GUIDELINES FOR SECTION 4(1) (a) AND (b) -- DETAILS IN RESPECT OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO OR HELD BY IT, REDUCED IN AN ELECTRONIC FORM.

Generally computerisation of a Government office comprises replacement of system of data compilation by individuals with a system of data compilation by computers. Unless the computerised system has radically changed the way the office is organised or the way data is prepared for compilation, the individuals who were doing the manual data processing should be the persons who should take over the task of feeding the data into the computers. Successful computerisation involves change in the office functioning in some ways and the following points are relevant, wherein  An officer preferably one with altitude for computerisation or whose subject is predominantly the subject of computerisation, should be made incharge of all aspects of computerisation and should report directly to the Head of the office/Department for this purpose. Since software development can take some time, after the officers/officials assisting the system designers have been identified and assigned tasks, they should not be transferred till the software development and system implementation is complete. The workload and responsibilities of office personnel may change. To the extent possible the existing staff should be trained to operate computers and new staff should not be brought in for the purpose. Keeping in view the varied levels of computerisation of records and documents in public authorities, data about records that have been digitized may be proactively disclosed on the respective websites, excluding those records/files/information that are exempted under section 8 . The data about digitized record may include the name of the record and any categorization or indexing used; the subject matter and any other information that is required to be compiled in relation to a file as prescribed by the manual of the office procedure ( and to be prescribed by MOP for electronic records that is under finalization by DARPG) , the division/section/unit /office where the record is normally held; the person, with designation, responsible for maintaining the record; and the life span of the record, as prescribed in the relevant record retention schedule. This clause serves as a means of proactively disclosing the progress made in computerising information under section 4(1) (a) of the RTI Act in a periodic manner and it provides people with clarity about the kinds of electronics information that, although not held by the public authority, is available to them and for example the stocks of Ration available with individual fair price shops may not be held by the District Civil Supplies Office, but may be available at a subordinate formation:-- Er Fateh chand Guleria, Director RTI welfare Association registered number HPCD, 3552 , Bilaspur Himachal Pradesh phone number, 9459334377