The government of India is trying to clandestinely push through ammendments in the RTI act.  According to an organization called Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, the government is attempting to amend the act quickly and the bill could be tabled soon. The organisation has has called on the government to stop making changes in the Right to Information Act. Through its Programme Coordinator for its Access to Information Programme, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative has also issued an appeal to the citizens asking them to pressurize the government from making the changes.

The government of India wants to amend certain parts of the RTI Act to accommodate the NSRA or “Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill”. The government recently, in September 2011, passed the “Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill”. The aim of the NSRA is “to establish an Authority and such other regulatory bodies for regulation of radiation safety or nuclear safety and achieving highest standards of such safety based on scientific approach, operating experience and best practices followed by nuclear industry.”   

Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative’s programme director Venkatesh Nayak has sent an email to various people asking them to sign the petition to dissuade the government from making any changes to the RTI act. The NSRA is aimed at introducing two amendments to the RTI Act under Sections 8 and 24.

The Bill was referred to the Department-related Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests soon after it was tabled. The Committee asked for comments and criticisms on the Bill in September. The Committee completed its hearings in January 2012 and is preparing its report.  The report could be finalised any day before the budget session starts.

This Bill seeks to add a new exemption to Section 8(1) of the RTI Act about nuclear safety matters and recommends the exclusion of an unspecified number of yet-to-be-established nuclear safety agencies from transparency obligations by placing them in Schedule 2 of the RTI Act. In simple terms, it means that people wanting information pertaining to the country’s nuclear plants, its operations and safety procedures, can be turned away in the name of national security.