Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Light on truth: on the Tamil Nadu G.O. and RTI

Light on truth: on the Tamil Nadu G.O. and RTI

No government intent (इच्छुक, दृढ़संकल्पित) on working for the people should fear transparency (पारदर्शिता, खुलापन)

Protests by political parties and transparency activists (कार्यकर्ता, सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता) have derailed (बाधित करना, विफल करना) the surreptitious (गुप्त, चोरी-छिपे किया गया) rollout (शुरुआत, औपचारिक शुरुआत), in Tamil Nadu, of a regressive (returning to a former or less developed state, typically opposing progress; backward-looking, reactionary, negative, unprogressive) decision to exempt (छूट देना, मुक्त करना) the Public (Law and Order) Department from the purview of the Right to Information Act, 2005. On September 21, the State government issued a Government Order (G.O.) exercising powers under Section 24 (4) of the RTI Act to notify (अधिसूचित करना) the department as an “intelligence (खुफिया जानकारी, गुप्त सूचना) and security organisation (सुरक्षा संगठन, सुरक्षा एजेंसी)” to which the provisions (प्रावधान, उपबंध) of the Act (अधिनियम, कानून) shall not apply (लागू होना, प्रभावी होना). While the G.O. surfaced (सामने आना, सार्वजनिक होना) in the public domain (freely accessible to everyone and not protected by official secrecy; openly available, publicly accessible, non-confidential, public knowledge) only on September 27, strikingly, the Public Department’s designated authorities under the RTI Act had instantly begun citing it to deny information to applicants as early as (as soon as, right from, no later than, already in) September 22. This betrayed (reveal, disclose, expose, uncover) a system (apparatus, structure, establishment, regime) that is shy of (reluctant or unwilling to do something out of hesitation or apprehension; reluctant about, hesitant to, unwilling to, averse to) investing in (to devote effort, time, or resources into a particular goal or initiative; commit to, put effort into, dedicate to, support) transparency. Unsurprisingly (predictably, as expected, naturally, inevitably), State Law Minister C.T.R. Nirmalkumar was initially defensive (guarded, self-justifying, justificatory, protective, combative, oversensitive) about the government’s unilateral (relating to an action or decision performed by one party without the agreement of others; independent, single-handed, one-sided, arbitrary) decision, which, in any case (whatever the circumstances or true situation may be; regardless, anyway, anyhow, nevertheless), required the State to have it placed (to present or submit something for consideration by a formal authority; submit, present, put forward, lay before) before the legislature (Section 24 (5), RTI Act). He claimed that the ambit of the exemption was not sweeping (extensive, comprehensive, wide-ranging, broad) enough to shield (protect, safeguard, defend, guard) the entire department, but was intended (aim, plan, propose, design) to prevent the sharing of sensitive (confidential, classified, restricted, delicate) information relating to district-level inquiries (an official investigation, probe, examination, scrutiny) into incidents (occurrence, event, happening, episode) of communal clashes (conflict, confrontation, skirmish, fight) and the like (used to refer to similar things or things of the same kind; et cetera, and so on, and similar things, and other such things). However (nevertheless, nonetheless, yet, but), shortly thereafter (subsequently, following that, later, afterwards), he announced the G.O.’s withdrawal, without explaining why.

