A bill to ensure public records are maintained, declassified and easily accessible. Attaching a copy of The Public Records (Amendment) Bill, 2014 which I plan to introduce in the Parliament today : The Public Records (Amendment) Bill, 2014 Introduced in the Parliament on 12th December 2014 Records are created to serve as evidence of transactions and as evidence of our past. By preserving records generated by our governmental bodies and other record creating agencies, the National Archives of India preserves the memory of the daily dealings of our government, citizens, organizations and all connected activities. These archives eventually become a keeper of our culture, history, achievements and failures. The Public Records Act was enacted on 22nd December, 1993 to regulate the administration, management and preservation of records generated by various departments and bodies of the government. It creates an onus on all the bodies of the government to provide for the safekeeping of information and records of their daily activities. The Public Records (Amendment) Bill will ensure that classified documents are downgraded and made accessible to the public after the expiry of a reasonable time period. The declassification process will not be left at the mercy of periodic reviews and the judgment of any one individual. The “default option” should be that of openness and transparency. The unclassified public records, however, will be made accessible subject to reasonable restrictions involving the security of the state and public order. The Bill will also ensure that any Indian citizen, whether a bonafide researcher or not, will be able to inspect and obtain copies of unclassified records preserved by the National Archives of India or any record creating agency. One will not have to resort to the Right to Information Act for obtaining information from Archives. It will strictly be in the domain of the Public Records Act. SHASHI THAROOR
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 03:13:46 +0000
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