Funny facts

Some interesting facts

• If you dropped an aerodynamic object (such as a bullet) from the Empire State Building, you could kill someone.
• 80% of all pictures on the internet are of naked women
• There are 13 Santas in Iceland, each leaving a gift for children. They come down from the mountain one by one, starting on December 12 and have names like Spoon Licker, Door Sniffer and Meat Hook.
• Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's Christmas promotion in 1938.
• Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave bags of gold coins to the poor.

Nikola Tesla - Father of machines

Tesla Biography

NIKOLA TESLA

THE GENIUS WHO LIT THE WORLD

Nikola Tesla symbolizes a unifying force and inspiration for all nations in the name of peace and science. He was a true visionary far ahead of his contemporaries in the field of scientific development. New York State and many other states in the USA proclaimed July 10, Tesla’s birthday- Nikola Tesla Day.

Many United States Congressmen gave speeches in the House of Representatives on July 10, 1990 celebrating the 134th anniversary of scientist-inventor Nikola Tesla. Senator Levine from Michigan spoke in the US Senate on the same occasion.

The street sign “Nikola Tesla Corner” was recently placed on the corner of the 40th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan. There is a large photo of Tesla in the Statue of Liberty Museum. The Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey has a daily science demonstration of the Tesla Coil creating a million volts of electricity before the spectators eyes. Many books were written about Tesla : Prodigal Genius: The Life of Nikola Tesla by John J. O’Neill and Margaret Cheney’s book Tesla: Man out of Time has contributed significantly to his fame. A documentary film Nikola Tesla, The Genius Who Lit the World, produced by the Tesla Memorial Society and the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade, The Secret of Nikola Tesla (Orson Welles), BBC Film Masters of the Ionosphere are other tributes to the great genius.

Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856 in Smiljan, Lika, which was then part of the Austo-Hungarian Empire, region of Croatia. His father, Milutin Tesla was a Serbian Orthodox Priest and his mother Djuka Mandic was an inventor in her own right of household appliances. Tesla studied at the Realschule, Karlstadt in 1873, the Polytechnic Institute in Graz, Austria and the University of Prague. At first, he intended to specialize in physics and mathematics, but soon he became fascinated with electricity. He began his career as an electrical engineer with a telephone company in Budapest in 1881. It was there, as Tesla was walking with a friend through the city park that the elusive solution to the rotating magnetic field flashed through his mind. With a stick, he drew a diagram in the sand explaining to his friend the principle of the induction motor. Before going to America, Tesla joined Continental Edison Company in Paris where he designed dynamos. While in Strassbourg in 1883, he privately built a prototype of the induction motor and ran it successfully. Unable to interest anyone in Europe in promoting this radical device, Tesla accepted an offer to work for Thomas Edison in New York. His childhood dream was to come to America to harness the power of Niagara Falls.

Young Nikola Tesla came to the United States in 1884 with an introduction letter from Charles Batchelor to Thomas Edison: “I know two great men,” wrote Batchelor, “one is you and the other is this young man.” Tesla spent the next 59 years of his productive life living in New York. Tesla set about improving Edison’s line of dynamos while working in Edison’s lab in New Jersey. It was here that his divergence of opinion with Edison over direct current versus alternating current began. This disagreement climaxed in the war of the currents as Edison fought a losing battle to protect his investment in direct current equipment and facilities.

Tesla pointed out the inefficiency of Edison’s direct current electrical powerhouses that have been build up and down the Atlantic seaboard. The secret, he felt, lay in the use of alternating current ,because to him all energies were cyclic. Why not build generators that would send electrical energy along distribution lines first one way, than another, in multiple waves using the polyphase principle?

Edison’s lamps were weak and inefficient when supplied by direct current. This system had a severe disadvantage in that it could not be transported more than two miles due to its inability to step up to high voltage levels necessary for long distance transmission. Consequently, a direct current power station was required at two mile intervals.

Direct current flows continuously in one direction; alternating current changes direction 50 or 60 times per second and can be stepped up to vary high voltage levels, minimizing power loss across great distances. The future belongs to alternating current.

Nikola Tesla developed polyphase alternating current system of generators, motors and transformers and held 40 basic U.S. patents on the system, which George Westinghouse bought, determined to supply America with the Tesla system. Edison did not want to lose his DC empire, and a bitter war ensued. This was the war of the currents between AC and DC. Tesla -Westinghouse ultimately emerged the victor because AC was a superior technology. It was a war won for the progress of both America and the world.

Tesla introduced his motors and electrical systems in a classic paper, “A New System of Alternating Current Motors and Transformers” which he delivered before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers in 1888. One of the most impressed was the industrialist and inventor George Westinghouse. One day he visited Tesla’s laboratory and was amazed at what he saw. Tesla had constructed a model polyphase system consisting of an alternating current dynamo, step-up and step-down transformers and A.C. motor at the other end. The perfect partnership between Tesla and Westinghouse for the nationwide use of electricity in America had begun.

In February 1882, Tesla discovered the rotating magnetic field, a fundamental principle in physics and the basis of nearly all devices that use alternating current. Tesla brilliantly adapted the principle of rotating magnetic field for the construction of alternating current induction motor and the polyphase system for the generation, transmission, distribution and use of electrical power.

Tesla’s A.C. induction motor is widely used throughout the world in industry

and household appliances. It started the industrial revolution at the turn of the

century. Electricity today is generated transmitted and converted to mechanical

power by means of his inventions. Tesla’s greatest achievement is his polyphase

alternating current system, which is today lighting the entire globe.

Tesla astonished the world by demonstrating. the wonders of alternating current electricity at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Alternating current became standard power in the 20th Century. This accomplishment changed the world. He designed the first hydroelectric powerplant in Niagara Falls in 1895, which was the final victory of alternating current. The achievement was covered widely in the world press, and Tesla was praised as a hero world wide. King Nikola of Montenegro conferred upon him the Order of Danilo.

Tesla was a pioneer in many fields. The Tesla coil, which he invented in 1891, is widely used today in radio and television sets and other electronic equipment. That year also marked the date of Tesla's United States citizenship. His alternating current induction motor is considered one of the ten greatest discoveries of all time. Among his discoveries are the fluorescent light , laser beam, wireless communications, wireless transmission of electrical energy, remote control, robotics, Tesla’s turbines and vertical take off aircraft. Tesla is the father of the radio and the modern electrical transmissions systems. He registered over 700 patents worldwide. His vision included exploration of solar energy and the power of the sea. He foresaw interplanetary communications and satellites.

The Century Magazine published Tesla's principles of telegraphy without wires, popularizing scientific lectures given before Franklin Institute in February 1893.

The Electrical Review in 1896 published X-rays of a man, made by Tesla, with X-ray tubes of his own design. They appeared at the same time as when Roentgen announced his discovery of X-rays. Tesla never attempted to proclaim priority. Roentgen congratulated Tesla on his sophisticated X-ray pictures, and Tesla even wrote Roentgen's name on one of his films. He experimented with shadowgraphs similar to those that later were to be used by Wilhelm Rontgen when he discovered X-rays in 1895. Tesla's countless experiments included work on a carbon button lamp, on the power of electrical resonance, and on various types of lightning. Tesla invented the special vacuum tube which emitted light to be used in photography.

The breadth of his inventions is demonstrated by his patents for a bladeless steam turbine based on a spiral flow principle. Tesla also patented a pump design to operate at extremely high temperature.

Nikola Tesla patented the basic system of radio in 1896. His published schematic diagrams describing all the basic elements of the radio transmitter which was later used by Marconi.

In 1896 Tesla constructed an instrument to receive radio waves. He experimented with this device and transmitted radio waves from his laboratory on South 5^th Avenue. to the Gerlach Hotel at 27^th Street in Manhattan. The device had a magnet which gave off intense magnetic fields up to 20,000 lines per centimeter. The radio device clearly establishes his piority in the discovery of radio.

The shipboard quench-spark transmitter produced by the Lowenstein Radio Company and licensed under Nikola Tesla Company patents, was installed on the U.S. Naval vessels prior to World War I.

In December 1901, Marconi established wireless communication between Britain and the Newfoundland, Canada, earning him the Nobel prize in 1909. But much of Marconi's work was not original. In 1864, James Maxwell theorized electromagnetic waves. In 1887, Heinrich Hertz proved Maxwell's theories. Later, Sir Oliver Logde extended the Hertz prototype system. The Brandley coherer increased the distance messages could be transmitted. The coherer was perfected by Marconi.

However, the heart of radio transmission is based upon four tuned circuits for transmitting and receiving. It is Tesla's original concept demonstrated in his famous lecture at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 1893. The four circuits, used in two pairs, are still a fundamental part of all radio and television equipment.

