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: 150
 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);

    }
$message = '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: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
$stackFrame = (int) 1
$trace = [
	(int) 0 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/ServerRequest.php',
		'line' => (int) 2421,
		'function' => 'deprecationWarning',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => 'The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead.'
		]
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php',
		'line' => (int) 150,
		'function' => 'offsetGet',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\ServerRequest',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => 'catslug'
		]
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Controller/Controller.php',
		'line' => (int) 610,
		'function' => 'index',
		'class' => 'App\Controller\ArtileDetailController',
		'object' => object(App\Controller\ArtileDetailController) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => []
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php',
		'line' => (int) 120,
		'function' => 'invokeAction',
		'class' => 'Cake\Controller\Controller',
		'object' => object(App\Controller\ArtileDetailController) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => []
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php',
		'line' => (int) 94,
		'function' => '_invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(App\Controller\ArtileDetailController) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/BaseApplication.php',
		'line' => (int) 235,
		'function' => 'dispatch',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\BaseApplication',
		'object' => object(App\Application) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php',
		'line' => (int) 162,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware',
		'object' => object(Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php',
		'line' => (int) 97,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware',
		'object' => object(Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php',
		'line' => (int) 96,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware',
		'object' => object(Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 51,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Server.php',
		'line' => (int) 98,
		'function' => 'run',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\MiddlewareQueue) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/webroot/index.php',
		'line' => (int) 39,
		'function' => 'run',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Server',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Server) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => []
	]
]
$frame = [
	'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php',
	'line' => (int) 150,
	'function' => 'offsetGet',
	'class' => 'Cake\Http\ServerRequest',
	'object' => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {
		trustProxy => false
		[protected] params => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] data => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] query => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] cookies => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] _environment => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] url => 'latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html'
		[protected] base => ''
		[protected] webroot => '/'
		[protected] here => '/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html'
		[protected] trustedProxies => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] _input => null
		[protected] _detectors => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] _detectorCache => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] stream => object(Zend\Diactoros\PhpInputStream) {}
		[protected] uri => object(Zend\Diactoros\Uri) {}
		[protected] session => object(Cake\Http\Session) {}
		[protected] attributes => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] emulatedAttributes => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] uploadedFiles => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] protocol => null
		[protected] requestTarget => null
		[private] deprecatedProperties => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
	},
	'type' => '->',
	'args' => [
		(int) 0 => 'catslug'
	]
]
deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::index() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 150
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 97
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: 151
 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);

    }
$message = '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: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
$stackFrame = (int) 1
$trace = [
	(int) 0 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/ServerRequest.php',
		'line' => (int) 2421,
		'function' => 'deprecationWarning',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => 'The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead.'
		]
	],
	(int) 1 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php',
		'line' => (int) 151,
		'function' => 'offsetGet',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\ServerRequest',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => 'artileslug'
		]
	],
	(int) 2 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Controller/Controller.php',
		'line' => (int) 610,
		'function' => 'index',
		'class' => 'App\Controller\ArtileDetailController',
		'object' => object(App\Controller\ArtileDetailController) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => []
	],
	(int) 3 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php',
		'line' => (int) 120,
		'function' => 'invokeAction',
		'class' => 'Cake\Controller\Controller',
		'object' => object(App\Controller\ArtileDetailController) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => []
	],
	(int) 4 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php',
		'line' => (int) 94,
		'function' => '_invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(App\Controller\ArtileDetailController) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 5 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/BaseApplication.php',
		'line' => (int) 235,
		'function' => 'dispatch',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 6 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\BaseApplication',
		'object' => object(App\Application) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 7 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php',
		'line' => (int) 162,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 8 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware',
		'object' => object(Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 9 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php',
		'line' => (int) 97,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 10 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware',
		'object' => object(Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 11 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php',
		'line' => (int) 96,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 12 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 65,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware',
		'object' => object(Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 13 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Runner.php',
		'line' => (int) 51,
		'function' => '__invoke',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 14 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Http/Server.php',
		'line' => (int) 98,
		'function' => 'run',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Runner',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Runner) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => [
			(int) 0 => object(Cake\Http\MiddlewareQueue) {},
			(int) 1 => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {},
			(int) 2 => object(Cake\Http\Response) {}
		]
	],
	(int) 15 => [
		'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/webroot/index.php',
		'line' => (int) 39,
		'function' => 'run',
		'class' => 'Cake\Http\Server',
		'object' => object(Cake\Http\Server) {},
		'type' => '->',
		'args' => []
	]
]
$frame = [
	'file' => '/home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php',
	'line' => (int) 151,
	'function' => 'offsetGet',
	'class' => 'Cake\Http\ServerRequest',
	'object' => object(Cake\Http\ServerRequest) {
		trustProxy => false
		[protected] params => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] data => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] query => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] cookies => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] _environment => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] url => 'latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html'
		[protected] base => ''
		[protected] webroot => '/'
		[protected] here => '/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html'
		[protected] trustedProxies => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] _input => null
		[protected] _detectors => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] _detectorCache => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] stream => object(Zend\Diactoros\PhpInputStream) {}
		[protected] uri => object(Zend\Diactoros\Uri) {}
		[protected] session => object(Cake\Http\Session) {}
		[protected] attributes => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] emulatedAttributes => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
		[protected] uploadedFiles => [[maximum depth reached]]
		[protected] protocol => null
		[protected] requestTarget => null
		[private] deprecatedProperties => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
	},
	'type' => '->',
	'args' => [
		(int) 0 => 'artileslug'
	]
]
deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::index() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 151
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 97
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) {

	'status' => (int) 200,
	'contentType' => 'text/html',
	'headers' => [
		'Content-Type' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
	],
	'file' => null,
	'fileRange' => [],
	'cookies' => object(Cake\Http\Cookie\CookieCollection) {},
	'cacheDirectives' => [],
	'body' => '<!DOCTYPE html>
<!--[if lt IE 7 ]>
<html class="ie ie6" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 7 ]>
<html class="ie ie7" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 8 ]>
<html class="ie ie8" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if (gte IE 9)|!(IE)]><!-->
<html lang='en'>
<!--<![endif]-->
<head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
    
    <title>
        LATEST NEWS UPDATES | When the RTI ‘Basmasura&#039; chased the government by Vidya Subrahmaniam    </title>
    <meta name="description" content="

When the controversial Finance Ministry note to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on P. Chidambaram's role in 2G spectrum allocation was traced to a Right to Information application, there was surprise &mdash; and some concern &mdash; both within the government..."/>
    <meta name="keywords" content="Right to Information"/>
    <meta name="news_keywords" content="Right to Information">
   
    <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="ROR" href="/ror.xml"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS 2.0" href="/feeds/"/>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/bootstrap.min.css?1697864993"/>    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style.css?v=1.1.2"/>    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style-inner.css?1577045210"/>    <link rel="stylesheet" id="Oswald-css"
          href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Oswald%3Aregular%2C700&amp;ver=3.8.1" type="text/css"
          media="all">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/jquery.modal.min.css?1578285302"/>    <script src="/js/jquery-1.10.2.js?1575549704"></script>    <script src="/js/jquery-migrate.min.js?1575549704"></script>    <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" title="Favicon">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/jquery-ui.css?1580720609"/>    <script src="/js/jquery-ui.js?1575549704"></script>    <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/custom.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/jquery.modal.min.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/jquery-ui.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/li-scroller.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<!-- <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/style.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous"> -->
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/style-inner.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">

<link rel='dns-prefetch' href="//im4change.org/css/custom.css" crossorigin >

<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/bootstrap.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.li-scroller.1.0.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.modal.min.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.ui.totop.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-1.10.2.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-migrate.min.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-ui.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/setting.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/tie-scripts.js">
    <!--[if IE]>
    <script type="text/javascript">jQuery(document).ready(function () {
        jQuery(".menu-item").has("ul").children("a").attr("aria-haspopup", "true");
    });</script>
    <![endif]-->
    <!--[if lt IE 9]>
    <script src="/js/html5.js"></script>
    <script src="/js/selectivizr-min.js"></script>
    <![endif]-->
    <!--[if IE 8]>
    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="/css/ie8.css"/>
    <![endif]-->
    <meta property="og:title" content="LATEST NEWS UPDATES | When the RTI ‘Basmasura&#039; chased the government by Vidya Subrahmaniam" />
     <meta property="og:url" content="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html" />
     <meta property="og:type" content="article" />
     <meta property="og:description" content="

When the controversial Finance Ministry note to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on P. Chidambaram's role in 2G spectrum allocation was traced to a Right to Information application, there was surprise &mdash; and some concern &mdash; both within the government..." />
     <meta property="og:image" content="" />
      <meta property="fb:app_id" content="0" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no">

       <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple1.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="120x120" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple2.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple3.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple4.png">

    <style>
    .gsc-results-wrapper-overlay{
        top: 38% !important;
        height: 50% !important;
    }
    .gsc-search-button-v2{
        border-color: #035588 !important;
        background-color: #035588 !important;
    }

   .gsib_a{
        height: 30px !important;
          padding: 2px 8px 1px 6px !important;
    }

   
    .gsc-search-button-v2{
        height: 41px !important;
    }
    input.gsc-input{
        background: none !important;
    }
    @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {
        .gsc-results-wrapper-overlay{
            top: 11% !important;
            width: 87% !important;
            left: 9% !important;
            height: 43% !important;
        }

        .gsc-search-button-v2{
            padding: 10px 10px !important;
        
        }
        .gsc-input-box{
            height: 28px !important;
        }
       /* .gsib_a {
            padding: 0px 9px 4px 9px !important;
        }*/
    }
    @media only screen and (min-width: 1200px) and (max-width: 1920px) {
        table.gsc-search-box{
            width: 15% !important;
            float: right !important;
            margin-top: -118px !important;
        }

        .gsc-search-button-v2 {
            
            padding: 6px !important;
           
        }
    }


</style>

    <script>
        $(function () {
            $("#accordion").accordion({
                event: "click hoverintent"
            });
        });

        /*
         * hoverIntent | Copyright 2011 Brian Cherne
         * http://cherne.net/brian/resources/jquery.hoverIntent.html
         * modified by the jQuery UI team
         */
        $.event.special.hoverintent = {
            setup: function () {
                $(this).bind("mouseover", jQuery.event.special.hoverintent.handler);
            },
            teardown: function () {
                $(this).unbind("mouseover", jQuery.event.special.hoverintent.handler);
            },
            handler: function (event) {
                var currentX, currentY, timeout,
                    args = arguments,
                    target = $(event.target),
                    previousX = event.pageX,
                    previousY = event.pageY;

                function track(event) {
                    currentX = event.pageX;
                    currentY = event.pageY;
                }
                ;

                function clear() {
                    target
                        .unbind("mousemove", track)
                        .unbind("mouseout", clear);
                    clearTimeout(timeout);
                }

                function handler() {
                    var prop,
                        orig = event;
                    if ((Math.abs(previousX - currentX) +
                        Math.abs(previousY - currentY)) < 7) {
                        clear();
                        event = $.Event("hoverintent");
                        for (prop in orig) {
                            if (!(prop in event)) {
                                event[prop] = orig[prop];
                            }
                        }
                        // Prevent accessing the original event since the new event
                        // is fired asynchronously and the old event is no longer
                        // usable (#6028)
                        delete event.originalEvent;
                        target.trigger(event);
                    } else {
                        previousX = currentX;
                        previousY = currentY;
                        timeout = setTimeout(handler, 100);
                    }
                }

                timeout = setTimeout(handler, 100);
                target.bind({
                    mousemove: track,
                    mouseout: clear
                });
            }
        };
    </script>
    <script type="text/javascript">
        var _gaq = _gaq || [];
        _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-472075-3']);
        _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

        (function () {
            var ga = document.createElement('script');
            ga.type = 'text/javascript';
            ga.async = true;
            ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
            var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
            s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
        })();
    </script>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/custom.css?v=1.16"/>    <script src="/js/jquery.ui.totop.js?1575549704"></script>    <script src="/js/setting.js?1575549704"></script>    <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json">
    <meta name="theme-color" content="#616163" />
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes">
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black">
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-title" content="im4change">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/icons/logo-192x192.png">
</head>
<body id="top" class="home inner blog">
<div class="background-cover"></div>
<div class="wrapper animated">
    <header id="theme-header" class="header_inner" style="position: relative;">
        <div class="logo inner_logo" style="left:20px !important">
                <a title="Home" href="https://im4change.in/">
                    <img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo2.jpg?1582080632" class="logo_image" alt="im4change"/>                </a>
        </div>
        <div class="langhindi" style="color: #000;display:none;"
             href="https://im4change.in/">
            <a class="more-link" href="https://im4change.in/">Home</a>
                        <a href="https://im4change.in/hindi/" class="langbutton ">हिन्दी</a>
                    </div>
        <nav class="fade-in animated2" id="main-nav">
            <div class="container">
                <div class="main-menu">
    <ul class="menu" id="menu-main">
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children"
            style="left: -40px;"><a
                 target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/">Home</a>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item mega-menu menu-item-type-taxonomy mega-menu menu-item-object-category mega-menu menu-item-has-children parent-list"
            style=" margin-left: -40px;"><a href="#">KNOWLEDGE GATEWAY <span class="sub-indicator"></span>
            </a>
            <div class="mega-menu-block background_menu" style="padding-top:25px;">
                <div class="container">
                    <div class="mega-menu-content">
                                                                   <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Farm Crisis</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/farmers039-suicides-14.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Farm Suicides                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/unemployment-30.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Unemployment                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/rural-distress-70.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Rural distress                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/migration-34.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Migration                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/key-facts-72.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Key Facts                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/debt-trap-15.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Debt Trap                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Empowerment</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/union-budget-73.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Union Budget And Other Economic Policies                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/forest-and-tribal-rights-61.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Forest and Tribal Rights                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-education-60.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Right to Education                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-food-59.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Right to Food                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/displacement-3279.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Displacement                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-work-mg-nrega-39.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Right to Work (MG-NREGA)                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/gender-3280.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">GENDER                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-information-58.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Right to Information                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/social-audit-48.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Social Audit                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Hunger / HDI</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/poverty-and-inequality-20499.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Poverty and inequality                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/malnutrition-41.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Malnutrition                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/public-health-51.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Public Health                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/education-50.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Education                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/hunger-overview-40.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Hunger Overview                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/hdi-overview-45.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">HDI Overview                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/pds-ration-food-security-42.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">PDS/ Ration/ Food Security                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/sdgs-113.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">SDGs                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/mid-day-meal-scheme-mdms-53.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Environment</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/time-bomb-ticking-52.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Time Bomb Ticking                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/water-and-sanitation-55.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Water and Sanitation                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/impact-on-agriculture-54.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Impact on Agriculture                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Law & Justice</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/social-justice-20500.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Social Justice                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/access-to-justice-47.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Access to Justice                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/human-rights-56.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Human Rights                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/corruption-35.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Corruption                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/general-insecurity-46.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">General Insecurity                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/disaster-relief-49.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Disaster &amp; Relief                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        
                    </div>
                </div>
            </div>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-post_type  menu-item-object-page "><a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/nceus_reports.php">NCEUS reports</a>
            
