Shielded Secrets: National Mission Meetings Kept Under Wraps

The Central Information Commission upheld the Department of Science and Technology's decision to withhold details of the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem from the public, citing strategic and intellectual property concerns under the RTI Act. The project is part of India's climate-change initiatives.

In a crucial ruling, the Central Information Commission has supported the Department of Science and Technology's decision to withhold sensitive details of the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) under the Right to Information Act.

The department justified its stance by stressing the strategic importance and intellectual property concerns linked to the mission, part of India's National Action Plan on Climate Change, overseen by the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change.

The decision followed appeals for public access to research documents, negated by the DST due to potential competitive harm. The Commission concluded the department's actions were warranted, closing the case.