The United States Supreme Court, in 1943 held Marconi's most important patent invalid, recognizing Tesla's more significant contribution as the inventor of radio technology.

Tesla built an experimental station in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1899, to experiment with high voltage, high frequency electricity and other phenomena.

When the Colorado Springs Tesla Coil magnifying transmitter was energized, it created sparks 30 feet long. From the outside antenna, these sparks could be seen from a distance of ten miles. From this laboratory, Tesla generated and sent out wireless waves which mediated energy, without wires for miles.

In Colorado Springs, where he stayed from May 1899 until 1900, Tesla made what he regarded as his most important discovery-- terrestrial stationary waves. By this discovery he proved that the Earth could be used as a conductor and would be as responsive as a tuning fork to electrical vibrations of a certain frequency. He also lighted 200 lamps without wires from a distance of 25 miles( 40 kilometers) and created man-made lightning. At one time he was certain he had received signals from another planet in his Colorado laboratory, a claim that was met with disbelief in some scientific journals.

The old Waldorf Astoria was the residence of Nikola Tesla for many years. He lived there when he was at the height of financial and intellectual power. Tesla organized elaborate dinners, inviting famous people who later witnessed spectacular electrical experiments in his laboratory.

Financially supported by J. Pierpont Morgan, Tesla built the Wardenclyffe laboratory and its famous transmitting tower in Shoreham, Long Island between 1901 and 1905. This huge landmark was 187 feet high, capped by a 68-foot copper dome which housed the magnifying transmitter. It was planned to be the first broadcast system, transmitting both signals and power without wires to any point on the globe. The huge magnifying transmitter, discharging high frequency electricity, would turn the earth into a gigantic dynamo which would project its electricity in unlimited amounts anywhere in the world.

Tesla's concept of wireless electricity was used to power ocean liners, destroy warships, run industry and transportation and send communications instantaneously all over the globe. To stimulate the public's imagination, Tesla suggested that this wireless power could even be used for interplanetary communication. If Tesla were confident to reach Mars, how much less difficult to reach Paris. Many newspapers and periodicals interviewed Tesla and described his new system for supplying wireless power to run all of the earth's industry.

Because of a dispute between Morgan and Tesla as to the final use of the tower. Morgan withdrew his funds. The financier's classic comment was, "If anyone can draw on the power, where do we put the meter?"

The erected, but incomplete tower was demolished in 1917 for wartime security reasons. The site where the Wardenclyffe tower stood still exists with its 100 feet deep foundation still intact. Tesla's laboratory designed by Stanford White in 1901 is today still in good condition and is graced with a bicentennial plaque.

Tesla lectured to the scientific community on his inventions in New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis and before scientific organizations in both England and France in 1892. Tesla’s lectures and writings of the 1890s aroused wide admiration among contemporaries popularized his inventions and inspired untold numbers of younger men to enter the new field of radio and electrical science.

Nikola Tesla was one of the most celebrated personalities in the American press, in this century. According to Life Magazine's special issue of September, 1997, Tesla is among the 100 most famous people of the last 1,000 years. He is one of the great men who divert the stream of human history. Tesla's celebrity was in its height at the turn of the century. His discoveries, inventions and vision had widespread acceptance by the public, the scientific community and American press. Tesla's discoveries had extensive coverage in the scientific journals, the daily and weekly press as well as in the foremost literary and intellectual publications of the day. He was the Super Star.

Tesla wrote many autobiographical articles for the prominent journal Electrical Experimenter, collected in the book, My Inventions. Tesla was gifted with intense powers of visualization and exceptional memory from early youth on. He was able to fully construct, develop and perfect his inventions completely in his mind before committing them to paper.

According to Hugo Gernsback, Tesla was possessed of a striking physical appearance over six feet tall with deep set eyes and a stately manner. His impressions of Tesla, were of a man endowed with remarkable physical and mental freshness, ready to surprise the world with more and more inventions as he grew older. A lifelong bachelor he led a somewhat isolated existence, devoting his full energies to science.

In 1894, he was given honorary doctoral degrees by Columbia and Yale University and the Elliot Cresson medal by the Franklin Institute. In 1934, the city of Philadelphia awarded him the John Scott medal for his polyphase power system. He was an honorary member of the National Electric Light Association and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. On one occasion, he turned down an invitation from Kaiser Wilhelm II to come to Germany to demonstrate his experiments and to receive a high decoration.

In 1915, a New York Times article announced that Tesla and Edison were to share the Nobel Prize for physics. Oddly, neither man received the prize, the reason being unclear. It was rumored that Tesla refused the prize because he would not share with Edison, and because Marconi had already received his.

(Tesla's friend Mark Twain, famous American writer)

On his 75th birthday in 1931, the inventor appeared on the cover of Time Magazine. On this occasion, Tesla received congratulatory letters from more than 70 pioneers in science and engineering including Albert Einstein. These letters were mounted and presented to Tesla in the form of a testimonial volume.

Tesla died on January 7th, 1943 in the Hotel New Yorker, where he had lived for the last ten years of his life. Room 3327 on the 33rd floor is the two-room suites he occupied.

A state funeral was held at St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York City. Telegrams of condolence were received from many notables, including the first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Vice President Wallace. Over 2000 people attended, including several Nobel Laureates. He was cremated in Ardsley on the Hudson, New York. His ashes were interned in a golden sphere, Tesla’s favorite shape, on permanent display at the Tesla Museum in Belgrade along with his death mask.

In his speech presenting Tesla with the Edison medal, Vice President Behrend of the Institute of Electrical Engineers eloquently expressed the following: "Were we to seize and eliminate from our industrial world the result of Mr. Tesla's work, the wheels of industry would cease to turn, our electric cars and trains would stop, our towns would be dark and our mills would be idle and dead. His name marks an epoch in the advance of electrical science." Mr. Behrend ended his speech with a paraphrase of Pope's lines on Newton: "Nature and nature's laws lay hid by night. God said 'Let Tesla be' and all was light."

“The world will wait a long time for Nikola Tesla’s equal in

achievement and imagination.” E. ARMSTRONG

Nikola Tesla’s Awards and Recognition

In 1917, Tesla was awarded the Edison Medal, the most coveted electrical prize in the United States.

Nikola Tesla’s name has been honored with an International Unit of Magnetic Flux Density called “Tesla."

The United States Postal Service honored Tesla with a commemorative stamp in 1983.

Tesla was inducted into the Inventor’s Hall of Fame in 1975.

The Nikola Tesla Award is one of the most distinguished honors presented by the Institute of Electrical Engineers. The award has been given annually since 1976.

The Nikola Tesla Statue is located on Goat Island to honor the man whose inventions were incorporated into the Niagara Falls Power Station in 1895. Tesla is known as the inventor of polyphase alternating current.

The Nikola Tesla Corner Sign, located at the intersection of 40th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan, is a constant reminder to all New Yorkers of the greatness of this genius.

Top 10 Disaster movies

Disaster movies have long been one of my favorite genres of film. They are often mega-blockbusters that will set historic, long holding cinema records. Disaster films are a key importance in film, not only because of their high audience appeal. But, disaster films raise the bar for technology that is used in the other genres. These films continually push the limits of the special effects of their time and are some of the most expensive films to make. At the right cinema and with the right seats the results can be phenomenal for the viewer. Usually, disaster films do not contain deep dialog or even a very serious plot. They are written and produced for one reason and one reason only, and that is for pure, popcorn crunching entertainment. This article covers the top 10 disaster movies.


#1. Titanic (1997) Unlike most disaster film's. Titanic was of coursed based on a true event and thus had a very thick plot. Titanic not only has the best character development of the disaster film's. It also has one of the best character developments of any movie of all time. By the time the action hits, you really care for the characters and want them to survive. The movie had a 200 million dollar budget and when released became the highest grossing film of all time. With it's stunning visual effects and deep story line. You don't just watch Titanic you experience it.

#2. Jurassic Park (1993)- An absolute favorite of mine. This movie brought dinosaurs to life for the first time and let the viewers experience the Jurassic world. The special effects on this film were ground breaking and even though this film is now over a decade old. It barely shows it's age. It's still able to put realistic looking dinosaurs in your living room. Jurassic Park is an excellent disaster film full of thrill after thrill. The T-Rex scenes are an amazing experience in a home theater when you combine a large screen and a powerful sub-woofer.

There were two more films that came after. Although, they were good disaster flicks in their own right. They paled in comparison to the first. There are rumors of a 4th film in the series that would bring back most of the original characters.