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children parent-list ">
            <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html">About Us <span
                    class="sub-indicator"></span></a>
            <ul class="sub-menu aboutmenu">
                <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-post_type  menu-item-object-page"><a
                        target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/objectives-8.html">Objectives</a>
                </li>
                <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-post_type  menu-item-object-page"><a
                         target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/contactus.php">Contact
                        Us</a></li>
                <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-post_type  menu-item-object-page"><a
                         target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html">About
                        Us</a></li>
            </ul>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children ">
            <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/fellowships.php" title="Fellowships">Fellowships</a>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children  "><a
                 target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/media-workshops.php">Workshops</a>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children  "><a
                 target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/research.php">Research</a></li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children   "><a
                 target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/links-64">Partners</a></li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children"
            id="menu-item-539"><a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hindi/"
                                  class="langbutton langlinkfont17">हिन्दी</a></li>
    </ul>
</div>            </div>


                        <!--  <div style="float: right;">
                            <script async src="https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=18b4f2e0f11bed3dd"></script>
                            <div class="gcse-search"></div>
                        </div> -->
                       
            <div class="search-block" style=" margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 7px;">
                <form method="get" id="searchform" name="searchform"
                      action="https://im4change.in/search"
                      onsubmit="return searchvalidate();">
                    <button class="search-button" type="submit" value="Search"></button>
                    <input type="text" id="s" name="qryStr" value=""
                           onfocus="if (this.value == 'Search...') {this.value = '';}"
                           onblur="if (this.value == '') {this.value = 'Search...';}">
                </form>
            </div>
        </nav>
    </header>
    <div class="container">
        <div id="main-content" class=" main1 container fade-in animated3 sidebar-narrow-left">
            <div class="content-wrap">
                <div class="content" style="width: 900px;min-height: 500px;">
                    <section class="cat-box recent-box innerCatRecent">
    <h1 class="cat-box-title">When the RTI ‘Basmasura&#039; chased the government by Vidya Subrahmaniam</h1>
    <a href="JavaScript:void(0);" onclick="return shareArticle(10161);">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/email.png?1582080630" border="0" width="24" align="right" alt="Share this article"/>    </a>

    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271/print"
       rel="nofollow">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/icon-print.png?1582080630" border="0" width="24" align="right" alt="Share this article"/>
    </a>
</section>
<section class="recent-box innerCatRecent">
    <small class="pb-1"><span class="dateIcn">
    	<img src="https://im4change.in/images/published.svg?1582080666" alt="published"/> 
		 Published on</span><span class="text-date"> Sep 26, 2011</span>
        &nbsp; <span
                class="dateIcn">
		 	<img src="https://im4change.in/images/modified.svg?1582080666" alt="modified"/>    	 Modified on </span><span class="text-date"> Sep 26, 2011</span>
    </small>
</section>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 10px;">
    <div class="innerLineHeight">
        <div class="middleContent innerInput latest-news-updates">
            <table>
                <tr>
                    <td>
                                                <div>
                            <br /><div align="justify">When the controversial Finance Ministry note to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on P. Chidambaram's role in 2G spectrum allocation was traced to a Right to Information application, there was surprise &mdash; and some concern &mdash; both within the government and in RTI circles.<br /><br />The government's discomfiture was understandable: The RTI Act, which was its proud creation, recoiled on it much like the boon that Lord Shiva granted Basmasura. In the fable, Basmasura seeks and gets the power to reduce to ashes anyone on whose head he places his hand. The Lord agrees, only to be chased around by Basmasura, who wants to test the boon on Shiva himself. From the Commonwealth Games to 2G, there has been an RTI angle to many of the scams and scandals that have emerged in recent times from the corridors of power. In the old days, a Finance Ministry note like the one that surfaced last week would have been a closely-held secret. Yet this document, used by the Bharatiya Janata Party as a weapon against both the Home Minister and the Prime Minister, was among a sheaf of papers released by the PMO itself. The irony is compounded by the fact that of the two applicants who sought the papers, one was R.K. Garg, convener of the BJP's RTI cell. The other was RTI veteran Subhash Chandra Agarwal.<br /><br />The release of the note obviously placed the government in a quandary: It could hardly argue against its own decision. So while Pranab Mukherjee lauded the transparency of the RTI process in distant Washington, Veerappa Moily struck the first cautionary note. In a newspaper interview, he called for a national debate on the RTI, arguing that the Act could not be allowed to interfere in official decision-making. He also wheeled out the old chestnut of RTI amendments. RTI activists began to press the panic button. Activist Lokesh Batra sent out a message that said: &ldquo;Alert, is this another attempt to dilute the RTI Act?&rdquo;<br /><br />The former Chief Information Commissioner, Wajahat Habibullah, who led the fight against amendments to outlaw file notings, told The Hindu that the RTI Act had acquired too much momentum for it now to be rolled back by the government. He said the Act provided for exemptions which the government could have used to deny information to the applicants. &ldquo;Section 8 provides immunity from disclosure on grounds of national and economic security, privacy and commercial interest. The law does not become bad because the government chose to disclose information.&rdquo;<br /><br />Mr. Habibullah pointed to the vital role played by the RTI in digging out many of the recent scams. The CWG exposure started with a plea by the Organising Committee that it be kept out of the RTI. However, the Central Information Commission ruled that the OC was a public authority which allowed its spending to be scrutinised. This brought out a deluge of damning documents. Similarly, there were RTI queries on the procedure followed in spectrum allotment.<br /><br />Nikhil Dey, convener of the National Campaign for People's Right to Information, said if the government attempted to roll back the RTI or bring in amendments, it would be an admission of its guilt: &ldquo;That will immediately raise questions about its motives.&rdquo; To Mr. Moily's charge that the RTI allowed normal inter-departmental discussions to be misinterpreted as dissensions, Mr. Dey said: &ldquo;The best and most accurate interpretation can come only from full disclosure. It is only through full disclosure that you get a perspective of what happened. Leaks are far more selective and damaging.&rdquo; He also argued that laws could not be enacted to make the government comfortable: &ldquo;If the government feels some discomfort because of disclosure it is not a bad thing.&rdquo;<br /><br />Mr. Agarwal, who has brought out hundreds of secret documents from the vaults of the government, including correspondence between the Prime Minister and the President and between the Prime Minister and the Congress president, salutes Manmohan Singh and the PMO for upholding transparency: &ldquo;With Ms. Gandhi and civil society watching, a rollback is almost ruled out. If despite this, the government dilutes the Act, it will have to pay a heavy price for it.&rdquo;</div>                                                           
                        </div>
                    </td>
                </tr>
            </table>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
    <br><a href="http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2488753.ece" class="re" target="_blank">The Hindu, 27 September, 2011, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2488753.ece</a><div class="clear"></div>
    <div style="padding-top: 18px;">
        <p class="post-tag">Tagged with:
                            <a class="tagcloud5"
                   href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Information"
                   title="Right to Information">
                    Right to Information                </a>
                        </p>
    </div>
<div class="clear"></div>
    <br><br>
    <div class="widget-top">
        <h4>Related Articles</h4>
        <div class="stripe-line"></div>
    </div>
    <div class="widget-container">
        <ul id="recentcomments">
                            <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/west-bengal-government-retracts-rti-reply-on-farmer-suicides-shiv-sahay-singh.html"
                       title="West Bengal Government retracts RTI reply on farmer suicides -Shiv Sahay Singh">
                        West Bengal Government retracts RTI reply on farmer suicides -Shiv Sahay Singh                    </a>
                </li>
                                <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/fortified-rice-is-not-suitable-for-everyone-s-consumption-state-activist-of-asha-and-right-to-food-campaign.html"
                       title="Fortified rice is not suitable for everyone's consumption, state activist of ASHA and Right to Food Campaign">
                        Fortified rice is not suitable for everyone's consumption, state activist of ASHA and Right to Food Campaign                    </a>
                </li>
                                <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/india-has-come-a-long-way-since-1947-but-much-still-needs-to-be-done-virginius-xaxa.html"
                       title="India Has Come a Long Way Since 1947, But Much Still Needs to Be Done -Virginius Xaxa">
                        India Has Come a Long Way Since 1947, But Much Still Needs to Be Done -Virginius Xaxa                    </a>
                </li>
                                <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/right-to-information-transparency-accountability-right-to-hearing/meet-a-ramakrishnan-from-theni-warrior-with-rti-armour-jeyalakshmi-ramanujam.html"
                       title="Meet A Ramakrishnan from Theni -- warrior with RTI armour -Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam">
                        Meet A Ramakrishnan from Theni -- warrior with RTI armour -Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam                    </a>
                </li>
                                <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/0-01-street-vendors-from-minority-communities-benefit-from-centre-s-loan-scheme-finds-rti-query-gaurvi-narang.html"
                       title="‘0.01%’ street vendors from minority communities benefit from Centre’s loan scheme, finds RTI query -Gaurvi Narang">
                        ‘0.01%’ street vendors from minority communities benefit from Centre’s loan scheme, finds RTI query -Gaurvi Narang                    </a>
                </li>
                
        </ul>
    </div>
    <div class="comment-respond" id="respond">
    <a name="commentbox">&nbsp;</a>
    <h3 class="comment-reply-title" id="reply-title">Write Comments</h3>
    <form method="post" accept-charset="utf-8" role="form" action="/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html"><div style="display:none;"><input type="hidden" name="_method" value="POST"/></div>    <form class="comment-form" id="commentform" method="post" action="#commentbox" onSubmit="return validate()"
          name="cmtform">
        <input type="hidden" name="cmttype" value="articlecmt"/>
        <input type="hidden" name="article_id" value="10161"/>
        <p class="comment-notes">Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked <span
                    class="required">*</span></p>
                <p class="comment-form-author">
            <label for="commenterName">Name</label>
            <span class="required">*</span>
            <input type="text" aria-required="true" size="30"
                   value=""
                   name="commenterName" id="commenterName" required="true">
        </p>
        <p class="comment-form-email">
            <label for="commenterEmail">Email</label> <span class="required">*</span>
            <input aria-required="true" size="30" name="commenterEmail" id="commenterEmail" type="email"
                   value=""
                   required="true">
        </p>
        <p class="comment-form-contact">
            <label for="commenterPh">Contact No.</label>
            <input type="text" size="30"
                   value=""
                   name="commenterPh" id="commenterPh">
        </p>
        <p class="comment-form-comment">
            <label for="comment">Comment</label>
            <textarea aria-required="true" required="true" rows="8" cols="45" name="comment"
                      id="comment"></textarea>
        </p>
        <p class="comment-form-comment">
            <label for="comment">Type the characters you see in the image below <span class="required">*</span><br><img
                        class="captchaImg"
                        src="https://im4change.in/securimage_show_art.php?tk=1223973198" alt="captcha"/>
            </label>
        </p>
        <input type="text" name="vrcode" required="true"/>

        <p class="form-submit" style="width: 200px;">
            <input type="submit" value="Post Comment" id="submit" name="submit">
        </p></form>
</div>
<style>
    .ui-widget-content {
        height: auto !important;
    }
</style>
<div id="share-modal"></div>
<style>
    .middleContent a{
        background-color: rgba(108,172,228,.2);
    }
    .middleContent a:hover{
        background-color: #418fde;
        border-color: #418fde;
        color: #000;
        }
</style>
<script>
    function shareArticle(article_id) {
        var options = {
            modal: true,
            height: 'auto',
            width: 600 + 'px'
        };
        $('#share-modal').html("");
        $('#share-modal').load('https://im4change.in/share_article?article_id=' + article_id).dialog(options).dialog('open');
    }

    function postShare() {
        var param = 'article_id=' + $("#article_id").val();
        param = param + '&y_name=' + $("#y_name").val();
        param = param + '&y_email=' + $("#y_email").val();
        param = param + '&f_name=' + $("#f_name").val();
        param = param + '&f_email=' + $("#f_email").val();
        param = param + '&y_msg=' + $("#y_msg").val();

        $.ajax({
            type: "POST",
            url: 'https://im4change.in/post_share_article',
            data: param,
            success: function (response) {
                $('#share-modal').html("Thank You, Your message posted to ");
            }
        });
        return false;
    }
</script>                </div>
            </div>
            <!-- Right Side Section Start -->
<!-- MAP Section START -->
<aside class="sidebar indexMarg">
    <div class="ad-cell">
        <a href="https://im4change.in/statemap.php" title="">
            <img src="https://im4change.in/images/map_new_version.png?1582080666" alt="India State Map" class="indiamap" width="232" height="252"/>        </a>
        <div class="rightmapbox">
            <div id="sideOne" class="docltitle"><a href="https://im4change.in/state-report/india/36" target="_blank">DOCUMENTS/
                    REPORTS</a></div>
            <div id="sideTwo" class="statetitle"><a href="https://im4change.in/states.php"target="_blank">STATE DATA/
                    HDRs.</a></div>
        </div>
        <div class="widget widgePadTop"></div>
    </div>
</aside>
<!-- MAP Section END -->
<aside class="sidebar sidePadbottom">
    <div class="rightsmlbox1" >
        <a href="https://im4change.in/knowledge_gateway" target="_blank" style="color: #035588;
    font-size: 17px;">
            KNOWLEDGE GATEWAY
        </a>
    </div>
    <div class="rightsmlbox1">

        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
                <a href="https://im4change.in/newsletter" target="_blank">
                    NEWSLETTER
                </a>
            </p>
        </div>
    </div>
        <div class="rightsmlbox1" style="height: 325px;">
        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
                Interview with Prof. Ravi Srivastava
            </p>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/interview-with-prof-ravi-srivastava-on-current-economic-crisis">
                <img width="250" height="200" src="/images/interview_video_home.jpg" alt="Interview with Prof. Ravi Srivastava"/>
                </a>
                <!--
                <iframe width="250" height="200" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MmaTlntk-wc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>-->
               
            </p>
            <a href="https://im4change.in/videogallery" class="more-link CatArchalAnch1" target="_blank">
                                More videos
                            </a>
        </div>
    </div>
    
        <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <div>
            <!--div id="sstory" class="rightboxicons"></div--->
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a href="https://im4change.in/list-success-stories"  target="_blank">Success Stories</a></p>
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a
                        href="https://im4change.in/interviews"  target="_blank">Interviews</a>
            </p>
        </div>
    </div>

    <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a href="https://www.commoncause.in/page.php?id=10" >Donate</a></p>
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a
        href="https://im4change.in/marquee"
        class="isf_link more-link" title="India Focus?" style="border: 4px solid #fdd922;width: 90%;background-color: #fdd922;text-align: center;color: #000000;font-size:18px"  target="_blank">India Focus</a></p>        </div>
    </div>

    <div class="rightsmlbox1" style="height: 104px !important;">
        <a href="https://im4change.in/quarterly_reports.php" target="_blank">
            Quarterly Reports on Effect of Economic Slowdown on Employment in India (2008 - 2015)
        </a>
    </div>
    
