Information Commission

by

<–2/”>a >The Central Information Commission has been constituted with effect from 12-10-2005 under the Right To Information act, 2005. The jurisdiction of the Commission extends over all Central Public Authorities.

The Commission has certain powers and functions mentioned in sections 18, 19, 20 and 25 of the RTI Act, 2005.These broadly relate to adjudication in second appeal for giving information; direction for record keeping, suo motu disclosures receiving and inquiring into a complaint on inability to file RTI etc;imposition of penalties and Monitoring and Reporting including preparation of an Annual Report. The decisions of the Commission are final and binding.

Central Information Commission to be constituted by the Central Government through a Gazette Notification.  Commission includes 1 Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and not more than 10 Information Commissioners (IC) who will be appointed by the President of India. Oath of Office will be administered by the President of India according to the form set out in the First Schedule. Commission shall have its Headquarters in Delhi. Other offices may be established in other parts of the country with the approval of the Central Government. Commission will exercise its powers without being subjected to directions by any other authority.

Candidates for CIC/IC must be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance. CIC/IC shall not be a Member of Parliament or Member of the Legislature of any State or Union Territory. He shall not hold any other Office of Profit or connected with any political party or carrying on any business or pursuing any profession. Appointment Committee includes Prime Minister (Chair), Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and one Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.

CIC shall be appointed for a term of 5 years from date on which he enters upon his office or till he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. CIC is not eligible for reappointment.Salary will be the same as that of the Chief Election Commissioner. This will not be varied to the disadvantage of the CIC during service.

Central Information Commission/State Information Commission will have powers of Civil Court such as –

a) summoning and enforcing attendance of persons, compelling them to give oral or written evidence on oath and to produce documents or things;

b) requiring the discovery and inspection of documents;

c) receiving evidence on affidavit ;

d) requisitioning public records or copies from any court or office

e) issuing summons for examination of witnesses or documents

f) any other matter which may be prescribed.

Central Information Commission sends an annual report to the Central Government on the implementation of the provisions of this law at the end of the year. The State Information Commission will send a report to the State Government .

 ,

The Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) is a law that gives citizens of India the right to access information from the government. The Act was passed by the Parliament of India on 15 June 2005 and came into force on 12 October 2005.

The RTI Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation in India. It has given citizens the power to hold the government accountable and has led to a number of positive changes in the way the government functions.

The RTI Act applies to all government bodies, including the central government, state governments, local bodies, and Public Sector Undertakings. It also applies to non-governmental organizations that receive government funding.

Under the RTI Act, any citizen of India can request information from any government body. The government body is required to provide the information within 30 days of the request. If the government body does not provide the information within 30 days, the citizen can file an appeal with the Central Information Commission or the State Information Commission.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) is the highest authority under the RTI Act. It is headed by the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). The CIC has jurisdiction over all government bodies at the central level.

The State Information Commission (SIC) is the highest authority under the RTI Act in each state. It is headed by the State Information Commissioner (SIC). The SIC has jurisdiction over all government bodies in the state.

The RTI Act has been a major success. It has helped to improve Transparency and Accountability in the government. It has also helped to empower citizens and has led to a number of positive changes in the way the government functions.

Some of the key benefits of the RTI Act include:

  • Increased transparency and accountability in the government
  • Empowered citizens
  • Positive changes in the way the government functions

The RTI Act has also had some challenges. One of the biggest challenges is that the government bodies are not always responsive to RTI requests. Another challenge is that the government bodies are not always able to provide the information that is requested.

Despite the challenges, the RTI Act has been a major success. It has helped to improve transparency and accountability in the government. It has also helped to empower citizens and has led to a number of positive changes in the way the government functions.

The RTI Act is a powerful tool that can be used to hold the government accountable. It is important for citizens to be aware of the RTI Act and to use it to demand transparency and accountability from the government.

What is the Information Commission?

The Information Commission is an independent statutory body established under the Right to Information Act, 2005. It is responsible for ensuring the implementation of the Act and for redressing grievances of citizens who are denied information.

What are the functions of the Information Commission?

