Right to Information: India

Training and Workshops

Training

• Sharad Kumar (2004) AGNI Power Point Presentation on MRTI with Speaking Notes, first used at MRTI seminar organised by Mumbai Grahak Panchayat.
  
• Prakash Kardaley (2004) Power Point Presentation on MRTIA (to be used by activists and trainers to educate the public on MRTIA and its application).
• Deepika Mogilishetty (2003) Overview of Methodology for Karnataka FOI Act Implementation Audit, CHRI.
• CHRI (2003) Training Presentation on the Right to Information in India, powerpoint presentation.
• CHRI (2003) Training Presentation on the Delhi Right to Information Act, powerpoint presentation.
• Click here to see RTI Training Materials produced by non-Indian RTI activists.

NB: Although the specific legal content of the training materials may not be relevant, many of the materials provide a good framework for the development of India-specific training.

Workshops

As part of our advocacy on the right to information, CHRI conducts workshops, consultations and seminars across India. Our workshops have served to raise awareness about the importance of the right as well as providing expertise and lessons learned to civil society groups lobbying for the right to information at state level. Through our workshops in the various states of India we have developed a good network of NGOs throughout the country, committed to advocating for effective laws on the right to information.

CHRI has conducted training programs and workshops at the national level and in several States across India (see below for a list). Our 2004-5 Training Strategy focuses primarily on training of trainers, to maximise the reach of our workshops and ensure that RTI work is locally owned and sustainable. Please contact us if you are interested in finding out about how you can organise an RTI workshop in your own State.

National Level

• National Conference on the Working of the Right to Information Act 2005, New Delhi (27-28 March 2006).
  
• Thematic Workshop on RTI In India- Constitutional And Legal Developments and RTI And Civic Activism at the National Right to Information Convention at Delhi University, Delhi ( 9 October 2004).
• Workshop on The Media and the Right to Information at Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, New Delhi (7 October 2004). The presentation on "Legal Aspects of Right to Information" by Abha Singhal Joshi and presentation on "Media and Right to Information" by Venkatesh Nayak & Aditi Datta.
• Meeting on Operationalising the Right to Information, in New Delhi (14 September 2000).
• Workshop on the Freedom of Information Bill, 2000, at Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi (31 July & 1 August 2000).
• Workshop on Right to Information, at India International Centre, New Delhi (18 January 2000).
• National Workshop on Right to Information, in New Delhi (10th and 11th December 1999).

Andhra Pradesh

• Resource organization for a Development Dynamic Course, organized by CARITAS, India, as a one day training session on right to information, in Elluru (January 2002).
• Media workshop in Hyderabad, in association with the Andhra Pradesh Union for Working Journalists to sensitize media with regard to issues of Right to Information, in Hyderabad (December 2001).
• Workshop on RTI with the DAPPU network to provide awareness as to the importance of the Right to Information, in Hyderabad (November 2001).

Assam

• Workshop on Right to Information for North Eastern States of India in Guwahati (23-24 Aug 2005).

Bihar

• Capacity Building Workshop for Civil Society Organisation on the RTI Act 2005, Madhubani, Bihar (21-22 May 2007).
• Capacity Building Workshop for Civil Society Organisation on the RTI Act 2005, Muzaffarpur, Bihar (18-19 May 2007).
• Capacity Building Workshop for Civil Society Organisation on the RTI Act 2005, Patna, Bihar (3-4 May 2007).
• Grassroots Workshop, with Action for India Development (AID), in Lesliganj, Palamu (2000).
• Grassroots workshop, with Yuva Sansad, Samwaddaata Sangh, Samastipur (July 2000).
• State-wide and Regional Workshops and meetings at the grassroots, held in 1999.

Chhattisgarh

• Click here for CHRI's RTI training pamphlet (Hindi)
• Legal Literacy Training Programme for college professors and local NGOs, in collaboration with the State Human Rights Commission and Kalyan College, in Bhilai (1 November 2003).
• Workshop on Right to Information and Constitutionalism, in Ambikapur (24 & 25 September 2002).
• Workshop on Right to Information, in Satna and Shahdol (24-26 June 2002).
• Workshop on Right to Information, in Bilaspur and Raigarh (26-28 August 2002).
• Workshop on Right to Information, in Raipur (15-18 May 2002).
• Workshop on Right to Information, in Raipur (5 & 6 June 2001).

Delhi

• Meeting on Right to Information at Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi (February 6, 2003).
• Workshop on Delhi RTI Act at Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi (July 8, 19 & 20, 2003).
• Workshop on the Delhi RTI Act, for Lawyers, at Tees Hazari Courts, in association with the Delhi Bar Association (18 January 2003).
• Meeting with 6 NGOs (CARE Plus, Parivartan, Action India, Action Aid Delhi Regional Office, Adhar, Housing International Coalition) to promote the use of Right to Information in Delhi (December 2002).
• Workshops for Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), on testing the Delhi RTI Act, in collaboration with Parivartan (8 June, 19 & 20 July 2003).
• Training Sessions on RTI for Study Circles of the Centre for Education Management and Development (CEMD) (8 March 2003).
• Awareness Session on the Delhi RTI Act, for student volunteers, at Multiple Action Research Group (MARG) (12 June 2003).
• Training Programme for Woman Sarpanches titled 'Strengthening Grassroots Democracy: From the Gram Sabha to the Lok Sabha' conducted by CHRI programme staff and organized by the 'Guild of Services' (27-29 August 2003).
• Seminar on RTI related issues for the staff of Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) (28 November 2003).
• Meeting on Implementation of the Delhi Right to Information Act, at Gandhi Peace Foundation (31 May 2002).
• Donor's workshop on right to information (7 September 2001).
• Workshop on right to information, organized in association with the Consumer Coordination Council (20 July 2001).
• Conference on RTI (July 2000).
• National Workshop on Right to Information (2000).

