RTI first draft

Here is the RTI asking the government for more transparency with the help of online media. I want you guys to help me amend, edit or add information to this. 

• Publication of public information through periodicals is already possible via print medium and TV. Why is it not made possible on the internet?

• What would be the challenges in establishing and maintaining a central web portal where all public information could be put up for public display in an easy to use manner? 

        This information should include:

1. The Constitution of India with all amendments. 
2. Indian penal code. 
3. All state laws and regulations. 
4. Customs and import/export regulations. 
5. Regulations requiring land, building or driving permits, passports etc. 
6. Master-Plans and byelaws and zoning regulations for all regions. 
7. Taxation laws. 
8. Investigative or research based reports, such as census reports. 
9. All educational material used by the CBSE or ICSE boards. 

       

        Specifications for the web portal include: 

1. The information is to be kept centralized in this web portal, not linked to other websites of other departments. 
2. The information has to be kept in a digital format where search and data manipulations are made possible. 
3. New or updated information to be made available as soon as possible. 
4. Each section to carry a time-stamp to indicate how long since the last update.
5. All sections are to be made downloadable in PDF or other suitable formats.
6. All sections are to be made print ready and printer friendly.
7. The web portal should be accessible and easy to use on a mobile device. 

The first step

It is my strong belief that most problems in India begin with people not being aware and involved in the workings of the government. This is why most government officials can afford to be inefficient, incompetent or just plain apathetic to the cause of the people. There is a total disconnect of the government from the people they govern. 

We are governed by rules we have virtually no knowledge of. The government does issue periodicals saying it means to inform the public. But the huge investment of time and money required to make sense of any law makes it unavailable to us. 

You can't get zonal laws, import-export rules, guidelines for business or even taxation rules without shelling out money for a paper print which will be outdated soon. A total disconnect from the people. I was surprised that the new Master Plan of Delhi which was under so much media scrutiny does not have a single official copy available online. 

Thus a new class of middleman emerges just to get work done from the government. Pay him because he knows the rules. Pay him because he knows who can get the work done. Pay him because you will run like a headless chicken without his blessing and that too, to no avail. All of this inconvenience guaranteed to keep the pockets of corrupt officers and pesky middlemen full of your hard-earned money. His only claim to your money is based on the amount of inconvenience or confusion that either he can generate or is already there in the system. 

For an individual, corruption is the only logical step to get your passport issued, or get a driver's permit, or to get out of the fictitious problems the officer can report with you or your car or your business. 

Collectively though, the least we could do is a website where all of the public information can be put up and regularly updated. People don't have to go and buy periodicals to know how much tax they owe. You could access it from your mobiles, computers etc and search for particular laws instantly.

Comments and discussion forums would actively engage the people, suggestions turning into parliamentary bills. A true democracy where people can complain that they don't have laws against child abuse, and get heard. 

I believe there is nothing simpler and more direct than knowing and owning your laws. And no better way to ensure it than enabling convenience and transparency. Share this, link to this or just say it out loud. I don't know how many will be with me but I plan to go ahead with this. 

The first step will be to file an RTI asking why this cannot be a reality.

Stay Tuned