Government keeps NIA, Natgrid out of RTI ambit

New Delhi, Jun 26: After keeping the CBI out of the ambit of RTI Act, the government has now made the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid) inaccessible under the transparency law.

The Right to Information Act, 2005 has been amended to include NIA, Natgrid and CBI in its second schedule which exempts "intelligence and security organisation established by the central government" out of the purview of the Act.

"In the second schedule of the RTI Act, 2005, after serial number 22 and the entry relating thereto, the following serial numbers and entries shall be added, namely: 23. CBI, 24. NIA, 25. Natgrid," a notification issued on June 9 by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

Now, 25 organisations have been listed under the second schedule of the RTI Act which includes Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Central Economic Intelligence Bureau, Aviation Research Centre and National Security Guards among others not to provide information except the ones relating to allegations of corruption and human right violations.

PTI