Public Administration Mains 2023 : Solved Paper-1 (Question: 3)
Public Administration Mains 2023 : Solved Paper Question Paper-1 (Question-3)
SECTION-A
(a) "Organization theory is not a single theory with a loosely knit of many approaches to organizational analysis, and it provides different answers to different situations." Comment. 20
ANSWER: ONLY FOR COURSE MEMBERS
(b) "Intrinsic motivation in comparison to extrinsic motivation leads to enhanced performance and creativity." Examine. 15ANSWER: ONLY FOR COURSE MEMBERS
(c) "The backlash against Right to Information (RTI) by the State hampered the citizen's right to know." Examine and point out the need to amend the RTI Act to provide protection to RTI activists. 15
The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 is a landmark legislation that empowers the citizens of India to access information from public authorities, and to promote transparency and accountability in the working of the government. However, the RTI Act has also faced backlash from the state, which has hampered the citizen's right to know.
The backlash against RTI by the state has violated the fundamental right of the citizens to freedom of speech and expression, and to life and personal liberty, guaranteed by the Constitution of India. It has also eroded the trust and confidence of the citizens in the democratic system and the rule of law.
There is an urgent need to amend the RTI Act to provide protection to RTI activists, and to strengthen the RTI regime. Some of the possible amendments are:
• Making the appointment of information commissioners time-bound and transparent, by prescribing a fixed term of office, and by involving a bipartisan and independent selection committee, with representation from the civil society.
• Preserving the status and authority of the information commissioners, by ensuring that they are equivalent to the judges of the Supreme Court or the High Courts, and by protecting them from any interference or influence by the executive.
• Expanding the coverage and accessibility of the RTI Act, by including all public authorities and private entities that receive public funds or perform public functions, and by providing online and offline modes of filing and receiving information.
• Establishing a mechanism for the protection of RTI activists, by making the attacks on them a cognizable and non-bailable offence, and by providing them with legal aid and security, as well as compensation and rehabilitation.
The RTI Act is a powerful tool for the citizens to participate in and monitor the governance process, and to hold the public authorities accountable for their actions. The state should not view the RTI Act as a threat or a burden, but as an opportunity and a duty, to serve the public interest and the common good. The state should respect and protect the right to information of the citizens, and should cooperate and collaborate with the RTI activists, who are the champions and defenders of this right.