A new bill by the Indian Government attempts to scuttle RTI.

(Clearly, this is an effort to scuttle democratic processes and government accountability such as one that recently affected the efforts of certain sections of the government to go ahead with Genetically Modified food in the absence of clear data and despite significant health and livelihood implications.)

Such a provision will be contrary to provisions of RTI Act itself and may set a dangerous trend for other public-authorities to demand likewise. It may be recalled that even Supreme Court recommended such a provision to keep itself out of purview of Central Information Commission in very initial days of implementation of RTI Act in the country when it faced very first petition-number CIC/WB/A/2006/00171 at Central Information Commission.

Union government must not trigger any protests from civil society and media by incorporating any such provision to keep National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority out of purview of Central Information Commission.

The RTI has been one of the most powerful democratic tools in India - serving effectively as a potent consumer information tool, an anti-corruption tool as well as in preventing the government from making biased or interested decisions at the behest of various lobbyists and pressure groups. In the past couple of years the government has continued to attempt to dilute this Right - through attempts at amendment as well by government agencies (such as the judges of the Supreme Court of India) claiming exception from the Act. This is one such effort.