Another Session of Orientation on RTI to College Students

2012RTI Support Centre (RSC) at the freedom1 Forum imparted an orientation on 'Practical Use of Right to Information (RTI) to students of different colleges on September 1, 2012 in Kathmandu. The orientation was facilitated by Mr. Sanjeeb Ghimire and Anirudra Neupane of freedom1 Forum. Participants were given orientation on basic issues of RTI and its practical use. Public agencies and their responsibilities, responsibilities of information officers & head of those agencies and that of National Information Commission (NIC) were some of the basic agendas of the orientation program. The practical use of RTI to promote transparency and accountability of public agencies was the pivotal agenda of discussion. Participants became aware of the process of information requests, the way to file appeal to the head of the agencies and to Information Commission if respective officer or agency either denies to give requested information or incomplete information or wrong information is given. The tools of fact based advocacy against corruption based on information so acquired from the public agencies were also discussed on the half day orientation program. Participants have have already started to seek the information form public agencies forming a loose network. Some participants who had joined the previous session of similar orientation program held on 18 August have already filed information requests to different public agencies including VDCs, public schools and colleges in Kathmandu valley. freedom1 Forum is excited that youths have united for promotion of RTI and good governance walking on the path of assuring greater accountability in governance through RTI.