<!--     <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.im4.im4change" target="_blank">
            
        </a></div> -->
    <!-- <section class="cat-box recent-box secMarg">
        <h2 class="cat-box-title">Most Visited</h2>
    </section> -->
    <!-- accordion Starts here -->
    <!-- <div id="accordion" class="accordMarg">
            </div> -->
    <!-- accordion ends here -->
    <!-- Widget Tag Cloud Starts here -->
    <div id="tag_cloud-2" class="widget widget_tag_cloud">
        <section class="cat-box recent-box secMarg">
                <h2 class="cat-box-title">MOST VISITED TAGS</h2>
            </section>
        <div class="widget-top wiPdTp">
           
            <div class="stripe-line"></div>
        </div>
        <div class="widget-container">
            <div class="tagcloud">
                                    <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Agriculture"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Agriculture</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Food Security"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Food Security</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Law and Justice"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Law and Justice</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Health"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Health</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Food"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Right to Food</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Corruption"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Corruption</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=farming"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">farming</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Environment"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Environment</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Information"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Right to Information</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=NREGS"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">NREGS</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Human Rights"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Human Rights</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Governance"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Governance</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PDS"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PDS</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=COVID-19"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">COVID-19</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Land Acquisition"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Land Acquisition</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=mgnrega"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">mgnrega</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Farmers"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Farmers</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=transparency"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">transparency</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Gender"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Gender</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Poverty"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Poverty</a>
                                    
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Farm Laws" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Farm Laws
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Citizenship Amendment Act" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Citizenship Amendment Act
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=CAA NPR NRIC" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">CAA NPR NRIC
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Job Losses" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Job Losses
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Migrant Workers" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Migrant Workers
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Unemployment" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Unemployment
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PMGKAY" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PMGKAY
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PM-KISAN" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PM-KISAN
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PM-CARES" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PM-CARES
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=LFPR" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">LFPR
                </a>
                
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <!-- Widget Tag Cloud Ends here -->
</aside>
<!-- Right Side Section End -->
        </div>
        <section class="cat-box cats-review-box footerSec">
    <h2 class="cat-box-title vSec CatArcha">Video
        Archives</h2>
    <h2 class="cat-box-title CatArchaTitle">Archives</h2>
    <div class="cat-box-content">
        <div class="reviews-cat">
            <div class="CatArchaDiv1">
                <div class="CatArchaDiv2">
                    <ul>
                                                    <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/moving-upstream-luni-fellowship.html"  target="_blank">
                                     Moving Upstream: Luni – Fellowship                                </a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/135-million-indians-exited-multidimensional-poverty-as-per-government-figures-is-that-the-same-as-poverty-reduction.html"  target="_blank">
                                     135 Million Indians Exited “Multidimensional" Poverty as per Government...                                </a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/explainer-why-are-tomato-prices-on-fire.html"  target="_blank">
                                     Explainer: Why are Tomato Prices on Fire?                                </a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/nsso-survey-only-39-1-of-all-households-have-drinking-water-within-dwelling-46-7-of-rural-households-use-firewood-for-cooking.html"  target="_blank">
                                     NSSO Survey: Only 39.1% of all Households have Drinking...                                </a>
                            </li>
                                                    <li class="CatArchalLi1">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57"
                               class="more-link CatArchalAnch1"  target="_blank">
                                More...
                            </a>
                        </li>
                    </ul>
                </div>
                                    <div class="CatArchaWidth">
                        <img class="CatArchaImg"
                             src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/I51LYnP8BOk/1.jpg"
                             alt=" Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org...">
                        <p class="CatArchaPPad">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Short-Video-on-im4change-Hindi-website-Inclusive-Media-for-Change"  target="_blank">
                                 Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org...                            </a>
                        </p>
                    </div>
                                        <div class="CatArchaWidth">
                        <img class="CatArchaImg"
                             src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/kNqha-SwfIY/1.jpg"
                             alt=" "Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring...">
                        <p class="CatArchaPPad">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-1- Scope-of-IDEA-and-AgriStack-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022"  target="_blank">
                                 "Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring...                            </a>
                        </p>
                    </div>
                                        <div class="CatArchaWidth">
                        <img class="CatArchaImg"
                             src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/6kIVjlgZItk/1.jpg"
                             alt=" "Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...">
                        <p class="CatArchaPPad">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-2-Farmer-Centric-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022"  target="_blank">
                                 "Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...                            </a>
                        </p>
                    </div>
                                        <div class="CatArchaWidth">
                        <img class="CatArchaImg"
                             src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/2BeHTu0y7xc/1.jpg"
                             alt=" "Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...">
                        <p class="CatArchaPPad">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-3-Future-of-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022"  target="_blank">
                                 "Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...                            </a>
                        </p>
                    </div>
                    


                <div class="divWidth">
                    <ul class="divWidthMarg">
                                                    <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Public-Spending-on-Agriculture-in-India-Source-Foundation-for-Agrarian-Studies"
                                   title="Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for Agrarian Studies)"  target="_blank">
                                     Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for...</a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Agrarian-Change-Seminar-Protests-against-the-New-Farm-Laws-in-India-by-Prof-Vikas-Rawal-JNU-Source-Journal-Of-Agrarian-Change"
                                   title="Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws in India' by Prof. Vikas Rawal, JNU (Source: Journal Of Agrarian Change) "  target="_blank">
                                     Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws...</a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Webinar-Ramrao-The-Story-of-India-Farm-Crisis-Source-Azim-Premji-University"
                                   title="Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis (Source: Azim Premji University)"  target="_blank">
                                     Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis...</a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/water-and-agricultural-transformation-in-India"
                                   title="Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship (Source: IGIDR)"  target="_blank">
                                     Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship...</a>
                            </li>
                                                    <li class="CatArchalLi1">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/videogallery"
                               class="more-link CatArchalAnch1"  target="_blank">
                                More...
                            </a>
                        </li>
                    </ul>
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</section>    </div>
    <div class="clear"></div>
    <!-- Footer option Starts here -->
    <div class="footer-bottom fade-in animated4">
        <div class="container">
            <div class="social-icons icon_flat">
                <p class="SocialMargTop"> Website Developed by <a target="_blank" title="Web Development"
                                                                  class="wot right"
                                                                  href="http://www.ravinderkhurana.com/" rel="nofollow">
                                                                  RAVINDErkHURANA.com</a></p>
            </div>
            <div class="alignleft">
                <a
     target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/objectives-8.html"
    class="link"
    title="Objectives">Objectives</a> | <a
     target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html"
    class="link" title="About Us">About Us</a> | <a
     target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/media-workshops.php"
    class="ucwords">Workshops</a> | <a
     target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/disclaimer/disclaimer-149.html"
    title="Disclaimer">Disclaimer</a>            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <!-- Footer option ends here -->
</div>
<div id="connect">
    <a target="_blank"
       href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html"
       title="Share on Facebook">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/Facebook.png?1582080640" alt="share on Facebook" class="ImgBorder"/>
    </a><br/>
    <a target="_blank"
       href="http://twitter.com/share?text=Im4change&amp;url=https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html"
       title="Share on Twitter">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/twitter.png?1582080632" alt="Twitter" class="ImgBorder"/>    </a>
    <br/>
    <a href="/feeds" title="RSS Feed" target="_blank">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/rss.png?1582080632" alt="RSS" class="ImgBorder"/>
    </a>
    <br/>
    <a class="feedback-link" id="feedbackFormLink" href="#">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/feedback.png?1582080630" alt="Feedback" class="ImgBorder"/>
    </a> <br/>
    <a href="javascript:function iprl5(){var d=document,z=d.createElement('scr'+'ipt'),b=d.body,l=d.location;try{if(!b)throw(0);d.title='(Saving...) '+d.title;z.setAttribute('src',l.protocol+'//www.instapaper.com/j/WKrH3R7ORD5p?u='+encodeURIComponent(l.href)+'&amp;t='+(new Date().getTime()));b.appendChild(z);}catch(e){alert('Please wait until the page has loaded.');}}iprl5();void(0)"
       class="bookmarklet" onclick="return explain_bookmarklet();">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/read-it-later.png?1582080632" alt="Read Later" class="ImgBorder"/>    </a>
</div>
<!-- Feedback form Starts here -->
<div id="feedbackForm" class="overlay_form" class="ImgBorder">
    <h2>Contact Form</h2>
    <div id="contactform1">
        <div id="formleft">
            <form id="submitform" action="/contactus.php" method="post">
                <input type="hidden" name="submitform" value="submitform"/>
                <input type="hidden" name="salt_key" value="a0e0f2c6a0644a70e57ad2c96829709a"/>
                <input type="hidden" name="ref" value="feedback"/>
                <fieldset>
                    <label>Name :</label>
                    <input type="text" name="name" class="tbox" required/>
                </fieldset>
                <fieldset>
                    <label>Email :</label>
                    <input type="text" name="email" class="tbox" required/>
                </fieldset>
                <fieldset>
                    <label>Message :</label>
                    <textarea rows="5" cols="20" name="message" required></textarea>
                </fieldset>
                <fieldset>
                    Please enter security code
                    <div class="clear"></div>
                    <input type="text" name="vrcode" class="tbox"/>
                </fieldset>
                <fieldset>
                    <input type="submit" class="button" value="Submit"/>
                    &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="#" id="closefeedbakcformLink">Close</a>
                </fieldset>
            </form>
        </div>
        <div class="clearfix"></div>
    </div>
</div>
<div id="donate_popup" class="modal" style="max-width: 800px;">
    <table width="100%" border="1">
        <tr>
            <td colspan="2" align="center">
                <b>Support im4change</b>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td width="25%" valign="middle">
                <img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo2.jpg?1582080632" alt="" width="100%"/>            </td>
            <td style="padding-left:10px;padding-top:10px;">
                <form action="https://im4change.in/donate" method="get">
                    <table width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
                        <tr>
                            <td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                10
                            </td>
                            <td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                100
                            </td>
                            <td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                1000
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td colspan="3">
                                &nbsp;
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td  style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                50
                            </td>
                            <td  style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                500
                            </td>
                            <td  style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                <input type="text" name="price" placeholder="?" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td colspan="3">
                                &nbsp;
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td colspan="3" align="right">
                                <input type="button" name="Pay" value="Pay"
                                       style="width: 200px;background-color: rgb(205, 35, 36);color: #ffffff;"/>
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                    </table>
                </form>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </table>
</div><script type='text/javascript'>

    /* <![CDATA[ */

    var tievar = {'go_to': 'Go to...'};

    /* ]]> */

</script>
<script src="/js/tie-scripts.js?1575549704"></script><script src="/js/bootstrap.js?1575549704"></script><script src="/js/jquery.modal.min.js?1578284310"></script><script>
    $(document).ready(function() {
        // tell the autocomplete function to get its data from our php script
        $('#s').autocomplete({
            source: "/autocomplete"
        });
    });
</script>
<script src="/vj-main-sw-register.js" async></script>

<script>function init(){var imgDefer=document.getElementsByTagName('img');for(var i=0;i<imgDefer.length;i++){if(imgDefer[i].getAttribute('data-src')){imgDefer[i].setAttribute('src',imgDefer[i].getAttribute('data-src'))}}}
window.onload=init;</script>
</body>
</html>'

}
$maxBufferLength = (int) 8192
$file = '/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php'
$line = (int) 853
$message = 'Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853'
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emit() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48
Cake\Http\Server::emit() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 141
[main] - ROOT/webroot/index.php, line 39

Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Code Context
            $response->getStatusCode(),

            ($reasonPhrase ? ' ' . $reasonPhrase : '')

        ));
$response = object(Cake\Http\Response) {

	'status' => (int) 200,
	'contentType' => 'text/html',
	'headers' => [
		'Content-Type' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
	],
	'file' => null,
	'fileRange' => [],
	'cookies' => object(Cake\Http\Cookie\CookieCollection) {},
	'cacheDirectives' => [],
	'body' => '<!DOCTYPE html>
<!--[if lt IE 7 ]>
<html class="ie ie6" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 7 ]>
<html class="ie ie7" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 8 ]>
<html class="ie ie8" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if (gte IE 9)|!(IE)]><!-->
<html lang='en'>
<!--<![endif]-->
<head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
    
    <title>
        LATEST NEWS UPDATES | When the RTI ‘Basmasura&#039; chased the government by Vidya Subrahmaniam    </title>
    <meta name="description" content="

When the controversial Finance Ministry note to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on P. Chidambaram's role in 2G spectrum allocation was traced to a Right to Information application, there was surprise &mdash; and some concern &mdash; both within the government..."/>
    <meta name="keywords" content="Right to Information"/>
    <meta name="news_keywords" content="Right to Information">
   
    <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="ROR" href="/ror.xml"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS 2.0" href="/feeds/"/>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/bootstrap.min.css?1697864993"/>    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style.css?v=1.1.2"/>    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style-inner.css?1577045210"/>    <link rel="stylesheet" id="Oswald-css"
          href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Oswald%3Aregular%2C700&amp;ver=3.8.1" type="text/css"
          media="all">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/jquery.modal.min.css?1578285302"/>    <script src="/js/jquery-1.10.2.js?1575549704"></script>    <script src="/js/jquery-migrate.min.js?1575549704"></script>    <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" title="Favicon">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/jquery-ui.css?1580720609"/>    <script src="/js/jquery-ui.js?1575549704"></script>    <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/custom.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/jquery.modal.min.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/jquery-ui.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/li-scroller.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<!-- <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/style.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous"> -->
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/style-inner.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">

<link rel='dns-prefetch' href="//im4change.org/css/custom.css" crossorigin >

<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/bootstrap.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.li-scroller.1.0.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.modal.min.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.ui.totop.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-1.10.2.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-migrate.min.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-ui.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/setting.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/tie-scripts.js">
    <!--[if IE]>
    <script type="text/javascript">jQuery(document).ready(function () {
        jQuery(".menu-item").has("ul").children("a").attr("aria-haspopup", "true");
    });</script>
    <![endif]-->
    <!--[if lt IE 9]>
    <script src="/js/html5.js"></script>
    <script src="/js/selectivizr-min.js"></script>
    <![endif]-->
    <!--[if IE 8]>
    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="/css/ie8.css"/>
    <![endif]-->
    <meta property="og:title" content="LATEST NEWS UPDATES | When the RTI ‘Basmasura&#039; chased the government by Vidya Subrahmaniam" />
     <meta property="og:url" content="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html" />
     <meta property="og:type" content="article" />
     <meta property="og:description" content="

When the controversial Finance Ministry note to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on P. Chidambaram's role in 2G spectrum allocation was traced to a Right to Information application, there was surprise &mdash; and some concern &mdash; both within the government..." />
     <meta property="og:image" content="" />
      <meta property="fb:app_id" content="0" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no">

       <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple1.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="120x120" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple2.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple3.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple4.png">

    <style>
    .gsc-results-wrapper-overlay{
        top: 38% !important;
        height: 50% !important;
    }
    .gsc-search-button-v2{
        border-color: #035588 !important;
        background-color: #035588 !important;
    }

