Mainstream Weekly

Our Experiments with Truth: Political Parties Band Together to Keep Themselves Out of RTI

Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey — 2013-08-12T11:24:17Z

by Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey
Engulfed in scams and in the midst of a growing credibility deficit of the political establishment, the government's move to amend the Right to Information (RTI) Act to keep political parties out of its ambit is most unfortunate and injudicious. This step will deepen the chasm between the political system and the people. It is especially unwise at this juncture as it's another setback to expectations of responsible and fair governance.
The dilemma lies in the (…)

- 2013

Wiping Out Transparency

Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey — 2011-07-25T13:01:41Z

If actions speak louder than words, then the government has just spoken loud and clear. There could be no stronger indication of the government's lack of serious intent in building an effective anti-corruption regime than the decision to remove the Central Bureau of Investi-gation (CBI) from the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) law.
Without any discussion in the public domain, the government has decided to use Section 24 of the RTI Act to exempt the CBI—a decision with (…)

- 2011

China : Where is the Red Star?

Nikhil Dey — 2007-10-16T12:41:21Z

Last week the Chinese people observed the fiftyeighth anniversary of their Revolution that transformed the face of the country in a short span of time. But what is the present reality in China? A well-known social activist explores.
The only thing that is ‘communist' in China today is the name. That is my overwhelming impression at the end of a ten-day visit to the People's Republic of China as part of an official youth and panchayati raj delegation from India. Despite expecting to see (…)

- October 13, 2007