Centre nod to amendment to Whistleblowers Protection Act

The Centre on Wednesday approved amendment in the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2011 to incorporate “necessary provisions” to strengthen safeguards against disclosures which may “prejudicially” affect the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country.

The amendments to the Whistleblowers Protection Act, 2011, were approved by the Union Cabinet at its meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“This is being done with a view to incorporate necessary provisions aimed at strengthening safeguards against disclosures which may prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of the country, security of the state, etc,” the government said in a statement.

To give statutory protection to whistle-blowers in the country, the Lok Sabha passed the Public Interest Disclosures and Protection to Persons making the Disclosures Bill in December, 2011. The Rajya Sabha passed it in February 2014 and the Bill received the President’s assent on May 9 the same year.

“The amendments would address concerns relating to national security. This would strengthen the safeguards against disclosures which may prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of the country, security, strategic, scientific or economic interest of the state, relations with a foreign state or leads to incitement of an offence,” the government said.

Safeguards have also been provided in respect of disclosures which have been exempted under Section 8(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, it added.