-The Indian Express RTI Act needs to be protected against attempts to dilute it. RTI activists must be made less vulnerable In April, the government of India proposed amendments to the RTI Act, one of the most empowering pieces of legislation inherited from the UPA era. The most controversial amendment pertained to Rule 12. It would allow the withdrawal of an application in case of the applicant’s death, making the job of...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court ruling on right to privacy being a fundamental right could lead to an uncertain impact on right to information as some activists and experts are warning that the order could leave RTI facing new challenges. Former chief information commissioner A N Tiwari said, "Privacy has been addressed by the RTI Act, under sections 8(1)(j) and Section 11. However, the fact is that there...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Advocates of transparency have a new worry amid the euphoria over the privacy verdict - the possibility of information commissioners citing the new fundamental right to deny answers under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. As it is, RTI activists have had to contend with commissioners using Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act to refuse information on the premise that it infringes upon a person's privacy. The section...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: A wave of rare consensus swept most of the national landscape today as the Supreme Court declared the instant triple talaq unconstitutional and outlawed it by a 3:2 majority verdict. While Justices Kurian Joseph, R.F. Nariman and U.U. Lalit ruled the practice "manifestly arbitrary" and against "public order and morality", Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer differed in their minority view. The minority view...

-The Hindu Providing food to the poor or targeted groups at subsidised prices is fully WTO-compatible Transformational changes are taking place in India currently, improving the way we live. These changes are impacting all our lives in small or significant ways. It is gratifying to know that the citizens at large are happy withthese changes. However, forsome who have fed themselves on the fodder that such changes are not for the near...