Right to Information — Ethical Standards

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
RTI Amendment Act 2019	2019	The amendment modified Section 13 (term of office of Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners) and Section 16 (salaries and allowances). Originally, these officials had fixed five-year terms with salaries equivalent to Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners respectively. The amendment gave the Central Government power to determine their tenure, salary, allowances, and other terms of service through rules.	The amendment has raised significant concerns about the independence and autonomy of Information Commissions. Critics argue that giving the Central Government control over tenure and salaries could compromise the quasi-judicial independence of these institutions, potentially affecting their ability to handle cases involving government departments impartially. This has implications for the effectiveness of RTI as a transparency mechanism.