Information Society Watch

June 2006, Fay Durrant, First Monday

As governments worldwide move towards openness and transparency, the development of legislation to facilitate access to information is an essential requirement for modernisation of the public sector and for effective governance. This paper assesses the main elements and current status of the legislation from global surveys and examines in detail the progress in implementing the access legislation in the Caribbean. Issues of the context of access legislation, complementary legislation, information infrastructure, administrative procedures, and the impact of new technologies on access to information services are addressed.

May 2006, UNDP

The UNDP Oslo Governance Centre convened a seminar on the right to information to explore how UNDP can strengthen its support to promoting and protecting the right to information in countries where UNDP is working. This paper is based on the seminar programme.

August 2006, Michael Gurstein and Parminder Jeet Singh, E-GovOnline.Net Magazine

In this article, the authors contend that the foremost challenge of the ""Right to Information” is that while such rights may have been translated into laws, the practice of enforcing such rights is one which in many contexts is out of the reach of those without considerable access to legal or financial resources. And it is those with the least resources who may have the most need to have access to such information.

March 13, 2006, Alok Prakash Putul, BBC News Service

Although the Right to Information (RTI) Act may theoretically give Indians the right to access information held by the government, the price of acquiring this information is often exorbitant.

2004, Aruna Roy

This is an unedited lecture by the head of Mazdoon Kisan Shakti Sangathan in which she stresses the importance of the right to information and knowledge. She emphasises that access to information and knowledge is the essence of democracy, without which it would be impossible to survive and to lead a life of dignity.

May 8, 2006, Indian-Express

The BMC (Bombay Municipal Corporation) has told citizens that a crucial report cannot be disclosed, citing the ‘third party' exclusion clause.

August 2005, India-Together

In real terms, the implementation of Right to Information(RTI) in India poses a huge challenge to the government; the new law covers all central, state, local and panchayat government agencies, with the exception of those in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

2005,Sukumar Muralidharan,Seminar wed edition

Reflective of a global pattern, right to information legislation in India has evolved at the interface between the citizen (or the wider community) and state institutions. It protects specific individual and community rights of access to data of public interest and enjoins certain norms of transparency on the state.

September 30, 2006, Times of India

A year after the Right to Information Act, public information officers (PIOs) of government bodies in the state of Maharashtra have received around 60,000 RTI applications, apparently placing them far ahead of other states. This Act has allowed many poor to acquire simple documents like land records, pension dues, Employment Guarantee Scheme, and pending police cases.