Keeping in mind the societal relevance of the Right to Information Act, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has decided to rollout certificate and diploma courses in RTI.

The courses, which are being worked out with support from Central Information Commission (CIC), will also form mandatory part of training for all Central Government employees. "We realised that people know that they can seek certain information through RTI but they are not aware of the technicalities such as how to go about the process, how to frame the questions, how and where to make further appeals and much more," IGNOU Vice Chancellor Nageshwar Rao told PTI.

"Therefore, keeping in mind the societal relevance we decided to rollout the course and approached CIC commissioner for their support to the proposal," he added. The Faculty of Public Administration at IGNOU's School of Social Sciences is brainstorming with experts from CIC on the content and curriculum of the course.

The certificate course is expected to be rolled out by July 2016 cycle, while the diploma course will be offered from January 2017 cycle. The varsity makes fresh enrolments through two admission cycles during a year. The details of the Post Graduate Diploma in Right to Information (PGDRTI) have already been worked out, while the drafting of the certificate course is under process.

The PGDRTI is proposed to be a programme of 36 credits comprising 4 Elective Courses and a field based project. "While it will be mandatory for all the Central Government employees to pursue the course, it will be open to all including the prisoners," Rao said.