An activist wanted to check up on the well-being of the cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park and so he filed an RTI. To his surprise, the state government replied that the information he sought could not be divulged as it could “affect India’s national security”.
What was the RTI about?
Ajay Dubey, an activist, filed a Right to Information plea to the government seeking information on ‘Project Cheetah’, introduced a few years ago by the central government wherein the felines were reintroduced in India.
Dubey wanted details on how the animals were taken care of in the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary and the administration’s plans for a second home for them at Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur district.
He also wanted to check the records on the “management correspondence” of both sites.
Dubey, back in February, had sought another RTI which was responded to with a photograph of an injured cheetah cub. The picture was widely shared on social media following which the activist filed a complaint with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
What did the govt say?
Much to Dubey’s disappointment, the state government denied his request by citing Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act. This provision permits public authorities to withhold information if its disclosure could “affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, its security, strategic, scientific, or economic interests, or its relations with a foreign state.”
“This information is related to management branch, which has decided not to provide information under Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act, 2005,” said Saurav Kumar Kabrapublic information officer at the office of the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), according to a report by Times of India.
“This is the first instance where information regarding cheetah conservation has been linked to national security. My efforts to shed light on the project have met with significant resistance from the authorities,” Dubey said.
Link to article –
Does sharing cheetah info hurt India’s national security, international ties?
