Government standards must be publicly accessible to ensure transparency and public safety
This opinion piece argues that all government edicts and standards, especially those related to public safety, must be freely and widely accessible. The author, Carl Malamud, highlights his work in making Indian Roads Congress and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) documents publicly available, often facing "takedown" notices despite the public interest. He cites the Jan Vishwas law's proposal for central publication of all government edicts and the principle that inaccessible edicts should be null and void. The article emphasizes that such transparency is crucial for democracy, public safety, and informed citizenry, advocating for a "works of government" policy similar to the U.S. and U.K.
Key Points
- Government edicts and public safety standards, like those from the Indian Roads Congress and BIS, must be freely accessible.
- The author has faced legal challenges for making these documents publicly available, despite their public interest.
- The Jan Vishwas law proposes central publication of all government edicts, with inaccessible ones deemed null and void.
- Public accessibility of these documents is vital for democracy, public safety, and an informed citizenry.
- India should adopt a "works of government" policy, similar to the U.S. and U.K., to ensure public domain access to state-produced documents.
Exam Facts
- The Jan Vishwas law proposes central publication of all government edicts.
- The author, Carl Malamud, is the founder of Public Resource, a U.S.-based NGO.
- The article mentions the Indian Roads Congress and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
- The U.S. copyright act has a "works of government" clause, and the U.K. maintains "crown copyright" with open data licensing.
Read it. Retain it. Recall it.
Get spaced-repetition flashcards, daily quizzes and offline access — free on Android.