their RTIs. The Indian Express reported on August 10, 2022 that the Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has blacklisted and barred over nine applicants from filing applications under the RTI Act in the past two years. Benefits Many activists view the Right to Information Act as a final liberation from British colonialism; they describe the RTI law as “a tool for empowering ordinary citizens and changing the culture of governance by making it transparent, less corrupt, participatory, and accountable". They also note that RTI requests provide strategy and substance for activists on a broad range of social issues, including "land and environmental rights, social security benefits, the working of financial institutions, political party financing reform, civic infrastructure, and even public-private partnerships”. Exempted organisations As per section 24 of the Act, intelligence and security organisations, both central and state, are exempted from the RTI Act except in cases of corruption or human rights violation. Such central organisations are listed in schedule 2 of the Act. The schedule has been amended four times, in September 2005, March 2008, October 2008 and May 2021. Intelligence Bureau Research and Analysis Wing including its technical wing, Aviation Research Centre Directorate of Revenue Intelligence Central Economic Intelligence Bureau Directorate of Enforcement Narcotics Control Bureau Special Frontier Force Border Security Force Central Reserve Police Force Indo-Tibetan Border Police Central Industrial Security Force National Security Guard Assam Rifles Sashastra Seema Bal Directorate General of Income-tax (Investigation) National Technical Research Organisation Financial Intelligence Unit, India Special Protection Group Defence Research and Development Organisation Border Roads Organisation National Security Council Secretariat (secretariat of the National Security Council, in the Cabinet Secretariat) See also Attacks on RTI activists in India National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy – Government of India Parinamika, the former organisation for right to information among Indian citizens Notes References External links Right To Information Ministry Websites and their RTI links Search Complete text of the Right to Information Act ONLINE RTI CIC - The Central Information Commission is empowered to decide complaints and appeals arising from use of the Right to Information Act, 2005. CIC Online - New website of the Central Information Commission for filing complaints and appeals arising from use of the Right to Information Act, 2005. DoPT - The Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, is charged with being the nodal agency for the Right to Information Act, 2005.