   .gsib_a{
        height: 30px !important;
          padding: 2px 8px 1px 6px !important;
    }

   
    .gsc-search-button-v2{
        height: 41px !important;
    }
    input.gsc-input{
        background: none !important;
    }
    @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {
        .gsc-results-wrapper-overlay{
            top: 11% !important;
            width: 87% !important;
            left: 9% !important;
            height: 43% !important;
        }

        .gsc-search-button-v2{
            padding: 10px 10px !important;
        
        }
        .gsc-input-box{
            height: 28px !important;
        }
       /* .gsib_a {
            padding: 0px 9px 4px 9px !important;
        }*/
    }
    @media only screen and (min-width: 1200px) and (max-width: 1920px) {
        table.gsc-search-box{
            width: 15% !important;
            float: right !important;
            margin-top: -118px !important;
        }

        .gsc-search-button-v2 {
            
            padding: 6px !important;
           
        }
    }


</style>

    <script>
        $(function () {
            $("#accordion").accordion({
                event: "click hoverintent"
            });
        });

        /*
         * hoverIntent | Copyright 2011 Brian Cherne
         * http://cherne.net/brian/resources/jquery.hoverIntent.html
         * modified by the jQuery UI team
         */
        $.event.special.hoverintent = {
            setup: function () {
                $(this).bind("mouseover", jQuery.event.special.hoverintent.handler);
            },
            teardown: function () {
                $(this).unbind("mouseover", jQuery.event.special.hoverintent.handler);
            },
            handler: function (event) {
                var currentX, currentY, timeout,
                    args = arguments,
                    target = $(event.target),
                    previousX = event.pageX,
                    previousY = event.pageY;

                function track(event) {
                    currentX = event.pageX;
                    currentY = event.pageY;
                }
                ;

                function clear() {
                    target
                        .unbind("mousemove", track)
                        .unbind("mouseout", clear);
                    clearTimeout(timeout);
                }

                function handler() {
                    var prop,
                        orig = event;
                    if ((Math.abs(previousX - currentX) +
                        Math.abs(previousY - currentY)) < 7) {
                        clear();
                        event = $.Event("hoverintent");
                        for (prop in orig) {
                            if (!(prop in event)) {
                                event[prop] = orig[prop];
                            }
                        }
                        // Prevent accessing the original event since the new event
                        // is fired asynchronously and the old event is no longer
                        // usable (#6028)
                        delete event.originalEvent;
                        target.trigger(event);
                    } else {
                        previousX = currentX;
                        previousY = currentY;
                        timeout = setTimeout(handler, 100);
                    }
                }

                timeout = setTimeout(handler, 100);
                target.bind({
                    mousemove: track,
                    mouseout: clear
                });
            }
        };
    </script>
    <script type="text/javascript">
        var _gaq = _gaq || [];
        _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-472075-3']);
        _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

        (function () {
            var ga = document.createElement('script');
            ga.type = 'text/javascript';
            ga.async = true;
            ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
            var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
            s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
        })();
    </script>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/custom.css?v=1.16"/>    <script src="/js/jquery.ui.totop.js?1575549704"></script>    <script src="/js/setting.js?1575549704"></script>    <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json">
    <meta name="theme-color" content="#616163" />
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes">
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black">
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-title" content="im4change">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/icons/logo-192x192.png">
</head>
<body id="top" class="home inner blog">
<div class="background-cover"></div>
<div class="wrapper animated">
    <header id="theme-header" class="header_inner" style="position: relative;">
        <div class="logo inner_logo" style="left:20px !important">
                <a title="Home" href="https://im4change.in/">
                    <img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo2.jpg?1582080632" class="logo_image" alt="im4change"/>                </a>
        </div>
        <div class="langhindi" style="color: #000;display:none;"
             href="https://im4change.in/">
            <a class="more-link" href="https://im4change.in/">Home</a>
                        <a href="https://im4change.in/hindi/" class="langbutton ">हिन्दी</a>
                    </div>
        <nav class="fade-in animated2" id="main-nav">
            <div class="container">
                <div class="main-menu">
    <ul class="menu" id="menu-main">
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children"
            style="left: -40px;"><a
                 target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/">Home</a>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item mega-menu menu-item-type-taxonomy mega-menu menu-item-object-category mega-menu menu-item-has-children parent-list"
            style=" margin-left: -40px;"><a href="#">KNOWLEDGE GATEWAY <span class="sub-indicator"></span>
            </a>
            <div class="mega-menu-block background_menu" style="padding-top:25px;">
                <div class="container">
                    <div class="mega-menu-content">
                                                                   <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Farm Crisis</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/farmers039-suicides-14.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Farm Suicides                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/unemployment-30.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Unemployment                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/rural-distress-70.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Rural distress                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/migration-34.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Migration                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/key-facts-72.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Key Facts                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/debt-trap-15.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Debt Trap                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Empowerment</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/union-budget-73.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Union Budget And Other Economic Policies                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/forest-and-tribal-rights-61.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Forest and Tribal Rights                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-education-60.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Right to Education                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-food-59.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Right to Food                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/displacement-3279.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Displacement                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-work-mg-nrega-39.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Right to Work (MG-NREGA)                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/gender-3280.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">GENDER                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-information-58.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Right to Information                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/social-audit-48.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Social Audit                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Hunger / HDI</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/poverty-and-inequality-20499.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Poverty and inequality                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/malnutrition-41.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Malnutrition                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/public-health-51.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Public Health                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/education-50.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Education                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/hunger-overview-40.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Hunger Overview                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/hdi-overview-45.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">HDI Overview                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/pds-ration-food-security-42.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">PDS/ Ration/ Food Security                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/sdgs-113.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">SDGs                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/mid-day-meal-scheme-mdms-53.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Environment</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/time-bomb-ticking-52.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Time Bomb Ticking                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/water-and-sanitation-55.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Water and Sanitation                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/impact-on-agriculture-54.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Impact on Agriculture                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Law & Justice</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/social-justice-20500.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Social Justice                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/access-to-justice-47.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Access to Justice                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/human-rights-56.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Human Rights                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/corruption-35.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Corruption                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/general-insecurity-46.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">General Insecurity                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/disaster-relief-49.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Disaster &amp; Relief                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        
                    </div>
                </div>
            </div>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-post_type  menu-item-object-page "><a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/nceus_reports.php">NCEUS reports</a>
            
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children parent-list ">
            <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html">About Us <span
                    class="sub-indicator"></span></a>
            <ul class="sub-menu aboutmenu">
                <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-post_type  menu-item-object-page"><a
                        target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/objectives-8.html">Objectives</a>
                </li>
                <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-post_type  menu-item-object-page"><a
                         target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/contactus.php">Contact
                        Us</a></li>
                <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-post_type  menu-item-object-page"><a
                         target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html">About
                        Us</a></li>
            </ul>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children ">
            <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/fellowships.php" title="Fellowships">Fellowships</a>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children  "><a
                 target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/media-workshops.php">Workshops</a>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children  "><a
                 target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/research.php">Research</a></li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children   "><a
                 target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/links-64">Partners</a></li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children"
            id="menu-item-539"><a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hindi/"
                                  class="langbutton langlinkfont17">हिन्दी</a></li>
    </ul>
</div>            </div>


                        <!--  <div style="float: right;">
                            <script async src="https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=18b4f2e0f11bed3dd"></script>
                            <div class="gcse-search"></div>
                        </div> -->
                       
            <div class="search-block" style=" margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 7px;">
                <form method="get" id="searchform" name="searchform"
                      action="https://im4change.in/search"
                      onsubmit="return searchvalidate();">
                    <button class="search-button" type="submit" value="Search"></button>
                    <input type="text" id="s" name="qryStr" value=""
                           onfocus="if (this.value == 'Search...') {this.value = '';}"
                           onblur="if (this.value == '') {this.value = 'Search...';}">
                </form>
            </div>
        </nav>
    </header>
    <div class="container">
        <div id="main-content" class=" main1 container fade-in animated3 sidebar-narrow-left">
            <div class="content-wrap">
                <div class="content" style="width: 900px;min-height: 500px;">
                    <section class="cat-box recent-box innerCatRecent">
    <h1 class="cat-box-title">When the RTI ‘Basmasura&#039; chased the government by Vidya Subrahmaniam</h1>
    <a href="JavaScript:void(0);" onclick="return shareArticle(10161);">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/email.png?1582080630" border="0" width="24" align="right" alt="Share this article"/>    </a>

    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271/print"
       rel="nofollow">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/icon-print.png?1582080630" border="0" width="24" align="right" alt="Share this article"/>
    </a>
</section>
<section class="recent-box innerCatRecent">
    <small class="pb-1"><span class="dateIcn">
    	<img src="https://im4change.in/images/published.svg?1582080666" alt="published"/> 
		 Published on</span><span class="text-date"> Sep 26, 2011</span>
        &nbsp; <span
                class="dateIcn">
		 	<img src="https://im4change.in/images/modified.svg?1582080666" alt="modified"/>    	 Modified on </span><span class="text-date"> Sep 26, 2011</span>
    </small>
</section>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 10px;">
    <div class="innerLineHeight">
        <div class="middleContent innerInput latest-news-updates">
            <table>
                <tr>
                    <td>
                                                <div>
                            <br /><div align="justify">When the controversial Finance Ministry note to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on P. Chidambaram's role in 2G spectrum allocation was traced to a Right to Information application, there was surprise &mdash; and some concern &mdash; both within the government and in RTI circles.<br /><br />The government's discomfiture was understandable: The RTI Act, which was its proud creation, recoiled on it much like the boon that Lord Shiva granted Basmasura. In the fable, Basmasura seeks and gets the power to reduce to ashes anyone on whose head he places his hand. The Lord agrees, only to be chased around by Basmasura, who wants to test the boon on Shiva himself. From the Commonwealth Games to 2G, there has been an RTI angle to many of the scams and scandals that have emerged in recent times from the corridors of power. In the old days, a Finance Ministry note like the one that surfaced last week would have been a closely-held secret. Yet this document, used by the Bharatiya Janata Party as a weapon against both the Home Minister and the Prime Minister, was among a sheaf of papers released by the PMO itself. The irony is compounded by the fact that of the two applicants who sought the papers, one was R.K. Garg, convener of the BJP's RTI cell. The other was RTI veteran Subhash Chandra Agarwal.<br /><br />The release of the note obviously placed the government in a quandary: It could hardly argue against its own decision. So while Pranab Mukherjee lauded the transparency of the RTI process in distant Washington, Veerappa Moily struck the first cautionary note. In a newspaper interview, he called for a national debate on the RTI, arguing that the Act could not be allowed to interfere in official decision-making. He also wheeled out the old chestnut of RTI amendments. RTI activists began to press the panic button. Activist Lokesh Batra sent out a message that said: &ldquo;Alert, is this another attempt to dilute the RTI Act?&rdquo;<br /><br />The former Chief Information Commissioner, Wajahat Habibullah, who led the fight against amendments to outlaw file notings, told The Hindu that the RTI Act had acquired too much momentum for it now to be rolled back by the government. He said the Act provided for exemptions which the government could have used to deny information to the applicants. &ldquo;Section 8 provides immunity from disclosure on grounds of national and economic security, privacy and commercial interest. The law does not become bad because the government chose to disclose information.&rdquo;<br /><br />Mr. Habibullah pointed to the vital role played by the RTI in digging out many of the recent scams. The CWG exposure started with a plea by the Organising Committee that it be kept out of the RTI. However, the Central Information Commission ruled that the OC was a public authority which allowed its spending to be scrutinised. This brought out a deluge of damning documents. Similarly, there were RTI queries on the procedure followed in spectrum allotment.<br /><br />Nikhil Dey, convener of the National Campaign for People's Right to Information, said if the government attempted to roll back the RTI or bring in amendments, it would be an admission of its guilt: &ldquo;That will immediately raise questions about its motives.&rdquo; To Mr. Moily's charge that the RTI allowed normal inter-departmental discussions to be misinterpreted as dissensions, Mr. Dey said: &ldquo;The best and most accurate interpretation can come only from full disclosure. It is only through full disclosure that you get a perspective of what happened. Leaks are far more selective and damaging.&rdquo; He also argued that laws could not be enacted to make the government comfortable: &ldquo;If the government feels some discomfort because of disclosure it is not a bad thing.&rdquo;<br /><br />Mr. Agarwal, who has brought out hundreds of secret documents from the vaults of the government, including correspondence between the Prime Minister and the President and between the Prime Minister and the Congress president, salutes Manmohan Singh and the PMO for upholding transparency: &ldquo;With Ms. Gandhi and civil society watching, a rollback is almost ruled out. If despite this, the government dilutes the Act, it will have to pay a heavy price for it.&rdquo;</div>                                                           
                        </div>
                    </td>
                </tr>
            </table>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
    <br><a href="http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2488753.ece" class="re" target="_blank">The Hindu, 27 September, 2011, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2488753.ece</a><div class="clear"></div>
    <div style="padding-top: 18px;">
        <p class="post-tag">Tagged with:
                            <a class="tagcloud5"
                   href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Information"
                   title="Right to Information">
                    Right to Information                </a>
                        </p>
    </div>
<div class="clear"></div>
    <br><br>
    <div class="widget-top">
        <h4>Related Articles</h4>
        <div class="stripe-line"></div>
    </div>
    <div class="widget-container">
        <ul id="recentcomments">
                            <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/west-bengal-government-retracts-rti-reply-on-farmer-suicides-shiv-sahay-singh.html"
                       title="West Bengal Government retracts RTI reply on farmer suicides -Shiv Sahay Singh">
                        West Bengal Government retracts RTI reply on farmer suicides -Shiv Sahay Singh                    </a>
                </li>
                                <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/fortified-rice-is-not-suitable-for-everyone-s-consumption-state-activist-of-asha-and-right-to-food-campaign.html"
                       title="Fortified rice is not suitable for everyone's consumption, state activist of ASHA and Right to Food Campaign">
                        Fortified rice is not suitable for everyone's consumption, state activist of ASHA and Right to Food Campaign                    </a>
                </li>
                                <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/india-has-come-a-long-way-since-1947-but-much-still-needs-to-be-done-virginius-xaxa.html"
                       title="India Has Come a Long Way Since 1947, But Much Still Needs to Be Done -Virginius Xaxa">
                        India Has Come a Long Way Since 1947, But Much Still Needs to Be Done -Virginius Xaxa                    </a>
                </li>
                                <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/right-to-information-transparency-accountability-right-to-hearing/meet-a-ramakrishnan-from-theni-warrior-with-rti-armour-jeyalakshmi-ramanujam.html"
                       title="Meet A Ramakrishnan from Theni -- warrior with RTI armour -Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam">
                        Meet A Ramakrishnan from Theni -- warrior with RTI armour -Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam                    </a>
                </li>
                                <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/0-01-street-vendors-from-minority-communities-benefit-from-centre-s-loan-scheme-finds-rti-query-gaurvi-narang.html"
                       title="‘0.01%’ street vendors from minority communities benefit from Centre’s loan scheme, finds RTI query -Gaurvi Narang">
                        ‘0.01%’ street vendors from minority communities benefit from Centre’s loan scheme, finds RTI query -Gaurvi Narang                    </a>
                </li>
                
