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CERT-IN EXEMPTED FROM RTI

27th November, 2023

CERT-IN EXEMPTED FROM RTI

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Picture Courtesy: www.oneindia.com

Context: The Central government has recently amended the Second Schedule of the RTI Act, 2005, to include CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) among organizations exempt from the Act's purview. This places CERT-In alongside 26 other intelligence and security agencies like IB, R&AW, ED, and NTRO.

Key Highlights

  • CERT-In serves as the national nodal agency for managing and responding to cybersecurity incidents across the country. It operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and plays a crucial role in enhancing security awareness among citizens.
  • The RTI Act, enacted in 2005, includes provisions exempting certain intelligence and security organizations listed in the Second Schedule from disclosing information. However, it's important to note that information related to corruption allegations and human rights violations within these exempted organizations is not excluded from RTI.
  • The Department of Personnel and Training issued a notification exercising the powers conferred by section 24(2) of the RTI Act, specifically amending the Second Schedule. This amendment adds CERT-In as the 27th organization exempted from the Act.
  • CERT-In's exemption under RTI means that the information held by CERT-In, concerning its operations and incident responses, will not be accessible to the public through RTI requests, aligning it with the confidentiality maintained by other intelligence and security agencies.

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CERT-in and RTI: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/cert-in-and-rti

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. What is the role of the Right to Information (RTI) in promoting transparency and accountability, and what are the key challenges faced in implementing and ensuring its effectiveness?