Ansari proposes penalty on frivolous RTI applications

Majority of the info commissioners against the idea of curbing frivolous applications

danish

Danish Raza | October 13, 2010



Professor M M Ansari, one of the information commissioners at the central information commission believes that the government should impose cost on frivolous and vexatious applications to discourage such applications. In his paper, circulated at first foundation day lecture of CIC held in the capital on Tuesday, Ansari has said that the cost to the government in servicing an RTI application varies between Rs 10 to Rs 30,000, the ultimate burden of which is borne by the tax payer.


“Even though the net benefit of the use of the information laws may be higher than the cost to the society, there is need to discourage frivolous and vexatious applications,” said he.

“Suitable provisions for awarding costs -- similar to the one enjoyed by courts and the proposed provision in Whistleblower Act should be considered
so as to minimise misuse the provisions of the RTI Act by disgruntled
elements,” he added.

Curbing frivolous and vexatious applications has found mention every time the government has hinted at making amendments to the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
 

Comments

 

Other News

Doctors, experts call for ban on junk food ads, mandate warning labels

More than 30 doctors, medical scientists and public health professionals have urged the government to take decisive action against the aggressive advertising and marketing of junk food, calling for a watershed ban on advertisements for foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) and ultra-processed foods (UPF

Asiatic Lion population rises from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025

On World Lion Day 2026, environment, forest and climate change Minister  Bhupender Yadav celebrated India’s remarkable journey in lion conservation and reaffirmed the country’s unwavering commitment to protecting wildlife and biodiversity.   In a post on soc

Railways imposed ₹5.13 crore fine for food quality and hygiene violations

Indian Railways serve about 58 crore meals every year on an average. About only 0.0008% food quality related complaints are received on average. Based on complaints during the last three years, appropriate penal actions have been taken by IRCTC. Such actions include imposition of fines amounting to ₹5.13

STHAVAR: Why every Indian built asset needs a permanent digital identity

India has built digital systems for identity, payments, taxation, documents, logistics and public services. State governments, ministries, infrastructure agencies and urban local bodies have also created portals for land records, building permissions, project monitoring, property taxation and municipal s

Saksham Skill census identifies 22,000 job-ready candidates in one Mumbai ward

A first-of-its-kind AI-enabled skill census conducted in Mumbai`s H-West Ward has identified a potential livelihood pipeline of nearly 22,000 candidates, generated over 32,000 provisional job matches while revealing that 71.2 per cent of surveyed homemakers are willing to join the workforce, according to

GI tags: Scaling traditional wealth into global brands

Geographical Indication (GI) tags have emerged as a powerful tool for protecting India`s cultural heritage, while creating economic opportunities for local communities. By linking products to their place of origin, GI tags preserve traditional knowledge, prevent misuse, and enhance consumer trust. They h

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter