-PTI The government has put a word limit of 500 words for filing an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Besides this, a new format has been devised for filing an appeal to the Central Information Commission under the transparency law. The government has also made it mandatory for an appellant or his authorised representative to appear before the CIC either in person or through video-conferencing, according to new rules notified...

-Deccan Herald Proposed amendment criticised for being harsh on applicants A proposed amendment in the Right to Information Act may end up diluting the Act, according to an RTI activist.  The amendment will make it mandatory for an appellant to be present in person or send a representative during case hearing by the Centre of Information Centre (CIC). “The appellant may be present in person, through an authorised representative or through video conferencing at...

Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution KV Thomas tells Nitin Sethi that it makes better sense to distribute stocked foodgrain to people of the country than subsidise exports. Possible spread of drought that the government is looking at... At the moment, monsoon rainfall is 23% below the long term average. But we have to wait another 15 days to know the full situation. We had discussion in the presence...

-The Indian Express The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Allahabad High Court registry to reply to a PIL challenging its RTI rules as unconstitutional. A bench of Justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar asked the registry to respond on a plea by NGO, Common Cause, which has sought the quashing of Rules 3 to 5, 20 and 25 to 27 of the Allahabad High Court (Right to Information) Rules, 2006. The...

-The Economic Times A year after the Centre shelved a move of introducing norms, including a 250-word limit on RTI applications, it has resurrected the proposal. The file pertaining to draft RTI rules has been sent to Prime Minister's Office, putting the proposal back on the agenda of UPA-II. The Centre had in November, 2010, sought to introduce amendment to RTI rules for filing applications. The rules framed by the Department...