government”.

Their salaries, instead of being on par with that of Election Commission officials – will be decided by the Central government.

Government sources said it was suggested that it is not good practice to put Information Commissioners on par with Election Commissioners. Justifying this on basis of legal nitpicking rather than the stated, express purpose of the office, they said the Election Commission is a constitutional body responsible for free and fair elections, but the Information Commission is a statutory body formed to look into complaints and requests for information under the RTI.

Stating “objects and reasons” for these amendments, the government has said, “The functions being carried out by Election Commission of India and the Central, and State Information Commissions are totally different… Hence their status and service conditions need to be rationalised accordingly.”

Extensive protests have been held in Delhi and other parts of India since the government listed the bill for “introduction, consideration and passing” in the monsoon session.  The protests were attended not only by RTI activists, but anti-corruption workers and the relatives of people who were killed while exposing corruption across the country.

Lack of information about the proposed changes even pushed activists to file an RTI petition regarding the contents of the bill.

The Congress, the Left, the Trinamool Congress, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party and Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal have said they will oppose any move to dilute the RTI Act.

Currently, the salaries and tenures of central and state information commissioners are statutorily protected as they are provided in the RTI Act.

Anjali Bhardwaj of National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) said the amendment “will fundamentally weaken the institution of the commissions as it will adversely impact their ability to function in an independent manner. The status conferred on commissioners under the RTI Act is to empower them to carry out their functions autonomously and require even the highest offices to comply with the provisions of the law.”

A report in The India Express (IE) quoted former Central Information Commissioner (CIC) Shailesh Gandhi as saying that the move seemed to be a fall-out of the Central Information Commission’s orders to respond to RTIs about the educational qualification of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Former CIC Shailesh Gandhi said by bringing in the amendment, the government was “violating the pre-legislative consultative policy”.

“There is no valid reason for the government to amend the Act. The only possibility is that the central government seems to be annoyed about the CIC’s orders to disclose the educational qualification of the Prime Minister… it could be an act of vengeance or arrogance,” he said.

RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar said when the Act was introduced in 2005, Parliament had discussed the issue threadbare, the IE report said. “The emphasis of Parliament was on giving autonomy and independence to information commissions, both at the Centre and the state. Now this government seems to be bent on doing away with the autonomy and independence of the commission,” he said.

He pointed out that the RTI Act already has a provision for the removal of information commissioners.  “If a complaint is made to the President, he refers it to the Supreme Court, which probes the complaint and makes recommendations to the President. The Central Chief Information Commissioner or any Information Commissioner can be removed from office only by the order of the President, on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. This happens only after the Supreme Court probes the complaint on a reference made to it by the President,” he said.

Similarly, at the state level, the governor has the power to take a decision about the removal of state chief information commissioners and information commissioners.

Another RTI activist, Maruti Bhapkar, said the statements and objects of the Bill stated that the RTI Act was enacted to promote transparency and accountability of every public authority towards citizens. “But by amending the Act, the government is seeking to make the commissions accountable to it and seeking to destroy its transparent functioning,” he said. Bhapkar said if the central government had the power to decide the tenures and salaries of information commissioners, the commissioners would be “under pressure not to annoy the government, which means they would be biased on delivering justice”.  “The existence of such a justice delivery system is against the spirit of the Constitution,” he said.

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Rahul Gandhi, Rajnath Singh clash in Lok Sabha over ex-Army chief’s unpublished book on Ladakh

Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted after Rahul Gandhi cited an unpublished book by former Army chief General MM Naravane on the Ladakh stand-off, drawing objections from Rajnath Singh and other BJP leaders.

Published

7 hours ago

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February 2, 2026

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Rahul Gandhi

A sharp confrontation unfolded in the Lok Sabha on Monday after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi referred to an unpublished book by former Army chief General MM Naravane while speaking on the 2020 India-China Ladakh stand-off, prompting strong objections from treasury benches.

Rahul Gandhi began his address by holding a printout of a magazine article that carried an essay on General Naravane’s yet-to-be-published memoir, Four Stars of Destiny. The reference immediately drew an intervention from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who objected to the citation, saying quoting an unpublished book violated parliamentary rules.

Objections from treasury benches

Rajnath Singh demanded that the Leader of Opposition place the book before the House, arguing that since the memoir had not been formally published, its contents could not be cited during proceedings. The objection was echoed by Home Minister Amit Shah, who questioned how references could be made to material that was not publicly available.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju went a step further, suggesting that the House should deliberate on action against members who do not comply with the Speaker’s rulings.

As Rahul Gandhi persisted, repeatedly referring to “Chinese tanks” while discussing the eastern Ladakh situation, the opposition from BJP members intensified, leading to sustained disruptions.