While the State’s afterthought is welcome, the episode has again exposed the political class’s (the group of individuals, including politicians and leaders, who wield political power; political elite, ruling class, politicians, political establishment) penchant (a strong or habitual tendency to do something or liking for something; inclination, tendency, preference, fondness) for maintaining (preserve, keep up, sustain, uphold) secrecy (confidentiality, concealment, covertness, stealth) in administrative (relating to the running of a business, organization, or government body; managerial, executive, organizational, bureaucratic) affairs (a matter or concern relating to public or political life; matter, concern, business, activity). Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, whose promise (pledge, assurance, vow, commitment) of change (transformation, transition) came as a breath of fresh air, should have known better. It is concerning (worrying, alarming, troubling, disturbing) that the establishment desired to insulate itself from transparency by amending an Act which, in any case, emphatically enables non-disclosure of information through a long list of exemptions under Section 8. Even otherwise (apart from that, besides, regardless, anyway), designated information officers (an official appointed by a public authority to process requests for information from citizens under the RTI Act; nodal officer, transparency officer, public information officer, designated official) of central/State institutions (a large governmental organization or body established for a public purpose; organization, establishment, agency, body) have displayed an uncanny (strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling or remarkable way; extraordinary, unusual, remarkable, unnatural) skill (expertise, proficiency, knack, dexterity) in being economical with the truth, delaying responses or bouncing off queries (question, inquiry, request, doubt) from RTI Act applicants, citing vague reasons. Besides, concerns about the Digital Personal Data Protection Act diluting the RTI Act further have been widely (broadly, extensively, universally, generally) articulated (to express an idea or feeling fluently and coherently; express, voice, state, enunciate). It is worrying (concerning, alarming, troubling, disturbing) that the Satark Nagrik Sangathan’s (a citizens’ group set up in 2003 to promote transparency and accountability in government functioning and encourage citizens’ participation in governance; it is known for publishing report cards assessing the performance of Information Commissions) 2024-25 report card on Information Commissions (a statutory body established under the Right to Information Act, 2005 to receive and inquire into complaints and to receive and decide second appeals concerning access to information under the Act) found a backlog (an accumulation of uncompleted work or pending matters that need to be dealt with; accumulation, pile-up, logjam, arrears) of over 41,000 appeals (plea, petition, entreaty, application) and complaints (grievance, protest, charge, accusation) before the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission (TNSIC) (a statutory body constituted by the Government of Tamil Nadu under Section 15 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 to receive and decide second appeals and inquire into complaints concerning access to information from public authorities in Tamil Nadu), as of June last year. Yet, the TNSIC is functioning with only half of its sanctioned eight Information Commissioners and has no Chief Information Commissioner. Instead of seeking (to attempt or desire to obtain or achieve something; try, attempt, aim, strive) to defeat (to prevent someone or something from achieving an aim or objective; thwart, foil, frustrate, ruin) the intent of a piece of legislation (a law or a set of laws that has been officially enacted by a legislative body; act, statute, bill, law) enacted (pass, approve, ratify, validate) to empower (authorize, entitle, permit, enable) citizens with access to information, the Tamil Nadu Government would do well to strengthen (reinforce, fortify, bolster, consolidate) the TNSIC. After all (ultimately, fundamentally, essentially, in the final analysis), only an administration (the government or executive branch in power at a particular time; government, regime, authority, establishment) that does not fear transparency can be the true harbinger (sign, indicator, signal, herald; forerunner, precursor) of change.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.intent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - इच्छुक, दृढ़संकल्पित
English Meaning - firmly resolved or determined to achieve a particular outcome; determined, resolved, bent, focused.

2.transparency (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पारदर्शिता, खुलापन
English Meaning - openness, clarity, straightforwardness, candidness, accountability, disclosure, accessibility.

3.activist (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कार्यकर्ता, सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता
English Meaning - a person who actively campaigns to bring about political or social change; campaigner, advocate, crusader, champion.

4.derail (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बाधित करना, विफल करना
English Meaning - obstruct, thwart, hinder, impede, disrupt.

5.surreptitious (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - गुप्त, चोरी-छिपे किया गया
English Meaning - secret, stealthy, clandestine, covert, secretive, sneaky.

6.rollout (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शुरुआत, औपचारिक शुरुआत
English Meaning - the official launch or introduction of a new policy or service; launch, introduction, unveiling, release.

7.exempt (verb)

Hindi Meaning - छूट देना, मुक्त करना
English Meaning - to free( someone/something) from an obligation; excuse, relieve, absolve, spare.

8.notify (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अधिसूचित करना
English Meaning - to officially declare or formally announce something to the public; announce, declare, proclaim, publish.

9.intelligence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - खुफिया जानकारी, गुप्त सूचना
English Meaning - information or knowledge obtained through the collection, analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of information, especially concerning threats, capabilities, intentions, or activities of foreign powers; intelligence information, strategic information, security information, classified information.

10.security organisation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सुरक्षा संगठन, सुरक्षा एजेंसी
English Meaning - a government organisation responsible for intelligence, national security, internal security, or protection against security threats; security agency, intelligence organisation, security body, protective agency.

11.intelligence and security organisation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - खुफिया एवं सुरक्षा संगठन
English Meaning - an organisation established by the Government for intelligence or security purposes, including organisations concerned with intelligence gathering and the protection of national or internal security.

