Government nod to amendment in Whistleblowers Protection Act

NEW DELHI: Government today approved amendment in the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2011 to keep issues of national security out of its purview.

The decision came on a day when Congress President Sonia Gandhi attacked the government in Lok Sabha for not notifying the bill despite it getting the President's assent in May 2014.

The amendment to the bill is being done with a view to incorporate necessary provisions aimed at strengthening safeguards against disclosures which may prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of the country, security of the state, etc.

The amendments would address concerns relating to national security.

"This would strengthen the safeguards against disclosures which may prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of the country, security, strategic, scientific or economic interest of the state, relations with a foreign state or leads to incitement of an offence.

"Safeguard has also been provided in respect of such disclosures which have been exempted under section 8(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005," the government said in a release.

After the Cabinet nod, government will move an amendment bill in Parliament during the Budget session itself.

In order to give statutory protection to whistleblowers in the country, the Public Interest Disclosures and Protection to Persons making the Disclosures Bill, 2011 was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August, 2010.

The bill was passed by Lok Sabha, in December 2011, as the Whistle Blowers Protection Bill, 2011.

The Rajya Sabha had passed it on February 21 last year. It had received the assent of the President on May 9 the same year.

During the last days of UPA rule, BJP had proposed certain amendments in the bill when it came up for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha. One was to bar whistleblowers from seeking information on national security.