NEW DELHI: New users are not being allowed to register on the Right to Information (RTI) portal even as the Ministry of Electronics and IT claims it did not have any material information on changes made to
the portal.
Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), an Indian digital liberties organisation, had filed a request for information under the RTI Act with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) over the disallowance of new users to sign up on the portal.
The RTI portal also has two new pop-ups which users need to close before they can access the website and exercise their right to information, it said.
“We believe that in the absence of having an option to sign up, every user will now have to manually track each RTI request, therefore discouraging people from exercising their rights by creating unnecessary difficulties. Pop-ups may be additional barriers to the right to information, which is in clear contravention with the RTI Act,” said the IFF.
It also requested information on any notice issued or file notings after which the change was made including not allowing new users to register. The IFF has filed a first appeal against the reply, to seek information and file notings on the issue.
“NIC has replied that no material information is available in records of the answering officer on the questions in the RTI application. On our request on the pop-ups, they have cited an email from the PMO stating that all websites have to prominently display content relating to Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav,” it added.