12.provision (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रावधान, उपबंध
English Meaning - clause, stipulation, condition, requirement.

13.Act (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अधिनियम, कानून
English Meaning - a formal written law passed by a legislative body; law, statute, legislation, decree.

14.apply (verb)

Hindi Meaning - लागू होना, प्रभावी होना
English Meaning - to be relevant, effective, or have practical operation; be applicable, pertain, relate, have effect.

15.surface (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सामने आना, सार्वजनिक होना
English Meaning - to come to public knowledge; emerge, appear, materialize, come to light.

16.in the public domain (phrase)

English Meaning - freely accessible to everyone and not protected by official secrecy; openly available, publicly accessible, non-confidential, public knowledge.

17.Public (Law and Order) Department (noun)

English Meaning - a department of the Government of Tamil Nadu responsible for the maintenance of law and order and related matters, including the constitution of commissions of inquiry.

18.(to shed) light on the truth (phrase)

English Meaning - reveal or clarify the truth about something; reveal the truth, clarify the facts, uncover the reality, expose the truth, lay bare the truth, demystify the situation.

19.regressive (adjective)

English Meaning - returning to a former or less developed state, typically opposing progress; backward-looking, reactionary, negative, unprogressive.

20.Section 24(4) of the RTI Act (noun)

English Meaning - a statutory provision in the Right to Information Act, 2005 under which the Act does not apply to intelligence and security organisations established by a State Government and specified by that Government by notification in the Official Gazette, subject to the statutory exceptions relating to allegations of corruption and human rights violations.

21.as early as (phrase)

English Meaning - as soon as, right from, no later than, already in.

22.betray (verb)

English Meaning - reveal, disclose, expose, uncover.

23.system (noun)

English Meaning - apparatus, structure, establishment, regime.

24.shy of (phrase)

English Meaning - reluctant or unwilling to do something out of hesitation or apprehension; reluctant about, hesitant to, unwilling to, averse to.

25.invest in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to devote effort, time, or resources into a particular goal or initiative; commit to, put effort into, dedicate to, support.

26.Unsurprisingly (adverb)

English Meaning - predictably, as expected, naturally, inevitably.

27.defensive (adjective)

English Meaning - guarded, self-justifying, justificatory, protective, combative, oversensitive.

28.unilateral (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to an action or decision performed by one party without the agreement of others; independent, single-handed, one-sided, arbitrary.

29.in any case (phrase)

English Meaning - whatever the circumstances or true situation may be; regardless, anyway, anyhow, nevertheless.

30.place (verb)

English Meaning - to present or submit something for consideration by a formal authority; submit, present, put forward, lay before.

31.sweeping (adjective)

English Meaning - extensive, comprehensive, wide-ranging, broad.

32.shield (verb)

English Meaning - protect, safeguard, defend, guard.

33.intend (verb)

English Meaning - aim, plan, propose, design.

34.sensitive (adjective)

English Meaning - confidential, classified, restricted, delicate.

35.inquiry (noun)

English Meaning - an official investigation, probe, examination, scrutiny.

36.incident (noun)

English Meaning - occurrence, event, happening, episode.

37.clash (noun)

English Meaning - conflict, confrontation, skirmish, fight.

38.and the like (phrase)

English Meaning - used to refer to similar things or things of the same kind; et cetera, and so on, and similar things, and other such things.

39.However (adverb)

English Meaning - nevertheless, nonetheless, yet, but.

40.thereafter (adverb)

English Meaning - subsequently, following that, later, afterwards.

41.political class (noun)

English Meaning - the group of individuals, including politicians and leaders, who wield political power; political elite, ruling class, politicians, political establishment.

42.penchant (noun)

English Meaning - a strong or habitual tendency to do something or liking for something; inclination, tendency, preference, fondness.

43.maintain (verb)

English Meaning - preserve, keep up, sustain, uphold.

44.secrecy (noun)

English Meaning - confidentiality, concealment, covertness, stealth.

45.administrative (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the running of a business, organization, or government body; managerial, executive, organizational, bureaucratic.

46.affair (noun)

English Meaning - a matter or concern relating to public or political life; matter, concern, business, activity.

47.promise (noun)

English Meaning - pledge, assurance, vow, commitment.

