Guwahati: The 14th Annual General Body Meeting and 32nd Board of Governors Meeting of the National Federation of Information Commissions in India (NFICI) will be held in Guwahati on April 8.
The event, aimed at strengthening the Right to Information (RTI) framework across the country, will be hosted by the Assam Information Commission under the leadership of State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, IPS (Retd.).
The meeting will take place at Hotel Rohika, Assam Agricultural University Campus, Khanapara, and will be inaugurated by the Hon’ble Governor of Assam, Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya, at 11 am.
The NFICI was established to promote coordination among the Central and State Information Commissions and to enhance transparency and accountability in governance.
It also works to facilitate knowledge exchange on legal interpretations, landmark rulings, best practices, and the effective implementation of the RTI Act, 2005.
The Central Chief Information Commissioner constituted a Sub-Committee in 2009 to examine challenges in implementing the RTI Act and to suggest an action plan.
Based on the committee’s recommendations, the NFICI was formed and formally registered in Hyderabad on September 1, 2009.
This year’s meeting will be presided over by Shri Heeralal Samariya, Chief Information Commissioner of India and President of NFICI.
The Board of Governors includes representatives from the Information Commissions of Bihar, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Manipur, and Odisha.
The RTI Act, enacted in 2005, seeks to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the functioning of public authorities.
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While it has empowered citizens to access information, officials note that continued efforts are needed to improve its implementation and increase public awareness about its usage.
The upcoming meeting is expected to address key issues, share insights, and explore the use of digital tools to enhance information access and governance transparency across the country.
