RTI is a Master Key to Good Governance — Urvashi Gulati
Panjab University Alumni Association ,Panjab University organized a
webinar on “Right to Information: Story of Radical Shift in India’s
Governance Culture” by Smt. Urvashi Gulati, former Chief Secretary,
Govt. of Haryana and former Head State Information Commission, Haryana
(2016-2017).
Prof. Deepti Gupta, Dean Alumni Relations, welcomed and introduced Smt.
Urvashi Gulati. Many of the participants knew Smt Gulati as she is an
alumna of Panjab University and was also the Chairman of the advisory
committee of the IAS coaching centre in PU. They greeted and welcomed
her personally.
Smt Gulati enlightened everyone on the details about the RTI Act and
discussed many interesting cases from her vast experience. She talked
about what all information an individual is entitled to under this Act,
in what format and in what timeframe i.e. 30 days. The basic object of
the Right to Information Act is to empower the citizens, promote
transparency and accountability in the working of the Government,
contain corruption, and make our democracy work for the people in real
sense.
RTI is a master key to good governance, democratic processes, human
development, and realisation of human rights. Democracy requires
informed citizenry, and transparency of information – in order to
contain corruption and hold governments and their instrumentalities
accountable to the governed.
The participants asked many questions from Smt. Gulati which she
answered to their satisfaction with examples. The webinar ended with a
warm vote of thanks from PUAA.
Urvashi Gulati has been a career civil servant. She joined 1975 batch
of the Indian Administrative Service and was allotted to Haryana Cadre.
Her areas of expertise include rural development, health, sanitation,
disaster management, electoral law, and Right to Information. She has
the distinction of serving as the Chief Secretary of Haryana from 2009
to 2012. Mrs. Gulati was appointed State Information Commissioner,
Haryana in 2012. She headed the Commission during 2016-2017. Currently
she is serving as Member, Ghaggar Monitoring Committee and Member,
Executive Committee, Solid Waste Management of the National Green
Tribunal.