#3. Independence Day (ID4) (1996) -Using a $71 million dollar budget, this 90's summer blockbuster puts the earth at the mercy of an alien race. The story starts as this alien race starts placing massive space ships at key points around the world. As the worlds minds work together to figure out the intentions of these beings, we find it's anything but peaceful. The movie then kicks in gear as we fight the aliens with our primitive technology and race to prevent the total destruction of mankind.

ID4 is a thrilling disaster film with absolutely insane special effects. As with most disaster films. The plot is weak and there isn't much character development. However, if you're going into it already knowing that, and just enjoy the movie for it's high-tech thrills.You will have a great time. It's a fantastic popcorn movie and it is also a superb choice to demo your home theater system.

#4.The Poseidon Adventure (1972) The greatest disaster movie to come from the 70's. The Poseidon Adventure takes us on a voyage on the S.S Poseidon on New Years eve. When a tidal wave capsizes the ship. The adventure begins as the survivors must work there way from the ballroom floor all the way to the bottom of the ship (now the top). With lots of thrills, obstacles, and a little drama along the way. The Poseidon Adventure will keep your attention from beginning to end.

#5.The Towering Inferno (1974) Another hot 70's disaster movie starring legendary actor Steve McQueen. This movie takes us to a premiere party being held in and for the worlds tallest skyscraper. Due to faulty wiring in the building, it catches a blaze and traps the occupants inside. A brave fireman and a highly regarded architect fight the fire as the people trapped struggle to escape. I wish they made more movies like this one.

#6. Twister (1996) There have been quite a few movies involving tornado's over the years. However, none of them have really been excellent. Even Twister could have been much better. However, it is the best Tornado movie to date and if you look past it's flaws and just try to enjoy the movie for what it is. You will have a great time with it. Twister has amazing weather effects and sound. Crank up the volume on your home theater and this movie will put you right into the eye of the storm. As I said, this movie isn't perfect; but I haven't found a tornado movie to date that is; so this movie deserves the spot on this list.

#7. Deep Impact (1998) The best comet or asteroid disaster movie ever. Deep impact puts us in the situation of a comet being on a collision course with Earth. This disaster movie adds quite a bit more drama than a lot of the others on this list. It's a global disaster movie and there is a bit of a dramatic story with this one. As everyone on the planet all have to cope with the fact that they are all going to die. It's a believable disaster movie and a must have for disaster movie collectors.

#8. Jaws (1975) The godfather of all animal disaster movies. Jaws is a cult classic. I think everyone who is reading this right now will remember the music played as that massive great white was closing in. This was a movie that made me fear the water after I watched it. Even though the shark today looks totally "cheesy" compared to todays standards. It still can make a person who has never watched it before jump and think twice about going in the water. It takes a great movie to do something like that. It's proof that it's not all about the effects. It's a combined total of everything in a movie and Spielberg nailed it. The sounds, the actors, the scenarios, everything was spot on in Jaws to make it a heart pounding, nail biting, tension filled ride.

#9. The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) Sadly, This is probably the least known of all disaster movies on this list. Like Jaws, this is an animal disaster movie. It's actually based on a true story. Starring, Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer its the true story of two lions in Africa that killed 130 people. This movie won an Oscar for best effects and sound. Like Jaws, this movie is full of tension. For those who haven't seen it, this is a must see.

#10. Volcano (1997)- The city of Los Angeles incurs another minor earthquake. Or so they thought. Unfortunately, directly below the city a Volcano has formed. This movie has a ridiculously laid out plot. But, its a fun ride. In this disaster film you get to watch ginormous amounts of lava destroy half of downtown Los Angeles and it's all up to Tommy Lee Jones, playing as the experienced EMD to save the city.

Folks, there you have it. A list of the greatest disaster movies of our time. If you haven't seen some of these, I highly advise you grab them. All of these popcorn flicks are a guaranteed filmtastic time.

Top 10 deadliest disasters

A natural disaster is something that no one in their lifetime wants to experience. These disasters are extremely crushing, to those who are both affected directly, and even indirectly. You have probably seen coverage in the newspapers and on the television, showing media reports of these devastating times. One I remember like it was yesterday is the Indian Ocean Tsunami.

The definition of a natural disaster is a disaster that is caused by a natural threat, such as an earthquake, landslide, or a tornado. Because we as humans are extremely vulnerable to what Mother Nature throws our way, we don’t have the means of always being able to predict and plan for the next natural disaster. Here are the Top 10 Deadliest Natural Disasters, dating from centuries up until most recently.

10. Banqiao Dam Failure, 1975

The Banqiao Dam was built in order to hold back around 12 inches of rainfall each day. However, in August 1975, those who created the dam would realize it wasn’t enough. During this time a storm came, caused by a collision between a cold front and Super Typhoon Nina, that brought heavy rains. The rain was so heavy that 7.46 inches fell every hour. This added up to about 41.7 inches of rain each day. The dam failed because of sedimentation blockage and 15.738 billion tons of water was released within the next few days. Waves up to 23 feet high rushed down streets at 31mph and destroyed everything. After the water settled down, over 231,000 people were dead.

9. Haiyuan Earthquake, 1920

Standing as the 4th deadliest earthquake of all time, the Haiyuan earthquake was catastrophic. Seven provinces were affected by the disaster. On December 16, 1920, a 7.8 earthquake hit Ningxia, China. For three years after the earthquake, aftershocks continued. In just Haiyuan County, more than 73,000 people were killed. The earthquake also caused landslides and large ground cracks, especially close to the epicenter of the earthquake. The earthquake was so strong that some rivers became dammed and others changed courses. Most of the homes and buildings were destroyed. Over 200,000 people were killed.

8. Tangshan Earthquake, 1976

The Tangshan earthquake happened on July 28, 1976. It is said to be the 20th century’s largest earthquake. The epicenter of the earthquake was located in Tangshan, which is located in Hebei, China. The city was industrial and had about one million people living in it. The disaster struck early in the morning and lasted 10 seconds or so. It has been said that the earthquake was 7.8-8.2 magnitude. Not only did the earthquake kill, but the 7.8 magnitude aftershock increased the number of deaths. The earthquake was said to first have killed 655,000 people, but the number has been decreased to about 255,000 people.

7. Antakya (Antioch) Earthquake, 565 A.D.

The Antakya earthquake occurred in 565 A.D. There are not many details available today, but it was said to have hit on May 20. It left damage ranging between 1-24 million dollars. The earthquake caused about 250,000 deaths.

6. Indian Ocean Earthquake/Tsunami, 2004

On December 26, 2004, a day after Christmas, and undersea earthquake struck, with its epicenter off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Through the earthquake hit many different places, it was most felt in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Thailand. This is the second largest earthquake recorded, reaching a magnitude of 9.1-9.3. It lasted between 8-10 minutes, and was so severe that the entire planet vibrated and other earthquakes were caused, such as those in Alaska. The earthquake and tsunami caused over 225,000 deaths.

5. India Cyclone, 1839

In 1839, an extremely large cyclone hit Coringa, India. It happened on November 25 when a 40-foot storm surge caused by the cyclone completely ruined a city. It wiped out everything that it came into contact to. Sadly, the city was never really rebuilt, 20,000 vessels that were docked in the city were destroyed. Over 300,000 people were dead once the storm surge went down.

4. Bhola Cyclone, 1970

After the Bhola Cyclone devastated croplands, cleanup efforts included attempting to salvage rice and other grains in order to avoid starvation.

The Bhola Cyclone hit East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh on November 12, 1970. It stands as the deadliest cyclone to ever have been recorded. Strong winds hit the region at 115mph and the storm was said to have reached the strength of a Category 3 hurricane. However, it wasn’t the winds that killed. Most of those who lost their lives during this natural disaster were killed because of the storm surge. It is said that up to 500,000 people were killed because of the heavy rain and flooding in many areas.

3. Shaanxi Earthquake, 1556

The Shaanxi earthquake stands as the deadliest earthquake ever. On February 14, 1556, an earthquake hit China. Its epicenter was in the Wei River Valley, and as many as 97 counties in places such as Henan, Shaanxi, Hebei, Anhui, and others were affected. In Huaxian, every building that stood was ruined and more than half of the people that lived there were killed. Some statistics show that some counties have up to 60% of their population killed. In all, more than 830,000 people died from the Shaanxi earthquake. Studies have shown that the earthquake’s magnitude was somewhere around 8. Because it was so strong, aftershocks were felt for nearly half a year later.

2. Yellow River Flood, 1887

The Yellow River, which is located in China, is extremely prone to flooding. In 1887, the Yellow River flooded and completely devastated about 50,000 square miles of land. The flood is said to have killed between 900,000-2,000,000 people. Farmers that lived and planted near the river had built small dikes that were, at one point, able to hold back water if it rained. However, the heavy rain that came much too quickly overpowered the dikes and the river flooded.