        </ul>
    </div>
    <div class="comment-respond" id="respond">
    <a name="commentbox">&nbsp;</a>
    <h3 class="comment-reply-title" id="reply-title">Write Comments</h3>
    <form method="post" accept-charset="utf-8" role="form" action="/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html"><div style="display:none;"><input type="hidden" name="_method" value="POST"/></div>    <form class="comment-form" id="commentform" method="post" action="#commentbox" onSubmit="return validate()"
          name="cmtform">
        <input type="hidden" name="cmttype" value="articlecmt"/>
        <input type="hidden" name="article_id" value="10161"/>
        <p class="comment-notes">Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked <span
                    class="required">*</span></p>
                <p class="comment-form-author">
            <label for="commenterName">Name</label>
            <span class="required">*</span>
            <input type="text" aria-required="true" size="30"
                   value=""
                   name="commenterName" id="commenterName" required="true">
        </p>
        <p class="comment-form-email">
            <label for="commenterEmail">Email</label> <span class="required">*</span>
            <input aria-required="true" size="30" name="commenterEmail" id="commenterEmail" type="email"
                   value=""
                   required="true">
        </p>
        <p class="comment-form-contact">
            <label for="commenterPh">Contact No.</label>
            <input type="text" size="30"
                   value=""
                   name="commenterPh" id="commenterPh">
        </p>
        <p class="comment-form-comment">
            <label for="comment">Comment</label>
            <textarea aria-required="true" required="true" rows="8" cols="45" name="comment"
                      id="comment"></textarea>
        </p>
        <p class="comment-form-comment">
            <label for="comment">Type the characters you see in the image below <span class="required">*</span><br><img
                        class="captchaImg"
                        src="https://im4change.in/securimage_show_art.php?tk=1223973198" alt="captcha"/>
            </label>
        </p>
        <input type="text" name="vrcode" required="true"/>

        <p class="form-submit" style="width: 200px;">
            <input type="submit" value="Post Comment" id="submit" name="submit">
        </p></form>
</div>
<style>
    .ui-widget-content {
        height: auto !important;
    }
</style>
<div id="share-modal"></div>
<style>
    .middleContent a{
        background-color: rgba(108,172,228,.2);
    }
    .middleContent a:hover{
        background-color: #418fde;
        border-color: #418fde;
        color: #000;
        }
</style>
<script>
    function shareArticle(article_id) {
        var options = {
            modal: true,
            height: 'auto',
            width: 600 + 'px'
        };
        $('#share-modal').html("");
        $('#share-modal').load('https://im4change.in/share_article?article_id=' + article_id).dialog(options).dialog('open');
    }

    function postShare() {
        var param = 'article_id=' + $("#article_id").val();
        param = param + '&y_name=' + $("#y_name").val();
        param = param + '&y_email=' + $("#y_email").val();
        param = param + '&f_name=' + $("#f_name").val();
        param = param + '&f_email=' + $("#f_email").val();
        param = param + '&y_msg=' + $("#y_msg").val();

        $.ajax({
            type: "POST",
            url: 'https://im4change.in/post_share_article',
            data: param,
            success: function (response) {
                $('#share-modal').html("Thank You, Your message posted to ");
            }
        });
        return false;
    }
</script>                </div>
            </div>
            <!-- Right Side Section Start -->
<!-- MAP Section START -->
<aside class="sidebar indexMarg">
    <div class="ad-cell">
        <a href="https://im4change.in/statemap.php" title="">
            <img src="https://im4change.in/images/map_new_version.png?1582080666" alt="India State Map" class="indiamap" width="232" height="252"/>        </a>
        <div class="rightmapbox">
            <div id="sideOne" class="docltitle"><a href="https://im4change.in/state-report/india/36" target="_blank">DOCUMENTS/
                    REPORTS</a></div>
            <div id="sideTwo" class="statetitle"><a href="https://im4change.in/states.php"target="_blank">STATE DATA/
                    HDRs.</a></div>
        </div>
        <div class="widget widgePadTop"></div>
    </div>
</aside>
<!-- MAP Section END -->
<aside class="sidebar sidePadbottom">
    <div class="rightsmlbox1" >
        <a href="https://im4change.in/knowledge_gateway" target="_blank" style="color: #035588;
    font-size: 17px;">
            KNOWLEDGE GATEWAY
        </a>
    </div>
    <div class="rightsmlbox1">

        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
                <a href="https://im4change.in/newsletter" target="_blank">
                    NEWSLETTER
                </a>
            </p>
        </div>
    </div>
        <div class="rightsmlbox1" style="height: 325px;">
        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
                Interview with Prof. Ravi Srivastava
            </p>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/interview-with-prof-ravi-srivastava-on-current-economic-crisis">
                <img width="250" height="200" src="/images/interview_video_home.jpg" alt="Interview with Prof. Ravi Srivastava"/>
                </a>
                <!--
                <iframe width="250" height="200" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MmaTlntk-wc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>-->
               
            </p>
            <a href="https://im4change.in/videogallery" class="more-link CatArchalAnch1" target="_blank">
                                More videos
                            </a>
        </div>
    </div>
    
        <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <div>
            <!--div id="sstory" class="rightboxicons"></div--->
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a href="https://im4change.in/list-success-stories"  target="_blank">Success Stories</a></p>
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a
                        href="https://im4change.in/interviews"  target="_blank">Interviews</a>
            </p>
        </div>
    </div>

    <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a href="https://www.commoncause.in/page.php?id=10" >Donate</a></p>
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a
        href="https://im4change.in/marquee"
        class="isf_link more-link" title="India Focus?" style="border: 4px solid #fdd922;width: 90%;background-color: #fdd922;text-align: center;color: #000000;font-size:18px"  target="_blank">India Focus</a></p>        </div>
    </div>

    <div class="rightsmlbox1" style="height: 104px !important;">
        <a href="https://im4change.in/quarterly_reports.php" target="_blank">
            Quarterly Reports on Effect of Economic Slowdown on Employment in India (2008 - 2015)
        </a>
    </div>
    
<!--     <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.im4.im4change" target="_blank">
            
        </a></div> -->
    <!-- <section class="cat-box recent-box secMarg">
        <h2 class="cat-box-title">Most Visited</h2>
    </section> -->
    <!-- accordion Starts here -->
    <!-- <div id="accordion" class="accordMarg">
            </div> -->
    <!-- accordion ends here -->
    <!-- Widget Tag Cloud Starts here -->
    <div id="tag_cloud-2" class="widget widget_tag_cloud">
        <section class="cat-box recent-box secMarg">
                <h2 class="cat-box-title">MOST VISITED TAGS</h2>
            </section>
        <div class="widget-top wiPdTp">
           
            <div class="stripe-line"></div>
        </div>
        <div class="widget-container">
            <div class="tagcloud">
                                    <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Agriculture"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Agriculture</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Food Security"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Food Security</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Law and Justice"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Law and Justice</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Health"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Health</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Food"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Right to Food</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Corruption"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Corruption</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=farming"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">farming</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Environment"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Environment</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Information"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Right to Information</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=NREGS"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">NREGS</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Human Rights"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Human Rights</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Governance"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Governance</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PDS"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PDS</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=COVID-19"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">COVID-19</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Land Acquisition"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Land Acquisition</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=mgnrega"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">mgnrega</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Farmers"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Farmers</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=transparency"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">transparency</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Gender"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Gender</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Poverty"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Poverty</a>
                                    
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Farm Laws" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Farm Laws
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Citizenship Amendment Act" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Citizenship Amendment Act
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=CAA NPR NRIC" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">CAA NPR NRIC
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Job Losses" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Job Losses
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Migrant Workers" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Migrant Workers
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Unemployment" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Unemployment
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PMGKAY" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PMGKAY
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PM-KISAN" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PM-KISAN
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PM-CARES" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PM-CARES
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=LFPR" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">LFPR
                </a>
                
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <!-- Widget Tag Cloud Ends here -->
</aside>
<!-- Right Side Section End -->
        </div>
        <section class="cat-box cats-review-box footerSec">
    <h2 class="cat-box-title vSec CatArcha">Video
        Archives</h2>
    <h2 class="cat-box-title CatArchaTitle">Archives</h2>
    <div class="cat-box-content">
        <div class="reviews-cat">
            <div class="CatArchaDiv1">
                <div class="CatArchaDiv2">
                    <ul>
                                                    <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/moving-upstream-luni-fellowship.html"  target="_blank">
                                     Moving Upstream: Luni – Fellowship                                </a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/135-million-indians-exited-multidimensional-poverty-as-per-government-figures-is-that-the-same-as-poverty-reduction.html"  target="_blank">
                                     135 Million Indians Exited “Multidimensional" Poverty as per Government...                                </a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/explainer-why-are-tomato-prices-on-fire.html"  target="_blank">
                                     Explainer: Why are Tomato Prices on Fire?                                </a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/nsso-survey-only-39-1-of-all-households-have-drinking-water-within-dwelling-46-7-of-rural-households-use-firewood-for-cooking.html"  target="_blank">
                                     NSSO Survey: Only 39.1% of all Households have Drinking...                                </a>
                            </li>
                                                    <li class="CatArchalLi1">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57"
                               class="more-link CatArchalAnch1"  target="_blank">
                                More...
                            </a>
                        </li>
                    </ul>
                </div>
                                    <div class="CatArchaWidth">
                        <img class="CatArchaImg"
                             src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/I51LYnP8BOk/1.jpg"
                             alt=" Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org...">
                        <p class="CatArchaPPad">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Short-Video-on-im4change-Hindi-website-Inclusive-Media-for-Change"  target="_blank">
                                 Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org...                            </a>
                        </p>
                    </div>
                                        <div class="CatArchaWidth">
                        <img class="CatArchaImg"
                             src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/kNqha-SwfIY/1.jpg"
                             alt=" "Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring...">
                        <p class="CatArchaPPad">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-1- Scope-of-IDEA-and-AgriStack-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022"  target="_blank">
                                 "Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring...                            </a>
                        </p>
                    </div>
                                        <div class="CatArchaWidth">
                        <img class="CatArchaImg"
                             src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/6kIVjlgZItk/1.jpg"
                             alt=" "Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...">
                        <p class="CatArchaPPad">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-2-Farmer-Centric-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022"  target="_blank">
                                 "Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...                            </a>
                        </p>
                    </div>
                                        <div class="CatArchaWidth">
                        <img class="CatArchaImg"
                             src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/2BeHTu0y7xc/1.jpg"
                             alt=" "Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...">
                        <p class="CatArchaPPad">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-3-Future-of-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022"  target="_blank">
                                 "Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...                            </a>
                        </p>
                    </div>
                    


                <div class="divWidth">
                    <ul class="divWidthMarg">
                                                    <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Public-Spending-on-Agriculture-in-India-Source-Foundation-for-Agrarian-Studies"
                                   title="Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for Agrarian Studies)"  target="_blank">
                                     Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for...</a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Agrarian-Change-Seminar-Protests-against-the-New-Farm-Laws-in-India-by-Prof-Vikas-Rawal-JNU-Source-Journal-Of-Agrarian-Change"
                                   title="Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws in India' by Prof. Vikas Rawal, JNU (Source: Journal Of Agrarian Change) "  target="_blank">
                                     Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws...</a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Webinar-Ramrao-The-Story-of-India-Farm-Crisis-Source-Azim-Premji-University"
                                   title="Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis (Source: Azim Premji University)"  target="_blank">
                                     Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis...</a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/water-and-agricultural-transformation-in-India"
                                   title="Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship (Source: IGIDR)"  target="_blank">
                                     Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship...</a>
                            </li>
                                                    <li class="CatArchalLi1">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/videogallery"
                               class="more-link CatArchalAnch1"  target="_blank">
                                More...
                            </a>
                        </li>
                    </ul>
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</section>    </div>
    <div class="clear"></div>
    <!-- Footer option Starts here -->
    <div class="footer-bottom fade-in animated4">
        <div class="container">
            <div class="social-icons icon_flat">
                <p class="SocialMargTop"> Website Developed by <a target="_blank" title="Web Development"
                                                                  class="wot right"
                                                                  href="http://www.ravinderkhurana.com/" rel="nofollow">
                                                                  RAVINDErkHURANA.com</a></p>
            </div>
            <div class="alignleft">
                <a
     target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/objectives-8.html"
    class="link"
    title="Objectives">Objectives</a> | <a
     target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html"
    class="link" title="About Us">About Us</a> | <a
     target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/media-workshops.php"
    class="ucwords">Workshops</a> | <a
     target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/disclaimer/disclaimer-149.html"
    title="Disclaimer">Disclaimer</a>            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <!-- Footer option ends here -->
</div>
<div id="connect">
    <a target="_blank"
       href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html"
       title="Share on Facebook">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/Facebook.png?1582080640" alt="share on Facebook" class="ImgBorder"/>
    </a><br/>
    <a target="_blank"
       href="http://twitter.com/share?text=Im4change&amp;url=https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html"
       title="Share on Twitter">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/twitter.png?1582080632" alt="Twitter" class="ImgBorder"/>    </a>
    <br/>
    <a href="/feeds" title="RSS Feed" target="_blank">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/rss.png?1582080632" alt="RSS" class="ImgBorder"/>
    </a>
    <br/>
    <a class="feedback-link" id="feedbackFormLink" href="#">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/feedback.png?1582080630" alt="Feedback" class="ImgBorder"/>
    </a> <br/>
    <a href="javascript:function iprl5(){var d=document,z=d.createElement('scr'+'ipt'),b=d.body,l=d.location;try{if(!b)throw(0);d.title='(Saving...) '+d.title;z.setAttribute('src',l.protocol+'//www.instapaper.com/j/WKrH3R7ORD5p?u='+encodeURIComponent(l.href)+'&amp;t='+(new Date().getTime()));b.appendChild(z);}catch(e){alert('Please wait until the page has loaded.');}}iprl5();void(0)"
       class="bookmarklet" onclick="return explain_bookmarklet();">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/read-it-later.png?1582080632" alt="Read Later" class="ImgBorder"/>    </a>
</div>
<!-- Feedback form Starts here -->
<div id="feedbackForm" class="overlay_form" class="ImgBorder">
    <h2>Contact Form</h2>
    <div id="contactform1">
        <div id="formleft">
            <form id="submitform" action="/contactus.php" method="post">
                <input type="hidden" name="submitform" value="submitform"/>
                <input type="hidden" name="salt_key" value="a0e0f2c6a0644a70e57ad2c96829709a"/>
                <input type="hidden" name="ref" value="feedback"/>
                <fieldset>
                    <label>Name :</label>
                    <input type="text" name="name" class="tbox" required/>
                </fieldset>
                <fieldset>
                    <label>Email :</label>
                    <input type="text" name="email" class="tbox" required/>
                </fieldset>
                <fieldset>
                    <label>Message :</label>
                    <textarea rows="5" cols="20" name="message" required></textarea>
                </fieldset>
                <fieldset>
                    Please enter security code
                    <div class="clear"></div>
                    <input type="text" name="vrcode" class="tbox"/>
                </fieldset>
                <fieldset>
                    <input type="submit" class="button" value="Submit"/>
                    &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="#" id="closefeedbakcformLink">Close</a>
                </fieldset>
            </form>
        </div>
        <div class="clearfix"></div>
    </div>
</div>
<div id="donate_popup" class="modal" style="max-width: 800px;">
    <table width="100%" border="1">
        <tr>
            <td colspan="2" align="center">
                <b>Support im4change</b>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td width="25%" valign="middle">
                <img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo2.jpg?1582080632" alt="" width="100%"/>            </td>
            <td style="padding-left:10px;padding-top:10px;">
                <form action="https://im4change.in/donate" method="get">
                    <table width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
                        <tr>
                            <td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                10
                            </td>
                            <td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                100
                            </td>
                            <td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                1000
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td colspan="3">
                                &nbsp;
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td  style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                50
                            </td>
                            <td  style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                500
                            </td>
                            <td  style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                <input type="text" name="price" placeholder="?" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td colspan="3">
                                &nbsp;
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td colspan="3" align="right">
                                <input type="button" name="Pay" value="Pay"
                                       style="width: 200px;background-color: rgb(205, 35, 36);color: #ffffff;"/>
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                    </table>
                </form>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </table>
</div><script type='text/javascript'>

