The government has offered fellowships to researchers in the field of journalism and civil society to evaluate the successes and constraints of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, as well as its implementation.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) offered four short-term fellowships to researchers associated with RTI, to conduct field-based research on themes relating to the act.
A senior official said they expect that the research will enhance their understanding of the status of the implementation of the act. The three-month fellowship is open to individuals in the age group of 25 to 40 years and the deadline for application is February 24.
The DoPT has suggested several areas for research, including issues relating to awareness generation and accessibility to seek information in remote areas, role of civil society in strengthening the RTI regime and how the act improves transparency and accountability.
The government may permit the researchers to use the output for publication if it does not publish or make use of the output within one year, the official said. Each selected fellow will receive a stipend of up to Rs 2 lakh, including a grant of upto Rs 50,000 for books, research material, travel and printing.
