RTI misuse: Like thieves pretending to catch thieves
VB Editorial | August 13, 2025 |
It is not often that the legislature speaks in one voice. But on Tuesday, the Karnataka Assembly witnessed one such rare sight. Legislators from both the ruling and opposition benches came together — not to defend public interest, but to demand curbs on RTI activists. Their argument: the RTI Act is being misused by some activists to blackmail officials and elected representatives.
Like adding a rotten pumpkin to a spoiled coconut, the question raised by ruling party MLA Kaujalagi Mahantesh found eager support from opposition leader Basangouda Patil Yatnal. “RTI activists are building lavish bungalows, parking cars in front of them, and living in luxury. Where is the money coming from?” Yatnal thundered. The demand was for a new law to rein in RTI activists and curb their “illegal activities.” Some legislators even wanted special time allotted for a debate, though the Speaker did not allow it.
What the Assembly needed that day was not a chorus against RTI activists, but a serious debate in their defence. Because the truth is this: genuine RTI activists are the ones under attack. The law that once empowered them has been steadily diluted, and those who continue the fight for transparency are now paying with their lives.
The numbers tell a grim story. Since the RTI Act came into force, more than 80 activists have been murdered across India. In Bihar alone, 21 activists have lost their lives in the last decade. In Karnataka, at least six activists have been killed while pursuing the truth. Threats, intimidation, and false cases have become part of their daily struggle. Those who expose the mining mafia, sand mafia, or political corruption cannot even move about safely in public.
And yet, despite the risks, activists have kept alive the spirit of the RTI Act. Thanks to their work, countless scams have been unearthed. The irony is hard to miss: the RTI Act was brought in by the UPA government, and it was the very same law that exposed UPA-era corruption and contributed to its fall from power. The difference, however, is stark. For all its faults, the UPA still allowed citizens to question. Today, under the Modi government, the RTI Act has been hollowed out to the point where information barely reaches the people.
In such a climate, legislators should be demanding protection for activists. They should be asking the government to strengthen the law, not weaken it further. Instead, it is disturbing to see them accuse activists of blackmail, when in truth, it is the corrupt practices of legislators and officials that make them vulnerable in the first place.
When lawmakers cry, “RTI activists are blackmailing us,” they are indirectly admitting their own guilt. Yes, misuse of RTI exists. But misuse thrives only where corruption runs deep. If politicians and officials had nothing to hide, what power would a so-called blackmailer hold over them?
Yatnal asks, “Where do RTI activists get money for cars and houses?” But let every legislator ask themselves a more uncomfortable question: how is it that one’s wealth multiplies overnight after entering politics? How does a man who once lived in a rented house suddenly become the owner of bungalows and luxury cars after two terms in office?
To be clear, there are indeed a few who misuse RTI for personal gain. But that number is small compared to the many who risk their lives daily to keep democracy accountable. And the bigger truth is this — the misuse of RTI will reduce only when corruption among those in power reduces.
There is no need for a separate law to tie the hands of RTI activists. What is needed is a political class willing to clean up its own house. To attack RTI activists is not just hypocrisy; it is an attempt to silence the people and crown the politicians as the only masters.
In the end, this debate is not about activists versus legislators. It is about whether ordinary citizens still have the right to know how their money is being spent. And the answer to that question will decide whether democracy is alive, or just a slogan.
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Texas halts H-1B visas at state universities, agencies; to affect Indians
Houston (US) (PTI): Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies and public universities to immediately halt new H-1B visa petitions, tightening hiring rules at taxpayer-funded institutions, a step likely to impact Indian professionals.
The freeze will remain in effect through May 2027.
The directive issued on Tuesday said that the state agencies and public universities must stop filing new petitions unless they receive written approval from the Texas Workforce Commission.
The governor's order, in a red state that is home to thousands of H-1B visa holders, comes as the Trump administration has initiated steps to reshape the visa programme.
“In light of recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa programme, and amid the federal government’s ongoing review of that programme to ensure American jobs are going to American workers, I am directing all state agencies to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions as outlined in this letter,” Abbot said.
Institutions must also report on H-1B usage, including numbers, job roles, countries of origin, and visa expiry dates, the letter said.
US President Donald Trump on September 19 last year signed a proclamation ‘Restriction on entry of certain non-immigrant workers’ that restricted the entry into the US of those workers whose H-1B petitions are not accompanied or supplemented by a payment of USD 1,00,000.
The H1-B visa fee of USD 1,00,000 would be applicable only to new applicants, i.e. all new H-1B visa petitions submitted after September 21, including those for the FY2026 lottery.
Indians make up an estimated 71 per cent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), with China in the second spot. The major fields include technology, engineering, medicine, and research.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the second-highest beneficiary with 5,505 approved H-1B visas in 2025, after Amazon (10,044 workers on H-1B visas), according to the USCIS. Other top beneficiaries include Microsoft (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Deloitte (2,353), Infosys (2,004), Wipro (1,523) and Tech Mahindra Americas (951).
Texas public universities employ hundreds of foreign faculty and researchers, many from India, across engineering, healthcare, and technology fields.
Date from Open Doors -- a comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutions in the US -- for 2022-2023 showed 2,70,000 students from India embarked on graduate and undergraduate degrees in US universities, accounting for 25 per cent of the international student population in the US and 1.5 per cent of the total student population.
Indian students infuse roughly USD 10 billion annually into universities and related businesses across the country through tuition and other expenses – while also creating around 93,000 jobs, according to the Open Doors data.
Analysts warn the freeze could slow recruitment of highly skilled professionals, affecting academic research and innovation.
Supporters say the directive protects local jobs, while critics caution it could weaken Texas’ competitiveness in higher education and research.
The order comes amid broader debate in the US over skilled immigration and state-level interventions in federal programmes.
H-1B visas allow US companies to hire technically-skilled professionals that are not easily available in America. Initially granted for three years, these can be extended for another three years.
In September 2025, Trump had also signed an executive order ‘The Gold Card’, aimed at setting up a new visa pathway for those committed to supporting the United States; with individuals who can pay USD 1 million to the US Treasury, or USD 2 million if a corporation is sponsoring them, to get access to expedited visa treatment and a path to a Green Card.
