On December 10, the department of personnel and training (DoPT) published draft RTI Rules on its website (see related stories).

The department set a 27-days deadline for posting comments on the draft rules.

The champions of the transparency act voiced stiff resistance to the draft rules in general and two rules in particular - draft rule 4, which says that each RTI application should be restricted to 250 words and should have queries only on one subject matter, and draft rule 16 rule, according to which, the proceedings in an information commission shall abate on the death of the appellant.

Amid growing opposition to the draft rules, DoPT circulated an official memorandum among all the departments/ ministries of the government of India asking their comments on rules in general and two mentioned rules in particular.

Since the publication of draft rules, the NAC working group on transparency and accountability held two meetings with the civil society to receive their feedback on rules.

Subsequently, the NAC submitted a set of recommendations to the DoPT.

However, the DoPT has rejected NAC’s recommendations on most of the draft rules (see related story).

This includes recommendations on ‘limit of 250 words’ and ‘one subject matter’.

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) has prepared a counter to what DoPT said on the recommendations of NAC.

Read the document attached for CHRI's rejoinders to the government's reasons for rejecting the NAC suggestions.