1. Central China Floods, 1931

Occurring in 1931, the Central China Floods is said to be the deadliest natural disaster that has ever been recorded. It has since been called the greatest disaster to visit China. After a long drought, China was hit by seven cyclones, which brought inches and inches of rain. During the Central China Flood, three different rivers flooded-over, and up to 4 million people were killed because of the floods. Though there were dams built to hold back water in the Yangzte, Yellow, and Huai rivers, they were either poorly built or much too small.

Top 10 natural disasters

A sequence of the acts of God that have claimed more lives than any other event in human history.

Throughout history there have been thousands of natural disasters. However, some have been even more destructive than any others.

1. Aleppo Earthquake

   

   Took place in 1130 ad in northern Syria. Has been labelled as the fourth worst Earthquake of all time, causing the deaths of over 230,000 people, mainly due to the destruction of a number of citadels housing large populations. The town of Aleppo was totally levelled in the Earthquake, though casualties were reduced because the townspeople fled at the first-shocks came.

2. The Banqiao Dam

   

   In 1975 over a year’s worth of rainfall fell in 24 hours. The dam, in south-eastern China, collapsed, having been designed for less than half that. The ensuing flood of water, gushed down into the lowlands as a wave 10km long and 7 metres high. Over 230,000 people died due to the collapse, but over 11 million were affected.

3. The Tangshan Earthquake

   

   The third deadliest Earthquake of all time, this happened in 1976 in North-eastern China. The Earthquake struck early in the morning registering 7.8 on the Richter scale. Casualty figures were originally quoted as more than 600,000, but recent evidence suggests that it may have been less than 250,000.

4. The Antioch Earthquake

   

   Very little evidence survives this quake, but records suggest that upwards of 260,000 people died. Location: Antakya (Antioch), Turkey.

5. Indian Ocean Tsunami

   

   Most of us will remember this. On Boxing Day 2004 a large Earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean triggered a series of devastating Tsunamis. The Earthquake itself registered 9.3 on the Richter scale, and is the second largest ever recorded on a seismograph. The Tsunamis claimed 283,000 lives, and the world responded massively, donating more than $7 billion.

6. India Cyclone

   

   In 1839 a large cyclone ripped through Coringa, killing 300,000 people.

7. Bhola Cyclone

   

   In what is now Bangladesh, in 1970 a cyclone tore through the country. West Bengal was struck, adding to the damage and the casualties. Winds reached a peak of 185kph and an offshore island had 45% of its population killed by the winds. 500,000 people died.

8. Shaanxi Earthquake

   

   The deadliest Earthquake of all time took place in 1556, in the Shaanxi province, China. The devastation wrought by the Earthquake would now compare only to the detonation of a nuclear bomb. The tremors were so powerful new valleys were opened and cracks appeared in the ground. Upwards of 830,000 died, more than a quarter of who died in caves, as landslides trapped them.

9. Yellow River Flood

   

   The yellow river in China is known to regularly flood. However, in 1887 a particularly bad flood due to a high riverbed broke through dykes and killed more than a million people.

10. China Flood

    

    A drought had continued in China for 2 years, until in 1931 most major rivers flooded. The waters rose so rapidly no one had much time to reach higher ground. Overall, the series of floods killed between 2 and 4 million people however, over 100 million were affected.

#1 Man-made disasters

Nobody doubts anymore that climate change is at least in part man-made. And even if the effects of global warming remain at the most benign end of the predicted range, it will be a disaster of unprecedented proportions. For years, that disaster has been unfolding so slowly that it's been invisible. But now you can see it: Mountain glaciers around the world are melting, along with North polar sea ice and the ice cap atop Greenland; droughts are baking the U.S. southwest, Australia and sub-Saharan Africa; floods are devastating Bangladesh; and Central America is reeling from powerful hurricanes. Not all of these events can be tied absolutely to global warming, but all of them will surely become more frequent and intense as the world warms — ultimately threatening the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people.

