‘Transparency key, RTI petitions & replies must be accessible online'
Maharashtra State Information Commission
(SIC) directed all public authorities in the state to proactively disclose all Right to Information (RTI) applications received and the replies provided on their respective websites. The directive, issued under Sections 19(8)(a)(iii) and 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005, by the State Chief Information Commissioner Rahul Pande, also mandates that the disclosed data be made searchable using keywords to ensure easy access for citizens.
Citing the growing number of RTI applications and appeals pending across various SIC benches and the burden they place on public authorities, Pande stressed the need for institutional reforms to promote voluntary disclosure. "If RTI replies are uploaded in the public domain and made searchable, citizens would not need to file repeated applications for the same information," he stated in the official order.
The commission observed that several departments face mounting workloads due to frequent and often repetitive RTI requests. It noted that many of these could be avoided if earlier replies were readily available in the public domain. "Excluding exempted matters, if information is kept in a searchable public database, it will greatly reduce redundancy," the order said.
The commission also recalled an earlier circular issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Central Govt in April 2013, which instructed all public authorities to publish RTI applications, responses, and appeals proactively. "The intent of Section 4 is to reduce the necessity of filing individual RTI applications by increasing transparency in public offices," the DoPT circular noted.
Pande emphasized the preamble of the RTI Act, which envisions empowering citizens, promoting transparency and accountability, and reducing corruption by making govt functioning more open. "To operationalise this vision, all public authorities must ensure that information under the RTI Act — barring exempted items — is accessible without the need for formal applications," he directed.
The directive requires all departments to publish RTI data along with keyword-based search options on their websites, allowing citizens to find information efficiently. The chief secretary has been asked to circulate the directive across all govt departments for immediate compliance. With this move, the SIC aims to strengthen the foundational principles of democratic accountability and citizen empowerment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
13 hours ago
- New Indian Express
To counter RTI hounds, Karnataka government mulls increasing fees
BENGALURU: Your right to know may get costlier if the state government would have its way. The government is considering increasing fee per page to furnish required details to those who seek information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. As of now, price per page for RTI replies is Rs 2, and for BPL card holders, it is free up to 100 pages. Law Minister HK Patil told the House on Tuesday that the government may consider increasing the fee per page. Patil said the purpose of the RTI Act is to bring transparency in administration. 'The RTI Act was formulated by the Centre. But rules can be also framed by the state government,' he added. The issue was raised by Bailahongal MLA Mahantesh Koujalagi. Koujalagi said the RTI Act is being misused by some people to target officers and to get personal information. 'Some persons are asking for details from past 20 years or more. Officials are spending a lot of time on this,' the MLA said. Patil said so far, the state government has blacklisted 26 RTI 'activists.' He said no government official has, however, complained against harassment by RTI activists. 'If they complain, we will take action against them,' he said. The minister also pointed out that based on the Lokayukta recommendation the government had dismissed State Information Commissioner Ravindra Gurunath Dhakappa. Karkala MLA V Sunil Kumar said RTI Act has been misused. 'Some activists keep applying. There is a need to restrict their questions,' he said. Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said the RTI Act has become a tool to make money. He said there is a need for vigilance and bringing RTI activists under law. 'You should see their (RTI activists) house, cars and they blackmail MLAs, MPs and officials,' the MLA added. Meanwhile, advocate and RTI activist T Narasimha Murthy told TNIE that increasing price per page should not affect RTI activists, but questioned the rationale on which the government is proposing to increase the fee. 'If the cost per page increases, then the government may increase the fee,' Murthy said. On the other hand, if any government official faces harassment from RTI activists, they can approach the police station to file a complaint.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
14 hours ago
- Business Standard
Archean Chemical surges 12%, stock hits highest level in CY25; here's why