    /* <![CDATA[ */

    var tievar = {'go_to': 'Go to...'};

    /* ]]> */

</script>
<script src="/js/tie-scripts.js?1575549704"></script><script src="/js/bootstrap.js?1575549704"></script><script src="/js/jquery.modal.min.js?1578284310"></script><script>
    $(document).ready(function() {
        // tell the autocomplete function to get its data from our php script
        $('#s').autocomplete({
            source: "/autocomplete"
        });
    });
</script>
<script src="/vj-main-sw-register.js" async></script>

<script>function init(){var imgDefer=document.getElementsByTagName('img');for(var i=0;i<imgDefer.length;i++){if(imgDefer[i].getAttribute('data-src')){imgDefer[i].setAttribute('src',imgDefer[i].getAttribute('data-src'))}}}
window.onload=init;</script>
</body>
</html>'

}
$reasonPhrase = 'OK'
header - [internal], line ??
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emitStatusLine() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emit() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 54
Cake\Http\Server::emit() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 141
[main] - ROOT/webroot/index.php, line 39

Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
Code Context
                    $value

                ), $first);

                $first = false;
$response = object(Cake\Http\Response) {

	'status' => (int) 200,
	'contentType' => 'text/html',
	'headers' => [
		'Content-Type' => [
			[maximum depth reached]
		]
	],
	'file' => null,
	'fileRange' => [],
	'cookies' => object(Cake\Http\Cookie\CookieCollection) {},
	'cacheDirectives' => [],
	'body' => '<!DOCTYPE html>
<!--[if lt IE 7 ]>
<html class="ie ie6" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 7 ]>
<html class="ie ie7" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 8 ]>
<html class="ie ie8" lang='en'> <![endif]-->
<!--[if (gte IE 9)|!(IE)]><!-->
<html lang='en'>
<!--<![endif]-->
<head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
    
    <title>
        LATEST NEWS UPDATES | When the RTI ‘Basmasura&#039; chased the government by Vidya Subrahmaniam    </title>
    <meta name="description" content="

When the controversial Finance Ministry note to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on P. Chidambaram's role in 2G spectrum allocation was traced to a Right to Information application, there was surprise &mdash; and some concern &mdash; both within the government..."/>
    <meta name="keywords" content="Right to Information"/>
    <meta name="news_keywords" content="Right to Information">
   
    <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="ROR" href="/ror.xml"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS 2.0" href="/feeds/"/>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/bootstrap.min.css?1697864993"/>    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style.css?v=1.1.2"/>    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style-inner.css?1577045210"/>    <link rel="stylesheet" id="Oswald-css"
          href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Oswald%3Aregular%2C700&amp;ver=3.8.1" type="text/css"
          media="all">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/jquery.modal.min.css?1578285302"/>    <script src="/js/jquery-1.10.2.js?1575549704"></script>    <script src="/js/jquery-migrate.min.js?1575549704"></script>    <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" title="Favicon">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/jquery-ui.css?1580720609"/>    <script src="/js/jquery-ui.js?1575549704"></script>    <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/custom.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/jquery.modal.min.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/jquery-ui.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/li-scroller.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">
<!-- <link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/style.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous"> -->
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://www.im4change.org/css/style-inner.css" onload="this.rel='stylesheet'" media="all" crossorigin="anonymous">

<link rel='dns-prefetch' href="//im4change.org/css/custom.css" crossorigin >

<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/bootstrap.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.li-scroller.1.0.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.modal.min.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery.ui.totop.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-1.10.2.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-migrate.min.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/jquery-ui.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/setting.js">
<link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.im4change.org/js/tie-scripts.js">
    <!--[if IE]>
    <script type="text/javascript">jQuery(document).ready(function () {
        jQuery(".menu-item").has("ul").children("a").attr("aria-haspopup", "true");
    });</script>
    <![endif]-->
    <!--[if lt IE 9]>
    <script src="/js/html5.js"></script>
    <script src="/js/selectivizr-min.js"></script>
    <![endif]-->
    <!--[if IE 8]>
    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="/css/ie8.css"/>
    <![endif]-->
    <meta property="og:title" content="LATEST NEWS UPDATES | When the RTI ‘Basmasura&#039; chased the government by Vidya Subrahmaniam" />
     <meta property="og:url" content="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html" />
     <meta property="og:type" content="article" />
     <meta property="og:description" content="

When the controversial Finance Ministry note to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on P. Chidambaram's role in 2G spectrum allocation was traced to a Right to Information application, there was surprise &mdash; and some concern &mdash; both within the government..." />
     <meta property="og:image" content="" />
      <meta property="fb:app_id" content="0" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no">

       <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple1.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="120x120" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple2.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple3.png">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="https://im4change.in/images/apple4.png">

    <style>
    .gsc-results-wrapper-overlay{
        top: 38% !important;
        height: 50% !important;
    }
    .gsc-search-button-v2{
        border-color: #035588 !important;
        background-color: #035588 !important;
    }

   .gsib_a{
        height: 30px !important;
          padding: 2px 8px 1px 6px !important;
    }

   
    .gsc-search-button-v2{
        height: 41px !important;
    }
    input.gsc-input{
        background: none !important;
    }
    @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {
        .gsc-results-wrapper-overlay{
            top: 11% !important;
            width: 87% !important;
            left: 9% !important;
            height: 43% !important;
        }

        .gsc-search-button-v2{
            padding: 10px 10px !important;
        
        }
        .gsc-input-box{
            height: 28px !important;
        }
       /* .gsib_a {
            padding: 0px 9px 4px 9px !important;
        }*/
    }
    @media only screen and (min-width: 1200px) and (max-width: 1920px) {
        table.gsc-search-box{
            width: 15% !important;
            float: right !important;
            margin-top: -118px !important;
        }

        .gsc-search-button-v2 {
            
            padding: 6px !important;
           
        }
    }


</style>

    <script>
        $(function () {
            $("#accordion").accordion({
                event: "click hoverintent"
            });
        });

        /*
         * hoverIntent | Copyright 2011 Brian Cherne
         * http://cherne.net/brian/resources/jquery.hoverIntent.html
         * modified by the jQuery UI team
         */
        $.event.special.hoverintent = {
            setup: function () {
                $(this).bind("mouseover", jQuery.event.special.hoverintent.handler);
            },
            teardown: function () {
                $(this).unbind("mouseover", jQuery.event.special.hoverintent.handler);
            },
            handler: function (event) {
                var currentX, currentY, timeout,
                    args = arguments,
                    target = $(event.target),
                    previousX = event.pageX,
                    previousY = event.pageY;

                function track(event) {
                    currentX = event.pageX;
                    currentY = event.pageY;
                }
                ;

                function clear() {
                    target
                        .unbind("mousemove", track)
                        .unbind("mouseout", clear);
                    clearTimeout(timeout);
                }

                function handler() {
                    var prop,
                        orig = event;
                    if ((Math.abs(previousX - currentX) +
                        Math.abs(previousY - currentY)) < 7) {
                        clear();
                        event = $.Event("hoverintent");
                        for (prop in orig) {
                            if (!(prop in event)) {
                                event[prop] = orig[prop];
                            }
                        }
                        // Prevent accessing the original event since the new event
                        // is fired asynchronously and the old event is no longer
                        // usable (#6028)
                        delete event.originalEvent;
                        target.trigger(event);
                    } else {
                        previousX = currentX;
                        previousY = currentY;
                        timeout = setTimeout(handler, 100);
                    }
                }

                timeout = setTimeout(handler, 100);
                target.bind({
                    mousemove: track,
                    mouseout: clear
                });
            }
        };
    </script>
    <script type="text/javascript">
        var _gaq = _gaq || [];
        _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-472075-3']);
        _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

        (function () {
            var ga = document.createElement('script');
            ga.type = 'text/javascript';
            ga.async = true;
            ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
            var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
            s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
        })();
    </script>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/custom.css?v=1.16"/>    <script src="/js/jquery.ui.totop.js?1575549704"></script>    <script src="/js/setting.js?1575549704"></script>    <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json">
    <meta name="theme-color" content="#616163" />
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes">
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black">
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-title" content="im4change">
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/icons/logo-192x192.png">
</head>
<body id="top" class="home inner blog">
<div class="background-cover"></div>
<div class="wrapper animated">
    <header id="theme-header" class="header_inner" style="position: relative;">
        <div class="logo inner_logo" style="left:20px !important">
                <a title="Home" href="https://im4change.in/">
                    <img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo2.jpg?1582080632" class="logo_image" alt="im4change"/>                </a>
        </div>
        <div class="langhindi" style="color: #000;display:none;"
             href="https://im4change.in/">
            <a class="more-link" href="https://im4change.in/">Home</a>
                        <a href="https://im4change.in/hindi/" class="langbutton ">हिन्दी</a>
                    </div>
        <nav class="fade-in animated2" id="main-nav">
            <div class="container">
                <div class="main-menu">
    <ul class="menu" id="menu-main">
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children"
            style="left: -40px;"><a
                 target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/">Home</a>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item mega-menu menu-item-type-taxonomy mega-menu menu-item-object-category mega-menu menu-item-has-children parent-list"
            style=" margin-left: -40px;"><a href="#">KNOWLEDGE GATEWAY <span class="sub-indicator"></span>
            </a>
            <div class="mega-menu-block background_menu" style="padding-top:25px;">
                <div class="container">
                    <div class="mega-menu-content">
                                                                   <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Farm Crisis</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/farmers039-suicides-14.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Farm Suicides                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/unemployment-30.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Unemployment                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/rural-distress-70.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Rural distress                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/migration-34.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Migration                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/key-facts-72.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Key Facts                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/farm-crisis/debt-trap-15.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Debt Trap                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Empowerment</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/union-budget-73.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Union Budget And Other Economic Policies                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/forest-and-tribal-rights-61.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Forest and Tribal Rights                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-education-60.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Right to Education                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-food-59.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Right to Food                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/displacement-3279.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Displacement                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-work-mg-nrega-39.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Right to Work (MG-NREGA)                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/gender-3280.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">GENDER                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/right-to-information-58.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Right to Information                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/empowerment/social-audit-48.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Social Audit                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Hunger / HDI</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/poverty-and-inequality-20499.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Poverty and inequality                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/malnutrition-41.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Malnutrition                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/public-health-51.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Public Health                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/education-50.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Education                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/hunger-overview-40.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Hunger Overview                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/hdi-overview-45.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">HDI Overview                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/pds-ration-food-security-42.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">PDS/ Ration/ Food Security                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/sdgs-113.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">SDGs                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hunger-hdi/mid-day-meal-scheme-mdms-53.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Environment</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/time-bomb-ticking-52.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Time Bomb Ticking                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/water-and-sanitation-55.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Water and Sanitation                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/environment/impact-on-agriculture-54.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Impact on Agriculture                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        <div class="mega-menu-item">
                                                 <h3><b>Law & Justice</b></h3>
                                                                                                    <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/social-justice-20500.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Social Justice                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/access-to-justice-47.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Access to Justice                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/human-rights-56.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Human Rights                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/corruption-35.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Corruption                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/general-insecurity-46.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">General Insecurity                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                        <p style="padding-left:5px;">
                                                    <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/law-justice/disaster-relief-49.html"
                                                       class="left postionrel">Disaster &amp; Relief                                                       </a>
                                                </p>
                                                                                                
                                              </div> 
                                            
                                                                                        
                    </div>
                </div>
            </div>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-post_type  menu-item-object-page "><a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/nceus_reports.php">NCEUS reports</a>
            
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children parent-list ">
            <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html">About Us <span
                    class="sub-indicator"></span></a>
            <ul class="sub-menu aboutmenu">
                <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-post_type  menu-item-object-page"><a
                        target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/objectives-8.html">Objectives</a>
                </li>
                <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-post_type  menu-item-object-page"><a
                         target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/contactus.php">Contact
                        Us</a></li>
                <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-post_type  menu-item-object-page"><a
                         target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html">About
                        Us</a></li>
            </ul>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children ">
            <a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/fellowships.php" title="Fellowships">Fellowships</a>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children  "><a
                 target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/media-workshops.php">Workshops</a>
        </li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children  "><a
                 target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/research.php">Research</a></li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children   "><a
                 target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/links-64">Partners</a></li>
        <li class="menu-item  menu-item-type-custom  menu-item-object-custom  menu-item-has-children"
            id="menu-item-539"><a  target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/hindi/"
                                  class="langbutton langlinkfont17">हिन्दी</a></li>
    </ul>
</div>            </div>


                        <!--  <div style="float: right;">
                            <script async src="https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=18b4f2e0f11bed3dd"></script>
                            <div class="gcse-search"></div>
                        </div> -->
                       
            <div class="search-block" style=" margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 7px;">
                <form method="get" id="searchform" name="searchform"
                      action="https://im4change.in/search"
                      onsubmit="return searchvalidate();">
                    <button class="search-button" type="submit" value="Search"></button>
                    <input type="text" id="s" name="qryStr" value=""
                           onfocus="if (this.value == 'Search...') {this.value = '';}"
                           onblur="if (this.value == '') {this.value = 'Search...';}">
                </form>
            </div>
        </nav>
    </header>
    <div class="container">
        <div id="main-content" class=" main1 container fade-in animated3 sidebar-narrow-left">
            <div class="content-wrap">
                <div class="content" style="width: 900px;min-height: 500px;">
                    <section class="cat-box recent-box innerCatRecent">
    <h1 class="cat-box-title">When the RTI ‘Basmasura&#039; chased the government by Vidya Subrahmaniam</h1>
    <a href="JavaScript:void(0);" onclick="return shareArticle(10161);">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/email.png?1582080630" border="0" width="24" align="right" alt="Share this article"/>    </a>

