RTI Club Uttarakhand hosts Inter-College Debate
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 13 Oct: The impact of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act on transparency, privacy, and citizens’ right to information was extensively debated at an inter-college competition organised by RTI Club Uttarakhand on 12 October.
Students from six universities and colleges participated in the debate on the topic, “The Enactment of the DPDP Act Has Weakened the Effectiveness of the Right to Information Act.”
Arya Singh of Uttaranchal University secured the first position, followed by Ayushi Chaudhary of the same university in second place. Kashish Pushkar and Lakshmi Raturi jointly secured third position, while Avantika Prajapati of Jigyasa University and Samiksha Gupta of DAV PG College shared fourth position.
Former Information Commissioner Yogesh Bhatt attended as Chief Guest. RTI Club Uttarakhand Patron Dr S Farooq, President Dr BP Maithani, Secretary Yagyabhushan Sharma, General Secretary Amar Singh Dhumta, Organization Secretary Surendra Thapa and Vice President Rita Suri were also present.
The judging panel comprised Yogesh Bhatt, Amar Singh Dhumta, Dr BP Maithani, and Yagyabhushan Sharma.
Students representing UPES, Uttaranchal University, IMS Unison University, Jigyasa University, DAV PG College, and Libra College of Law, Dehradun, presented arguments examining the relationship between the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and the Right to Information Act, 2005.
The debate focused on privacy rights, public access to information, government transparency, and institutional accountability.
Addressing the gathering, Yogesh Bhatt emphasised that the Right to Information empowers citizens to question public authorities and seek information concerning public interest. He stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between individual privacy and transparency in democratic governance.
Dr BP Maithani observed that privacy protection and transparency are equally important democratic principles. He highlighted that the effectiveness of the RTI Act depends not only on legal provisions but also on addressing vacancies in Information Commissions, pending appeals, and administrative accountability. He called for stronger institutional mechanisms to safeguard citizens’ access to public information.
The programme was conducted by Ajay Narayan Sharma, who also presented a poetry recital during the concluding session.
The organisers thanked the Chief Guest, club office-bearers, judges, participating institutions, students, and supporting members. They described the competition as an initiative to promote awareness of constitutional rights, transparency, privacy, and democratic accountability among young citizens.
