The following report there is a brief stand of the government on the declassification of the records.
There is a similar Act in USA which is called
Freedom of Information Act. It is being aggressively used by research scholars as well as journalist fraternity there. However, in India, with the advent of Right to Information Act, many loopholes and a peculiar outcry by the executive, are giving different direction to the spirit of the act.
The Freedom of Information Act in America had given rise to many conspiracy theories in the administrative activities of executive in America. In the recent times, it had lead to revealing of the Deep Throat under Watergate Scandal during Nixon Tenure.
In India also, the death of Subash Chandra Bose and that of Lal Bhadur Shastri, and similarly, the reorganisation of states, the 1945 Shimla Conference, 1946 Cabinet Mission plan, the Constitutional Assembly working from 1946 to 1950 and many more are such cases which are being the topics of questions of RTI seekers. Similarly defence deals, the Shimla Summit of 1972 are other issues which are being rejected on the issue of Security of India factor.
On the whole, Declassification of Information on regular basis, well defined policy of declassification and delivery of the information and the RTI Act are important debate issue.
The issue as such can appear in Main 2009 but it is definitely a point to be prepared for Interview in March/April 2010.
Source to be used:
No clear declassification policy, records lie buried - India - NEWS - The Times of India
