Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Response to RTI Query on President’s Decisions

In response to an RTI query filed by Raj Kapil of Tamil Nadu, the Rashtrapati Bhavan stated that no information is available regarding President Droupadi Murmu returning any decision taken by the Prime Minister, the Council of Ministers, or other governmental bodies for reconsideration. The query also sought information on the number of times the President returned decisions taken by State or Union Territory Legislatures. However, Shivendra Chaturvedi, Director of Rashtrapati Bhavan, replied that no such information was available.

The RTI application regarding files concerning States and Union Territories was transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the custodian of records in this matter. Raj Kapil expressed surprise at the response, stating that the lack of data on such crucial matters questions the accountability and transparency of the system. This response echoes a similar instance when the President’s Secretariat stated that the information sought was not available when a student from Chennai, Yuvan Mithran, sought similar information about the previous President, Ram Nath Kovind.