Archean Chemical Industries share price today Shares of Archean Chemical Industries (ACIL) surged 12 per cent to ₹727.80 on the BSE in Wednesday's intra-day trade amid heavy volumes after the government approved the proposal of SiCSem Private Limited, a subsidiary of the company, under India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) to setup a Silicon Carbide (SiC) based Compound Semiconductor fab. The stock price of the smallcap specialty chemicals company traded at its highest level in the calendar year 2025. It had hit a 52-week high of ₹831 on August 22, 2024. At 10:38 AM; ACIL was quoting 9 per cent higher at ₹713 on the BSE. In comparison, the BSE Sensex was up 0.27 per cent at 80,453. The average trading volumes at the counter jumped multi-fold; with a combined 1.81 million shares changing hands on the NSE and BSE. Cabinet approves 4 semiconductor manufacturing units with an outlay of ₹ 4,600 crore The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved four more semiconductor projects under India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) at an investment of ~₹4600 crore, taking total approved projects to 10 with cumulative investments of about ₹1.60 trillion crore across six states. The newly approved projects include SiCSem (Odisha) - in collaboration with Clas-SiC Wafer Fab (UK), will set up India's first commercial Silicon Carbide (SiC) compound semiconductor fab with annual capacity of 60,000 wafers and 96 million packaged units. The proposed products will have applications in Missiles, Defence equipment, Electric Vehicles (EVs), Railway, Fast Chargers, Data Centre racks, Consumer Appliances, and Solar Power Inverters. Given the growing demand of semiconductors in telecom, automotive, datacentres, consumer electronics and industrial electronics, these four new approved semiconductors projects would significantly contribute to making Atmanirbhar Bharat. Market overview – ACIL The management in Q1FY26 earnings conference call said they are witnessing mixed trends across the chemical industry with early signs of recovery in select segments. Inquiry levels are steadily improving, indicating a more favourable business environment in the coming quarters and years ahead. However, the recent tariff uncertainties have obviously held many global MNCs from making decisions while re-evaluating sourcing and investment strategies. The Indian specialty chemicals industry, nevertheless, is poised for significant long-term growth supported by rising domestic consumption, supply chain diversification and government led incentives, etc. Recently, NITI Aayog has released a report in July 2025 outlining a roadmap for India to become a global chemical powerhouse with potential to reach $1 trillion by 2040, ACIL said. The management said they are confident and seeing consistent demand and expect gradual improvement in volumes over the coming quarters. Company Overview Archean Chemical Industries Limited (ACIL) is a specialty chemicals manufacturing company that produces and supplies marine chemicals. The company is engaged in the production and supply of industrial salt, liquid bromine, sulphate of potash (SOP). ACIL serves a range of industries, including agriculture, pharmaceutical, water treatment, aluminium, glass, and textiles.
New Indian Express
14 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Karnataka High Court raps Nirmiti Kendra, says RTI Act applicable
BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court ruled that the Right to Information (RTI) Act is applicable to Nirmiti Kendra. 'Nirmiti Kendra would be a public authority in terms of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act,' the court said, imposing a cost of Rs 50,000 on it for suppressing information sought by the applicant. Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the order while dismissing the petition filed by the Public Information Officer (PIO) and project director of Nirmiti Kendra in Chitradurga district. The petition was filed against the order dated August 29, 2017, passed by the Karnataka Information Commission, which directed the petitioner to furnish information sought by applicants, while also imposing a cost of Rs 25,000 on it. It was contended in the petition that Nirmiti Kendra is a private society, and not financed or aided by the state or central government. The court said the direction issued by the Karnataka Information Commission to furnish the document sought by the applicant cannot be faulted. It is not expected of a government authority and officers of Nirmiti Kendra, who are government officers, to have taken such a stand that Nirmiti Kendra would not come within the purview of the RTI Act. 'All government officers and departments are subject to the RTI Act and required to make available the information sought. The attempt made by officers of Nirmiti Kendra to suppress such transparency leaves much to be desired, and does not inspire confidence. The petitioner has successfully avoided disclosure of information and details. In view of this, cost of Rs 50,000 is imposed,' the court said.
