SC asks HCs to set up online RTI portal within three months

The Supreme Court Monday directed all high courts to set up RTI websites within three months, observing the online facilities will considerably facilitate the fulfilment of the objects of the Right to Information Act, 2005.

A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said the apex court had also set up a portal for filing RTI applications to help people access information about the top court.

The bench, also comprising Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, was apprised that the high courts of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha have already set up web portals for the purpose, while in Karnataka the high court is using the website which is being set up by the state government.

"We are of the view that such an exercise be carried out by all the high courts in the country no later than within a period of three months from the date of this order," the bench said.

The top court was hearing a plea seeking direction to the registrar general of all high courts to establish and operationalise online RTI portal, both for the high courts as well as the district judiciary.

Regarding the district judiciary, which is under the administrative control of the high courts, the bench asked the registrar general of high courts to take administrative directions from the chief justice.

"The high courts will be at liberty to utilise the resources of the National Informatics Centre for the purpose. The NIC shall provide all logistical and technical assistance in that regard to the high courts," the bench said.

"Online facilities will considerably facilitate the fulfilment of the objects of the Act. Though the Act was enacted in October 2005 after a lapse of 17 years, online web portals are still to be operationalised by some of the high courts," it observed.

The bench said a certified copy of its order shall be remitted to all the registrar general who shall, in turn, seek administrative directions from the chief justices of the high courts for implementation.

In the apex court, an RTI online portal was launched in November last year to help people access information about the Supreme Court. Earlier, RTI applications concerning the top court were being filed through post only.