The right to information act

THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005 No. 22 of 2005 [15th June, 2005] An Act to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities, in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority, the constitution of a Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Whereas the Constitution of India has established democratic Republic; And whereas democracy requires an informed citizenry and transparency of information which are vital to its functioning and also to contain corruption and to hold Governments and their instrumentalities accountable to the governed; And whereas revelation of information in actual practice is likely to conflict with other public interests including efficient operations of the Governments, optimum use of limited fiscal resources and the preservation of confidentiality of sensitive information; And whereas it is necessary to harmonise these conflicting interests while preserving the paramountcy of the democratic ideal; Now, therefore, it is expedient to provide for furnishing certain information to citizens who desire to have it. Be it enacted by Parliament in the Fifty-sixth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
CHAPTER I Preliminary
1	(1)		This Act may be called the Right to Information Act, 2005.
	(2)		It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
	(3)		The provisions of sub-section (1) of section 4, sub-sections (1) and (2) of section 5, sections 12, 13, 15,16, 24 , 27 and 28 shall come into force at once, and the remaining provisions of this Act shall come into force on the one hundred and twentieth day of its enactment.
2			In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
	(a)		"appropriate Government" means in relation to a public authority which is established, constituted, owned, controlled or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly—
		(i)	by the Central Government or the Union territory administration, the Central Government;
		(ii)	by the State Government, the State Government;
	(b)		"Central Information Commission" means the Central Information Commission constituted under sub-section (1) of section 12;
	(c)		"Central Public Information Officer" means the Central Public Information Officer designated under sub-section (1) and includes a Central Assistant Public Information Officer designated as such under sub-section (2) of section 5;
	(d)		"Chief Information Commissioner" and "Information Commissioner" mean the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioner appointed under sub-section (3) of section 12;
	(e)		"competent authority" means—
		(i)	the Speaker in the case of the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of a State or a Union territory having such Assembly and the Chairman in the case of the Council of States or Legislative Council of a State;
		(ii)	the Chief Justice of India in the case of the Supreme Court;
		(iii)	the Chief Justice of the High Court in the case of a High Court;
		(iv)	the President or the Governor, as the case may be, in the case of other authorities established or constituted by or under the Constitution;
		(v)	the administrator appointed under article 239 of the Constitution;
	(f)		"information" means any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force;
	(g)		"prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act by the appropriate Government or the competent authority, as the case may be;
	(h)		"public authority" means any authority or body or institution of self- government established or constituted—
		(a)	by or under the Constitution;
		(b)	by any other law made by Parliament;
		(c)	by any other law made by State Legislature;
		(d)	by notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government, and includes any—
			(i)	body owned, controlled or substantially financed;
			(ii)	non-Government organization substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government;
	(i)		"record" includes—
		(a)	any document, manuscript and file;
		(b)	any microfilm, microfiche and facsimile copy of a document;
		(c)	any reproduction of image or images embodied in such microfilm (whether enlarged or not); and
		(d)	any other material produced by a computer or any other device;
	(j)		"right to information" means the right to information accessible under this Act which is held by or under the control of any public authority and includes the right to—
		(i)	inspection of work, documents, records;
		(ii)	taking notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records;
		(iii)	taking certified samples of material;
		(iv)	obtaining information in the form of diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts where such information is stored in a computer or in any other device;
	(k)		"State Information Commission" means the State Information Commission constituted under sub-section (1) of section 15;
	(l)		"State Chief Information Commissioner" and "State Information Commissioner" mean the State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioner appointed under sub-section (3) of section 15;
	(m)		"State Public Information Officer" means the State Public Information Officer designated under sub-section (1) and includes a State Assistant Public Information Officer designated as such under sub-section (2) of section 5;
	(n)		"third party" means a person other than the citizen making a request for information and includes a public authority.
CHAPTER II Right to information and obligations of public authorities
3			Subject to the provisions of this Act, all citizens shall have the right to information.
4	(1)		Every public authority shall—
		(a)	maintain all its records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner and the form which facilitates the right to information under this Act and ensure that all records that are appropriate to be computerised are, within a reasonable time and subject to availability of resources, computerised and connected through a network all over the country on different systems so that access to such records is facilitated;
		(b)	publish within one hundred and twenty days from the enactment of this Act,—
			(i)	the particulars of its organisation, functions and duties;
			(ii)	the powers and duties of its officers and employees;
			(iii)	the procedure followed in the decision making process, including channels of supervision and accountability;
			(iv)	the norms set by it for the discharge of its functions;
			(v)	the rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records, held by it or under its control or used by its employees for discharging its functions;
			(vi)	a statement of the categories of documents that are held by it or under its control;
			(vii)	the particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation with, or representation by, the members of the public in relation to the formulation of its policy or implementation thereof;
			(viii)	a statement of the boards, councils, committees and other bodies consisting of two or more persons constituted as its part or for the purpose of its advice, and as to whether meetings of those boards, councils, committees and other bodies are open to the public, or the minutes of such meetings are accessible for public;
			(ix)	a directory of its officers and employees;
			(x)	the monthly remuneration received by each of its officers and employees, including the system of compensation as provided in its regulations;
			(xi)	the budget allocated to each of its agency, indicating the particulars of all plans, proposed expenditures and reports on disbursements made;
			(xii)	the manner of execution of subsidy programmes, including the amounts allocated and the details of beneficiaries of such programmes;
			(xiii)	particulars of recipients of concessions, permits or authorisations granted by it;
			(xiv)	details in respect of the information, available to or held by it, reduced in an electronic form;
			(xv)	the particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining information, including the working hours of a library or reading room, if maintained for public use;
			(xvi)	the names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information Officers;
			(xvii)	such other information as may be prescribed and thereafter update these publications every year;
		(c)	publish all relevant facts while formulating important policies or announcing the decisions which affect public;
		(d)	provide reasons for its administrative or quasi-judicial decisions to affected persons.
	(2)		It shall be a constant endeavour of every public authority to take steps in accordance with the requirements of clause (b) of sub-section (1) to provide as much information suo motu to the public at regular intervals through various means of communications, including internet, so that the public have minimum resort to the use of this Act to obtain information.
	(3)		For the purposes of sub-section (1), every information shall be disseminated widely and in such form and manner which is easily accessible to the public.
	(4)		All materials shall be disseminated taking into consideration the cost effectiveness, local language and the most effective method of communication in that local area and the information should be easily accessible, to the extent possible in electronic format with the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, available free or at such cost of the medium or the print cost price as may be prescribed.
			Explanation.—For the purposes of sub-sections (3) and (4), "disseminated" means making known or communicated the information to the public through notice boards, newspapers, public announcements, media broadcasts, the internet or any other means, including inspection of offices of any public authority.
5	(1)		Every public authority shall, within one hundred days of the enactment of this Act, designate as many officers as the Central Public Information Officers or State Public Information Officers, as the case may be, in all administrative units or offices under it as may be necessary to provide information to persons requesting for the information under this Act.
	(2)		Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (1), every public authority shall designate an officer, within one hundred days of the enactment of this Act, at each sub-divisional level or other sub-district level as a Central Assistant Public Information Officer or a State Assistant Public Information Officer, as the case may be, to receive the applications for information or appeals under this Act for forwarding the same forthwith to the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer or senior officer specified under sub-section (1) of section 19 or the Central Information Commission or the State Information Commission, as the case may be: Provided that where an application for information or appeal is given to a Central Assistant Public Information Officer or a State Assistant Public Information Officer, as the case may be, a period of five days shall be added in computing the period for response specified under sub-section (1) of section 7.
	(3)		Every Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall deal with requests from persons seeking information and render reasonable assistance to the persons seeking such information.
	(4)		The Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, may seek the assistance of any other officer as he or she considers it necessary for the proper discharge of his or her duties.
	(5)		Any officer, whose assistance has been sought under sub-section (4), shall render all assistance to the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, seeking his or her assistance and for the purposes of any contravention of the provisions of this Act, such other officer shall be treated as a Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be.
6	(1)		A person, who desires to obtain any information under this Act, shall make a request in writing or through electronic means in English or Hindi or in the official language of the area in which the application is being made, accompanying such fee as may be prescribed, to—
		(a)	the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, of the concerned public authority;
		(b)	the Central Assistant Public Information Officer or State Assistant Public Information Officer, as the case may be, specifying the particulars of the information sought by him or her: Provided that where such request cannot be made in writing, the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall render all reasonable assistance to the person making the request orally to reduce the same in writing.
	(2)		An applicant making request for information shall not be required to give any reason for requesting the information or any other personal details except those that may be necessary for contacting him.
	(3)		Where an application is made to a public authority requesting for an information,—
		(i)	which is held by another public authority; or
		(ii)	the subject matter of which is more closely connected with the functions of another public authority, the public authority, to which such application is made, shall transfer the application or such part of it as may be appropriate to that other public authority and inform the applicant immediately about such transfer: Provided that the transfer of an application pursuant to this sub-section shall be made as soon as practicable but in no case later than five days from the date of receipt of the application.
7	(1)		Subject to the proviso to sub-section (2) of section 5 or the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 6, the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, on receipt of a request under section 6 shall, as expeditiously as possible, and in any case within thirty days of the receipt of the request, either provide the information on payment of such fee as may be prescribed or reject the request for any of the reasons specified in sections 8 and 9: Provided that where the information sought for concerns the life or liberty of a person, the same shall be provided within forty-eight hours of the receipt of the request.
	(2)		If the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, fails to give decision on the request for information within the period specified under sub-section (1), the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall be deemed to have refused the request.
	(3)		Where a decision is taken to provide the information on payment of any further fee representing the cost of providing the information, the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall send an intimation to the person making the request, giving—
		(a)	the details of further fees representing the cost of providing the information as determined by him, together with the calculations made to arrive at the amount in accordance with fee prescribed under sub-section (1), requesting him to deposit that fees, and the period intervening between the despatch of the said intimation and payment of fees shall be excluded for the purpose of calculating the period of thirty days referred to in that sub-section;
