Classifying information of public importance as secret raises questions about the govt's intent

The government's decision to classify 87 kinds of information as confidential, and thus requiring them to be kept secret, has met with resistance from media organisations and forums working for the right to information, or RTI.

लोकतान्त्रिक विश्व समुदाय ‘खुला सरकार’को बहसमा रहेको समयमा नेपाली समाजलाई अँध्यारो युगतिर फर्काउने सोचसहित सूचनाको हकलाई संकुचित गर्ने प्रयास भएको छ । 

संविधानले नै सुनिश्चित गरेको सूचनाको हकलाई संकुचित गर्ने ढंगले सूचना वर्गीकरणको प्रस्ताव मुख्यसचिव नेतृत्वको समितिले गरेपछि सरोकारवालाहरूले विरोध गरेका छन् । सूचनाको हकको शक्तिबारे बुझेका राजनीतिक दलका नेता बोल्न थालेका छन् । 

Right to information (RTI) holds a lot of importance when it comes to maintaining transparency and establishing good governance. Democracy fosters only on good governance whose main pillars include transparency, rule of law, responsiveness, accountability, participation, consensual decisions, equity and effectiveness, among others. As RTI is a crucial tool for promoting good governance, the former is often regarded as a synonym for democracy. There is no doubt that the RTI is a major instrument of promoting human rights and enhancing citizens’ sovereignty.

Efforts to curtail freedom of expression in Nepal continue under various guises. The government’s Committee on Classification of Information headed by Chief Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi, working in complete secrecy, recently classified 87 types of information as “confidential”. This means the public cannot see such material.