    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271/print"
       rel="nofollow">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/icon-print.png?1582080630" border="0" width="24" align="right" alt="Share this article"/>
    </a>
</section>
<section class="recent-box innerCatRecent">
    <small class="pb-1"><span class="dateIcn">
    	<img src="https://im4change.in/images/published.svg?1582080666" alt="published"/> 
		 Published on</span><span class="text-date"> Sep 26, 2011</span>
        &nbsp; <span
                class="dateIcn">
		 	<img src="https://im4change.in/images/modified.svg?1582080666" alt="modified"/>    	 Modified on </span><span class="text-date"> Sep 26, 2011</span>
    </small>
</section>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 10px;">
    <div class="innerLineHeight">
        <div class="middleContent innerInput latest-news-updates">
            <table>
                <tr>
                    <td>
                                                <div>
                            <br /><div align="justify">When the controversial Finance Ministry note to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on P. Chidambaram's role in 2G spectrum allocation was traced to a Right to Information application, there was surprise &mdash; and some concern &mdash; both within the government and in RTI circles.<br /><br />The government's discomfiture was understandable: The RTI Act, which was its proud creation, recoiled on it much like the boon that Lord Shiva granted Basmasura. In the fable, Basmasura seeks and gets the power to reduce to ashes anyone on whose head he places his hand. The Lord agrees, only to be chased around by Basmasura, who wants to test the boon on Shiva himself. From the Commonwealth Games to 2G, there has been an RTI angle to many of the scams and scandals that have emerged in recent times from the corridors of power. In the old days, a Finance Ministry note like the one that surfaced last week would have been a closely-held secret. Yet this document, used by the Bharatiya Janata Party as a weapon against both the Home Minister and the Prime Minister, was among a sheaf of papers released by the PMO itself. The irony is compounded by the fact that of the two applicants who sought the papers, one was R.K. Garg, convener of the BJP's RTI cell. The other was RTI veteran Subhash Chandra Agarwal.<br /><br />The release of the note obviously placed the government in a quandary: It could hardly argue against its own decision. So while Pranab Mukherjee lauded the transparency of the RTI process in distant Washington, Veerappa Moily struck the first cautionary note. In a newspaper interview, he called for a national debate on the RTI, arguing that the Act could not be allowed to interfere in official decision-making. He also wheeled out the old chestnut of RTI amendments. RTI activists began to press the panic button. Activist Lokesh Batra sent out a message that said: &ldquo;Alert, is this another attempt to dilute the RTI Act?&rdquo;<br /><br />The former Chief Information Commissioner, Wajahat Habibullah, who led the fight against amendments to outlaw file notings, told The Hindu that the RTI Act had acquired too much momentum for it now to be rolled back by the government. He said the Act provided for exemptions which the government could have used to deny information to the applicants. &ldquo;Section 8 provides immunity from disclosure on grounds of national and economic security, privacy and commercial interest. The law does not become bad because the government chose to disclose information.&rdquo;<br /><br />Mr. Habibullah pointed to the vital role played by the RTI in digging out many of the recent scams. The CWG exposure started with a plea by the Organising Committee that it be kept out of the RTI. However, the Central Information Commission ruled that the OC was a public authority which allowed its spending to be scrutinised. This brought out a deluge of damning documents. Similarly, there were RTI queries on the procedure followed in spectrum allotment.<br /><br />Nikhil Dey, convener of the National Campaign for People's Right to Information, said if the government attempted to roll back the RTI or bring in amendments, it would be an admission of its guilt: &ldquo;That will immediately raise questions about its motives.&rdquo; To Mr. Moily's charge that the RTI allowed normal inter-departmental discussions to be misinterpreted as dissensions, Mr. Dey said: &ldquo;The best and most accurate interpretation can come only from full disclosure. It is only through full disclosure that you get a perspective of what happened. Leaks are far more selective and damaging.&rdquo; He also argued that laws could not be enacted to make the government comfortable: &ldquo;If the government feels some discomfort because of disclosure it is not a bad thing.&rdquo;<br /><br />Mr. Agarwal, who has brought out hundreds of secret documents from the vaults of the government, including correspondence between the Prime Minister and the President and between the Prime Minister and the Congress president, salutes Manmohan Singh and the PMO for upholding transparency: &ldquo;With Ms. Gandhi and civil society watching, a rollback is almost ruled out. If despite this, the government dilutes the Act, it will have to pay a heavy price for it.&rdquo;</div>                                                           
                        </div>
                    </td>
                </tr>
            </table>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
    <br><a href="http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2488753.ece" class="re" target="_blank">The Hindu, 27 September, 2011, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2488753.ece</a><div class="clear"></div>
    <div style="padding-top: 18px;">
        <p class="post-tag">Tagged with:
                            <a class="tagcloud5"
                   href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Information"
                   title="Right to Information">
                    Right to Information                </a>
                        </p>
    </div>
<div class="clear"></div>
    <br><br>
    <div class="widget-top">
        <h4>Related Articles</h4>
        <div class="stripe-line"></div>
    </div>
    <div class="widget-container">
        <ul id="recentcomments">
                            <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/west-bengal-government-retracts-rti-reply-on-farmer-suicides-shiv-sahay-singh.html"
                       title="West Bengal Government retracts RTI reply on farmer suicides -Shiv Sahay Singh">
                        West Bengal Government retracts RTI reply on farmer suicides -Shiv Sahay Singh                    </a>
                </li>
                                <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/fortified-rice-is-not-suitable-for-everyone-s-consumption-state-activist-of-asha-and-right-to-food-campaign.html"
                       title="Fortified rice is not suitable for everyone's consumption, state activist of ASHA and Right to Food Campaign">
                        Fortified rice is not suitable for everyone's consumption, state activist of ASHA and Right to Food Campaign                    </a>
                </li>
                                <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/india-has-come-a-long-way-since-1947-but-much-still-needs-to-be-done-virginius-xaxa.html"
                       title="India Has Come a Long Way Since 1947, But Much Still Needs to Be Done -Virginius Xaxa">
                        India Has Come a Long Way Since 1947, But Much Still Needs to Be Done -Virginius Xaxa                    </a>
                </li>
                                <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/right-to-information-transparency-accountability-right-to-hearing/meet-a-ramakrishnan-from-theni-warrior-with-rti-armour-jeyalakshmi-ramanujam.html"
                       title="Meet A Ramakrishnan from Theni -- warrior with RTI armour -Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam">
                        Meet A Ramakrishnan from Theni -- warrior with RTI armour -Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam                    </a>
                </li>
                                <li class="recentcomments">
                    <a href="https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/0-01-street-vendors-from-minority-communities-benefit-from-centre-s-loan-scheme-finds-rti-query-gaurvi-narang.html"
                       title="‘0.01%’ street vendors from minority communities benefit from Centre’s loan scheme, finds RTI query -Gaurvi Narang">
                        ‘0.01%’ street vendors from minority communities benefit from Centre’s loan scheme, finds RTI query -Gaurvi Narang                    </a>
                </li>
                
        </ul>
    </div>
    <div class="comment-respond" id="respond">
    <a name="commentbox">&nbsp;</a>
    <h3 class="comment-reply-title" id="reply-title">Write Comments</h3>
    <form method="post" accept-charset="utf-8" role="form" action="/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html"><div style="display:none;"><input type="hidden" name="_method" value="POST"/></div>    <form class="comment-form" id="commentform" method="post" action="#commentbox" onSubmit="return validate()"
          name="cmtform">
        <input type="hidden" name="cmttype" value="articlecmt"/>
        <input type="hidden" name="article_id" value="10161"/>
        <p class="comment-notes">Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked <span
                    class="required">*</span></p>
                <p class="comment-form-author">
            <label for="commenterName">Name</label>
            <span class="required">*</span>
            <input type="text" aria-required="true" size="30"
                   value=""
                   name="commenterName" id="commenterName" required="true">
        </p>
        <p class="comment-form-email">
            <label for="commenterEmail">Email</label> <span class="required">*</span>
            <input aria-required="true" size="30" name="commenterEmail" id="commenterEmail" type="email"
                   value=""
                   required="true">
        </p>
        <p class="comment-form-contact">
            <label for="commenterPh">Contact No.</label>
            <input type="text" size="30"
                   value=""
                   name="commenterPh" id="commenterPh">
        </p>
        <p class="comment-form-comment">
            <label for="comment">Comment</label>
            <textarea aria-required="true" required="true" rows="8" cols="45" name="comment"
                      id="comment"></textarea>
        </p>
        <p class="comment-form-comment">
            <label for="comment">Type the characters you see in the image below <span class="required">*</span><br><img
                        class="captchaImg"
                        src="https://im4change.in/securimage_show_art.php?tk=1223973198" alt="captcha"/>
            </label>
        </p>
        <input type="text" name="vrcode" required="true"/>

        <p class="form-submit" style="width: 200px;">
            <input type="submit" value="Post Comment" id="submit" name="submit">
        </p></form>
</div>
<style>
    .ui-widget-content {
        height: auto !important;
    }
</style>
<div id="share-modal"></div>
<style>
    .middleContent a{
        background-color: rgba(108,172,228,.2);
    }
    .middleContent a:hover{
        background-color: #418fde;
        border-color: #418fde;
        color: #000;
        }
</style>
<script>
    function shareArticle(article_id) {
        var options = {
            modal: true,
            height: 'auto',
            width: 600 + 'px'
        };
        $('#share-modal').html("");
        $('#share-modal').load('https://im4change.in/share_article?article_id=' + article_id).dialog(options).dialog('open');
    }

    function postShare() {
        var param = 'article_id=' + $("#article_id").val();
        param = param + '&y_name=' + $("#y_name").val();
        param = param + '&y_email=' + $("#y_email").val();
        param = param + '&f_name=' + $("#f_name").val();
        param = param + '&f_email=' + $("#f_email").val();
        param = param + '&y_msg=' + $("#y_msg").val();

        $.ajax({
            type: "POST",
            url: 'https://im4change.in/post_share_article',
            data: param,
            success: function (response) {
                $('#share-modal').html("Thank You, Your message posted to ");
            }
        });
        return false;
    }
</script>                </div>
            </div>
            <!-- Right Side Section Start -->
<!-- MAP Section START -->
<aside class="sidebar indexMarg">
    <div class="ad-cell">
        <a href="https://im4change.in/statemap.php" title="">
            <img src="https://im4change.in/images/map_new_version.png?1582080666" alt="India State Map" class="indiamap" width="232" height="252"/>        </a>
        <div class="rightmapbox">
            <div id="sideOne" class="docltitle"><a href="https://im4change.in/state-report/india/36" target="_blank">DOCUMENTS/
                    REPORTS</a></div>
            <div id="sideTwo" class="statetitle"><a href="https://im4change.in/states.php"target="_blank">STATE DATA/
                    HDRs.</a></div>
        </div>
        <div class="widget widgePadTop"></div>
    </div>
</aside>
<!-- MAP Section END -->
<aside class="sidebar sidePadbottom">
    <div class="rightsmlbox1" >
        <a href="https://im4change.in/knowledge_gateway" target="_blank" style="color: #035588;
    font-size: 17px;">
            KNOWLEDGE GATEWAY
        </a>
    </div>
    <div class="rightsmlbox1">

        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
                <a href="https://im4change.in/newsletter" target="_blank">
                    NEWSLETTER
                </a>
            </p>
        </div>
    </div>
        <div class="rightsmlbox1" style="height: 325px;">
        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
                Interview with Prof. Ravi Srivastava
            </p>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title">
                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/interview-with-prof-ravi-srivastava-on-current-economic-crisis">
                <img width="250" height="200" src="/images/interview_video_home.jpg" alt="Interview with Prof. Ravi Srivastava"/>
                </a>
                <!--
                <iframe width="250" height="200" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MmaTlntk-wc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>-->
               
            </p>
            <a href="https://im4change.in/videogallery" class="more-link CatArchalAnch1" target="_blank">
                                More videos
                            </a>
        </div>
    </div>
    
        <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <div>
            <!--div id="sstory" class="rightboxicons"></div--->
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a href="https://im4change.in/list-success-stories"  target="_blank">Success Stories</a></p>
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a
                        href="https://im4change.in/interviews"  target="_blank">Interviews</a>
            </p>
        </div>
    </div>

    <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a href="https://www.commoncause.in/page.php?id=10" >Donate</a></p>
        </div>
    </div>
    <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <div>
            <p class="rightsmlbox1_title"><a
        href="https://im4change.in/marquee"
        class="isf_link more-link" title="India Focus?" style="border: 4px solid #fdd922;width: 90%;background-color: #fdd922;text-align: center;color: #000000;font-size:18px"  target="_blank">India Focus</a></p>        </div>
    </div>

    <div class="rightsmlbox1" style="height: 104px !important;">
        <a href="https://im4change.in/quarterly_reports.php" target="_blank">
            Quarterly Reports on Effect of Economic Slowdown on Employment in India (2008 - 2015)
        </a>
    </div>
    
<!--     <div class="rightsmlbox1">
        <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.im4.im4change" target="_blank">
            
        </a></div> -->
    <!-- <section class="cat-box recent-box secMarg">
        <h2 class="cat-box-title">Most Visited</h2>
    </section> -->
    <!-- accordion Starts here -->
    <!-- <div id="accordion" class="accordMarg">
            </div> -->
    <!-- accordion ends here -->
    <!-- Widget Tag Cloud Starts here -->
    <div id="tag_cloud-2" class="widget widget_tag_cloud">
        <section class="cat-box recent-box secMarg">
                <h2 class="cat-box-title">MOST VISITED TAGS</h2>
            </section>
        <div class="widget-top wiPdTp">
           
            <div class="stripe-line"></div>
        </div>
        <div class="widget-container">
            <div class="tagcloud">
                                    <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Agriculture"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Agriculture</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Food Security"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Food Security</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Law and Justice"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Law and Justice</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Health"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Health</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Food"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Right to Food</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Corruption"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Corruption</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=farming"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">farming</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Environment"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Environment</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Right to Information"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Right to Information</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=NREGS"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">NREGS</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Human Rights"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Human Rights</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Governance"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Governance</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PDS"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PDS</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=COVID-19"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">COVID-19</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Land Acquisition"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Land Acquisition</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=mgnrega"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">mgnrega</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Farmers"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Farmers</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=transparency"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">transparency</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Gender"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Gender</a>
                                        <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Poverty"
                       target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Poverty</a>
                                    
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Farm Laws" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Farm Laws
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Citizenship Amendment Act" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Citizenship Amendment Act
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=CAA NPR NRIC" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">CAA NPR NRIC
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Job Losses" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Job Losses
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Migrant Workers" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Migrant Workers
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=Unemployment" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">Unemployment
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PMGKAY" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PMGKAY
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PM-KISAN" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PM-KISAN
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=PM-CARES" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">PM-CARES
                </a>
                <a href="https://im4change.in/search?qryStr=LFPR" target="_blank" class="tag-link-4 font4">LFPR
                </a>
                
