India slips to Spot No. 6 in RTI Rankings

India slips to Spot No. 6 in RTI Rankings

News:
1. Survey conducted by Halifax-based Centre for Law and Democracy (Canada) and Access Info Europe (Spain) shows India slips a spot to number 6 in RTI ranking.
Important facts:
2. Score indicates the strengths and weaknesses of freedom of information laws around the world
3. India ranks 6th with a score of 128 and has dropped down the list by two places.
4. The global ratings, which started in 2011, have usually had India giving a good show: number two in 2011, 2012 and 2013
5. The score is based on 61 indicators categorized under seven heads –

• Right to access
• Scope
• Requesting procedure
• Exceptions and refusals
• Appeals
• Sanctions and protections
• Promotional measures.

6. Transparency International India conducted the survey and found several reason for bad performance such as.

• An increasing vacancy in multiple state information commissions including the central information commission (CIC)
• There has been no appointment of State Chief Information Commissioners (as on October 10, 2018) for Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Nagaland, it said.
• Out of the 156 posts of Chief Information Commissioners and Information Commissioners at the Union/State level, around 48 posts are vacant,
• Most states are yet to make RTI accessible online for instance only 11 – out of a total of 29 states
• Structural and procedural difficulties have also proven to be one of the major hindrances