Hyderabad: As part of the State-wide RTI Week 2025 celebrations (October 5–12), the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) organized an Online Awareness Programme on the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. The session was held on Tuesday with active participation from Vice-Chancellors, Registrars, faculty members, and RTI officers from universities and affiliated colleges across Telangana.

Prof. V. Balakista Reddy, Chairman of TGCHE, delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the RTI Act as a vital instrument of democratic governance, transparency, and institutional accountability. He underscored that the Act empowers citizens to seek information and compels public authorities to operate with openness and integrity.

Prof. Reddy traced the historical evolution of the RTI framework in India, citing constitutional provisions such as Article 19(1)(a) — the right to freedom of speech and expression — and Article 21 — the right to life. He referenced landmark judicial pronouncements, including State of U.P. v. Raj Narain (1975) and S.P. Gupta v. Union of India (1982), which laid the foundation for recognizing access to information as a democratic right.

The Chairman provided a detailed overview of the RTI Act’s key provisions, focusing on Section 4, which mandates proactive disclosure by public authorities, and Section 8, which outlines exemptions to protect sensitive information. He also clarified practical guidelines on what information can be disclosed and what must remain confidential, helping participants better understand the operational scope of the Act.

Prof. Reddy invited suggestions and best practices from participants to compile a common handbook for universities and colleges to streamline RTI query handling.

Prof. Sriram Venkatesh, Secretary of TGCHE, thanked all the stakeholders for participating in the programme and encouraged all institutions to conduct similar awareness activities during RTI Week. He requested universities to submit brief reports along with photographs of their RTI-related initiatives to the Telangana Information Commission and TGCHE by October 15, 2025.