Right to Information Act and Library Proffesionals

[Jeba Joselin J]

 

(Friends this is an initiative, I wish all our professionals to fight for our rights)

 

We all know about Right to Information Act, which had been enacted by the
UPA government in the year 2005 in India. As Information Professional, are we aware
of opportunities hiding for us in the implementation of the RTI Act. Do we aware of the

post called Public Information Officers (PIOs) mentioned under RTI Act?

Article 4 (1) of the RTI Act goes like this, “Every public authority shall— maintain

all its records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner and the form which

facilitates the right to information under this Act and ensure that all records that

are appropriate to be computerised are, within a reasonable time and subject to

availability of resources, computerised and connected through a network all over

the country on different systems so that access to such records is facilitated;” and
Article 4 (2) gives details about the list things to be indexed and classified.

Appointment of PIOs and Library and Information Professionals

According to Article 5. (1) of RTI Act Every public authority shall, within one

hundred days of the enactment of this Act, designate as many officers as the

Central Public Information Officers or State Public Information Officers, as the case

may be, in all administrative units or offices under it as may be necessary to provide

information to persons requesting for the information under this Act.

Merits - Our side

Except Central and State Chief Information Commissioners, the act didn’tmention any direct qualifications for the post of Public Information Officers.

 

As mentioned earlier, Article 4 (1) clearly describes the duties of a Public Information Officer; we can observe that they are the duties of a Library and Information Professional.

 

Still today there is a big argument is going on about the appointment of PIOs.

 

In June 2009 a study was conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers under the title “Constraints in implementing the RTI Act. “ One of its findings says, “more than 38% of PIOs stated ineffective record management system and 43% of the PIOs were not aware of the record management guidelines” Being loaded with their regular responsibilities the present PIOs can’t fulfill the people’s information requirements effectively, so we should make the government to understand that we only
can serve as the real PIOs.

How to Target?

Further research about RTI Act and scope for Library and Information

• Professionals should be encouraged.
• Representations should be made to the State and Central Governments.
• Special papers about RTI Act should be introduced in the MLIS course.
• Libraries should be made as access points for public information access.

This is just a beginning for a developing country like ours for the facilitation of information and its access to the masses. I hope it should reach the all the corners of the country and the scope of the Library and Information dissemination can be enhanced. Let us join together and fight for our rights.

[Dr. Akhtar Hussain]

i am with you

[Hedayat Hossain]

First of all I want to give many many thanks to raising the most important questions. Freely speaking the the job of Public Information Officer is like Library professional " To supply the right information to the right user at the right time". So, only the Library Professional can perform the job of Public Information officer. The degree of Library Professionals are Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLISc )and Master of Library and Information Science (MLISc.). So, who will be the Information Officer, an Information Science Student or a Mathematics student or from any other discipline? Any discipline rather than the library science have the provision to keep the records and to keep the records properly (procedure)?  You have also recommended  to introduce a special paper about information and RTI but in all the courses library science the  nature, scope of information and purpose of information  already included. Only the laws of RTI should be included in this section. The most important things to do : to raise a voice against authority for depriving the the library professional from the job of Public Information Officer.

[s shekhar]

Well said.

[Prachi Sachin Deshpande]

Mr Jeba Joselin , I am  agree with ur view.

The changes you suggested is also true and we all should take efforts to do that.

We are appropriate more than any other discipline for the post of PIOs.

Prachi

[Jeba Joselin J]

Thanks a lot to Dr. Akhtar Hussain, Hedayat Hossain, Prachi Sachin Deshpande and all participants, this our duty to claim our rights, I humbly request lislinks members and all professional associations to send a representation to our honourable Prime Minister , Chief Information Commissioner and whomever related to RTI.

 

 

[Priya]

I am also with you .

[SADAF SIDDIQUI]

HELLO SIR.  M ALSO WITH U...

[Ram Laut Tyagee]

Thanks to all of  the participants,  especially to Mr.  jeba for raising such an importnant topic.

I would like to suggest that some National level seminar and conference should be conducted from our professional bodies. So as to raise the topic in systmatic way and the memorandum should be forwarded to the offices like Chief Information Commissioner, Ministry of Human Resource, etc.

 

[Jeba Joselin J]

My sincere thanks to  Priya Saxena,  SADAF SIDDIQUI, Ram Laut Tyagi, for taking your serious view in this issue, I appreciate Mr. Ram Laut Tyagi view. I believe it is possible to occupy all Public Information Officers posts through out the country for our library professionals. I ask all of lislinks friends to gather together to  achieve this target.

Thanks & Regards

Jeba

[Ram Laut Tyagee]

Thanks Mr. Jeba,

with regards,

 

Ram Laut Tyagi

[pawandhari chaturvedi]

This is very good opinion for all library professionals & I am always with you.

 

[Jeba Joselin J]

Thanks pawandhari chaturvedi