The Karnataka High Court has directed the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) to establish a uniform digital system for collecting, managing, and publishing information related to the implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
The order was issued while partly allowing a writ petition filed by N. Ramesh Babu, who challenged the commission over the non-provision of information. Justice Suraj Govindaraj, sitting on a single-judge bench, emphasized that citizens should easily access RTI-related information.
The court directed KIC to introduce a centralised electronic index on its official website, including year-wise details of RTI applications received, disposed of, rejected, and information on first and second appeals.
It must also publish details of penalties imposed and disciplinary actions recommended under Section 20 of the RTI Act against public information officers who failed to provide information.
Every Karnataka department is instructed to identify public authorities under its jurisdiction, collect the information required under Section 25 of the RTI Act, and assign designated officers for continuous updates.
The information must be maintained electronically in a searchable, sortable format to allow citizens to retrieve records without manual examination.
KIC must create a clearly identifiable section on its website covering RTI implementation and compliance, publishing information in a prescribed format.
This addresses longstanding transparency challenges by centralising RTI performance indicators. The effectiveness depends on implementation timelines and technical platforms, which the source report did not specify.
