CIC-PESTICIDE 2 LAST

Acharyulu wondered if such questions under the "garb of Acharyulu wondered if such questions under the "garb ofRTI" will not demoralise the researchers and encourage abuseof the transparency law by commercially interested agentsrepresenting themselves as information seekers. "The University professor, his scholar and research team,in fact are educating people with their research findingsagainst overuse of pesticides. If this concept reaches peopleand properly understood farmers might move towards agriculturewithout harmful pesticides," he said. Nair had sought details which ranged from providing rawdata, addresses of chemists who analysed samples, calibrationof data, laboratory log maintained during the analysis,chromatograms among others. "There is no provision to answer such grilling questions. "The intention behind this (RTI application) is not tosecure access to information but frighten the research itself.In fact, the Professor and scholar are nice enough to answercertain questions…which they are under no obligation as perRTI Act," Acharyulu said. The Information Commissioner said Crop Care Federation ofIndia is behind Nair. "Unfortunately, these profit mongering bodies have usedRTI to SLAPP( a type of court petition) to threaten theresearch and frighten the scholars. "This kind of misuse of RTI is increasing and they bringevery such application to the level of second appeal or takebeyond too. There is no surprise if this appellant (Nair) isused as conduit to file a writ petition challenging thisorder," he said. Acharyulu recorded the appreciation of the Commission forthe independent research and academic honesty in responding tocertain questions of applicant. "They are right in denying certain information. However,the University shall keep the thesis in library and permitinspection and taking notes fromt it, however, cautioningagainst unethical plagiarism and unacknowledged cutting andpasting of their work," he said. He recommended that University should publish theresearch work and also get it translated into regionallanguages to explain to farmers how the use of pesticide isharmful to life and environment. PTI ABSRT