		(b)	information concerning his or her right with respect to review the decision as to the amount of fees charged or the form of access provided, including the particulars of the appellate authority, time limit, process and any other forms.
	(4)		Where access to the record or a part thereof is required to be provided under this Act and the person to whom access is to be provided is sensorily disabled, the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall provide assistance to enable access to the information, including providing such assistance as may be appropriate for the inspection.
	(5)		Where access to information is to be provided in the printed or in any electronic format, the applicant shall, subject to the provisions of sub-section (6), pay such fee as may be prescribed: Provided that the fee prescribed under sub-section (1) of section 6 and sub-sections (1) and (5) of section 7 shall be reasonable and no such fee shall be charged from the persons who are of below poverty line as may be determined by the appropriate Government.
	(6)		Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (5), the person making request for the information shall be provided the information free of charge where a public authority fails to comply with the time limits specified in sub-section (1).
	(7)		Before taking any decision under sub-section (1), the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall take into consideration the representation made by a third party under section 11.
	(8)		Where a request has been rejected under sub-section (1), the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall communicate to the person making the request,—
		(i)	the reasons for such rejection;
		(ii)	the period within which an appeal against such rejection may be preferred; and
		(iii)	the particulars of the appellate authority.
	(9)		An information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought unless it would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority or would be detrimental to the safety or preservation of the record in question.
8	(1)		Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, there shall be no obligation to give any citizen,—
		(a)	information, disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence;
		(b)	information which has been expressly forbidden to be published by any court of law or tribunal or the disclosure of which may constitute contempt of court;
		(c)	information, the disclosure of which would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament or the State Legislature;
		(d)	information including commercial confidence, trade secrets or intellectual property, the disclosure of which would harm the competitive position of a third party, unless the competent authority is satisfied that larger public interest warrants the disclosure of such information;
			(e) information available to a person in his fiduciary relationship, unless the competent authority is satisfied that the larger public interest warrants the disclosure of such information;
		(f)	information received in confidence from foreign Government;
		(g)	information, the disclosure of which would endanger the life or physical safety of any person or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence for law enforcement or security purposes;
		(h)	information which would impede the process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of offenders;
		(i)	cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers:
			Provided that the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed;
		(j)	information which relates to personal information the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest, or which would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the individual unless the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer or the appellate authority, as the case may be, is satisfied that the larger public interest justifies the disclosure of such information:
			Provided that the information which cannot be denied to the Parliament or a State Legislature shall not be denied to any person.
	(2)		Notwithstanding anything in the Official Secrets Act, 1923 nor any of the exemptions permissible in accordance with sub-section (1), a public authority may allow access to information, if public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to the protected interests.
	(3)		Subject to the provisions of clauses (a), (c) and (i) of sub-section (1), any information relating to any occurrence, event or matter which has taken place, occurred or happened twenty years before the date on which any request is made under secton 6 shall be provided to any person making a request under that section:
			Provided that where any question arises as to the date from which the said period of twenty years has to be computed, the decision of the Central Government shall be final, subject to the usual appeals provided for in this Act.
9			Without prejudice to the provisions of section 8, a Central Public Information Officer or a State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, may reject a request for information where such a request for providing access would involve an infringement of copyright subsisting in a person other than the State.
10	(1)		Where a request for access to information is rejected on the ground that it is in relation to information which is exempt from disclosure, then, notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, access may be provided to that part of the record which does not contain any information which is exempt from disclosure under this Act and which can reasonably be severed from any part that contains exempt information.
	(2)		Where access is granted to a part of the record under sub-section (1), the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall give a notice to the applicant, informing—
		(a)	that only part of the record requested, after severance of the record containing information which is exempt from disclosure, is being provided;
		(b)	the reasons for the decision, including any findings on any material question of fact, referring to the material on which those findings were based;
		(c)	the name and designation of the person giving the decision;
		(d)	the details of the fees calculated by him or her and the amount of fee which the applicant is required to deposit; and
		(e)	his or her rights with respect to review of the decision regarding non-disclosure of part of the information, the amount of fee charged or the form of access provided, including the particulars of the senior officer specified under sub-section (1) of section 19 or the Central Information Commission or the State Information Commission, as the case may be, time limit, process and any other form of access.
11	(1)		Where a Central Public Information Officer or a State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, intends to disclose any information or record, or part thereof on a request made under this Act, which relates to or has been supplied by a third party and has been treated as confidential by that third party, the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall, within five days from the receipt of the request, give a written notice to such third party of the request and of the fact that the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, intends to disclose the information or record, or part thereof, and invite the third party to make a submission in writing or orally, regarding whether the information should be disclosed, and such submission of the third party shall be kept in view while taking a decision about disclosure of information: Provided that except in the case of trade or commercial secrets protected by law, disclosure may be allowed if the public interest in disclosure outweighs in importance any possible harm or injury to the interests of such third party.
	(2)		Where a notice is served by the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, under sub-section (1) to a third party in respect of any information or record or part thereof, the third party shall, within ten days from the date of receipt of such notice, be given the opportunity to make representation against the proposed disclosure.
	(3)		Notwithstanding anything contained in section 7, the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall, within forty days after receipt of the request under section 6, if the third party has been given an opportunity to make representation under sub-section (2), make a decision as to whether or not to disclose the information or record or part thereof and give in writing the notice of his decision to the third party.
	(4)		A notice given under sub-section (3) shall include a statement that the third party to whom the notice is given is entitled to prefer an appeal under section 19 against the decision.
CHAPTER III The Central Information Commission
12	(1)		The Central Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute a body to be known as the Central Information Commission to exercise the powers conferred on, and to perform the functions assigned to, it under this Act.
	(2)		The Central Information Commission shall consist of—
		(a)	the Chief Information Commissioner; and
		(b)	such number of Central Information Commissioners, not exceeding ten, as may be deemed necessary.
	(3)		The Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a committee consisting of—
		(i)	the Prime Minister, who shall be the Chairperson of the committee;
		(ii)	the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha; and
		(iii)	a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.
			Explanation.—For the purposes of removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that where the Leader of Opposition in the House of the People has not been recognised as such, the Leader of the single largest group in opposition of the Government in the House of the People shall be deemed to be the Leader of Opposition.
	(4)		The general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs of the Central Information Commission shall vest in the Chief Information Commissioner who shall be assisted by the Information Commissioners and may exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things which may be exercised or done by the Central Information Commission autonomously without being subjected to directions by any other authority under this Act.
	(5)		The Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners shall be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance.
	(6)		The Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner shall not be a Member of Parliament or Member of the Legislature of any State or Union territory, as the case may be, or hold any other office of profit or connected with any political party or carrying on any business or pursuing any profession.
	(7)		The headquarters of the Central Information Commission shall be at Delhi and the Central Information Commission may, with the previous approval of the Central Government, establish offices at other places in India.
13	(1)		The Chief Information Commissioner shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office and shall not be eligible for reappointment: Provided that no Chief Information Commissioner shall hold office as such after he has attained the age of sixty-five years.
	(2)		Every Information Commissioner shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office or till he attains the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier, and shall not be eligible for reappointment as such Information Commissioner: Provided that every Information Commissioner shall, on vacating his office under this sub-section be eligible for appointment as the Chief Information Commissioner in the manner specified in sub-section (3) of section 12: Provided further that where the Information Commissioner is appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner, his term of office shall not be more than five years in aggregate as the Information Commissioner and the Chief Information Commissioner.
	(3)		The Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner shall before he enters upon his office make and subscribe before the President or some other person appointed by him in that behalf, an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the First Schedule.
	(4)		The Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner may, at any time, by writing under his hand addressed to the President, resign from his office: Provided that the Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner may be removed in the manner specified under section 14.
	(5)		The salaries and allowances payable to and other terms and conditions of service of —
		(a)	the Chief Information Commissioner shall be the same as that of the Chief Election Commissioner;
		(b)	an Information Commissioner shall be the same as that of an Election Commissioner:
			Provided that if the Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner, at the time of his appointment is, in receipt of a pension, other than a disability or wound pension, in respect of any previous service under the Government of India or under the Government of a State, his salary in respect of the service as the Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner shall be reduced by the amount of that pension including any portion of pension which was commuted and pension equivalent of other forms of retirement benefits excluding pension equivalent of retirement gratuity:
			Provided further that if the Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner if, at the time of his appointment is, in receipt of retirement benefits in respect of any previous service rendered in a Corporation established by or under any Central Act or State Act or a Government company owned or controlled by the Central Government or the State Government, his salary in respect of the service as the Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner shall be reduced by the amount of pension equivalent to the retirement benefits:
			Provided also that the salaries, allowances and other conditions of service of the Chief Information Commissioner and the Information Commissioners shall not be varied to their disadvantage after their appointment.
	(6)		The Central Government shall provide the Chief Information Commissioner and the Information Commissioners with such officers and employees as may be necessary for the efficient performance of their functions under this Act, and the salaries and allowances payable to and the terms and conditions of service of the officers and other employees appointed for the purpose of this Act shall be such as may be prescribed.
14	(1)		Subject to the provisions of sub-section (3), the Chief Information Commissioner or any Information Commissioner shall be removed from his office only by order of the President on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity after the Supreme Court, on a reference made to it by the President, has, on inquiry, reported that the Chief Information Commissioner or any Information Commissioner, as the case may be, ought on such ground be removed.
