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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Secrets Act faces changes by Nishit Dholabhai

Secrets Act faces changes by Nishit Dholabhai

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published Published on Oct 15, 2011   modified Modified on Oct 15, 2011

The Centre is preparing to water down the Official Secrets Act, 1923, a pre-colonial tool against spying that successive governments are accused of taking cover under when faced with questions of corruption.

Amendments are being worked out after several ministries, including that of defence, responded to a note circulated by the home ministry in August, sources said.

The Prime Minister today said the RTI Act is being “more extensively and effectively” used to make transparent many areas of government work that would otherwise have remained hidden.

But some departments, such as that of atomic energy, space and others related to security, remain shrouded in secrecy and officials use the OSA to turn down RTI applications.

The law has also been used to purse lips and even punish people. One famous case is that of Lieutenant General (retired) V.K. Singh, who is facing charges for revealing in his book, among other things, that dinner invites in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) were also marked “secret”.

“Any person who makes any sketch, plan, model, or note calculated to be or might be or is intended to be, directly or indirectly” useful to an enemy, could be jailed under the OSA.

Former CPM MP Mohammed Salim, who said he had raised the issue in Parliament several times, stressed: “The law needs to be diluted.”

Lawyer and activist Colin Gonsalves wants it to be done away with altogether. “If anything relating to security is to be kept secret, let the government sign a contract with employees which would bind them. There are provisions under the Indian penal code (IPC),” he said.

The Telegraph, 14 October, 2011, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111015/jsp/nation/story_14626659.jsp


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