The Information Commission has the following functions:

  • To receive complaints from citizens who are denied information;
  • To investigate complaints and pass orders;
  • To recommend disciplinary action against public officials who violate the Act;
  • To undertake promotional and awareness activities about the Act;
  • To publish annual reports on its activities.

How can I file a complaint with the Information Commission?

You can file a complaint with the Information Commission by submitting a written application to the Commission. The application should be accompanied by a copy of the RTI application that was denied, as well as a copy of the reply from the public authority.

What is the procedure for filing a complaint with the Information Commission?

The procedure for filing a complaint with the Information Commission is as follows:

  1. You should first file an RTI application with the public authority concerned.
  2. If the public authority denies your RTI application, you can file a complaint with the Information Commission.
  3. The Information Commission will then investigate your complaint and pass an order.
  4. If the Information Commission finds that the public authority has violated the Act, it will order the public authority to provide you with the information you have requested.
  5. The Information Commission may also recommend disciplinary action against the public official who denied you information.

What are the timelines for filing a complaint with the Information Commission?

You can file a complaint with the Information Commission within 90 days of the date on which you received the reply from the public authority.

What are the fees for filing a complaint with the Information Commission?

There is no fee for filing a complaint with the Information Commission.

What are the remedies available if the Information Commission finds that the public authority has violated the Act?

If the Information Commission finds that the public authority has violated the Act, it may order the public authority to provide you with the information you have requested. The Information Commission may also recommend disciplinary action against the public official who denied you information.

What is the appeal process if you are not satisfied with the order of the Information Commission?

If you are not satisfied with the order of the Information Commission, you can appeal to the High Court.

Here are some MCQs on the following topics:

  1. Data protection

  2. Which of the following is not a principle of data protection?

    • Lawfulness, fairness and transparency
    • Purpose limitation
    • Data minimization
    • Data quality
    • Accountability
  3. Which of the following is not a right of data subjects?
    • The right to be informed
    • The right of access
    • The right to rectification
    • The right to erasure
    • The right to data portability

  4. Which of the following is not a ground for processing personal data?

    • Consent
    • Contractual necessity
    • Legal obligation
    • Vital interests
    • Legitimate interests

  5. Privacy by design

  6. Which of the following is not a principle of privacy by design?

    • Data minimization
    • Privacy-enhancing technologies
    • Data protection impact assessments
    • Privacy by default
    • Accountability
  7. Which of the following is not a tool for privacy by design?
    • Anonymization
    • Pseudonymization
    • Encryption
    • Data masking
    • Data minimization

  8. Which of the following is not a benefit of privacy by design?

    • Reduced risk of data breaches
    • Increased compliance with data protection laws
    • Improved customer trust
    • Reduced costs
    • Increased innovation

  9. Open data

  10. Which of the following is not a principle of open data?

    • Accessibility
    • Usefulness
    • Relevance
    • Timeliness
    • Non-discrimination
  11. Which of the following is not a tool for open data?
    • Data portals
    • Data catalogues
    • Data visualization tools
    • Data APIs
    • Data licenses

  12. Which of the following is not a benefit of open data?

    • Increased transparency and accountability
    • Improved decision-making
    • Increased innovation
    • Economic Growth
    • Reduced costs

  13. Artificial Intelligence

  14. Which of the following is not a type of artificial intelligence?

    • Rule-based systems
    • Machine Learning
    • Deep learning
    • Natural language processing
    • Data mining
  15. Which of the following is not a risk of artificial intelligence?
    • Bias
    • Discrimination
    • Explainability
    • Accountability
    • Safety

  16. Which of the following is not a benefit of artificial intelligence?

    • Increased efficiency
    • Improved decision-making
    • Increased innovation
    • Economic growth
    • Reduced costs

  17. Blockchain

  18. Which of the following is not a component of blockchain?

    • Nodes
    • Transactions
    • Blocks
    • Consensus mechanism
    • Smart contracts
  19. Which of the following is not a use case of blockchain?
  20. Which of the following is not a risk of blockchain?
    • Centralization
    • Security
    • Scalability
    • Regulation
    • Energy consumption

I hope these MCQs are helpful! Please let me know if you have any other questions.