Gujarat

Field visit to Gujarat, on invitation by ANANDI (a Gujarat based NGO) (April 2003).

Jharkhand

• Workshop on right to information, in Ranchi (13 & 14 September 2001).
• Workshop on right to Information in Ranchi (December 2000).

Karnataka

• Workshop on Karnataka Right to Information Act, in collaboration with Consumer Rights Education and Awareness Trust (CREAT), in Haveri (29 August 2004).
• Workshop on Karnataka Right to Information Act, in collaboration with Consumer Rights Education and Awareness Trust (CREAT), in Magadi (31 July 2004).
  
• Implementation Audit of the Karnataka RTI Act, in collaboration with the Public Affairs Centre (PAC), in Bangalore (end 2002 to May 2003).
• Workshop on RTI Laws and Strategies in Mysore (18 May 2003).
• Workshop on the promotion and usage of RTI, in association with Consumer Rights Education and Awareness Trust (CREAT) and Karnataka State Federation of Consumer Organisations (KSFCO) in Mysore (2003).
• Workshop on RTI, citizens' action and consumer issues, in collaboration with PAC and CREAT, in Shimoga (2003).
• Workshop on RTI, citizens' action, governance and consumer issues, in collaboration with PAC and CREAT and Mangalore-based groups, in Mangalore (December 2003).
• Workshop on right to information in the context of human rights, organized with PAC, CIVIC Bangalore and the South India Centre for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM) (3 May 2003).
• National Conference on 'Civil Initiatives for Good Governance', organized with PAC (7, 8 & 9 May 2003).
• Training Session on RTI for correspondents of the 'Daily Herald' and 'Praja Vani' (2 June 2003).
• Workshop on Right to Information, in collaboration with PAC and CREAT, in Bangalore (9 & 10 November 2002).
• Media Conference on RTI, Bangalore (April 2000).
• Workshop on Right to Information, with National Law School of India University, Bangalore (11 & 12 April 1998).

Kerala

• Workshop on Right to Information, in Cochin (July 2000).
• Workshop for grassroots activists with NOCER (16 & 17 May 2000).

Madhya Pradesh

• Workshop on Right to Information in Satna (14-15 December 2004). Click here for CHRI's RTI training pamphlet (Hindi).
• Workshop on Right to Information in Katni (15 May 2002).
• Workshop on Right to Information in Bhopal (3 & 4 January 1998).

Maharashtra

• Workshop report on the Right to Information and the Media Past Experiences and Future Possibilities in Pune, 14 - 15 May 2005.
  
• Workshop on RTI for volunteers of Action for Good Governance and Networking (AGNI) (November 2002).
• Network meetings with AGNI volunteers in Khar (1 March 2003), Mulud (2 March 2003) and Lokhandwala (16 March 2003).
• Presentation on the legal regime governing RTI in India, at a public meeting on RTI organized by Bombay Chartered Accountants Society (BCAS) (23 May 2003).

Meghalaya

• Report of the meeting on Implementation of Right to Information Act 2005 by the Government of Meghalaya, Shillong, 25th August 2005.
  

Nagaland

• Workshop on Right to Information Act 2005 with lawyers and law students in Kohima, Nagaland, 27 Aug 2005.

Orissa

• Meeting of Heads of Organizations of Sundergarh district, Orissa on Right to Information, Sundergarh, 30 July 2005.
  
• The District level Workshop on Right to Information, Deogarh, Orissa, 27-28 July 2005.
  
• State Level Workshop on "Right to Information & Electoral Reforms" For Panchayatiraj Representatives, Media Persons, NGO Representatives, Lawyers, in collaboration with the People's Cultural Center (PECUC) in Bhubaneswar (21, 22 & 23 August 2003).
• Workshop on Right to Information in collaboration with Action Aid, in Bolangir (4 December 2002).
• Workshop on Right to Information, in Koratput (9 October 2002).
• State level consultation on the Right to Information, organized by Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD) in Bhubaneswar (December 2001).

Rajasthan

Seminar on "Three years of RTI in India: Rajasthan scenario - Problems and Possibilities" in collaboration with CUTS-CART at Jaipur (22 October 2008)

Tamil Nadu

• Human Rights Advocacy and Research Foundation (HRF) and CHRI co-organised a Southern India Level Consultation on Right to Information (29 March 2003).
• Workshop on Right to Information, in Chennai (April 2000).
• One day workshop, held along with FEDCOT, in Chennai (30 January 2000).

Uttar Pradesh

Workshop on U.P Code on Access to Information, with UPVAN, Lucknow (November 2000).