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  • The University Grants Commission as a follow up to the implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2005 is going to release a draft RTI policy guideline for universities. The Draft UGC RTI Policy aims at enabling students and parents in to know about the working of their universities and thereby promote greater transparency.

  • The NCPRI has released a press statement voicing its concerns over the recent controversy surrounding the appointment of Karnataka Chief Information Commissioner, K K Misra. Expressing solidarity with concerns raised over the appoinment, the NCPRI also expressed its discomfort over the methods being adopted to make appointments and the tendency to appoint retired civil servants as Information Commissioners. The NCPRI has emphasised the need for transparency in the selection and appointment process and the need for the government to willing justify in public the qualifications and justifications of those nominated for appointment.

  • A report indicates that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accepted the bureaucracy's demand to exclude file notings from being made public under the Right to Information Act 2005. Singh has assured President A P J Abdul Kalam, who had backed the demand, that "file notings are part of the deliberation process, and if necessary the government will bring in an amendment to the RTI act to block file notings from being shown to the public." RTI campaigners are now planning to protest this decision and file a petition in the Supreme Court.

  • In July 2005, the National Campaign for the People's Right to Information submitted model NCPRI RTI Rules to the Central Government for consideration when drafting national RTI Rules. CHRI was part of this drafting process, but in June 2005 prior to finalisation of the NCPRI draft Rules, CHRI also sent the Government an initial set of CHRI draft RTI Rules.

  • Newspapers have reported a growing number of government agencies requesting to be exempt from coverage under the provisions of the recently enacted Central Right to Information Act 2005. Alarmingly, these include frontline public sector organisations like the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI), Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)and the Delhi Police who have requested inclusion in the list of exempt agencies in the Second Schedule of the Act. These are all government agencies, in the public service and paid for by public money with the express functions of promoting transparency, accountability and good governance. Till date the Government has made no public response to these requests. CHRI's letter to the Central Department of Personnel and Training and the Law Ministry urges these authorities not to entertain the requests of the CBI and CVC to be immune from the Act. Additionally, CHRI's letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Chief Minister of Delhi urges that the Delhi Police's request for immunity be similarly refused.

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