[color=teal]In an attempt to deliver on pledges of a transparent government, Obama said he would change the way the federal government interprets the Freedom of Information Act. He said he was directing agencies that vet requests for information to err on the side of making information public - not to look for reasons to legally withhold it - an alteration to the traditional standard of evaluation.

Just because a government agency has the legal power to keep information private does not mean that it should, Obama said. Reporters and public-interest groups often make use of the law to explore how and why government decisions were made; they are often stymied as agencies claim legal exemptions to the law.

"For a long time now, there's been too much secrecy in this city," Obama said.

He said the orders he was issuing Wednesday will not "make government as honest and transparent as it needs to be" nor go as far as he would like.

"But these historic measures do mark the beginning of a new era of openness in our country," Obama said. "And I will, I hope, do something to make government trustworthy in the eyes of the American people, in the days and weeks, months and years to come."

Where is India here ?

India is implied indirectly..

There is a right to information act in India, that was put in place
after 10 years or more of contentious debate between political parties
and the other vested interests who want to keep things secret, so that
the people do not know what is going on within the workings of the government.

So even after the law is in place, it is made toothless by babus and netas
who use every trick in the book to delay, obfuscate and divert the need
to provide answers to the public who seek public info under the act.

Problem is not with RTI and babus. Problem is with awareness of people. Only who knows about, use it.

The problem is with the Act itself. It is so diluted, filled with
limitations and narrowed down to specifics with lots of
exceptions..and ofcourse, the Babus are part and parcel
for making this impotent.