	(2)		The President may suspend from office, and if deem necessary prohibit also from attending the office during inquiry, the Chief Information Commissioner or Information Commissioner in respect of whom a reference has been made to the Supreme Court under sub-section (1) until the President has passed orders on receipt of the report of the Supreme Court on such reference.
	(3)		Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the President may by order remove from office the Chief Information Commissioner or any Information Commissioner if the Chief Information Commissioner or a Information Commissioner, as the case may be,—
		(a)	is adjudged an insolvent; or
		(b)	has been convicted of an offence which, in the opinion of the President, involves moral turpitude; or
		(c)	engages during his term of office in any paid employment outside the duties of his office; or
		(d)	is, in the opinion of the President, unfit to continue in office by reason of infirmity of mind or body; or
		(e)	has acquired such financial or other interest as is likely to affect prejudicially his functions as the Chief Information Commissioner or a Information Commissioner.
	(4)		If the Chief Information Commissioner or a Information Commissioner in any way, concerned or interested in any contract or agreement made by or on behalf of the Government of India or participates in any way in the profit thereof or in any benefit or emolument arising there from otherwise than as a member and in common with the other members of an incorporated company, he shall, for the purposes of sub-section (1), be deemed to be guilty of misbehavior.
CHAPTER IV The State Information Commission
15	(1)		Every State Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute a body to be known as the ......... (name of the State) Information Commission to exercise the powers conferred on, and to perform the functions assigned to, it under this Act.
	(2)		The State Information Commission shall consist of—
		(a)	the State Chief Information Commissioner, and
		(b)	such number of State Information Commissioners, not exceeding ten, as may be deemed necessary.
	(3)		The State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners shall be appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of a committee consisting of—
		(i)	the Chief Minister, who shall be the Chairperson of the committee;
		(ii)	the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly; and
		(iii)	a Cabinet Ministrer to be nominated by the Chief Minister.
			Explanation.—For the purposes of removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that where the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly has not been recognised as such, the Leader of the single largest group in opposition of the Government in the Legislative Assembly shall be deemed to be the Leader of Opposition.
	(4)		The general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs of the State Information Commission shall vest in the State Chief Information Commissioner who shall be assisted by the State Information Commissioners and may exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things which may be exercised or done by the State Information Commission autonomously without being subjected to directions by any other authority under this Act.
	(5)		The State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners shall be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance.
	(6)		The State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner shall not be a Member of Parliament or Member of the Legislature of any State or Union territory, as the case may be, or hold any other office of profit or connected with any political party or carrying on any business or pursuing any profession.
	(7)		The headquarters of the State Information Commission shall be at such place in the State as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify and the State Information Commission may, with the previous approval of the State Government, establish offices at other places in the State.
16	(1)		The State Chief Information Commissioner shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office and shall not be eligible for reappointment:
			Provided that no State Chief Information Commissioner shall hold office as such after he has attained the age of sixty-five years.
	(2)		Every State Information Commissioner shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office or till he attains the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier, and shall not be eligible for reappointment as such State Information Commissioner:
			Provided that every State Information Commissioner shall, on vacating his office under this sub-section, be eligible for appointment as the State Chief Information Commissioner in the manner specified in sub-section (3) of section 15:
			Provided further that where the State Information Commissioner is appointed as the State Chief Information Commissioner, his term of office shall not be more than five years in aggregate as the State Information Commissioner and the State Chief Information Commissioner.
	(3)		The State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner, shall before he enters upon his office make and subscribe before the Governor or some other person appointed by him in that behalf, an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the First Schedule.
	(4)		The State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner may, at any time, by writing under his hand addressed to the Governor, resign from his office:
			Provided that the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner may be removed in the manner specified under section 17.
	(5)		The salaries and allowances payable to and other terms and conditions of service of—
		(a)	the State Chief Information Commissioner shall be the same as that of an Election Commissioner;
		(b)	the State Information Commissioner shall be the same as that of the Chief Secretary to the State Government:
			Provided that if the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner, at the time of his appointment is, in receipt of a pension, other than a disability or wound pension, in respect of any previous service under the Government of India or under the Government of a State, his salary in respect of the service as the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner shall be reduced by the amount of that pension including any portion of pension which was commuted and pension equivalent of other forms of retirement benefits excluding pension equivalent of retirement gratuity:
			Provided further that where the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner if, at the time of his appointment is, in receipt of retirement benefits in respect of any previous service rendered in a Corporation established by or under any Central Act or State Act or a Government company owned or controlled by the Central Government or the State Government, his salary in respect of the service as the State Chief Information Commissioner or the State Information Commissioner shall be reduced by the amount of pension equivalent to the retirement benefits:
			Provided also that the salaries, allowances and other conditions of service of the State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners shall not be varied to their disadvantage after their appointment.
	(6)		The State Government shall provide the State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners with such officers and employees as may be necessary for the efficient performance of their functions under this Act, and the salaries and allowances payable to and the terms and conditions of service of the officers and other employees appointed for the purpose of this Act shall be such as may be prescribed.
17	(1)		Subject to the provisions of sub-section (3), the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner shall be removed from his office only by order of the Governor on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity after the Supreme Court, on a reference made to it by the Governor, has on inquiry, reported that the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner, as the case may be, ought on such ground be removed.
	(2)		The Governor may suspend from office, and if deem necessary prohibit also from attending the office during inquiry, the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner in respect of whom a reference has been made to the Supreme Court under sub-section (1) until the Governor has passed orders on receipt of the report of the Supreme Court on such reference.
	(3)		Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the Governor may by order remove from office the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner if a State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner, as the case may be,—
			(a) is adjudged an insolvent; or
		(b)	has been convicted of an offence which, in the opinion of the Governor, involves moral turpitude; or
		(c)	engages during his term of office in any paid employment outside the duties of his office; or
		(d)	is, in the opinion of the Governor, unfit to continue in office by reason of infirmity of mind or body; or
		(e)	has acquired such financial or other interest as is likely to affect prejudicially his functions as the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner.
	(4)		If the State Chief Information Commissioner or a State Information Commissioner in any way, concerned or interested in any contract or agreement made by or on behalf of the Government of the State or participates in any way in the profit thereof or in any benefit or emoluments arising therefrom otherwise than as a member and in common with the other members of an incorporated company, he shall, for the purposes of sub-section (1), be deemed to be guilty of misbehaviour.
CHAPTER V Powers and functions of the Information Commissions, appeal and penalties
18	(1)		Subject to the provisions of this Act, it shall be the duty of the Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, to receive and inquire into a complaint from any person,—
		(a)	who has been unable to submit a request to a Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, either by reason that no such officer has been appointed under this Act, or because the Central Assistant Public Information Officer or State Assistant Public Information Officer, as the case may be, has refused to accept his or her application for information or appeal under this Act for forwarding the same to the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer or senior officer specified in sub-section (1) of section 19 or the Central Information Commission or the State Information Commission, as the case may be;
		(b)	who has been refused access to any information requested under this Act;
		(c)	who has not been given a response to a request for information or access to information within the time limit specified under this Act;
		(d)	who has been required to pay an amount of fee which he or she considers unreasonable;
		(e)	who believes that he or she has been given incomplete, misleading or false information under this Act; and
		(f)	in respect of any other matter relating to requesting or obtaining access to records under this Act.
	(2)		Where the Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to inquire into the matter, it may initiate an inquiry in respect thereof.
	(3)		The Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, shall, while inquiring into any matter under this section, have the same powers as are vested in a civil court while trying a suit under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, in respect of the following matters, namely:—
		(a)	summoning and enforcing the attendance of persons and compel them to give oral or written evidence on oath and to produce the documents or things;
		(b)	requiring the discovery and inspection of documents;
		(c)	receiving evidence on affidavit;
		(d)	requisitioning any public record or copies thereof from any court or office;
		(e)	issuing summons for examination of witnesses or documents; and
		(f)	any other matter which may be prescribed.
	(4)		Notwithstanding anything inconsistent contained in any other Act of Parliament or State Legislature, as the case may be, the Central Information Commission or the State Information Commission, as the case may be, may, during the inquiry of any complaint under this Act, examine any record to which this Act applies which is under the control of the public authority, and no such record may be withheld from it on any grounds.
19	(1)		Any person who, does not receive a decision within the time specified in sub-section (1) or clause (a) of sub-section (3) of section 7, or is aggrieved by a decision of the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, may within thirty days from the expiry of such period or from the receipt of such a decision prefer an appeal to such officer who is senior in rank to the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer as the case may be, in each public authority:
			Provided that such officer may admit the appeal after the expiry of the period of thirty days if he or she is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
	(2)		Where an appeal is preferred against an order made by a Central Public Information Officer or a State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, under section 11 to disclose third party information, the appeal by the concerned third party shall be made within thirty days from the date of the order.
	(3)		A second appeal against the decision under sub-section (1) shall lie within ninety days from the date on which the decision should have been made or was actually received, with the Central Information Commission or the State Information Commission:
			Provided that the Central Information Commission or the State Information Commission, as the case may be, may admit the appeal after the expiry of the period of ninety days if it is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
	(4)		If the decision of the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, against which an appeal is preferred relates to information of a third party, the Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, shall give a reasonable opportunity of being heard to that third party.
	(5)		In any appeal proceedings, the onus to prove that a denial of a request was justified shall be on the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, who denied the request.
	(6)		An appeal under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall be disposed of within thirty days of the receipt of the appeal or within such extended period not exceeding a total of forty-five days from the date of filing thereof, as the case may be, for reasons to be recorded in writing.
	(7)		The decision of the Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, shall be binding.
	(8)		In its decision, the Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, has the power to—
