[Answered] The widespread understanding and use of the RTI is a shining example of participatory democracy. In the light of the statement, suggest measures to protect whistleblowers in India.

Right to Information Act, 2005 mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information. The RTI Act was introduced with the sole objective of empowering people, containing corruption, and bringing transparency and accountability in the working of the Government. The Act is a big step towards making the citizens informed about the activities of the Government.

How RTI promotes participatory democracy?

• The RTI empowers us to participate in the policymaking process, by providing access to information relating to the functioning of all public authorities.
• Ordinary citizens have used the law to make public authorities accountable and transparentin their functioning,
• Cross section of citizens including activists, lawyers, bureaucrats, researchers and journalists used RTI to unearth corruption of all kindsfrom the Panchayat level right up to Parliament.
• Greater access of the citizen to information, led to increased responsiveness of government to community needs.
• RTI has led to awareness of rights and responsibilities as citizens among people.
• RTI has developed obligation at village, district, state or national level to disclose information to the people.

Measures to protect whistleblowers in India:

• Create an effective legislation system: that facilitates and protects them in their attempt to pursue issues of public interest.
• Time-bound investigations: State governments must direct law-enforcement agencies to expeditiously complete investigations in all cases where RTI users are harassed and make proactive efforts to provide adequate compensation to the victim’s family.
• Publicise all the questions and answers: The State Information Commission must immediately direct the relevant public authorities to disclose the questions raised and the answers given. Giving wide publicity may potentially act as a deterrent against attacks on RTI users.
• State-level whistle blower protection law: State governments, such as those of Bihar and Maharashtra, which have recorded the highest number of murders of RTI activists, must introduce their own mechanisms for protecting whistle blowers.
• Enabling ecosystem: wherein whistle blowers are incentivized and not threatened to disclose the illegal practices carried on in any organization.
• The State governments must take immediate efforts to institutionalise proactive disclosure of actionable information. E.g. Rajasthan’s Jan Soochna portal, Karnataka’s Mahiti Kanaja.

Strengthening the Whistleblower Protection mechanism is necessary to enhance transparency and accountability in public institutions. The government must decide on a specific time frame to establish an administrative setup to protect whistle-blowers.