Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

                trigger_error($message, E_USER_WARNING);

            } else {
$response = object(Cake\Http\Response) {

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    <link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67f4dcd0eb39a-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67f4dcd0eb39a-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr67f4dcd0eb39a-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67f4dcd0eb39a-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67f4dcd0eb39a-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67f4dcd0eb39a-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67f4dcd0eb39a-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr67f4dcd0eb39a-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">&gt;
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-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
New Delhi: &lt;/em&gt;When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &amp;ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &amp;ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&amp;rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers&amp;rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&amp;rsquo;s contention and observed that &amp;ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&amp;rsquo;s composition.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp;amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&amp;rdquo; that &amp;ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.

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	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;New Delhi: &lt;/em&gt;When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &amp;ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &amp;ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&amp;rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers&amp;rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&amp;rsquo;s contention and observed that &amp;ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&amp;rsquo;s composition.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp;amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&amp;rdquo; that &amp;ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/&quot; title=&quot;https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
New Delhi: &lt;/em&gt;When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &amp;ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &amp;ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&amp;rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers&amp;rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&amp;rsquo;s contention and observed that &amp;ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&amp;rsquo;s composition.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp;amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&amp;rdquo; that &amp;ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.

New Delhi: When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in...&#039;
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The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.

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                <strong>Government Agency Meant to Ensure Transparency Refuses to Share Information -Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-TheWire.in<br /><br /><em>The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.<br /><br />New Delhi: </em>When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.<br /><br />The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&rdquo;<br /><br />Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.<br /><br />In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &ldquo;cabinet papers&rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&rsquo;s contention and observed that &ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&rdquo;<br /><br />The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.<br /><br />Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&rsquo;s composition.<br /><br />To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.<br /><br />Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&rdquo; that &ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&rdquo;<br /><br />Please <a href="https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/" title="https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/">click here</a> to read more.<br /><br /></div>               </font>
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-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
New Delhi: &lt;/em&gt;When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &amp;ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &amp;ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&amp;rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers&amp;rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&amp;rsquo;s contention and observed that &amp;ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&amp;rsquo;s composition.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp;amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&amp;rdquo; that &amp;ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more.&lt;br /&gt;
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The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.

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-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
New Delhi: &lt;/em&gt;When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &amp;ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &amp;ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&amp;rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers&amp;rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&amp;rsquo;s contention and observed that &amp;ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&amp;rsquo;s composition.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;
Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&amp;rdquo; that &amp;ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more.&lt;br /&gt;
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-TheWire.in

The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.

New Delhi: When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in...&#039;
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The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.

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                <strong>Government Agency Meant to Ensure Transparency Refuses to Share Information -Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-TheWire.in<br /><br /><em>The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.<br /><br />New Delhi: </em>When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.<br /><br />The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&rdquo;<br /><br />Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.<br /><br />In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &ldquo;cabinet papers&rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&rsquo;s contention and observed that &ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&rdquo;<br /><br />The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.<br /><br />Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&rsquo;s composition.<br /><br />To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.<br /><br />Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&rdquo; that &ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&rdquo;<br /><br />Please <a href="https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/" title="https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/">click here</a> to read more.<br /><br /></div>               </font>
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-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
New Delhi: &lt;/em&gt;When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &amp;ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &amp;ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&amp;rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers&amp;rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&amp;rsquo;s contention and observed that &amp;ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&amp;rsquo;s composition.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp;amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&amp;rdquo; that &amp;ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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-TheWire.in

The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.

New Delhi: When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;New Delhi: &lt;/em&gt;When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &amp;ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &amp;ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&amp;rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers&amp;rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&amp;rsquo;s contention and observed that &amp;ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&amp;rsquo;s composition.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp;amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&amp;rdquo; that &amp;ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/&quot; title=&quot;https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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-TheWire.in&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
New Delhi: &lt;/em&gt;When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &amp;ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &amp;ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&amp;rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers&amp;rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&amp;rsquo;s contention and observed that &amp;ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&amp;rsquo;s composition.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp;amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &amp;ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&amp;rdquo; that &amp;ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please &lt;a href=&quot;https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/&quot;&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt; to read more.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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-TheWire.in

The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.

New Delhi: When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in...&#039;
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                <strong>Government Agency Meant to Ensure Transparency Refuses to Share Information -Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-TheWire.in<br /><br /><em>The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.<br /><br />New Delhi: </em>When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.<br /><br />The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&rdquo;<br /><br />Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.<br /><br />In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &ldquo;cabinet papers&rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&rsquo;s contention and observed that &ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&rdquo;<br /><br />The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.<br /><br />Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&rsquo;s composition.<br /><br />To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.<br /><br />Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&rdquo; that &ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&rdquo;<br /><br />Please <a href="https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/" title="https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/">click here</a> to read more.<br /><br /></div>               </font>
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-TheWire.in<br />
<br />
<em>The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.<br />
<br />
New Delhi: </em>When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.<br />
<br />
The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.<br />
<br />
In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &ldquo;cabinet papers&rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&rsquo;s contention and observed that &ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.<br />
<br />
Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&rsquo;s composition.<br />
<br />
To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.<br />
<br />
Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&rdquo; that &ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
Please <a href="https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/">click here</a> to read more.<br />
<br />
</div>',
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-TheWire.in

The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.