Opposition support and continued disruptions

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav backed Rahul Gandhi, stating that issues concerning China were sensitive and that the Leader of Opposition should be allowed to present his views in the House.

Responding to the objections, Rahul Gandhi questioned the resistance to his remarks, asking what in the book was causing such concern. He maintained that both the article and the contents he was quoting were “100 per cent authentic.”

The Congress leader also said he had not intended to raise the issue but felt compelled to do so after BJP MP Tejasvi Surya questioned the patriotism of the Congress and its leadership.

Government, Congress trade charges

Government sources accused Rahul Gandhi of setting a dangerous precedent by citing material from an unpublished book, alleging that such references could be misused to make unverified claims on the floor of Parliament.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi defended her brother, saying he was not attempting to defame the Army and was merely reading an excerpt attributed to the former Army chief. She accused the ruling party of resisting discussion whenever uncomfortable issues surfaced.

House adjourned amid chaos

The repeated interruptions forced Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House till 3 pm. When proceedings resumed, similar scenes played out as Rahul Gandhi again attempted to speak on the subject, leading to further disruptions and another adjournment.

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P Chidambaram avoids commenting on Trump’s dead economy remark echoed by Rahul Gandhi

Chidambaram stays silent on Trump’s ‘dead economy’ remark echoed by Rahul Gandhi as Congress critiques Union Budget 2026.

Published

15 hours ago

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February 2, 2026

By

P Chidambaram

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented her ninth consecutive union budget, stopping just short of Morarji Desai’s record of ten.

Congress MP P Chidambaram, however, avoided commenting on the ‘India is a dead economy’ statement made by former US President Donald Trump last July, which was later echoed by Rahul Gandhi.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing the budget, Chidambaram said he could not respond as he lacked the full context of Trump’s original remarks.

The comment by Trump followed India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil, which the US had criticized as indirectly funding military action in Ukraine. Trump imposed a 25 per cent penalty tariff on Indian imports and added: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”

Rahul Gandhi later supported the statement, saying, “He is right, everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. I am glad President Trump stated a fact…”

The remark sparked a political debate, with BJP leaders criticizing Gandhi, while some Congress members, including Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla, called the statement “completely wrong.”

Ahead of the budget, Gandhi had highlighted the impact of US tariffs on small textile businesses, noting on X: “50 per cent US tariffs are badly hurting textile exporters. Job losses, shutdowns… are reality of our ‘dead economy’.”

The debate gained traction following the budget announcement, which did not offer immediate relief to middle-class taxpayers and saw markets react sharply, with the Sensex closing 1,500 points lower on Sunday.

Chidambaram, as usual, led Congress’ critique of the budget, pointing to a decrease in capital expenditure as a percentage of GDP from 3.2 per cent in FY25 to 3.1 per cent, despite the proposal of Rs 12.2 lakh crore for capex. He added, “Revenue receipts short by Rs 78,086 crore… total expenditure short by Rs 1,00,503 crore… revenue expenditure short by Rs 75,168 crore… capex was cut by Rs 1,44,376 crore… not a word was said to explain this…”

Rahul Gandhi echoed the criticism, highlighting issues such as unemployment, farmers’ distress, declining household savings, and low investment. “A budget that refuses course correction and is blind to India’s real crises,” he said on X.

Responding to the criticism, Finance Minister Sitharaman said, “With due respects, I don’t know what course correction he is referring to. The economy and its fundamentals are strong.”

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Earthquake of 4.6 magnitude hits Andaman and Nicobar Islands

A 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Nicobar Islands at 10 km depth, highlighting the region’s seismic activity and potential risks from shallow tremors.

Published

15 hours ago

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February 2, 2026

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earthquake-tremors

An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale struck the Andaman and Nicobar Islands early Monday at around 3:30 am, the National Center of Seismology (NCS) reported.

According to the NCS, the tremor occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km. The earthquake’s epicenter was located at a latitude of 9.03° North and a longitude of 92.78° East, placing it in the Nicobar Islands region.

In a post on X, the NCS confirmed the details: “EQ of M: 4.6, On: 02/02/2026 03:31:12 IST, Lat: 9.03 N, Long: 92.78 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Nicobar Islands.”

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands fall under Seismic Zone V, according to India’s seismic zoning map (1893-1984), making them one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world. Historically, the islands have experienced several major earthquakes, including the devastating tremor on December 26, 2004, which caused significant land displacement and triggered tsunami waves, resulting in heavy loss of life and property.

Experts note that shallow earthquakes, like the one recorded on Monday, can be more hazardous than deeper ones. Seismic waves from shallow quakes travel a shorter distance to the surface, causing stronger ground shaking and posing higher risks to structures and human safety.

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