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <!-- Widget Tag Cloud Ends here -->
</aside>
<!-- Right Side Section End -->
        </div>
        <section class="cat-box cats-review-box footerSec">
    <h2 class="cat-box-title vSec CatArcha">Video
        Archives</h2>
    <h2 class="cat-box-title CatArchaTitle">Archives</h2>
    <div class="cat-box-content">
        <div class="reviews-cat">
            <div class="CatArchaDiv1">
                <div class="CatArchaDiv2">
                    <ul>
                                                    <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/moving-upstream-luni-fellowship.html"  target="_blank">
                                     Moving Upstream: Luni – Fellowship                                </a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/135-million-indians-exited-multidimensional-poverty-as-per-government-figures-is-that-the-same-as-poverty-reduction.html"  target="_blank">
                                     135 Million Indians Exited “Multidimensional" Poverty as per Government...                                </a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/explainer-why-are-tomato-prices-on-fire.html"  target="_blank">
                                     Explainer: Why are Tomato Prices on Fire?                                </a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57/nsso-survey-only-39-1-of-all-households-have-drinking-water-within-dwelling-46-7-of-rural-households-use-firewood-for-cooking.html"  target="_blank">
                                     NSSO Survey: Only 39.1% of all Households have Drinking...                                </a>
                            </li>
                                                    <li class="CatArchalLi1">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/news-alerts-57"
                               class="more-link CatArchalAnch1"  target="_blank">
                                More...
                            </a>
                        </li>
                    </ul>
                </div>
                                    <div class="CatArchaWidth">
                        <img class="CatArchaImg"
                             src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/I51LYnP8BOk/1.jpg"
                             alt=" Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org...">
                        <p class="CatArchaPPad">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Short-Video-on-im4change-Hindi-website-Inclusive-Media-for-Change"  target="_blank">
                                 Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org...                            </a>
                        </p>
                    </div>
                                        <div class="CatArchaWidth">
                        <img class="CatArchaImg"
                             src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/kNqha-SwfIY/1.jpg"
                             alt=" "Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring...">
                        <p class="CatArchaPPad">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-1- Scope-of-IDEA-and-AgriStack-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022"  target="_blank">
                                 "Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring...                            </a>
                        </p>
                    </div>
                                        <div class="CatArchaWidth">
                        <img class="CatArchaImg"
                             src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/6kIVjlgZItk/1.jpg"
                             alt=" "Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...">
                        <p class="CatArchaPPad">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-2-Farmer-Centric-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022"  target="_blank">
                                 "Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...                            </a>
                        </p>
                    </div>
                                        <div class="CatArchaWidth">
                        <img class="CatArchaImg"
                             src="https://img.youtube.com/vi/2BeHTu0y7xc/1.jpg"
                             alt=" "Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...">
                        <p class="CatArchaPPad">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Session-3-Future-of-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-in-Exploring-Digitalisation-in-Agriculture-29-April-2022"  target="_blank">
                                 "Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...                            </a>
                        </p>
                    </div>
                    


                <div class="divWidth">
                    <ul class="divWidthMarg">
                                                    <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Public-Spending-on-Agriculture-in-India-Source-Foundation-for-Agrarian-Studies"
                                   title="Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for Agrarian Studies)"  target="_blank">
                                     Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for...</a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Agrarian-Change-Seminar-Protests-against-the-New-Farm-Laws-in-India-by-Prof-Vikas-Rawal-JNU-Source-Journal-Of-Agrarian-Change"
                                   title="Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws in India' by Prof. Vikas Rawal, JNU (Source: Journal Of Agrarian Change) "  target="_blank">
                                     Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws...</a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/Webinar-Ramrao-The-Story-of-India-Farm-Crisis-Source-Azim-Premji-University"
                                   title="Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis (Source: Azim Premji University)"  target="_blank">
                                     Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis...</a>
                            </li>
                                                        <li>
                                <a href="https://im4change.in/video/water-and-agricultural-transformation-in-India"
                                   title="Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship (Source: IGIDR)"  target="_blank">
                                     Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship...</a>
                            </li>
                                                    <li class="CatArchalLi1">
                            <a href="https://im4change.in/videogallery"
                               class="more-link CatArchalAnch1"  target="_blank">
                                More...
                            </a>
                        </li>
                    </ul>
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</section>    </div>
    <div class="clear"></div>
    <!-- Footer option Starts here -->
    <div class="footer-bottom fade-in animated4">
        <div class="container">
            <div class="social-icons icon_flat">
                <p class="SocialMargTop"> Website Developed by <a target="_blank" title="Web Development"
                                                                  class="wot right"
                                                                  href="http://www.ravinderkhurana.com/" rel="nofollow">
                                                                  RAVINDErkHURANA.com</a></p>
            </div>
            <div class="alignleft">
                <a
     target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/objectives-8.html"
    class="link"
    title="Objectives">Objectives</a> | <a
     target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/about-us-9.html"
    class="link" title="About Us">About Us</a> | <a
     target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/media-workshops.php"
    class="ucwords">Workshops</a> | <a
     target="_blank" href="https://im4change.in/disclaimer/disclaimer-149.html"
    title="Disclaimer">Disclaimer</a>            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
    <!-- Footer option ends here -->
</div>
<div id="connect">
    <a target="_blank"
       href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html"
       title="Share on Facebook">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/Facebook.png?1582080640" alt="share on Facebook" class="ImgBorder"/>
    </a><br/>
    <a target="_blank"
       href="http://twitter.com/share?text=Im4change&amp;url=https://im4change.in/latest-news-updates/when-the-rti-basmasura039-chased-the-government-by-vidya-subrahmaniam-10271.html"
       title="Share on Twitter">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/twitter.png?1582080632" alt="Twitter" class="ImgBorder"/>    </a>
    <br/>
    <a href="/feeds" title="RSS Feed" target="_blank">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/rss.png?1582080632" alt="RSS" class="ImgBorder"/>
    </a>
    <br/>
    <a class="feedback-link" id="feedbackFormLink" href="#">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/feedback.png?1582080630" alt="Feedback" class="ImgBorder"/>
    </a> <br/>
    <a href="javascript:function iprl5(){var d=document,z=d.createElement('scr'+'ipt'),b=d.body,l=d.location;try{if(!b)throw(0);d.title='(Saving...) '+d.title;z.setAttribute('src',l.protocol+'//www.instapaper.com/j/WKrH3R7ORD5p?u='+encodeURIComponent(l.href)+'&amp;t='+(new Date().getTime()));b.appendChild(z);}catch(e){alert('Please wait until the page has loaded.');}}iprl5();void(0)"
       class="bookmarklet" onclick="return explain_bookmarklet();">
        <img src="https://im4change.in/images/read-it-later.png?1582080632" alt="Read Later" class="ImgBorder"/>    </a>
</div>
<!-- Feedback form Starts here -->
<div id="feedbackForm" class="overlay_form" class="ImgBorder">
    <h2>Contact Form</h2>
    <div id="contactform1">
        <div id="formleft">
            <form id="submitform" action="/contactus.php" method="post">
                <input type="hidden" name="submitform" value="submitform"/>
                <input type="hidden" name="salt_key" value="a0e0f2c6a0644a70e57ad2c96829709a"/>
                <input type="hidden" name="ref" value="feedback"/>
                <fieldset>
                    <label>Name :</label>
                    <input type="text" name="name" class="tbox" required/>
                </fieldset>
                <fieldset>
                    <label>Email :</label>
                    <input type="text" name="email" class="tbox" required/>
                </fieldset>
                <fieldset>
                    <label>Message :</label>
                    <textarea rows="5" cols="20" name="message" required></textarea>
                </fieldset>
                <fieldset>
                    Please enter security code
                    <div class="clear"></div>
                    <input type="text" name="vrcode" class="tbox"/>
                </fieldset>
                <fieldset>
                    <input type="submit" class="button" value="Submit"/>
                    &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="#" id="closefeedbakcformLink">Close</a>
                </fieldset>
            </form>
        </div>
        <div class="clearfix"></div>
    </div>
</div>
<div id="donate_popup" class="modal" style="max-width: 800px;">
    <table width="100%" border="1">
        <tr>
            <td colspan="2" align="center">
                <b>Support im4change</b>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td width="25%" valign="middle">
                <img src="https://im4change.in/images/logo2.jpg?1582080632" alt="" width="100%"/>            </td>
            <td style="padding-left:10px;padding-top:10px;">
                <form action="https://im4change.in/donate" method="get">
                    <table width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
                        <tr>
                            <td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                10
                            </td>
                            <td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                100
                            </td>
                            <td width="33%" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                1000
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td colspan="3">
                                &nbsp;
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td  style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                50
                            </td>
                            <td  style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                500
                            </td>
                            <td  style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                                <input type="text" name="price" placeholder="?" style="font-family: 'Script Font', cursive, Arial;font-size: 20px;font-weight: 700;">
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td colspan="3">
                                &nbsp;
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr>
                            <td colspan="3" align="right">
                                <input type="button" name="Pay" value="Pay"
                                       style="width: 200px;background-color: rgb(205, 35, 36);color: #ffffff;"/>
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                    </table>
                </form>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </table>
</div><script type='text/javascript'>

    /* <![CDATA[ */

    var tievar = {'go_to': 'Go to...'};

    /* ]]> */

</script>
<script src="/js/tie-scripts.js?1575549704"></script><script src="/js/bootstrap.js?1575549704"></script><script src="/js/jquery.modal.min.js?1578284310"></script><script>
    $(document).ready(function() {
        // tell the autocomplete function to get its data from our php script
        $('#s').autocomplete({
            source: "/autocomplete"
        });
    });
</script>
<script src="/vj-main-sw-register.js" async></script>

<script>function init(){var imgDefer=document.getElementsByTagName('img');for(var i=0;i<imgDefer.length;i++){if(imgDefer[i].getAttribute('data-src')){imgDefer[i].setAttribute('src',imgDefer[i].getAttribute('data-src'))}}}
window.onload=init;</script>
</body>
</html>'

}
$cookies = []
$values = [
	(int) 0 => 'text/html; charset=UTF-8'
]
$name = 'Content-Type'
$first = true
$value = 'text/html; charset=UTF-8'
header - [internal], line ??
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emitHeaders() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181
Cake\Http\ResponseEmitter::emit() - CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 55
Cake\Http\Server::emit() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 141
[main] - ROOT/webroot/index.php, line 39

Home हिन्दी

When the RTI ‘Basmasura' chased the government by Vidya Subrahmaniam

Published on Sep 26, 2011   Modified on Sep 26, 2011

When the controversial Finance Ministry note to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on P. Chidambaram's role in 2G spectrum allocation was traced to a Right to Information application, there was surprise — and some concern — both within the government and in RTI circles. The government's discomfiture was understandable: The RTI Act, which was its proud creation, recoiled on it much like the boon that Lord Shiva granted Basmasura. In the fable, Basmasura seeks and gets the power to reduce to ashes anyone on whose head he places his hand. The Lord agrees, only to be chased around by Basmasura, who wants to test the boon on Shiva himself. From the Commonwealth Games to 2G, there has been an RTI angle to many of the scams and scandals that have emerged in recent times from the corridors of power. In the old days, a Finance Ministry note like the one that surfaced last week would have been a closely-held secret. Yet this document, used by the Bharatiya Janata Party as a weapon against both the Home Minister and the Prime Minister, was among a sheaf of papers released by the PMO itself. The irony is compounded by the fact that of the two applicants who sought the papers, one was R.K. Garg, convener of the BJP's RTI cell. The other was RTI veteran Subhash Chandra Agarwal. The release of the note obviously placed the government in a quandary: It could hardly argue against its own decision. So while Pranab Mukherjee lauded the transparency of the RTI process in distant Washington, Veerappa Moily struck the first cautionary note. In a newspaper interview, he called for a national debate on the RTI, arguing that the Act could not be allowed to interfere in official decision-making. He also wheeled out the old chestnut of RTI amendments. RTI activists began to press the panic button. Activist Lokesh Batra sent out a message that said: “Alert, is this another attempt to dilute the RTI Act?” The former Chief Information Commissioner, Wajahat Habibullah, who led the fight against amendments to outlaw file notings, told The Hindu that the RTI Act had acquired too much momentum for it now to be rolled back by the government. He said the Act provided for exemptions which the government could have used to deny information to the applicants. “Section 8 provides immunity from disclosure on grounds of national and economic security, privacy and commercial interest. The law does not become bad because the government chose to disclose information.” Mr. Habibullah pointed to the vital role played by the RTI in digging out many of the recent scams. The CWG exposure started with a plea by the Organising Committee that it be kept out of the RTI. However, the Central Information Commission ruled that the OC was a public authority which allowed its spending to be scrutinised. This brought out a deluge of damning documents. Similarly, there were RTI queries on the procedure followed in spectrum allotment. Nikhil Dey, convener of the National Campaign for People's Right to Information, said if the government attempted to roll back the RTI or bring in amendments, it would be an admission of its guilt: “That will immediately raise questions about its motives.” To Mr. Moily's charge that the RTI allowed normal inter-departmental discussions to be misinterpreted as dissensions, Mr. Dey said: “The best and most accurate interpretation can come only from full disclosure. It is only through full disclosure that you get a perspective of what happened. Leaks are far more selective and damaging.” He also argued that laws could not be enacted to make the government comfortable: “If the government feels some discomfort because of disclosure it is not a bad thing.” Mr. Agarwal, who has brought out hundreds of secret documents from the vaults of the government, including correspondence between the Prime Minister and the President and between the Prime Minister and the Congress president, salutes Manmohan Singh and the PMO for upholding transparency: “With Ms. Gandhi and civil society watching, a rollback is almost ruled out. If despite this, the government dilutes the Act, it will have to pay a heavy price for it.”

The Hindu, 27 September, 2011, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2488753.ece

Tagged with: Right to Information

Related Articles

• West Bengal Government retracts RTI reply on farmer suicides -Shiv Sahay Singh
• Fortified rice is not suitable for everyone's consumption, state activist of ASHA and Right to Food Campaign
• India Has Come a Long Way Since 1947, But Much Still Needs to Be Done -Virginius Xaxa
• Meet A Ramakrishnan from Theni -- warrior with RTI armour -Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam
• ‘0.01%’ street vendors from minority communities benefit from Centre’s loan scheme, finds RTI query -Gaurvi Narang

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Name *

Email *

Contact No.

Comment

Type the characters you see in the image below *

Video Archives

Archives

• Moving Upstream: Luni – Fellowship
• 135 Million Indians Exited “Multidimensional" Poverty as per Government...
• Explainer: Why are Tomato Prices on Fire?
• NSSO Survey: Only 39.1% of all Households have Drinking...
• More...

Im4Change.org हिंदी वेबसाइट का परिचय. Short Video on im4change.org...

"Session 1: Scope of IDEA and AgriStack" in Exploring...

"Session 2: Farmer Centric Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...

"Session 3: Future of Digitalisation in Agriculture" in Exploring...

• Public Spending on Agriculture in India (Source: Foundation for...
• Agrarian Change Seminar: 'Protests against the New Farm Laws...
• Webinar: Ramrao - The Story of India's Farm Crisis...
• Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship...
• More...

Website Developed by RAVINDErkHURANA.com

Objectives | About Us | Workshops | Disclaimer

Support im4change
	10 100 1000   50 500