New Delhi: When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in...',
	'disp' => '<div align="justify">-TheWire.in<br /><br /><em>The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.<br /><br />New Delhi: </em>When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.<br /><br />The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&rdquo;<br /><br />Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.<br /><br />In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &ldquo;cabinet papers&rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&rsquo;s contention and observed that &ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&rdquo;<br /><br />The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.<br /><br />Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&rsquo;s composition.<br /><br />To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.<br /><br />Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&rdquo; that &ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&rdquo;<br /><br />Please <a href="https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/" title="https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/">click here</a> to read more.<br /><br /></div>',
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	'title' => 'Government Agency Meant to Ensure Transparency Refuses to Share Information -Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar',
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-TheWire.in<br />
<br />
<em>The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.<br />
<br />
New Delhi: </em>When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.<br />
<br />
The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.<br />
<br />
In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &ldquo;cabinet papers&rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&rsquo;s contention and observed that &ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.<br />
<br />
Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&rsquo;s composition.<br />
<br />
To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.<br />
<br />
Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&rdquo; that &ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
Please <a href="https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/">click here</a> to read more.<br />
<br />
</div>',
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-TheWire.in

The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.

New Delhi: When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in...'
$disp = '<div align="justify">-TheWire.in<br /><br /><em>The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners.<br /><br />New Delhi: </em>When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so.<br /><br />The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the &ldquo;DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.&rdquo;<br /><br />Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had &ldquo;no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.&rdquo; And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half.<br /><br />In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be &ldquo;cabinet papers&rdquo;. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO&rsquo;s contention and observed that &ldquo;the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.&rdquo;<br /><br />The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued.<br /><br />Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee&rsquo;s composition.<br /><br />To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) &amp; (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs.<br /><br />Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to &ldquo;cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers&rdquo; that &ldquo;the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.&rdquo;<br /><br />Please <a href="https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/" title="https://thewire.in/116636/dopt-transparency-information-commissioners/">click here</a> to read more.<br /><br /></div>'
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Government Agency Meant to Ensure Transparency Refuses to Share Information -Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

-TheWire.in The Department of Personnel and Training, responsible for implementing the RTI, has claimed it is exempt from sharing details on the appointment of information commissioners. New Delhi: When it comes to transparency, it seems the Narendra Modi government is moving in reverse. The Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency responsible for effectively implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has refused to share details on the appointment of information commissioners, claiming that the body is exempted from doing so. The response of the chief public information officer (CPIO) of the department and the first appellate authority, which upheld the decision, has not gone down well with the applicant and RTI activist, Commodore (Retd.) Lokesh Batra. He has claimed that, in denying the information, the “DoPT has decided to go in reverse gear by overturning its own previous order and ignoring the CIC order.” Batra pointed out that in the first ten years of RTI, the central government had “no issue in transparently sharing information with citizens, regarding selection of Chief/Information Commissioners in Central Information Commission.” And that its stance had changed somewhat in the last year and a half. In December 2015, Batra said, the CPIO of the DoPT had suddenly presumed the papers relating to the selection of commissioners in the CIC to be “cabinet papers”. However, in 2016, the first appellate authority of the DoPT had rejected the CPIO’s contention and observed that “the basic information sought by the applicant, cannot be equated with Cabinet papers and should have been provided by the CPIO to the applicant.” The authority had also directed the CPIO to revisit the application and provide the applicant with point-wise information within 15 working days of the order being issued. Because the two IC appointments had not been announced even several months after the posts were advertised in September 2016, Batra filed an application in January this year to find out what was happening. With the pendency of cases in the CIC nearing the 30,000 mark, he demanded to know the names of those who had applied for the posts as well as the criteria adopted for processing, shortlisting and screening names (before they were forwarded to the selection committee). He had also asked about the screening committee’s composition. To his surprise, this time too CPIO Preeti Khanna only provided one part of the information and stated that 225 applications had been received for the posts of ICs. This despite the FAA having earlier noted that such information should be provided. However, this time the CPIO declined information on all the other aspects claiming exemption under Section 8(1)(i) & (j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Further section 12(3) of the RTI Act lays down the procedure to appoint ICs. Batra finally appealed to the first appellate authority on February 9. He insisted that Section 8(1)(i) states with respect to “cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers” that “the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed.” Please click here to read more.