48.change (noun)

English Meaning - transformation, transition.

49.come as a breath of fresh air (phrase)

English Meaning - to be a welcomed and refreshingly new change from the usual routine; rejuvenate, refresh, revitalize, feel pleasantly new.

50.concerning (adjective)

English Meaning - worrying, alarming, troubling, disturbing.

51.Section 8 of the RTI Act (noun)

English Meaning - a provision of the Right to Information Act, 2005 that specifies categories of information exempt from disclosure to citizens, subject to the exceptions and conditions provided in the Act.

52.Even otherwise (phrase)

English Meaning - apart from that, besides, regardless, anyway.

53.information officer (noun)

English Meaning - an official appointed by a public authority to process requests for information from citizens under the RTI Act; nodal officer, transparency officer, public information officer, designated official.

54.institution (noun)

English Meaning - a large governmental organization or body established for a public purpose; organization, establishment, agency, body.

55.uncanny (adjective)

English Meaning - strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling or remarkable way; extraordinary, unusual, remarkable, unnatural.

56.skill (noun)

English Meaning - expertise, proficiency, knack, dexterity.

57.uncanny skill (noun)

English Meaning - an unusually remarkable ability that seems surprising or difficult to explain; remarkable ability, extraordinary skill, exceptional talent, unusual aptitude.

58.be economical with the truth (phrase)

English Meaning - deliberately omitting facts or deceitfully withholding information to avoid revealing the complete truth; untruthful, evasive, deceitful, misleading.

59.bounce off (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to deflect or purposefully evade questions or inquiries directed at someone; deflect, parry, evade, dismiss.

60.query (noun)

English Meaning - question, inquiry, request, doubt.

61.widely (adverb)

English Meaning - broadly, extensively, universally, generally.

62.articulate (verb)

English Meaning - to express an idea or feeling fluently and coherently; express, voice, state, enunciate.

63.worrying (adjective)

English Meaning - concerning, alarming, troubling, disturbing.

64.Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS) (proper noun)

English Meaning - a citizens’ group set up in 2003 to promote transparency and accountability in government functioning and encourage citizens’ participation in governance; it is known for publishing report cards assessing the performance of Information Commissions.

65.Report Card of Information Commissions, 2024-25 (noun)

English Meaning - a report compiled and published by Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS) assessing the performance of all 29 Information Commissions in India, based on information obtained under the Right to Information Act, 2005, including their strength, appeals and complaints registered and disposed, pending cases, estimated waiting time, penalties imposed, and transparency in their functioning. It was released in October 2025 to mark 20 years of implementation of the RTI Act.

66.Information Commission (noun)

English Meaning - a statutory body established under the Right to Information Act, 2005 to receive and inquire into complaints and to receive and decide second appeals concerning access to information under the Act.

67.backlog (noun)

English Meaning - an accumulation of uncompleted work or pending matters that need to be dealt with; accumulation, pile-up, logjam, arrears.

68.appeal (noun)

English Meaning - plea, petition, entreaty, application.

69.complaint (noun)

English Meaning - grievance, protest, charge, accusation.

70.Tamil Nadu State Information Commission (TNSIC) (noun)

English Meaning - a statutory body constituted by the Government of Tamil Nadu under Section 15 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 to receive and decide second appeals and inquire into complaints concerning access to information from public authorities in Tamil Nadu.

71.seek (verb)

English Meaning - to attempt or desire to obtain or achieve something; try, attempt, aim, strive.

72.defeat (verb)

English Meaning - to prevent someone or something from achieving an aim or objective; thwart, foil, frustrate, ruin.

73.piece of legislation (phrase)

English Meaning - a law or a set of laws that has been officially enacted by a legislative body; act, statute, bill, law.

74.enact (verb)

English Meaning - pass, approve, ratify, validate.

75.empower (verb)

English Meaning - authorize, entitle, permit, enable.

76.strengthen (verb)

English Meaning - reinforce, fortify, bolster, consolidate.

77.after all (phrase)

English Meaning - ultimately, fundamentally, essentially, in the final analysis.

78.administration (noun)

English Meaning - the government or executive branch in power at a particular time; government, regime, authority, establishment.

79.harbinger (noun)

English Meaning - sign, indicator, signal, herald; forerunner, precursor.