New Delhi: Several activists and users trying to track status of their queries on the Right to information (RTI) portal have complained that the new one-time password feature does not work properly and has hampered their ability to access documents.
The OTP-via-email feature, users have said, takes a long time to reach and by then it expires.
“The ‘art of making it complicated’! ‘Email OTP may take time’, they say! How much time? I waited for 35 minutes. It is not coming,” said ophthalmologist and RTI activist Babu KV in a post on X, adding that there was no response from the helpline either.
“We are already entering our RTI application number, e-mail ID and the security code for viewing the RTI reply. What’s the need for additional email OTP now? If they feel it is necessary, they should do it in a professional manner than making it a mess (sic),” Babu KV said in another post.
The ” art of making it complicated” !
“Email OTP may take time” ,they say ! How much time ? I waited for 35 minutes. It is not coming .
Similar bad experience for others tooIn 2024 the procedure was simple . Now it is made, very complicated ! What is the purpose ?@PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/F8F3hwvG9C
— Dr Babu K V (@drbabukv) January 5, 2025
Sridhar Rao, a medical microbiologist, replied to his post saying, “Even when the OTP arrived, it mismatched, leading to “OTP doesn’t match” error. Under this government, RTI is a mess.”
Prior to the new feature, users had to punch in their email ID and the RTI number, which generated a security code. Once the security code was typed in, the portal allowed access to the status of the query and replies, if any.
Now, after entering the email and RTI number, a pop-up message appears, stating: “Email OTP may take time. As soon as you enter the email OTP you can see the status of the RTI request/ appeal. Time limit for OTP is not there.”
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According to a report by The Telegraph, the OTP pop-up displays a five-minute countdown timer that gets renewed at zero, repeatedly.
Speaking to the newspaper, Venkatesh Nayak, director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, said, “In my case, I got the email OTP instantaneously. However, despite three attempts to use the OTP, I was unable to access the status page of my RTI application.” Nayak uses the RTI Act to access information relating to elections, lobbyists and profit taxes, among other issues.
“Obviously, the additional security feature is bug-ridden, which prevents it from providing access to the status page of the RTI application,” he said.
The Right to Information (RTI) Act provides a platform to citizens to request information from public authorities. It has empowered millions of Indian citizens and promoted transparency and accountability since its enactment in 2005.
However, in recent years, there have been several instances where activists have raised the issue of getting no information in RTI replies.
