Mumbai University to begin certificate course in RTI Act

Mumbai, Jan 13: The Mumbai University will be offering a six-month PG certificate course in Right to Information (RTI) Act, beginning this week.

The Department of Civic and Politics, which is formulating the course content and identifying the subjects in the curriculum will hold classes for this academic session from January 16, said Bhaskar Prabhu, noted RTI activist and member of the course committee.

Prabhu is a Convener of Mahiti Adhikar Manch (MAM), an organisation which facilitated the department in commencing this course, which can be taken up after graduation.

To mark this occasion, the University has organised an inaugural function tomorrow in its Kalina Campus which would be attended by RTI activist Nikil Dey, former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi and Chief Information Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad.

Vice-chancellor Sanjay Deshmukh would be presiding over the function. Admission process for the course has already begun and university is targeting social activists, PIOs, journalists, bureaucrats and members of civil society to ensure more effective use of the RTI tool, said Prabhu.

He said that when MAM organised an RTI convention in collaboration with Department of Civic and Politics last year, "we had urged the University to start a course on Right to Information which they graciously said they would consider".

"We are extremely happy that our efforts have come to fruition and now the day has arrived when course is going to begin," added Prabhu.

PTI