-IndiaToday.in PM Modi's constituency Varanasi failed to find a place in UP Swachh Ward Contest. Lucknow: In a major embarrassment for both central and state governments, PM Modi's constituency Varanasi failed to find a place in UP Swachh Ward Contest. The state-level contest was held in Lucknow on December 25 in which the districts were evaluated on various parameters like open defecation free, solid waste management, segregation of waste, condition of public toilets,...

-TheWire.in No new appointments have been made to the Central Information Commission since 2016. New Delhi: From Monday, the Central Information Commission (CIC) will function with only three commissioners – as opposed to a sanctioned strength of 11, including the chief. The present crisis has arisen because the Narendra Modi government has since 2016 failed to fill any vacancies in the body – probably because the commission has been at the forefront...

-The Hindu No transparency in appointment process, says petitioner. New Delhi: The Centre has denied a Right to Information Request for a copy of the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill 2018, which had been notified for introduction in the monsoon session of Parliament. The Bill sought to give the Centre power to set the tenure and salaries of State and Central Information Commissioners. Critics worry this could threaten the independence of Commissioners. An...

-IANS The training told users to differentiate between rumours and opinions; shared subsequent steps to tackle instances of false news and tips to stay safe on WhatsApp. Jaipur: Aiming to address the challenge of misinformation during the upcomimg Rajasthan Assembly polls, WhatsApp today conducted training for community leaders in Jaipur, in partnership with the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), the Facebook-owned mobile messaging platform said. The education workshop encouraged WhatsApp users to see...

-The Hindu Instead of holding a public debate on making the Act more effective, the government is seeking to dilute its provisions The Right to Information (RTI) Act, operationalised in October 2005, was seen as a powerful tool for citizen empowerment. It showed an early promise by exposing wrongdoings at high places, such as in the organisation of the Commonwealth Games, and the allocation of 2G spectrum and coal blocks. However, it...