		(a)	require the public authority to take any such steps as may be necessary to secure compliance with the provisions of this Act, including—
			(i)	by providing access to information, if so requested, in a particular form;
			(ii)	by appointing a Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be;
			(iii)	by publishing certain information or categories of information;
			(iv)	by making necessary changes to its practices in relation to the maintenance, management and destruction of records;
			(v)	by enhancing the provision of training on the right to information for its officials;
			(vi)	by providing it with an annual report in compliance with clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 4;
		(b)	require the public authority to compensate the complainant for any loss or other detriment suffered;
		(c)	impose any of the penalties provided under this Act;
		(d)	reject the application.
	(9)		The Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, shall give notice of its decision, including any right of appeal, to the complainant and the public authority.
	(10)		The Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, shall decide the appeal in accordance with such procedure as may be prescribed.
20	(1)		Where the Central Information Commission or the State Information Commission, as the case may be, at the time of deciding any complaint or appeal is of the opinion that the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, has, without any reasonable cause, refused to receive an application for information or has not furnished information within the time specified under sub-section (1) of section 7 or malafidely denied the request for information or knowingly given incorrect, incomplete or misleading information or destroyed information which was the subject of the request or obstructed in any manner in furnishing the information, it shall impose a penalty of two hundred and fifty rupees each day till application is received or information is furnished, so however, the total amount of such penalty shall not exceed twenty-five thousand rupees:
			Provided that the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall be given a reasonable opportunity of being heard before any penalty is imposed on him:
			Provided further that the burden of proving that he acted reasonably and diligently shall be on the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer, as the case may be.
	(2)		Where the Central Information Commission or the State Information Commission, as the case may be, at the time of deciding any complaint or appeal is of the opinion that the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, has, without any reasonable cause and persistently, failed to receive an application for information or has not furnished information within the time specified under sub-section (1) of section 7 or malafidely denied the request for information or knowingly given incorrect, incomplete or misleading information or destroyed information which was the subject of the request or obstructed in any manner in furnishing the information, it shall recommend for disciplinary action against the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, under the service rules applicable to him.
CHAPTER VI Miscellaneous
21			No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against any person for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under this Act or any rule made thereunder.
22			The provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and any other law for the time being in force or in any instrument having effect by virtue of any law other than this Act.
23			No court shall entertain any suit, application or other proceeding in respect of any order made under this Act and no such order shall be called in question otherwise than by way of an appeal under this Act.
24	(1)		Nothing contained in this Act shall apply to the intelligence and security organisations specified in the Second Schedule, being organisations established by the Central Government or any information furnished by such organisations to that Government:
			Provided that the information pertaining to the allegations of corruption and human rights violations shall not be excluded under this sub-section:
			Provided further that in the case of information sought for is in respect of allegations of violation of human rights, the information shall only be provided after the approval of the Central Information Commission, and notwithstanding anything contained in section 7, such information shall be provided within forty-five days from the date of the receipt of request.
	(2)		The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, amend the Schedule by including therein any other intelligence or security organisation established by that Government or omitting therefrom any organisation already specified therein and on the publication of such notification, such organisation shall be deemed to be included in or, as the case may be, omitted from the Schedule.
	(3)		Every notification issued under sub-section (2) shall be laid before each House of Parliament.
	(4)		Nothing contained in this Act shall apply to such intelligence and security organisation being organisations established by the State Government, as that Government may, from time to time, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify:
			Provided that the information pertaining to the allegations of corruption and human rights violations shall not be excluded under this sub-section:
			Provided further that in the case of information sought for is in respect of allegations of violation of human rights, the information shall only be provided after the approval of the State Information Commission and, notwithstanding anything contained in section 7, such information shall be provided within forty-five days from the date of the receipt of request.
	(5)		Every notification issued under sub-section (4) shall be laid before the State Legislature.
25	(1)		The Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, shall, as soon as practicable after the end of each year, prepare a report on the implementation of the provisions of this Act during that year and forward a copy thereof to the appropriate Government.
	(2)		Each Ministry or Department shall, in relation to the public authorities within their jurisdiction, collect and provide such information to the Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, as is required to prepare the report under this section and comply with the requirements concerning the furnishing of that information and keeping of records for the purposes of this section.
	(3)		Each report shall state in respect of the year to which the report relates,—
		(a)	the number of requests made to each public authority;
		(b)	the number of decisions where applicants were not entitled to access to the documents pursuant to the requests, the provisions of this Act under which these decisions were made and the number of times such provisions were invoked;
		(c)	the number of appeals referred to the Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, for review, the nature of the appeals and the outcome of the appeals;
		(d)	particulars of any disciplinary action taken against any officer in respect of the administration of this Act;
		(e)	the amount of charges collected by each public authority under this Act;
		(f)	any facts which indicate an effort by the public authorities to administer and implement the spirit and intention of this Act;
		(g)	recommendations for reform, including recommendations in respect of the particular public authorities, for the development, improvement, modernisation, reform or amendment to this Act or other legislation or common law or any other matter relevant for operationalising the right to access information.
	(4)		The Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be, may, as soon as practicable after the end of each year, cause a copy of the report of the Central Information Commission or the State Information Commission, as the case may be, referred to in sub-section (1) to be laid before each House of Parliament or, as the case may be, before each House of the State Legislature, where there are two Houses, and where there is one House of the State Legislature before that House.
	(5)		If it appears to the Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, that the practice of a public authority in relation to the exercise of its functions under this Act does not conform with the provisions or spirit of this Act, it may give to the authority a recommendation specifying the steps which ought in its opinion to be taken for promoting such conformity.
26	(1)		The appropriate Government may, to the extent of availability of financial and other resources,—
		(a)	develop and organise educational programmes to advance the understanding of the public, in particular of disadvantaged communities as to how to exercise the rights contemplated under this Act;
		(b)	encourage public authorities to participate in the development and organisation of programmes referred to in clause (a) and to undertake such programmes themselves;
		(c)	promote timely and effective dissemination of accurate information by public authorities about their activities; and
		(d)	train Central Public Information Officers or State Public Information Officers, as the case may be, of public authorities and produce relevant training materials for use by the public authorities themselves.
	(2)		The appropriate Government shall, within eighteen months from the commencement of this Act, compile in its official language a guide containing such information, in an easily comprehensible form and manner, as may reasonably be required by a person who wishes to exercise any right specified in this Act.
	(3)		The appropriate Government shall, if necessary, update and publish the guidelines referred to in sub-section (2) at regular intervals which shall, in particular and without prejudice to the generality of sub-section (2), include—
		(a)	the objects of this Act;
		(b)	the postal and street address, the phone and fax number and, if available, electronic mail address of the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, of every public authority appointed under sub-section (1) of section 5;
		(c)	the manner and the form in which request for access to an information shall be made to a Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be;
		(d)	the assistance available from and the duties of the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, of a public authority under this Act;
		(e)	the assistance available from the Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be;
		(f)	all remedies in law available regarding an act or failure to act in respect of a right or duty conferred or imposed by this Act including the manner of filing an appeal to the Commission;
		(g)	the provisions providing for the voluntary disclosure of categories of records in accordance with section 4;
		(h)	the notices regarding fees to be paid in relation to requests for access to an information; and
		(i)	any additional regulations or circulars made or issued in relation to obtaining access to an information in accordance with this Act.
	(4)		The appropriate Government must, if necessary, update and publish the guidelines at regular intervals.
27	(1)		The appropriate Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules to carry out the provisions of this Act.
	(2)		In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:—
		(a)	the cost of the medium or print cost price of the materials to be disseminated under sub-section (4) of section 4;
		(b)	the fee payable under sub-section (1) of section 6;
		(c)	the fee payable under sub-sections (1) and (5) of section 7;
		(d)	the salaries and allowances payable to and the terms and conditions of service of the officers and other employees under sub-section (6) of section 13 and sub-section (6) of section 16;
		(e)	the procedure to be adopted by the Central Information Commission or State Information Commission, as the case may be, in deciding the appeals under sub-section (10) of section 19; and
		(f)	any other matter which is required to be, or may be, prescribed.
28	(1)		The competent authority may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules to carry out the provisions of this Act.
	(2)		In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:—
		(i)	the cost of the medium or print cost price of the materials to be disseminated under sub-section (4) of section 4;
		(ii)	the fee payable under sub-section (1) of section 6;
		(iii)	the fee payable under sub-section (1) of section 7; and
		(iv)	any other matter which is required to be, or may be, prescribed.
29	(1)		Every rule made by the Central Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.
	(2)		Every rule made under this Act by a State Government shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is notified, before the State Legislature.
30	(1)		If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the Central Government may, by order published in the Official Gazette, make such provisions not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act as appear to it to be necessary or expedient for removal of the difficulty:
			Provided that no such order shall be made after the expiry of a period of two years from the date of the commencement of this Act.
	(2)		Every order made under this section shall, as soon as may be after it is made, be laid before each House of Parliament.
31			The Freedom of Information Act, 2002 is hereby repealed.
THE FIRST SCHEDULE [See sections 13(3) and 16(3)]
			Form of oath or affirmation to be made by the Chief Information Commissioner/the Information Commissioner/the State Chief Information Commissioner/the State Information Commissioner "I, ....................., having been appointed Chief Information Commissioner/Information Commissioner/State Chief Information Commissioner/State Information Commissioner swear in the name of God solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, that I will duly and faithfully and to the best of my ability, knowledge and judgment perform the duties of my office without fear or favour, affection or ill-will and that I will uphold the Constitution and the laws.".
THE SECOND SCHEDULE (See section 24)
			Intelligence and security organisation established by the Central Government
		1.	Intelligence Bureau.
		2.	Research and Analysis Wing of the Cabinet Secretariat.
		3.	Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.
		4.	Central Economic Intelligence Bureau.
		5.	Directorate of Enforcement.
		6.	Narcotics Control Bureau.
		7.	Aviation Research Centre.
		8.	Special Frontier Force.
		9.	Border Security Force.
		10.	Central Reserve Police Force.
		11.	Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
		12.	Central Industrial Security Force.
		13.	National Security Guards.
		14.	Assam Rifles.
		15.	Special Service Bureau.
		16.	Special Branch (CID), Andaman and Nicobar.
		17.	The Crime Branch-C.I.D.- CB, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
		18.	Special Branch, Lakshadweep Police.